Dirt Cheap — Chapter 2

I BOUGHT EARRINGS AND A NECKLACE. JEWELRY SEEMED LIKE THE SAFEST CHOICE.

WHAT IS THIS EVEN FOR?

TO GO SEE SOME YOUNG GIRL,

SHOULD I REALLY BE PUSHING MY WORK ASIDE?

A YOUNG GIRL BARELY PAST TWENTY.

YET WHETHER DUE TO SKIN SO PALE SHE LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE WHO HAD NEVER SEEN THE SUN,

HER YOUTHFUL FACE LACKED THE AIR OF SOMEONE HER AGE.

AND ON TOP OF THAT...

I'M NOT MARRYING A GANGSTER.

IT MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE THE SPIRITED ATTACK FOR HER.

TOO BAD FOR HER THAT IT ONLY SOUNDED AMUSING TO ME.

AM I EIGHT YEARS OLDER?

THAT'S RIGHT. YOU'RE THIRTY-THREE RIGHT NOW, DIRECTOR DO... SO AN EIGHT-YEAR GAP IS CORRECT.

WHY DIDN'T YOU THROW IN SOME CANDY?

DON'T KIDS PREFER THAT SORT OF THING?

COME ON, DIRECTOR, STOP JOKING AROUND.

YES, VICE CHAIRMAN.

IS TODAY THE DAY YOU GO SEE THAT GIRL?

I'M ABOUT TO LEAVE NOW.

EVEN IF IT'S A BOTHER, SHOW YOUR FACE OFTEN AND GIVE HER SOME GIFTS.

I HEAR JO MAN-IK IS ALREADY STRUTTING AROUND ACTING LIKE YOUR FATHER-IN-LAW.

PLAY ALONG SO THAT IDIOT GETS EVEN MORE CARELESS.

THE REAL PLAN HIDDEN BENEATH THIS SHOWMANSHIP.

TO CLEANLY PURGE THE EXECUTIVES MORE USED TO KNIVES THAN PENS.

CARRYING ALONG IGNORANT MEMBERS WHO ARE ONLY GOOD AT THROWING PUNCHES

IS LIKE SPRINTING WITH SANDBAGS ATTACHED-A TRUTH THOROUGHLY REALIZED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

IT'S SIMPLY A MATTER OF DRIVING OUT THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY LOST THE SHAREHOLDERS' TRUST THROUGH VARIOUS INCIDENTS.

HOWEVER,

DESPITE BEING AN OLD MAN WHOSE DAYS ARE NUMBERED, THE SYNDICATE'S ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY-

CHAIRMAN SON SANG-DOO.

JO MAN-IK, KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THE OLD MAN IS HIS FINAL LIFELINE,

KEEPS FINDING WAYS TO PROLONG CHAIRMAN SON'S LIFE WHILE PUSHING FOR A CONSOLIDATION OF POWER THROUGH MARRIAGE.

THE CHAIRMAN REALLY DOESN'T HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT NOW.

THE WAY I SEE IT, THREE MONTHS AT MOST. PLAN ON DRAGGING THIS OUT FOR THREE MONTHS YOURSELF.

HE SEEMS STURDIER THAN HE LOOKS.

LOOK AT HOW HE'S HELD ON THIS LONG, EVEN WITH A MUG AS PALE AS A CORPSE'S.

A THAT WILL DRAW TO A CLOSE ONLY WHEN CHAIRMAN SON'S LIFE RUNS OUT.

TO THINK I HAVE TO KEEP THIS UP FOR THREE WHOLE MONTHS.

THAT'S A LONG TIME.

LUCKILY, THE SWELLING HAS GONE DOWN COMPLETELY.

NOW WE JUST NEED THE BRUISING TO FADE, MISS.

HAA... MIN-SOL MUST BE WAITING...

DID DIRECTOR DO SAY HE ISN'T COMING AGAIN?

WHY WOULD HE COME HERE...

I TOLD YOU, I'M NOT GETTING MARRIED.

GOODNESS, WHY NOT?

ASIDE FROM HIS HANDSOME LOOKS, HE SEEMED LIKE SUCH A REFINED GENTLEMAN.

IT WOULDN'T HURT TO SEE HIM A FEW MORE TIMES BEFORE DECIDING.

MRS. CHOO SHOULD HAVE SEEN HIS TRUE COLORS TOO.

AFTER WATCHING HIMSTEP IN AND STOP SOMEONE FROM HITTING ME, SHE FLIPPED COMPLETELY IN FAVOR OF THE MARRIAGE...

YOU KNOW...

...THAT I CAN'T LEAVE THIS PLACE.

THERE IS A VERY CLEAR REASON THIS MARRIAGE CAN NEVER HAPPEN ANYWAY.

AT FIRST, I SIMPLY DIDN'T TAKE A STEP OUTSIDE FOR THE TRIVIAL REASON THAT I HAD NOWHERE TO GO.

WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING I WAS LOCKING MYSELF AWAY.

EVERY TIME I TOOK A STEP OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL,

THAT HALLUCINATION NEVER FAILED TO RETURN—

UNTIL AT SOME POINT, I GREW TERRIFIED OF THE OUTSIDE AND BECAME TRULY TRAPPED.

NO.

YOU'LL LEAVE HERE ONE DAY, MISS.

WHEN YOU'RE ALL BETTER, YOU'LL SPEND ALL DAY STROLLING THROUGH THAT FLOWER FIELD.

I TRULY BELIEVE THAT.

OH DEAR, CRYING AGAIN. I'M ACTING SO FOOLISH. GO ON AND DO YOUR ROUTINE, MISS.

...I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT GIVEN EVERY SINGLE DAY.

A SORT OF PRESCRIPTION FROM MY DOCTOR.

ANYTHING IS FINE, EUN-SOO.

EVEN IF IT'S JUST PICKING UP PEBBLES.

TRY BUILDING A HABIT THAT GIVES YOU A SMALL SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT.

EVEN THE SIMPLE TASK OF WALKING AROUND THE HOSPITAL GROUNDS WAS HARD AT FIRST,

BUT BY GRADUALLY EXPANDING MY RANGE, I CAN NOW REACH THE HOSPITAL BACKYARD.

AND

I CAME TO TREAT SCATTERING DANDELION SEEDS INTO THE WORLD AS MY OWN LITTLE ACHIEVEMENT.

I SHOULD'VE KNOWN...

I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT CANDY AFTER ALL.

WHY IS THIS MAN...?

DID HE SEE ALL THAT?

HOW EMBARRASSING.

WHY ARE YOU HERE?

DO YOU HATE ME THAT MUCH?

YES.

AT LEAST LOOK AT MY FACE.

WON'T YOU LOOK ME IN THE EYE?

...I DON'T WANT TO.

DEFYING ME WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IT JUST MAKES YOU LOOK PRETTIER.

WHAT WILL YOU DO IF I SLIP UP AND ACTUALLY SAY LET'S GET MARRIED?

DO YOU REALLY HAVE THE NERVE TO CRAWL INTO MY BEDROOM?

BASTARD...

WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME? WHAT ABOUT ME DO YOU HATE SO MUCH?

BECAUSE YOU'RE A GANGSTER.

I GET THAT. ANY OTHER REASON?

I THOUGHT IT'D BE TROUBLESOME, BUT NOT DIFFICULT.

...BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO OLD?

YOU MUST NOT KNOW YOU WERE ORIGINALLY ABOUT TO MARRY A GUY TWENTY YEARS OLDER THAN YOU.

EITHER SHE WAS BORN WITH A REBELLIOUS STREAK OR WHAT.

TWENTY YEARS????

COMPARED TO HIM, I'M PRACTICALLY FRESH MEAT.

HOW AM I GOING TO COAX THIS SOFT LITTLE KID AROUND?