Adam looked at the man with disgusted eyes, and nodded to Li Yuyen in the back seat. Li Yu-yen took the knife that he had been holding on to the boss’ neck.
“Haa…!”
The relieved boss’s body slid down the sheet. At that moment, a black plastic bag covered his face.
The body of the car moved up and down, and soon it calmed down.
* * *
An abandoned factory.
The interior of the factory, long neglected in the forest, was foggy. In addition, the air touching the skin was creepy beyond the cold.
The concrete pillar with the steel frame exposed was thin like a skeleton with the flesh torn off. Inside the factory, which would be no surprise if it collapsed right away.
There was a bathtub in the center.
The moonlight that came through the hole in the ceiling lit the bathtub instead of the light. Adam stood with his back to the moonlight like a halo.
“Water is great.” Adam whispered.
“It accounts for 75 percent of the Earth’s surface, and similarly, most of the human body is water.”
Drops of oxygen bubbled up over the bathtub.
Li Yu-yen leaned his back against the unidentified drum and listened quietly to Adam.
“So the human body emits a red signal when only 10% of the water disappears. Can you imagine life without water?”
Adam whipped up the manager’s face in the bathtub. Drops of water splashed in all directions.
“Puahak!”
“The point is that even the noisy ones become quiet when submerged in water.”
“Ahuk, l-let me, survive…! Ahek!”
Adam frowned gently and dipped the manager’s face back in the water. The rope tied the man’s arms and legs, making it impossible to escape.
Splash. Splash.
After doing it a few times, the manager bit his lower lip as soon as he got out of the water.
“Do you know the great thing about water, manager?”
“Urg, gulp.”
The boss nodded in tears. Adam looked admirably at the manager, who supported his theory that soaking in water makes him quiet.
As a prize, he took a pack of cigarettes out of the manager’s pocket and handed a cigarette to his mouth. Every time Adam clicked on the lighter, the manager’s body was very agitated.
“Let’s take a rest and relax.”
Adam grinned as he lit his cigarette.
“Hm, mhgh!”
The manager had no choice but to suck the filter as he was told. The paper burned quickly, and smoky smoke filled his mouth.
“Now, exhale.”
As he was afraid that the cigarette would touch his lips, Adam pulled out the cigarette that had been bitten.
“Hoo….”
The boss breathed fearfully and puffed out cigarette smoke. Tears filled his red eyes like a person who smoked for the first time.
Adam rolled a cigarette between his fingers at the sight. Before long, the hand stopped.
The manager’s eyes followed the spark of the cigarette. However, as the embers approached his face, he quickly lowered his head.
“Heuk!”
Whoosh.
A thin smoke rose above the wet head. Adam rubbed a cigarette in his head and took something out of his pocket.
“It happens sometimes. Fools in Korea run away to abroad.”
Adam threw what he was holding onto the floor.
Pa.
The manager was devastated to see his passport spread out in front of him. It was his passport. He’s sure it was hidden in the safe. The cruel man seemed to have stolen his hiding place.
No way, was it this guy’s fault for disturbing his escape all this time?
“I guess you were going to the Philippines? I know that place very well. I was born there.”
Doubts grew into conviction.
“I can’t kill you here, but it means I can kill you there.”
The manager banged his forehead on the floor. And began to sob like a child.
“Hak, s-save me, please. Please forgive me……!”
Adam looked down indifferently at the manager and crouched down beside him.
“Forgive you.”
Adam muttered to himself.
“There is no better ideology for the perpetrator than forgiveness.”
Adam pulled his right ear. The man’s head, which had been lying face down, slowly rose up. The boss frowned and endured the pain.
“A society that values
forgiveness. I don’t think it’s a society with highly developed morals, but a society where sinners have the upper hand.”
“I-I, due to lack of learning, I-I-I c-can’t u-u-u-understand… … .”
“Hm.”
Adam asked, leaning his head in silence.
“Can you forgive me?”
“What? Yes, yes.”
“Even when I did this?”
“Of course. I can forgive you. There is! I will forgive you! So please save me!”
The manager nodded continuously. Adam giggled at the sight.
“Yeah, just like now.”
Adam shook his face lightly and threw it away.
“Forgiveness as we know it doesn’t come from the heart, it’s mostly a sad outcome of external factors.”