CH 12.3

“It sounds like a thirteen-year-old boy soprano. How do you get that voice?”

From a shrivelled scrotum. Yaba wondered how the woman’s face would change if he said that. After the conversation from before, Yaba was taken to the drawing room and forcibly seated at a round table. The living room for the three of them was full of lace and boring paintings, and lace was running down to the table.

“Honestly, when I heard Mr. Cocaine’s song… I got goosebumps. I went to operas often, but it was the first time I heard such a voice. Oh, he really likes music. The first time we met was at the Opera House. I’ve heard that there are only a few people in the world who could sing the Queen of the Night Aria properly, but you were amazing. That day, I couldn’t even sleep…”

Cha Myunghwan’s wife couldn’t finish her words with excitement on her face. When Yaba didn’t respond, her smile faded. Cha Yiseok was lying on the chair like a snake, holding his chin with his fingers. Unlike his cold face from earlier, he was wearing a kind mask. As the velvet mask clung to his cheeks, Yaba shoved his finger through the gap and scratched it. He hated it when it was hot. This warm air was the perfect environment for insects to hatch.

Soon after, a middle-aged woman placed some coffee in front of him. If she hadn’t been holding the tray like that, she would have had the dignity of a lady of the house. The housekeeper glanced at Yaba’s mask and was concentrating on managing her expression. It was the same with the woman named ‘sister-in-law’. Cha Myunghwan’s wife spoke while fiddling with the teacup.

“It’s good coffee, try it, Mr. Cocaine.”

“No thanks.”

“Do you dislike coffee? Try it though. It’s really smooth…”

“I said no.”

“It is a coffee that is difficult to find in the market. Even people who don’t like coffee will definitely fall for it, right? Young master.”

Cha Myunghwan’s wife curved her eyes and smiled. It was already the fifth time. The woman smiled while making eye contact with Cha Yiseok the whole time. Why did people look at Cha Yiseok like that? Can they not stand not staring at him? Did he himself look at Cha Yiseok like that woman too? Yaba asked coldly.

“Can you take responsibility for that?”

The woman’s gaze, which had been embedded in Cha Yiseok, returned.

“… Yes?”

“Are you saying that someone who has never had coffee in their entire life will fall in love with it with just one cup of this? What if I don’t change my mind after drinking this coffee?”

So, stop staring at Yiseok. Before I sting your eyeballs. Yaba lifted his gaze as he ripped off his lace which he had been picking. The woman’s stiff face was a sight to behold. He could feel Cha Yiseok’s gaze next to her. She said, not knowing what to do.

“Oh, I’m sorry if I offended you. Did I force you to do something?”

The woman’s innocent eyes evoked an insincere feeling. She pretended to be the bigger person, pretended to accept everything, and the detestable appearance was similar to that of someone else. He felt nauseous. Cha Yiseok leaned on the sofa with a cup of coffee and moved his gaze to this side.

“I heard you guys don’t even touch cigarettes or caffeine because of vocal cord maintenance, is that because of that?”

Yaba ripped off the edge of his lace with his fingernails and stared at the coffee. As Cha Yiseok said, it was because of Kang Giha’s coercion, but above all, the housekeeper’s earlier gaze was unpleasant. She might have spit in it or soaked her stockings. Cha Yiseok smiled after looking with strange eyes for a while. He instructed the housekeeper to bring pear juice or ginger tea. The housekeeper put away the coffee in front of Yaba with a perplexed expression. Cha Myunghwan’s wife, who was only sipping coffee in the awkward air, struggled to improve the atmosphere.

“I don’t know if this is rude to ask, but may I ask how you got into doing that, Mr. Cocaine? Did you take vocal lessons from a young age?”

Yaba spoke like a typewriter.

“When I was 14, I was dragged away by the boss for no reason, and I was imprisoned in a dingy apartment, and I practised vocal music every day. The teacher was an old housekeeperen who weighed about 120 kilos, and she filled her lack of sexual desire by slapping the kids, pinching under their eyes, and slapping on the soles of their feet with an iron ruler. She said that if they couldn’t keep up with the amount of practice that day or couldn’t master the song that was given to them as homework, she told Kang Giha, and he locked the kids in the warehouse for a week and didn’t give them any water. The children imprisoned there were hungry and ate rats, roaches, and when they were thirsty, they ate their own cheap urine to sustain their lives. However, most of them were found dead or committed suicide when they were released. The children who barely survived practice with all their might so as not to die from then on. That’s the voice that came out of it.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Cha Myunghwan’s wife and housekeeper were all frozen in an immobile position. Cha Myunghwan’s wife, whose complexion had turned white, corrected her expression and released the uncomfortable silence.

“I- I see… Oh, the coffee smells good. Mrs. Moon.”

“I- I just opened it, madam. It was sent by Minister Lee before.”

Cha Yiseok rested his head on the table with his upper body bent. Eyes filled with interest have stared straightforwardly.

“How about you?”

“What?”

“Have you been to that warehouse?”

Yaba didn’t avoid the direct striking gaze.

“Yes.”

His eyes glistened. Who knew what he was thinking, his eyes darkened.

“Then you also stuffed your stomach with rats and cockroaches and drenched your throat with urine? Tell me in detail, come.”

Staring at him under his gaze, Yaba frowned.

“Why do you want to hear that? Are you a pervert?”

“Come on, tell me. Everyone will want to hear it.”

His gaze swept over the sister-in-law and the housekeeper.

“Y- Young master, we’re not…”

They smiled forcefully and dissuaded Cha Yiseok. A woman’s gentle hand touched Cha Yiseok’s arm. The 120-kilometre, old virgin teacher released her libido by abusing children. How would a woman with a cancer patient as his husband release her libido? Yaba dropped his eyes and scratched the back of his hand and cheek. Cha Yiseok rummaged through the fruit plate with a fork and poked a melon out.

“Your skin will get dry like that. If your hand feels empty, hold this.”

And he was persistent.

“Okay, when are you going to tell me? What happened in the warehouse.”

“…”

Yaba took the melon and took a bite. There was a mixture of sweet and strange smells in his mouth. He chewed the soft thing. But when he took it out of his mouth and examined it, a worm with only half of his body was crawling into the melon.

“Ugh… !”

Yaba jumped up and wiped his tongue with the back of his hand. The table was shaken by the sudden recoil. The fruit plate and coffee cups overturned and fell on the woman’s luxury clothes.

“Kyaa-… !”

Cha Myunghwan’s wife shook her skirt and made a fuss. The housekeeper also brushed the woman’s clothes. Cha Yiseok, who had been splashed with coffee at the same time, hardened, and coffee water dripped from his clothes and hair.

Yaba brushed the worms crawling on his skin and slapped his ears. Angered at the death of his comrades, the bugs attacked all at once. His skin tingled unspeakably. By adding warm air, the hatching time of the eggs has been advanced. He needed a cold wind. Yaba spurred his seat and went out. Bang! The sound of closing the door vibrated throughout the drawing room. Cha Myunghwan’s wife, who was in trouble, was speechless.

“W-why… what…”

Cha Yiseok wiped the coffee stains off his hair and shoulders. And laughed.