CH 18.1

It was as if he had been hit in the back of the head while walking dazedly. It was like even if you barely wake up, you know what happened, and even if blood flows from the back of your head, you fall into a near-death state that you can’t even feel the pain… Yaba managed to push his voice away.

“No. He said he has a voice fetish. I’ve seen him do it with women.”

“Of course. There are some people who sometimes enjoy being perverts as a special meal. Above all, isn’t proof of him coming and going here that he is not normal?”

He leaned his shoulders against the strong wall.

“It’s mostly men in their early 20s. They ask for lilies to decorate the perimeter, and like it when some aromatics are sprinkled on it. Not clumsy makeup, but with a real dead body. Are you wondering whether they put it in? Unfortunately, they didn’t go there. It would have been nicer to watch, but just touching and rubbing a corpse is disgusting enough.”

His vision was blurring, and Yaba had to support his body in Kang Giha’s hand wrapped around his arm. His stomach felt like it was going to flow out of his mouth. The suppressed voice didn’t seem to belong to him.

“Don’t… speak bullshit. If he puts his mind to it, he can embrace anyone but why…”

“A corpse? You must have guessed it too. Even if you live with your feet here, in reality, like a three-headed dog, you are anxious to know the world beyond the door. You are not in those eyes that only see the world that bleeds. There are only cold, drooping corpses.”

Kang Giha twisted the edge of his lips while observing the change in Yaba’s expression.

“Should I show you the recording? I can show you if you want. Speaking of, what do you think now?”

“Don’t speak bull…”

He felt dizzy and couldn’t speak. He didn’t know enough about Cha Yiseok enough to refute and deny that statement. It was strange. It wasn’t that surprising that Cha Yiseok was a necrophiliac. He just felt a little dizzy…

Kang Giha spoke with a moment of emphasis.

“Never be deceived by that bastard’s appearance. He’s not the kind of guy you can handle. The so-called royal family consider themselves to be royalty. They don’t care how much things cost. There is no concept of living with money itself, so if they like it, they just have it. There are only two cases where they do you a favor. When the other party has value to be used and when they judge otherwise. They are people who do not show their true feelings under any circumstances. If they ask for a handshake, then you have to run away without looking back.”

He said with firm eyes.

“Keep that in mind. Cha Yiseok will do you a favor until the day Cha Myunghwan dies. That’s when the validity period ends.”

Yaba couldn’t answer. The tinnitus resembling the sound of metal did not stop.

“If you understand, follow me.”

Kang Giha grabbed Yaba’s hand and dragged him away. Yaba was dragged around like a man who had lost his leg for a while and then slapped his hand away. He looked at Kang Giha with emotionless eyes.

“So Marijuana is dead too.”

Kang Giha, who had been confident so far, closed his mouth. Yaba added, turning his back on the reality that confronted him.

“It’s the same with you and him, when it comes to getting excited by a corpse.”

He turned the corner and entered the bathroom. At that moment, his legs loosened and he slumped on a simple chair. He braced himself against the wall and closed his eyes. Like a scrotum that contained nothing, those eyes that contained nothing seemed to be fed up with the pleasures that exist in the world. Just as Yaba devoted more to the downfall of Cocaine than to his own happiness, that man also found vitality in his life in twists and turns. Living things were no longer a stimulant for him.

Yaba had seen a pervert in a movie where he lusted for a pig-like corpse. The man was not as wealthy as Cha Yiseok, nor was his appearance glamorous. He always wondered why Cha Yiseok, who was neither haggard nor a loser like that man, was kissing someone like him, and dragged him into the house to wipe his feet and suck his genitals. But now he seemed to know.

Yaba himself died 10 years ago, so he was nothing more than a corpse…

***

As night fell, Paradiso rushed to the feet of those seeking to fulfill his desires. The exterior of the 7-story building looks like a high-end restaurant, but the decadent scenery inside was unfolding. On each floor, there was a room for ideal sex enthusiasts by theme, and they reeled with gestures that were no longer noble.

In the Sky Lounge overlooking the city, there was a continuous line of people looking for Cocaine. A congressman who had been stabbed earlier, walked out with the healing of Cocaine. A violinist with a fractured finger, a real estate tycoon with a myocardial infarction… Cocaine only took reservations without straining his vocal cords, and the last person chosen today was Chairman Kim.

The performance began with a focus on Cocaine. Yaba had been on stage for a long time, but he stood in awe with his mouth tightly shut. It was because the thing Kang Giha told him pushed away the lyrics, so he couldn’t think of anything. In the meantime, there were a lot of times when he only sang the end of the chorus and mostly muttered, so there was nothing new. As the singing ceased, the white-haired old man clapped his hands in excitement. Chairman Kim bit all the young men and beckoned Cocaine to sit next to him.

“I came here because I wanted to hear your song after a long time. How have you been?”

“I’ve been well. The Chairman seems to have gotten better.”

“Yes, yes, isn’t it all thanks to you? By the way, do you remember what this grandpa said about Director Jung? His wife had dementia…”

Cocaine nodded his head as he traced his memory.

“I think you should take a look. Now she even paints landscape paintings on the walls, and even tears off the hair of the daughter-in-law and caregivers. Yesterday, there were even nail marks on Director Jung’s face. Looked indecent to the people who saw it. Haha…”

Chairman Kim wrinkles folded and he smiled. It was curious as to what made him change his mind, who had been ignoring the circumstances of Director Jung.

“Then if you bring her to the store…”

“No, she can’t come in person because she is in bad shape, so you have to go see her yourself.”

“Where should I go?”

“I heard that the recuperation place is somewhere in Yangpyeong. This grandpa don’t even know the exact location. I’ll send someone out tomorrow.”

“If you tell me the location, I will go. There will be someone to take me so…”

“No, there are a lot of eyes around, and if unfamiliar guys come and go, Director Jung’s wife will pass out. This grandpa will send someone to fetch you.”

When Chairman Kim insisted, Cocaine felt troubled. He tended to be cautious about business trips since he almost got kidnapped in the past. The person who tried to kidnap him was the son of a chaebol and was about to get married. Fortunately, it was a failed attempt, and after that, the president did not allow him to travel unless he was a reliable regular. Chairman Kim was talkative but well-mannered, and he was a regular trusted by the boss. However, it was a realization that he had learned over a long period of time that he should not trust anyone who entered and left this place.

“I don’t want to be a nuisance to the Chairman. If you tell me the location, I will go.”

As Cocaine repeated, Chairman Kim was no longer stubborn. And he asked abruptly.

“Oh, by the way, are you going to wear a mask when you come tomorrow?”

“Yes. It is the rule to wear it outside.”

Chairman Kim put his glass of wine to his lips and smiled rigidly.

“Well, do as you please.”

***

Imsoo placed a glass on the table. Kang Giha stared at the steaming coffee.

“What is that guy doing?”

“He’s spacing out in the waiting room as usual.”

Kang Giha glanced at Imsoo. Even though he did not designate anyone, Imsoo reported Yaba’s whereabouts as if it were natural. He was quick-witted compared to his burly build, but Kang Giha was both reassured and dissatisfied with his knowledge of him. Imsoo spoke without paying attention to his gaze.

“We have received a request for a business trip for Cocaine.”

“Where and who?”

“Chairman Kim of Daehyung Construction arranged it for a company executive whose wife has dementia. What should I do?”

“Take two kids and tell them to bring them back right away if it seems suspicious.”

“Alright.”

Kang Giha looked around his office, burying himself on the leather sofa.

“How much did you say it would cost to acquire Paradiso?”

“I just contacted their lawyer and was told that the market value of the building alone is 18 billion won. Other than that, if you include taxes on the rights, you will have to pay hundreds of millions more. But you should first find out whether the owner is willing to selling the store or not…”

“If I coax them well, they’ll hand it over. If they haven’t shown their nose to the store in the meantime, that means they’re not interested. The problem is money.”

Kang Giha remembered Executive Director Cha’s proposal last night.

‘Then give him to me.’

‘Just ask for the amount you want.’

Executive Director Cha’s interest in Yaba really irritated Kang Giha’s nerves. They were people who gave out hundreds of millions of dollars for a night with the woman they wanted, but they are too stubborn to use it for disposable people. Of course, it was a very tempting offer, but he turned it down. Although Kang Giha was dissatisfied with himself, he had no intention of changing his mind. Whether it’s for a one-time use or whatever, there is no benefit to Yaba spending a long time with Director Cha. As soon as Cha Myunghwan stopped breathing, there was no other way but to finish this matter.

It had been 10 years since he brought Yaba. When he first came here, he didn’t sing for a while. But the reason he kept such a useless child was because of his evil eyes when he told his friend. He really liked the look in Yaba’s eyes when he was young. However, after that, he did not show any special talent for singing, so Giha’s interest was only in using Cocaine to raise Paradiso.

Yaba, who has become an adult, has a strange atmosphere that caught his eyes. When was the first time he felt sexually excited by him? By the time he vaguely realized the identity of this feeling, he had already been castrated and chipped. Kang Giha ruffled his tidy hair. If this is done cleanly and the stake is donated by Executive DIrector Cha, then Paradiso can be acquired at once. Then he will perfectly get his hand on Yaba. Until that day, the microchip was a last resort.