Three Eight-Chapter 12

Every time his tongue brushed against the split inside his mouth, he tasted the metallic tang of blood. Mu-gyeong didn’t respond—he only let out a low chuckle. Maybe he was silent because he was genuinely considering it, or maybe he was just amused. Whatever the reason, Guppping took his lack of response as hesitation and pressed further.

"Hongju’s remaining debt is a little over two billion won, you know? Since it’s you, Mu-gyeong, I could hand him over for twenty—no extra margin."

A sharp silence fell. The distant shouts and laughter from inside the back rooms suddenly felt deafening in contrast.

"......."

Mu-gyeong already knew the exact amount of Hongju’s debt. He had once heard Hongju say it was around 1.4 billion. Guppping was obviously lying. Despite himself, Hongju tensed. How would Mu-gyeong respond? The cold in his right ear, already frozen red from the winter air, suddenly became unbearable.

"That’s a pretty damn expensive body."

"His bastard father ran off with the debt fourteen years ago. No—fifteen now, since the new year’s started. We clothed him, fed him, raised him. And that’s without adding up those costs. Even then, he’s still worth this much."

"Hmm."

Mu-gyeong dragged out a long breath. The chair creaked—he had probably leaned back against it.

"Why are you suddenly putting a price tag on him? Feels a little pushy."

"You look interested, that’s why. I... Tsk. I wasn’t gonna bring this up, but..."

Guppping’s voice dropped, making Hongju’s breath catch. His body instinctively braced, already anticipating where this was going. He squeezed his eyes shut, focusing all his attention on the conversation inside.

"He sucks cock like a fucking dream. Has a different kind of strength, you know? Even just using his mouth, he can make you cum two or three times easy. Kid was born to suck dick."

"You tried him?"

"Every now and then. When I feel like it."

For Guppping, "every now and then" meant at least three or four times a week. For Hongju, those moments were nothing short of hell. Every second—whether it lasted five minutes or ten—was disgusting, painful. He couldn’t confide in anyone. Couldn’t ask for help. So he endured it alone, forcing himself to believe it was just another way to pay off the debt.

"Ahh. So that’s why you were always groping him like some perverted old fuck."

Hearing them talk about him like this—like he was some product on display—made him want to bite his own tongue off.

"Just giving you a little heads-up, you know? Never know how things’ll turn out. He’s pretty stiff, though."

Guppping’s raspy laughter followed. What the fuck was so funny? He only had one good ear, but somehow, everything was ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) crystal clear.

"Yeah, stiff is right."

"Of course he is—he’s a virgin. Oh, sure, his mouth is wrecked, but his ass? Still brand new. I thought about breaking him in a couple of times, but, I don’t know. Maybe 'cause I practically raised him? Never really got the appetite for it."

The first time Guppping had started making passes at him was right after a certain young "player" in the gambling house had disappeared. Before that, he had probably used him to get off. But once that outlet was gone, Guppping's bored hands had eventually settled on Hongju instead. He was easy—someone who could be controlled with debt. It hadn’t taken long before he was unzipping his pants. What had started as casual touches—grabbing his ass, feeling up his thighs—quickly escalated. He had even once suggested that Hongju should move in with him, offering to knock off half his debt in exchange.

Hongju’s vision burned red. He stared down at the floor, his breath coming faster.

"You beat the shit out of him. Hard to have an appetite for something when it’s bruised all over."

Mu-gyeong’s response was indifferent, like he was just making an observation. But Guppping jumped on it, dangling more bait.

"I was just waiting for the right time to break him in. Kid keeps getting himself into trouble—what was I supposed to do, huh?"

Shameless. Absolutely fucking shameless. The more he spoke, the sicker Hongju felt. His stomach twisted violently at the giddy excitement in his voice.

"Not sure if you know this, but fucking a guy’s ass feels pretty damn good. I know it sounds gross, but just close your eyes and shove it in once—you’ll get hard even if you don’t have a dick."

What the hell was he whispering like it was some secret insider information? A hollow laugh slipped from Hongju’s lips.

"Guppping, you a fag? Thought fags only went for looks."

"Tsk! Fag, my ass. It’s just something you do when you’re bored. Shit, just thinking about it’s got me aching."

Hongju’s foot twitched, restless.

"Ahh."

"Tsk. Guess I should hold back until Mu-gyeong gets a taste first, huh?"

Mu-gyeong only scoffed at that—he didn’t say no. He knew that response would keep Guppping interested. Keep the conversation going.

Hongju couldn’t take it anymore. He deliberately stomped up the stairs, cutting them off.

"He’s got a tight— Oh? You’re back early."

Guppping looked surprised. Good. Hongju glared daggers at him, taking a deep breath. Fuck, I wanna kill him. This piece of shit. His thoughts reeled, filled with nothing but violent, dangerous urges.

His hands were rough as he pulled the bundle of cash from his padded jacket and tossed it onto the desk.

"He pay up right away?"

"......."

"Guess the newbie doesn’t know how satisfying it is to slap you around yet."

Guppping chuckled as he scratched out the debtor’s name in the ledger. Next to it, he wrote "Hong." A mark to show that Hongju had collected the debt. Without hesitation, he stuffed the cash into his pocket instead of locking it in the safe.

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That meant he was skimming.

"Well, I gotta head out for a bit."

Guppping stood up hastily, like he was making an escape. As he passed Mu-gyeong, he patted his shoulder twice.

Mu-gyeong glanced down at the spot where he had been touched, then finally spoke.

"I’ll think about your offer."

"Offer? Ohh, yeah! Sure! Just think about it—I'll even give you a discount. Sound good?"

He made a crude gesture, forming a circle with his left fingers and thrusting his right index finger through it. His half-lidded eyes trailed over Hongju.

Revulsion churned in his gut.

Humming to himself, Guppping sauntered down the stairs. Only once his footsteps faded did Mu-gyeong speak again.

"Look at your eyes."

"Was thinking about how much I want him dead. Does that show too?"

"Hah."

Mu-gyeong suddenly tilted his head back and laughed. His throat bobbed with the force of it.

"If he dies now, you have to pay me back. And I won’t even let you work collections. How are you gonna repay me, huh?"

"......."

"With that untouched ass of yours, Gu Hongju?"

Had he noticed that Hongju had been eavesdropping? Shame settled deep in his stomach, leaving him feeling utterly exposed. He had been caught. Caught listening. Caught doing that with Guppping. Now Mu-gyeong probably knew exactly why he had glared at Guppping with such raw hatred.

His chest tightened, his breath coming shallow. Hongju inhaled sharply.

"I don’t care whose dick you suck."

Mu-gyeong shrugged. His words were indifferent, dismissive.

Hongju bit down on the inside of his cheek, swallowing the bitter taste that rose in his throat.

He had been stupid—just for a second. Mu-gyeong had stepped in, had helped him, and Hongju had mistaken that for something else. But Mu-gyeong was no different from Guppping. He had beaten debtors not out of kindness, but to instill fear in Hongju. Saying he’d consider Guppping’s offer? Maybe he actually meant it. Whether they were violent thugs or men with too much money, people like them couldn’t be trusted.

"I understand."

Instead of sitting in the empty chair, Hongju grabbed a trash bag. Just being near Mu-gyeong made his skin crawl.

Click. Click.

Mu-gyeong flicked open his Zippo lighter, only to snap it shut again. The sharp burst of flame vanished just as quickly as it appeared.

The temporary gambling house was chaotic all night.

Hongju kept himself busy. Voluntarily taking on errands, fetching things for the gamblers. When seats were left empty, he even filled in as a player. Unlike usual, he hardly left the game room. He had been doing everything he could to not be in the same place as Mu-gyeong.

The hallway was still lively when he stepped out.

Yang Siljang had taken Guppping’s usual seat.

"You backing off already? Tsk. You know the saying—pine caterpillars gotta eat pine needles to stay full."

Earlier, Guppping had reeled in a big match. He had been calling players all evening to gather the right people, but now he was nowhere in sight. He probably hadn’t gone himself to find players, had he? Hongju slowed his steps, about to ask Yang Siljang where Guppping had gone.

Then—

Snap.

A sharp sound, like fingers flicking.

Hongju turned his head toward it.

Mu-gyeong was peeking out from the farthest room in the hallway, gesturing with a crook of his finger.

He hesitated, but Mu-gyeong slipped further inside, wordlessly signaling for him to follow.

"Can’t reach Guppping. He’s not picking up either."

Mu-gyeong spoke first.

Hongju had just come from the game floor. How the hell was he supposed to know?

"I’ll ask around."

"Hey."

The moment he turned to leave, a firm grip yanked his shoulder back. The force of it nearly knocked him off balance.

"And what if you don’t know?"

Mu-gyeong’s knuckles brushed against his cheek. The leather of his gloves was cool against Hongju’s skin. A shiver ran down his spine.

"You see a chance and now you think you can act however you want, huh?"

Mu-gyeong’s lips curled at the edges, his usual expression. He wasn’t yelling. He wasn’t spitting out threats. But Hongju felt it—the overwhelming pressure. Cold. Suffocating. Just like their first encounter.

"You really trying to sell your virginity to me?"

"......."

The fingers tapping against his cheek grew heavier. He knew it would bruise.

"You seem to enjoy sucking Guppping’s cock, but don’t forget what you’re actually supposed to be doing."

Hongju glanced at the doorway. Being at the far end of the hall meant no one would pass by, but he still had to be careful.

After making sure no shadows were moving outside, he finally spoke.

"I was running errands. Couldn’t keep watch the whole time."

"And who the fuck told you that was an option?"

The taps on his cheek became sharp slaps.

Smack. Smack.

The heat in his cheek flared up again—the swelling had barely gone down, but now it was back.

Despite the force behind the blows, Hongju gritted his teeth and endured it without making a sound.

Mu-gyeong’s final strike sent his head snapping to the side, his hair falling messily over his face. He clicked his tongue, flexing his fingers like they were tingling.

"So I have to pay you before you listen, is that it?"

Hongju lifted his head, staring at Mu-gyeong. The crease in his brows, the sound of his tongue clicking, the way he shook off the sting in his hand—

It all felt different from before.

It wasn’t like the moment when he had slipped a phone into Hongju’s hands, whispering quietly.

"Once someone gets a taste of money, they always lose their minds. This kind of greed is exactly what gets people killed."

What if he took back the deal? If he said it was all a mistake?

Hongju couldn’t afford to lose it.

His stomach dropped.

"I wasn’t asking for more money!"

His hands moved on instinct, desperately grabbing onto Mu-gyeong’s coat.