Sentimental Shower

#012

“…I don’t understand what you mean. Did I buy something other than medicine?”

At Mr. Yoo’s words, Dr. Kim let out a hollow laugh.

“I know you’re performing illegal procedures, do you think I’ll just let it slide?”

Mr. Yoo suddenly thought that if he were human, he would have let out a hollow laugh just like that man.

It was a pathetic threat. If he were to be reported and taken to the police, he could just run away again. He was well-versed in escaping.

As if laughing in his place, the rain poured down with a loud noise.

“Today… I have somewhere to go, so let’s talk later.”

He felt extreme fatigue washing over him. The headache he had forgotten about came rushing back. Noise crept into his visual display.

“What do you mean talk later.”

Mr. Yoo backed away as much as the other man approached. The bus stop was crowded with people, and many were running around in confusion due to the suddenly heavier rain.

He didn’t want to cause trouble in a place with so many onlookers. Every passing human looked like an android hunter to him.

“Will money suffice?”

“What?”

It was a bit of a shame, but thinking it would be better than letting the commotion grow, and feeling rushed as the exhibition’s closing time approached, he blurted out those words. Somehow, the other party seemed displeased.

“Are you joking right now?”

As he raised his hand that wasn’t holding an umbrella and approached, something flashed in front of Mr. Yoo’s eyes, and Dr. Kim fell to the ground. A pair of black dress shoes stepped in front of him.

Yeon Tae-soo, who had suddenly appeared, started kicking the fallen Dr. Kim. The terrible sound of flesh being pummeled continued for a while.

Unable to stop him, Mr. Yoo looked around while getting drenched in the rain. He didn’t want to cause a commotion and draw attention unnecessarily.

Fortunately, the surroundings were encircled by dark-clad men who seemed to have been summoned by Yeon Tae-soo, forming a kind of barrier. His own figure would likely be hidden by these burly men.

“Where the f*ck do you think you’re putting your pig’s feet?”

Yeon Tae-soo spoke, spitting out the words as if still unsatisfied. At his chin gesture, one of the surrounding burly men picked up the fallen Dr. Kim like an object and went somewhere.

As he was following the retreating figure of the burly man with his eyes, the rain pouring on his head suddenly stopped. Yeon Tae-soo had approached and was holding an umbrella over him.

“It’s been a while, our Mr. Yoo.”

He didn’t know this face could be so welcome. Although he didn’t show it outwardly, Mr. Yoo felt deep relief.

“…How… Were you just passing by?”

“I was thinking of visiting Mr. Yoo after a long time, and I saw that pig’s feet of a man lunging at you.”

Could such a coincidence exist? Mr. Yoo had never considered himself lucky, but today it seemed he truly was fortunate.

A sensation of all strength leaving his body hit him simultaneously with a headache. Yeon Tae-soo caught him as he staggered. His temple touched a firm chest. The warmth of a human felt unfamiliar.

“Let’s go inside for now. It’s raining heavily. Our Mr. Yoo might catch a cold.”

Although he couldn’t catch colds, he felt as if part of his body had melted, leaving him powerless, so he followed without saying anything.

The place they arrived at was the basement of a building not far from the bus stop.

Entering what seemed to be used as a warehouse, the smell of mold stimulated his sense of smell. Yeon Tae-soo offered him a makeshift chair and stood beside him.

The men who had arrived earlier had already tied up Dr. Kim. Even in that state, when Dr. Kim’s eyes met Mr. Yoo’s, he tried to shout something through his gagged mouth with his eyes wide open. At a single gesture from Yeon Tae-soo, one of the burly men slapped Dr. Kim.

With a loud smack, the struck body fell to the side. Mr. Yoo flinched. Even though Yeon Tae-soo was essentially the king of Haeya-dong, hitting someone like this without justification might cause trouble.

“This son of a bitch… I was looking for him anyway, and he just falls into my lap like this.”

Yeon Tae-soo said as he put on leather gloves. Mr. Yoo looked at him, wondering what he meant.

“He owes me a debt, so I’ve been looking for him. How convenient that he shows up like this?”

“…You mean Dr. Kim owes you a debt, Chairman?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Yeon Tae-soo answered perfunctorily as he approached the captive man. Mr. Yoo didn’t quite understand. Dr. Kim was a paid doctor at a large animal hospital. His identity was clear, so there should be no reason not to find him.

“What’s your name again? Dr. Kim?”

Moreover, he didn’t even know his name properly. Well, it wasn’t his business anyway.

More than that, he just wanted to get rid of the headache tormenting his mind right now. He should have brought his medicine. He closed his eyes tightly and opened them to see Yeon Tae-soo grabbing the collar of the fallen Dr. Kim and lifting him up.

“Now, apologize to our Mr. Yoo.”

He said he had been looking for him because of a debt, but now he was suddenly making him apologize to Mr. Yoo. Mr. Yoo shook his head.

“This puts me in a difficult position.”

He didn’t want to cause any trouble in this area, no matter what. He knew Dr. Kim’s persistent nature. He wouldn’t let this go after being treated like this.

Sure enough, even after being beaten, he was glaring at Mr. Yoo with vicious eyes. At the same time, he was flinching, watching Yeon Tae-soo’s reactions.

Yeon Tae-soo grasped his chin and gently rubbed it. With his other hand, he grabbed his hair, forcing him to face Mr. Yoo.

“It’s okay. He won’t have any reason to set foot in District 2 anymore anyway. Right?”

Saying that, Yeon Tae-soo removed Dr. Kim’s gag.

“W-What is this…! How dare you suddenly…”

Dr. Kim’s words were cut off as soon as his eyes met Yeon Tae-soo’s. Two differently colored eyes staring down without expression. And a physique a head taller and a shoulder broader than others. Anyone would freeze if Yeon Tae-soo looked at them like that.

In an instant, Dr. Kim’s face turned submissive.

“T-That… I… Urk!”

With another thud, Dr. Kim fell. He screamed, clutching his jaw.

“No, no. You should answer when asked a question. I asked if you won’t have any business in District 2 from now on, didn’t I?”

Yeon Tae-soo nonchalantly dusted off his hands and gestured for Mr. Yoo to come closer.

“Mr. Yoo, teach me how to set a jawbone.”

Yeon Tae-soo demanded, pointing with his chin at the screaming Dr. Kim. Mr. Yoo reached out with trembling hands and grasped Yeon Tae-soo’s hand. As he moved the gloved hand towards Dr. Kim, the fallen man writhed and struggled.

“Stay still, you’re starting to annoy me.”

At Yeon Tae-soo’s languid voice, Dr. Kim abruptly stopped struggling.

Mr. Yoo placed Yeon Tae-soo’s fingers on Dr. Kim’s jaw and aligned the dislocated jawbone. A loud scream echoed.

“Okay, thank you.”

As he waved his hand dismissively, Mr. Yoo stepped back a few paces. But that wasn’t enough, as the burly men rushed forward and stood in a line, forming a wall-like barrier.

Beyond the obstructed view, the sound of Yeon Tae-soo inflicting violence on Dr. Kim could be clearly heard. Muffled screams leaked out, probably from being gagged again.

“Now, shall we have you apologize to Mr. Yoo?”

After a while, the sound of beating stopped, and Yeon Tae-soo’s voice was heard. There was a choked sound, followed by a cleaner bone-setting sound than before. It seemed Yeon Tae-soo was realigning Dr. Kim’s dislocated jawbone as he had learned earlier.

“Aaaaargh!”

“I told you to apologize, not scream, didn’t I?”

The sound of flesh being pummeled was heard again. And then the sound of the dislocated jawbone being set back in place.

Yeon Tae-soo repeated this process of beating Dr. Kim, realigning his jaw, beating him again, and realigning his jaw several times.

As Mr. Yoo watched the completely battered Dr. Kim being dragged away, Yeon Tae-soo blocked his view. He took off his gloves and tossed them aside, and one of the burly men quickly caught them.

“Darling, you don’t have to worry about seeing that bastard’s face anymore.”

Mr. Yoo sighed involuntarily. Setting aside the question of who was whose darling, he had to deal with the immediate bewilderment that had struck him.

“He won’t stay quiet. He’ll report this everywhere and spread rumors.”

Yeon Tae-soo blinked his differently colored eyes. He didn’t look like the same person who had just beaten someone to a pulp.

“Are you worried about me?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Mr. Yoo was at a loss for words. Is this what humans express as being dumbfounded?

Yeon Tae-soo’s hand reached out and gently brushed Mr. Yoo’s rain-soaked bangs. Mr. Yoo flinched at the touch but froze, holding his breath, at the gentle caress as if handling something precious.

Yeon Tae-soo, right in front of him, felt especially unfamiliar today. Could someone be as unfamiliar as they were welcome? His olfactory sensors could still detect the smell of blood. The man who had just beaten someone nearly to death was standing before him with incredibly gentle eyes.

“I’m not someone you need to worry about. Even if a pig’s feet like that decides to come after me, he can’t even touch the tip of my toe.”

Mr. Yoo had thought of him as just a successful businessman in a small neighborhood, but judging by his words, it seemed he had some backing. Well, that’s probably how he managed to build a massive casino like Eden.

“I could make you like that too with just one word.”

Yeon Tae-soo’s promise to protect him didn’t seem to be an empty one. Thinking about it again, offering his body in exchange for protection from him seemed like the wise choice.

As long as his android identity wasn’t discovered.

“Come on, let’s go out. The rain has stopped.”

Following Yeon Tae-soo up, the rain had indeed stopped. The sky, not yet cleared, hung a white curtain over the buildings, dimly hiding the sunlight. The lights hastily turned on in buildings with moldy and rusty walls looked like low-hanging stars unable to rise.

“By the way, where were you rushing to earlier without an umbrella?”

Mr. Yoo’s gaze found the sun in the hazy, curtain-like sky. It had already tilted quite a bit. The exhibition’s closing time must have already passed.

“…There was a celestial photography exhibition I was trying to attend, but it must have closed by now.”

He could have snapped that it was none of his business where he was going, but for some reason, he felt like answering honestly today.

“Ah, the one at the public exhibition hall? Want to go see it now?”

“Didn’t I just say it’s already closed…”

Mr. Yoo stopped mid-sentence and stared at him with slightly surprised eyes. Yeon Tae-soo grinned. It was a smile that somehow looked proud.

“Darling, follow me.”