The location the man provided over the phone was a shop in the market area, but with numerous alleys and its deep position inside, finding it proved quite difficult. Soo-hyun looked up at the butcher shop sign that read “Delish Meats.” The scene inside confirmed it was indeed a butcher shop, where two large men cut meat with sharp knives.

Seems like he found the right place…. Surely the part-time job couldn’t involve selling meat. When he entered, one of the men cutting meat greeted him without making eye contact, assuming he was a customer.

“Welcome.”

“I’m here on Kim Chang-nam’s recommendation.”

The man paused and raised only his eyes to look at Soo-hyun. His gaze appeared fierce enough to cut people, not just meat. While continuing to cut meat, the man called out.

“Cheol, customer’s here.”

Almost immediately, someone emerged from behind a partition inside. The man wore a black apron and black clothes, both covered in what appeared to be stains. Recognizing it as blood wasn’t difficult. Perhaps they slaughtered pigs directly here.

Before Soo-hyun could wonder further, the man tucked the knife he was holding into his back pocket and gestured for him to follow. Following the man through the partition revealed a freezer. A pungent smell rose from the floor. He couldn’t determine whether it came from raw meat or blood.

Soo-hyun felt surprised at how large the inside appeared compared to the small shop front. When the freezer door opened, pigs hung upside down, and passing between them toward the back revealed yet another door. While walking toward the door, a scream echoed through the space. Not from a pig, but from a human.

When Soo-hyun stopped in his tracks, the man turned around.

“What are you doing? Follow me.”

The sound abruptly stopped. Pretending he hadn’t heard anything, Soo-hyun followed the man out of the freezer to find an office. Going further in revealed another door in this complex layout. The man knocked, and after a moment, a large figure opened the door. He looked down and frowned.

“Hey, you bastard. Blood’s dripping on the floor.”

The man called Cheol lowered his head with an embarrassed expression.

“I’m sorry, boss. I’ll clean it up right away.”

After handing Soo-hyun over to the other man, Cheol disappeared. Yet the bloody smell lingered in his nostrils. The entire building seemed soaked in it. Following the man further inside, he saw a large leather chair. A head poked out from the top of the turned chair, and someone’s voice could be heard. The large man waited for him to finish his call instead of calling out.

During that brief moment, Soo-hyun checked the name on the desk. CEO, Kim Tae-shin. An unfamiliar name. After a moment, sensing their presence, the chair turned around. The man who turned around appeared younger than expected to be called “boss” and had a normal face. His hair was long and casually tied back—if seen on the street, he might be mistaken for an aspiring celebrity or artist.

However, a scar at the corner of his lip disturbed the overall impression. It looked deliberately cut. Because of it, the man appeared to smile even when still. While on the call, the man observed Soo-hyun with his eyes.

“Yeah, he’s here. Yeah.”

Kim Tae-shin’s gaze scanned Soo-hyun from top to bottom, then he smiled.

“His face is usable. Right, got it.”

After ending the call, the man stood up. He held an envelope in his hand. Once seated on the sofa, Kim Tae-shin sat across from him and tossed the envelope over. Then he lit a cigarette.

“Open it.”

Soo-hyun opened the envelope to check its contents. It contained only a fake ID with a false name and a mobile phone. While examining the fake ID, the man handed him a photo. The man in the photo, with bleached blonde hair, had an unfamiliar face.

“Tomorrow there will be a party on the outskirts. All the high-profile rich kids will be there. You just need to go there and take the necklace this man is wearing.”

Soo-hyun took his eyes off the photo and looked at Kim Tae-shin. His scarred lip corner seemed to rise even higher.

“Chang-nam praised your quick hands. Said you have some loyalty too.”

What a nice way to dress up being called a thief. Besides, there’s no way that Kim Chang-nam would praise me. He probably said I have nowhere to go and no one would look for me if I died, so I’m someone they can use and discard. Soo-hyun stared at the photo silently.

“In a place like that… don’t they search people?”

“Of course. You have to surrender all your belongings and strip down to your underwear when entering. Same when leaving. They’ll even check your as$ by spreading it open.”

When Soo-hyun frowned, the man asked with a smile.

“What? Can’t do it?”

Soo-hyun couldn’t answer. Getting in might be one thing, but if they searched bodies on the way out, where would he hide the stolen item? Kim Tae-shin pointed to the mobile phone he had given Soo-hyun and provided the answer.

“The moment you turn off the mobile phone, a bomb planted inside will activate. Exactly three hours later. It’s not powerful enough to cause major damage, but sufficient to create a distraction.”

“……”

A bomb. What kind of job requires a bomb? He felt somewhat surprised by the larger scale than expected. In his mind, he visualized the situation. It didn’t seem difficult. After all, he wasn’t being asked to stab someone to death. F*ck, should I be grateful to my father for passing down this talent? The man lit another cigarette, seemingly giving Soo-hyun time to think. The cigarette tip glowed red before turning to ash, and by the time it was half gone, Soo-hyun had made up his mind.

“I’ll do it.”

The corner of the man’s mouth rose again. Whoever had cut him, the man would probably remember that person for life. Just like how his own father had cursed someone while looking at his severed finger. That’s how revenge should be. Make it unforgettable.

As Soo-hyun put the ID and mobile phone back in the envelope, Kim Tae-shin wrote down a number.

“Call here as soon as you’re done.”

Soo-hyun took it and put it in his pocket. Yes. Kim Tae-shin pointed at Soo-hyun with the tip of his pen. Specifically, at Soo-hyun’s eyes.

“Just to prevent any foolish ideas, that item is useless to you even if you take it. So don’t get any strange thoughts.”

In other words, don’t think about stealing the item and running. Soo-hyun nodded with a smile. Yes, I understand. As he collected the envelope and walked out of the office, the man’s subordinates were moving something behind the freezer. The limp object looked like a pig at first glance, but it wasn’t a pig. Soo-hyun pretended not to see and turned his gaze away, walking in the opposite direction back the way he had come.

***

The person who came to pick up Soo-hyun early in the morning had little to say throughout the journey to their destination. The car traveled for quite some time to the outskirts of Seoul, and by the time they arrived, the sun was already setting. At the large iron gate, they checked IDs one by one, but the car carrying Soo-hyun passed through without any issues.

Beyond the large gate appeared a forest path. It seemed to be someone’s private property, and it was very well maintained. After driving for about 10 more minutes, the car stopped at a place large enough to be called a mansion. In the yard stood large sculptures and a fountain, and staff busily prepared for the party.

After getting out of the car, the man approached someone and exchanged a few words before handing Soo-hyun over to them. From the conversation with the mansion staff, it became clear that the man who had brought Soo-hyun here maintained connections to this place.

A guard wearing a receiver and holding a walkie-talkie gestured for Soo-hyun to follow. Instead of the main entrance, he took a side path toward the back of the building. Once inside, men and women around Soo-hyun’s age lined up moving in two directions.

Following instructions to join the men’s line, Soo-hyun entered an enclosed space. At the entrance, they searched him once, and as previously instructed, he surrendered his mobile phone and ID. Then, from the front of the line, people began undressing without being told to do so.

Suddenly, he remembered what the butcher shop owner had said yesterday. They even check your as$ by spreading it open. F*ck… surely not. But his concerns became reality. The first man who had completely undressed stood in front of someone who appeared to be a staff member, routinely opened his mouth, and then turned around to spread his b*ttocks with his hands.

They say it’s because some people try to smuggle in small cameras or listening devices in their anuses, but still, that’s… As Soo-hyun hesitated, a fat, mean-looking staff member looked at him.

“Hey, newbie. Why are you just standing there?”

Soo-hyun started unbuttoning his clothes while cursing inwardly. F*ck, even though I’ve stripped in front of all sorts of people, this is something I really don’t like… After removing everything including his underwear and placing them in a basket, the staff member who had just scolded him approached.

“Mouth.”

Soo-hyun opened his mouth like the person before him had done. The man shone a flashlight into every corner of his mouth before gesturing for him to turn around. Soo-hyun turned and moved his hands to his b*ttocks. As he grabbed and spread his b*ttocks, shame and self-loathing washed over him.

“This kid’s got a pretty little hole.”

Hearing this, people around snickered. Soo-hyun turned around with a deep frown. The man handed him new clothes. Seeing the smirk on his face, Soo-hyun felt the urge to split his lips. Swallowing his anger, he examined the clothes given to him and noticed there was only pants, no shirt. He called out to the man from earlier.

“Excuse me, there’s no shirt.”

The man turned and raised an eyebrow.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“I said there’s no shirt.”

The man’s chubby cheeks contorted. Then, instead of answering, he pointed to the side. Everyone changing clothes wore only pants without shirts. They wore suspenders that went from the pants to the shoulders and bow ties, looking perversely ridiculous. Reading the disbelief on his face, the man who had walked away approached again.

“What, you don’t want to wear it?”

“……”

The man’s gaze lowered to Soo-hyun’s n*pples.

“Don’t tell me you’re embarrassed because they’re pink?”

“……”

“Someone suck this bastard’s n*pples until they turn black.”

At the blatant harassment, snickering sounds echoed from the side. Soo-hyun erased his displeasure and grinned. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass. Then, ignoring the man, he put on the clothes and tied the bow tie. You pig, just wait. When I leave this place, I’ll smash your head first.

But the man who had been walking away turned back and called out to Soo-hyun.

“Hey, newbie.”

Soo-hyun looked at the man while tying his bow tie.

“What animal do you like?”

What’s with the sudden animal talk? Since he was waiting for an answer, Soo-hyun lazily replied “rabbit,” which made the man’s lips curl into a smile. “That’s perfect,” he said before walking away. There was no time to ask what was so perfect about it.