Payback

‘It was you?’ What is that punk saying? I forgot I was wearing the mascot suit and frowned. If he had already heard my voice and recognized me, why was he surprised to see my face again? Not to mention he was looking at the mascot head, not my face. However, the guy slowly got up from his seat with a fierce look in his eyes.

Squeak~ 

The chair was pushed back roughly and he opened his mouth as he looked at me.

“Say it again.”

I guess wearing something like this made him angry. Did he think I would not be able to repeat it? I also glared at him fiercely and put my hand on the mascot head. I was going to say it again after showing my face more clearly, but the guy stopped ime.

“Wear it as it is and say it again.” 

I paused. I was going to take it off, but I stared at him. Right, it was just a cute doll standing, I almost forgot despite being the person involved. Then I tilted my head to the side as if threatening to grant him what he wanted.

“Are you afraid to look at my face? If you want to hear it again, I’ll do it. Are you surprised that I showed up? Director Yoon?”

The voice heard through the mascot suit rumbled and rang in my ears first. But I knew that the other party clearly heard it too. As evidence, the expression of the guy, who had still hardened in astonishment, gradually changed. But it was also an unexpected reaction. Anyone would be able to recognise it, his eyes were full of laughter.

“Keep talking.”

Was he doing this on purpose to avoid being disheartened by the fact that his identity had been revealed? With suspicion, I closed his mouth and squinted my eyes, looking at him. However, the guy with the usual smile on his face continued to talk nonsense.

“It’s nice to hear your voice, so go on.”

“What?”

When I replied with astonishment, his eyes curved like half moons, and dimples appeared on his face. 

“You know? Memories, if you have a small clue, will pour out at a certain point. For example, the moment I saw your mascot suit, it reminded me that I like that kind of voice.”

… This bastard. What nonsense was he talking about? But the guy couldn’t help but laugh as if something was exciting.

“What do you call this? A miracle?”

“Insanity.” 

I informed him and even checked by asking, ‘Are you out of your mind?’, but the guy who would normally respond with harsher words just twisted his lips and rejoiced.

“It’s clearer than ever. I finally found it, so why wouldn’t I be?”

So he was saying that what he was looking for was a masked voice he liked? I looked at the guy who couldn’t stop laughing, lost for words, and then came to my senses. Now is not the time to listen to my voice. I barely remembered it, and the guy’s words flowed out of one ear.

“If you like that much, I’ll hand it over to you, so write it down and talk to yourself. Oh, then it would be good for me too. You pretended not to be Director Yoon and played with me.” 

Then he smiled as if he had finally realized my purpose. I felt a little better after seeing that but it was only for a moment, and he responded casually.

“What about it?”

He put his glasses on the table and spat out annoyingly.

“Anyway, it’s a good situation for you. No, isn’t it the best situation? Director Yoon, whom you wanted to be connected with so much, was me. And I mean…” 

He raised one corner of his mouth.

“You’re a moron who hadn’t noticed and you are blaming me now? Still, I treated you well.”

Yes, that’s how you come out. I suppressed the anger that was about to explode and slowly took off the mascot head. The trapped hot breath spread into the air, opening up the breathing space.

“That means you admit it too. That you were playing with me.” 

“Right.”

“Did you have fun?”

I smirked along with the words. Perhaps he felt my smile was strange, he replied with narrowed eyes.

“I wasn’t bored.” 

Hearing the guy’s answer, I barely loosened his jaw that was about to close. I came here out of anger, but of course I didn’t mean to cry and cry like a woman who was deceived by her lover and argue with him. If I came here with the intention of getting angry without thinking, that would be really stupid. As the guy said, was it not the best situation? Even if I wanted to swear and swing my fist, of course there was a real purpose behind it. Something I had to say at the scene where the person’s identity is revealed while I was in a hot, heavy costume.

“If you’re playing around, then pay the price.”

I swallowed the back words that sounded like abusive language and added coldly.

“Tbe’gf j qgfmlber qfgrbc ktb mjc fzabga tecvgfvr bo wliilbcr obg j mlujgfaaf sbe’nf rwbxfv. Tbe xcbk tbk wemt sbe tjnf ab qjs obg qijslcu jgbecv klat wf obg j wbcat? Dfrlvfr, sbe rjlv la kjrc’a ybglcu. Ccv ilxf sbe’nf rjlv yfobgf, P jirb vbc’a ulnf gfoecvr.” 

Rbk, ktja jgf sbe ublcu ab rjs? P rajgfv ja tlw klat ws mtlc gjlrfv. Ccv erejiis ja atlr alwf, P qgfqjgfv obg j yibk. Dfmjerf atf jcrkfg kbeiv yf bynlber. Ktja tf kbeivc’a ulnf wf jcsatlcu bg rbwfatlcu ilxf atgbklcu j 200 kbc mblc. Cr P mifcmtfv ws olrar, P tfjgv atf jcrkfg.

“Fine. I’ll pay for it.”

What? The answer came out so bluntly that I wondered if I had heard it wrong. But I heard what the guy said next correctly.

“It’s also what you want. Do you need my power for revenge? Fine, I’m happy to help. Everything you ask for.” 

“…”

“And what else do you need? Money? The best role anyone can dream of? Just speak. I will make you a star right away.”

A chilling smile escaped his twisted lips. Then it was me who was confused, on the contrary. He answered my request readily, but it was the unexpected reaction of saying that he would give me everything as if he had been waiting for this moment that left me speechless. One thing came to mind. why?

“I don’t need that.” 

I wondered if he was testing me, so I was wary of him and spaat it out sharply. But he shrugged and took it lightly.

“Tell me later if you change your mind.”

Really, why was he doing that? I was speechless again, but it wasn’t over yet.

“And I’ll give you a price that you can’t even imagine.” 

Can’t imagine? I seemed to have frowned, the guy explained with a half-moon smile.

“Look forward to it. It will make you happy.”

“…”

“Are you satisfied with this?” 

Was the price not enough? I knew he was asking that, but I couldn’t open my mouth because of the unbelievable response. To be honest, I was skeptical at first. I wondered why that jerk suddenly appeared so kind. As if he was aware of my concerns, he smiled and let out a dry voice.

“The only time you can get an offer like this is right now. I’m in a very good mood right now.”

Contrary to his cold expression, there was a really pleasant tone in his voice, so I hesitated. There was a warning from one side of my mind that I was stepping into a dangerous swamp, but, as the tempter said, the opportunity was only now. To take advantage of him as Director Yoon.

“Fine. If you’re offering that much, I’ll assume you were bitten by a dog and forget that you played with me.” 

I was still in a bad mood, so I purposely compared him to a dog, but it didn’t work. He had set his mind on paying the price. He added a strange condition.

“You have to receive it all. Everything that I will pay for. You must.”

“Is that so. ”

This crazy bastard. When I gave him a definite answer, he nodded with assurance. And he added as if it was a passing remark, smiling softly. 

“Oh, if you give me a refund later, I will kill you.”

———

I felt dejected. Did I give the reverse effect and put him in a good mood by coming in with the mascot suit? The moment I remembered it, I unknowingly turned around and looked around the office where he was.

Was he crazy about mascot costumes? 

There was an eerie speculation that it could be the case, and a chill passed through my body. There was a sense of unease about the situation that I couldn’t understand. I was busy today, so I left the office after a friendly greeting from the guy who asked me to discuss the price step by step from tomorrow, but the feeling of being possessed by something didn’t go away. I had not said something wrong, had I? I asked him to pay the price, but he really said he’d give it to me, right? It was something completely unexpected that I never imagined.

If I asked for money, was he going to convert a few million won into ten won and throw it, an unpleasant future lingered in my head. As I stood in the elevator hall and blankly put the mascot head back on my head again, I heard a small sobbing in my ear. I turned my head to the end of the hallway where the toilets were, where I heard the sound. Oh, Chief Park. As I went into the bathroom, remembering the person I had forgotten, I heard a cry from inside the only room with the door closed.

“Euuh~ Euheuuuk~ My darling… sent me stones… Euheu, heu, heuk, keuk! S-since I only work overtime every day, stones… ahhhng~ My darling, what should I do if I throw it away now eheuheu…”

Bang! 

When I kicked the door hard with my foot, Chief Park, who was sitting with the lid crouched on the toilet, shook and was surprised.

“Huh! W-w-why are you here?!”

Suddenly, he crouched down in terror as he saw a giant mascot smashing the door and standing crookedly. I said quietly as I took the box of cakes he was hugging.

“The delivery was wrong.” 

Then I turned my back and left the bathroom, and after a while, I heard a faint voice of Chief Park, who came to his senses.

“… Eh?”

———

I didn’t have to go to Alice’s Labyrinth because the madman would definitely not be there, but that was why I went there on purpose. There were a lot of strange things. He said he liked the voice in the mascot head, but it was uncomfortable for him to accept my demands. And I hadn’t even talked about the most important thing about his name. No, it would be more correct to say that I hadn’t asked because I was not in the right mind. 

However, even if I asked about it later, somehow it seemed that I would not be able to hear the details. There must be a reason, given that he had a bad reaction to his name. So I came here. Maybe there was someone whom I could hear a little bit of the reason why. A person whose lying I could easily detect.

“Yeah, are you curious about something?”

He asked me, and then the boss brought up his business first.

“By the way, Baekwon, why didn’t you come that day?” 

If it was ‘that day’ then… It was the day I went to his house after being caught by the sleepy madman. In addition, it was the day the boss manipulated the text messages.

“Have you not been contacted by Jay by any chance? Like text messages or something.”

The narrowed eyes stared at me. I could not lie in front of that expression that suggested he would listen to me openly.

“Yes.” 

“What? Wasn’t it something like coming here because he missed you or something?”

“Aren’t you familiar?”

He flinched and soon smiled.

“Huhu~ Isn’t it good? My derivative skills?” 

Hearing his voice crack, I nodded my head. Yeah, I might find something out if I asked this person.

“I actually couldn’t believe the text.”

I added it right away to him who was about to say something.

“How can you trust a person whose name is Han Jay and is the same person as Director Yoon from Dream?” 

The boss opened his eyes wide and paused, then asked calmly.

“Did you find out?”

“Yes. And I’ve checked it myself. So it’s more unbelievable. People with different names can be the same person.”

“That…” 

I listened to his hesitation and the center of the conversation to him, deliberately emphasizing.

“I don’t believe my boss lied to me. He is not one to lie.”

Fortunately, this seemed to work. He gave a big nod.

“Of course. I am not lying.” 

“Then why are the names different?”

He stared at me for a moment, thinking. I was more curious about his reaction. What the hell was the secret behind the name? However, contrary to expectations, the answer that came out easily as if he had made up his mind was ridiculously simple.

“Han Jay is an old name.”

“You mean he changed his name… I mean, changed his last name?” 

The boss smiled bitterly and confirmed, ‘Ah, yes.’ What happened for his last name to be changed? And it’s not really a big deal. And if the name has been changed, shouldn’t I be notified with the changed name? In the beginning, I came to the conclusion that the problem was the boss who gave the wrong information, but I heard a casual addition.

“So, we became strangers.”

Oh? When I widened my eyes in surprise, a smile appeared on his face that reminded me of the madman.

“Did you not know? My surname is Han.” 

“Then maybe his father…”

“I’m just a relative. No, I was a relative.”

He cut himself off and added coldly.

“If you speak about what you’ve just heard at other places, I’ll make your life agonizing. Do you understand?” 

I nodded, realizing that it wasn’t just that the secret was being related to the boss. There seemed to be some other reason than that. Either way, I didn’t care. When I no longer showed interest, the boss returned to his original expression.

“So you checked with Jay yourself? Hmm… Judging by your personality, I don’t think you would just let it go. Hm? Did you perhaps punch him?”

Rumble! He suddenly kicked off his chair and got up and shouted at me.

“Heuk! Did you hit our Jay?!” 

Are you kidding me? I barely resisted what I wanted to ask. Even if we went to K1 right now, he’s going to win, but you’re worried about him getting hit. Please, if I could hit him even once, I would have no other wishes. Feeling upset, I frowned slightly.

“We didn’t fight.”

Then the boss said, ‘Hm?’ and changed his expression and smiled.

“Haha, yes. There’s no way our gentle Jay could have a fight.” 

“…”

“So what’s going on?”

I was amazed and wondered what he was talking about, so I asked back, ‘Yes?’

“You don’t understand something in Jay’s answer or actions.” 

I thought I would get used to it now, but whenever he suddenly hit the nail on the head, I was still startled. Still, I tried not to show it outwardly and answered lightly as if it was nothing special.

“It’s just kind of weird. He deceived me, so I asked for something in return, but he responded very readily.”

“Jay did?”

The boss also raised one eyebrow. I nodded and added. 

“Yes. He said he would listen to anything.”

The shock in my voice seemed to be contagious to him as well. He remained silent for a while as if he couldn’t believe it, then the boss suddenly said, “Ah~” and burst out laughing as if he remembered something.

“Did you happen to visit Jay while he was working? Late in the evening?”

“Yes.” 

“Uhahaha~ That’s it. It’s that. Because of that.”

He waved his finger with a leisurely smile when I just looked at him, asking for an explanation with my eyes.

“Ayee, you are really lucky. Jay, when he’s very tired and sleepy, he’ll be gentle, and he’ll do whatever you want. Of course, it is very rare.”

Then, of course, he added useless words such as, ‘Other people get annoyed when they are tired and sleepy, but Jay is a good kid, he doesn’t act picky.’ It reminded me of three days ago. He said he was sleepy and suddenly became uncomfortably soft like that. However, even though I understood that strange thing, I wasn’t sure if it was the same as today. For that… 

“Hm? Why don’t you believe me?”

“…”

When I shut my mouth, he smiled, like he was trying to appease a child.

“Of course, he might have listened because Jay adores you.” 

It was a word I couldn’t get used to no matter how many times I heard it. In the end, I couldn’t stand it anymore and asked.

“Which part does he adore?”

To be honest, I thought nothing would come out of the boss’s mouth. Even if there was a reason, it must be his own opinion that I could not understand. But the boss’s words, that spoke in a tone that he was surprised I didn’t even know that, were unexpected.

“What are you talking about? Jay tolerates you talking informally to him. Doesn’t he?” 

Oh? In an instant, my mind turned blank. … It seemed so.