Chapter 3: Sue Me. I’ve Got Nothing Left

It was bad enough that he’d been in an accident. Bad enough that his wallet had been stolen. But this talk about collateral and repayment was more than enough to turn Bae Si-hyeon’s stomach inside out.

His breathing grew rougher by the second, yet the lawyer’s attitude never changed. After flipping through a few more pages, he spoke in a dry, businesslike tone.

“Still, we have no desire to escalate this matter, so we haven’t filed a report yet. It would be in your best interest to cooperate.”

“…Wait. Report? Cooperate? No, excuse me. I’m the one who got my wallet stolen, okay? I got jumped and passed out. I only went back to the hotel to scrape together money for food. I was just trying to get back a bit of the tip I gave the housekeeper! And that… painting, what happened to it was an accident…”

“That’s what everyone says. Furthermore, the CCTV footage provided by the hotel shows that you attempted to enter a room that was not your own.”

Si-hyeon hadn’t stolen anything. If anything, he was a pitiful, pocket-picked nobody.

When he shot the lawyer a suspicious glare, the man calmly pulled a sheet of paper from a thick file.

“I’ll ask you directly. Where did you put the stolen item? Your answer may affect how you’re treated, so choose your words carefully.”

“I didn’t steal anything! What would I even steal? I told you, I just went to get a bit of my tip back!”

“Insisting won’t help. According to the incident report, you-”

“The man who crossed the Hudson River on the subway to New Jersey and stole from me. To be more precise, the one who entered someone else’s hotel room and took their belongings.”

At the voice from the opposite side, Si-hyeon turned his head.

A tall man stood there.

Cha Hae-jun.

The first time they met, Si-hyeon had been too out of it to notice, but the man’s shoulders were broad enough to make anyone jealous. Tall, broad-shouldered, everything about him looked big.

After bowing politely to Hae-jun, the lawyer quietly left the hospital room. Hae-jun sat beside Si-hyeon’s bed, gathered the scattered papers, and placed them neatly on the side table.

“We saw each other a few days ago.”

His voice was gentle, almost velvety. For some reason, it made Si-hyeon’s ears itch.

When Si-hyeon only stared blankly, Hae-jun crossed his legs and rested a hand on his knee. Against the dark suit, his long, thick fingers looked strikingly pale. He continued speaking as if conversations like this were second nature to him.

“Isn’t it strange? You said you could compensate for Carnelli’s painting without a problem, yet you tremble over a meal that barely costs anything.”

His fingers tapped lightly against his knee, like someone playing piano keys. They were absurdly long and beautiful. Masculine, pale, everything about them stood out. Si-hyeon found himself staring before he forced his gaze away.

“I really didn’t steal anything… If I just find my wallet… I can pay you back… It’s just that all my money was in there…”

“Surely you didn’t carry your entire fortune in cash just because someone told you it was risky to use cards in America.”

Even a ghost couldn’t have guessed that accurately. Was this guy some kind of American shaman? Si-hyeon narrowed his eyes and examined Hae-jun carefully. Maybe overseas shamans wore tailored suits instead of multicolored robes.

When Si-hyeon failed to answer, only mumbling, Hae-jun let out a faint chuckle.

“The examination results say you’re mostly fine, aside from minor injuries. Did something happen to your brain? You should answer. I looked over every inch of you to get a proper response. I expect a return on my investment.”

The audacity. Si-hyeon glared at him, but Hae-jun only looked mildly curious.

“If I stay quiet, who knows what kind of nonsense he’ll spout next,” Si-hyeon thought.

“You’re saying I stole your belongings?”

“Judging by how clearly you remember, your brain seems fine.”

The shamelessness of the remark left him speechless.

Then, something heavy, like invisible pressure, seemed to weigh down on him. Hae-jun tilted his chin slightly, his expression arrogant, clearly demanding an answer.

“I’m a victim too. Why would I steal anything? You-”

“Cha Hae-jun.”

“Oh, right. Cha Hae-jun. What gives you the right to talk about brain damage to my face? Are you sane? I’m not usually this rude, but hearing about lawsuits instead of an apology is pissing me off. What’s wrong with your personality?”

“I’ve heard that my personality is trash countless times. It’s unoriginal. Anything else?”

Si-hyeon blinked. What kind of person was this? He’d never met someone so objectively aware of his own terrible character.

“Excuse me, but I’m the victim here. I came all the way to New York, got pickpocketed, and had my jaw nearly broken by the bastard! And do you even know my name? Seriously, you’re unbelievably rude. Even my uncles, useless as they were, never accused innocent people!”

He wanted nothing more than to punch that brazen face. The only thing stopping him was money. If he hit him, he’d have to pay for damages. That was a universal rule.

“Do you even know who I am?” Hae-jun asked.

“You introduced yourself as Cha Hae-jun. Forgot already? Is it dementia?”

“I’m a bit young for that.”

“They say dementia’s trending among young people these days. Maybe you should get checked.”

“Thank you for the concern. I will. Now, shall we hear why you claim to be the victim?”

Unbelievable. If he wasn’t the victim, what was he?

Si-hyeon rolled his eyes. Hae-jun looked exactly like a rich bastard.

“So he thinks money gives him a free pass to act like this,” Si-hyeon thought.

He opened his mouth, then closed it, searching for the right words. After a moment of deliberation, he squared his shoulders.

“First of all, I didn’t steal your stuff.”

“Scammers and thieves never admit it.”

Though he steeled himself, Si-hyeon instinctively stepped back. Some primal instinct told him to avoid the approaching man.

“But shockingly, I’m just a normal traveler who got unlucky and had his jaw wrecked. Think about it, why would I steal from you? I’m a law-abiding citizen!”

“If there were only one person left in the world, perhaps you could live without laws.”

Si-hyeon’s back hit something hard. He’d been pushed all the way to the window.

He licked his dry lips and looked at the man smiling faintly. Compared to the polite smile from before, this one suited him better.

“What was your purpose in following me?”

“You know that’s called being self-absorbed, right? Do you have proof? Are you accusing me like this because you actually have proof? And that painting, how much could it even be worth? What’s with this debt nonsense? Just find my wallet! That thing- I, uh… what was it…”

He blinked, and Hae-jun was suddenly right in front of him.

Startled, Si-hyeon gripped the window frame. Hae-jun lightly caught his chin and spoke in a low voice.

“Your name.”

“…”

“I realized we never properly introduced ourselves. You know my name, but I don’t know yours. That’s unfair, isn’t it?”

His breath caught. It felt like cotton had been stuffed down his throat.

Si-hyeon struggled to pull away, but it was like being pinned beneath a massive boulder. In the end, he whispered:

“Bae… Si-hyeon.”

“Not unpleasant to hear. Who gave it to you?”

“…You… jerk…”

His jaw hurt where it was being held. What kind of man turned violent like this out of nowhere? Si-hyeon twisted and struggled, and perhaps amused, Hae-jun released him. He nearly collapsed but managed to steady himself and stumble away.

Why was he being treated like this?

His wallet was gone. His entire savings were gone. His dreams, his hope, everything stripped away. And now even his jaw was being manhandled by a stranger.

Apparently the heavens were done sending warnings, because no divine revelation came to tell him how to escape this mess.

After forcing his breathing to calm, Si-hyeon suddenly rushed at Hae-jun, who was checking something on his phone. He snatched it and hurled it to the floor.

“Is this how you run a background check? Why does it matter who named me? Seriously, I’ve had enough. Sue me for damages, whatever. I’ll sell my organs if I have to. Do whatever you want. You said people call your personality trash, right?”

“…”

“Then go ahead and become even more garbage. Add ‘extorted a tourist who lost his wallet’ to your reputation and you’ll be unsalvageable waste. What was your name again…?”

Muttering, he deliberately twisted it.

“Cha Take-Jun? Yeah, whatever. Mr. Cha-whatever. Judging by how easily money talk rolls off your tongue in front of an injured guy, you must be some hotshot Korean businessman in America. But you know what? It’s always the ones with the most to lose who get wrecked by guys with nothing left. And I’ve already lost everything.”

He huffed, breathing hard. He’d fired off his words like a machine gun, so fast he barely knew what he’d said. The room spun slightly from the rush.