Chapter 11: A Quiet Kind of Greed

Kangeun, who had received a considerable bonus, bowed her head in greeting.

As Kangeun turned away, her hands were heavy, but her heart was light.

Not long after December began, the college entrance exam results were announced.

Fortunately, the student who had applied for early admission met the minimum requirements.

Once her acceptance was confirmed, the student invited Kangeun to dinner.

The schedule was set for the last day of tutoring.

Kangeun had no reason to refuse.

She had started several tutoring jobs through this student’s mother’s introduction.

On top of that, she had received generous bonuses every time her grades improved.

Thanks to that, Kangeun hadn’t had to struggle, and since last year, she had even been able to save some extra money.

So, a few months ago, she sent Siheon, who had become a high school student, to a private art tutoring studio.

She told the stubborn Siheon, who insisted he didn’t need it and wouldn’t go, that it was her wish, and asked him to learn well from a good teacher and draw a cool picture of her later.

“It’s a request.”

“Noona…”

“I want you to draw more properly. Not just with a pencil, but using all sorts of tools and materials.
While other kids were going to several academies, you, Siheon…”

“You didn’t go to an academy either, Noona. I don’t need to go to an academy either.”

“It’s just that I want to send you.”

“I told you I draw as a hobby. Just to clear my head while studying.”

“That’s right. Our Siheon is good at studying and drawing. I know. That’s why I’m even more ambitious. You won’t pretend not to know me later when you succeed, right?”

“Succeed later and let your noona live in luxury.”

That day, she took the hand of Siheon, who had accepted her proposal with a resigned expression, and went to an art supply store.

Kangeun, who had bought a lot of things, from brushes and paints, a palette, an apron, various pencils, and even thick paper, was so happy.

“Siheon-ah, don’t you need oil painting tools? I’ve seen artists draw on canvases like this.”

“That’s for later. For now, we just need the basics. But Noona, is this really okay?”

“I told you I got a bonus.”

She made up her mind and bought Siheon new sneakers, two pairs of pants, and a hoodie.

She also bought two padded jackets, one for Siheon and one for her dad, which were on a big sale because it was off-season.

“Let’s buy something for you too, Noona.”

“I don’t need anything. My padded jacket is still fine.”

“You only bought things for me.”

“Ah, then I’ll get this.
I needed to buy one anyway, so this is perfect.”

Kangeun, who had been reminiscing about that summer evening when she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face even after buying only a small notebook for herself, stepped out of the heavy iron gate.

‘This is the last time for this house.’

The thought brought her a sense of relief.

In fact, there were times when she felt uncomfortable coming to this house.

The student was well-behaved and her mother was a good person, but the student’s brother, whom she occasionally ran into, was very uncomfortable.

The man, who was two years older than Kangeun, had looked her up and down with a leering gaze from the first time they met.

He would sometimes leave the house with Kangeun after her tutoring session was over, and at those times, Kangeun would feel scared and anxious, quickening her pace while being conscious of the man walking behind her.

The thought that she wouldn’t have to do that anymore made the alley, which usually felt dark, not seem so scary.

‘What’s in the lunch box?’

Braised short ribs, soy-sauce-braised abalone, fried fish, grilled deodeok… whatever it was, Siheon would eat it well.

Kangeun, who was thinking about the menu that had been on the dinner table, was about to take out her phone to call Siheon.

“Why are you walking so fast.”

“Ah…!”

At the hand that grabbed Kangeun’s shoulder from behind, her phone dropped to the ground with a thud.
A startled Kangeun tried to quickly pick up her phone, but the man’s kick, which sent it flying far away, was faster.

“Seonsaengnim, let’s have a talk.”

The man who had grabbed Kangeun’s arm to prevent her from running away was the brother of the student she had just finished tutoring.

The man Kangeun had been wary of all this time let out a thick cloud of cigarette smoke and smiled nastily.

“I have nothing to say…”

“I do, I have something to say.”

“Let go of me and then talk.”

Kangeun lifted her eyes, which were red from the acrid smoke, and surveyed the alley.

In the middle of winter, the streetlights were bright thanks to the leafless trees, but there was no one coming or going.

The anxiety began to grow distinctly.

She had often heard about the brother from the student.

Things like he had caused trouble again, or that he was a bad person.

Kangeun looked down at the cigarette butt burning between the fingers of the man who was gripping her shoulder.

She was scared that it would touch the nape of her neck.

Even the lunch box she had been holding tightly in her hand was snatched by the man and thrown away.

Kangeun’s breathing became increasingly short, as she had been thinking of swinging it since it was quite heavy.

“You knew I was interested in you, right?”

“…”

“Do you know?
I’ve been watching you for a long time.”

“Let go of me…!”

The moment she tried to move her captured shoulder to get away, the man stepped closer.

A startled Kangeun stepped back, but what her back met was a high wall.

The man flicked the cigarette he was holding and reached out his hand with a chuckle.

“My mom made such a fuss about not touching you.
She said Hayoon has to get into college.”

“…”

“I thought my d*ck was going to fall off from waiting, but it was worth the wait.
You’ve ripened well in the meantime, haven’t you?”

“I’ll, I’ll scream.”

“The people in this neighborhood are surprisingly indifferent to things that aren’t their business.
Shall we say they don’t want to get involved in troublesome things?”

“Go ahead and scream. Do you think anyone will come out?”

“Even if they do, they’ll just go back inside.”

“There’s a company that patrols here regularly…”

“Ah, that. They’ll probably be here in about an hour.
They just passed by.”

“An hour is, well, enough to have some fun.
Shall we go to the garage and talk first?”

At the man’s hand that was groping her pale cheek, Kangeun squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head.

The moist breath that touched her ear, the metallic sound of the watch band that scraped against the nape of her neck every time the man moved his hand, was horrifyingly dreadful.

“I heard from my mom, you took a leave of absence from school? And you asked for several tutoring positions.”

“Hayoon’s seonsaengnim, are you that desperate for money? Look at your worn-out clothes. Well, it’ll be easy to tear.”

Kangeun bit her lip and groped at the stone wall.

She hoped to grab onto something, but only the tips of her fingers were scraped against the surface of the stone wall.

The trembling of her body, which had started from fear, was getting stronger.

During the final exam period of her third year, first semester, Kangeun fell seriously ill.

She studied while enduring it with medicine, but she ended up sleeping through one of the exams due to the medicine’s effect.

As soon as she confirmed that she had missed the scholarship for the second semester, Kangeun submitted a leave of absence.

She had slightly modified her plan to graduate early and get a job to earn Siheon’s college tuition.

She planned to take a semester off from school and earn money instead.

During the day, she worked at the school’s faculty cafeteria, and in the evening, she took on two tutoring sessions.

With the money she saved up, she sent Siheon to private art lessons.

Fortunately, she was able to save up the tuition quickly.

It was possible because it was a national university.

She didn’t tell Siheon that she had taken a leave of absence.

There was no need to say unnecessary things to the child who said he didn’t want to see his noona suffer and that he wanted to grow up quickly.

“The money problem, I can solve it for you. If you do as I please, you won’t have to do that annoying teacher job.”

“…I don’t need it.”

“I’m telling you I’m interested in you.
Why live a hard life when you can live an easy one.”

“I’m not interested in you, so let me go.”

“You don’t have to be interested. I’m not asking you out. Hey, you’re a virgin, right?”

“What does that…”

“I’m crazy about virgins. I can tell just by looking. Hey, I’m really good. You’ll like it too. Consider yourself lucky and just follow me quietly…!”

The man who had been getting closer as if to lick Kangeun’s ear and spewing lewd words was thrown far away with a thud.

He had been knocked down by a figure that had suddenly rushed in and attacked him.

Kangeun, who had been held by the man, pressed herself even closer to the wall in surprise.

A large man approached her.

A scared Kangeun flinched, but soon recognized a familiar scent and lifted her head.

“Noona, are you okay?”

“Siheon, Siheon-ah…”

The man who was holding Kangeun’s trembling arms and checking her all over was Siheon.

Reassured by the familiar warmth and scent of his arms holding hers, Kangeun let out a big breath she had been holding.

It felt like the tears she had been holding back were about to burst.

Siheon, who was about to turn eighteen, was different from before in both height and build.

He had grown rapidly during his middle and high school years, and now he was much bigger than most adult men.

Moreover, he had shed his boyishness and had become a young man with a somewhat precarious and sharp atmosphere.

It was a beauty that was all too familiar to Kangeun.

Kangeun felt an incredible sense of security from Siheon, who was standing protectively in front of her.

Kangeun’s large eyes quickly filled with tears as she once again realized the existence of Siheon, who occupied the largest part of her life.

“Noona, it’s okay. I’m here. Let me see. Are you hurt anywhere?
Is your shoulder okay?”

“No, I’m fine, Ack!
Siheon-ah!”

Siheon’s body, which had been preoccupied with checking Kangeun for injuries, suddenly swayed.

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