The Country Life Diary of a Gangster’s Secretary

Hyeseong lost his parents when he was just 12 years old. They got in a car accident on a rainy day while coming to pick him up from school. They were immediately taken to the hospital for surgery, but neither of them ended up opening their eyes. 

At the funeral home, as he sat in black mourning clothes that didn’t suit his age, blankly staring at his parents’ portrait photos, his aunt approached him. 

“Hyeseong…”

“…Auntie.”

Hyeseong, who had been sitting at the funeral home with a vacant expression, finally began crying out loud after being embraced by his aunt.

“Don’t worry, Hyeseong. From now on, you can live with us.”

Comforted by his uncle’s warm touch as well, Hyeseong went to their home and grew up under their care. Thanks to the two who raised him like their own child without any shortcomings, Hyeseong was able to grow up properly without going astray. 

Of course, he realized the realities of the world a bit earlier after losing his parents, becoming much more mature than others and not expressing his emotions well. But Hyeseong always tried his best to repay his aunt and uncle who constantly supported him.

“Hyeseong, you did so well! Getting into such a competitive university!”

When Hyeseong, who had been diligently studying, showed them his acceptance letter to the university he wanted, they shed tears.

“Auntie, uncle. I’m going to live independently now.”

And it was the year Hyeseong entered university that he left their side. His aunt tried hard to dissuade him. She argued that their home was in Seoul anyway, so there was no need for him to live independently. But Hyeseong used the excuse that he was an adult now and moved out. 

In reality, there were many reasons, but the biggest was that he didn’t want to be a burden to them anymore. Of course, they genuinely cherished and cared for Hyeseong, but in his heart, an inevitable sense of guilt remained like a debt growing day by day.

He was an adult now and had been accepted to university at the top of his class with a scholarship, so tuition wasn’t an issue. He figured that if he continued studying this diligently and getting scholarships, he could resolve monthly rent for a studio through tutoring by leveraging his academic background.

– Hyeseong, winter break is coming up soon, you’ll come home right? 

“Yeah. I’ll come if I have time.”

– This child, really. The break is long, so come stay. And if you need allowance, make sure to tell me! If you have any issues with tuition or anything, tell auntie, okay?

“Auntie, I got a scholarship so it’s fine. I have enough allowance from tutoring too.”

Hyeseong could only end the call after reassuring his aunt a few more times. After hanging up, he immediately let out a long sigh while looking at his monitor. The screen displayed his first-year grades, including final exam scores.

His grades were high, but at a university full of top students, these results made it difficult to receive a full scholarship, unlike what he had confidently declared when entering school.

The families he was tutoring had also decreased, so he recently started a part-time job at a convenience store. That caused his final exam preparation to be lacking. To make matters worse, the landlord notified him just a week ago that the monthly rent would be increasing. 

“Nothing’s going my way.”

Considering next semester’s tuition, living expenses, and monthly rent, it wasn’t just tight, it was insufficient. He would have to give up on something, but then his aunt would find out right away. That his life wasn’t okay at all, despite saying it was. 

“Should I secretly take a leave of absence…”

Hyeseong sighed powerlessly, staring at the monitor.

* * *

As time passed without any solutions in sight, Hyeseong was considering taking a year off to earn money when a senior in his department made an enticing offer.

“Hyeseong, you need money, right?”

Hyeseong slightly frowned when a senior, who he wasn’t particularly close with and was rumored to be a delinquent, suddenly approached and asked. He was also the one who made him realize that not everyone at a top university was educated and refined.

“Why are you asking all of a sudden?” 

“I heard from Hyungjun. He said you’re considering taking a leave of absence because of tuition.”

Hyungjun was Hyeseong’s department assistant. A while ago, he had recommended participating in a good seminar, and Hyeseong had told him he probably wouldn’t be able to because of his leave. He didn’t expect the assistant to be so loose-lipped. 

“Is it true?”

“I don’t think I’m obligated to tell you everything, senior.”

“Man, this junior has no cuteness. Hey! I’m trying to propose a good opportunity for you.”

Then the senior suddenly grabbed Hyeseong’s neck and dragged him to a quiet place.

“What are you doing?” 

Hyeseong swatted his arm away with an unpleasant expression.

“You little… Ah forget it. It’s true you need money, right?”

“…”

“Should I introduce you to a high-paying part-time job?”

“That sounds suspicious no matter who hears it.”

There was no need to listen further. Hyeseong was irritated at himself for being helplessly dragged along by his pace. He didn’t have time to waste like this as it was.

“Hey hey, don’t be like that and hear me out. You just have to deliver one item and it’s over.”

Then he took out a small box from his bag and shook it.

“There’s a USB in here. You just have to go to the designated place at the designated time and hand it over.”

Hyeseong still looked at him with distrusting eyes. 

“Hey, you see this watch? Do you know how much this costs? How could I, a mere university student, have bought a luxury item? I bought it by doing this kind of work.”

The senior waved the flashy watch on his wrist. It was from a high-end brand that even Hyeseong, who had no interest in watches, had heard of.

“I’m specially introducing this to you because your situation seems rough.”

“…How much is the daily pay?”

The senior whispered something in Hyeseong’s ear with a smirk. Hyeseong’s eyes went wide. It was an amount he never imagined. With that sum, he could pay tuition and several months’ rent without any trouble.

“It’s not dangerous, right?”

“If it was, do you think I’d be standing in front of you unscathed right now? Ask the other kids too. I’ve introduced a few people to this before you.”

Hyeseong looked at the senior who was smiling and shaking the box, like a zookeeper luring an animal with food. He knew the food had a fishy smell. But perhaps because the bait was so alluring, Hyeseong had no choice but to bite it.

[Come out of Gangnam Station Exit 4 and head towards ○○ intersection. You’ll see a small building called HO Building. Go to the 2nd floor, there’s an office. Go in there. A bald man with a large scar will be there. Hand the item to him. The time is 9 PM. Be there on time.]

Contemplating the text message he received from that senior, Hyeseong got on the subway. The box he had given him was in his bag. 

“Sigh…”

Is this the right thing to do? Hyeseong kept worrying the whole way. Wouldn’t it be better to take a leave of absence and earn money through a proper part-time job? But doing that would make Hyeseong give up a lot. He was afraid of the helplessness of falling behind others by at least a year, but more than anything, he didn’t want his aunt to find out. 

That after loudly declaring he would live independently, he was struggling this much.

[The current stop is Gangnam, Gangnam Station…]

Hyeseong got off the subway and slowly walked out, looking at the map app with the address the senior had told him. The bustling streets seemed to stretch endlessly, but as he went further, the atmosphere began to change noticeably.

The HO Building appeared before Hyeseong’s eyes as he entered a quiet street. It was called a building, but it was just an ordinary 4-story office building. Hyeseong slowly entered. Perhaps because of the late hour, or simply because no one used the building, the interior was eerie and quiet.  

In the first place, such an atmosphere wasn’t a problem for Hyeseong, who had strong nerves. He was more worried about whether he had gotten involved in something strange.

“Is this it…?”

Sure enough, there was an office on the 2nd floor. But the lights were off and he couldn’t see well inside.  

8:59 PM. 

After checking the time, Hyeseong waited for a minute to pass before entering slowly at exactly 9.

“Excuse me… I’m the person who was asked to deliver an item.”

The senior had said someone would be here. But something was strange. It was so dark inside that he couldn’t even make anything out, and it was quiet. As he stepped deeper, Hyeseong instinctively realized. That there was someone here, and it wasn’t just one person. A foreboding shiver ran down his spine, feeling that it would be dangerous to stay like this. 

Just as Hyeseong bit his lip and turned around-

“Freeze.”

A low voice cut through the eerie air. Hyeseong held his breath and froze in place.

Click-.

Suddenly, the lights turned on. As light entered his vision that had been adjusting to the darkness, Hyeseong squinted sharply.  

“Hey.”

Another voice was heard. Hyeseong slowly turned around.

“…”

An unbelievable sight unfolded where he turned his head. A man was casually sitting on a desk, and at the man’s feet, another person was lying down, groaning in pain. A bald man with a large scar.

He was the one Hyeseong was supposed to hand the item to.

“Kid.”

Hyeseong gradually looked at the man. Disheveled black hair. Sharp eyes and an alluringly upturned mouth. The most perfect face he had ever seen.

“You came because you have business with this guy, right?”

Hyeseong gulped. He shouldn’t answer rashly. He thought it would be best to first understand the situation.

As if reading Hyeseong’s thoughts, the man chuckled and fully stood up. Then he nonchalantly stepped on the bald man and slowly approached Hyeseong.

“Don’t overthink it. Answer.”

The corners of the man’s mouth rose even higher. A tense atmosphere hung between them.

That was the first meeting between Kwon Ihyeok and Cheon Hye-seong.