(This chapter is told in Cheongyeon’s POV)
******
Sleep seemed impossible. Since I was already awake, I decided to step out from beneath the covers and finish sorting through the moving boxes. The poor state of the fruit shop in Sector C, run by one of the exchangers, no longer mattered—I had made up my mind to move, no matter what.
Sector C lay just across the canal, and traveling there by boat was far faster than going by land. To use the road, one would first need to reach the bridge that crossed the canal dividing the island. Put simply, it was the difference between cutting straight across by boat or taking a long detour overland.
This was my first time moving, so I had no idea how much the time and cost might differ. Asking Mr. Oh, the realtor, felt pointless—he would surely “connect me with someone” and skim off his commission in the process.
As I busied myself with packing, thoughts began to well up again.
“Everyone thinks the stories about the Flower Clan are just rumors, so why are they searching?”
No matter how many questions I turned over in my mind, I arrived at the same point.
The rumors that had slipped from the tavern owner’s mouth held more truth than gossip. As countless tales circulated through the tavern, the owner had pieced them together and sold them as information. Looking back, if not for that tavern, I would never have heard about the Peira interrogations or the smuggling vessel.
It was also there that I learned the Peira’s true master was not Boss Tae Cheon-oh, but Tae Mu-won himself.
Perhaps that was why quiet rumors spread that the real boss of the Peira was none other than Tae Mu-won.
Tae Cheon-oh was searching for the Flower Clan. Tae Mu-won had broken a Vengeance Blossom.
There was no way to untangle the questions that crossed and tangled in my head.
******
Bang, bang!
Startled awake, I leapt at the sound of someone pounding on the door. I had just dozed off after barely finishing the packing.
Bang, bang, bang!
I staggered to my feet and checked the time. Who would be visiting the medicine shop so early, before eight in the morning?
The chill outside the blanket made me shiver. Cheonghwajin lay against the sea, where the difference between morning and evening temperatures was sharp. Luckily, I had not packed away the thick knitted coat I had prepared for the cold.
Thinking of the twisted braids of yarn in that knit coat, I was jolted back by another loud rattle against the glass door. If I didn’t hurry, they would break it down.
I hastily pulled on the coat and went from my room into the shop. Whenever I closed the store against the drafts, I always drew a heavy curtain across the glass door.
Gripping the edge of the curtain, I drew it aside—and froze in disbelief.
It should have been bright at this hour, yet the front of the shop was swallowed in shadow. Looking closer, I saw two large men blocking the entrance.
They hardly looked like customers, but I turned the lock anyway.
“Who are you?”
The moment I cracked the door open to speak, one of them yanked it toward him. Pulled forward, I quickly let go of the handle and steadied myself.
The man stepped inside without permission, his eyes sweeping sharply through the shop. The other, still outside, gave me a courteous bow. Reflexively, I returned the gesture with an awkward dip of my head.
“Moving, are you?”
The man inside bore a long scar stretching from eyebrow to forehead, as though carved not by a blade but by something like an anchor hook.
“If you hire a couple of kids, it won’t take long. We’ll send some over—make sure your move goes smoothly.”
Mu-won’s words echoed in my mind. I had thought he was only mocking me when he told me to pack. I hadn’t imagined he would actually send people.
“I… I’ve already prepared everything for the move myself. It’s fine.”
“Where are you moving to?”
“That, I’ll handle—”
Thud!
The scarred man kicked the counter.
“We were told to carry everything all the way there. Shut up and just tell us the location.”
Another harsh blow followed. The wooden counter dented under the force. I hadn’t planned to take it with me, heavy as it was, but it was still infuriating to see them treat someone else’s property like trash.
Just then, the man who had been waiting outside stormed in. Without warning, he kicked the scarred man squarely.
Once. Twice. Three times. The kicks rained down in quick succession. The scarred man never made a sound. At last, the second man stopped and turned squarely toward me.
“My apologies. This fool has no manners. I’ll apologize on his behalf.”
A bear in a suit—was this what it looked like?
The stitches of his suit strained to bursting over his massive frame. His flushed face only made him seem as if he were forcing down his rage. I hadn’t even spoken yet when he introduced himself.
“My name is To-seong.”
He reached for a handshake, then awkwardly wiped his palm on his trouser leg before extending it again.
Warily, I accepted the grip, shook once or twice, and released. His face flushed an even deeper red, as though it might burst.
“As I said, I can really manage the move on my own.”
“No, sir. Brother Mu-won instructed us very clearly to assist you.”
“That’s nonsense! It was supposed to be me and Mok-seong, but you came instead!”
The scarred man barked as he brushed dirt and shoe prints from his clothes.
“Again, my apologies for the discourtesy.”
To-seong glared daggers at him, then bent a full ninety degrees to bow. As he did, I heard the loud tear of thread splitting across his back.
“Really, I can handle it myself. Please, you don’t need to trouble yourselves.”
To-seong only clasped his hands together, straightened his back, and shook his head. My vision darkened in frustration. It was like talking to a wall.
“I haven’t even settled on a place yet. I plan to see it in person before signing.”
“Then we’ll accompany you to the viewing.”
“Damn it! He said he’s fine! Just leave!”
With a sigh heavy enough to shake the rafters, To-seong raised his gaze to the ceiling. Despite his polite tone, his triangular eyes made him all the more intimidating. He grabbed the scarred man by the collar and hurled him out the door, then began to beat him savagely.
Ever since I had become entangled with the Peira, nothing good had come of it. I hated violence, and I hated blood even more. The beaten man, nose streaming crimson, glared back at me. Though To-seong was the one hitting him, I had no doubt he would later come looking to vent his anger on me.
I clenched my fists and returned his glare. I loathed men who only preyed on the weak.
But wasn’t I the same? I hadn’t dared raise my eyes, let alone my fists, against Tae Mu-won. The thought left me hollow. Slowly, I released the tension from my fists and gaze.
At last, To-seong finished the beating and pulled out a wad of bills, thrusting them into the man’s hands. Instantly, the man grinned through his blood, clutching the money. I caught a glimpse—at least a thousand Hwan. Even if someone beat me and paid that much, I would never accept it. Pain was not something I wished to buy.
With a rough shove to the back of the head, To-seong sent him on his way, then re-entered the shop. The ferocity had drained from his expression; once again, his face burned red.
“I apologize for showing you such an unseemly sight.”
‘Shut up and just take us to where you’re moving.’
That was how his courteous words sounded to my ears.
“I was planning to look at a place later this morning. If I decide on it, perhaps then you can help.”
“Then, what time should we return?”
“… It won’t be decided today. Tomorrow, most likely.”
In truth, it was nothing less than a midnight escape. To escape Peira’s watchful eyes, I had to leave today. But what if they asked the realtor where I’d gone…?
A sharp pain throbbed at my temples. Would Mu-won truly have a reason to hunt me down? The thought tempted me for an instant, but I quickly shook my head. He was too unpredictable. I couldn’t afford to let my guard slip.
“And as I said, you really don’t need to help with the move.”
“We must obey Brother Mu-won’s orders, no matter what.”
“But if I say it’s unnecessary—”
“Then would you care to tell him so yourself?”
“No…! No.”
Pale-faced, I waved my hands in denial. At last, To-seong said something that made my heart leap.
“Then I’ll try to pass it along for you.”
My eyes lit up with sudden hope. Beneath his ash-brown hair, his pale eyes glowed in the light. His whole face burned red—so red it might as well have been used to stoke a hearth.