Chapter 1

The sound of air splitting was accompanied by a fiery sting on my cheek. My face burned as if it had been set on fire. Before I could understand the reason behind the pain, I looked up to find a petite woman with her long hair tied back standing before me. For some reason, I was gripping her delicate wrist. At the same moment, my eyes landed on her disheveled clothing, revealing her undergarments, which snapped me back to reality.

As I hastily released her wrist, the woman pulled her clothes together, glaring at me with reddened eyes full of disgust. Biting her trembling lip, she spat out a single word:

“Trash.”

Her furious gaze was so intense it seemed like tears might spill from her wrath-filled eyes at any moment. I was so bewildered by the situation that I didn’t know how to respond.

While I stood there frozen, unable to comprehend the hatred I’d just encountered from a stranger, she turned and stormed away. As I watched her retreating figure, my hand slowly rose to the cheek that was still stinging.

“It hurts…”

Still holding my cheek, I glanced around. It looked like a back alley near a commercial area, but I had no idea why I was standing there. On top of that, my outfit—a leather jacket and ripped jeans—was something I’d never wear. The last thing I remembered was walking home from my part-time job, half-asleep. Now, I was here, in this alley.

More than confusion, a strange sense of unease washed over me.

That’s when it happened.

A low, chilling voice drifted closer, carrying a crisp scent.

“I thought I told you not to be a nuisance.”

The sound of deliberate footsteps filled the quiet alley. Turning my head in disbelief, I saw a man I had never met before. He was watching me, a cigarette between his lips, dressed impeccably in a suit that matched his heavy, commanding voice.

The man spoke.

“Bark for me.”

What? Did he just tell me to bark? Was he joking? It wasn’t funny, but I thought not playing along might make things awkward.

“Woof?”

“….”

The atmosphere suddenly turned ice-cold.

‘Was that not it?’

Before I could process the shift, he flicked the cigarette butt toward me. Startled, I stepped back to avoid it, but what came next made me forget all about manners. The impact was nothing like the slap from the woman earlier—it was brutal. Shocked by the pain, I instinctively touched my face, only to find blood dripping from somewhere, either my nose or mouth.

The world spun.

“….?”

Dazed and unable to comprehend why I was being hit, I raised my head. My eyes met his. From up close, his icy blue eyes were like the depths of the ocean. Modern contact lenses sure were realistic these days.

The man spoke again.

“Cleaning this up will be a hassle, but leaving you to be a constant annoyance would be worse.”

Seizing the moment while I was out of it, he grabbed me by the collar. Was he about to hit me again? I hurriedly opened my mouth.

“Um… excuse me, sir.”

The man frowned. His sharp brows furrowed deeply as he glared at me.

I tried my best to sound sincere.

“How about we talk this out?”

“You’re the one who doesn’t listen, aren’t you?”

Me? Since when? That’s not true!

But I had a feeling arguing would only lead to more punches.

“Fine, I’ll behave.”

“…….”

“I’m serious….”

“What’s this nonsense now?”

My head spun. Without thinking, I lowered it, and my forehead rested against the man’s arm. Somehow, leaning like this made it a little easier to breathe.

“Just once….”

“…Tsk.”

The man clicked his tongue and let go of my collar. Without his support, my body staggered. My vision spun, and I toppled forward, thinking my nose was about to smash into the ground. But at that moment—

“Unbelievable.”

A hand wrapped around my waist, saving my nose from the fall. Still, I blacked out almost immediately after.

* * *

When I came to, I couldn’t see anything. It was as if something was covering my eyes. My hands and feet were bound, and the floor beneath me was ice-cold. Where was I?

I remembered being beaten unconscious by some strangers in an alley. Beyond that, my memory was blank.

‘It hurts… and it’s so cold….’

Pain wracked my body, and the cold was unbearable. How had things come to this?

Then, the sound of a door opening echoed, followed by heavy, deliberate footsteps. Someone had entered the room.

Though I couldn’t see, I could feel someone looming over me, and for some reason, I thought I knew who it was. The man who’d hit me in the alley flashed in my mind.

At that moment, something tightened around my neck, forcing my head up. Sure enough, something was around my neck. Hard and metallic, it smelled of rust—it had to be a chain.

‘Why…?’

I couldn’t understand why a chain was around my neck.

The thing covering my eyes was removed. While it wasn’t blindingly bright, the room was dimly lit, and my vision was still blurry.

As I sat there in a daze, slap, slap! A sharp pain lit up my cheeks, and my skin stung as if it had split open.

“You’re not coming to your senses, are you?”

The voice was cruelly low but strangely pleasant to the ear. I’d heard it before. It was the same man who’d beaten me in the alley.

Why was he hitting me again?

He asked,

“Should I burn the trash or bury it?”

I was too disoriented to respond immediately. He yanked the chain around my neck roughly, forcing my head higher. I couldn’t breathe, but he didn’t give me a moment to react before speaking again.

“Answer.”

His demand finally pried my lips open.

“H-Huh, s-separate… recycling….”

“I don’t recycle trash.”

You’re supposed to sort general waste and put it in designated bags for pickup on specified days, or you’ll get fined…

I wanted to explain that much, but all that came out were strained groans of pain.

“What should I do with you?”

His low, dry voice carried a hint of laughter, making it sound deceptively sweet.

When I looked up, his features came into blurry focus.

For some reason, I felt like I should beg for my life, but my lips refused to move. Was it because of the cold, or because the pain had locked my jaw?

If my hands weren’t tied, I could at least grovel and beg, clasping my palms together. But stuck like this, I could do nothing, and the helplessness only made the situation feel more unfair.

Maybe that’s why…

***

“Sniff…”

Tears started streaming down, flowing uncontrollably like a dam had burst.

I had only wanted to go home after my part-time job, take a shower, and sleep. Instead, I got beaten up, dragged around with a chain…

I told them I’d listen, but they left me tied up in a freezing place like a trussed-up chicken.

“Hic… sob.”

“What are you doing?”

It seemed he didn’t know that talking to a sorrowful person only makes them cry harder, as he asked.

“Hiccup, sob.”

I couldn’t answer and only wept harder. Maybe it was from being in the cold for so long, but my vision started spinning suddenly. As I toppled backward, I felt my body lift into the air at the sound of a sharp “tsk.”

Feeling warmth, I leaned entirely against him. My sorrow abated slightly as I sniffled. While I was still trying to catch my breath, the man, who had paused momentarily, began to carry me somewhere. As he opened the door and stepped outside, the sudden brightness blinded me.

I buried my face in his chest to escape the light, causing him to flinch again. Whether he did or not, I couldn’t care less—it was just too bright.

I didn’t know how long I had been carried like that, but when he tried to put me down, I grabbed onto his collar in fright and clung tightly. He stopped, seemingly puzzled, and said,

“I don’t get it.”

“…Neither do I.”

It sounded like he let out a short laugh, but I didn’t bother to confirm it—I didn’t have the energy to.

“Let go.”

His tone turned cold.

Afraid he’d toss me back into the cold if I let go, I stayed silent, gripping him tightly. Realizing why I was acting this way, he spoke again.

“I won’t do anything for now. Let go.”

Trusting his words, I released my grip, and soft bedding met my back. After placing me on a bed, he crossed his arms and looked down at me.

I couldn’t tell whether my body temperature was dropping or rising anymore. Everything hurt, and the cold pierced through me, yet my breaths were hot, and my head spun relentlessly.

The bed was so soft I wanted to lie down.

“Uh…”

I opened my mouth, and the man tilted his head, gesturing for me to speak.

“Can I sleep for a bit?”

“Are you insane? Do you even understand your situation?”

“…No.”

“What?”

He asked again, but I couldn’t answer. I was so dizzy I felt nauseous. Covering my mouth with one hand, I tried to suppress the urge to vomit.

“Ugh…”

“Ha.”

As I barely managed to hold it in, I heard him sigh. Unable to contain it any longer, I grabbed his arm desperately and stammered,

“T-the bathroom, please…!”

Seeing me at my limit, he picked me up again and hurried somewhere. The sudden movement made me feel even worse, but I mustered all my strength to hold on, cold sweat dripping from my brow.

“How did I end up picking up something like this?”

His voice reached my ears as he brought me to the bathroom. Once there, he pulled my hand away from my mouth, and I immediately vomited. Nothing came out except stomach acid, but the ordeal left me utterly drained.

As I slumped lifelessly, he sighed again and washed my face. His touch was rough, but I couldn’t resist. After wiping away the water, he carried me back to the room and threw me onto the bed.

I collapsed on the mattress. Despite the softness of the bed, the slight impact made my entire body feel like it was shattering.

Shivering uncontrollably, I clutched at the soft blanket and tried to endure the pain.

‘Am I allowed to lie down under this blanket?’

The plush bed made me want to curl up immediately. Sneaking a glance at the man, I noticed he was still watching me with his arms crossed. His expression didn’t seem to suggest he’d allow me to lie down, so I decided not to ask.

A heavy silence settled between us. Though I felt on the verge of passing out, I held on through sheer willpower until the man finally broke the silence.

“What did I say would happen if you showed up near Kang Ji-Ah again?”

“Pardon?”

“….”

I had trouble processing his words, so I asked him to repeat, but he didn’t. With my mind scattered, I couldn’t recall what he’d said, leaving me at a loss.

Unable to delay my answer any longer, I responded with the first thing that came to mind.

“…I’m afraid of dogs.”

“….”

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