Episode 429
“There’s pink, blue, and green.” Oh, there’s a white one too.”
“yes.”
“Choose just two.”
“Green and white.”
“Then, should I give the pink and blue ones as a gift to a friend who is visiting?”
“…! great.”
“Then choose the one-piece dress. “There are more colors.”
“Hmm…”
The security guard was watching the two people talking randomly from afar.
‘…I’m glad that this sponsor seems to be treating me well.’
He was recently transferred from residential security to department store security. I was an employee of a company closely connected to an industry that high-ranking people enjoyed secretly, but coming to the department store gave me some breathing room.
Bodyguards mainly worked in the field of human trafficking. I didn’t specifically take on the security role because he wanted me to, but in this industry, people with a lot of affection are all assigned similar tasks. This may be because it is only people with this type of nature who pay special attention to ensuring that the so-called ‘product’ is not damaged by the ‘buyer’. The thoughts of those above were correct.
‘I think we made eye contact earlier, but I wonder if he remembers me. ‘I guess it wasn’t a mistake when he gave me a look that said he was glad to see me?’
The man was affectionate, which was rare in the industry. Actually, I think it was average, but that was also a friendly level within the industry. Being at the bottom of the industry, it was easy to maintain one’s personality. Not only that, but among other colleagues, those who guarded adopted children blamed themselves and felt sorry for them.
The bodyguard was one of those people. What is the difference between ‘selling an experience’ and human trafficking? I also don’t know what they are doing with children who are only in kindergarten. The child named Jang Seo-ah, who was held in the arms of a supporter with a sharp face, was also an acquaintance.
“Now look. This is a hair band. Raising your hair when washing your face. know?”
“i know.”
“I’m going to buy it first, but it doesn’t matter if I don’t use it.”
“yes.”
“I have cold feet, so while I bought pajamas, I bought some socks. “Let me see the size of your feet.”
“Here you are.”
“Where…”
It’s not unusual to see a child on your lap and gently touching their little feet.
‘…I heard you are single. Do you have any children out of wedlock? ‘Why are you so skilled?’
To become a VIP at such a prosperous department store, you have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars every month. And VIPs receive many benefits and services.
Since he was a customer related to the industry, even he, a security guard, knew that the customer was single after receiving information about the customer named Lee Jae-heon.
In particular, Lee Dang is a group that has a lot of talk within the industry. It’s not a job to take care of just one person, and there seems to be a quiet atmosphere internally. A child out of wedlock would not be surprising.
“Why are your clothes so cumbersome?”
“Oh, do you want a casual style?”
“How do I know that? Jang Seo-ah, please answer.”
A 6-year-old child asks.
“What is casual?”
“…Just bring it over. “I’ll see it and think about it.”
I also made a request to the last remaining manager.
“He must be thirsty. “Bring me a glass of milk.”
As the employees rushed out as if their feet were on fire, Lee Jae-heon’s eyes scanned the empty room. Before the security guard could understand the meaning of the gaze, Lee Jae-heon stroked the child’s head and explained in a quiet voice.
“Casual means comfortable clothes. “Something like jeans, a hoodie, or a t-shirt.”
“….”
“A hood is a hat attached to clothes. “T-shirts are short-sleeved clothes.”
“ah.”
“Yeah, things like that. “It’s not tight on the body, and there aren’t many things attached…”
The voice, which was even kind, cut off when the child turned to the security guard. The hand stroking his head was still moving gently, but his gaze was directed at the bodyguard standing behind him. Then, before our eyes met, Lee Jae-heon turned his head to its original position and cleared his throat.
“Hmm, anyway, that’s it.”
“I see.”
“okay.”
If you didn’t understand the situation after seeing that, you were an idiot.
‘…I guess they only make that voice when no one is around.’
It was rare for a security guard to accompany the shopper’s room. Most people waited at the entrance where there was a lot of customer traffic or at the lounge where VIPs were guided.
Lee Jae-heon was a customer related to the industry, so the department store required special treatment, so they brought him along. It was not common for security guards to come into the room.
Lee Jae-heon, who used the shopper room because he was a royal, seemed to show his true colors comfortably only after sending out the last employee. Jaeheon Lee seemed to want to hide the way he treated the child affectionately.
“….”
When our eyes met earlier, he was clearly scared of something.
‘…Did you do that when you saw me?’
It made no sense for a person in this party, or even a customer in the industry, to be afraid of mere security. However, as soon as he noticed my presence, I remembered his stiffening appearance. It seemed as if he was afraid of something that would result from his own mistake rather than the security guard itself.
“Why are you so late?”
“I’m sorry, sir. “It seems like time wasted while choosing the best product.”
“Anyway, if you get lost… try walking. “Watch it with your child.”
“Yes, please wait a moment.”
The security guard blinked at the sight of him returning to his harshness, as if he had never been so kind.
‘I feel like I’ve seen those types of people somewhere before.’
Once I started to have doubts, I felt a sense of discomfort in Lee Jae-heon’s every action.
Before scolding employees, he quietly considers the situation. Then check to see if the employee was hurt. If you are just annoyed by a customer who is abusive to you, keep going. If you are hurt, don’t talk to that employee anymore.
When you use profanity or say something bad, cover your child’s ears subtly. The look in my eyes is kind as I check to see if the child on my lap is having any trouble, but I quickly hide it. Jang Seo-ah, who is famous for her bluntness, relies heavily on Lee Jae-heon.
‘…Did you say that Seo-ah is that quick-witted?’
Being pretty like a doll and weak in assertiveness were the characteristics of ‘adopted children’. Among them, Jang Seo-ah was good at revealing her likes and dislikes. They say they tolerate sponsors who simply want to make the child look good, but avoid sponsors with bad intentions like ghosts. Even if it is not an environment that can actually be avoided by avoiding it.
‘I guess he’s a really bad person if he relies on Seo-ah like that.’
So why does Jaeheon Lee act like that?
While the bodyguard was standing at a distance, hiding his thoughts, Lee Jae-heon, who was constantly twitching his fingers as if he was anxious, picked up his cell phone. I check the time and see if I have received any communication.
“….”
“…Are you busy, uncle?”
“uh? “No, I’m not busy.”
Then he strokes Jang Seo-ah’s head.
“are you okay.”
It sounded more like something I said to myself rather than to a child. For someone who says he’s that good, I’ve never seen a really nice person.
At that point, the security guard realized the true nature of the déjà vu he was feeling.
‘Who are you being threatened by?’
Those were typical signs of anxiety in people who are being threatened.
When working in this industry, you often see people who inevitably end up taking on bad jobs. The case of the bodyguard is still relatively good, but among the employees who were mistakenly captured, there were people whose families were taken hostage or who were even sold.
People like that don’t last long in the industry. He blames himself and feels sad, and then one day he disappears from the industry. I dare to guess that it was not a peaceful retirement like the popular retirement.
However, some of the anxiety symptoms seen in them are also seen in this customer, Lee Jae-heon.
“Then I’ll end it here.”
“Thank you for using our service, customer. “It was an honor to have you here.”
“Yeah, well…”
It wasn’t noticeable, but for some reason, Lee Jae-heon looked nervous and went out with his luggage. On the way, the bodyguard who made eye contact hurriedly lowered his head, and Lee Jae-heon frowned as if something was bothering him and left the room.
I still remember the anxious look in his eyes.
“Thanks for your efforts. “You can guard the lounge again.”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”
“Anyway, I’ve never seen anyone with a straight mind for a royal. “As soon as he arrived, he was abusive… he was a perverted bastard who bought children with money.”
“….”
The security guard became a little frustrated at the sight of the employee grumbling and returning to his seat.
“…Maybe that’s not the case…”
I muttered without realizing it and then closed my mouth. The first to disappear from this industry were those who spoke lightly. Even if there was no one listening, there was no need to put yourself in danger by talking nonsense.
But even as I returned to my original place, I still felt uncomfortable.
‘Isn’t this nonsense? Who could threaten someone from this party group?’
If you think about it rationally, that was right. Lee Dang established the second largest company in Korea, both in name and reality, and Lee Jae-heon was a member of that family. I saw you today and your body looks pretty strong. Unless you are someone with considerable power and strength, you will not be able to threaten him.
However, the catch was that this world does not run on common sense alone.
‘…I heard that the internal atmosphere of this party is so bad, do you get threatened by your family? Or above that? Was there anything that could have involved Oh Seong and Lee Jae-heon? If we had met in the industry… why was Jaeheon Lee associated with the industry in the first place? Watching you take care of Seo-ah, it doesn’t seem like it’s your style. Rather, he seemed like a person who would feel rejected.’
Normally, I would not have observed this closely because I was tired of seeing customers being abusive. Just look at the reactions of other employees. Looking at the fact that employees in the service industry, who were well-established, did not notice, it was clear that they were so enraged by Lee Jae-heon’s abuse of power that they focused only on their own work.
Moreover, Jaeheon Lee did not show much in the process of trying to hide his soft appearance. If you look closely, you can barely see it. He seemed to be good at hiding his true feelings, but I don’t know why he always acts like that.
“I heard that a royal one came out today.”
“uh.”
“They said Gapjil was crazy. How was it?”
“so so.”
“You big-mouthed bastard…”
The security guard shook off the joking co-worker and stood in his seat. The employee who was with me left the lounge. It would probably return to its original location.
Even while I was watching it, I was distraught.
‘…What if I was really being threatened by someone?’
It wasn’t certain, and even if it was real, I wasn’t in a position to do anything about it. I know that I can survive for a long time in a place like this if I turn off my nerves, but I couldn’t help feeling anxious. The familiar helplessness I had felt while working in the industry continued to disturb me as time passed.
The next day, Monday afternoon. One of the customers called him. It wasn’t a direct call, but seeing as I was the only one selected, the call was right.
“Jaeheon Lee did his shopping here.”
“Oh yeah. you’re right.”
“Because I want to become friends with him.”
Daeyoung Seong.
He was a writer for the industry.
“Can I ask you a few questions?”
Of course, it was a question without a choice.
* * *
―First of all, did you scratch like you said?
“okay.”
―Is this okay?
“That’s enough.”
I must have been upset because I didn’t get a single call through the business card I sent. Seong Dae-young himself knows that this is a natural result considering Lee Jae-heon’s personality, but he must be frustrated at the thought that there is no progress in work regardless of reason.
But Song In-myeong, who is already an enemy, is scratching his head over Lee Jae-heon? Even to the person you feel jealous of in the same vein? Jaeheon Lee remembers that the patience of the art teacher monster he saw in the other world was not very long. He is as cautious as he is clever, but when he gets buried in his emotions, he turns into a bulldozer.
“Please continue to take good care of me.”
-Are you going to kill me?
“….”
―Oh, was it too early to ask? I made a mistake.
“…Well….”
I consciously created a calm, dry, and gloomy voice.
“I wonder what it would be like.”
It was the imitation of a resigned person.
(Continued in the next part)
