CHAPTER TWO: the slapman
Ringing in her ears woke up girl from deep sleep. She opened her eyes confused, moment later realizing that she is late for her job interview. The clock on the wall was pointing at nine am.
"Shit," she whispered, jumping off her bed, "Shit, shit, shit"
Jihoon murmured something, but he was still sleeping. His mother, in rush, took white shirt along with black pants. This was the only elegant and clean clothes she had. In the bathroom, she washed her teeth very quickly and put clothes on herself.
The girl started to looking for her keys, which weren't on their usual place. Her forehead started to sweat, along with the neck. She was nervous as fuck.
Finally, she found them in her jacket. The girl ran to her room and kiss her son on his forehead. The boy mumured something, but he was still sleeping. The short kiss on the forehead was kind of ritual for them.
She left the house and in very fast walk, she entered train station fifteen minutes later.
Of course, something had to go wrong. Her train was already waiting when she was on big ass stairs. She started running down, and in the moment she was right next to train, door closed.
"Fuck!" she punched them as the train left the station. She jumped aggressive in one place what could look funny from others people view, "Fuck, fuck, fuck why today?"
The girl walked away and take a sit on the bench. She hid her face in her hands, trying to calm herself down with taking deep breaths.
She was screwed up.
That job interview was a big chance for her. She lost her previous job, two months ago, and all this time she was stealing from others to feed her family. She couldn't tell anyone.
Furthermore, she heard someone taking sit next to her. Her face was still hiding in hands.
"Excuse me?"
The girl took a deep breath and looked at the man, who was sitting next to her. He was dressed up in a black suit, and he had a briefcase. He looked like businessman or salesman.
"Yes?" she murmured, not very happy to have small talk right now
"Would you like to play a game?" man asked, smiling
The girl sent him a confused look.
"What? Listen man I'm really pissed off right now so don't try..."
He didn't answer. Instead, he opened his briefcase. Inside were two colored pieces of paper and money. A lot of money.
The girl was sure that her eyes were shining At this moment.
"I'm sure it's not going to be your first time playing ddakji, am I right?" said man
Of course, she played this before.
"Well yes, but..."
"The rules are simple," salesman interrupted her, "We are going to play a few rounds. If you win, I'll pay you 100 000 won"
The girl was staring at man with lips clenched in straight line.
"Where's the catch?" she asked. It can't be that easy
"Well, if I win, you pay me 100 000 won"
She hadn't that amount of money. But she could win. In her mind, there was a voice saying to her to do it. She wasn't the worse when she played it in childhood. But it was years ago.
"Deal," she said, putting her hand to his. Oh god, she's for sure gonna regret this
Salesman took her hand and shook it softly, "Great. You can be first. Which color you want to play?"
He showed her two cards. Red and blue. Was it important which one she would choose?
"Em red I guess" she took her card
Both of them stood up from bench. The man placed his card on the floor. Young woman touch her card with lips for good luck and as hard as she can, she threw the card at another. It didn't flip.
Fuck.
"I guess it's my turn now" said man. He was smiling all the time
The girl clenched her jaw, nervously. Her fingernails were leaving prints on her hand.
Salesman took a swing with his arm and with a lot of strength he hit the red card with his blue. It flipped.
Fuck.
Girl didn't even look at him. Another debt. Why she even agreed to this. It was certain she wouldn't win.
"Hey man, listen..." she started, turning back to him
"You don't have money" he didn't ask
"Yes" she said embarrassed, "I can... I mean I'll try to get them but now...now it's not the best time"
"That's okay" said salesman. Girl looked at him with hope "You can pay with your body"
Yikes. She grimaced as she was looking at him. Sure, he was handsome, but she's not that desperate. Or was she?
"Listen, I don't know what you thought when you saw me, but I'm not a prostitute. And it's disgusting to..."
Man laughed, "That's not what I meant"
"No?"
"No"
He took a step further to her. She didn't know what she was expecting, but for sure it wasn't that he gonna slap her in the face. Kinda hard to be honest.
The girl touch her burning cheek, shocked.
"Okay, what the fuck was that?!"
"Every slap is worth 100 000 won" he said it casually "You still wanna play?"
"Wait" she took her hand from the face, "So if I loose again, you're just going to slap me? I don't have to pay?"
"That's right"
"And when I'm gonna win, I can slap you?" she said with a smirk
"No" said the man as he watched her smile disappear, "Then I'm gonna pay you 100 000 won. So do you want to play another time?"
"Hell yeah! Give me this" she was excited. She picked her red card from ground
And they were playing. The girl forgot about people waiting for her to show up to the job interview.
She lost another six times. Her left cheek was all red and numb. But she had to win that money.
Finally, her red card flipped the man's blue. She screamed happily, forgetting that there are another people on train station. The slapman started clapping with a big smile on his face, like he was truly happy for her.
"I told you I'll win" she pointed at him
Slapman ended clapping, "Congratulations. Here's your money"
He handed her 100 000 won. She took them very carefully, like she was scared that he magically would change his mind. But it didn't happen.
"Thank you" she sat on the bench, looking at pile with amazed eyes. She started to count money
"You don't wanna play anymore?" the man asked
"I have enough. I mean I'd love to win with you again, but I have things to do" she explained "Also, I don't feel my cheek anymore"
She thought that man would leave by now but he was still in the same place.
"You know, we organize more games like that. It's a big competition. It's organized to take six days, and you can win a lot more money"
"Hey, thank you for giving me a chance today, I know I seem desperate, because I am, but not that much. By the way I have a kid in the house and I can't leave for that long"
"I know"
"You know what?" she murmured, not taking eyes from pile of money
"I know that you have a kid" he said
The girl turned head to him shocked "Excuse me?"
The man stood up from bench "Miss Wang"
What the hell.
"Earlier you signed away your physical rights" he started
"What? No, I didn't. I don't think so. I..." her throat was sore. She shut her mouth not knowing what to say
"Your name is Wang Hayoon" he said. The girl froze, "You are 22 years old. You live with your mother, father is dead. After finishing high school, you got pregnant with baby boy. You worked one year in a restaurant where you got fired two months ago. You didn't tell anyone. You live from stealing from others. You're in debt for 1.2 million won. You need money"
The girl get up from bench. Her hands were shaking.
"You son of a bitch! Who the fuck are you?"
Hayoon swing to punch him, but he caught her hand in the air. From his pocket in the suit, the salesman took a small card.
"Call us" he put the card in her hand, "There's not much time to decide. Think about that tho"
He left her shocked. Slapman walked to train weaving to her as he disappeared from her eyes.
Hayoon looked at the card in her hand. On one side there were three figures: triangle, circle and square. On the other side there was a number.
010-034