MONEY, MONEY, MONEY ━━━━ KANG SAEBYEOK

prologue.

they always say money can't buy happiness.

i disagree. i always have.

if i had money, i'd be so much happier than i am now. i'd be off of the streets, finally living with a roof over my head and i'd finally be able to provide for my little sister. i'd be able to give her everything she's always wanted, but instead i'm stuck in debt. a bottomless pit that i can't escape. i didn't mean to dig this hole for myself. i thought i'd be able to pay everyone back but life doesn't work that way, as i've learned 

a slap. my cheek stung as i raised my hand up to it, caressing it gently as my attacker looked down at me. he had me pinned against a wall in a relatively private place with a few of his cronies helping him beat the shit out of me. "pay up. now."

"i told you i don't have the money." i replied dryly, not knowing what else to say back to him. he stared at me with a cold, dead look in his eyes. if looks could kill, i'd be dead. i cursed myself for even borrowing money from this guy in the first place. his jaw clenched, clearly becoming angrier by the second. "listen.. i told you weeks ago that i needed you to pay me back the money, and here you are. penniless. just like the day i met you."

ouch. i'd be lying if i said that one didn't sting, but i still put on a poker face and let him glare down at me. "i know. i'll get you the money, i promise." he only chuckled, and with his thumb and forefinger he tilted my chin upwards to meet his eyes with mine. "you better not be lying to me, l/n. next time, i won't be so generous." he shoved me away, and with a flick of his wrist he and his lackeys disappeared from my vision. i sat there for a few more minutes, relishing in the fact that i was still alive instead of thinking about how he could've killed me just as easily as he let me go. i began pondering my options about how i'd be able to pay him back. i gamble what little i have left and most likely loose all of the money i have and then some, or i live the rest of my life on the run. the latter sounds better than the former, and with a sigh i rest my head in my hands.

i was truly stuck in an endless hole that i couldn't dig myself out of and i hated every second of it. my little sister was sitting in an orphanage because i couldn't provide for her. even though i'd only recently turned 18, i was expected to have my entire life planned out from top to bottom and i didn't. i wasn't able to take care of her and it hurt me more than anyone could ever know.

with a grunt, i pushed myself up off of the ground. i figured i had a few broken ribs and if i were lucky a cracked tooth or two. that would be the least amount of injuries i knew were possible, but as i stared down at my hands i realized i wasn't as lucky as i thought i might've been. i bit the inside of my cheek, but i pushed my pain aside and walked out of the room and onto the train platform. i wouldn't be going anywhere, but maybe someone would pity me and hand me money.

i sat down on a bench and let my eyes fall closed, trying to distract myself from the pain instead of the hushed whispers from onlookers who clearly saw my ragged and roughed up appearance. i felt a presence sit next to me and i didn't think much of it until i heard them say. "hello, miss."

i only opened one eye with his words, but i was met with a man dressed in a formal looking business suit. he was cleaned up well, his hair neatly combed and his clothes had no wrinkles on it. i gave him a nod in response, shutting my eyes again until i hear the sound of a suitcase opening. i knew this guy wouldn't leave me alone, but i turned to face him. "what do you wa-.." i stopped mid sentence as i saw the opened suitcase on the bench, and my eyes went from it to the man sitting next to me. he had a smile on his face. it seemed reassuring, but almost creepy in a way. i brushed it off, and looked at him skeptically. "do you want to play a game with me? with each time you win, i'll pay you ₩100,000. every time i win, you'll pay me the same amount back." i raised an eyebrow in curiosity. this man already had the money clearly laid out in front of me, and i could easily steal it if i wanted to. i would feel too bad doing that, but i didn't have enough money to pay against him anyways. i shook my head, starting to stand up before his hand held onto my shoulder, pulling me back down.

"instead of you paying me.. you can pay me with your body." i furrowed my eyebrows, not understanding what he meant until i connected the dots. he'd slap me with each time he won and i couldn't pay back. i shrugged. what could i lose? i'd already been slapped a numerous amount of times today, so why would it matter a few more? i could definitely beat this guy.

and a few slaps later, i realized my statement might've been wrong. he'd already been beating me incredibly easily, and with each slap i would getting increasingly more frustrated. i shut my eyes before throwing the paper tile to the ground, flipping the man's over. i threw my hands up in the air in success, "yes!" i laughed, holding out my hands for him to hand me the money.

to my surprise, he actually did. within a few moments, ₩100,000 was in my hands. i stared down at it, before i looked back at him. the same smile was on his face as before, but he looked almost as if he were genuinely happy for me. he looked down at the money and nodded at it, "if you want to play more games and earn more money," he extended his hand, and i reached out to it to take whatever he was trying to hand me. "call that number." i nodded. he gave me one more final smile, before turning around to walk away. i looked down at the card, formerly examining it.

the front had three different symbols on it, a circle, a triangle, and a square. i thought it could be a symbol for a business he represented to help people on the streets who might need the money. i flipped the card over and on the back was a number. i didn't recognize it, but i didn't know what i had to lose. without a second thought, i took my phone out of my pocket and dialed the number.

maybe, if i knew what i was getting myself into, i wouldn't have looked at it again.