March Novel (Completed) - Chapter 21

Feeling pleased, Lieutenant Kim rummaged through his wallet. He was thinking of giving Lee Sehwa a tip.

Lee Sehwa became famous for being honest. Those who sought drugs administered by others were people who enjoyed the act itself like a gamble. It had a thrill, and honestly, whatever they took made them feel good, so they’d roll up their sleeves without really knowing what the dealers were using.

In that regard, Lee Sehwa was a reliable trading partner. He always showed what drug, how much, and how he would use it, and he would even custom-make it according to the customer’s order. He was so good at mixing that he precisely matched the desired intensity and feeling. Even after he sobered up and checked, not a single item was missing. Sometimes his wallet was empty, but that much could be overlooked as a minor quirk. And then, when he saw them off with a solemn expression, as if he had committed some great crime… honestly, he even looked cute. He even said he used that money to buy food for the children working in the house.

So he thought, isn’t he too bland? but his business acumen wasn’t bad. He heard that for customers who demanded his body, he would gently persuade them and assign a house prostitute instead. He’d tell them it was more profitable to let him focus on manufacturing and have sex with someone more skilled. And if a deal was made, he’d take a certain amount as commission from the prostitutes.

There was a reason why President Son, who was crazy about money, only used Lee Sehwa as a drug maker. He also understood why the young man had successfully moved to District 4.

‘In that sense, I’m telling you this, the friend who introduced you to me. He just died.’

Lieutenant Kim, who was rummaging through his wallet to take out money, was so startled by Lee Sehwa’s next words that he could only gape.

‘He was making a fuss, demanding the recipe for the drug I’m about to give you.’

‘…You? You killed someone?’

‘To be precise, it wasn’t me, but the drug I made, right?’

Why is he telling me this? Is he going to kill me too? Lieutenant Kim, flustered, fiddled with the watch issued by the military. He was ready to press the call button if necessary.

‘Monkey’s Flower Shoes is about how a badger gifts flower shoes to a monkey who was living well barefoot, then later enslaves the monkey by charging expensive shoe prices.’

‘Why are you telling me this?’

‘The stuff you’ve been looking for until now, you can get it through other drug dealers. It might be a little less exciting than what I make, though. But not the drug I’m giving you now. Only I can make this. Are you still okay with that?’

Lee Sehwa, who was so kind he seemed foolish, was warning him in his own way. That he could become addicted to the drug, enslaved to him like a foolish monkey.

‘I thought it was something else.’

His chest, which had greatly swelled with tension, deflated with a hiss. As he rolled up his sleeve, telling him it was fine and to just inject it quickly, Lee Sehwa chuckled softly.

‘Well, I guess I don’t have to worry much since you seem to have a lot of money.’

His young face, wearing a plain t-shirt and faded jeans, smiling shyly, was so beautiful. So, a few days before Christmas, Lieutenant Kim decided. He couldn’t let Lee Sehwa be taken by anyone else. He had to take him and live with him.

But his family elders would never approve of someone from a District 4 house. Even Lieutenant Kim thought Lee Sehwa had too many shortcomings to be a spouse. So, making him a concubine seemed just right… but there was no justification. If Lee Sehwa had been a male capable of pregnancy, he would have had him bear a child and kept him by his side.

As he thought that far, a discarded agenda item that had once been discussed came to mind. Its security classification was high, but everyone seemed to think it was preposterous and had neglected it, making the documents easy to access. And after secretly having the contents of the document confirmed by his family’s researchers, he gained a certain conviction.

Luring Lee Sehwa was even easier. Perhaps he wasn’t entirely indifferent to him, as he docilely followed him to the checkpoint. More than money, he wanted a District 1 resident ID. Lieutenant Kim would have paid whatever he asked for money, but since he clearly had feelings, he must have been saying something so naive. It wasn’t a difficult task. It wasn’t a District 5 resident ID, and if he confirmed him as the biological father of his child, his family would raise him to District 1 without much trouble.

Nearly two years passed like that. The ‘Harvest’ project, influenced by Commander Oh Seon-ran, was receiving a better response than expected. Of course, a considerable amount of money had gone to Commander Oh Seon-ran, but since they had won over high-ranking officials and several corporations, his family was also satisfied. Now, only Lee Sehwa’s body needed to be prepared. He was hoping that since he had periodically tasted the drugs, he might have already transformed into a body capable of pregnancy. But then,

“Anyway, this bastard Gi Taejeong is useless.”

Gi Taejeong was acting suspiciously again. Lieutenant Kim grumbled, completely forgetting that he himself had initially provoked Gi Taejeong, hoping he would excel in his role as the military’s proudest new weapon and stud.

“Since Lieutenant Park Yeonjung has directly brought up the matter, it would be wise for us to be cautious. In fact, it could truly become a big problem if it incites foreign media…”

“Ah, at that point, we just cut off the tail, right? That’s why we poured money into the House. Besides, I played golf with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport yesterday, you know what that human said?”

Lieutenant Kim chuckled, grinding out the finished cigarette.

“If his child and Gi Taejeong could really breed, he’d adopt him right away. Do you think it’s any different abroad? They’ll make a fuss in public, but behind the scenes, they’ll come with bundles of money asking how much that drug costs.”

It wasn’t difficult to pre-select individuals with superior physical traits. They would pick out a suitable orphan, drug them to make them capable of pregnancy, and then get sperm from a stud like Gi Taejeong. That’s how they’d reproduce the military’s dogs.

“It’s the best method for officials who want to get their people into the military, isn’t it? The military will also make some money thanks to it.”

Even his family, who always nagged him, would acknowledge him for this. And above all, Lee Sehwa would come as a bonus. The profit was certain, and the risks were low, so not jumping in would be foolish.

Those who opposed the project were speaking out of ignorance of the greatness of genetics. Wasn’t Gi Taejeong, a monster proving physical superiority inherited through bloodlines, right before their eyes? So Lieutenant Kim spread rumors about the ‘Harvest’ project, and officials eager to establish connections with the military were waiting for Lieutenant Kim with boxes full of banknotes.

“A bastard like Gi Taejeong should live like that his whole life.”

His stomach churned when he learned that Colonel Yoo, who had always ignored him, had subtly expressed his intention to propose to Gi Taejeong. Colonel Yoo was inferior to Gi Taejeong in neither lineage nor wealth, yet he was proposing to such a low-born orphan? Taking a psychopath who had been confined and trained in a camp his entire childhood into the family? What did that bastard Gi Taejeong have besides a pretty face…!

“Go get some stuff from the warehouse in District 2. Those are almost finished products. Also, recruit some recently enlisted guys from poor families but with excellent physical abilities.”

“Lieutenant, are you saying…?”

“Gi Taejeong needs to get married before it’s too late. Oh. Do they even use the word ‘marriage’ when dogs mate?”

Lieutenant Kim chuckled, putting a joint in his mouth. Marijuana was still not enough. He needed Lee Sehwa. He had refrained from visiting the House for the success of the project, but he couldn’t wait any longer.

“Oh, right. Contact President Son of the House and subtly ask him how he’s been receiving commissions from Lee Sehwa all this time. He’ll understand what you mean and screw Lee Sehwa over.”

Recently, Lieutenant Kim was Lee Sehwa’s only major client. That meant Lieutenant Kim was the only source of money. If President Son started acting tyrannical, demanding more commission, Lee Sehwa would have no choice but to rely on him. That’s when he planned to casually bring up the topic. He couldn’t register him as a spouse, but if he bore a child and served him and his family elders dutifully as a concubine, he would let him live a life envied by no one. A stable life free from financial worries. Wasn’t that the tranquility Lee Sehwa so desperately desired?

Lieutenant Kim twitched his nostrils, imagining the happy future that was soon to come. It was a refreshing fantasy: passing by a gaunt Gi Taejeong, who was serving as a stud, with a pretty concubine tucked under his arm, and sneering at him.

It had been a little over a week since Gi Taejeong left. No, it seemed like almost two weeks. Sehwa still couldn’t leave his office by even a single step. He also hadn’t been allowed clothes, so he was always naked under a gown.

Even while practicing putting medicine into syringes as he was told, a sudden wave of anxiety washed over him. He had never rested from work for so long. He felt as if the other drug makers or senior managers would burst in at any moment, asking what he was doing just eating and wasting time. But surprisingly, every time he sank into despair, Gi Taejeong would send him strange items. The timing was uncanny, as if he could sense Sehwa’s mood.