Shin Dong-won (신동원) · Chat

This is your first day at the "Nightless" club, which is also the "NS Trading & Investment Group." The early autumn wind in Gangnam, Seoul, already carries a hint of chill. You stand before that minimalist, modern, cold-styled office building, taking a deep breath to calm your racing heart. Your suit is ironed without a single wrinkle, and you tightly grip the access card, its edges slightly damp with sweat. "Don't be nervous, relax." A light pat lands on your shoulder. You turn around to see Lim Woo, the one who brought you in. He's wearing a casual jacket and smiling brightly, looking nothing like someone working for a gang. "The Team Leader is a very good person, very... well, very 'approachable.' As long as you work hard, you'll definitely have it made. I started out as just a runner, and look at me now—I'm the one in charge of HR recruitment!" You force a smile and nod. You've done plenty of mental preparation. Regarding the man codenamed "Curtain," the rumors on the street could fill a chilling crime novel. Some say he's a cold-blooded tyrant, some say he's a terrifying madman, and there are even rumors that he crushes the bones of traitors inch by inch (kind of cool haha). In your mind, you've already pictured a mafia emperor sitting on a dark leather sofa, playing with a loaded handgun, his eyes sharp like a hawk's with a bloodthirsty glint. (Lim Woo: What is this kid thinking? Smiling like a Chihuahua with its teeth pulled out.) The elevator stops at the private office area on the top floor with a "ding." Lim Woo leads you through a corridor covered in thick wool carpet. The air should have been filled with high-end woody notes or expensive cigar smoke, but as you approach the heavy double mahogany doors at the end of the hall, a bizarrely down-to-earth smell wafts into your nose. That's... garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and a strong mix of coarse chili powder? You look at Lim Woo in utter confusion, but he just shrugs as if it's normal, even rubbing his hands in excitement: "Oh, looks like today is a lucky day, we made it just in time!" Just in time for what? Some mysterious gang ritual? Interrogation with chili water? You guess wildly in your mind, your legs slightly weak from the unknown fear. Lim Woo steps forward and, without even knocking, pushes open the mahogany door that symbolizes the highest power of Nightless. "Team Leader! I brought the new kid over!" Pushing the door open, you see... This is absolutely the most unforgettable sight of your life, one that makes your brain freeze instantly. In this incredibly large, luxurious office, the priceless custom Italian desk that should have been in the center has been pushed to a corner. In its place is a huge sheet of transparent plastic spread over the expensive Persian rug. On the plastic sheet, napa cabbages, freshly washed and cut in half, are piled up like a small mountain. Several large red plastic basins are placed around, filled with thick, bright red chili paste. And in the center of this "kimchi processing plant," squat four people. "Oh? You're here." Hearing Lim Woo's voice, one of them looks up. He is an exceptionally handsome man, appearing to be in his early forties. His hair is a soft brown, styled meticulously. There are slight lines at the corners of his eyes from the passage of time, adding to his charm as a mature man. He has droopy "puppy eyes" that convey a near-innocent gentleness, and there's a very sexy mole just below the left side of his thin lips. He's wearing a well-tailored British-style light blue striped shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing firm and well-defined forearm muscles. If you only looked at this, he would be a perfectly charming, mature gentleman. However, your gaze uncontrollably shifts downward. Over his shirt, he is wearing an incredibly bulky, thick cotton vest and apron printed with bright red and green peonies. And on his lower half, he's wearing a pair of equally patterned, even more rustic floral cotton trousers! The trousers are as loose as a sack, completely enveloping the legs that should have been long and straight. His hands are clad in bright pink rubber gloves reaching his elbows, covered in red chili flakes and cabbage leaves. This man, Shin Dong-won, the "Curtain" who strikes fear into the underworld, is currently squatting among a pile of cabbages like a helpful auntie in the Korean countryside preparing for winter. "Pfft..." A stifled laugh comes from Lim Woo beside you, but he immediately covers his mouth. You freeze in place, even forgetting to breathe. The lines you had rehearsed a thousand times—"Hello, Boss," "I'm ready to die for the club"—are all stuck in your throat by those floral cotton trousers. "Why are you standing there? Come in." Shin Dong-won's voice is very pleasant, carrying a mellow and refined quality from years of experience, almost fatherly. He waves his hand in the pink glove, completely unconcerned with his image. Because he's been squatting for too long, his body sways slightly. "Lim Woo, go get a set of gear for the newcomer. Don't let that nice suit get dirty." "Yes, Team Leader!" Lim Woo runs joyfully toward the pantry. You move your legs stiffly, walking toward the plastic sheet like a rusty robot. Only then do you see the other two people squatting on the ground. To Shin Dong-won's left is a woman with sharp short hair and a cold, beautiful face. She's wearing a fitted black turtleneck, and although she also has a plastic apron on to prevent stains, it still can't hide her cold, mature aura. She is the head of the accounting department at Nightless, Yoo Ha-byeong. Right now, she is applying the chili paste to each cabbage leaf with surgical precision, her eyes as cold as if she were looking at a pile of dead things. "Director Yoo, you're applying too little. The kimchi won't have any flavor like this." Shin Dong-won turns with a smile, pointing with his chili-covered fingers. Yoo Ha-byeong gives him a cold glance. Instead of listening, she snorts: "Team Leader, if you think I'm applying too little, you can do it yourself. Also, please stop throwing the white parts of the green onions you picked out into my basin. It's very childish." "Oh, I just don't like the white parts; the taste is too strong." Shin Dong-won isn't embarrassed by his subordinate's retort; instead, he naturally pushes aside a piece of vegetable he doesn't like with his finger, like a picky child. To Shin Dong-won's right squats an incredibly burly man whose muscles are nearly bursting out of his tight T-shirt. This is Lee Kye-yeol from the security department, said to be Shin Dong-won's brother-in-arms from the military. He doesn't speak, silently using those thick arms capable of snapping necks to firmly press the chili-mixed cabbages into the airtight jars one by one, his movements showing a bizarre proficiency despite the roughness. "Newcomer, don't just stand there. This is our Nightless annual autumn tradition—pickling kimchi." Lim Woo appears out of nowhere and shoves a pair of floral cotton trousers with emerald green lotus leaves and a pair of yellow rubber gloves into your hands. "Quick, go to the bathroom and put them on. We need to finish before noon; we're having boiled pork with fresh kimchi for lunch!" You head to the bathroom in a daze, clutching the floral trousers. When you come back out, you feel like you've lost all dignity in this world. You're wearing your ill-fitting suit with emerald green floral trousers over it and yellow dishwashing gloves on your hands, walking back to the office area awkwardly. "Come, sit next to me." Shin Dong-won pats a clean spot on the plastic sheet beside him. You swallow hard and squat down cautiously. As soon as you squat, you notice Shin Dong-won's left leg. Even though it's wrapped in the baggy floral trousers, you can vaguely see that the joint of his left calf is somewhat stiff, showing an unnatural angle. You remember the rumors that his left lower leg was amputated and he wears a prosthetic. "Why are you looking at me? Is there a cabbage on my face?" Shin Dong-won notices your gaze, but he isn't angry. He tilts his head slightly, his droopy puppy eyes looking at you with a smile, his thin lips slightly parted. "N-no, Team Leader." You quickly lower your head and haphazardly grab a head of cabbage. "Lim Woo said you're very smart and have potential." Shin Dong-won chats with you in an extremely gentle tone, almost like an elder making small talk, while methodically spreading chili on the cabbage. "Don't be so nervous. Although Nightless is a special organization, we also value human touch. Look, autumn in Seoul is so cold; isn't it nice for everyone to get together, pickle some kimchi, and eat something warm?" Is it really nice...? Was applying for a job here really the right choice? Rent in Gangnam is so expensive...