Kim Tae-ze · Chat

It’s 11:00 PM in the hallway of an old apartment building in Mapo District. The sound-activated lights flicker on and off, casting a dim, cheap yellow glow. Heavy, rhythmic footsteps echo from the stairwell. Kim Tae-ze is wearing a black leather jacket over a tight white tank top that accentuates his thick chest and well-defined abs. The dragon tattoos on his arms creep out from his sleeves, looking particularly menacing in the dim light. He raises his hand and raps his knuckles against the door. The door opens. Kim Tae-ze looks down at the person standing in the doorway, his lips curling into a mocking sneer. He’s so tall he almost has to bow his head to see the expression on your face. His short blonde hair catches the cold light of the hallway, and his double ear studs reflect tiny, sharp glints. "야, 이 새끼야. 내 U盘 어딨지? 빨리 내놔, 귀찮게 하지 말고." (Hey, you bastard. Where's my USB? Hand it over now, don't make me work for it.) As he speaks, he pushes his way into the room without an invitation, his movements arrogant and natural, as if he owns the place. He glances around the living room—small, dated, with sofa fabric washed thin—and lets out a contemptuous snort. "와... 진짜 초라하네. 이런 데서 사는 사람이 내 U盘을 주웠다고? 인생의 격차라는 게 이런 거지." (Wow... how pathetic. Someone living in a dump like this picked up my USB? I guess this is what they call the 'life gap.') He leans haphazardly against the wall by the door, arms crossed, his muscles straining against his tank top. His gaze is like a blade, slowly scraping across your face with undisguised scrutiny and disdain. "그런데 너, 내 U盘 안 열어 봤지? 열어 봤으면 지금쯤 네가 이렇게 서 있을 리가 없으니까. 아, 맞다. 열어 봤더라도 내가 오기 전에 경찰에 신고했겠지? 그런데 넌 그렇게 멍청해 보이진 않는데... 아니, 멍청해 보이긴 하는데, 그 정도로 자살하고 싶은 새끼는 아닌 것 같고." (But you, you haven't opened my USB, have you? Because if you had, there's no way you'd be standing here like this. Oh, right. Even if you had, you would've called the cops before I got here. You don't look *that* stupid... well, you look plenty stupid, but not like the kind of bastard who's suicidal.) He tilts his head, the tattoo on the side of his neck shifting slightly with the movement, revealing a playful yet extremely dangerous smile. He pulls a silver metal lighter from his pocket and toys with it, the click-clack sound echoing sharply in the quiet room. "자, 내가 바쁜 사람이야. 시간 끌지 말고 그냥 내놔. 네가 순순히 내주면, 오늘 일은 그냥 없었던 걸로 해줄게. 근데..." (Look, I'm a busy man. Don't waste my time, just hand it over. If you give it up quietly, I'll pretend today never happened. But...) His tone suddenly drops. The lighter snaps shut with a thud. He takes a step forward, the sheer pressure of his massive frame almost suffocating. "만약 네가 뭔가 삐딱하게 굴려고 하면, 너 지금 이 좁은 방에서 무슨 일이 일어날지 상상이나 가? 나 같은 사람이 화나면 어떻게 하는지, 너는 전혀 몰라." (If you try to pull anything funny, do you have any idea what's going to happen in this tiny room? You have no clue what someone like me does when they get angry.) Just then, you point to the rusty radiator pipe by the door and shake a pair of sturdy-looking metal handcuffs in your hand, making a demand. Kim Tae-ze freezes for a moment, then bursts into a fit of wild laughter. He doubles over, one hand braced against the wall, his blonde bangs falling to cover one eye. "하? 나를 수갑 채우라고? 지금? 여기서? 너 진짜... 아, 진짜 웃겨. 너 나한테 그런 걸 요구하는 사람이야? 내가 네 말을 들을 것 같아?" (Ha? You want to handcuff me? Now? In here? You’re really... ah, you're hilarious. Are you really the type to demand something like that from me? You think I'm going to listen to you?) His laughter subsides abruptly. His expression hardens, his eyes turning cold and sharp. He stares at you as if evaluating something. After a few seconds of silence, he licks his lips and lets out a snort of a laugh. "아, 알겠어. 네가 내 U盘을 가지고 있으니까, 그걸로 협상하는 거지? 흥, 재미있네. 좋아. 내가 한 번 해볼게. 네가 그걸로 뭘 할 수 있는지 한번 보자고." (Ah, I see. Since you have my USB, you're using it to negotiate, right? Heh, interesting. Fine. I'll play along. Let's see what you can actually do with it.) He reaches out, his movements carrying a hint of impatience but also the composure of a hunter toying with its prey. He walks over to the radiator pipe, kicks it to check if it's sturdy, and then voluntarily extends his left wrist toward you. The metal handcuffs click shut around his wrist, the other end locked to the pipe. Kim Tae-ze flexes his cuffed wrist, the metal clinking softly. Far from being nervous, he seems even more excited. "야, 재밌네. 진짜 재밌어. 그럼 이제... 어떻게 할 거야? 내가 이렇게 묶여 있는데, 너 뭘 할 수 있는지 한번 보여줘 봐. 네가 U盘을 내놓을 때까지 기다려 줄 수도 있지만... 내 인내심은 그렇게 길지 않아." (Hey, this is fun. Really fun. So now... what are you going to do? I'm tied up like this, so show me what you've got. I could wait until you hand over the USB... but my patience isn't that long.) He leans back against the wall. Even though he’s the one handcuffed, his posture remains relaxed and arrogant. The hem of his jacket hangs open slightly, revealing the tight muscle lines of his abdomen and the edges of his tattoos. He looks at you, his eyes like those of a beast that's been chained but is still gnashing its teeth. He tilts his head, his short blonde hair reflecting a cold glint under the light, his tongue grazing his lower lip. He looks like both a lawless bully and a child who knows he's already won.