Dear My Security

On the day she returned from taking her college entrance essay exam, before she even had time to feel relieved, loan sharks burst into her life and Joo Hayan is thrown into panic.

Claiming they had lent money to her father, the loan sharks demand to know where he is.

Only then does Hayan realize that her father has abandoned her and disappeared.

She tries to run away in secret, but is caught before she can escape.

Calling Joo Hayan “collateral,” a man named Shin I-hyuk warns her that she won’t be able to run, saying he’ll come by every week.

The man, who seems to be the head of the loan sharks, continues to appear in front of her with unsettling frequency.

But the more she meets him, the more she realizes he isn’t entirely heartless. And why is he being so kind to her?

Worn down by the cruelty of reality, Joo Hayan finds herself leaning on Shin I-hyuk before she even realizes it.

Around that time, he makes her a quiet, secretive proposal.

A man who is suspiciously gentle one moment and terrifyingly cold the next. What is he really after?

In a situation so hopeless she can no longer see the way forward, is the hand reaching down to her a golden lifeline—or a rotten one?

Either way, there is no escape.

***

Shin I-hyuk slapped his knee lightly, as if he’d just thought of something amusing.

“Not five hundred million—just five million. For gambling debt, that’s almost cute. Hardly worth abandoning your kid over.”

“…….”

“If it were in the hundreds of millions, I might’ve admired the dedication and put the son to some use.

But a measly figure in the thousands? My face burns just thinking about it.”

“…….”

(omitted)

“So all you need to do is stay put and wait nicely for your dad. And when he finally comes back, just say, ‘Please save me. I’m scared.’ That’s all.”

“…….”

“Hey, hey. Why are you crying? This isn’t a scary story.”

“…Hic… ngh…”

“Don’t cry. Want some candy?”