By Zephyria 
The man who burst out of the bathroom was a complete wreck. His face was battered beyond recognition, and his white shirt was so soaked in blood that it was hard to tell its original color. Im Gyeong sat opposite him, nonchalantly putting ice into a glass. He then poured some liquor.
“You look shaken. Have a drink.”
The gesture of offering the drink felt elegant.
When Hee-shin only stared at him with suspicion, Im Gyeong took a sip first.
“Mr. Kang Hee-shin. Are you very suspicious?”
After taking a sip, Im Gyeong added,
“Have you been betrayed a lot in your life? I’ve heard that’s why people stop trusting others.”
Instead of responding, Hee-shin approached the man rolling on the floor. Up close, the sight was even more gruesome. Kang Hee-shin, who had remained silent the entire time, finally looked back at Im Gyeong.
“Who beat him like this?”
Im Gyeong shrugged his shoulders, as if it had absolutely nothing to do with him.
Hee-shin crouched down to meet the man’s eyes. As he ripped the tape off the mouth of the man, who had been paralyzed with fear, a suppressed gasp escaped.
“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“It’s been a while, Prosecutor? Your slick face is still the same, I see.”
The man smirked. His name was Park Young-soo, and he was a step-brother to Kim Jun-gu. Park Young-soo was the one who had caused a scene in court back then, claiming he would kill Kim Jun-gu for betraying the organization.
“On that day, was it you, Mr. Park Young-soo, who took Kim Jun-gu?”
The man opened his mouth, then closed it, glancing at Im Gyeong.
“It’s true that we took him. We did, but god damn it. Can’t you just untie me? I feel like I’m dying from being tied up this long. I need to pee, too. What should I do? Just piss here? First, let me at least wet my throat—”
Having seen Kang Hee-shin, he seemed to feel a sense of relief. While he was rambling, the sound of footsteps approached. Looking up, Im Gyeong was suddenly right in front of him. He grabbed Park Young-soo by the collar and forced him into a sitting position. Park Young-soo’s eyes wavered.
“Why, why are you—”
Mid-sentence, Im Gyeong violently pressed down on his jaw and shoved something he was holding into the man’s mouth.
“What the hell are you doing!”
The moment Park Young-soo pushed Im Gyeong away, he let out a choked sound, and his face turned bright red. Seeing him struggle and gasp for air, Hee-shin instinctively knew something was wrong. Fuck! Just as he tried to check inside Park Young-soo’s mouth, the man’s eyes were about to roll back. He couldn’t stand by and watch Park Young-soo writhe in agony, streaming tears and saliva. In desperation, Hee-shin pressed and pumped the man’s solar plexus from behind several times until something popped out and fell to the floor.
“Gasp!”
Now able to breathe, Park Young-soo collapsed on the floor, panting heavily.
Hee-shin glared at the chunk of ice rolling on the floor.
Meanwhile, Im Gyeong had returned to his seat and was calmly drinking his liquor.
“Ask the question again. This time, I’ll tell you the truth.”
Hee-shin tried to follow Im Gyeong, leaving the exhausted Park Young-soo behind.
“Are you crazy! Are you determined to kill me?”
At that moment, Park Young-soo desperately grabbed the hem of Hee-shin’s trousers.
“We were just running an errand! Some high-up person! They gave us money—gave us money to handle it! So we just did the errand!”
Just as Im Gyeong had predicted, Park Young-soo began to spill everything. He said he had been running an errand center and received a request. At first, he thought it was a joke—to monitor and dispose of a guy who had betrayed the organization years ago. He thought it might be a trap, but the amount of money was too large. He simply couldn’t refuse.
So, he confessed that he had tailed Kim Jun-gu as soon as he was released from prison.
“It’s true!! I don’t know who it is either! A Hyung I know named Lee Chang-seon introduced me, so that Hyung knows. But he’s overseas right now, so I can’t reach him! If you save me, I’ll definitely find out! I won’t tell anyone that the Prosecutor was the one who did it!”
Kang Hee-shin sat back down and met Park Young-soo’s eyes.
“What about Kim Jun-gu?”
“…….”
“…Did you kill him?”
Park Young-soo avoided his gaze.
“Not yet.”
Did that mean he was going to kill him soon?
Regardless, since the kidnapper had confessed, all that was left was to arrest him immediately.
But after that?
“Why did you threaten me?”
“I thought I might get some money out of it. I also wanted revenge for what happened back then…”
Park Young-soo trailed off, glancing at Im Gyeong. He seemed to instinctively know that if he said the wrong thing, it wouldn’t end with just ice this time. Hee-shin stood up and rubbed his face hard. As he tried to leave, Park Young-soo grabbed his leg again.
“Please save me! If you save me, I’ll live with my mouth shut! I won’t tell anyone!”
He claimed that once Lee Chang-seon returned from overseas, he would find out who the mastermind was no matter what. So he begged him to believe him. Unlike before, he was now desperate to survive. Looking at Park Young-soo groveling at his feet, Hee-shin sighed and walked toward the sofa. As soon as he sat down, he downed the liquor Im Gyeong had poured in one gulp. Not satisfied, he filled another glass to the brim.
After drinking two glasses in a row, his stomach felt hot.
“How is it? Do you like the gift?”
“…….”
“No answer. Does that mean you hate it?”
“I’m thinking. About what your gift means.”
“It doesn’t mean much. Our first meeting was the worst, but I liked you, Mr. Kang Hee-shin. You’re someone who will become family, so I don’t want you to go through troublesome things. Does this convey my feelings well enough?”
Hee-shin didn’t trust the man at all. That was likely evident on his face.
“Or what, should I act cute for you?”
Even while smiling, his attitude was strangely overbearing. He really was an arrogant prick.
While thinking this, Im Gyeong reached out his hand.
“Let’s shake off the bad feelings and get along from now on. We’re around the same age, so we could even be friends.”
Hee-shin just stared at the extended hand. Im Gyeong clicked his tongue and withdrew his hand. Then, he made a call. A moment later, several men arrived and helped the fallen man up to take him away.
“Where is Park Young-soo going?”
“We have to find the mastermind first. Speaking of which, anyone come to mind? Someone you might have made an enemy of. Someone of that level isn’t just a small fry.”
Someone to make an enemy of…
There were too many to specify.
To put it bluntly, were the people he’d thrown in jail only one or two? While he was wondering if he should make a separate list, Im Gyeong stood up slowly. Hee-shin wondered where he was going, but Im Gyeong immediately sat down right next to him. They were so close that their thighs brushed, causing Hee-shin to frown involuntarily.
Then, leaning in slightly, Im Gyeong held out a glass.
“Let’s get along well from now on. This is a precious connection.”
Hee-shin tried to move away because it was uncomfortable, but his shoulder was grabbed.
“At least toast before you go.”
Reluctantly, he raised his glass and clinked it, causing the corners of Im Gyeong’s mouth to curl up.
“To our friendship.”
Is he crazy? It’s only been a few days since they met. He didn’t know what the man’s scheme was, but for now, knowing the news about Kim Jun-gu was enough. While the man’s situation was pitiful, it was clear that his being alive would bring Hee-shin no benefit.
As soon as the arm on his shoulder was removed, Hee-shin moved away. The faint scent of the man’s perfume lingered at the tip of his nose. Since his stomach was empty, the alcohol was hitting him, and deciding that staying was not beneficial, he stood up to leave. Then, Im Gyeong gestured for him to sit.
“Stay a bit longer.”
“I’ll be going now.”
“Why— I even gave you a gift. Come on. Hmm?”
His gesture was truly relaxed. A life where it was natural to be served by others from birth. A life where one never had to beg or lack anything. He possessed the leisure seen in such people.
Hee-shin had longed for and dreamed of such a life. But in reality, wasn’t he just a prosecutor with no pedigree, someone rumored to be selling his body to a chaebol’s daughter? Thinking about it, he felt a sudden surge of irritation. Instead of storming out, he sat back down and glared at Im Gyeong with a slightly crooked posture.
He had been wondering for a while—did he have Western ancestors…?
His eyes were a strange mix of brown and green.
Honestly, they were beautiful, but he didn’t want to express that openly.
As he stared intently, the picture-perfect face gradually distorted.
“Mr. Kang Hee-shin.”
He snapped out of it at the low voice.
“Yes?”
“Stop looking at me. Even for a man, looking at me like that makes me hard.”
What the fuck is this piece of shit talking about…