#188

His tone was so gentle, it felt like being asked to stab with cotton candy instead of a knife, making it utterly surreal.

Belatedly, Park Dong-Hee’s eyes widened at the name Jeong Jae-jin, and he gasped at the word “stab.” He trembled violently, utterly shocked. His brain seemed to have shut down; he couldn’t think straight at all.

“Not to kill, just stab. Is that possible?”

Chief added.

Park Dong-Hee couldn’t bring himself to speak. No, he couldn’t answer. Stab a current prosecutor? Was he out of his mind? He wanted to scream. He never imagined Senior Oh would assign him such a task.

Bastard, son of a bitch.

He cursed inwardly.

Chief quietly observed Park Dong-Hee’s face, then shook his head.

“If you can’t do it, I’ll assign it to someone else. As you know, there are plenty of people willing to do it for even ten million won, not to mention a hundred million.”

Those words finally brought Park Dong-Hee back to his senses.

Chief was right. Lee Seok-doo had gangsters to spare. Hundreds of people would commit murder without a penny if it meant getting into Lee Seok-doo’s good graces.

Yet, Lee Seok-doo had chosen him. Offering a whopping 100 million won in cash and an apartment by the Han River as compensation. And it wasn’t even to kill, just to stab and scare him.

This was a golden opportunity. A chance Senior Oh had given him.

A chance to earn enough money to live on for the rest of his life.

And here he was, cursing him. He was a terrible person.

“Who says I can’t? I’ll do it. I have to.”

Park Dong-Hee puffed out his chest and spoke loudly.

Chief smiled.

“Good. Then let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“To receive your down payment.”

“N-now?”

“Of course. I’ll give you 100 million won.”

Park Dong-Hee couldn’t get his head straight.

Just that morning, when he had cursed and yelled at Mother, he thought his life was over. But in just an hour, the world had changed. He was about to have 100 million won in cash, and an apartment for sure. For Lee Seok-doo, that was nothing. Senior Oh had also received business funds, hadn’t he?

“What about the apartment? Will you give me the contract, or…”

He asked timidly.

“Ah, that’s a matter where traces shouldn’t be left, so a contract is difficult. However, we’ll transfer the apartment title to you as soon as the job is done. Will that be alright?”

“The address?”

As soon as he asked, Chief told him the location and name of the apartment.

His mouth dropped open. He couldn’t believe it. He slapped his cheek without realizing it. It hurt, so it was real. But they were really giving it to him? That apartment? The top floor, no less.

Alright. There was no reason not to believe it. They were giving him 100 million won in cash right away; he might as well trust them.

Park Dong-Hee nodded vigorously and said, “Let’s go.”

Chief immediately got up.

Senior Oh was nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t inside the restaurant or outside. He wondered if he had come all this way just to introduce him, and he felt grateful. He vowed never to forget this favor.

Park Dong-Hee got into the luxury sedan that Chief had arrived in. The interior was spacious and comfortable, and the ride was so smooth it couldn’t compare to his own beat-up car. He had been using public transportation because his car was broken, so he thought he would buy a car first thing when he received the 100 million won.

The sedan stopped briefly on the way. As if waiting, two 007 briefcases were brought into the car. The briefcases were immediately handed to Park Dong-Hee.

“Open them. Fifty million won each, that’s 100 million.”

At Chief’s words, he opened the briefcases.

The briefcases were filled with crisp, new ten-thousand-won bills. Park Dong-Hee shamelessly picked up each stack of money and flipped through it. He carefully checked to make sure there weren’t blank pieces of paper cut to the size of ten-thousand-won bills.

Shit. It really was 100 million won in cash. Money he would never have touched in his life was now in his hands.

His heart pounded. He was so excited he was out of his mind. His mouth kept filling with saliva, and he swallowed it down.

This was just the down payment. The high-rise apartment overlooking the Han River would soon be his. That all he had to do was stab a current prosecutor to receive such a reward was unbelievable. It felt like free money. In this mood, he felt like he could shoot with a gun, not just stab with a knife.

He was thirsty. He had been drinking heavily, and he hadn’t even had a sip of water that morning, let alone a hangover cure.

He was about to ask to stop and buy a bottle of water when a familiar building came into view.

The Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.

Park Dong-Hee’s eyes widened, and he turned to Chief.

Surely they weren’t asking him to do it here, now?

That’s what he was thinking.

The sedan slightly bypassed the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office and stopped in front of a nearby sauna.

“Jeong Jae-jin went inside there.”

Chief said in a dry tone.

“Yes?”

“Here’s the knife.”

With that, he handed over a knife wrapped in newspaper. It was quite large, probably a sashimi knife commonly used by gangsters.

“N-now?”

He was so surprised that his voice cracked.

“Ah. I don’t mean for you to go inside. He’ll be coming out soon, so that’s when you should do it.”

“Here? In front of here?”

This was crazy. This was one of the saunas that prosecutors from the Central District Prosecutors’ Office frequented like a mill. There were plenty of restaurants and coffee shops around, and many pedestrians passing by. And they were telling him to do it here?

“Yes. Wouldn’t it be better for both of us to get it over with quickly?”

“That’s true, but…”

“I’ll park the car across the street and wait.”

“No, that’s, Chief. No, right now, I…”

Park Dong-Hee was flustered and didn’t know what to say.

“Why, can’t you do it?”

Chief looked at him with pity.

“That’s right. It must be difficult since you were a police officer.”

As if Park Dong-Hee had said he couldn’t do it, he grabbed the handle of the 007 briefcase on his lap.

“It seems we’ve made too much of a request.”

He took one of the briefcases.

Park Dong-Hee felt his lap lighten and barely managed to grab the briefcase in Chief’s hand.

“No, I’ll do it. Of course, I’ll do it.”

He couldn’t kick away the good fortune that had rolled his way.

“Are you sure you can do it?”

“Of course!”

“Here, take this first.”

Chief handed him the knife wrapped in newspaper again.

Park Dong-Hee swallowed hard and took the knife. It was heavy, and his hand dropped. He was just holding it, but his legs were already giving out. His mind went blank.

Can I really stab him?

What’s so hard about it?

I hit Father and cursed at Mother, so why can’t I stab with a knife?

Just as he was steeling himself, Chief’s phone rang.

“Get out.”

Chief said.

“Now?”

“Yes. He’s coming out now.”

“Ah, yes.”

Park Dong-Hee was practically pushed out of the car with the knife in his hand.

His legs were shaking so badly he could barely stand. His hand holding the knife was trembling so much he felt like he would drop it, so he hugged it tightly.

The luxury sedan passed Park Dong-Hee and parked across the street a moment later. His 100 million won was in that car. A luxury apartment overlooking the Han River was guaranteed in that car.

Park Dong-Hee composed himself and walked toward the sauna entrance. His legs didn’t feel like his own. Even a robot would walk more naturally than he was.

How many steps had he taken?

A familiar figure appeared before his eyes.

He had the neatness of someone who had just taken a bath. He looked a bit tired, but Jeong Jae-jin still looked sturdy.

Contrary to his sharp impression, he was surprisingly easygoing. He often joked and was polite to his subordinates. Unlike other prosecutors who looked down on detectives, he was very courteous to them. Even on the day he first met Prosecutor Jeong on Senior Oh’s recommendation, he had bowed first, saying, “Detective Park, I look forward to working with you.”

He was unforgiving when he was acting foolish, but he had never insulted him personally.

Why was he only thinking of the good things?

Park Dong-Hee was puzzled.

Jeong Jae-jin’s eyes widened when he spotted Park Dong-Hee.

“Detective Park. What brings you here?”

Only then did Park Dong-Hee return to reality and mumbled, “Ah, yes. Well. I had some business nearby.”

“Is that so?”

Jeong Jae-jin seemed puzzled that Park Dong-Hee had come all the way to the prosecutor’s office even though he hadn’t called him.

His gaze swept over Park Dong-Hee and then went to the newspaper in his hand. Jeong Jae-jin frowned.

“What’s that?”

He asked, knowing full well what it was.

He was a confident man, anyway.

Yes. He was always so confident. He was a graduate of a prestigious university and had passed the bar exam in one go, he had heard. Senior Oh said he was capable enough to become a chief prosecutor. Senior Oh’s grumbling about how he was tall, handsome, and rich was still vivid in his ears.

In contrast, Park Dong-Hee had nothing. He had no interest in studying, so he barely passed the police exam on his fourth try. And that was barely scraping by. He wasn’t particularly smart or physically fit, so he was always behind his classmates. His height and appearance weren’t lacking, but he wasn’t good at talking, so he wasn’t popular with women.

He thought of the female police officers who flirted with that man but didn’t give him a chance. He remembered the office worker who gladly drank the coffee he bought but made various excuses to refuse when he asked her to have a meal.

Damn it. The world is unfair.

Park Dong-Hee gripped the knife tightly.

“You’re not going to stab me with that, are you?”

Jeong Jae-jin asked outright.

“That’s…”

Like an idiot, he just fumbled with the knife. The blade was so sharp that the tip poked through the newspaper. His heart pounded when he saw the tip of the knife.

Jeong Jae-jin sighed. He shook his head and said, “Detective Park, just go back. Before I call the police.”

Before I call the police.

Jeong Jae-jin’s words were the trigger.

“I, I’m a police officer. You son of a bitch!”

Park Dong-Hee shouted out of nowhere.

“I’m a police officer!!”

He didn’t know why he did that.

He was enraged by the mention of calling the police.

Park Dong-Hee was a police officer. He was a detective in the violent crimes unit. He had partnered with Senior Oh to catch bad guys and was a skilled detective who had been involved in top-secret operations. He wasn’t on the elite track, but he was at least on a similar path. But he was dismissed in an instant due to a momentary mistake.

People can make mistakes in life, but they didn’t turn a blind eye to it. He was immediately reported. By that man.

Yes. It was none other than Jeong Jae-jin who had ruined his life. He had picked on something that others would have easily overlooked.

Yes. It was none other than Jeong Jae-jin who had ruined his life. He had picked on something that others would have easily overlooked. He was convinced that he had set him up.

Jeong Jae-jin looked down at Park Dong-Hee with a pathetic look.

“Yes. I know. Detective Park, just go back. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

Even in this situation, Jeong Jae-jin was calm. He spoke politely and was as courteous as possible.

But even that was something Park Dong-Hee hated. It hurt his pride.

Above all, the firm look in his eyes as he looked down at him sent shivers down his spine.

How clean are you that you look at me like that? he wanted to shout. Of course, he couldn’t say a word. His whole body trembled with anger.

As he stood there, Jeong Jae-jin walked past Park Dong-Hee.

“Be careful going back.”

He said, showing his back.

Jeong Jae-jin’s back looked very solid. At the same time, he felt like a monster. He should have been scared, but he wasn’t scared at all. That was seen as a way of ignoring him.

Park Dong-Hee tore the newspaper and plunged the knife into Jeong Jae-jin’s back.

Thwack. The knife sank in.

He never dreamed the knife would be so sharp. He never knew knives could be so effective. He had never even held a paring knife at home, so how would he know?

Moreover, he hadn’t anticipated that a person’s back, their flesh, could be pierced so easily.

Park Dong-Hee was flustered. The hand gripping the handle was dyed red with blood flowing down the blade. Startled, he dropped the handle.

Jeong Jae-jin turned around. He reached behind him, as if trying to gauge what had happened to him. Soon, he furrowed his brow and said, “Shit.”

“Ugh, ugh… ugh…”

An unintelligible groan escaped Park Dong-Hee’s lips.

Without realizing it, he stumbled backward.

His hand was too red. The smell of blood was overwhelmingly rank.

Park Dong-Hee looked around, not comprehending what he had done. He searched for his 100 million won and the car, guaranteed with the apartment.

It had definitely been parked across the street, but there was nothing there. The luxury sedan that had brought him was gone.

His heart plummeted.

He’d been had. It was a trap.

The moment he had that thought, a scream rang out. Realizing that the scream was directed at him and Jeong Jae-jin, Park Dong-Hee started running without thinking.

This had to be a dream. Yes, a dream. Senior Oh wouldn’t set a trap for him. It was just a nightmare born of guilt. Wake up from this dream, Park Dong-Hee shouted to himself as he ran.

189 – Chapter Title Without Number