#198

The the man was sleeping soundly without any issues. Yong lay stretched out on the sofa, trying to sleep, and Lee Seon-jae sat beside the Man, taking out the express-delivered documents to read again.

The Yoon Ki-beom case file that Seon-jae had obtained through a corrupt police officer he knew was very simple. It was just another simple assault case, not much different from the past data he had received from Prosecutor Jeong Jae-jin.

So, Yoon Ki-beom, while hanging around entertainment establishments near the industrial complex with delinquent friends, got into an argument with a middle-aged man he met on the street and was taken to the police station on suspicion of unilaterally assaulting him. The victim’s friends, who were with Yoon Ki-beom, testified that Yoon Ki-beom was the main culprit of the assault.

A police station employee who knew Yoon Ki-beom’s face at the time told the victim that he would severely punish him, but secretly released Yoon Ki-beom and his friends with a warning.

The victim, who received treatment at the hospital and returned home, was furious the next day when he found out that the teenagers who had assaulted him had been released with a warning. The man, who had connections in the police, went to the police station instead of the police box and filed a complaint, but withdrew it the next day.

At least, that was all that was written in the official documents.

It seemed to be the very case where the director and assistant director of the orphanage went to the police station and offered a large bribe to smooth things over, as Kim Young-ja had testified. Of course, they would have given money to the victim as well.

Anyway, based on the contents of the file alone, it wasn’t an incident that could be a weakness for Yoon Ki-beom, the Man. There had to be something more.

‘Detective Oh has been asking around about this case for about 5 or 6 years. He even went to meet the retired police box chief and the detective in charge at the time. Anyway, he was unbelievably obsessed.’

The detective who handed the file to Seon-jae said.

Detective Oh wouldn’t have been so persistent just because of suspicion about Yoon Ki-beom’s past, so he guessed that something bad must have happened to the victim in this case.

The problem was what that something bad was.

Hoo. He sighed and closed the documents.

Did the man know what Yoon Ki-beom had done?

Seon-jae looked at the Man, who was fast asleep. Even if he knew, he was definitely not someone who would talk.

He needed to know what evidence Detective Oh Dae-Ho had collected over six years. With even Prosecutor Baek Gyu-ri recommending it, there was no reason to delay contacting him.

Seon-jae put the file back into the yellow envelope and went to the bathroom in the hospital room. He turned on the water in the sink and called Detective Oh. It was dawn, but somehow he felt like Detective Oh would be awake.

Currently, Detective Oh had no choice but to rely on Lee Seon-jae. It was a case involving Park Dong-Hee, as well as his close friend Kim Byung-chan. They should have been arrested already, but he probably knew that they were freely roaming the streets thanks to Prosecutor Baek, and above all, Lee Seok-doo had turned a blind eye, so he was in a desperate situation.

Besides, even if the media was quiet, rumors would be rampant among the police by now. In other words, he couldn’t expect help from his fellow detectives. No matter how close they were, no one would want to be involved in a prosecutor assault case.

As Seon-jae expected, Detective Oh answered the phone right away. They weren’t close enough to ask about each other’s well-being, so he simply stated his business.

Detective Oh was willing to meet Seon-jae. His attitude, which had been reluctant a while ago, had changed 180 degrees. He wanted to meet at a restaurant near Nakwon Arcade, which he had used before. Knowing his intentions, Seon-jae agreed. He set the time for lunchtime, as it was the busiest time.

After hanging up the phone, he washed his hands in the sink and turned off the water. As he left the bathroom, Yong raised his head from the sofa. He was definitely sleeping, but he was a sensitive guy. Even though the guardian’s bed was empty, Yong’s stubbornness to sleep on the sofa seemed foolish yet reliable.

Seon-jae immediately crawled into bed. The the man was sleeping in the same position as when Seon-jae had left the bed. He lay down beside him very carefully, so as not to wake the Man.

It had been a while since he had looked at the Man’s face.

He looked and looked again at his small, sharp nose, cherry-like lips, long eyelashes, and the freckles beneath them. He felt like he could look at them all day without getting tired of them.

When would the man look at him the way he used to?

He had vowed so many times not to be impatient, but his heart couldn’t keep up with his reason.

Seon-jae was still anxious. He desperately wanted to beg him to look at him, but he was barely holding back because that would also be violence against the Man. He admired the Man’s face like that before falling asleep.

When he opened his eyes, it was bright outside. He saw the patient table in his view. Two trays were placed side by side on the table, as it was already breakfast time.

The the man was watching a drama while eating breakfast.

When Seon-jae stirred, the man said, “You’re awake?”

“What time is it?”

“7:10.”

He had only slept for about three hours, but he felt refreshed.

Seon-jae got up carefully so as not to touch the table and stretched out greatly.

“Eat your meal.”

The the man pointed to Seon-jae’s breakfast. Then he shifted his gaze back to the TV.

Even before wiping the sleep from his eyes, Seon-jae quickly picked up a spoon, thinking that it was better to say something. He drank water with the spoon in his hand and began to eat breakfast in earnest.

The side dishes were better than yesterday, and the soup was still bland, but it was edible. He fixed his gaze on the TV like the man and chewed carefully, watching the actors crying and shouting from the morning.

“Ugh, look at that bastard, how shameless he is. Is that what he calls an apology?”

He pretended to be engrossed in the drama and spoke to himself.

The the man remained silent. But Seon-jae was okay. No, he pretended to be okay.

After finishing his meal, Seon-jae cleared the trays and wiped the table.

The two went to the bathroom together to brush their teeth. Honestly, they weren’t exactly together, but Seon-jae had forced his way in. Seon-jae stared intently at the man in the mirror the whole time he was brushing his teeth, but the man never looked in the mirror.

It’s okay. He chanted that everything was okay as long as he was with the Man.

While Yong stood guard outside the hospital room, replacing the two who had gone to eat breakfast, Seon-jae took a shower. He didn’t want to just laze around all day in the hospital. He wanted to look pretty for the Man. He was going to make the most of his advantage, his pretty face. So he applied a fragrant skin lotion and styled his hair with mousse. He was confident in his forehead and eyebrows, so he put extra effort into his appearance.

As he left the bathroom, a nurse came in to change the IV fluid. Seon-jae exchanged eye contact with the nurse and deliberately went outside the hospital room. He had something to talk to the nurse about separately.

Less than five minutes later, the nurse came out of the hospital room.

“Nurse Park. Is Ki-beom okay?”

He spoke in a small voice so that the man wouldn’t hear and pointed to his head.

“Yes. Why, is he having hallucinations again?”

The nurse looked up at Seon-jae with a serious expression.

“Yes. About twice?”

“How long did they last?”

“About 2 or 3 minutes.”

The nurse wrote the details on the chart and said that she would consult with the doctor in charge and contact him.

“Is it serious?”

Seon-jae asked carefully.

“No. It’s not like that. It seems like there’s still some medication left in his system, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

“Ah, yes. Then please take care of him.”

Seon-jae finished talking to the nurse and went straight back to the hospital room.

The Man, who should have been lying in bed, was standing by the window. He wasn’t trying to look at the scenery, but seemed to be waiting for Seon-jae.

“Ki-beom, what’s wrong? Do you want to take a walk? Should we go before it gets too hot?”

Seon-jae asked cheerfully. He deliberately puffed out his chest and smoothed his hair once more.

“No. It’s not that… It’s about Ji-hye.”

The the man turned his head and answered quietly.

The black eyes looking at Seon-jae were particularly deep.

“Ah.”

He had completely forgotten about the the child.

“I’m sorry, I should have taken care of it first. I’ll go get her right away. Even though it’s a guardian’s bed, there’s a bed and the hospital room is spacious, so it won’t be uncomfortable even if we’re with our Ji-hye.”

Before the man could answer, he made a fuss and prepared to leave.

“Thank you.”

The the man said.

Seon-jae was so happy to hear the man say thank you that he almost screamed.

“Hey, what are you thanking me for? Of course, I have to bring her.”

He barely regained his composure and said this. His voice trembled.

The the man nodded silently and then turned away to look out the window.

“Call me if anything happens. I’ll leave my number here.”

Seon-jae scribbled his number on the notepad next to the phone.

“I changed my number.”

He volunteered the information.

The the man didn’t respond, but somehow he felt good.

Thank you.

He was glad to hear those words again. Seon-jae looked at the Man’s back with a smiling face for a moment before leaving the hospital room.

It was an earlier outing than planned. Yong followed him before he knew it.

Before meeting Detective Oh, he had to find the the child and put her in the Man’s arms. Then the man would feel much better, and maybe he would look at him prettily again. He had only said that he would bring the the child, but he had said thank you. Seon-jae had some expectations for the the child.

As he walked to the parking lot, he left a message on Jeong Jae-jin’s secret cell phone. The reason he didn’t call was that he didn’t want to burden Jeong Jae-jin’s Helper, Jeong Eun-hee, who had Jeong Jae-jin’s cell phone. She and Seon-jae had to be complete strangers. Just like in the hospital room this morning.

He waited in the van for a reply. After waiting for about 15 minutes, Jeong Eun-hee sent him the address and phone number of the house where the the child was staying. It was a new apartment building right next to the apartment where Jeong Eun-hee lived. Ji-hye, So-jin, and So-jin’s grandmother were staying there.

Yong was driving.

“Is this car safe? I mean, is there any eavesdropping or tracking devices or anything like that?”

He suddenly thought of that and asked.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

He seemed to hate even saying yes.

“Did you answer that because it’s really safe, or did you answer that because you don’t want to talk to me?”

“It’s safe.”

“Without even checking.”

Seon-jae grumbled.

“How do you live with so much suspicion?”

“Put yourself in my shoes. Would you not be suspicious?”

“Well, let’s say that’s the case.”

It was worse than not answering.

“Then that’s what it is, what’s with the ‘let’s say’?”

“You’re becoming more and more like Chairman Shin as I get to know you.”

“What, are you openly insulting me?”

Seon-jae asked, pretending to be serious, and Yong glanced back.

“Even that’s similar.”

“Hey, that’s harsh. But I don’t make boring jokes like Chairman Shin, do I? Don’t you think?”

“Well, yes.”

“Oh. You admitted it. I’ll have to tell Chairman Shin later.”

He couldn’t see his expression because he was wearing sunglasses, but Yong’s facial muscles twitched very slightly.

“You’re childish.”

“I’m originally like that. the childish.”

“You’ve managed to hold it in all this time.”

“That’s because I was with someone I wanted to look good to.”

Seon-jae answered this way and thought of the Man. Just that made his heart flutter.

He’s seriously ill.

He chuckled and glanced at Yong.

Chairman Shin and I are alike.

He had never thought about it before. But after hearing Yong’s words, it seemed like there were a few similarities.

Is that why he saved me? Because I’m similar to him?

He shook his head. He wouldn’t be such a naive and romantic guy. If he imagined the difficult process that Chairman Shin had gone through to get to that position, it was absolutely impossible. He could pretend to be, though.

Lee Seon-jae wanted to meet Chairman Shin again and ask him the real reason he had saved him. Of course, he had saved Lee Seon-jae and even signed a contract with him because he needed him, but frankly, it was true that he had gotten caught up in troublesome matters because of him.

There were rules and ethics in this industry. They had their own much stricter standards and criteria than elsewhere. Yet, Chairman Shin had boldly broken all those norms. He had made a decision for Seon-jae that could potentially become his weakness for life, even while accepting more losses than necessary.

No matter how much of a genius Lee Seon-jae was with numbers, it wouldn’t have been a very tempting choice for Chairman Shin, who had the nation’s top accounting firm as a partner. It was closer to a reckless challenge. Nevertheless, he had chosen Lee Seon-jae, so Seon-jae couldn’t help but wonder about the real reason. He doubted he would get an answer even if he asked, but he intended to at least try.

Feeling it would be impolite to go empty-handed, he stopped by a bakery and bought cakes, bread, and cookies. Then, he visited the apartment where Ji-hye was staying.

As soon as he rang the bell, the door opened without anyone asking who it was.

“I heard about you from Pastor’s wife,” a woman who looked like a housekeeper in her mid-50s greeted him warmly.

“Mister!!!” Ji-hye shouted loud enough to shake the house and ran to Seon-jae.

“Yoon Ji-hye! How have you been?” Seon-jae was also happy and made a Commotion. But that was it. They had never hugged or even held hands before, so they just stood there awkwardly, smiling.

In the living room, So-jin and an elderly woman who seemed to be So-jin’s grandmother were standing and watching Seon-jae’s visit. So-jin greeted him lightly, and So-jin’s grandmother also welcomed him with a gentle smile.

Seon-jae handed the gifts he had brought to the housekeeper and followed the the child into the living room. The the child had already slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, ready to leave with Seon-jae.

“What’s with the schoolbag when you don’t even study?” Seon-jae sneered, and the the child pouted.

“I have fairy tales in here? And my belongings, too?” she retorted as if arguing.

“You read books?”

“I read more than you, Mister?”

“Oh, really?”

Seon-jae bickered with the the child as usual.

The the child glared at Seon-jae, then said loudly to So-jin and So-jin’s grandmother, “I’ll be back.”

“Who said you’re leaving now?” Seon-jae interrupted again, and his eyes met So-jin’s grandmother’s, who looked at him as if he were an immature adult.

“Just kidding. We should go,” he said, laughing awkwardly as he made excuses.

He quickly left the apartment with just the the child. Thanks to the the child’s impatient nature, he bought some time.

“Is Father okay?” the the child asked as soon as they got into the van.

“Yeah. He’s doing well.”

“How about Uncle Yong-jun?”

“Uncle Yong-jun is doing well, too.”

“That’s a relief.” The the child was greatly relieved.

“I saw the Chairman’s news, too,” she added hesitantly. The the child’s expression looked gloomy as she said this.

He was speechless that the the child had seen such terrible news. Kwon Il-taek was still doing terrible things even in death.

Seon-jae pretended to stroke the the child’s hair with his large hand and pressed down hard.

“the children shouldn’t watch things like that.”

“Tch. I’m all grown up, too? And I saw it by accident. I didn’t try to watch it on purpose.”

“You were up all night watching TV again, weren’t you, with So-jin? Right?” At Seon-jae’s question, the the child bit her lip.

“Forget about things like that. You must never tell Father that you saw the news. You mustn’t mention Uncle Yong-jun or the Chairman either!”

“Yes.”

“Good. Let’s forget everything.” Seon-jae stroked the the child’s hair again.

While pretending to do so, he rubbed it roughly with his palm. The the child, belatedly realizing what Seon-jae was doing, shouted, “Mister!” Instantly, static electricity made the the child’s hair stand straight up. She looked like a rag doll.

The the child cursed with her eyes, and Seon-jae burst out laughing.

If he found this the child, who wasn’t even his own, so lovely, how much more would the man be?

Seon-jae imagined Man’s joy and felt excited, until Yong’s phone rang.

199 – Chapter Title Without Number