By Zephyria 
Director Lee stared at Choi Won-joon’s face, now a mass of purple bruises, momentarily speechless. He had been by Choi Won-joon’s side for ten years, but this was the first time he’d seen him with injuries on his face, rather than from a fistfight. He had clearly asked to be dropped off at Kim Yi-eum’s house yesterday.
“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?”
“Is it that bad?”
“How did this happen?”
Instead of answering, Won-joon looked at his reflection in the mirror and laughed silently. He couldn’t sleep after lying down last night, so on a whim, he went to find Kim Yi-eum. He thought that after spending a few days together, he might be able to wear him down, but he was mistaken. A fist came flying first, and he was kicked out of the house.
“Kim Yi-eum hit me.”
“……”
“I asked him to let me sleep over, and he beat me? Was he planning to knock me out and let me sleep?”
“……”
“Should I sue him?”
Director Lee was silent and expressionless. But inside, he must have been thinking a lot. Why was this man so fixated on a detective? Won-joon felt a slight regret. Did he hand over the culprit too quickly? If he had continued to suspect this side, he would have come to the company with that excuse, and he would have at least seen his face.
“May I ask what you’re thinking?”
“It’s a first.”
Director Lee looked bewildered at his attitude, as if he were confessing his first love.
“Pardon?”
“It was the first time in ten years I slept without medication.”
“Ah…”
“I wanted to confirm it. If it’s real, then he’s a necessary person for me.”
In fact, the cause of his insomnia had not been clearly identified. He had been kidnapped and nearly killed as a child, and the doctor said that the trauma might be the reason. Usually, mental illnesses can appear immediately, but they can also manifest after several years or even decades.
“What about what I asked for?”
Director Lee took out a document from his bag and brought it over. The document was about Kim Yi-eum’s personal information, and it clearly stated that he was a Beta. Turning to the next page, detailed information about his family relationships was provided. As expected, most of his family were police officers.
“Are you aware that CEO Choi Tae-seung was investigated for bribery last year?”
Choi Tae-seung was Won-joon’s second Hyung. As Director Lee said, he was investigated last year in connection with bribery of a member of the National Assembly, and although he was found guilty, he was given a suspended sentence.
“The prosecutor in charge at that time was Kim Yi-eum’s Hyung.”
Won-joon pressed his cheek with his tongue, looking amused. The explanation continued.
“And his father, Kim Chun-sam, arrested Chairman 40 years ago and put him in jail. As Chairman expanded his power, several bloody incidents occurred, and the prosecution was trying to turn a blind eye, but Kim Yi-eum’s father, Kim Chun-sam, persisted and eventually served a one-year prison sentence.”
Won-joon remembered the face of his father in the family photo he saw at Kim Yi-eum’s house. Only now did he understand why his own father had been so angry, saying why he was involved with such a seed.
“Our families are not compatible in many ways. Right?”
Director Lee did not answer, but his expression said he had a lot to say.
“Speak. I’m in a good mood, so I’ll listen.”
“I don’t know why you went to see Kim Yi-eum, but I don’t think it’s good to get involved.”
Won-joon lowered his legs from the table and stood up. This was why he liked Director Lee. If it were someone else, they would be busy trying to please him, but Director Lee didn’t say flattering things. It was clear that the relationship with Kim Yi-eum should not even begin. Won-joon nonchalantly threw the documents into the trash can.
“I’ll take it to heart.”
Director Lee didn’t add anything more. After all, Choi Won-joon was headstrong and had to do what he wanted to do to be satisfied, and he knew that well. Before he turned thirty, his sleeping partners changed every other day, and he barely remembered their names or faces. Adding one more detective wouldn’t change anything.
❖ ❖ ❖
Looking at the building, Nam-soo couldn’t hide his nervous expression. He had come to meet the boss of the Jeil Clan, and the atmosphere from the entrance was unusual. The building, which was labeled “Jeil Trading,” looked like any other company at first glance.
“How may I help you?”
Two large men approached warily.
“Is Park Seok-tae here?”
The two gangsters exchanged glances.
“The CEO is on a business trip.”
“Really? That’s strange. I saw him going up from the parking lot 10 minutes ago?”
Even with Lee-eum’s words, the two didn’t seem willing to back down easily. Then, another person came out from inside and greeted them politely. The man was Park Seok-tae’s subordinate, whom he had seen tailing him. The man he had also encountered in front of the restroom.
“Can we meet Park Seok-tae? We have some questions regarding the deceased Yang Taek-il.”
The man nodded without hesitation.
“Please come in.”
He followed the man to the office at the very end, and as soon as he opened the door, the first thing he saw was a golf club. A collection of stones by the window and a large frame hanging on the wall caught his eye. It had a somewhat childish phrase written on it: “We are family.”
“What brings the detectives all the way here?”
Park Seok-tae, who had been sitting in a chair, got up from his desk and approached the sofa. A torn wound on his eyelid was noticeable. Judging by the remaining swelling, he must have been hit pretty hard. His gaze lingered there before falling away.
“We came to ask you a few things regarding the deceased Yang Taek-il.”
“I already explained that to the detective who came last time. And wasn’t the culprit caught? He turned himself in yesterday.”
“Are you aware that the person who turned himself in is a member of the Jeil Clan?”
Park Seok-tae put a cigarette in his mouth and gestured towards the two of them.
“Please, sit down first. Soo-ho, bring some tea.”
“No tea, thank you. We’ll just ask a few questions and leave.”
Park Seok-tae sighed, exhaling cigarette smoke.
“I’m also troubled by those guys. It’s unfortunate that such an incident happened in our organization.”
“Do you know what their relationship was like normally? I asked people around, and they said they originally had a bad relationship.”
“Originally, Taek-il was a native of Busan, but he was good at his job, so I kept him around. So, Sang-beom couldn’t have seen him as just pretty. Above all, it’s my fault for not managing my people properly. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have let the situation escalate this far. It’s a pity.”
Contrary to his words of regret, there was almost no change in Park Seok-tae’s expression.
“What’s wrong with your face? Did you fight?”
“Ah, this?”
Park Seok-tae touched his eyelid and smiled awkwardly.
“I was too embarrassed to tell my younger brothers, but I fell while drunk.”
“No, you were hit.”
“Haha, hit? I’m Park Seok-tae. Who would hit me?”
“Sehwa Construction’s Choi Won-joon?”
He just threw it out there, but Park Seok-tae’s face subtly crumpled. Lee-eum didn’t miss the opportunity.
“Did they tell you to clean it up there? Did they threaten you, saying that we’re in trouble because of your people, so take care of it yourself? Did you put someone in as a substitute?”
Park Seok-tae burst into laughter.
“Haha, we have an interesting guest. Our detective, you should be a novelist instead of a detective. You make up stories so thrillingly.”
“Is that so? I’m glad you find it interesting.”
In the meantime, Nam-soo’s phone rang. “Just a moment. I’ll take this call.” He was left alone to continue questioning Park Seok-tae, but Nam-soo, who had gone out to take the call, only poked his head through the doorway. “Sunbae, can I talk to you for a moment?”
As soon as he went outside, Nam-soo scratched the back of his head and frowned deeply.
“I think we should go back to the office.”
“Why?”
“Detective Lee just called. Yang Taek-il has been transferred to the prosecutor’s office.”
“Already?”
“Yes, the National Forensic Service results came out, and the bloodstains on the weapon match Yang Taek-il’s blood. So, they transferred him right away.”
Lee-eum was lost in thought. Everything was proceeding smoothly, as if someone had set up the whole thing. It was good that the culprit was caught, but the lingering uncomfortable feeling was still a problem. He was about to call the Team leader and ask him to keep the culprit for a while until he arrived, but Nam-soo grabbed his arm.
“The real problem isn’t that.”
“What else is there?”
“Who did you meet last night?”
“Yesterday? We had a company dinner yesterday.”
“I heard you met Sehwa Construction’s Choi Won-joon. Young-shik.”
Lee-eum couldn’t hide his surprised expression. He looked at him with a doubtful feeling, but Nam-soo sighed.
“That man’s lawyer just filed a complaint against Sunbae.”