By Zephyria Lee-eum avoided Choi Won-joon, who was sitting next to him, and stared straight ahead. He didn’t know why this guy always showed up when he felt like crying. It was the same at the club, and it was the same now. As he was trying to compose himself, Choi Won-joon leaned his face close and inhaled. Lee-eum flinched and turned to look at him.
“What are you doing?”
“How much did you drink? The smell of alcohol is overwhelming.”
Seen up close, his lips were chapped and swollen, and there was a bluish bruise on his eyelid. He pretended not to notice, though he wanted to ask why his face was like that, afraid he would be mistaken for being interested, but Choi Won-joon beat him to it.
“Ask me why my face is like this.”
“I don’t want to….”
“Detective Kim’s Noona beat me up. In the police station parking lot, with everyone watching, she beat me like a dog? I fainted and was taken to the hospital, and I just got here.”
Lee-eum looked at Choi Won-joon with suspicious eyes. He lied every time he opened his mouth, so he couldn’t tell if it was true or not. Then he remembered the bruises on Hyung’s face. Lee-eum also knew that no one could stop Noona when she got angry.
“Is knocking people out a family trait?”
“……”
“It would be a relief if only your face was swollen. Look. I think my molars are loose too. I might have to go and get implants soon.”
“……”
“Damn it. Implants already at such a young age.”
Lee-eum, who had been silent, threw out a casual remark.
“Not that young….”
Choi Won-joon frowned and smiled.
“Are you saying I’m old?”
Who said you were old? It’s just the truth. Well, if you only look at his actions, he is young. He’s immature and you never know where he’ll bounce. Is it because he’s the youngest child? I wonder if I look like Choi Won-joon to others. No way…? His thoughts were gradually drifting in a strange direction, making him forget how upset he was.
“You know what? These days, they don’t even bother checking compatibility for a six-year age difference.”
He didn’t want to get involved and tried to get up, but Choi Won-joon grabbed his arm and made him sit back down. He frowned at him, and he stared back. When he appeared a little while ago, his eyes were sharp like awls, but now they were warm again. He reached out and stroked Lee-eum’s tie.
“The suit looks good on you.”
Then he quickly untied the tie, put it back around his neck, and skillfully tied a knot. He would have made a fuss if it were any other time, but he was so exhausted that he didn’t have the energy to fight anymore, so he let him do as he pleased.
Choi Won-joon, who had fixed his tie, asked casually.
“What did Kim Ji-cheol come and say earlier?”
Did he see that scene…. Choi Won-joon once said, “Should I threaten him? I can even kill him if you want.” Why did that come to mind? Choi Won-joon followed him persistently as he avoided his gaze, not wanting to reveal his inner thoughts.
“Tell me. I’m curious.”
Choi Won-joon didn’t push him, and Lee-eum kept his mouth shut for a long time before asking a question.
“President Choi, is there anything you’re afraid of? Do you think everyone is easy to deal with?”
“Is that what Kim Ji-cheol said? That he’s not afraid of anything?”
Lee-eum turned to face Choi Won-joon directly. Whether it was because of the alcohol or because he was exhausted, he wanted to grab onto someone and complain rather than think that Choi Won-joon was hateful.
“I really wanted to kill Kim Ji-cheol earlier. No, even if I couldn’t kill him, I wanted to beat him until he was covered in blood. But even when I was drunk, all sorts of thoughts ran through my head. How would I deal with the aftermath, and what if other people got hurt because of me? Wouldn’t that just give him an opportunity?”
Lee-eum slowly lowered his head and looked down at his toes.
“When I was a kid, I thought that if I became a police officer, I could catch all the bad guys…. All I can catch are the poor and the bad guys…. I can’t stand it, but I have to put up with it… I hate it… I’m angry… I’m miserable….”
Lee-eum squeezed his eyes shut, rubbed his face roughly, sighed, and got up. He regretted saying unnecessary things, but he thought Choi Won-joon was better than showing this to the people around him. He didn’t want to worry them. Choi Won-joon wouldn’t worry anyway.
Lee-eum gave him an awkward look.
“I’m leaving. Now that you know how scary my Noona is, don’t come looking for me again.”
Won-joon didn’t answer, and Lee-eum took three or four steps before turning around.
“And if you’re going to get implants, go to Teunteun Dental Clinic in ○○-dong. My Grandmother got dentures there a while ago, and the doctor is skilled and very kind.”
Won-joon burst out laughing at the unexpected words, and Lee-eum waved his hand casually and walked away without regret. Won-joon never took his eyes off Lee-eum until he disappeared into the funeral hall. Only after he had completely disappeared did he lean back on the bench with a smile gone from his face and let out a soft sigh.
“Shit. I didn’t even get to ask who put the picture in his wallet.”
❖ ❖ ❖
The Japanese restaurant, which took reservations only, wasn’t crowded because it was a weekday afternoon. In the private room, there were only Choi Won-joon and two elderly gentlemen with graying hair. When the man’s glass was empty, Won-joon politely refilled it.
The man picked up a piece of sashimi with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, closed his eyes, and savored the taste.
“Ah, sashimi is best with parrot fish. The taste of home!”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“The chef’s skills in slicing the fish are superb. I heard he was the head chef at the Ilseong Hotel?”
“Yes, he moved here last month.”
“I thought so. It’s extraordinary.”
The man’s hometown was Jeju Island. He told stories of his childhood, saying that his mother was a diver, and when he had enough alcohol, he began to get to the point.
“I wonder why President Choi wanted to see me. There’s not much I can do to help with construction. I’m curious.”
“I have a favor to ask.”
“Anything is possible if you go through Chairman, why come to me directly?”
“It’s something I don’t want my father to know about.”
The man’s brow furrowed. The man was Congressman Hong Dae-seok, who was quite old but still active in politics. He was too old to be on the front lines, but he was good at manipulating things from behind. Moreover, he was in the same party as Kim Ji-cheol’s father, Congressman Kim Yong-taek.
“Alright. Let’s hear it.”
Won-joon took out his cell phone from his pocket, played a video, and placed it in front of Congressman Hong. Groans could be heard explicitly, and occasionally the old man’s curses could be heard. Congressman Hong recognized the person on the screen and his face contorted.
“What is this….”
“If the video goes viral, I just need you to stir up public opinion appropriately.”
“Hmm…. This is an unexpected story. I’m curious as to why you’re doing this. Did Congressman Kim do something to offend you?”
Won-joon brought the glass to his lips instead of answering, and Congressman Hong stroked his chin with a troubled expression.
“You don’t know this world, but Congressman Kim is by no means an easy man to deal with. You could end up getting hurt. I don’t know why you’re doing this, but count me out. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything.”
As Congressman Hong was about to get up, Won-joon leaned back in his chair and looked up at him crookedly. His polite attitude had disappeared without a trace, and his eyes had turned bad.
“Do you think I only have Congressman Kim’s stuff?”
Congressman Hong’s face crumpled.
“You…!”
“Was your daughter studying in New York? It would be quite a shock to see her father crawling around with a girl younger than her, acting like a dog. Right? Oh, and you also have a middle school son. Well, kids these days know everything.”
Thump, Congressman Hong slammed his fists on the table. How dare you threaten me! His fists and sagging cheeks trembled, and Won-joon emptied the rest of his drink and slammed the glass on the table. Then he rang the bell, and Director Lee came in with a black bag as the door opened. He put it on the table and opened it, revealing it was full of 50,000 won bills.
Congressman Hong’s eyes shook, and Won-joon continued the conversation in a relaxed voice.
“If you go home and open your car trunk, you’ll find the same bag filled to the brim. It’s not a bribe, it’s more like a thank you gift, which would make both you and me feel good, right?”
Congressman Hong bit his lip and sat down heavily. Director Lee left, and Congressman Hong gulped down water, not alcohol, as if his throat was parched. The way he was rolling his eyes around, he seemed to want to avoid getting any shit on himself. Won-joon smiled knowingly.
“Just stir up some public opinion appropriately. Enough to keep Congressman Kim from worrying about anything for a while.”
“For a while… how long?”
“Hmm, about ten days?”
“What if things get out of hand? My political career will be over!”
“I promise you. I’ll take care of it and take the blame. Even if I die, your name will never come out of my mouth.”
The video was still playing on his cell phone, and Congressman Hong closed his eyes tightly and pondered for a while before making a decision. Won-joon reached out his hand, and Congressman Hong reluctantly took it, but his eyes were on the bag of money.