TWB 53

Taking the subway and bus interchangeably left me exhausted. Since it was rush hour, the crowds were immense, and after being jostled here and there, I finally arrived at the station near my destination. I bought a baseball cap at a shop inside the station, pulled it low over my eyes, and headed straight into the alleys as soon as I stepped outside.

I think it’s around here…

Following the address I had memorized, I entered a narrow alley where cigarette butts, the smell of urine, and traces of vomit remained scattered like a spiderweb. Following the directions Chief Oh had given me, I eventually spotted a worn-out tattoo sign. In front of the door, a man wearing an apron was smoking, his face twisted in a scowl.

“Kkang-!”

When I greeted him cheerfully, the man turned around, and his face instantly contorted.

“Ah, fuck, seriously.”

The man threw his cigarette butt on the ground and immediately started cursing. Then, with a look of utter disgust as if he’d just encountered a jinx, he disappeared inside. Following him in, I saw a foreigner lying down inside the shop. The man getting the tattoo looked up and glared menacingly.

After the foreigner rambled something in Russian, the shop owner snapped back. Sensing the mood, the Russian gathered [Read on Read BL Novels]his clothes and left. Hee-shin observed the tattoostolen content:0;font-size:0;">unauthorized copy designs and portfolios hanging everywhere.

“I wondered where you’d gone to die, but I see you’ve been living quite diligently. Did you learn Russian yesterday?”

“Did you come all this way just to check that? For such a busy man.”

“How do you know I’m busy?”

“You’re all over the news; how could I not know?”

“I see. Since you’re here, want an autograph?”

“Are you crazy? I don’t need one, so just get to the point and leave. If people find out a cop is here, I’ll lose customers.”

“I’m not a cop anymore.”

“Right. Not a cop, but a ‘prosecutor-cop.’ Happy?”

“Kkang-min. You’re still working two jobs, aren’t you?”

At the sudden question, a look of flustered confusion crossed the owner’s face.

“Two jobs, my ass… I’m so busy with just this that I can barely think.”

“That’s not what I heard. I heard you’re quite famous over there.”

“Who said that?”

As he glared, I grinned and stepped right up to his face. He flinched back, muttered “Ah, damn it,” turned around, and took off his gloves and apron. Hee-shin pulled over a chair and sat down. Then, he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and held it out. The owner’s expression soured as he snatched the paper.

“What is this?”

“Just take a few photos of that man and send them to me. As quickly as possible.”

The owner stared at the photo with intensity, then tilted his head.

“This person… isn’t he that… the one who was on TV with you?”

“Wow, Kkang-min’s got a sharp eye.”

“Don’t tell me it’s team-kill?”

“It’s not exactly team-kill.”

“Anyway, whether it was then or now, I’ve gotta hand it to you—you’ve never had any loyalty.”

“Me?”

“Don’t you remember? You said if I confessed [unauthorized copy]style="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[unauthorized copy]everything honestly, [stolen content]you’d get me a reduced sentence! Instead of a reduction, you just added more time to my sentence!”

“You brat. Who told you to curse in front of the judge?”

“…”

“And calling a man who just held a funeral last month a fatherless bastard… even I couldn’t stand that.”

“…That old geezer provoked me first.”

Hee-shin unwrapped a scorched rice candy from a basket in front of him and popped it into his mouth. As if I don’t have a temper. If you live your life doing whatever the hell you want without having a damn thing to your name, you’re fucked. Look, that’s why you’re fucked. Fuck, I’m probably about to be fucked too. Ha, if only I hadn’t messed with that bastard Im Gyeong back then… Why the hell did I smash his head?”

The owner had nothing to say to that, so he didn’t respond, only wearing an annoyed expression. When Hee-shin tried to take a few more candies, the owner vented his frustration by subtly pushing the basket away. Hee-shin quietly placed an envelope in front of the owner. Everything left over after selling the watch.

Opening the envelope, the owner clicked his tongue.

“This is the down payment, right? The work fee has to be paid separately.”

“…Yeah, well… I guess so.”

“Don’t you dare try to change your story later.”

Hee-shin didn’t answer and subtly averted his gaze. First, he’d sell the car, and since the landlord said he’d give him moving expenses, he wondered if he should take that and pay the rest. After a moment of pathetic thinking, he crunched the candy in his mouth. A savory sweetness spread through his mouth.

Ah, how great would it be if life were as sweet as candy.

Unfortunately, my life is wasabi. Fucking spicy.

Chief Oh stretched while looking out at the darkening sky. The clock hands had already passed 9 PM. Still, she was leaving work early today. Having sat and clung to documents all day, her whole body felt stiff and aching.

“Assistant Baek. Shall we grab dinner before we go?”

“I want to go straight home. I’m so sleepy I can’t keep my eyes open.”

“True. Me too. I can barely remember what my kids’ faces look like. Still, let’s eat. How about spicy pork over rice?”

At those words, Baek Young-mi looked disgusted.

“How is it that you two always eat soup-and-rice, spicy pork, or squid over rice? I really hate it.”

“It’s easy to eat.”

Shuddering, Baek Young-mi glanced at Kang Hee-shin’s empty seat.

“Did the Prosecutor leave?”

“I pushed him to go a while ago. I was afraid he might collapse again.”

“True. He hasn’t been able to sleep properly for days.”

Just then, Baek Young-mi’s group chat became noisy. It was a chat room made by close assistants, and it seemed the news within the Prosecutor’s Office traveled fastest here. While she was scanning the conversation, someone posted a photo on the screen.

In an instant, Baek Young-mi’s eyes widened.

“Huh?”

As she let out a surprised shout, Chief Oh turned and looked at her indifferently. “What?” Instead of answering, Baek Young-mi quickly brought her phone over to show her. Chief Oh was equally shocked upon seeing the photo.

After that, everyone fell silent. Chief Oh’s complexion darkened. Just in case, she checked the intranet, but the post had been deleted and was nowhere to be seen.

“Should I call Prosecutor Kang?”

“Don’t… it’s not confirmed yet.”

Chief Oh let out a quiet sigh. In her 20 years as an investigator, she had often encountered stories of affairs within the district office, but if Chief Prosecutor Cho’s affair broke out at such a critical time, nothing good would come of it. She would keep an eye on it while keeping the possibility of fabrication in mind, but with this level of evidence, it meant the other party had even more.

After getting off the bus, Hee-shin stopped by a convenience store to buy cigarettes and bottled water. As he walked through the complex, the breeze felt good. The flowers blooming here and there and the new sprouts on the trees seemed to announce that spring had arrived. Passing through the common entrance, he stood before the elevator and looked back. After confirming the emergency stairs were empty, he pressed the elevator button.

For a week, Im Gyeong had neither called nor appeared. Perhaps it was natural. Hadn’t the bastard said so? That he wanted to have sex. Since he’d done it, he probably had no more business here. Moreover, the cloned phone of Im Gyeong was completely useless. Calls only came from Japanese friends, and eventually, he got tired of eavesdropping and turned the power off entirely.

“Yeah. Just stay gone. Please, out of my life.”

Muttering, he stepped off at the 8th floor, only to spot a dark [visit our site]visit our site -->silhouette next to the door. Seeing Im Gyeong, who had lowered his hood to reveal his face, he was lost for words.

“You’re late.”

After a click of the tongue, Hee-shin silently tapped his card and entered the apartment. Im Gyeong followed, and the front door soon closed. Having been empty for several days, the house smelled of the musty scent typical of old apartments due to lack of ventilation.

Instead of ventilating, he put the bottled water he’d just bought into the refrigerator. Looking back, he saw Im Gyeong staring blankly into the air. A fruit fly, appearing from nowhere, was flying around on its own.

“A pet?”

Hee-shin shook his head at the bastard’s unfunny joke.

“Did you take the bus?”

“Yes.”

“What about the car? Tatsuki said he repaired it and put it in the parking lot.”

“The bus is more convenient.”

It was a lie. He planned to sell the car soon. There were more expenses than expected, so it couldn’t be helped. He’d already spent millions on the errand center alone.

“The house? Until when did you agree to move out?”

Hee-shin laughed at Im Gyeong’s question.

“Why are you worried about that? Afraid I’ll starve to death somewhere?”

“If it’s hard, I want to help you find a place.”

“How generous. Giving me a car, and now a house.”

While talking, he loosened his tie and took off his jacket, hanging it on one side. He could feel Im Gyeong’s [visit our site]gaze obsessively following his every move. In the midst of this, the phone in Im Gyeong’s Read on Read BL Novelsinner pocket rang. It was a different model from the cloned phone. Damn it… he really had several.

Im Gyeong answered the phone with one hand in his pocket. He gave short answers—”Yes, yes”—before his expression hardened and his eyes turned sharp. It was a look rarely seen. Eventually, his gaze locked onto Kang Hee-shin. Kang Hee-shin, with a nonchalant face, entered the bathroom. While standing before the sink, a knock sounded after a moment.

“Something urgent came up, so I’ll be going. I’ll call you, so pick up.”

The sound of the front door opening and closing echoed, and Hee-shin, looking at his own face in the mirror, began to unbutton his shirt one by one. Eventually, the corners of his mouth curled up, and he began to hum.

Yeah, let’s all die together. You sons of bitches.