By Zephyria 
I headed toward the address indicated by the navigation, but the roads were crowded since it was the weekend. The incessant calls from the Head of Department and the Deputy Chief finally tapered off. A message arrived—a threat that wasn’t quite a threat—but I ignored it. I’d be chewed out like a dog once I went back to work on Monday anyway.
Honk—!
A car coming from the opposite direction held its ground, blaring its horn. It was a one-way street, and the other driver was the one in the wrong, yet he had the nerve to start honking first. My head was already throbbing from last night’s hangover. Since we both refused to budge, the driver flung open his door and stepped out.
Despite the cold weather, he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, his arms and legs covered in tattoos. They say you shouldn’t judge a person by their appearance, but in this moment, it felt necessary. Sure enough, the huffing man began pounding on my window with his fist. Passersby stopped one by one, watching with curious eyes.
The moment I rolled down the window with an indifferent expression, the brute raised his voice as if he wanted to kill me.
“Fuck! I told you to move! Can’t you see I entered first! Move it, you fucker!”
Without a second thought, Hee-shin pulled out his prosecution office ID card and thrust it forward.
The man’s eyes widened, and he stammered, “Uh, oh,” before stumbling backward.
“You’re the one who should move. Right?”
“…….”
“Or do you want to come with me?”
“Ah! I’ll move. Yes, of course!” Having snapped back to his senses, the brute gave a quick, polite bow and scrambled back into his car. He hurriedly reversed and went back the way he came. I let out a low sigh as I watched him. I immediately turned right, but the alley became even narrower.
I should have parked in the nearby public lot. After navigating the tiny alley, I arrived at the destination building. The entrance to the parking area was so narrow that barely one car could pass through. Since it was a car I cherished, even if it was second-hand, I tried to be careful, but unfortunately, the right wheel grazed the corner with a scraping sound.
I gritted my teeth, suppressing a surge of irritation.
“This is driving me crazy, seriously.”
Of all the places to set a meeting. Who was I to blame? It was my own fault for telling him to pick anywhere since I didn’t have an appetite. After parking and taking the elevator to the second floor, a sign that read Pyeonghwa Restaurant caught my eye. The sign was as old and worn as the building itself. The owner at the entrance greeted me warmly and guided me in. Im Gyeong, who had arrived early, was sitting at a window seat.
“Welcome.”
I sat down across from him as he greeted me warmly. The restaurant was old and dated, but perhaps because it was rumored to be a local hotspot, one wall was covered with autographs and photos of famous people. However, there was no one else there today. Seeing the owner close the door immediately, I guessed that he had rented out the entire place.
“You told me to pick wherever I wanted, so I chose here. How is it?”
Instead of answering, I simply nodded.
Im Gyeong was wearing a bright green knit sweater today.
Usually, it’s grandmothers who like colors like that…
He poured me a glass of water and continued speaking.
“I used to come here often with a friend when I was in elementary school in Korea. After playing soccer, we’d come here for jajangmyeon. My mother hated it, but I loved it. It wasn’t this famous back then…”
Im Gyeong looked around the shop, momentarily lost in nostalgia.
“When I went to Japan, the thing I craved most was the jajangmyeon from this place. I tried to find a similar restaurant, but how could I? So, I stop by occasionally when I’m in Korea. See over there? My photo is hanging too.”
Now that I looked, there was a photo of Im Gyeong among the celebrities. A younger version of him. Seeing how his looks stood out even among many actors, it was clear he was born with a striking face.
“What did you like when you were a child, Kang Hee-shin?”
I couldn’t answer that question readily. What did I like? What do kids that age even like? Was it Pokémon, like Chief Oh mentioned? It was impossible to dream in front of a father who was violent and drunk every day. I couldn’t even think about being envious of friends or wanting something. I only waited for the day I could escape that hellish life.
“I don’t remember anything.”
“Oh dear. How pitiful.”
To say such a thing so bluntly to someone’s face. But then again, it was a pitiful situation by any standard. While thinking that, I pulled an envelope from my coat. I placed it on the table and pushed it toward him. Im Gyeong’s brow furrowed slightly as he looked at the envelope. Instead of taking it, he looked at Hee-shin.
“I told you to do as you pleased, yet you insisted on bringing this.”
“It is money that cannot be accepted.”
“Because the amount is too large? Or is your pride hurt? Are you worried you’ll get caught later because you’re a civil servant?”
“This is not an appropriate amount for condolence money.”
“Isn’t it up to the giver? Since when did the chief mourner decide the amount of condolence money? Did funeral culture change while I wasn’t looking?”
The man was picking a fight, even though he knew that wasn’t what I meant.
When I frowned, he crossed his arms defiantly.
“Don’t be like that, just take it. Your financial situation seems tight.”
“I cannot accept it. I’ve included the funeral expenses you paid for, so do as you wish with it.”
It was money I had raised by selling a wristwatch I had barely finished paying off in installments. Of course, to a wealthy person, it wasn’t even a high-end watch. But it had its own meaning to me. When I became a prosecutor and bought that watch, I thought my future would be bright.
As soon as I finished speaking, Im Gyeong grabbed the envelope. Then, he pulled out a Zippo lighter and flicked it open. He brought the flame to the edge of the envelope without hesitation, causing me to instinctively reach out.
“What are you doing!”
“You said you didn’t need it.”
“This crazy—”
What a piece of work… I swallowed the rest of the words and clenched my teeth. This guy was truly impossible to reason with. But I couldn’t just stand by and watch 120 million won go up in flames. And if he later framed me by claiming he had received the money, wouldn’t that be unfair in its own way?
While I was stuck in this deadlock, the owner approached with a serving cart.
“Oh my. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Hee-shin pushed the envelope to the side and sighed. Two bowls of jajangmyeon were placed on the table. I had seen the chef kneading the noodles by hand in the kitchen; they were glossy and springy. In truth, I didn’t like jajangmyeon that much. Whenever I pulled an all-nighter at the District Office, the food I ordered was usually one of three: jajangmyeon, jjamppong, or fried rice.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Im Gyeong picked up his chopsticks first and grabbed some noodles. Seeing him split the wooden chopsticks and rub them against his palm brought a small smile to my face. As if the previous commotion had never happened, he took a bite and closed his eyes, savoring the taste. In the process, he skillfully drizzled vinegar over the pickled radish.
“Eat before it gets soggy. It’s really delicious.”
“Actually, there’s another reason I asked to see you today.”
“Talk after we eat. I hate it most when someone interrupts me while I’m eating.”
I began eating as instructed. As he said, it was delicious. There was a reason even celebrities lined up for this. The complimentary jjamppong broth was also incredible. Soon, the tangsuyuk arrived, and the frying was so crispy it was impressive. Forgetting my previous complaints, I ate quickly and wiped my mouth.
“Do you always eat that fast?”
Only then did I notice that Im Gyeong’s jajangmyeon was only about a third gone.
“It’s a habit. When you’re working, there’s no time to eat leisurely.”
Actually, it had been that way since I was a child. I could never predict when my father would get drunk and start acting out. I was always anxious while eating. Because I ate in haste, it became a habit. I didn’t have the luxury to taste the food. It was the same for Hyung. That’s why Hyung always lived on digestive medicine. My father found even that displeasing.
Pushing the thought of Hyung aside, I brought up the purpose of my visit.
“Did you see the article?”
“I did. Weren’t you the one assigned to the case, Prosecutor?”
“There was pressure from above.”
“Oh dear. That must be upsetting.” Im Gyeong wore a sympathetic expression. He didn’t even reproach me for handing over the evidence he had personally obtained to someone else. Meanwhile, as if by appointment, Head of Department Jo Cheol-woong contacted me again. Hee-shin pressed the reject button, switched the phone to silent, and put it in his pocket. Then, he gazed steadily at Im Gyeong.
“So, about that,”
This time, Im Gyeong’s phone rang. Since the conversation wasn’t flowing properly, irritation seeped into his face. He didn’t answer it himself but handed it to a man nearby. The man stepped outside to take the call. It was in Japanese, so I couldn’t tell exactly, but the tone was extremely polite.
“Continue. So, about that… what’s next?”
Hee-shin reached out his hand without hesitation.
“Give me the original.”
Im Gyeong played innocent.
“What do you mean?”
“That wasn’t the original; it was a spliced version.”
Did you think I wouldn’t know that, you bastard? At first, I thought it was real. Not until I visited an expert just in case. And the answer I got was that the ledger had been spliced and the video had been cut and composited. It was done so skillfully that you wouldn’t know unless you looked closely. But if I had gone to trial with that, I would have been utterly humiliated. Of course, I wouldn’t have let that happen.
Instead of answering, Im Gyeong rested his chin on his hand and stared intently at Kang Hee-shin. His gaze was so suggestive that anyone watching would have mistaken it for a date.
“The reason you handed it over so obediently to your boss, even while knowing?”
When I didn’t answer the question, a smile spread across Im Gyeong’s face.
“Did you set a trap? To pull the case entirely into your own hands?”
Cunning, Kang Hee-shin. Then, I nodded obediently.
“I’ll give you the original. Instead, come to my house.”
“Why would I go there?”
“Because the original is there.”
“…….”
“I’m bored. Come play with me. Who knows? I might give you something else too.”
Ha, if I’d known this would happen, I would have just brought up the original during the phone call. While I was regretting it belatedly, Im Gyeong was beaming with joy. Fuck, the urge to spit on that smiling face must be due to my own wicked nature, right?