#103

The sweltering heat continued, exceeding 34 degrees. It was not weather suitable for anyone to work outside. Chickens, pigs, and crops were all suffering. Ever since Mr. Lee was taken away after consuming pesticides, the townspeople seemed to be languishing as well, lacking any energy. On the other hand, the man seemed to have regained his composure. At least, that was how it appeared on the surface.

Not only did Detective Oh indulge in beef on Monday, but he also slept in late the next day before returning to Seoul. Before leaving, he met with the village chief and the Eagle Oh brothers one by one to clear up misunderstandings about Tae-heun.

“Honestly, Chief, why on earth did you play such a prank?”

Detective Oh lamented, shaking his head.

“Is that something to joke about? Honestly, what’s the difference from fraud? I told you to just stay quiet. Tsk tsk.”

He clicked his tongue.

“The mistake started when you introduced me as the chief. I was only a chief in Ilgwang, so why did you call me that here?”

Feeling embarrassed, Tae-heun also chimed in.

From the beginning, Detective Oh should have introduced Tae-heun as the son of a younger sibling or someone he owed a favor to. Or perhaps as a distant relative. After all, no one in Dongjam-ri knew anything about Tae-heun’s past, let alone who he was. Yet, he insisted on introducing Tae-heun to the real estate owner in town as Chief Kim, and even paired him with Detective Park, who was of a similar age, as if he were Tae-heun’s subordinate. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that misunderstandings began right there.

“Well… I guess I just got used to calling you Chief.”

Detective Oh confessed that everything stemmed from his verbal blunder. He had let his guard down since it was his hometown and someone he knew well, and although he realized his mistake later, he couldn’t take it back, so he ended up in this situation. It was a rather ridiculous mistake for someone who had played a part in completely eliminating Lee Seon-jae.

Tae-heun regained his confidence, while Detective Oh gazed at the distant mountains with a troubled expression.

Regardless of the past, misunderstandings had to be cleared up. Detective Oh took it upon himself to gather the village chief, the youth association president, the Eagle Oh brothers, and other townspeople who might be interested in land speculation, visiting them one by one.

The village chief and the youth association president were both deeply affected by Mr. Lee’s incident. They were on edge, thinking Detective Oh’s visit was due to Mr. Lee. They blinked in surprise at the mention of clearing up misunderstandings.

As previously agreed with Tae-heun, Detective Oh explained that while it was true Tae-heun had been wealthy in the past, he had recently become broke and was recuperating here due to the shock. He even added a story about how a wealthy man who had weathered the IMF crisis ended up in this situation due to a single bad guarantee. Suddenly cast as a liar, Tae-heun apologized for the past and put on a face that looked like he might cry next to Detective Oh.

The village chief was so preoccupied with Mr. Lee’s incident that he seemed uninterested in whether Tae-heun was misunderstood or not, while the youth association president showed a hint of disappointment. The initial start was decent. However, the Eagle Oh brothers’ reactions were very cold compared to the other two.

They had rushed over, interrupting their work, and as Detective Oh continued speaking, they shot Tae-heun icy glares, turning their backs as soon as he finished. But that was all. It ended without any major incident, to the point where one might wonder if it was okay to end like this. No one cursed or spat.

To be honest, Tae-heun hadn’t openly boasted about money, nor had he entertained or received anything, so it was understandable. Moreover, it was also their fault for assuming, based solely on the youth association president’s words, that Tae-heun was a rich young man come to buy land, so further discussion would only lead to mutual annoyance.

Of course, if Tae-heun had explained alone, they wouldn’t have believed him, but since Detective Oh, the person who brought Tae-heun to the village, directly clarified the truth about the rumors, there was no way they could disbelieve it.

“Ah, this is really unbearable.”

Detective Oh sighed as he watched the villagers’ backs, filled with disappointment.

Tae-heun felt relieved, but he wasn’t particularly happy. He only thought that both Detective Park’s matter and his own had ended too easily.

Even if it was easy, it was still frustrating.

He blamed his sensitive nature.

“Are you heading back to Seoul now?”

Tae-heun asked out of courtesy as Detective Oh got into the car.

“No. I plan to stop by the chairman’s house for a bit. Why, do you have something else to say?”

Detective Oh shot him a suspicious glance, as if wondering if this man had caused another incident.

Chairman. Tae-heun smiled meaningfully at the unexpected mention from him.

“Really? That’s perfect. I was just about to go there myself.”

He quickly hopped into the passenger seat.

Detective Oh raised an eyebrow at Tae-heun’s sudden enthusiasm.

“Do you even know who the chairman is?”

“Of course. If you don’t know the chairman in this village, you’re a spy.”

Detective Oh chuckled at Tae-heun’s response.

“That’s true, but what business do you have with the chairman?”

“Shikhye. I saw that it was all gone yesterday.”

Tae-heun replied nonchalantly.

“Shikhye? What does that have to do with the chairman?”

Detective Oh still seemed puzzled.

“Isn’t it made by the madam? Didn’t you know?”

“Oh, is that so?”

Detective Oh tilted his head.

“Now that you mention it, it does sound familiar. But have you met the madam?”

“Of course. Not long ago, Ki-beom went to the chairman’s house. I went along that time. I knew that the madam had given shikhye to Ki-beom’s house. Both of them were so kind, I found it admirable.”

As Tae-heun accurately described the taste of the shikhye, he added that the madam had been very fond of it. Detective Oh awkwardly smiled, saying, “Is that so?”

“I love shikhye too, and I make sure to drink a glass every day. But Ki-beom is always so busy. I was just thinking about whether I should go find him since I feel like I would keep thinking about it if I didn’t have any. But now that you’re going to the chairman’s house, that’s great.”

He joked.

“Why don’t you take a bottle for yourself while you’re at it, Detective Oh?”

“Should I?”

Detective Oh reluctantly started the car.

Tae-heun didn’t bother to ask Detective Oh what business he had at the chairman’s house. He wanted to appear as if his sole purpose was for shikhye.

He subtly shifted the conversation to whether Detective Park and Wolf 4 had returned safely to Seoul, starting with the story that Wolf 4 had dragged Detective Park along with his immigration bag, and the two of them shared light-hearted banter about the remaining operation.

Kwon Il-taek’s home still looked peaceful. Did they even know what kind of mess they had made? The wealthy people Tae-heun knew would never know. If things went well, it was his fault; if not, it was someone else’s. The Kwon family seemed no different from them.

“It’s hot again today, isn’t it?”

Detective Oh grumbled as he got out of the car.

“Where did the chairman go?”

He muttered to himself while glancing at the cars parked in one corner of the yard. He couldn’t see the luxury foreign car that Kwon Il-taek drove. Instead, a domestic large sedan and Kwon Yong-jun’s Damas were parked.

The Damas had been in that spot since the man visited this house. It seemed Kwon Yong-jun was still living in town. He was the only one in this family who hadn’t caused any financial trouble. Even if the reason was simply that he was less capable than his brothers, it was better to be incompetent than to make others shed tears. The day Tae-heun found himself feeling a bit fond of Kwon Yong-jun was bitterly amusing.

Detective Oh strode up to the front door. When he pressed the bell, instead of asking, “Who is it?” a voice came through the speaker asking, “Is that you, Dae-ho?”

A moment later, the door opened, and Jo Young-ae appeared. Wearing a floral summer dress, she had neatly tied her half-white hair just like before.

“Hello, Madam! It’s been a while since I last greeted you.”

Detective Oh saluted playfully, as if addressing a superior. Jo Young-ae waved her hand at him.

“What’s with the ‘madam’? That’s so disappointing.”

Realizing Tae-heun was there, her face briefly stiffened before she exclaimed, “Oh my!” and clasped her hands together as before.

“The movie star has come too. How have you been?”

“Yes. Thanks to you, I’ve been well.”

Tae-heun replied with a business smile and a light bow.

“Your expression has changed completely. Indeed, being handsome is the best.”

Detective Oh teased Jo Young-ae, who stood beside him.

“Come on, that’s just common sense. Please, come in.”

She led the two to the sofa and, as expected, brought out shikhye in a crystal glass. Detective Oh savored the shikhye and nodded at Tae-heun. It was the same, he seemed to say.

Tae-heun deliberately gulped down the shikhye in one go and requested another glass. Jo Young-ae smiled brightly and immediately got up to bring more.

“This friend seems to be completely smitten with your shikhye. He chased me all the way here because he heard it was gone.”

Detective Oh spoke on behalf of Tae-heun.

“Oh my, you’ve already finished it all. Since we have one more person, it’s only natural, but I should have thought ahead. I’ll give you some shikhye to take with you when you leave.”

Then Detective Oh asked, “Would it be possible for me to take a bottle too?”

“What’s impossible? Of course, it is. These days, my hobby is making shikhye, so I have plenty. Take as much as you want.”

“Thank you, Madam.”

Detective Oh bowed in a comical manner. Jo Young-ae laughed at the sight. Of course, it wasn’t a loud laugh, but rather a very cultured one.

“By the way, is Yong-jae doing well?”

“Of course. He seems to be quite busy these days. It doesn’t take long to get from Seoul to here, but he hasn’t been able to come home. The chairman has been so insistent about sending him some food, it’s almost like he’s more eager than I am.”

Jo Young-ae spoke with a warm smile as she talked about her son.

Busy? Tae-heun scoffed inwardly. Their proud second son, Kwon Yong-jae, had also ruined his business and was struggling to manage his debts. There were more than three lawsuits filed under his name.

This is why he disliked the wealthy. They feasted and lived well, oblivious to the suffering of others.

“That kid has always been a bit tough, hasn’t he? He wouldn’t have succeeded without reason.”

Detective Oh seemed completely unaware of their background. Instead, he worried about Kwon Yong-jae’s health, saying, “But he should take it easy; he was hospitalized after overdoing it before.”

Come to think of it, Kwon Yong-jae and Detective Oh were the same age. It was highly likely they were classmates. Jo Young-ae must have insisted on calling her “madam” for a reason. Of course, she had said the same to the men as well.

“But where has the chairman gone? I don’t see his car.”

While sharing a private conversation, Detective Oh casually inquired about Kwon Il-taek.

“Oh my, my mind! I was supposed to meet Dae-ho, but he had an urgent appointment and was very sorry to leave.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Detective Oh showed a hint of disappointment, and Jo Young-ae smiled gently, as if she had expected it, and continued.

“Coincidentally, the appointment is in Seoul, and he said he would call you as soon as he’s done. Is that alright?”

“Of course. That works for me. Since we’re meeting in Seoul, I can ask him to see Yong-jae too.”

“That’s a good idea. You two haven’t seen each other in a while, have you?”

“Yes. I last saw him at his second birthday party, so it’s been over four years.”

“Has it really been that long? Time flies.”

As Jo Young-ae said this, she looked up at the family photo hanging in the center of the living room with a warm gaze.

Tae-heun followed her gaze to the photo. It wasn’t taken at a studio; they had invited a photographer to their home. The entire family was gathered against the backdrop of the luxurious sofa where Tae-heun and Detective Oh were sitting and the lush scenery.

The eldest son, Kwon Yong-ki, and his wife, along with their three children. The second son, Kwon Yong-jae, and his wife, along with their two children. The youngest, Kwon Yong-jun, was still unmarried, sitting side by side on the sofa with Kwon Il-taek and Jo Young-ae.

“If Yong-jun has a child, you’ll need to take a new family photo,” said Detective Oh.

At his words, Jo Young-ae simply smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Tae-heun was convinced in his heart that such a day would never come. Even if that day did arrive, it wouldn’t be in this house. This house would 100% be taken over by the bank, after all.