#154

It was obvious. Tae-heun had described Kwon Yong-joon that way.

Tae-heun had told Prosecutor Jeong everything he knew about Kwon Yong-joon, except for information about his handwriting, as he had never seen it.

“Ah…”

The the man sighed and turned to Tae-heun, saying, “That’s right, Yong-joon.”

Tae-heun nodded to the man in agreement.

“Excuse me, Driver, did that person really seem okay to you?”

“Ah, yes. Well, he looked a bit tired, but he spoke well and even smiled.”

The the man glanced at the license plate while the taxi Driver answered.

Tae-heun also checked the license plate belatedly. It was a Gyeonggi Province license plate.

“Where did you pick him up and drop him off?”

The the man checked meticulously, unlike before. The Driver answered readily, without showing any displeasure.

“I picked him up near Suwon City Hall and dropped him off in Osan. Originally, he asked to go to Mangi Temple, but he suddenly asked to be dropped off in Osan. Then he asked if I could go here and deliver a note for him. Well, I had no reason not to, since he gave me a generous tip on top of the round-trip taxi fare to Suwon. It wasn’t a difficult task either.”

So, he was in Suwon.

The the man muttered to himself.

“Was there anything else he said besides asking you to deliver this note?”

“No. He just asked me to deliver this.”

The the man sighed faintly. He looked disappointed.

He must have been worried about Kwon Yong-joon’s safety, but he probably had many other questions he wanted to ask him directly. For example, what the person who committed the fraud was planning to do with the Chairman and his Hyungs. Even if he didn’t hate Kwon Yong-joon, the man would be very interested in the whereabouts of the Chairman’s family.

“He said he’s safe. That’s what’s important, right?”

Tae-heun comforted the Man. The the man chimed in with a subdued voice, “Yes, of course.”

“Can I go now?”

The taxi Driver asked.

“Yes. Thank you, Driver.”

“You’re welcome. Good work.”

The Driver shouted energetically and was about to roll up the driver’s side window, but then he poked his head out again.

“Want a ride? I’m heading out anyway, so just tell me if you want to go to Pyeongtaek or Osan. I’ll give you a free ride.”

He said it as if doing a favor. His attitude and tone were so natural that it was almost suspicious whether Prosecutor Jeong had really hired a real taxi Driver. But Prosecutor Jeong would never do that.

“No, thank you. I came in my own car.”

The the man answered, looking towards the parking lot.

“Ah, I see. Then I’ll really be going now.”

“Yes. Drive safely.”

The taxi Driver skillfully reversed and moved forward repeatedly, quickly turning the car around and disappearing.

“Let’s go, too.”

Tae-heun gestured to the Man.

“Yes.”

The the man still looked regretful as he stared in the direction the taxi had gone. Then he tilted his head, looking at the note.

“Are you sure he’s really safe?”

“He must be safe, that’s why he wrote a note. Didn’t you hear the taxi Driver? He said he spoke well.”

“Still, this is a bit…”

He said, handing over the note.

“Why? Is it not Yong-joon’s handwriting?”

He asked, walking towards the car.

“Yes. It’s very different.”

“Really? Maybe it’s because he wrote it in a moving car?”

“Ah…”

“The car is moving, the inside is dark, and he’s in a hurry. Even I would have no choice but to write differently than usual.”

“Maybe so?”

The Man’s expression brightened. He seemed more than halfway convinced.

“Of course. And when did the taxi Driver see Yong-joon to describe him so accurately?”

“You’re right, now that I think about it. Maybe I was too sensitive.”

The the man smiled awkwardly.

“Anyway, you worry too much. Just get in the car.”

Tae-heun chided him and quickly opened the passenger door for the Man.

“It’s a bit anticlimactic, isn’t it?”

He threw in a word, pretending to comfort the Man.

“Yes. I really thought he would come…”

“What can we do? It’s better to be careful than to get caught.”

“…Yes.”

The the man carefully folded the note the taxi Driver had given him and put it in his wallet as if it were a treasure.

Shit. Tae-heun scratched his eyebrow.

As time went on, it became more uncomfortable to deceive the Man. The fact that the Man, who had experienced all sorts of hardships, was so easily deceived because he trusted him too much made Tae-heun feel like his stomach was twisting. Lee Seon-jae, who used to lie as easily as breathing and enjoyed it without feeling any guilt, was truly dead.

“Let’s go in and get some sleep.”

“Shall I drive?”

The the man suggested, seeing that Tae-heun looked tired.

“No. I know this area better, so I’ll drive.”

He said deliberately cheerfully. He started the engine.

“Hey, shall we buy some beer on the way?”

The the man suggested drinking first, for once. Tae-heun had no reason to refuse.

He already felt sorry for taking the man only to deserted places like temples and fishing spots. The food was also poor because of the location. He had brought him on a trip, but all they had eaten yesterday was stew and a hamburger.

“Okay. Sounds good!”

He stepped on the accelerator with a happy heart.

Just as he was leaving the entrance to Mangi Temple, his cell phone vibrated. Whenever he got in the car, Tae-heun would put his cell phone and pager in the drink compartment of the console box. It was something he had started to gain the Man’s trust. So that it would be easier to deceive the Man.

Since Tae-heun was driving, the man naturally took the cell phone. The way he held it, opened the folder, and pressed the buttons was still awkward, but he checked the text message without difficulty. As soon as he saw the text message, the man frowned.

“You get these kinds of messages, too?”

He said, deliberately showing Tae-heun the cell phone screen.

Glancing at it, it was an adult advertisement text message that started with “Oppa.” It was sent by the Helper, and the message was embedded in the text message. It said to check the newly created mailbox for a voice message.

Tae-heun smiled and added, “I get loan messages, too.”

“How did they get your number?”

The the man asked, widening his eyes.

“How would I know? They must be sending it by randomly combining any numbers.”

“Ah…. They’ll do anything.”

“There are a surprising number of people who respond to those.”

“Really?”

“Of course. For example, if you send a loan advertisement text message to a thousand people, at least 1%, that is, 10 people, will respond. Adult advertisements have an even higher response rate. I heard there are days when it exceeds 10%.”

The Man’s eyes widened.

“Who would believe that?”

“It just means there are a lot of people who are desperate for money and a lot of people who are crazy about sex, I guess.”

The the man showed discomfort at Tae-heun’s answer.

“People really don’t know how scary the world is.”

He added, saying something like an old man.

Tae-heun laughed inwardly, wondering who was talking.

The place they would be staying this time was a motel in Anjeong-ri, Paengseong-eup. Rodeo Street was right in front of them, so unlike the inn they had stayed in the day before, there were many entertainment establishments and motels. Because it was a weekend dawn, the streets were bustling with people as if it were daytime.

Here and there in the clubs and bars, signs were prominently displayed saying “No Koreans Allowed,” “Foreigners Only,” and “For Foreigners Only.” Inside and outside, American soldiers and young men and women, including prostitutes, were mixed together and were extremely noisy.

The the man stared at the streets and people with wide eyes, as if he were seeing another world.

“It really feels like I’m in a foreign country.”

He exclaimed in admiration.

“Everyone must be speaking English, right?”

He asked the same obvious question.

Tae-heun laughed because the man was acting so childish.

“If you’re curious, shall we unpack and go out?”

Tae-heun asked.

Then the man waved his hand.

“Why? You never know when we’ll come here again, so let’s go for the experience.”

“No. I prefer drinking at the accommodation.”

“You’ll change your mind if you go.”

“…What if someone picks a fight with me?”

The the man added in a somewhat subdued voice.

“What fight? Just be careful.”

He said this, but Tae-heun was grateful that the man was refusing.

If a fight broke out, it would be the same as announcing to the whole neighborhood that a man named Kim Tae-heun had come to Pyeongtaek. In the case of entertainment districts, even if it was a US military base, there were gangsters involved. There was no guarantee that Il-gwang had not partnered with local gangsters to catch Lee Seon-jae, so it was better to be careful.

“Okay, then. Let’s come here again next time.”

He promised the man and parked the car in front of a small supermarket near the motel village. After buying beer and snacks there, they moved to the accommodation.

At the entrance of the motel where Tae-heun and the man would be staying, there was a sign that said “Full.”

“It’s full.”

The the man said, worried that Tae-heun might not see it and go inside.

“I know. I booked a room in advance, knowing this would happen.”

Tae-heun answered and parked the car in the only remaining parking space. For some reason, the man looked at Tae-heun with an excited face, saying, “Wow, you were lucky.” Tae-heun couldn’t help but kiss the man because he was so happy even about a parking space.

“It’s all thanks to Ki-beom.”

What is it, the man said, laughing. Then he wiped the cheek that Tae-heun had kissed with the back of his hand.

The two walked side by side to the counter through the back door connected to the motel.

“Give me the key to room 301.”

The counter clerk handed over the card key without even looking at Tae-heun’s face.

This motel had no central staircase, so guests had to use the emergency stairs at the end of the left and right corridors or the elevator to get to their rooms. Tae-heun was naturally going to take the elevator, but the man chose the emergency exit.

“Why bother walking when there’s an easy way?”

Tae-heun grumbled loudly.

“Let’s walk a bit. It’s only the third floor.”

The the man chided him.

Room 301, where the two would be staying, was also right next to the emergency stairs.

The room was neither clean nor dirty. The wallpaper was fancy, but other than that, it was ordinary. In the middle of the room was a queen-size bed, and a TV was placed in front of it. The windows were nailed shut so they couldn’t be opened.

Geez, they want us all to die if there’s a fire.

He grumbled, turned on the air conditioner, and put down his bag.

The moans that had been faintly audible from the motel lobby were now echoing all around. The the man was embarrassed and quickly turned on the TV. As soon as he turned it on, a pale mass of flesh filled the screen. Usually, adult channels were pay-per-view, but here they were playing porn for free.

Unlike Tae-heun, who was gleeful, the man was startled and turned off the TV. Then, the sound of banging on the wall from the next room and the woman’s lewd moans were heard vividly as the whole floor vibrated.

“It’s a mess, a mess.”

Tae-heun said, taking the remote control from the Man’s hand.

He quickly changed the channel for the Man, who was feeling uncomfortable, and AFKN came on clearly. It happened to be the news. When he turned the volume up to the maximum, it was a bit noisy, but it was a hundred times better than listening to other people’s sex sounds.

“Is the volume too loud? Shall I turn it down a bit?”

“No. It’s perfect.”

The Man’s face finally looked a little more relaxed.

“I’ll take a shower first.”

Before Tae-heun could answer, the man took his underwear and headed to the bathroom.

“Why do you keep taking it when you’re going to take it off anyway?”

“I’m not taking it off this time.”

“Not on my watch.”

Click, the sound of the door locking.

“Does anyone eat you? I’ll eat you.”

He asked himself and answered himself.

He laughed weakly.

He wanted to devour him, crunching him up, bones and all. That’s how much Tae-heun liked Man. He was crazy about him, yet it felt new and strange that he could eat a normal meal, have a conversation, and make silly jokes with Man. He felt like they would kiss if their eyes met, but they didn’t. Because it was fun enough as it was.

Anyway, it was a strange experience.

Chapter 155