#213

Lee Seon-jae spent the entire day at the hospital.

After finishing the meeting with the Man, he spoke briefly with Attorney Park, and they went together in his car to Suwon Station. From there, Seon-jae took the train, and Attorney Park went his own way by car. Afterward, he returned straight to his hospital room and tried to sleep.

Having not slept a wink for two days, Seon-jae fell asleep quickly. A long rest before a big job was essential. That way, he could work through the night for two or three days straight. Especially since the work ahead required physical strength.

When he woke up from a long, six-hour nap, he realized the saying that sleep is the best medicine was true. He felt like the fatigue that had accumulated over the past few days had completely melted away.

Kim Sung-hwan was still confined in the Black room. Bound naked to a chair, without knowing why. Of course, he had spent the night wearing the helmet he had arrived in. Naturally, he couldn’t go to the bathroom, so he urinated where he sat.

He probably never dreamed he would be in such a situation. He wondered if he knew he was getting back exactly what he had done to Kim Cheol-soo, and perhaps even to Lee Sang-hoon.

Kang Eun-jeong, Kim Sung-hwan’s wife, who had been kidnapped in a taxi, had probably spent the most hellish dawn of her life.

Honestly, Seon-jae wished she knew nothing. He wished she was just an ordinary woman who had been fooled by Kim Sung-hwan, married him, had three children, and lived happily ever after. But his expectations were shattered.

It was a shame that her reputation as an excellent teacher was wasted because she knew who Kim Sung-hwan was when she married him. She claimed not to know what he had done at the Galilla Orphanage, but she at least knew Kim Sung-hwan’s real name. Nevertheless, she had registered her marriage to a man named Lee Sang-hoon instead of Kim Sung-hwan. And for the three years Kim Sung-hwan was imprisoned, she visited him with great devotion.

‘He said he was a dead person. An unclaimed person whose death hadn’t been reported.’

Kim Sung-hwan’s wife had explained.

‘My Husband had a lot of assets. But he said that if he put them all in his own name, the government might take them all away under various pretexts, so he deliberately diverted the assets to an unclaimed person. As you know, it was practically a dictatorship back then. Besides, he had a lot of disagreements with my Aunt over the orphanage, so he was having a hard time. That’s why he secured his share in advance… Honestly, is a name change a big deal? He said he was dead. And since he was a college student, I thought it wouldn’t be a bad thing for that friend either. I believed that if my Husband lived a wonderful life in his place, he would be grateful in heaven.’

She was spouting nonsense with great sincerity.

Not knowing that the college student had died at Kim Sung-hwan’s hands.

Since there was no evidence that Kim Sung-hwan had killed Lee Sang-hoon at the moment, Seon-jae told her that the college student she mentioned was last seen at the orphanage where her Husband worked and had disappeared afterward. But she didn’t believe Seon-jae. She insisted that it couldn’t be true, that her Husband wasn’t that kind of person.

Inevitably, he showed her more explicit and direct evidence. She screamed as she looked at the charts and album photos, and the videotapes that were almost pornographic, of the Galilla Orphanage children. She got angry, asking why he was doing this to her.

‘Kang Eun-jeong, look closely. This is all your Husband’s doing. This too, and this too. Oh, right, your Eldest daughter is in her third year of middle school, right? She’s about the same age as these kids here. Her development is probably much better, though. What do you think they’re doing right now? These photos, your Husband is in them too. Look closely, see where your Husband is touching the girl.’

When he mentioned her children, she glared at Seon-jae as if she would kill him instead of looking at the photos. But after seeing the photos and the scenes playing on the videotapes that Kim Sung-hwan was in, she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. She was confused, and finally burst into tears.

‘My Husband must have been forced to do it. When he was investigated and imprisoned for newborn trafficking, he told me. He said he had no power. He wanted to stop my sister and her Husband, but he couldn’t because he was afraid it would harm me and our children. It was all my children’s Aunt and Uncle who made him do it. He said he was really wronged…’

She was still taking Kim Sung-hwan’s side. Their relationship seemed truly affectionate.

Honestly, Seon-jae could understand her feelings to some extent. What woman would want to believe that her Husband was a shameless pervert? Especially a mother of two grown daughters and a cute youngest son who had just started elementary school? Would she want to admit that her Husband was a criminal? He understood well enough, but he was still angry.

‘Kang Eun-jeong, can you still say that after seeing these photos? Look, this photo, these videos. Does it look like Kim Sung-hwan is being forced to do it? Does your Husband really look wronged? Really? I don’t think he could say he was wronged even if he lived for 30 years, not just 3.’

Seon-jae rebuked her in a low voice.

She flipped over the photos with trembling hands.

‘Okay. If he’s so wronged, I should clear his name. I’ll send all the photos, materials, and these videotapes to the Office of Education and your school. If your Husband is so wronged, you won’t mind, right? While I’m at it, I can spread them around the children’s schools too. Oh, and who manages the unmarried mothers’ shelters? The Welfare Division? Oh, well, if I’m going to do it, I might as well send them to the prosecutor’s office. That’s the fastest way. No, the broadcasting station is the most effective. The broadcasting station will love it. Don’t you think?’

Only then did Kim Sung-hwan’s wife grasp the situation. She hurriedly wiped away her tears and pleaded with Seon-jae.

‘I’ll do whatever you tell me to do. I’ll do anything. So please, don’t do that. Our children have done nothing wrong. So please, don’t bring up our children.’

‘Did the children in those photos deserve to be treated like that? You need to get your facts straight.’

Seon-jae retorted coldly.

Fortunately, she wasn’t completely closed-minded.

She had been defending her Husband, but she changed her mind. At least she didn’t pretend to be wronged anymore.

‘If you keep it a secret, I’ll really do whatever you tell me to do. I’ll do anything.’

She knelt before Seon-jae.

It wasn’t what he had hoped for, but it seemed certain that she wouldn’t take Kim Sung-hwan’s side for a while, at least.

‘Go home for now. Go home and get along with your children as usual. But don’t look for your Husband. I might send him back, or I might not.’

Kim Sung-hwan’s wife nodded vigorously.

‘There will be a police officer at your house. Live with that person for the time being. Only use the house phone, and if you ignore or don’t answer my calls, there won’t be a second chance.’

With that, he put Kim Sung-hwan’s wife back in a taxi and escorted her home at 3 a.m. In the meantime, no one except the Eldest daughter woke up.

As soon as Kim Sung-hwan’s wife met Mr. Lee, who was waiting for her, she called Seon-jae. It was a report call to say that she had arrived home safely.

Mr. Park received Kim Sung-hwan’s wife’s cell phone and password from Mr. Lee, then returned to the office alone, and Seon-jae went back to the hospital room.

Choi In-ho, who had said he would contact him after discussing it with his wife, hadn’t contacted Seon-jae or Kim Sung-hwan all night. Seon-jae couldn’t tell if Choi In-ho was still reeling from yesterday’s shock or if he had other intentions.

Regardless, Seon-jae didn’t bother to monitor Choi In-ho. Thanks to Kim Sung-hwan, who was the biggest headache, coming to him on his own two feet. It was truly a windfall. He wondered if Kim Sung-hwan knew he had made the most foolish choice of his life.

Since the possibility of Kim Sung-hwan harming Choi In-ho or Kim Na-yeon had disappeared, Seon-jae re-examined all the assets they owned instead of monitoring the doctor. Immediately after hearing that Choi In-ho possessed Yoon Ki-beom’s sperm and DNA, he pulled out the documents he had received from Bae Young-do again. As a collector of biographies, Bae Young-do had prepared extensive documents.

Choi In-ho, who had more than 3 billion won in cash and deposits, didn’t own any stocks or bonds, but he had two apartments and a commercial building, including the villa he was currently living in. In addition, he had a villa in Busan and owned numerous condominium and golf memberships. He had no insurance.

More than half of Choi In-ho’s assets were inherited when he turned thirty. Seon-jae didn’t know what his grandparents and parents had done, but it was clear that they were quite wealthy. Just the assets he had now were jaw-dropping, and this was much less than it had been ten years ago.

It seemed that the reason Choi In-ho wielded such power at the Galilla Orphanage wasn’t just because he was a doctor who shared their views.

Money. He had a reasonable suspicion that all the initial costs of establishing the orphanage had come out of his pocket.

Seon-jae read and compared the data until he felt like his eyeballs were about to fall out, and he was able to find a clue to the information he wanted. He had spent his time productively before meeting the Man.

Except for failing to persuade the Man, Seon-jae had achieved most of what he wanted last night.

Seon-jae packed three documents marked with a red pen and a yellow envelope containing Lee Sang-hoon’s personal information. Since blood was expected to be spilled, he dressed in black. Only his sneakers were white.

With that, he left the hospital. On the way to Sojak Building, he stopped by a shoe store that sold sneakers and changed into black sneakers, which was perfect. Of course, that wasn’t the end of his preparations, and there was one more place he had to stop.

It was a butcher shop. He bought plenty of Korean beef and received lettuce and other vegetables as a service, then went straight to Sojak.

Mr. Kim and Mr. Park were sitting at the information desk, and Mr. Park was dealing with a visitor.

When Mr. Kim saw the bag in Seon-jae’s hand, he quickly got up from his seat. The two went to the house on the first floor, which Mr. Kim was using as his accommodation.

This was the second time Seon-jae had visited Mr. Kim’s house. Last time, the large house had nothing but a sleeping bag, so it didn’t seem like anyone lived there, but this time it was better because he had at least brought in a sofa and a dining table.

There was no treadmill as he had imagined, but there were four pairs of dumbbells of different weights and a jump rope. He thought it was amazing that he maintained his figure with those.

“Do you still sleep in a sleeping bag these days?”

“Yes. It’s comfortable.”

“Comfortable, my foot. Get a bed. No matter how comfortable a sleeping bag is, it can’t beat a bed.”

“Well, if it gets too uncomfortable, I’ll get one then.”

Mr. Kim was still suffering from guilt and punishing himself every day. Seon-jae didn’t have the right to stop him from doing that, so he just said, ‘Okay.’

While Mr. Kim put rice in the pressure cooker and washed the lettuce and peppers, Seon-jae unfolded the dining table. When grilling meat, the floor was better than the table anyway.

The preparations for grilling the meat were all done, and now all that was left was for the rice to cook.

Seon-jae and Mr. Kim sat at the table until the rice was cooked and talked about what had happened yesterday and today. Or rather, Seon-jae asked and Mr. Kim answered.

“What is Kim Sung-hwan doing right now?”

“He seems to have had a bowel movement 20 minutes ago.”

“Ew, the smell.”

Seon-jae covered his nose and reacted playfully.

“I thought he could hold it in for a day, but it looks like he’s been eating well.”

“It’s better to empty it. That way, there’s nothing to throw up.”

“Isn’t it better to throw up?”

“No. It can block the airway.”

“Ah. That’s right.”

Seon-jae felt awkward, thinking he had been showing off in front of an expert. He still had a lot to learn.

The savory smell of rice filled the house, and Seon-jae’s mouth watered.

When the pressure cooker made a sound to indicate that the rice was cooked, Mr. Kim quickly got up.

“I’ll turn on the heat.”

Seon-jae turned on the gas burner.

With all sorts of vegetables for wrapping, ssamjang, sesame oil, aged kimchi, and freshly cooked rice, there was no need for a fancy feast. And since it was beef, there was no need to cook it thoroughly. How convenient.

Mr. Kim ate all the meat and then switched with Mr. Park. Seon-jae grilled the meat for Mr. Park.

Unlike Mr. Kim, Mr. Park was easy for Seon-jae to talk to. As one might expect from a con man, he was a smooth talker and good at making jokes. The problem was that he had no sense of moderation, but it was clear that he was an amusing person.

Mr. Park was missing his left hand.

Mr. Park, who had been eating beef without even breathing, showed off his prosthetic hand, which was covered with a white glove, as if he was full to some extent.

“How fortunate it is that it wasn’t my right hand! My mother, you see, couldn’t stand anyone eating with their left hand. My Hyung was left-handed, and he was beaten so badly as a child that he corrected the habit. My mother beat him like a dog, I tell you. I don’t know how a woman could be so rough. Whew. Thanks to that, my Hyung grew up properly and makes a living for himself. I guess my mother loved me too much, so I ended up like this.”

It was the third time he’d told that joke, but Seon-jae laughed heartily as if he were hearing it for the first time.

He did so because he could somewhat guess the time it took for Mr. Park to make such jokes and the pain he had to overcome.

After that, he talked about the world with Mr. Park and even heard about Mr. Lee’s love life. It was a pleasant time.

Seon-jae, who had fed Mr. Kim and then Mr. Park well, volunteered to do the dishes.

Naturally, he was reminded of the time when he lived with Man. Of course, Man’s kitchen wasn’t equipped with such modern facilities, but even so, Seon-jae kept feeling like the man was right nearby.

The narrow kitchen where he could feel the hot air, the mountain breeze that occasionally blew in through the small kitchen window, and the scent of the man standing beside him. And the child running around on the wooden floor.

He missed it.

214 – Chapter 214