#97

In an instant, Tae-heun arrived at the motel, feeling that even the time spent waiting for the elevator was a waste, so he dashed up the stairs. When he reached the third floor, his cellphone vibrated. Assuming it was Detective Oh, he answered the call without checking.

“Yes, Detective Oh.”

There was silence on the other end.

“Please go ahead.”

He spoke somewhat formally after taking a breath.

Only then did the other person finally say, “Um.” It was just one word, but Tae-heun immediately recognized it was a man.

“Ki-beom?”

He stopped in his tracks.

“Are you awake?”

Tae-heun asked in a voice that was surprisingly soft, as if he had changed his vocal cords. A smile spread across his face.

“I’m on my way now. I’m on the motel stairs.”

Ah, I’m at home.

“Already?”

He looked at his watch. It was only 5:30. He felt deflated. He had run over, not realizing how tiring it would be to meet the man, only to find that he was already gone.

Tae-heun sat down on the motel stairs.

“What time did you wake up?”

He asked, almost whining.

Just before 4.

“Why would someone who drank a lot wake up early? Aren’t you tired?”

He scolded the man for no reason.

I didn’t wake up early on purpose; I just woke up.

“Really? I thought you had passed out, so I figured you were tired, but it turns out you were just being dramatic.”

The man laughed at Tae-heun’s words.

The sound of his laughter was pleasant. Tae-heun rested his chin on one knee.

“But you didn’t throw away my business card, did you? You called me on your phone.”

When did I say I threw it away?

The man replied with a sulky tone. Tae-heun couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory of the man’s somewhat grumpy expression whenever he said something like that.

“Forget it. By the way, you took my car, right?”

He had left a note, but he asked just in case.

Yes. I was going to take a taxi, but for some reason, they wouldn’t go to Dongjamni at this hour. So, Tae-heun, about that…

The man’s words quickened. It was obvious what he was trying to say.

“It’s okay. I have some things to do, so I’ll stay here a bit longer before I go.”

Originally, he had planned to return with the man, but that was already out of the question, so he thought he could do something else before heading back.

Oh. Is that so?

The man just said that. He seemed to have no curiosity at all.

A moment of silence passed. It was so manly that it made Tae-heun laugh again.

What can a thirsty person do but dig a well?

“Where are you going today, Ki-beom?”

Tae-heun asked.

To a peach orchard.

“It’s going to be tough in this heat.”

It’s fine. It’s just the usual work.

“I think I’ll finish my business in the morning, so you’ll be at the orchard the whole time, right?”

Yes.

“And you’ll take a nap at the youth association office in between?”

Yes.

“Then I’ll head to the village hall at the right time.”

By that time, Tae-heun’s business would also be done.

After confirming the voice of his ally, he had already requested additional materials. It seemed that the ally had something to say as well, so he planned to stop by the PC room.

“See you later, Ki-beom. Call me if you think of me again.”

The man hung up without answering.

Just hearing his voice made Tae-heun restless. He wanted to hold the man. He wanted to kiss him. Last night’s events felt like a dream. Tae-heun absentmindedly caressed the phone before finally standing up.

Despite the early hour, the PC room was more than half full. Most of the young men, clearly having stayed up all night, were playing StarCraft while eating instant noodles or snacks with puffy faces. Some were checking emails and writing resumes.

On the wall of the PC room, the price was written in red: 2,500 won per hour, along with various warnings like “No eating and running” and “Spitting will incur a fine of 10,000 won (no leniency).”

The public phone was inside, the restroom was outside, and the internal emergency exit was directly behind the entrance, facing it. Just then, a spot opposite the entrance was empty. Quickly assessing the layout, Tae-heun informed the staff of the computer he would use and sat down there.

He first opened an internet window to search for articles related to the seizure of Ilgwang Financial. Most were just brief mentions of one or two lines. If they had blocked it to this extent, it would be a tough fight. Perhaps he had started a losing game.

Next, he searched for Korean Construction and finally Dongbang Construction. Korean Construction had come under fire because of Ilgwang. Just when they were about to partner with Ilgwang, bypassing their existing partner Dongbang, the seizure scandal broke.

Coincidentally, the strange relationship between the drug addict’s grandson and Ilgwang’s vice president, Lee Hyun-jun, had spread to the securities market’s gossip, creating a difficult situation. It served them right. In contrast to the two companies in decline, Dongbang was thriving. Especially, the new chairman of Dongbang had announced last month that he would enter the IT sector after acquiring a promising venture company, following his success in construction.

“Doing well.”

He could vividly picture the expression of his uncle upon hearing this news. He would have furrowed his brow, distorting his already unattractive face. How bitter it must be for him to see someone he deemed inferior to himself thriving in the construction industry he had ruined, and now even venturing into future industries. Just thinking about it made him giddy.

This was enough about the world’s affairs. It was time to get back to business. Tae-heun accessed the secret server. All the materials collected by his ally were shared on this server.

Most of it was personal information about those who had teamed up with Tae-heun, including their financial status, information sources, surveillance, and secretly obtained personal information through wiretapping. If someone were to betray him, Tae-heun would be the first to suffer, so the information was updated in real-time. It was not so much data for Tae-heun as it was information that those working on the front lines to protect him needed to know.

Tae-heun skipped over that and entered a newly created folder from the early morning. It was packed with information about the Kwon Il-taek family and the man. Most of it belonged to the Kwon Il-taek family, with only a few documents related to the man.

There were dozens of petitions and complaints that had flown in for Kwon Il-taek and his wife, Jo Young-ae, and their two sons, Kwon Yong-ki and Kwon Yong-jae. Countless contents were also issued. At least two of the four would soon be heading to prison. They would pay the price for the crimes they committed, but what about the man who had trusted Kwon Il-taek and invested? A sigh escaped him. Especially since the man would lose his truck if he couldn’t pay 3 million won, including part of the principal and interest on the installment, by the end of next month.

Only then did Tae-heun realize he had never seen any mail addressed to the man. He hadn’t even seen the usual electricity or water bill statements. It was clear he was receiving them at a location other than his home. It wasn’t to deceive Tae-heun, but rather to keep it from the child. How many collection notices were flying in his direction? Damn it. He scratched his eyebrow.

Tae-heun’s cellphone vibrated again. How did everyone know he was in a place with a signal? They were all calling and texting him. It was a loan advertisement. ‘Don’t you ever sleep?’ Tae-heun chuckled as he closed the server and stood up, heading for the public phone. He dialed an unfamiliar number.

What brings you to the server at this hour?

The voice on the other end was bright.

“I came to town, so I thought I’d check in. By the way, do you know this PC room charges 2,500 won an hour?”

2,500 won? Wow, those thieves. No matter how much they love money, is it right to take kids’ pocket money? Tsk. I should go there and start a business.

The ally, who had plenty of money, was particularly worked up over the small fees.

But who exactly is Kwon Il-taek?

He wondered why he wasn’t asking.

“An elder from my neighborhood.”

The ally was taken aback.

Why are you suddenly considering moving to the countryside?

“I’m seriously contemplating it.”

As if you would.

The other person teased. Tae-heun couldn’t help but laugh.

And what’s with Yoon Ki-beom? You can’t possibly be friends with that guy.

He spoke with certainty.

“Of course not. We’re not friends.”

If he had to say, they might be more like childhood friends?

He knew that wasn’t the meaning, but still, they had played around with each other’s childhoods, so it wasn’t entirely wrong. Thinking about last night made his own childhood feel hot.

Right. With your personality, what would you need friends for? By the way, everything’s okay, right?

Concern seeped into the questioning voice. With the departure date approaching, it was natural to worry when someone suddenly asked about another’s financial status. He must be anxious that Tae-heun might be thinking of something else.

“There is something.”

Tae-heun answered honestly.

What do you mean by that?

“There is something. Nothing major.”

Hey, Lee Seon-jae!

The voice was loud enough to ring in his ears.

“Why are you shouting like that, especially in the morning?”

You’re joking, right?

“Not at all.”

You crazy bastard.

He sounded utterly fed up.

You didn’t get involved with those people in that neighborhood, did you?

“Something like that.”

You bastard! Is that how you explain it? You better give me a proper explanation!

He growled.

“I’ll explain later. The situation is a bit complicated.”

Tae-heun mumbled. He couldn’t hide his feelings for the man forever. Before requesting a joint departure, he intended to confess to his ally first. He was just waiting for the right timing. But then Detective Park had to cause a scene.

A sigh and a whine escaped from the other end of the line.

I have something to say, so wrap things up there and come out. I’ll give you the number again.

Then the call was disconnected.

It took exactly 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Calls with his ally never lasted more than 2 minutes.

What could he possibly want to say?

Tae-heun returned to his seat and erased all traces of his search. After that, he randomly entered useless search terms, such as how to book a wedding venue, the process of preparing for a dowry, and interior design for a newlywed home. It was unintentional, but somehow everything turned out to be related to marriage.

If someone saw this, they would think he was really getting married. He chuckled inwardly but found himself seriously examining the contents. They say you can build the Great Wall of China in a night, so what’s stopping him from booking a wedding venue?

His cellphone vibrated again. This time it was a two-line advertisement for prostitution. If this were real, he could buy a woman just by pressing the call button. The side that was using new technology so diligently was all criminal organizations. Ilgwang Financial, in particular, was at the forefront of adopting new technologies and seeking help from experts.

Tae-heun deliberately headed toward the traditional market. The market where Ilgwang used to be was most active in the early morning, so he expected the same here, and indeed, his expectations were correct. Where did all these people come from? It always amazed him.

Unlike the eerily quiet streets, the market was lively. Naturally, it was noisy. It was the perfect environment for making phone calls. Old public phones were still scattered throughout the market. He found one and picked up the receiver. Coins clinked loudly as they were sucked into the phone.

Did you manage to clean up the mess that Detective Park caused?

“Word travels fast.”

When you’re eavesdropping, it better be quick.

Tae-heun laughed.

“I’ve mostly cleaned it up; just need to get the money back.”

That’s good. Anyway, those bastards with dicks are hopeless. Do they really want to do that in the midst of all this? Seriously.

The ally sounded fed up. Tae-heun chimed in, only to receive more curses. He was told he had no right to talk about dicks so casually.

If our Ki-beom heard this, he would be shocked.

Tae-heun felt a twinge of guilt and looked around.

“I didn’t call to hear about that guy’s mess. What’s going on?”

He asked directly. A sigh came from the other end.

The atmosphere over there is not good. There’s pressure coming from all directions. If things go wrong, no, if just one person betrays us, all the hard work will come crashing down in an instant. And you’re the one under that tower. You know that, right?

“I knew what I was getting into.”

Is that a brag?

“How serious is it?”

A lot. If the prosecution and police have started a blame game, that says it all. It was a story that was supposed to be over from the beginning, but they’ve started it again.

Ah. Only then did Tae-heun seem to understand why Detective Oh hadn’t replied to his text. They had forgotten their duties while bickering among themselves. This meant that the results of the search and seizure were much less promising than expected.

Unaware of this, Tae-heun dreamed of going to Canada with the man. He almost mentioned the names of the man and the child. He didn’t intend to call him a lover, but still, a chill ran down his spine.

There’s not much time left. Once you leave, I don’t care if the tower we built collapses. Right? So just stop messing around and quietly tend to your farming. I’m begging you.

The ally urged.

“Just one thing. Is it Kyung or Geum?”

Kyung.

The precarious side is the police.

Just because the probability is high doesn’t mean it’s certain. So don’t hold any unnecessary biases and just do what you’ve been doing. I’m keeping an eye on the situation over there, so stay low until we confirm things.

“I understand. By the way, just in case, look into the relationship between the village elder and the turtle, the two of them.”

Kwon Il-taek and Detective Oh?

“Yes. They’re both the ones who manipulate the village.”

This bastard really.

“Please just do it.”

Tae-heun pleaded.

Ha, bastard. Fine. But don’t try to be a savior.

“What do you mean?”

You can’t save that village on your own anyway.

“Really. Am I that kind of person? I’ve never thought that way.”

Then that’s a relief. Anyway, be careful for a while. It wouldn’t be strange if someone betrayed you.

“I understand.”

The call ended. Tae-heun placed the receiver back on the phone and got up.

Betrayal. It was something he had always been prepared for in his heart. Still, having come this far, he thought he could let go of that worry a bit, but it wasn’t so.

Who would do it? Suddenly, Detective Oh’s face came to mind. Would he really betray him? Tae-heun, who had been conditioned to distrust people, still relied on him. It was a scenario he didn’t even want to think about. Although he had earned Tae-heun’s dislike recently, Tae-heun still trusted and depended on him.

Then what about Detective Park? The possibility was definitely higher than that of Detective Oh. He knew little, but he was aware of the most important existence of Kim Tae-heun. He even knew where he lived. That would be enough.

In the meantime, the market had become more crowded. The smell of all sorts of inanimate and living things heated up since early morning lingered in the air.

How much hotter could it get? At the same time, he began to worry about the man. Of all places, it had to be the orchard in this blazing sun. In this weather, they said they even turned on the air conditioning in the greenhouse, but anyway, the timing for peach harvesting was really terrible. Normally, Tae-heun would have frowned at the smell, but he was so worried about the man that he didn’t care about the odor at all.

As he wandered through the market looking for a way out, he happened to notice ingredients like bracken, bean sprouts, and spinach. Naturally, he thought of the man’s younger brother’s memorial day. There was no need for Tae-heun to take care of a ritual that the man didn’t even hold. Still, since it was a special day, he thought he should eat something special. Beef. If possible, Hanwoo. Thinking of nourishing the man, Tae-heun’s steps felt light.