By Zephyria 
No sooner had the words “Let’s go to Yang Mok-hyung” left his mouth than Director Lee gestured to the driver, and the car made a U-turn and sped off in the opposite direction. Choi Won-joon leaned back in his seat and stared out the window. He had slept well for the first time in a while and thought he could have a pleasant day, but some bastard had thrown shit all over it.
So he had to see his face at least once. What kind of son of a bitch he was.
Before he knew it, the car arrived in the factory district and climbed the hill. More places were closed than open for business, the atmosphere was eerie, and packs of stray dogs were quite noticeable here and there.
When they arrived in front of the factory with the sign “Yushin Industries,” a man at the entrance bowed politely and opened the gate, and the car entered the yard. Choi Won-joon got out of the car and entered the building with Director Lee.
Inside, a man named Yang Mok-hyung was tied to a chair in his underwear. There had been a scuffle in the process of subduing him, and Director Lee’s men had a hard time because he was so strong.
Won-joon picked up a folding chair nearby and strode towards Yang Mok-hyung. He unfolded the chair and sat down, and Yang Mok-hyung raised his head and looked at him. His face was covered in blood, but his eyes were full of murderous intent.
Any ordinary guy would be begging for his life in this situation.
Won-joon took out a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. An employee next to him lit it and stepped back, and he slowly blew smoke into the man’s face.
“Let’s skip the greetings. Say what you want to say.”
“Who the hell are you guys? You don’t look like cops, who sent you to do this? Who paid you off? Park Seok-tae? Did that son of a bitch tell you to bury me quietly? Is that it? Huh!”
Won-joon, with a cigarette in his mouth, called Director Lee with a bored expression.
“Who is Park Seok-tae?”
“He’s the boss of the Jeil Clan you met before.”
Ah, Won-joon nodded. That bastard.
“Listen, Mr. Yang Mok-hyung. I don’t usually come to places like this because I have a weak stomach. I don’t feel good when I see blood. But the only reason I came here is because you scratched something I’ve been cherishing. I didn’t even get to taste it properly, you son of a bitch.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Apologize, now.”
Yang Mok-hyung sneered and screamed.
“Shut up, you fucking bastard! Don’t play games and bring Park Seok-tae! I have nothing to say to a suit like you, argh!”
In an instant, a knife appeared in Won-joon’s hand, and in the blink of an eye, the tip of the knife plunged vertically into Yang Mok-hyung’s shoulder. Yang Mok-hyung’s mouth opened, and a tearing scream poured out.
“I spoke nicely, but you answered like a dick, huh?”
Yang Mok-hyung stared with a pale face, and Won-joon continued seriously.
“Ji-hoon, the pen is mightier than the sword is bullshit. Look at this. One stab and his eyes become kind.”
“Ugh, damn it… Save, save me…”
“You should have asked to be saved sooner.”
“I was wro-”
Before he could finish speaking, Choi Won-joon put more force into it.
“You should have said that first.”
Yang Mok-hyung screamed, then, unable to bear it any longer, he went out of his mind and cursed. He said that if he got out of here, he wouldn’t leave him alone, that he would find his family and skin them all alive…
Won-joon watched silently as he screamed with bloodshot eyes, then quickly pulled out the knife. And with a precise and clean motion, he held the knife horizontally and swiped it across the bridge of his nose.
Yang Mok-hyung froze with his mouth open, and bright red blood began to flow from both eyes. In the face of the sudden situation, he covered his face and screamed. “Aaaagh! My eyes! My eyes!” He hurriedly raised his head, but his face was covered in blood. He couldn’t see, so he moved his head from side to side and looked at the air.
“Damn it, the light, why the light? Light! Turn on the light, you bastards!!!” Watching him rave, Choi Won-joon laughed and pushed the bottom of the chair with his foot as if playing a prank. As the chair tilted backward and fell with a thud, Yang Mok-hyung screamed madly and thrashed his body while lying down.
Won-joon called a subordinate next to him and handed him the knife he had.
“Chop him up and dump him somewhere.”
“Yes.”
Won-joon, who was about to turn around and leave, snapped his fingers and gave instructions to his subordinate.
“I like fish, so put him in the mountains instead of the sea.”
“Understood.”
“I’m leaving. Good luck.” He opened the door and went outside, and it was pouring rain. Won-joon stretched out his arm and wiped the blood off his hands with the rain. Then Director Lee came to his side and handed him a handkerchief. Won-joon frowned when he saw the initials embroidered on the handkerchief.
“Isn’t this from your girlfriend?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
What a romantic. Won-joon didn’t use the handkerchief and handed it back, then roughly shook his hands. Then he took out a cigarette and pondered for a moment before calling Director Lee.
“Where did you say Kim Yi-eum was hospitalized?”
“Sungmoon Hospital.”
“Let’s go.”
“Now?”
Won-joon threw the cigarette to the side, straightened his jacket, and smiled.
“He might be my Darling in the future, so I should pay him a visit.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Lee-eum felt a strange chill and shivered as he drank water. Then his Noona, who was cutting an apple next to him, looked at him worriedly. “Why? Are you not feeling well?”
“I don’t know. I suddenly got goosebumps all over my body. Did a ghost pass by?”
His Hyung, who was picking up the sliced apples one by one, chimed in.
“Ghosts are freezing to death. Do you believe in that stuff?”
“Hey, stop eating. I’m going to take this to that prosecutor over there.”
Hyung turned his head and called Jeong Dae-han, who was sitting on the opposite side.
“Prosecutor Jeong, come and get your fruit. I’m not at the level where I have to bring you fruit by hand, am I?”
Dae-han jumped up, came and took the fruit, and Noona looked at Mideum with a contemptuous expression. “You old man. Do you do that at the Prosecutor’s Office too? I know why your reputation is like that.” Lee-eum got tired of the two bickering, so he pushed them out, telling them to leave.
“I want to rest. Please, Noona.”
“Okay. I’m leaving. Call me if you’re sick. Call me if anything happens.”
He barely persuaded his Noona, who was worried until the end, to leave, but Hyung pressed his head hard, messed it up, and disappeared, telling him to get well soon. Lee-eum grumbled not to treat him like a child, but he knew that there was affection in that gesture.
As soon as the two disappeared, peace came to the hospital room, and Lee-eum gave Dae-han an embarrassed smile.
“Sorry… My Hyung and Noona came and you couldn’t even rest properly.”
“No, I had fun thanks to you. I really respect your Hyung. It’s nice to see him in person.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Ew.”
Dae-han smiled brightly as Lee-eum pretended to throw up. In the meantime, someone knocked on the door. He was nervous, thinking that these people might have come back, but when the door opened, an unexpected person appeared.
“Detective Kim. May I come in?”
The person who held a large fruit basket and poked his face in was none other than Choi Won-joon. Lee-eum was so surprised by the unexpected visitor that he jumped off the bed like a spring. He put on his slippers and was about to go forward when the IV needle in his arm was pulled out in an instant. “Ah!” He frowned and looked back, and Jeong Dae-han came to his side in surprise.
“Are you okay?”
Lee-eum looked at the bloodied arm and turned around. Choi Won-joon had already entered the hospital room. He thought his atmosphere was different from before, but he smiled, folding his eyes as if it were a lie.
“Were you happy to see me? Enough to run out barefoot?”
He smiled and approached, put down the fruit basket, and grabbed Lee-eum’s hand. Before he could shake it off, Choi Won-joon called a nurse while holding his arm. Soon after, a nurse came, reinserted the needle, secured the tape a little more firmly with precautions, and disappeared.
As the three were left alone, the air in the hospital room became somewhat heavy, and Lee-eum wondered how to introduce each other. Of course, it would be appreciated if Choi Won-joon would just leave without having to worry about that. Unfortunately, Choi Won-joon reached out his hand to Jeong Dae-han.
“I’m Choi Won-joon. Nice to meet you.”
Dae-han’s gaze reached Lee-eum and then moved to Won-joon. His eyes were mixed with wariness and a strange emotion like a slight jealousy. Kim Yi-eum didn’t know, but Choi Won-joon knew what it was. He was skeptical when he heard it in the video, but now that he saw it in person, he knew.
“I’m Jeong Dae-han…”
Lee-eum was worried that Choi Won-joon would childishly squeeze his hand, but he just greeted him plainly and finished. Then he blatantly scanned Lee-eum’s body from top to bottom.
“I was surprised to hear the news. What happened?”
“How did you know to come here, Mr. Choi Won-joon?”
“I called the police station and they said you were hospitalized. Did you get hurt while trying to catch the culprit?”
“……”
“Did you miss the culprit?”
“……”
“Oh dear, that’s upsetting.”
Lee-eum frowned. It wasn’t wrong, but he felt strangely proud. Choi Won-joon came close and patted his shoulder as he had a sulky expression without answering.
“Shall I catch him for you?”
Lee-eum shook off his hand irritably.
“No, thanks.”