By Zephyria 
“Good morning.”
When I woke up, Choi Won-joon wasn’t there, so I came outside, and he was sitting in the living room as if it were his own home, waving his hand shamelessly. Lee-eum hadn’t slept well, but Choi Won-joon’s face was smooth and radiant.
He was clearly exhausted when I saw him yesterday. Is this house really right for Choi Won-joon? I don’t believe in superstitions, but I couldn’t help but think that for a moment.
“Come and eat lunch.”
Choi Won-joon took out a lunch box from a shopping bag and put it on the table.
“I didn’t put anything in this time. I swear on my conscience.”
The moment I heard that, I was speechless.
“Did you even have a conscience in the first place?”
“Are there people who don’t?”
That’s you. I wanted to say it honestly, but I didn’t want to argue from the morning, so I held back. When I just stared at the lunch box, Choi Won-joon offered to eat both of them if I didn’t believe him.
Instead of eating the lunch box, Lee-eum went into the bathroom to wash up first. When I came out after clearing my head, Choi Won-joon was on the phone with someone. He gave instructions to what seemed to be a company employee, and in the meantime, Lee-eum switched the lunch box in front of Choi Won-joon with his own.
Won-joon finished the call and picked up his chopsticks.
“You must be busy with work.”
“If you want to make a living, you have to be busy.”
Lee-eum laughed because he was talking like a proper office worker.
“What time do you go to work?”
“I took a day off today.”
“Why?”
“Detective Kim is off, so I thought I’d hang out with him.”
When I frowned, Won-joon smiled and raised the corners of my mouth. If you keep frowning like that, you’ll only get wrinkles. It’s okay now because you’re young and your skin is firm, but who will take you when you get wrinkles and become ugly?
Lee-eum ignored him and picked up the remote control to turn on the TV. The news was on, and a distorted voice was heard.
【Hey, they can’t touch me anyway. The Prosecutor General and the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency are all under my dad. No matter how big a crime I commit, it means there’s no one in Korea who can throw me in jail. Got it?】
That arrogant tone. It’s quite familiar. The announcer’s explanation followed.
【The recording you just heard is the additional content released this morning. The person who uploaded this video claimed that the voice belongs to the son of Congressman Kim, who is at the center of the recent controversy. Although the authenticity has not been verified, everyone is paying attention to how the prosecution and police will respond, as high-ranking officials from both sides have been mentioned.】
Lee-eum was so surprised that he couldn’t close his mouth and looked at Choi Won-joon. He was picking out beans from the lunch box like a little kid.
“Why? Do you want beans?”
“Beans aren’t the problem right now.”
“Then what is?”
“Did you, did you upload that, President?”
“I told you, I’d give you something big to blow up. Isn’t it thrilling?”
I honestly admit it. I know I shouldn’t do that as a police officer, but when the first video was uploaded and Kim Ji-cheol was criticized and his father was in trouble, I felt relieved. But isn’t this too dangerous?
“Where did you get the recording? Is it really real?”
“You know the club where Hyung met Kim Ji-cheol before? Why do you think I go there?”
Lee-eum couldn’t answer. When I saw him at the club, I thought this guy came to play. He looks like he’d go to clubs and have promiscuous drug parties. I wanted to tell him the truth, but I held back this time too.
“I thought you came to play.”
“I went there a few times for entertainment, but I don’t personally go there to play. Because I already played enough when I was young. Very promiscuously and lewdly. Like a slut?”
Lee-eum subtly avoided his gaze because he smiled slyly, emphasizing promiscuous, lewd, and even slut. The lunch box, which seemed to be from a hotel, was moderately warm as if it had just been made. Ribs, japchae, and even pancakes. It was quite a hearty side dish for breakfast.
When Lee-eum just stared at it, Won-joon forcibly handed him a spoon.
“Eat. You need to eat to work hard.”
Looking at Won-joon like that, Lee-eum became troubled.
“Didn’t you cause a big accident?”
“Why?”
“You touched the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency and the Prosecutor General. They’ll be looking for who uploaded that file with their eyes wide open.”
“They already know it’s me, don’t they?”
Lee-eum, who was drinking water, almost spat it out. He was so surprised that he was stuttering, and Won-joon bit the end of his chopsticks and smiled affectionately.
“I like that expression on your face, Darling. You look a little silly and cute.”
Lee-eum couldn’t hear anything.
“What did you just say? Who knows? Do those people all know?”
“Oh, actually, those people have a truckload of dirt on them, just like Congressman Kim. You saw it back then. The videos of the Prosecutor General and the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency being filmed. I gave them advice with that. And they understood what I meant.”
It’s not advice, it’s blackmail, you human. Oh my god. A human who blackmails the heads of the prosecution and police. Lee-eum’s face turned white. Should I kick him out now? What if the police suddenly raid my house? The person involved was calm, but Lee-eum was burning with anxiety.
“Try the soup. This is pufferfish soup, and it’s very refreshing.”
“……”
“Shall I feed you?”
He came next to me as if he was really going to feed me, so I scooped up some rice with a spoon. I didn’t even put the rice in my mouth, but I already felt like my throat was blocked. Choi Won-joon was happily singing a song. Then he asked a sudden question.
“What do you do on your days off?”
“Don’t ask and leave quickly if you’re done eating. I’m feeling a threat to my life right now.”
“I’m curious. Tell me.”
Lee-eum sighed and put the rice in his mouth. It felt like he was chewing sand instead of rice.
“I do this and that. I ride a bike, hike, stuff like that.”
“That’s wholesome. So what are your plans for today?”
Actually, I was going fishing today. Lee-eum sometimes went to the reservoir with a fishing rod, but rather than catching fish, he wanted to take a break alone and empty his mind while spacing out.
If I told the truth, Choi Won-joon would follow me, so I shut my mouth tightly. I glanced at Won-joon, and he was eating the rice deliciously. Next to him was a pile of beans that he had picked out.
“Why don’t you eat beans? You’re not a kid.”
“I have a sad story.”
“Usually, people who have committed crimes and eaten bean rice say that.”
“Is there a high possibility that I’ll do that in the future?”
Lee-eum didn’t answer no. Judging by what he does, he’ll end up in jail someday. Then Won-joon brought up an unexpected story.
“When I was kidnapped, the kidnapper gave me bean rice without any side dishes. I don’t know where he got it or if he stole it, but I still remember the texture. It was all cold, the rice grains rolled around in my mouth, and the beans were so hard that they even smelled sour. Was it spoiled rice?”
Choi Won-joon smiled, but Lee-eum didn’t. I shouldn’t have asked. It must be a difficult memory, but he talks about it so casually that the person who asked feels sorry. That memory must have been quite traumatic for Choi Won-joon. That’s why he has insomnia and doesn’t eat beans.
“Forget it…. Even if I don’t know who the criminal is, he’ll be punished somewhere.”
Hearing that, Choi Won-joon smiles faintly.
“Well, if he’s still alive, he will be.”
❖ ❖ ❖
“What is this…”
The wrinkled hand holding the photo trembled. Chairman Choi was furious and glared at the secretary in front of him. The secretary reported on matters related to Choi Won-joon with a nervous expression.
“That’s the police officer who was at the scene of the accident. He’s been visiting him frequently recently, and as far as I know, the bruise on his face was also caused by that police officer.”
Before he could finish speaking, Chairman Choi jumped up from his seat and slammed his fist on the desk. The photo of Lee-eum in his hand was ruthlessly crumpled.
“What! So that means that police bastard hit Won-joon?”
The secretary swallowed hard.
“Yes, that’s what I know.”
“This crazy bastard…”
Chairman Choi unfolded the crumpled photo and checked the face again. He had heard that there was a detective he used to hate like an enemy, and that he had three children, all of whom became police officers.
But one of them is involved with my son. No, it’s not that they’re involved, it seems that Choi Won-joon is unilaterally approaching him. Why? Why even get a house in the same apartment?
“Oh, my head.”
Chairman Choi covered his head and slumped down.
“Are you okay, Chairman? Shall I call the hospital?”
“Instead of the hospital, contact the public relations team right away. Tell them to release an article about Choi Won-joon’s marriage. Make sure people know who the other person is and what family he comes from.”
“Will President Choi stay still?”
“What can he do if he doesn’t stay still? I thought he was living quietly after turning thirty, but he got involved with a mongrel family!”
Chairman Choi’s anger showed no signs of subsiding. He felt a sense of foreboding all over his body. The only reason he didn’t care who Choi Won-joon met was because he would just play around and get rid of them. But now it’s unfamiliar. Not only did he get hit, but he even got a house right in front of him? What is this if not a crazy bastard?
“This crazy bastard.”