By Zephyria 【I found Kim Ji-cheol’s finger. Why did you put it here?】
After reading the message, Choi Won-joon, with a cigarette in his mouth, wore a strange smile and immediately sent a reply.
【Hing…. Do you still suspect me?ㅠㅠ】
He’d cringe and be disgusted as soon as he read it. Just imagining it made him happy, and he chuckled softly. Director Lee, who was taking a fruit basket out of the back seat of the car, glanced at him.
Won-joon put his cell phone inside his jacket, put out his cigarette, and stared at the sanatorium in front of him. The hospital, located on the outskirts of Seoul, was a relatively new building and a place where the troubled offspring of the upper class were housed. Most of them showed symptoms of drug addiction.
“If I cause more trouble, will Grandpa lock me up in a place like this too?”
Director Lee didn’t say no to Won-joon’s question. Madam Lee, his mother, was acting as a shield, but if his relationship with Kim Yi-eum deepened here, Chairman Choi wouldn’t stand idly by. The same went for Kim Yi-eum’s family.
As he tried to enter, an employee blocked him from the entrance.
“How may I help you?”
“I’m here to visit Kim Ji-cheol.”
The employee radioed somewhere and then told him to follow. It would be more accurate to describe it as a luxury prison rather than a hospital. Medical staff were visible everywhere, but the atmosphere was quite different from that of an ordinary hospital.
When he arrived on the third floor by elevator, a man named Secretary Yang was waiting in front. He was someone Won-joon had bought off with money, and he reported Kim Ji-cheol’s every move. Kim Ji-cheol would never have imagined that the man who had been like his right-hand man would betray him.
“Welcome, President. Please follow me.”
He was led to a room inside, where large bodyguards were blocking the way. As they cleared the path, Won-joon went inside. The air conditioner was running coolly, and Kim Ji-cheol was leaning against the bed, watching TV. Director Lee placed the fruit basket on one side, and Won-joon slowly walked toward Kim Ji-cheol.
“I’m Choi Won-joon from Sehwa Construction. Nice to meet you.”
Won-joon, who had been reaching out his hand, made a pitiful expression.
“I’m sorry. It must be uncomfortable for you to shake hands. I wasn’t thinking.”
Kim Ji-cheol’s hands were hidden inside the blanket. He heard that his wounds had healed a lot, but his face was still ashen. Won-joon liked that very much. At least it meant he wasn’t lying down comfortably.
Even in his pain, Kim Ji-cheol didn’t lose his unique arrogance.
“I was a little surprised to hear from Secretary Yang. We’ve run into each other at clubs from time to time, but we haven’t exactly built up a special friendship. I’m grateful, but I can’t help but wonder if you have an ulterior motive.”
“An ulterior motive…. I don’t really like that word. I don’t know why you’d think that.”
“Detective Kim Yi-eum.”
Won-joon remained calm even when Kim Yi-eum’s name came out of Kim Ji-cheol’s mouth.
“I heard you two know each other. I don’t like Kim Yi-eum very much. To be honest, I should say I fucking hate him.”
“Oh, you’re mistaken. It’s true that we were close for a while, but we’ve grown apart now. I hung out with him because I thought his family background would be helpful, but that young bastard is only good-looking and so stubborn that he’s not practical at all.”
Won-joon made a disgusted expression, and Kim Ji-cheol didn’t seem to believe Won-joon’s words. Of course, he wouldn’t, since he had already done his background check. That’s probably why he was wary from the moment Won-joon came in. Kim Ji-cheol’s eyes were full of murderous intent, and Won-joon tilted his head back and muttered to himself.
“Ah, how can I make you believe me?”
Kim Ji-cheol was silent, and Won-joon snapped his fingers before closing the distance with Kim Ji-cheol.
“Kim Ji-cheol, you can’t sleep these days, can you? Should I help you?”
“……”
“I know because I’ve suffered from insomnia for a long time. When sleeping becomes a horror, people have no choice but to go crazy. In the end, you’ll lose your mind and go insane, completely.”
“What the hell….”
Kim Ji-cheol frowned and belatedly realized something was wrong, so he looked up. Director Lee was already injecting a drug into the IV drip with a syringe. Just as a surprised Kim Ji-cheol was about to scream, Won-joon roughly covered his face with his hand and brought his index finger to his mouth.
“Shh— I told you I came to help.”
“Ugh…!”
“Don’t be scared. I’m not cutting anything off this time.”
Won-joon whispered and smiled kindly, and the more he did, the more Kim Ji-cheol resisted. When he pressed down hard on his shoulder, his eyelids fluttered and closed, and his movements gradually subsided. When he breathed softly as if he had fallen asleep, Won-joon let him go and sprayed disinfectant on his hands. In the meantime, Director Lee disposed of the empty syringe and called Secretary Yang.
“He’ll show hallucinations when he wakes up.”
Then Director Lee took out a bankbook from his pocket.
“Just handle the rest as I asked.”
Secretary Yang opened the bankbook to check, and a look of joy spread across his face. He swallowed hard and carefully opened his mouth.
“T, this is clean money, right?”
“It’s laundered, so it’s clean.”
Secretary Yang put the bankbook in his pocket and tried to hide his happy expression. As Won-joon got up from his seat, Secretary Yang bowed 90 degrees. To think he’d stab his own master in the back with that expression. Won-joon came out and walked down the hallway. Then, when he arrived at the parking lot, he called Director Lee.
“Ji-hoon, you can’t betray me for money.”
“I want to live a long life.”
“You’re wise, as always.”
“What should we do with Secretary Yang?”
“Get rid of him when things calm down. Who’s to say a guy who betrayed once can’t do it twice?”
Before leaving, Won-joon looked back at the sanatorium. To be exact, the rooftop. In a few days, Kim Ji-cheol would suffer from hallucinations and commit suicide. The newspaper would report that he had a miserable end after taking drugs. Wasn’t that the perfect ending for Kim Ji-cheol?
He had promised Kim Yi-eum not to commit illegal acts, but he couldn’t just stand by and watch Kim Ji-cheol target Kim Yi-eum. Ah, tearful affection. Shouldn’t this be taken into consideration? Of course, it was purely his own thought.
❖ ❖ ❖
“That’s him, right? Kim Dong-hee’s lover.”
As soon as a man pulled a small suitcase and entered the villa, the lights on the third floor turned on. The house had been empty for a while, but his lover had returned first. Lee-eum leaned against the steering wheel and stared straight ahead in silence.
“Where the hell did Kim Dong-hee disappear to….”
“Didn’t Kim Dong-hee’s mom tell him in advance? ‘Be careful, there’s a detective in front of your house!’”
Lee-eum burst out laughing because Nam-soo was imitating a shaman. When he said it was quite similar, he joked that he should quit being a detective and go around telling fortunes instead.
“Oh, right, I burned that amulet earlier.”
“Why?”
“The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. Sunbae, you should burn yours too. I don’t think the evil spirit will fall off, but rather stick to you. I searched it up, and it said you shouldn’t just tear up an amulet, you have to burn it.”
Nam-soo. Actually, that evil spirit lives in my house. It’s so vicious that it doesn’t seem like it’ll fall off. What should I do?
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“It’s nothing….”
Just as he was resolving to get rid of the amulet soon, a message arrived. He’s hopeless at becoming a gentleman.
【When do you get off work?】
He sent a short reply saying ‘working late’ and continued to monitor. As time passed, his body felt stiff and he became increasingly hungry. He was discussing with Nam-soo what to eat at a nearby convenience store when someone suddenly knocked on the window.
Lee-eum, who was turning his head, almost screamed. It was Choi Won-joon, who had his face close to the window. His brain froze in embarrassment, and Nam-soo pointed at Choi Won-joon with his finger and exclaimed.
Choi Won-joon stepped back, and Lee-eum hurriedly got out. As Nam-soo was about to say something, he quickly closed the door and dragged Choi Won-joon behind a utility pole. Then he looked around.
“How did you know I was here? Did you follow me?”
“I just saw your car while passing by.”
“You automatically lie as soon as you open your mouth.”
“Yeah, I love you.”
When he frowned fiercely, Won-joon smiled brightly.
“What does it matter? Don’t worry about it since it’s also a lie.”
Lee-eum was speechless and pushed him in the back. When he urged him to leave quickly, he handed him the shopping bag he was holding.
“Eat this and work. You’ll ruin your health if you starve.”
“I don’t need it, so please leave. Don’t come looking for me while I’m working.”
Then, without realizing it, Lee-eum grabbed Choi Won-joon’s arm and brought his nose to it. When he inhaled, he smelled a faint disinfectant.
“Did you go to the hospital?”
“What if I did? Are you worried about me?”
Won-joon subtly passed the shopping bag and waved his hand. I’m leaving, see you at home. Before he could return it, he got into the car he had parked nearby, and Lee-eum watched the disappearing car before opening the shopping bag in his hand. It’s a lunch box. Wait, did he really come all this way just to give me this?