By Zephyria 
Even if the third son, Kwon Sang-oh, who had long been pushed out of the succession battle, was set aside, the fight for the throne between the first son, Kwon Tae-oh, and the second son, Kwon Hyeon-oh, was a well-expected picture. The two, who were born in consecutive years, had been comparing themselves to each other and trying to prove their superiority throughout their lives.
Of course, Kwon Tae-oh, the eldest son, was ahead in many ways and had no flaws, so the picture of him smoothly succeeding to the chairmanship was the most likely, but there was no way Kwon Hyeon-oh would just sit back and watch that happen.
So, inevitably, a bloody storm would blow through Gyeongjeong.
But.
“No, what’s the occasion for gathering all our faces? Our fastidious Tae-oh hyung?”
In a private room where the soundproofing was so thorough that even small sounds couldn’t escape, two men were sitting face to face. An antique brass sculpture was decorated on the dark wooden table, and vintage brandy and cocktails were placed next to it.
Beneath the glittering crystal lights, the men sitting cross-legged on the sofas began to exchange leisurely conversations as they faced each other. After exchanging glances that probed each other and sinister smiles that concealed their intentions, a quiet and fierce battle of nerves was unfolding.
“Hyeon-oh.”
Kwon Tae-oh, who had neatly swept his black hair back from his forehead without a single strand out of place, loosened his tie and called out to his younger brother. Kwon Hyeon-oh. A younger brother born from the same womb, one year younger, but their tendencies were distinctly different.
Kwon Tae-oh was cold, thorough, cautious, and calculating, while Kwon Hyeon-oh was laid-back, slick, and skilled in social maneuvering. So, it was no wonder that the old men in the back rooms liked the slippery Kwon Hyeon-oh more. He was a clever guy who looked into the circumstances of both sides, flattered the superiors, and let the subordinates loose, taking all the good reputation for himself.
Kwon Hyeon-oh smiled lightly as he smoked the cigarette in his mouth. He was smiling with a good-natured expression, but his hazel-colored brown eyes were sharp.
“What. What is it.”
“The situation has changed.”
Kwon Tae-oh opened his mouth cautiously. He was drawing Kwon Hyeon-oh, who had no information, into this battle. That was the best move Kwon Tae-oh could take right now.
“Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
Kwon Rae-i and Kwon Hyeon-oh. It would be a headache to have both of them as enemies at the same time. If, by chance, the two of them caused an accident at the same time, he would have no choice but to be helpless. So, Kwon Tae-oh had to take action before such an unfortunate event occurred.
“Ha, geez. Why are you being so serious about saying something boring? I’m already getting bored. If you’re going to tell me to step down quietly, I’m going to yawn.”
Kwon Hyeon-oh leaned back on the sofa, exhaling a long stream of cigarette smoke as if he was bored. His curly brown hair flowed down his cheeks. The length of his hair, which covered his neck, was in contrast to Kwon Tae-oh’s neatly styled hair.
“Among the subordinates you had, Hyeon-oh, there must have been one who was quick-witted. A doctor.”
“Hmm?”
“His name is a single character.”
The faint moonlight shining on the table, the reflected crystal lights, and the reflected light of the golden liquid filling the glass created a breathtaking tension. Each other’s expressions, gestures, and eyes were subtly revealed, so if you didn’t pay attention, you would miss the flow.
“Find him.”
Kwon Tae-oh placed both elbows on the table and slowly clasped his hands together. He continued to speak heavily in a warning tone, staring intently at Kwon Hyeon-oh.
“The rest is up to you. I can’t spoon-feed my grown-up younger brother from beginning to end.”
Then, Kwon Hyeon-oh’s eyes changed subtly.
He didn’t think that Kwon Tae-oh had called him out for no reason in the face of the upcoming struggle. It wouldn’t be strange if it was a trap, and he had prepared for it. But, suddenly, a doctor. What doctor? It was far from the context. If it was so sudden, curiosity would come first.
“Han-seon?”
Kwon Hyeon-oh looked at the people who came to his mind and immediately spat out the name of the person who was considered the most likely suspect. It was difficult to remember each and every one of the subordinates he had, and they were constantly changing and new ones were coming in, but Kwon Hyeon-oh, whose strength was interpersonal relationships, was able to find the right answer right away. A quick-witted doctor. A single-character name. That clue alone was enough for Kwon Hyeon-oh.
“Why Han-seon. Didn’t that guy pull out of Gyeongjeong?”
“I told you to find out on your own.”
“What is it. You’ve become a slippery eel.”
Kwon Hyeon-oh sucked hard on his cigarette and rubbed the butt in the ashtray. He swept back his brown hair that flowed down like a curtain and asked again.
“Is that all you wanted to say?”
“Yes.”
“I’m supposed to solve the rest on my own?”
“You should.”
“Why should I. Did hyung set a pretty trap or something? There was news that Kwon Sang-oh, that guy who was so active, hasn’t been seen since a few days ago.”
“Sang-oh is dead.”
Kwon Hyeon-oh frowned. The interior lighting became even darker and deeper, creating a sticky atmosphere. The completely subdued air constricted each other as if it were suffocating.
“Dead?”
“……”
“He’s dead?”
“……You don’t believe me, I see.”
Kwon Tae-oh released his clasped hands and rummaged through his pockets. Kwon Hyeon-oh’s vigilance tripled. He didn’t know if a gun or a knife would pop out of his pocket. But what Kwon Tae-oh took out of his pocket was just a smartphone.
After manipulating the screen, he opened a photo and threw it on the table.
The screen was cracked like a spider web, as if it had been severely torn, and the smartphone slid to the front where Kwon Hyeon-oh was sitting. Kwon Hyeon-oh grabbed it and checked it.
The first thing he saw was dark red blood, and the next was a distorted face. His ugly younger brother was glaring with his eyes wide open and was photographed as a dead corpse.
“Did hyung take care of it?”
“……”
“If not, who?”
“……You want me to find that out too?”
Kwon Hyeon-oh grinned, revealing his teeth. Dimples were deeply embedded in both cheeks under his long eyes. Kwon Tae-oh carefully examined the face of his younger brother, who was on fire, then released his crossed legs and stood up. He approached the guy, took back the broken smartphone, and put it back in his pocket.
Kwon Hyeon-oh looked up at him and muttered to himself.
“Could it be that Woo Tae-hwon did it again?”
Kwon Tae-oh didn’t answer and left the private room as he was. Seeing Kwon Hyeon-oh, who didn’t even dream of Kwon Rae-i, he somewhat understood his father’s feelings when he had secretly called him out and given him a hint back then. The opponent was sharpening his blade with malice in the dark, yet he was so completely unaware. He was dull and utterly foolish.
‘Kwon Hyeon-oh. You should also try being dragged down once.’
He wondered what Kwon Hyeon-oh’s reaction would be when he barely realized the reality of Kwon Rae-i, who had Jeun on his back. Would he think the same way as him? Would he seethe with defeat and helplessness? And after that, would a terrible animosity surge up?
‘At least he won’t yawn.’
You stupid bastard. Gyeongjeong is full of foolish bastards.
Kwon Tae-oh felt a deep disillusionment. The more he did, the more he remembered his dead father’s face. The conquering dragon who commanded the world with just his eyes. The Dark Demon Kwon Jung-il. Even though they were father and son who shared the same blood, Kwon Tae-oh felt more of a primal submission than a sense of intimacy towards his father when he saw those eyes.
His black hair, droopy, slit eyes, long nose, and cold lips were all inherited from his father’s appearance, and he was considered the most like his father compared to his younger brothers, but strangely, Kwon Tae-oh felt distant from his own father.
In fact, he was always overcome with an unfamiliar fear whenever he met his father’s eyes. It wasn’t a sense of kinship, but rather a sense of alienation. Even when he looked at photos of Chairman Kwon Jung-il in his youth, he looked exactly like Kwon Tae-oh, and everyone, including his dead mother, said that like father, like son, but Kwon Tae-oh himself did not agree with that assessment.
Kwon Rae-i was the one who looked exactly like his father.
His appearance, born with albinism, was of course completely different, but he could glimpse his father in those clear eyes. Perhaps that’s why, when Kwon Tae-oh thought of Kwon Rae-i’s eyes…
‘…That’s enough.’
Kwon Tae-oh stopped his pointless thoughts. He had passed on the clues he had painstakingly investigated to Kwon Hyeon-oh, so now it was time to watch the fire spread and prepare. Soon, a bloody storm would blow. Before that wind could fuel the flames and engulf Gyeongjeong, there was still one important thing he had to finish first.
Kwon Tae-oh had to catch Woo Tae-hwon. He absolutely had to.
“Let’s go.”
He led his subordinates and left the place. A bleak winter wind carried the dark night to its end. Hurriedly, as if pressed for time.