It seemed he had dozed off for a moment.
“Sir. Sir.”
At the sound of the taxi driver’s voice, Kim Min-seok opened his eyes. He rubbed the corner of his eye with his hand and looked outside the window. He was in the middle of a garishly lit nightlife district.
“We’re here.”
“Ah, right. I must’ve fallen asleep for a bit. How much is it?”
Kim Min-seok took out cash from his pocket and handed it to the taxi driver. As he stepped out, the taxi quickly rumbled away. He took a quick glance around at the bustling surroundings before looking into the narrow alley ahead. Hidden in the darkness between the neon lights was a cheap inn sign.
The short nap seemed to have helped a little; the alcohol in his system had subsided to some extent. However, his breath still reeked of liquor. Kim Min-seok decided to stop by a nearby convenience store first. He picked up a hangover drink, several bottles of soju, some paper cups, and a few snacks.
Seated at a table in the corner of the convenience store, Kim Min-seok opened the hangover drink and downed it in one go. Then, he rummaged through the plastic bag and took out the paper cups. If he mixed the drug directly into the soju, it would be too easy to notice. He didn’t know much about Seo Chang-seop, but if it were him, he certainly wouldn’t trust someone handing him an already opened bottle of alcohol.
Kim Min-seok pulled a small plastic pill bottle from his pocket. After making sure no one was watching, he sprinkled the finely ground powder inside one of the paper cups and swirled it gently so that it formed a thin layer at the bottom. Fortunately, the drug was white, making it nearly invisible. He checked multiple times before stacking the cups together and placing them back in the bag—the top cup was the one laced with the drug, while the bottom one was clean.
With his task complete, Kim Min-seok leaned forward onto the table and let out a deep sigh. The moment he closed his eyes, the world seemed to spin. Though he had sobered up a little, he was still undeniably drunk.
Would it be okay to meet Seo Chang-seop like this? Or should he rent a room nearby and sleep for a few hours before going? He had told him he would come by morning, so there was still plenty of time.
As he lay there, deep in thought, Kim Min-seok eventually sat up straight. Seo Chang-seop was probably expecting Seo Ha-yoon to arrive late at night or early in the morning. Instead, catching him off guard at this hour might be a better move. Besides… in a way, it was fortunate that he was still tipsy. The thought of facing that disgusting bastard while completely sober made him nauseous.
‘Yeah, let’s go. Let’s fucking destroy that bastard and be done with it!’
Kim Min-seok muttered to himself, trying to build up courage. If everything went according to plan, he would never have to deal with Seo Chang-seop again. He stood up, grabbed the plastic bag, and confidently walked out of the convenience store toward the inn.
The inside of the inn was just as shabby as its exterior. It reeked of cheapness, with the aged wooden structure suggesting it had been in operation for at least two or three decades.
Ding—
The elevator came to a stop. Kim Min-seok walked down the hallway lined with red-carpeted floors until he reached Seo Chang-seop’s room. Unlike modern accommodations, the door was an old wooden one with a coat of paint. He raised his hand and pressed the doorbell.
He reached for the doorbell, but there wasn’t one in sight. In the end, he took a deep breath and knocked.
Knock, knock—knock, knock—
After a few taps, there was movement from inside. It seemed Seo Chang-seop was in a rather precarious situation, as he didn’t fling the door open immediately.
“Who is it?”
Seo Chang-seop’s voice came from inside the door.
“It’s me. Seo Ha-yoon.”
At Kim Min-seok’s brief response, the door finally clicked open. Seo Chang-seop peered through the small gap, scanning both Kim Min-seok and the surroundings to confirm he had come alone before opening the door fully. Stepping inside the dingy inn room, Kim Min-seok felt like he was walking straight into the lair of a beast.
Seo Chang-seop was fully dressed, even wearing his jacket. His bloodshot eyes suggested he hadn’t slept in quite some time.
“I brought some booze and snacks.”
Mimicking the way Seo Ha-yoon had spoken in his dream, Kim Min-seok handed over the plastic bag. Seo Chang-seop rummaged through it, picking up each bottle of soju and inspecting the caps closely. The sight sent a cold chill down Kim Min-seok’s spine. He hadn’t expected him to actually check. Seo Chang-seop was proving to be a far more cautious opponent than he had anticipated.
“Sit.”
Seo Chang-seop gestured. Kim Min-seok lowered himself onto the worn-out chair by the foot of the bed. The old chair creaked under his weight. A quick glance around the room revealed an oppressive, dreary atmosphere. The air was thick with the stench of cigarettes and the musty scent of accumulated dust.
“Where’s your phone?”
“I couldn’t bring it. I had to sneak out.”
Clicking his tongue in irritation, Seo Chang-seop seemed like he had intended to use it for something.
“What about the money?”
His bloodshot eyes fixed on Kim Min-seok. His condition was terrible. His already gaunt and haggard face was now deathly pale, and deep wrinkles were etched into his skin.
“Do I look stupid enough to bring the cash here? What about you? You’re on the run, but did you still have time to gather the files?”
Kim Min-seok’s skeptical question made Seo Chang-seop chuckle under his breath. Then, he pulled out his phone from his pocket and waved it slightly.
“Don’t underestimate me just because I’m older. I’m not dumb enough to let something this important leave my side. Everything is stored on this phone.”
“And how do I know that’s everything? There’s no way all your valuable data is only on that phone. Where’s the backup?”
At Kim Min-seok’s sharp inquiry, Seo Chang-seop smirked.
“You’re not as stupid as I thought. Of course, I backed it up. It’s all stored in the cloud as well. If you hand over the money, I’ll give you this phone and access to the cloud account.”
“And you?” Seo Chang-seop narrowed his eyes. “Where’s the money? A bank transfer won’t cut it. I need cash or something I can liquidate immediately. You had the sense to bring that, right?”
“I brought the watch and accessories I got as gifts, along with a little over thirty million won in cash. Even if I sell them at base value, I can easily get two hundred million.”
“You said three hundred million.”
Seo Chang-seop’s hoarse voice was laced with accusation.
“That was if I brought cash. Do you think I have billions sitting in my bank account? Do you even realize how much you’ve already drained from me? I’m lucky there’s even thirty million left. The only other things worth money are the watch and gold pieces. Take them or spread the files and go fucking die somewhere. Your choice.”
Kim Min-seok’s eyes were sharp as he spoke. Then, he pulled out a bottle of soju from the bag, twisted off the cap, and placed paper cups in front of them. He poured the liquor into both cups before even opening any of the snacks.
Without waiting, he lifted his own cup and chugged the soju in one go, his face filled with frustration. Seo Chang-seop, watching him, swallowed hard. He was obviously on the run—his ragged appearance made that clear. If this rundown inn was the best place he could find to hole up, then he hadn’t had a proper drink in a while. He was bound to crave the soju.
Kim Min-seok made a conscious effort not to stare at Seo Chang-seop’s cup. The dim lighting worked in his favor. The paper cup was large and deep enough that, with only about a quarter filled, the powdered drug wouldn’t be visible. Still, his heart pounded in his chest at the risk of being caught.
“Fuck.”
Cursing under his breath, Seo Chang-seop picked up the cup and downed the entire contents in one gulp.
Kim Min-seok held his breath as he watched, only exhaling in relief once the cup was empty. The tension that had gripped his body loosened, and the lingering effects of the alcohol made his head buzz slightly.
“Fine. I don’t like it, but I’m in a hurry, so I’ll take it. Where’s the money?”
“Show me the files first. The cloud account, too. I won’t tell you a damn thing until then.”
“You actually brought it?”
“I did. I hid it nearby.”
Kim Min-seok lied effortlessly.
Seo Chang-seop scrutinized him, breathing heavily as if trying to gauge the truth. Then, he powered on his phone, opened the photo gallery, and handed it over.
“Hurry up and check. If I leave it on too long, I could get tracked.”
Seo Chang-seop urged him impatiently. Kim Min-seok quickly scrolled through the images and videos. There weren’t as many as he expected—just two videos and about a dozen photos. Without hesitation, he selected them all and deleted them. Then, he handed the phone back.
“Open the cloud storage.”
At Kim Min-seok’s demand, Seo Chang-seop grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth.
“Not so fast. You already deleted the phone files. Now it’s your turn to bring out the money.”
“And how do I know you won’t run the moment you know where it is? Show me the cloud first, or forget it.”
Kim Min-seok stood his ground. Seo Chang-seop clicked his tongue in annoyance but eventually tapped on his phone. He handed it back, showing the cloud storage with the same images and videos.
Not wasting a second, Kim Min-seok swiftly deleted everything. Once the confirmation message appeared, stating that the files were permanently erased, the tension in his shoulders finally eased.
“Done, right? Now tell me where the money is.”
Seo Chang-seop snatched the phone back, quickly powered it off, and tucked it into his pocket.
“How do I know that’s all of it? There could be more than one cloud account.”
Kim Min-seok nitpicked, trying to buy time. By now, the drug should have started to take effect, but Seo Chang-seop showed no signs of reacting. Anxiety crept in. A cold sweat broke out on his back as he considered the worst-case scenario—would he really have to pull out the hidden knife he had brought just in case?
“Fuck, I’ve already given you enough! What the hell more do you need to check? You little shit, did you even bring the fucking money?”
Seo Chang-seop’s face twisted with anger. His grip on the soju bottle tightened visibly, as if he was considering smashing it over Kim Min-seok’s head.
Gulp.
Kim Min-seok swallowed dryly, his throat constricting. Please, please. Let the drug take effect already! He mentally prayed to every god he could think of.
“Seo Ha-yoon. Are you gonna answer me or—huh? Uh…?”
