# Chapter 52
The next day. All employees gathered at the Earth Peace Research Institute office for the first time in a while. Having just arrived at work, I was about to cheerfully greet the Director and Jeongmun who I hadn’t seen in a long time, but I couldn’t. The atmosphere in the office was tense.
“Hey, Heerim. What’s going on here? What the hell were you doing yesterday?!”
The Director irritably pushed her hair back and threw the tablet she’d been looking at toward Heerim. The tablet, thrown to the floor without any cushioning, took the full impact. I gaped at the cracked screen, but Heerim calmly picked it up.
“See with your own eyes what you did yesterday.”
What on earth is making her act this way?
I quietly moved to Heerim’s side, careful not to disturb the Director, and checked the tablet screen. Despite the spider-web cracks, fortunately the screen was still displaying properly.
《Serial Orphanage Arson. Police Identify Suspect.》
“Huh?”
My heart dropped when I read the words ‘orphanage’ and ‘serial arson,’ and I immediately checked the full article.
Around 1 AM on the 21st, a fire believed to be part of a series of arsons occurred at an orphanage in A district, A city.
According to the orphanage director Mr. Kang, the arson suspect is presumed to be a man in his twenties with brightly dyed hair…
“What is this saying?!”
Though it wasn’t stated explicitly, the suspect mentioned in the article was clearly Heerim. I felt irritation rising at this absurd content.
“This isn’t Heerim. At that time, Heerim was with you, Director. How could Heerim set a fire? He has no reason to.”
“I know. I know that.”
The Director sighed and put a cigarette in her mouth. Heerim, who had been sitting indifferently, finally frowned.
Click. Click.
The Director tried to light her cigarette, but the lighter’s flame kept going out. Sensing something unusual, she glared sharply at Heerim. Heerim didn’t avoid her intense gaze but instead clicked his tongue.
“Don’t smoke in the office.”
“Argh!”
The Director, seemingly at the peak of her irritation, threw the lighter at Heerim, just as she had with the tablet. The expensive-looking Zippo lighter bounced twice on the floor before sliding under a desk.
“Why don’t you just go outside and advertise that you’re alive on a billboard while you’re at it?”
“Why would I advertise something like that?”
Heerim seemed completely unfazed by the Director’s sarcasm. Only the Director’s face was turning red and blue with anger at his nonchalant attitude. Thinking the sparks might fly my way next, I quietly lowered my head and hid behind Heerim as a shield. But I couldn’t escape the Director’s radar.
“And Jaeo.”
“Y-yes?”
“Why did you act alone? Why did you need to take independent action without telling us?”
“Ah…”
“Did I give you 100 million won to solve this request? You only needed to Guide Heerim at the office, why create extra work?”
My chest stung at the Director’s rebuke. I could make excuses, but it was true that I had acted independently as just a part-timer, not a full-time employee, so I had nothing to say. This was definitely my fault.
“I’m sor—”
“Stop it. Why are you taking out your anger on the wrong person?”
Heerim blocked me as I was about to apologize to the Director.
“Jaeo hyung almost died there. Can you say that had nothing to do with me?”
“Heerim!”
What is he saying? Could the orphanage fire possibly have something to do with Heerim?
“Jaeo hyung is the victim in this incident!”
“Then what about you?!”
Their voices rose higher. I was caught between them, trying to understand what they were talking about.
“Both of you, stop it.”
Jeongmun stepped in, unable to watch anymore. The Director, seemingly trying to contain her anger, breathed heavily before taking out another cigarette from the pack and putting it in her mouth. Then she rummaged through Jeongmun’s pockets. Though Jeongmun noticeably jumped in surprise, the Director paid no attention and pulled out a plastic lighter from his pocket.
“I said don’t smoke in the office.”
Heerim frowned and flicked his finger. The lighter in the Director’s hand made a cracking sound and split in half horizontally.
“Hah… this is unbelievable!”
The Director slammed the cigarette she had been holding to the floor, kicked her chair back, and stormed out.
A heavy silence fell over the office. I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles, fidgeting with my fingertips aimlessly. Though Heerim didn’t show it much, he glanced at the door through which the Director had left with a troubled expression. Eventually, he stood up.
“I’ll go talk to the Director for a bit.”
Slam.
The sound of the office door closing made my heart sink. I felt uncomfortable, thinking all this trouble was because of me.
If I hadn’t foolishly thought I could solve the request alone, I wouldn’t have been in danger, and Heerim wouldn’t have been mistaken for a suspect. It was all my fault.
“Jaeo.”
“Yes…”
Jeongmun, who had been quietly observing me, spoke up. I responded weakly, hanging my head like a criminal. Jeongmun then took out a small chocolate from his desk drawer and handed it to me.
“This isn’t your fault.”
“…Thank you.”
I forced a faint smile at Jeongmun’s kind words and accepted the chocolate. The taste of the dark chocolate felt more bitter than sweet, much like the current situation.
“By the way, that orphanage. You said children disappeared? But no records remained?”
“Ah, yes. But rather than saying no records remained, it’s more like… how should I put it? People seemed unable to recognize the records of the children who had disappeared.”
Despite my unclear explanation, Jeongmun nodded as if he understood.
“We need to investigate this further. It would be good if you and I meet with that client later. Can you contact the client?”
“Yes, I’ll try.”
I immediately found the client’s number and called him. I had been wanting to check if everyone was okay anyway, since I had only called 119 yesterday before leaving. And I wanted to clear up the misunderstanding about the arson suspect.
After quite a few rings, the call connected.
“Hello, Director. This is Son Jaeo from the Earth Peace Research Institute.”
“Earth Peace Research Institute?”
The client repeated questioningly. Thinking he might not remember the office name, I introduced myself again.
“I visited briefly yesterday about the orphanage issue.”
“Ah, yes. You’re that teacher from Somang Orphanage, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. How are you feeling, Director?”
“You must have seen the fire news. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and I’m not seriously injured, but I’m planning to stay in the hospital for a few days for various tests, just to be safe. You had gone home before the fire broke out yesterday, right?”
“Ah, yes…”
“That’s truly fortunate.”
The client didn’t seem to know I had been at the scene of the fire. Perhaps he lost consciousness right after I said I would check out the situation.
“Could you tell me which hospital you’re in? I’d like to discuss the request further.”
“Request? What request?”
“Pardon? About the children disappearing from the orphanage…”
“Excuse me…?”
“You don’t remember?”
“Hmm. I’ll send you the hospital location by message. I’m not sure what this is about, but let’s talk when we meet.”
The client’s response was strange. He reacted as if he didn’t understand what I was saying at all. Despite feeling an inexplicable uneasiness, I assumed he was confused due to the accident and ended the call.
***
The hospital where the ‘Dream House’ people, including the client, were admitted was a small general hospital on the outskirts of the city.
I came with the Director to meet the client, carrying a fruit basket I had bought at a produce store near the hospital. Though I would have preferred to come with Jeongmun rather than the Director, she insisted on coming along after hearing about it.
In the elevator going up to the hospital room, I silently watched the numbers increasing.
The Director was the first to break the awkward atmosphere.
“I’m sorry about earlier. I was taking out my frustrations on you unfairly.”
“No, it’s fine. I acted too independently. I’m sorry too.”
I smiled awkwardly at the Director’s unexpected apology.
“…”
“…”
Despite our mutual apologies, the atmosphere seemed to become even more awkward. Just as I was thinking I wanted to escape this situation, the elevator doors opened. I sprang out like a coiled spring. The Director chuckled at my hasty escape and followed behind me.
The client was in a six-bed ward. Perhaps because it was the drowsy time just after lunch, there was no sound in the room except for the TV broadcast. I found the client’s bed by checking the name tags. There were already several get-well gifts on the bedside table, suggesting many people had visited before me. Fortunately, there was no fruit.
“Director. Hello.”
“Oh my! You didn’t have to come all the way here!”
“Please take this.”
“You shouldn’t have. Hehe. And who might this be beside you…”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Jung Hanyoung, Director of the Earth Peace Research Institute.”
The Director took out a business card and handed it to the client. The client looked at it quizzically.
“Confidentiality guaranteed… rapid case resolution…?”
“I thought it would be good to discuss the case you requested with the Director as well, so I brought her along.”
“No. Wait a moment.”
The client narrowed his brow and looked back and forth between the Director and me. Seeing his expression, I was certain that the vague feeling I had during our phone call was not unfounded.
“What case are you talking about exactly?”
Right now, the client couldn’t remember anything about the request he had made to me.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
