#062
For days, he had been eating and sleeping in his car. Searching thoroughly through District 2, he hadn’t even had time to get out of the vehicle.
Despite all this effort, Yeon Tae-soo was furious with himself over the lack of results. It was difficult to accept. He had meticulously searched not only Haeya-dong but also District 2 and the surrounding areas, yet somehow there wasn’t even a witness.
There was nothing he couldn’t do in District 2. Finding one person should have been simple, but Yoo Seong-woo had somehow completely disappeared—as if he had vanished into thin air.
Why did he leave?
Driving around in his car, Yeon Tae-soo turned the question over in his mind again and again.
Yoo Seong-woo had been like an unexpected natural disaster in his life. Among the countless people he had summoned to Eden, or those who had come on their own, there was no one else who had drawn out such emotions from him.
That made sense. It seemed he had no emotions left inside him. Like a spring suddenly bursting from dried-up land, a brilliant sensation had emerged within Yeon Tae-soo. And he believed he had poured it all out unreservedly for Yoo Seong-woo.
What had he done wrong? What mistake had his foolish self committed that made Yoo Seong-woo leave without even saying goodbye?
“He ran away because his identity was exposed,” Kim Ji-heon had said. That he fled because Tae-soo discovered he wasn’t “Mr. Yoo” but actually Yoo-hyun.
But no matter how much he thought about it, Yeon Tae-soo was convinced that wasn’t the case.
Choco the cat—her owner had said that Mr. Yoo resembled Yoo-hyun. If he had been afraid of having his identity exposed, he would have run away right after that.
“And he wouldn’t have shown his face to me.”
Yoo Seong-woo had lowered his mask with his own hands. Tae-soo didn’t know how famous this Yoo-hyun person was, but if, as Kim Ji-heon claimed, he was a celebrity known to most people, he would have kept his face hidden from Tae-soo until the end.
No fool shows their cards at a gambling table. If revealing his identity only to Tae-soo had been his goal, he would have removed his mask within days of meeting him.
“There’s something more.”
And one more decisive reason:
“Yoo Seong-woo is not Yoo-hyun.”
Even to Yeon Tae-soo himself, this suspicion seemed illogical. Judging by the face alone, they should be considered the same person.
Nevertheless, Yeon Tae-soo was certain that Yoo Seong-woo was not Yoo-hyun.
If asked why he thought so, he had no explanation. But rather, Yeon Tae-soo wanted to ask Kim Ji-heon: Does this look like the same person to you? To my eyes, they’re absolutely not. They just have the same face.
“…I must be crazy.”
Yes, that was the only conclusion he could reach. Yeon Tae-soo had to admit he wasn’t in his right mind.
“Damn it, what if he’s injured and trapped somewhere?”
If he hadn’t run away, but had just rushed out in shock and then met with an accident…
An ominous feeling disturbed his reason. Otherwise, how could he be this difficult to find?
While grinding his teeth and trembling with anxiety, he suddenly remembered that Seong-woo had mentioned having siblings.
“Could they be twins?”
He said all his siblings had died. Could Yoo-hyun be his deceased twin brother? That would make sense, but it wasn’t enough of a clue to find Yoo Seong-woo.
“Hey, what about the outskirts?” he asked, tapping the earpiece he was wearing.
A tired voice responded from the other end: “Nothing unusual, sir.”
Damn it… Yeon Tae-soo roughly wiped his face with his palm. Hoping for news, he couldn’t even throw away the earpiece, instead clenching and unclenching his empty fist to forcibly suppress his temper. His metal fingers made creaking sounds as they struggled against his grip.
Finally, he got out of the car, cracked his stiff neck from side to side, and headed into the street.
The market alley where he had previously met with the Defense Minister was in front of him. Vaguely hoping for a miraculous coincidence that might lead to Seong-woo, Yeon Tae-soo entered the market. After walking a short distance, he reached the used instrument shop where Yoo Seong-woo had been.
As he looked at the instruments that bore the marks of human hands, the shop owner noticed him. Yeon Tae-soo approached the owner, rubbing his face with his gloved hand. Even though his staff had already investigated this place…
“Owner, do you remember the pretty man with a mask who was here before? The one who played this piano?”
“Ah, yes. I certainly remember him. As I told your employees, he definitely hasn’t been back here.”
The way he lowered his posture suggested he thought Yoo Seong-woo was some kind of criminal who had run off with Eden’s money. Though Tae-soo desperately wanted to correct this misunderstanding, he focused on what was urgent.
“Did he say anything strange? Anything that seemed suspicious?”
Come to think of it, Yoo Seong-woo had been acting strangely since before the party. Was it after he had thrown himself to block the bomb?
“Besides being too pretty.”
The owner hesitated, seemingly flustered. It wasn’t a joke.
“Even something trivial is fine. Owner, please, be comfortable.”
Offering what passed for a smile as he extended his hand, the owner’s gaze briefly lingered on the metal prosthetic visible at the edge of his sleeve and glove before meeting Yeon Tae-soo’s eyes again.
“He… seemed to really like the piano.”
Tae-soo nodded for him to continue.
“I’ve been in the instrument business for generations. I can generally tell what type of person a musician is.”
“What type was that man?”
“He looked like someone who would be in serious trouble if he couldn’t play the piano.”
What kind of story was this? Yeon Tae-soo’s eyes narrowed.
“Sometimes you see people who don’t play music because they love it, but because they’re under pressure and have no choice. He was the opposite. He looked happy while playing.”
Yeon Tae-soo touched his chin, lost in thought. He recalled what Yoo Seong-woo had said before.
Didn’t he say that his father wanted him to pursue music, but he had disappointed him due to lack of talent? Could someone normally still enjoy music in such a situation?
“Well, he did look happy on the day of the party.”
Perhaps he was enjoying making music on his own terms, free from his father’s expectations.
“And his playing style was… how should I say… too rigid…”
The owner, who had been adding more, closed his mouth when his eyes met Yeon Tae-soo’s. He had asked the owner to speak, but now it seemed he couldn’t tolerate any negative comments.
“Right, thank you, owner. If that pretty one shows up, please contact Eden immediately.”
“Yes, yes…”
Yeon Tae-soo looked around. It seemed he needed to consider other methods to find him. As he was leaving the instrument shop, swinging his hand casually, he suddenly added one more thing.
“By the way, I’ll buy that piano.”
Leaving the delighted owner behind, he crossed the market street. The filth of the market floor splashed under his expensive shoes.
He had to find Yoo Seong-woo, even if it meant turning the entire country upside down.
If the Defense Minister found him first…
At that thought, he unconsciously gritted his teeth. If Seong-woo was still in District 2, he was confident he could find him before the Ministry of Defense, but if he had left the area, then he couldn’t be so sure.
After circling the market once, Yeon Tae-soo returned to his car. He planned to go to the outskirts and check personally, just in case. He couldn’t believe how his people were handling this job.
He put the car on autopilot and brought up the materials Kim Ji-heon had given him.
If Yoo Seong-woo had a connection to that celebrity called Yoo-hyun, he intended to look into it.
Though he wanted to kill Kim Ji-heon right then and there, the man had extensive connections in artistic circles, which could still be useful. And if Kim found and nicely delivered Yoo Seong-woo to him, Tae-soo might be somewhat inclined to forgive him.
Yeon Tae-soo speed-read through the materials from Kim Ji-heon, flipping and sorting through them with both hands. During this, he paused at a notable item.
“What’s this?”
He hadn’t read it properly before because he was distracted, but now he noticed a familiar company among the list of businesses.
Yacheon Technology
“…Ha.”
A bitter laugh escaped him. Why was this name popping up here?
Of all companies, why was the one that manufactured the androids he had massacred at Mount Jiri showing up now?
This is the culprit. Without knowing the details, he was certain this company was connected to Yoo Seong-woo. Yet he couldn’t be simply happy about finding a clue, knowing how vicious these people were.
“Damn it… why is everything so fucked up?”
Muttering, Yeon Tae-soo leaned back against the driver’s seat. His reflection in the car window, with the passing scenery in the background, looked savage even to himself.
He had another reason to find Yoo Seong-woo as quickly as possible. At the very least, he needed to find him before these bastards did if he was to remain safe.
He tapped the car’s electronic dashboard to override the controls. The autopilot’s speed wasn’t satisfying him. As he was driving at a greatly increased speed, a call came in.
He had instructed his people to contact him immediately if there was any progress in finding Yoo Seong-woo, no matter how trivial, so he answered right away.
“Sir, we… we found a trace. But I think you need to come quickly.”
