They were monitoring Seung-kwon’s solitary activities on the computer through CCTV footage, and when he met someone secretly, they had assigned people to watch.
“He’s been stirring things up quite vigorously meanwhile.”
“…”
He was too dumbfounded to speak. Even on the day Jae-young sat alone at a food stall tilting his glass, Seung-kwon was nearby. Seung-kwon, talking on the phone while looking somewhere, was mostly standing in familiar places. In front of Jae-young’s house, and in Sa Gong-hyun’s neighborhood.
As the photos burned one by one, photos of a new subject dropped. It was Ju-yeon.
Jae-young doubted his eyes as he observed the movements of Ju-yeon, whom he thought only stayed in the office working.
“…What, what is all this? What…”
Jae-young looked up at Sa Gong-hyun with eyes full of confusion. Just then, the ash that had maintained the shape of the cigarette despite being burned at length, dropped with a plop.
“Didn’t you know? These are the evidences that Im Ju-yeon dared to try to con Sebin. I was already in the process, so she approached Chairman Jang, who holds the funds on the surface, trying to embezzle Sebin’s slush fund, no, my slush fund.”
Sa Gong-hyun now dropped all the photos he held in his hand. They were photos of Ju-yeon in a private meeting with Chairman Jang of Sebin Construction. Woosh, Ju-yeon in the burning photo was smiling calmly.
“The foolish old man accepted the proposal without knowing it was an act that would cut his lifeline. He’s gone senile. After I fed him well, he lost his mind over a few pennies and revealed all his business secrets to a woman with whom he only talked a few times, at most two or three hours a day… Well, that’s my fault too. I chose the wrong business partner.”
“…”
“This is why you shouldn’t take in dark-haired beasts.”
A cigarette butt abruptly intruded into his vision, which had been blankly fixed on the burning photos. Sa Gong-hyun’s shoe began to grind the discarded butt with its small flickering flame.
“Because it was independently carried out, there was later friction with Kim Kang-woo, ah… Do Jae-young would be more familiar with the name Cha Seung-kwon. There was friction with Cha Seung-kwon.”
Friction. At that moment, the commotion that had occurred in Ju-yeon’s workshop flashed through his mind.
“Im Ju-yeon, who was trying to wrap things up quickly, was caught by the scruff of her neck before she could pull out. Out. Cha Seung-kwon, who noticed the signs and handed over all my activities to the police, also out.”
Sa Gong-hyun, who had taken a step, bent his knee and sat in front of Jae-young. Suddenly, a small object was felt swinging in the upper part of his widened vision.
He hopelessly raised his pupils. What was dangling on Sa Gong-hyun’s index finger was a USB. Thud, the USB fell onto the photos covered in dark ash.
It was Seung-kwon’s USB that Jae-young had been desperately searching for. Jae-young’s gaze moved from the USB to Sa Gong-hyun.
The fact that the material that was supposedly handed over to the police was in his hands meant that even the upper echelons of the police were in on it. Jae-young realized that the matter he had gotten involved in was more dangerous than he thought.
“Now, here’s a question.”
“…”
“What do you think happened to Im Ju-yeon and Cha Seung-kwon?”
His mind, which had been vaguely collecting Sa Gong-hyun’s voice, finally flashed with clarity. Jae-young looked down again at the photos smeared with ashes. His gaze climbered up Sa Gong-hyun’s frame.
“…You son of a bitch, what did you do to Cha Seung-kwon and Im Ju-yeon?”
His voice trembled uncontrollably. It was a voice that anyone could see was overcome with fear. His mind turned white. He couldn’t string together any thoughts. Tears that had belatedly welled up blurred his vision.
“Tell me!”
Despite his voice wrung out with all his might, Sa Gong-hyun maintained a chilling face.
“Why are you crying? Scared they might be dead?”
“…”
“Are you worrying after knowing what intention Cha Seung-kwon had when he accepted that job?”
“Stop talking nonsense…”
“You must have been curious. Whether Do Jae-young, who insists he’s a heterosexual to the bone, would really be repulsed by a man.”
“…Stop spouting bullshit.”
It felt as if his mind had become a blank sheet. Without any particular response, Sa Gong-hyun merely pulled up the corners of his mouth into a long smile. It was an ambiguous smile, making it impossible to gauge whether his words were true or false.
“…What was the real purpose behind commissioning this job?”
“Would Do Jae-young jump in with both feet to solve it if he knew? Regrettably, those two are still under observation. Through this affair, I have something to gain, and that matter hasn’t ended yet.”
“…”
“So save your worries… for yourself. Here.”
A cold index finger touched Jae-young’s forehead as he was chewing on curses incoherently. Though he was relieved that he wasn’t dead, he was still equally anxious.
As Jae-young exhaled with difficulty, his lips parted again.
“You surely must realize by now that there’s not a single person to help you even if you’re shot full of holes.”
You son of a bitch… The curse got stuck right in his throat.
“…Instead of just talking big, if you’re going to kill me, do it now.”
Tears slid down, dividing the center of his cheek. Sa Gong-hyun, who had been staring blankly at that sight, gave a twisted smile.
“All right.”
He rose, brushing off his seat.
“If that’s what you want, I can’t refuse.”
He lifted his jacket and concealed his hand behind his waist. Then his hand emerged holding a gun. Sa Gong-hyun took his stance. Soon, the cold sensation of the gun barrel was felt on his forehead.
“Any last words?”
The inside of his mouth was completely dry. His lips parted thinly. Last words? You’re asking if I have last words? Not wanting to submit to him, he opened his eyes wide. Jae-young slowly moved his lips.
“…Fuck off, you idiot.”
One corner of his mouth rose even higher. Sa Gong-hyun loaded the gun without hesitation. Jae-young took a long breath.
The man pointing the gun at him showed not the slightest emotional fluctuation. He wanted to close his eyes. As if representing Jae-young’s feelings, his breath was cut short, and his body trembled finely.
Unable to overcome his fear, Jae-young shut his eyes tightly. After a short while, pressure was applied from the gun barrel.
“Bang.”
The gun barrel brushed upward as if pushing away his forehead.
Except for the imitation of the gunshot, there was no sound. Neither the power of the firearm nor pain was felt.
“…”
Jae-young slowly lifted his eyelids. As soon as he saw Sa Gong-hyun smiling with the corners of his mouth drawn up long, a belated breath burst out.
“Unlike some people, I don’t do things that would cause me a loss.”
“…”
“Do Jae-young needs to live tenaciously to please me.”
“…You’re crazy.”
“I’ll let you make your last statement soon enough.”
Only after realizing with his whole body that he wouldn’t kill him did his strength leave him. No, was it really that the tension was released, causing his body to go limp?
Jae-young felt his consciousness gradually fading along with a stinging sensation felt behind his neck.
#A butterfly having seen a flower would not calculate the fire
Sa Gong-hyun sat down on a sofa made of full aniline leather. He picked up a bundle of documents placed on the low table and crossed his legs long.
An unlit cigarette was askew in his mouth. His toes moved slowly.
Kim Jung-han, who had been waiting even before his arrival, approached and lit the cigarette. Sa Gong-hyun took a long drag on the filter with his gaze fixed on the text in the documents.
The smoke that had deeply penetrated his lungs flowed out between his teeth. His gaze, scrutinizing every letter without missing a single particle, was as calm as if he were studying a law textbook.
However, regardless of his calmness, tension hung in the room. Sa Gong-hyun slightly raised his eyes, which had been silently reviewing the documents.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
