62
After getting tired of the variety shows with bursts of laughter, Junghyun flipped through the channels and settled on a news channel.
“We bring you the following news.”
“……”
On TV, a female anchor in formal attire was delivering the news with clear pronunciation.
Sighing, Jo Junghyun sat on the sofa with his knees up, rubbing his arms. Though he had turned on the TV, being alone in the spacious house was more difficult than he’d expected.
He knew nothing unusual would happen and that he was in a safe place right now. But emotions sometimes react differently from logic. And this was one of those times.
He was beginning to regret his stubbornness in pretending not to notice that Ji Seunghyeok was working from home instead of going to the office. Shaking his head, he picked up his phone.
He knew he should turn off the TV, but somehow the thought of enduring the silence without even a bit of noise didn’t appeal to him.
He launched YouTube out of habit. While scrolling through the list, Junghyun’s hand suddenly stopped.
“…Huh?”
A thumbnail in the playlist caught his eye. More precisely, a certain man in the thumbnail.
He wasn’t mistaken. It was an unforgettable face.
How could he forget that wrinkled face and cunning eyes?
His fingertips turned pale.
His breathing quickened.
The title of the video clip was “Voice Analysis of Five-Term Congressman Woo Cheolgon!”
He was just now learning that the man’s name was Woo Cheolgon. Until then, the man had only existed as a vague fear in his mind, but now it felt like he had taken on a real form.
It sounds silly, but it finally felt real that this person actually existed.
From the title alone, he couldn’t tell exactly what the content was about. He knew he should check it, but he couldn’t easily press play. It was something he could do with just one touch of his thumb on the screen, but he couldn’t move his finger at all, like someone holding a bomb detonator.
He had thought it was all in the past. He had thought he would be fine.
He wasn’t fine at all.
Because he had only covered it up.
Because he had only turned away without resolving anything, pretending not to see.
Junghyun closed his eyes and bit his lip.
How long had he been standing like that? As the opening music of the news played, he heard the front door opening.
As Junghyun turned his head toward the hallway to the entrance, the anchor’s voice reached his ears.
“News about Congressman Woo Cheolgon. This video uploaded to Congressman Woo Cheolgon’s official account is causing waves as it reveals his own criminal acts.”
It seemed to be the same content he had just seen on YouTube.
Congressman Woo Cheolgon. Criminal acts.
Just hearing those two words made his heart pound.
It might not be about what happened to him. It could just be about other crimes that man had committed.
“Junghyun…?”
“Ah, hyung.”
When Junghyun responded a beat late, Ji Seunghyeok observed what he was watching. The TV was in the middle of talking about Woo Cheolgon. Junghyun could feel Seunghyeok examining his expression.
“Should I turn off the TV?”
“No, no. It’s fine. I want to watch.”
Junghyun shook his head.
He needed to check what they were talking about. What wrongdoing they were discussing.
Yes. He couldn’t keep covering it up forever. Seunghyeok had said it was okay, but just being affected by it and avoiding it wouldn’t solve anything. Junghyun clenched his teeth and fixed his eyes on the TV.
“In the video, Congressman Woo Cheolgon claims to have committed and instigated drug-facilitated rape against Alphas and Omegas.”
The expressionless anchor delivered just the facts in a monotone voice.
Junghyun’s eyes widened.
What the anchor was saying now was clearly about what had happened to him. He couldn’t believe that Woo Cheolgon had admitted it himself. Moreover, it seemed that it wasn’t just a one-time occurrence. He had vaguely suspected as much, but he couldn’t believe that he had done such a thing multiple times.
His own case had at least ended as an attempted assault, but the others…
Junghyun unconsciously clenched his fist.
“At the end of the video, he stated that he has already submitted various pieces of evidence to the prosecution and also apologized to the victims, increasing the credibility of these criminal allegations. The police have formally received the case and launched an investigation. While Congressman Woo Cheolgon’s whereabouts remain unknown, the prosecution is working to secure his arrest. However, the evidence submitted is so detailed that there shouldn’t be much difficulty with the investigation. The National Forensic Service has been requested to analyze this video to enhance its credibility. Meanwhile, Congressmen Jo Uihyeop and Seong Jubeop, whom Woo Cheolgon mentioned were present, have officially stated that they have absolutely no connection to the matter.”
An apology to the victims.
That phrase was the only one that penetrated Junghyun’s ears.
Ji Seunghyeok silently approached from behind as Junghyun listened to the anchor without even blinking.
“Junghyun.”
Only then did Junghyun realize that he wasn’t breathing properly.
Seunghyeok gently cupped Junghyun’s cheek. Strangely, he felt like he was floating in the air. Unable to tell if he was standing firmly on his two feet, he looked down at his feet.
His breath was hot and his vision blurred. It was hard to breathe, as if someone was choking him.
He couldn’t hold back the wave of sobs, and before he knew it, he was in Seunghyeok’s arms.
Seunghyeok silently stroked Junghyun’s back with a gentle, careful touch.
How long had he been crying?
The crying had subsided, and only trembling sobs were coming out.
Even in the midst of this, he wiped away the still-flowing tears with the back of his hand.
“Will you wait a moment? I’ll bring you some water.”
After kissing Junghyun on the head, Seunghyeok got up. As Junghyun listened to his footsteps heading toward the kitchen, he looked at the phone lying alone to one side.
What was in the video that Woo Cheolgon had made public?
How exactly did he apologize?
He felt he needed to see it once.
Since it seemed to be a hot topic on YouTube too, it shouldn’t be hard to find.
His eyelids, stiff from crying, were uncomfortable even for the simple task of closing and opening. Sighing, Junghyun picked up his phone. The screen was black, reflecting his face in the dark display.
It had been a short time, but his eyes were really swollen.
Finding that sight quite funny, Junghyun let out a laugh that sounded like a sigh.
Even in a situation like this, laughter comes. That fact felt new to him.
“Drink some water.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
Ji Seunghyeok, who had returned without notice, handed him a glass of water. After taking a sip, Junghyun put the glass down on the nearby table. Fidgeting with his phone, he turned to Seunghyeok.
“Hyung, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it? Tell me.”
“Could you watch a video with me?”
Seunghyeok looked at the phone in Junghyun’s hand after hearing his words.
“It’s not a difficult favor.”
Seunghyeok seemed to already know what Junghyun was going to say. Junghyun lightly sucked on his lower lip once.
“I want to see what that person… Woo Cheolgon uploaded…”
“…Junghyun.”
Junghyun felt Seunghyeok’s grip tighten on his shoulder. He knew what the other was worried about. But this was something he had to face one way or another. Although Seunghyeok had told him he didn’t have to, he couldn’t do the same with this issue.
“It’s okay. I think I can watch it if you’re with me.”
Still, he didn’t yet have the courage to watch it alone. He wondered if it was alright to be this childish, but Seunghyeok readily agreed to Junghyun’s request without saying anything else, simply nodding his head.
Finding the original video was easy. It took just a few touches.
Before playing the video, Junghyun took a deep breath in and out.
Woo Cheolgon’s face appeared on the phone screen.
He looked a bit more haggard than in Junghyun’s memory.
The total playing time was about 15 minutes and 40 seconds.
As the video started, Woo Cheolgon, who had been just a thumbnail, began to move.
Woo Cheolgon began to speak about what he had done. The stories he told were each so cruel and vicious that they seemed unreal.
What he had done wasn’t just a few incidents. He had committed those horrific acts at least 50 times over the span of ten-plus years. Woo Cheolgon didn’t seem to know exactly how many victims he had harmed.
When he mentioned that some of the victims had lost their lives, Junghyun squeezed his eyes shut. The only commonality among the victims, regardless of age or gender, was that they weren’t Betas.
Woo Cheolgon said it was simply due to his hatred towards Alphas and Omegas. It was hard to believe that someone could commit such unspeakable acts against others based on just those emotions. For him, Alphas and Omegas weren’t fellow humans. If he had considered them people with the same blood flowing through their veins, he couldn’t have done such things.
The memories of what he had experienced came back whether he liked it or not.
In Junghyun’s case, at least it had ended in an attempt.
Junghyun found it hard to breathe as he couldn’t even begin to imagine how great the pain must have been for those who suffered more than what he had experienced. He struggled mightily, covering his mouth with his hand to hold back the rising nausea.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
