Yeongnak Park, Busan. morial Hall 2.
It was the place where my mother and father were enshrined.
It had been a long ti since I’d last co here. In my previous life, I didn’t even have the luxury to visit.
I couldn’t even rember their faces anymore.
I only rembered them from photos. In the pictures, they were smiling.
The Late Kim Jinho
The Late Cheon Misook
Their nas were engraved there.
I didn’t cry.
Thinking back, there had always been sothing suspicious about their deaths.
It was officially ruled a robbery, but... no culprit was ever caught. The case is still unsolved.
This ti, I promised myself to get to the bottom of it.
‘Mom, Dad. In this life, I’ll live properly. Please watch over from the sky. And I’ll uncover the truth behind your deaths.’
Beside , Grandma was wiping away tears with sorrow.
My grandma. The poor woman who had to bury her only son.
I hugged her tight.
“What are you doing?”
“Just stay still, my dear Grandma.”
The struggle between her trying to pull away and insisting on holding her ended in my victory.
Holding Grandma in my arms, I looked at my parents’ photos again.
“Grandma, live a long, long life.”
“Oh my. I’ve got to at least see my baby get married before I go.”
“Yeah.”
By the ti we left the morial, the sunset had already begun.
“Let’s go out to eat before heading ho.”
“Why?”
“No reason. I just want to treat you to sothing good. Co on, let’s go, Grandma!”
I held her hand tightly and matched her pace as we walked slowly.
The sun dipped down behind us.
There was a strange mix of pride and emptiness in my heart.
There were only a few days left before I moved to Seoul for college.
One day, Chairman Cheon ca to our house in Busan to see Grandma.
He asked to speak with her alone, so I reluctantly stepped outside.
“What do you think they’re talking about, Manager Ha?”
“I don’t know either.”
“Hm.”
“The fact that the Chairman ca all the way to Busan ans he now acknowledges her as family. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“I suppose it is.”
Manager Ha said nothing more after that.
* * *
“Ma’am... I’m sorry I’m only now visiting you.”
Chairman Cheon bowed deeply to Jo Gyeongja.
She flailed her hands awkwardly, flustered.
“Oh no, sir, there’s no need for that. As long as our Muhyuk is—”
“You’re the one who raised him all these years. Back then... when my daughter and your son ran off together, I severed ties, but now we should stay in touch.”
“Yes...”
As he brought up her son and daughter-in-law, Jo Gyeongja turned away and dabbed at her eyes. Chairman Cheon quietly waited for her.
“Won’t you co up to Seoul with us?”
“I’ll stay here. I never learned to read properly, and I’ve got no ties up there. I wouldn’t know how to live in a place like that.”
“I see.”
“Muhyuk did ask to go with him. But I said no. I’ll just live out my days here and die here.”
“Hmm... Then I’ll make sure you live comfortably.”
“Oh sir! I told you, don’t worry about . I can manage on my own.”
They continued talking for quite a while—mostly about .
* * *
The front gate creaked open, and Grandpa stepped outside.
“Go on in. But when are you going to tell what you want in return for that bet?”
“I’ll tell you once I’m in Seoul.”
“Alright. I spoke with your grandma—she worries about you a lot. Take good care of her. I’ll see you in Seoul.”
“Yes, Grandpa.”
Manager Ha opened the back door for Chairman Cheon to get in.
Even after the door closed, the Chairman rolled down the window and asked again,
“Should I be looking forward to that request?”
“Yes.”
The window went up, the car drove off, and once it was out of sight, I went inside.
Grandma’s eyes were a little red.
“Grandma! What did you two talk about?”
“Oh, nothing special. Just about your future.”
“Then why are your eyes red? Did you cry?”
She wiped the corners of her eyes.
“No, it’s just...”
“What? What did he say?”
“...”
“Tell . What did he say?”
After I kept pressing her, tears welled up in her eyes again.
She took the tissue I handed her and spoke between sobs.
“...He talked about your father. Said it might’ve been his fault—because he was against them being together, maybe that’s why the two of them ended up dying. Hearing that just made think of your father... and your mother... There’s no point to it now, but if they’re at peace together in heaven, then that’s enough.”
“...”
It was the first ti I’d co face-to-face with the wound that had always weighed on Grandma’s heart.
I pulled her into a tight hug.
She sobbed against my shoulder, her whole body trembling.
“Grandma, you can let go now. I’ll be your son. Not just your grandson—your son.”
I held her quietly.
After a while, she cald down and stepped out of my embrace.
“When did you get so big, my baby?”
“I was taller than you since middle school, wasn’t I?”
“You’ve really grown well.”
A few days later.
Before leaving for Seoul, I headed to a nearby restaurant with Park Dongsu, who had co to my house.
“What? I said I’d buy you a proper drink.”
“This place is fine, sir.”
“Damn punk. Still fussy even when I’m treating you.”
Grumbling, he took a seat.
His underlings sat around our table.
“Ma’am! What’s good here?”
Loud, as usual.
“Sir, the braised monkfish is great here.”
“Yeah? Then bring us the large monkfish. And one bottle of soju! You guys order whatever you want.”
“Yes, sir.”
As soon as the ma’am brought the soju, Dongsu opened it and poured half the bottle into a beer glass.
“Let’s have a nice, cold drink, yeah?”
Who pours half a bottle of soju at once?
“Phew... Fine. Just the first glass.”
“Ooh! That’s what I’m talking about. Be a man!”
We clinked glasses and downed it in one shot.
“Ah! That’s the stuff.”
Dongsu’s satisfied groan contrasted with my blank expression.
“Damn, this kid doesn’t even flinch. You hold your liquor, huh?”
“I don’t drink.”
“Kekeke. Alright. But seriously, what are you? You’ve got all this intel, you’re smart, and you fight well.”
“I’m just Kim Muhyuk. A twenty-year-old about to start college.”
“Ah, damn brat. No fun at all. Ma’am! Two more bottles!”
As he reached for the beer glass again, I stopped him and held out a proper soju glass.
Dongsu looked at and chuckled, then poured a full one. He filled his beer glass halfway again, raised it, and asked,
“So, what should I do next?”
“How did things go with the nightclub?”
“That punk’s kind of clumsy, but we’ve been friends a long ti. I sent him to manage Bosudong. He didn’t have a role before, but thanks to you, now he does.”
Dongsu grinned like he’d killed two birds with one stone.
“So you’re handling Nampo-dong yourself now? All of it?”
“Yeah... Nampo-dong, Yeongdo, Bosudong... I’ve taken over most of Jung-gu. It was our territory to begin with, and most of the big shots got hauled in, so there hasn’t been any serious resistance. So now what?”
Pouring more soju, he waited.
“Start by finding a good lawyer. Then set up a legit security company. That’s how you clean things up.”
“And then?”
“Take full control of Busan. Don’t get caught by law enforcent, no matter what. You’ve got so pull with the cops or prosecutors, right? Grease the right palms and manage those ties carefully.”
“That’s all it takes?”
“Is conquering Busan that easy?”
Dongsu chuckled.
“Most of the big players are gone. Just scrappy leftovers now. A year should be enough.”
I decided to trust his confidence.
“Then go ahead and secure it. But don’t touch drugs. There’s going to be a massive crackdown. Way worse than before. No amount of connections will help. Slowly work your way into the light.”
“Heh, into the light?”
Dongsu scoffed.
“Guys like us don’t belong in the light. If I move there, so other punk like rises from the dark and cos crashing in. Then it’s war all over again.”
“Haha. I’m not saying live in the light. I’m saying put on the mask of light. If a gangster stops acting like one and plays by the rules, what’s the point of being a gangster?”
“What?”
I drank the soju he’d poured and kept talking.
“Seoul gangs are already starting to turn into corporations. If Busan doesn’t keep up, they’ll get swallowed whole. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors. Start with incorporation. That’s the first step. Lock down Busan, and we’ll plan your move into Seoul together.”
Dongsu poured more soju into his beer glass and downed it.
“Shit. Listening to you really makes wanna do it. So, take ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) over Busan, then co to Seoul and work with you?”
“Yes. That’s it.”
“Damn... I don’t know if this is smart or stupid.”
Just then, the ma’am brought over the steaming monkfish dish.
“Ma’am! Two more bottles!”
Taking a bottle, Dongsu poured another massive shot and drank.
“Shit. I barely even know you, but I trust you. Alright. I’ll give it a shot.”
“Thank you. I’m counting on you.”
I raised my glass and clinked it with his. Dongsu laughed.
“By the way, how do I reach you in Seoul? Got a beeper?”
“I’ll probably get a cellphone once I’m there. I’ll leave my contact info with Myungsoo’s dad. Oh—and Arabian Night is my friend’s dad’s place, so keep an eye on it. No more fake whiskey, alright?”
He squinted at .
“You think I’m a damn thug or sothing? Don’t worry. I already told the boys to behave.”
“Thanks.”
“But a cellphone? Aren’t those expensive as hell?”
“Yeah, and bulky too. But Ilseong’s launching a new, more portable one soon. I plan to get that.”
“Hm... I guess I’ll need one too?”
“It’ll be convenient.”
Deep in thought, Dongsu poured another shot.
“I wanted to treat you to sothing better, but you insisted on this. Next ti, we’ll have a proper drink. Alright?”
“Hahaha. Once you make it to Seoul, let’s do that.”
“Alright. I’ll take your word for it.”
“If sothing really serious cos up, contact . I’ll help however I can. Just... my involvent can never be exposed. You get that, right?”
“I got it. Now! One last drink. Cheers!”
The clink of glasses and our laughter echoed through the restaurant.
“Oh, and sir—can you stop calling ‘kid’? Makes feel old too.”
“Then what should I call you, huh? Call hyung instead.”
We never did reach an agreent on that before we parted.
With drinks from Myungsoo’s dad and ti well spent with Grandma, graduation day arrived.
Graduation Day.
The banner that had hung at the school gates was finally taken down.
[Congratulations! Kim Muhyuk of Dongsung Technical High School Year 3 – Perfect Score on College Entrance Exam! National Top Scorer!]
Every ti I saw that thing, I felt so embarrassed I didn’t want to co to school.
Listening to the principal drone on in the auditorium, the ceremony was over before I knew it—three years gone in a flash.
I didn’t have many friends, so I just took pictures with Myungsoo and Hyunseong. Grandma ca too, along with Chief Prosecutor Yoon Changho.
“Congratulations on your graduation, Muhyuk. Looks like you’ll be my junior now—sa departnt, even.”
“Yes, I told you before, didn’t I? That I’d et you as a Korea University junior.”
“Hahaha, and now here we are. Let’s et before you head to Seoul. I’ve got another appointnt now, so I’ll be off.”
“Yes, I’ll stop by before I leave, sunbae.”
“I like that title—‘sunbae’.”
He patted my shoulder and left.
I called over a few classmates lingering nearby and took a group photo.
As Myungsoo, Hyunseong, their parents, and I escorted Grandma out of the school gates, a loud voice rang out from the distance.
“Hey! Kid! Congratulations on graduating!”
Through the rolled-down window of a distant car, Park Dongsu was waving wildly.
“Soone you know?”
“No. Let’s just go eat already.”
I hurried along with Grandma.
But Dongsu was persistent.
“Hey! Kid! It’s , Park Dongsu!”
Ah... Can I really trust that guy?
End.
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