"Who is it? Where are they right now?!"
My voice rose sharply in the mont.
― I’m on my way to Busan now. He said we should go together once I arrive. I’ll be there in two hours.
“Ah...”
I hung up and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Maybe because I’d raised my voice, the door creaked open and Grandma peeked in—but I didn’t notice.
“Muhyuk, is sothing wrong?”
It was only when I heard Grandma’s voice that I snapped back to reality.
“No. It’s nothing.”
“You don’t look good, my baby. Really nothing’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Don’t worry.”
Grandma lingered at the door with a worried expression, but I couldn’t tell her.
“Really, nothing’s wrong.”
“If sothing happens, you have to tell your grandma, okay?”
“I will.”
Once she shut the door and left, I sank back into thought.
‘What does he know? The culprit? The mastermind? Or just a witness?’
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t believe soone rembered sothing that happened more than ten years ago.
Unless they were directly involved in the incident.
I kept thinking in circles until the two hours passed.
I told Grandma I was heading out and left the house.
Chief Ma stepped out of the car when he saw approaching.
“Where to, sir?”
“Park Dongsu is coming.”
“President Park?”
“Let’s get in the car. There’s sothing I need to talk about.”
After the car door closed, Chief Ma glanced at silently.
I hesitated, then spoke with difficulty.
“Soone’s co forward claiming to know sothing about my parents’ case. Do you think it’s real?”
Chief Ma just stared at without a word.
“I hope it is. Even just a sliver of a clue...”
I trailed off and turned my gaze to the window.
Still, Chief Ma said nothing.
A short while later, Park Dongsu’s car pulled up in front of the house. Chief Ma got out to greet him as he approached.
Park Dongsu climbed into the seat beside .
The car door closed slowly behind him.
He looked tense, very unlike his usual self.
When I turned to look at him, silently urging him to speak, he finally opened his mouth with effort.
“He was soone who left that world after school, but back in the day, he used to be pretty big. Na’s Kim Jungun. We’re supposed to hear the details in person.”
“He wasn’t involved in the incident itself, was he?”
“No, I don’t think so. Said he was at school when it happened.”
I gave a small nod.
Then turned my head toward the driver’s seat.
“Chief, let’s head out. Where are we eting him?”
“Hadan. He wanted sowhere quiet, so he called us to a room salon. Is that okay?”
“Yeah. Anywhere is fine.”
The car started to move slowly. Not a single word was exchanged on the drive there.
When we arrived in front of the place, Dongsu and I got out first. Chief Ma handed the car keys to the valet and followed.
When we stepped into the room salon, the madam recognized Dongsu and greeted him warmly—but he just shook his head.
“Where’s Jungun-hyung?”
“He’s inside.”
Noticing the tense mood, the madam wiped the smile from her face and led us in.
Inside, a middle-aged man with slightly graying hair was seated.
“Jungun-hyung, it’s been a while.”
Dongsu bowed his head slightly, and the man stood with a grin.
“Hey~ Dongsu! How long has it been? Over ten years, right?”
“Yes, hyung.”
I quietly observed the man exchanging greetings with Dongsu. Even though he’d retired, a hard life never really leaves the body. He looked strong for his age.
“This guy’s the one asking about that incident?”
“Yes, he’s my sponsor.”
Surprised, the man looked over from head to toe.
“Have a seat first, hyung.”
Dongsu sat down with him, and Chief Ma and I took seats across from them.
Dongsu poured him a drink and began asking questions.
“So, hyung, how did you find out about what happened back then? It’s an old case, and you said you were at school at the ti, right?”
He drank the shot Dongsu poured and spoke as if it was no big deal.
“I didn’t know either. But this guy who shared my dorm started talking about it. Said he was in Seoul. Honestly, he didn’t have any pedigree, so we wouldn’t usually even talk, but he was a decent guy. Friendly.”
He stared slightly upward, as if pulling the mory from deep in his mind.
“He used to run errands for in our room... One day I asked him to tell so interesting stories, and it ca up while he was talking about the stuff he’d done. I already knew about the case because a lot of kids around got questioned about it.”
Dongsu glanced at . I gave a small nod, and he asked again.
“Could you tell us in more detail? He said he did it?”
“No, not that he did it. He said he just drove. Said he was offered 500,000 won to ferry so strangers from Busan to Seoul and back, so he took the job.”
“Eh~ then he probably doesn’t know much.”
“No, the bastard was slick but sharp. Said he rembered bits of conversation between the two in the car.”
“Where is this person now? What’s his na? Where does he live?”
I interjected into their conversation.
At my voice, Kim Jungun turned his eyes to .
“Oho~ Our young sponsor seems real curious. But I can’t just tell you for free, now can I?”
“Hyung, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. Just answer the question, don’t complicate things.”
I was starting to get annoyed, and Dongsu caught the expression on my face and stepped in.
Jungun sighed with a deflated look and shook his [N O V E L I G H T] head.
“He’s dead. Got done in by soone at school.”
Ha... fuck.
It felt like my only hope had just vanished.
“He used to talk about it like it was so heroic tale, saying the police and prosecutors were all in on it, so he didn’t have anything to worry about. Said it felt like soone high up had ordered it. Let think... What else did he say? Oh, he said the guys he drove kept calling soone ‘Mr. Pyo’.”
I stood up without realizing.
“Mr. Pyo? Are you sure?”
“That’s what I heard.”
“Did he say any other nas? Any words that could help identify soone? Any physical features?”
“Nope. Just that na. That’s all I heard. I don’t know anything more.”
I sank back into the seat with a heavy thud.
‘Mr. Pyo was active even back then?’
I don’t even know what Mr. Pyo looks like, nor his full na.
All I know is that he’s the cleaner for the Cheongpunghoe.
And the man who actually killed —known as Manager Park—was one of his underlings. Park Seonggi.
My chest felt tight. I grabbed the bottle of whiskey in front of , poured it into a glass, and downed it in one shot.
The strong alcohol burned down my throat, and I could finally think clearly again.
I couldn’t let myself spiral any further. I stood and looked at Dongsu.
“Treat him well, and take care of the arrangents. Thanks to him, I’ve at least got a small clue now.”
As I turned to leave, Kim Jungun suddenly spoke again like sothing had just co to mind.
“They said the woman was the target. That the husband got dragged into it just for being with the wrong family.”
Chief Ma opened the door.
Before stepping out, I turned back and said to him,
“If you rember anything else, tell President Park. We’ll make sure you’re well compensated.”
Then, I walked down the long hallway with Chief Ma and stepped outside.
The chill of winter air hit and snapped fully awake.
We got into the car Chief Ma had brought and started driving back ho.
“Chief. Pull over sowhere quiet for a mont.”
Chief Ma parked the car in a quiet clearing near the house and got out.
He hadn’t even been told, but as always, he read the room and gave space to be alone.
I closed my eyes and began to recall old mories.
‘If it’s Mr. Pyo, then that ans Cheongpunghoe is definitely involved. But why would they take such a risk—killing my mother in a way that might expose them to Grandfather? What could they possibly gain that made that risk worth it?’
If we assu that back then, the Cheon Sooman brothers joined hands with Cheongpunghoe to eliminate for Grandfather’s inheritance, it still didn’t explain why Cheongpunghoe would bother killing my mother.
Behind every case is soone who profits. And if there was anyone who stood to gain from her death, it was only the Cheon Sooman brothers.
‘What if Cheongpunghoe and the Sooman brothers had been in bed together for over a decade? What if they worked together, even temporarily, for mutual benefit?’
Then it all made sense.
Even why they kept funneling money to Cheongpunghoe despite Grandfather’s furious orders to stop.
I rolled down the window and called out to Chief Ma.
“Chief, get in.”
Standing by the rear door, Chief Ma returned to the driver’s seat.
“I’m going up to Seoul the day after tomorrow. Please prepare. I’m planning to visit Cheon Suhan, so arrange it.”
“Understood.”
“Let’s head ho. Grandma’s probably waiting.”
Though it was late, when I got ho, Grandma was dozing off in the living room, waiting for .
She opened her eyes at the sound of the door.
“Muhyuk?”
“Grandma, you’re still up?”
“How could I sleep when my baby hasn’t co ho yet? Did you drink?”
“Yeah, a little. I’m tired. You should head to bed too.”
“Okay, okay. Go on, sleep. I’ll turn in now too.”
Only after she saw co ho safely did Grandma go into her room.
As I looked at the closed door, a tear welled up in the corner of my eye.
The next morning.
Grandma woke up, calling to eat.
I hadn’t slept well, so my body felt heavy, but I forced myself to get up.
Seeing the hot bean sprout soup on the table, I smiled for a mont.
“Of course. My grandma made bean sprout soup ‘cause her grandson drank.”
“Eat up before it gets cold.”
“Okay.”
After eating, we sat together in the living room.
Grandma peeled a tangerine and handed it to .
I didn’t eat it right away and just stared at her. She noticed.
“Why you keep looking at like that? Got sothing on my face?”
“Grandma, are you really not going to move to Seoul?”
“You always say that when you co back. I told you, I’m not going. I like it here. Even if I worry about you, your in-laws are there, and Myungsoo, and Hyunseong too.”
I’d asked her several tis to co live with in Seoul.
She’d always refused...
“Why’s your face been so down since yesterday?”
“It’s the drinking. That’s all. I’m heading to Seoul tomorrow.”
“So soon?”
“I was planning to stay longer, but sothing urgent ca up. I’m sorry, Grandma. I’ll co down again soon.”
“You have to go if you’re busy.”
Though she said she understood, there was a flicker of disappointnt on her face.
She’s like a little girl sotis.
“Are you sad?”
“No, why would I be?”
“Hahaha. Grandma, your face is screaming that you are.”
For a mont, I forgot all the headaches and just enjoyed teasing her.
“I said I’m not.”
“Eh~ your face says otherwise.”
After teasing her for a while, I got up.
“I’ll go see Hyunseong before heading to Seoul. Don’t make dinner. We’ll eat out.”
“Why do you keep spending money on useless things? Just eat at ho.”
“I want to treat him. I’ll be back before dinner.”
With Chief Ma, I arrived in front of Hyunseong’s house.
“Chief, wait in the car.”
I got out alone and rang the bell.
“Who is it?”
“Ma’am, it’s Muhyuk.”
“Oh my~ Muhyuk! You’re here!”
Hyunseong’s mother greeted warmly at the gate.
“Your skin looks even better. You’ve been eating sothing good all by yourself?”
“Oh, stop it with the flattery. Here to see Hyunseong? Co on in.”
Chattering with her, I followed her into the house.
“Hyunseong, it’s Muhyuk! Why aren’t you out here yet?”
“I’ll go to him. I need to talk to him anyway.”
“Alright, I’ll cut so fruit for you boys.”
Hyunseong opened the door and ca out.
“Co in. Let’s talk inside.”
Maybe he’d been doing sothing earlier—the window was open, and the room was chilly.
Though his cast was off, he still looked a bit uncomfortable.
He sat on the edge of the bed, and I pulled out a chair to sit.
“Are you really going to stay in Busan? Co to Seoul and help .”
After a long silence, Hyunseong finally spoke.
“...Muhyuk. You scare .”
End.
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