“Thank you.”
Heesin accepted the coffee Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jo Cheolwoong had poured and set it on the table.
Jo was seated, slowly tipping the leftover water from a plastic bottle into the potted plant on the table. The small plant — barely the size of a palm when Heesin had first seen it — had grown quite a bit. Much like his ambitions.
He tidied the yellowed leaves as he spoke.
“Everyone else grows expensive orchids or whatever, but I like this one. It grows fine without much attention. And if it dies, you just buy another one. Don’t you think?”
Heesin answered only with a smile.
“What’s the status on the Choi Yuno case? Can you wrap it up within the month?”
“We’re scheduled to summon Choi Yuno’s associates soon.”
Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jo leaned back against the sofa and slurped his coffee.
“Don’t push too hard. There’s no evidence anyway.”
Heesin said nothing. A successful model and a host had died within the span of a month. Both had been members of the same party — a party Choi Yuno had organized — and there were indications that drugs had been changing hands behind the scenes.
“Dig any deeper and it’ll just be a headache.”
“Even so, I’d like to close it properly.”
“Why. Feeling some sort of kinship with them?”
The moment those words landed, Heesin’s expression hardened.
“They were the same type, weren’t they? Boys trying to hook a rich woman and hit the jackpot.”
“……”
“I’m joking. Relax your face.”
Heesin quietly bit the inside of his lip. Jo set down his cup and let out a short, dismissive laugh — as if mocking him for having any pride at all. As if criticizing him for being nothing more than a low-ranking prosecutor with no connections and no backing, yet full of ambition.
“Oh, right. Keep next Wednesday evening free.”
“May I ask what it’s for?”
“Dinner.”
Only then did Heesin understand why Jo had called him in.
“Would Choi Yuno happen to be the other party?”
“Why. Is there a reason the three of us can’t share a meal?”
“Deputy Chief Prosecutor.”
“I’m listening. Go ahead.”
“Choi Yuno is a key witness in an active case, and there’s a real possibility he could be reclassified as a suspect. Meeting with him now seems inappropriate.”
Inappropriate. That word had clearly gotten under his skin. Click, clack. Click, clack. Jo flicked his Zippo lighter open and shut repeatedly. This time, Heesin didn’t back down — he stared back at him directly. A small thread of defiance had woven itself in, left over from being lumped together with the host a moment ago.
“You’re saying something strange. What would be appropriate, then? You — with no real pedigree — latching onto some rich man’s daughter and acting like you own the place? That’s appropriate?”
Ah. Now I get it. Why he called me in just to pick at me.
“You’re smiling? You smiled?”
“Deputy Chief Prosecutor. Are you jealous of me?”
Jo’s face transformed the instant those words hit the air — something almost monstrous in it.
“What?”
“I was wondering why you keep coming back to my personal life.”
This little—!
He grabbed the cup beside him and hurled its contents straight at Heesin. Drenched without warning, Heesin exhaled quietly. He pulled some tissues from the nearby box and wiped his face, shaking the water from his hair — while Jo shot to his feet, chest heaving. As if that still wasn’t enough, he snatched up a stack of documents from the desk and flung them too.
“You arrogant little bastard! What did you just say to me? Ha, for fuck’s sake. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Just because I’ve been good to you, you think you can do whatever you want?!”
Prick. You were never good to me.
But despite what he felt, Heesin rose without a moment’s hesitation and dropped to his knees on the floor. I’m sorry. I spoke out of turn. The moment he bowed his head to the ground after his brief act of defiance, the ragged breathing gradually began to quiet.
“You presumptuous little shit. Who do you think you are, pulling that crap with me? Do you have any idea why I’ve put up with you all this time?!”
Anyone listening would think he’d actually done something for me.
In the midst of it all, a summons came in from the Deputy Chief Prosecutor’s office upstairs, and Jo stormed out still hurling insults.
“You little bastard. Don’t you move a single inch until I get back!”
The door opened and slammed shut, and Jo was gone. It felt like a storm had blown through and left. Heesin sighed, shook the remaining water from his hair, and began collecting the documents scattered across the floor one by one.
“Ha, for fuck’s sake. I want to go home.”
As he gathered the papers and stacked them on the desk, his eyes landed on the notebook screen Jo had left open. There was a necklace on it — priced close to a hundred million won. I’d heard his in-laws’ family had gone under and he’d been on edge lately — does he have a mistress stashed somewhere?
Just then, the phone in his inside jacket pocket buzzed.
— Let’s meet later. I have something to tell you.
The image of that smooth, smug face surfaced in his mind, and his expression immediately soured.
Ha. This bastard and that bastard…
He exhaled and did nothing but fidget with the lighter in his pocket.
Quitting smoking was going to be a lost cause.
8 PM.
Heesin checked the time and breathed out a quiet sigh. Should I just turn around and leave now? He’d gone back and forth over it, but ultimately gave in and stepped outside, standing near the entrance. Every second felt like it was crawling.
About forty minutes in, a sports car slid smoothly into the parking lot. The red sports car found an open spot in one fluid motion, and a moment later, Im Gyeong stepped out. He had a leather jacket slung carelessly over one shoulder and raised a hand in a casual wave.
“Did you wait long?”
“I just arrived. What is it you wanted to say?”
“So impatient. Come on, let’s go inside.”
He reached for Heesin’s arm. Heesin shook him off.
“Just get to the point. It’s not like we’re here to shop.”
“But shopping is exactly why I called you.”
Heesin’s face crumpled.
What?
“I want to buy some clothes and eat — but I don’t have anyone to go with. Well, I do have friends, but they’d all be asleep at this hour.”
This was unbelievable. Did I push work aside and drag myself out here for this? He turned to leave, and Im Gyeong grabbed his arm again.
“Come on, just come with me. I’ll give you a gift later. You’ll like it, I promise.”
Heesin shook him off again. This time, Im Gyeong leaned in close and whispered in his ear.
“I found out who kidnapped Kim Jungu.”
Heesin turned to stare at him in surprise. Im Gyeong smiled. Is it true? Looking at that languid, easy grin, it was impossible to tell. But walking away without knowing felt wrong. Reluctantly, he followed him inside.
Im Gyeong made his way to the luxury boutiques and started browsing shirts. He waved off the staff who tried to help and held one eye-catching piece after another against himself.
“What do you think? This one?”
Going on a hunt?
“Or this?”
Even my grandmother wouldn’t wear that.
“Everything looks good on me, right?”
It’s not like I’m the one wearing it — Heesin gave an absent nod. Honestly, the clothes were terrible, but the model wearing them made anything look passable. That fact was mildly irritating, but he didn’t let it show.
No matter how strange the guy acts, he’s still Yun Sena’s blood.
He knew there was nothing to gain from continued complaints.
He’d heard that Chairman Yun had doted on Im Gyeong intensely when he was young. Even with other children in the picture, his attachment to Im Gyeong in particular had been unusually strong — possessive, even. So much so that losing the custody battle had left him bedridden for a time. That affection had apparently carried through to the present, Yun Sena had grumbled. So there was no harm in staying on Im Gyeong’s good side. Not that there’s a single thing about him I actually like.
“I’m fair-skinned, so everything suits me, don’t you think?”
“Yes, it does.”
“This too?”
“Yes, that works.”
“That one over there?”
“Everything looks good on you.”
“This one?”
“Perfect. That’s the one.”
“It’s a dress.”
“……”
“Liar. You weren’t even looking.”
Heesin looked away, embarrassed. If you’re going to buy it all anyway, why even ask? Im Gyeong left his address and asked for everything to be delivered, and the shopping continued — watches, neckties, accessories.
“Shall I get something for you too, Kang Heesin?”
“I’m fine.”
“This would look good on you.”
“I appreciate it, but no thank you.”
“You don’t like shopping?”
Heesin exhaled quietly.
“Do I look like I do?”
“Fair enough. Let’s skip the shopping and go eat.”
Right. Waiting on this man hand and foot is worse than just sitting down to a meal. He followed along without protest, and where they ended up was the penthouse on the very top floor of the department store. The place that came up constantly on TV. Watching Im Gyeong produce a key card without a moment’s hesitation, Heesin couldn’t help but furrow his brow.
“…You live here?”
“Sure. Here, there, wherever.”
“Then couldn’t you have gone shopping on your own?”
“I told you, I was bored. I needed someone to hang out with.”
“……”
The door opened into a hallway, and then another door appeared after that.
Needlessly complicated. Even someone coming to kill you would have trouble finding the place.
When the last door opened, what it revealed was cleaner than expected. I half-expected drugs and needles rolling around on the floor. He was just beginning to feel relieved that the guy was more functional than he’d assumed — when a loud crashing sound came from somewhere further inside. Im Gyeong glanced over in that direction, his expression unbothered as he ordered room service. Another bang followed, and Heesin looked toward the sound from where he sat.
“Is someone in there?”
Im Gyeong ignored the question and finished placing the order. A moment later, another thud — something slamming against a door — and then the door flew open and someone collapsed onto the floor.
Heesin was on his feet before he could think.
The man sprawled on the floor was wearing nothing but a pair of underwear. His entire body was covered in blood. His hands and feet were bound with tape, and he was writhing against the restraints.
Heesin turned to Im Gyeong in shock. Im Gyeong looked at the man with dry, flat eyes and clicked his tongue.
“Wh — what is that?”
Im Gyeong crossed the room in long, unhurried strides, grabbed the man by the hair, and wrenched his head up.
“I said I’d give you a gift.”
Heesin drew in a sharp breath as he took in the man’s ruined face.
Im Gyeong, by contrast, smiled wide enough to show his teeth.
“Pretty decent gift, don’t you think?”
