Mate
“Ah, yes. He’s thirty-six years old. His hometown is Macau, but it appears he grew up in the Philippines during his childhood.”
Xie Wei was supposedly a Canadian gyopo, and this one’s from the Philippines? Ray Jun let out a scoff.
“There’s no way that’s real.”
―Yes. As you said, there are many unclear parts in his background. He claims to have worked at an international security company based in Singapore before joining, but that company is currently liquidated. Considering the circumstances that Baeksa Faction funds flowed into that company in the past, he appears to be an intelligence operative planted by the Baeksa Faction.
“Just as I thought. Those parasitic bastards wouldn’t have left a big prey like Sovereign alone.”
Ray Jun turned his head toward the passenger seat. A black jacket lay there. It was the jacket he’d briefly lent to Xie Wei.
If you’re going to infiltrate, at least dress appropriately for the TPO—wearing a hoodie he’d picked up somewhere and blinking those startled eyes, he’d looked quite foolish. His lips had been as soft as his clumsy behavior.
Xie Wei himself was a problem, but Ray Jun was curious what the Baeksa Faction was even thinking, sending in someone like that. He knew the organization was quite large in scale, yet they’d managed to grow despite having such poor judgment of people.
Ray Jun picked up the black jacket and buried his face in it. He inhaled deeply, but he couldn’t catch Xie Wei’s scent. Perhaps it had been covered by his own cologne.
“I have a good idea. How about leaking information to the Baeksa Faction?”
―Information… do you mean false information?
“No, real information would be more effective. We’ll toss them the source that Sovereign is running dual rebate accounting books. Those bastards will come running like dogs spotting a chunk of meat on the street.”
They could use that information to blackmail VIPs or sell it to other organizations. Whatever the case, it would be a big problem for the VIPs who’d been repeatedly laundering money with Sovereign’s tacit approval. They would hold Sovereign responsible for the information leak.
As suspicion spread and trust crumbled in that chaos, Sovereign’s interior would finally split apart. Ray Jun smiled, imagining the kingdom that would shake.
―…So you’re saying we throw a bomb into someone else’s house, then step back and watch the fireworks?
“Yeah. Why, don’t like it?”
―No. I think it’s a very good idea.
For the first time today, an excited tone entered Gemma’s voice. That was brief, as he pointed out a practical problem.
―But how do you plan to leak the information to the Baeksa Faction?
“I know another informant they’ve planted. Leave this to me, and you keep contacting the media.”
―Understood.
“Give my regards to Mother.”
―Yes.
Ray Jun ended the call. Getting out of the car, he tossed the black jacket back onto the passenger seat.
Thud. The car door closed immediately. The darkened interior of the car was silent, as if nothing had happened.
* * *
After his short vacation, Kang Siwon returned to Macau.
Opening the dormitory door and entering the room, he let out a sigh. It was time to face the issue they’d put off, saying they’d talk about it again in Macau. His head felt like it would burst from trying to figure out how to explain things to Ray Jun, and he didn’t even know what kind of face to make when seeing him. It was supposedly to hide him, but in the end, hadn’t their lips touched?
However, Ray Jun barged into the dormitory cheerfully, as if he hadn’t been agonizing over such things at all.
“You got here first? Wow, I’m tired. Four days really isn’t enough. If I could spend a week leisurely, it would feel like a real vacation…”
He seemed so nonchalant—beyond that, like he had no thoughts at all—that Kang Siwon was rather bewildered. It seemed like he was the only one conscious of that kiss.
“Ah, can you take my suitcase? And the shopping bags too.”
Kang Siwon was swept along by Ray Jun, who was like a small whirlwind, and took the luggage. Ray Jun was holding shopping bags in both hands, loaded down with whatever he’d bought so much of.
“That one’s yours.”
He said, gesturing with his eyes at the shopping bag Kang Siwon was holding.
“What is it?”
“Open it.”
Ray Jun grinned and went into the room. Left alone in the living room, Kang Siwon first checked the logo printed on the shopping bag. It was the logo of a Hong Kong bakery popular with tourists.
Thinking the contents would be different, he checked, but it wasn’t. The shopping bag contained the bakery’s most famous coffee cookies.
As he took out the coffee cookies with a dazed feeling, Ray Jun, who’d already changed clothes, came out to the living room.
“Looks delicious, right?”
“Yeah. …But why did you buy this?”
“It’s famous. Everyone was lining up to buy it, weren’t they?”
“No, but you’re not even a tourist…”
Plus, there were even egg rolls. Macau was full of egg rolls, yet he’d gone out of his way to buy them in Hong Kong and bring them back. It made no sense at all.
“You don’t like cookies?”
“I don’t dislike them, but I’m fine right now. You eat a lot of them.”
He wasn’t in the mood to enjoy snacks. When Kang Siwon returned the shopping bag, Ray Jun took out a cookie and held it up to Kang Siwon’s mouth.
“Here, ahhh~.”
“…”
“Come on.”
He tapped Kang Siwon’s lips with the cookie. Each time, the coffee scent wafted up. It was hard to refuse when he was going this far, so Kang Siwon slightly parted his lips.
Taking advantage of the gap, Ray Jun slipped the cookie right in. Along with the sweetness, he felt a soft touch. Ray Jun’s finger had grazed his lips.
“…”
The crumbly cookie melted smoothly in his mouth. Kang Siwon glanced at Ray Jun while tasting the sweetness.
Unexpectedly, Ray Jun showed no sign of bringing up that topic. Should he pretend not to know too? But that seemed like it would make him more anxious. In the end, Kang Siwon spoke first.
“Thanks for yesterday.”
“What’s there to thank me for. But I was really surprised. I never expected you to come out of there. …I shouldn’t ask more about what happened, right?”
Kang Siwon silently nodded. Still, he was grateful that Ray Jun seemed to understand his situation. At first, he’d thought Ray Jun was just frivolous, but the more he knew him, the more Ray Jun seemed like a good person.
“Then I’ll just ask one thing. Xie Wei, you’re not being threatened or bullied by someone, are you?”
“…No.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried someone might have forced you into that situation.”
His voice was tinged with sincere concern. The fact that someone worried about him like this was unfamiliar, but also secretly appreciated.
“Xie Wei.”
“…What.”
“Are you chasing after that broker too?”
He said he’d only ask one thing, but here he was asking again. And a difficult question to answer at that. Kang Siwon ran his hand over his rough face.
“No.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie. Kang Siwon had followed Ju Xiang simply because he wanted to know what the Baeksa Faction was doing, not because of the junket broker. He hadn’t even known if the junket broker and Baeksa Faction were connected in the first place.
“Really? I thought you were similar to me, Xie Wei.”
“Why on earth?”
“In that you don’t just let things pass that most people would normally overlook.”
“…You think I’m as righteous as you?”
“‘Righteous’?”
Ray Jun chuckled.
“It’s a bit embarrassing when you call it righteous. Maybe it’s roughly correct though. I can’t just stand by and watch harm come to my customers.”
“A casino dealer’s professional ethics?”
“Just universal ethics. That I can’t leave someone else crying tears of blood.”
Kang Siwon fell silent. According to Ray Jun’s words, he was someone who did leave others crying tears of blood. Though he’d been ignorant, he had complied with the Baeksa Faction’s orders. He acknowledged that, but he had something to say too.
“The broker lures customers into dangerous games or connects them to loan sharks, right?”
“Right.”
“Honestly, I think it’s somewhat their own fault. It’s not like they have no way to make a living and are forced to take out loans—these are already wealthy people using loan sharks because they want bigger thrills. If they hadn’t gotten into gambling in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened.”
It wasn’t that the broker had done well. But for Kang Siwon, who loathed gambling, he didn’t particularly care if people who spent thousands upon thousands of patacas just playing cards suffered some losses.
Ray Jun showed a slightly surprised expression at that answer. Was he disappointed? Even so, Kang Siwon couldn’t help it.
“Hmm… Your point has merit too, Xie Wei. Originally, people who’ve stepped into gambling can’t say anything even if they’re told it’s their own fault. But you know what? It would be nice if the harm stopped with the parties involved, but it doesn’t always work out that way.”
“…”
“Because of what casinos and brokers do together, ordinary people are suffering too. Did you know that junket brokers set up paper companies under regular people’s names to launder money? Those bastards sweet-talk elderly people who know nothing, or people without money, and even create ghost accounts. What do you think happens to those people’s lives? And what about people who cry tears of blood while working, having taken on their family’s gambling debts?”
They’d be ruined. Like himself, his neck tied with debt to the Baeksa Faction.
The obvious reality made him feel suffocated. Was this the Baeksa Faction’s goal after all? Of course, it was he who’d wanted to know the truth, but now that he faced it, it was overwhelming.
“Then what are you going to do? You and I are just employees—are we going to start some social movement? Or leak it to the press?”
“No, not that. But at least I won’t look away. Right now, doing what I can from my position is the best option.”
There was bitterness seeping into Ray Jun’s voice. He seemed disillusioned with reality, yet hadn’t given up on changing the absurdity.
Kang Siwon felt anew that Ray Jun was impressive. How could he be so upright? It must be because he’d grown up in a good environment, or was naturally a solid person.
