“Are you admitting that your son is guilty?”
“It’s true that he runs around with lowlifes, but he didn’t kill anyone. He doesn’t have the guts for that. You know that well enough yourself, don’t you?”
“Me?”
“Why — didn’t Chairman Yun fill you in on that much?”
Kang Heesin made no effort to hide his displeasure.
“I don’t know what you think you know about Yun Sena and me, but I have not let any personal bias or emotion factor into this case.”
“Of course not. But do you think everyone else sees it that way?”
“……”
“If it bothers you that much, you can hand my son’s case over to another prosecutor.”
A silence fell — bleak and bare — and Heesin was the first to move, gathering his coat and rising from his seat. Im Gyeong, who had arranged the meeting, wasn’t intervening. He was simply watching the whole thing unfold with an expression of quiet amusement.
“I’ll excuse myself first. I had an urgent appointment — completely slipped my mind.”
He gave a courteous bow and stepped outside. In front of him, two black sedans and a sports car were parked in a row. He strode down the dim alley toward the main road, and the wind cut sharp. He was pulling his coat collar together when a flash of headlights came from behind. He turned — a black car had pulled up beside him.
The rear window rolled down, and Im Gyeong’s face appeared.
What about his own car? Did he drink…
Looks like the kind of person who’d drink and get behind the wheel, yet turns out he’s got a fine sense of civic duty.
“Get in. I’ll take you.”
He glanced back — Representative Choi’s car was already pulling away in the opposite direction. The brightly lit restaurant had gone dark as if it had never been open at all. The scene from just moments ago felt strangely unreal, like something out of a dream.
“I can walk.”
He moved to pass, but the car door opened and Im Gyeong stepped out. He planted himself in Heesin’s path. Heesin looked up at his face. In the dark alley, only his eyes seemed to catch the light — like a predator fixed on its prey. Though if you went by looks alone, he was far more angel than predator.
“Don’t be like that. Let’s grab a drink, just the two of us. I still have things to say.”
“If I’d known the person you were introducing me to was Representative Choi, I would have refused.”
“That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you.”
“……”
“Think about it rationally. You don’t even have evidence yet.”
“Evidence is what I find from here.”
“I’m not saying give up — I’m saying wait for the right moment.”
“When? Choi Yuno leaves the country next month.”
“If you announced you were dropping the investigation, he’d stay in Korea.”
“How do you know that?”
Im Gyeong licked his lower lip and thought for a moment.
“Can I be honest?”
“Go ahead.”
“The guy who supplies Choi Yuno’s drugs is a contact of mine. I heard he gets a setup delivered every time there’s a party. Choi Yuno won’t touch anything that isn’t from him. If he’s planning to flee abroad, he’d contact him first. But nothing’s moved yet.”
Heesin stared at him, floored. Im Gyeong went on.
“So wait, and take him down slowly. Unripe fruit is only bitter.”
Take him down — it was clear this man had no idea how that phrase was typically used. That’s why he could say it with such a straight face.
“Do you use drugs yourself?”
Im Gyeong rolled up his sleeve and thrust out his forearm.
“Do I look like someone who would?”
Honestly — yes, he did. When Heesin didn’t answer, Im Gyeong pushed the arm right up in front of his face. A faint, deep woody scent drifted off it. Heesin frowned openly and shoved the arm away.
“That’s enough. Put it away.”
“Want me to show you somewhere else?”
“Why are you so clingy? And are you even aware that if I arrest Choi Yuno down the line, it could put you in a difficult position?”
“Difficult? Me? Why — because I’m close with Representative Choi?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Listen. Kang Heesin. Even if Representative Choi falls apart overnight, I have plenty of people who’ll back me up. Losing one old man like that won’t put a dent in what I do. Understand?”
“……”
“I brought him makgeolli and everything, so we must’ve looked pretty cozy?”
He kept his mouth shut and said nothing. Im Gyeong leaned his face in close.
Close enough that his breath reached him — he whispered near his ear.
“Does this make us look close too?”
Heesin scowled and pulled back. This time, Im Gyeong casually draped an arm over his shoulder.
“Come on. Turn me down again and I’ll actually sulk.”
He glared back, exasperated, and Im Gyeong simply hauled him over and shoved him into the car. Heesin got in the back reluctantly, and the car pulled away. The whole ride, Im Gyeong said almost nothing. Heesin kept his eyes on the window. The scenery was the same as on the way here, yet after meeting with Representative Choi, it all felt bleaker somehow.
The car eventually stopped near Heesin’s apartment complex. It pulled up at the entrance to the complex, and he got out quickly. Thanks for the ride. You can go now. He shut the door without ceremony, but Im Gyeong got out on the other side. At first Heesin thought he was about to say goodbye — but Im Gyeong’s car simply drove off without a word.
Heesin stared after the departing car, bewildered.
“Aren’t you going home?”
“You should at least offer me tea when I’ve come all this way.”
“……”
“When did Korean hospitality get this stingy?”
He’d never invited anyone to his home. That went for Yun Sena, too. They always met at hotels or her officetel.
“Forget it. Just go. I’m so exhausted right now I feel like I’m about to collapse. I have no interest in going another round with you.”
Before the words were even out, his phone rang.
He checked the caller — Yun Sena — and slipped it back into his coat.
“Yun Sena.”
“Head home. Keep following me and neither of us is going to enjoy what comes next.”
“Threats come as naturally as breathing to you, don’t they? You were the same the first time we met. Maybe you should’ve skipped being a prosecutor and gone straight to being a thug. You seem to have a talent for it.”
He ground his teeth and glared, then turned and walked away. Be patient. He lengthened his stride heading into the complex, and behind him came the soft sound of footsteps. He walked for a while, then spun around — Im Gyeong was following him.
Whether he cared or not, Heesin walked up to the main entrance and punched in the code. He slipped inside quickly, and Im Gyeong, right behind him, was stopped by the door. He stood there with his hands in his coat pockets, wearing a pitiful expression, and tapped on the glass.
“Just coffee. Can’t I?”
Heesin waved him off. It was a wave, technically — but what it meant was get lost, now. Im Gyeong paid it no attention whatsoever and pressed his face against the glass. That handsome face squished up in an absurd way. It’s a talent, really — looking like that and still doing this. Heesin ignored him and moved toward the elevator, but then heard the door open behind him. He turned — sure enough, Im Gyeong had made it through.
“How did you get in?”
“I pressed a random unit and they buzzed me in. Your neighbors are more generous than you.”
Heesin was speechless. They’d seen him on the intercom, known he was a stranger, and still let him in? Whoever it was in that unit — they were headed for trouble someday. The world was a dangerous place. Or maybe they’d opened it because of his face. Even so. What did they think was hiding behind that pretty face.
He stood glaring, and Im Gyeong came over, grabbed him by the shoulder, and pushed him forward.
“Come on. Let me see the place.”
“Why are you like this? You have a strange personality. Are you a stalker?”
“Is your place messy?”
“……”
“Trash piling up everywhere?”
“……”
“I figured as much. Cooped up at the prosecutor’s office every day doing nothing but work — it’d be strange if it were clean.”
“It’s — it’s not that messy.”
“Then fine. Let’s go. Come on.”
Ah, damn it. He’d been stung by that and gone along with it before he even realized. Since there was clearly no sign of Im Gyeong leaving, Heesin exhaled and headed to the elevator. It wasn’t like he was a woman — there was no reason to keep turning away another man like this. The whole thing was starting to look ridiculous.
He pressed 8 and they rode up in silence. Im Gyeong, much like his subordinate, briefly glanced at a notice posted on the wall. They arrived at the eighth floor and got off. Heesin held his key card to the reader and went in, and Im Gyeong followed him inside without ceremony.
“Wait here. Let me tidy up a bit.”
“You don’t have to go that far. It’s not like we’re a man and a woman.”
“No, still —”
He completely ignored this and walked in. Then he took in the sight before him and let out a low, unflattering wow. He shook his head at the stacks of documents that had long since overflowed the desk and were now scattered across the floor, and muttered something in Japanese.
“What did you just say?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Did you swear?”
“Korean profanity is so satisfying — why would I bother with Japanese?”
Fair point. Despite saying so, Heesin felt embarrassed enough that he started clearing things up in a haphazard way. He’d brought him in because Im Gyeong was a man — if he were a woman, he’d never have let anyone see it like this. Im Gyeong clicked his tongue at the stack of empty instant noodle cups piled in the corner.
“It’s impressive you’re still alive.”
“I mostly eat out.”
“You only sleep here?”
“Yes.”
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
Heesin filled the kettle, boiled the water, and quickly stirred together a packet of instant coffee, then set it on the table. The implication was drink it and leave — but Im Gyeong had no intention of touching the coffee. He just sat there staring at Kang Heesin’s face. Then Yun Sena’s call came through again.
“Don’t mind me. Answer it.”
Heesin warned him to sit still and don’t move, then went to the bedroom.
He sat on the edge of the bed and answered the call. Yun Sena’s voice came through from the other end.
— Oppa— where are you? Are you busy again today? Can’t you come pick me up?
The way her words were trailing off — she’d been drinking. He had too, but he couldn’t say no. Even if he couldn’t drive himself, he’d at least have to make a show of coming to get her. That was probably all Yun Sena wanted anyway. It wasn’t often, but she acted like this every once in a while. He just hadn’t expected it to be today.
“Where are you. I’ll come now.”
A soft laugh came through the phone. See? I told you oppa would come get me. There seemed to be friends around — voices calling out greetings one after another, hello, hello.
— I’m kidding. Are you home?
“Yeah.”
— Were you working?
Heesin pressed his lips together and looked up. Im Gyeong had appeared at the doorway at some point, leaning against the frame, eating ice cream with a teaspoon. He’d gone through the fridge without permission — bad enough — but he’d also already found a fresh pair of slippers from the drawer and had them on. Heesin let out a quiet sigh, and Yun Sena’s voice came again.
— Oppa?
Instead of lying, he looked straight at Im Gyeong.
“I’m with Im Gyeong. Your half-brother.”
Yun Sena’s voice sharpened slightly.
— Why is Im Gyeong there?
Heesin answered evenly.
“Ask him yourself. Why he wanted to come to my place.”
Then he held the phone out toward Im Gyeong. The teaspoon still in his mouth, Im Gyeong smiled. Oh, is that so? — that was the look on his face, but what Heesin made of it wasn’t his concern.
