4: Angels Don’t Smile
A fresh breeze blew through the slightly open window. Despite the early morning hour, a few surfers could be seen enjoying the ocean view outside.
This is Huntington Beach. Hyungoh took his eyes off the window. The thick cocoa smell in the air bothered him.
How long had it been? Hyungoh found it strange to see Hunter sitting across from him. Despite eleven years having passed, he hadn’t changed at all. That sly smile and arrogant gaze. Not a single thing has changed. Hyungoh furrowed his brow.
Though he still harbored resentment toward him, now that they were face to face, he felt somewhat glad to see him. Is this what they call a love-hate relationship? Hyungoh opened his mouth.
“You seem to be doing well, your face looks brighter than before.”
“And you seem to have had a rough time, judging by the state of your face.”
Hunter said slickly. Hyungoh felt a surge of anger at his teasing tone. That’s right. I’ve had more than my share of hardships, all because of you.
“I know you hate me.”
“As you should. You’ve given me nothing but trouble all this time.”
“Haha, trouble, you say.”
“You find this amusing?”
Hyungoh responded sharply.
“Why did you bring me to America in the first place? It was to make me Michael’s babysitter, wasn’t it?”
“Well, something like that…”
“And what about now? It seems you’re very close with Taylor. What information were you trying to extract from me using him for the past six years?”
No, before that, what kind of relationship do you two even have? Hyungoh raised his voice. Hunter calmly put down the cup he was holding on the table.
“Don’t get excited.”
“Is that your answer?”
“Of course not. I’ll reward you sufficiently for finding me, so calm down.”
Hunter glanced at Taylor coming up the stairs. Perfect timing.
Taylor habitually smiled at the two people looking at him. Do you need me to defend you, Hunter?
Hunter shrugged and pointed to the chair between himself and Hyungoh. Taylor obediently sat down. Hyungoh looked at Taylor with disapproval.
“First, about our relationship, well, it’s nothing special. Just a simple teacher-student relationship.”
“So you mean uncle is the teacher and Taylor is the student? What do you teach?”
“Well, life?”
“……”
“I teach various things. How to live life, how to be loved by a nephew, things like that.”
“The latter doesn’t seem to require any teaching. There’s no answer for that.”
“Everything has an answer. Don’t you think so?”
“…I gave up on that mindset a long time ago.”
“Oh dear.”
Hunter sighed with a regretful expression. Hyungoh felt like he was still being mocked.
“Are you enjoying playing word games with me? You’re quite relaxed.”
“Don’t look at me with such disdain. I’m just happy to see my nephew after so long.”
I’ve missed you so much. Hunter murmured while stroking his mouth. Hyungoh was suspicious of him.
“Taylor.”
“Yes, Hyungoh?”
Taylor responded kindly. Despite his fierce appearance that suggested he might pick a fight at any moment, he seemed to have a gentle personality. It was evident in his small mannerisms. Each of his movements was precise with no excess, and his speech was calm yet accurate.
Is this really the ‘Taylor’ who’s been texting with me all this time? Hyungoh looked back and forth between him and Hunter with continued suspicion.
“We finally met.”
Hyungoh extended his hand to him. I’m glad you’re not a pot-bellied old man. Taylor laughed at his added remark and shook his hand.
“And you’re glad I’m not bald, right?”
Hyungoh laughed along with Taylor’s response. It was a forced smile. So it seems that at least the person texting me was the real Taylor.
“But what did your last text mean? You spoke as if you knew Jake.”
“Oh, that?”
Taylor hesitated to speak and turned to Hunter. What should I do? Well, I wonder. Hunter glanced at Hyungoh. It seems like it’s time to tell him.
“Don’t take this too hard, but listen.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“The person who’s been texting with you all this time was actually me.”
Hyungoh’s face hardened. This was exactly what he’d been anxious about after learning that Hunter and Taylor were connected.
So he’d been pretending to be Taylor, acting like they were close? Hyungoh pressed his fingers against his furrowed brow, trying to suppress his rising irritation. The ‘Taylor’ who exchanged jokes, played around, and sometimes offered encouragement and comfort was actually his uncle.
“Well, I don’t know if this will comfort you, but it wasn’t just Hunter—I also exchanged texts with you.”
On days when I was the first to discover you were online. Taylor explained. When Hunter was away, I texted you, and when I was away, Hunter texted you.
Hunter nodded. That’s why things got confused at the end. I thought you must have told Taylor about Jake, but it turns out that wasn’t the case.
“So you two were playing with me.”
Hyungoh folded his arms and leaned back in his chair with a crooked posture. Right. I thought something felt off. It was one of the hypotheses I considered in Theo’s car, but having it confirmed that I was being manipulated still made me angry.
“What were you trying to get from me by going to such lengths?”
“No special reason. I was just worried about how you were doing.”
“You hacked my laptop and interrogated me daily about what I did and what I thought just because you were worried about how I was doing? Like a stalker?”
You said you’d reward me sufficiently for finding my uncle. That’s not what you meant. Hyungoh spoke while suppressing his anger. Hunter rolled his eyes as if in thought.
“I think it’s better for you if I don’t answer this.”
“The only truly good path for me is uncovering all the mysteries you’ve scattered.”
“Mysteries I’ve scattered?”
Hunter tilted his head, pointing at himself as if he didn’t understand, which made Hyungoh narrow his eyes.
“Shall I list them all?”
There were too many to count, going back eleven years. Starting with what could be considered the beginning of the mystery—that video in the USB—to his relationship with Michael, his perverted feelings toward Hyungoh’s mother, and currently, why he betrayed his organization to become a fugitive, and what exactly he hoped to gain by bringing Hyungoh here.
Hyungoh’s lips twitched as if he was about to spit out all those words. But Hunter calmed him down by slowly moving his hand up and down.
“I’m not sure what you’re trying to say, but fortunately, we now have plenty of time. Now that we’ve met, let’s take things slow and both get what we want.”
“What plenty of time? You’re a fugitive right now.”
“Hmm? Me?”
From whom? Hunter asked nonchalantly. Hyungoh was dumbfounded by Hunter’s persistent denial.
“Why are you acting like this? Obviously, from the Gostin Family. They say you not only crippled Federico but also ran off with their money.”
“Ah. You don’t need to worry about that. They’ll never find me.”
“What makes you so confident?”
“Those incompetent fools could rack their brains forever and still not catch me. The only person capable of capturing me was Federico, and even he is now old and sick.”
It’s been six years already. They missed their chance to find me. Hunter said.
Hyungoh still had a sour expression. So you’re saying this place is safe? Hunter was about to nod but suddenly hesitated as if something troubled him.
“As long as Michael doesn’t act on a whim.”
Hunter said. Hyungoh reacted instinctively to the mention of his name.
“Why bring up Michael?”
“That child could find me without any clues.”
Hyungoh was about to say that was absurd, but somehow found himself agreeing and swallowed.
“But don’t worry. Michael already promised six years ago that he wouldn’t look for me.”
“…So Michael knew you were going to run away?”
Then why is he still turning a blind eye? Hyungoh wondered. No matter how close their past relationship might be, it didn’t seem likely that Michael and Hunter’s bond was deep enough for Michael to continue hiding a traitor who had harmed his organization’s boss and fled.
“No comment on that question for now.”
“…If you’re going to respond with ‘no comment’ to everything, there was no point in my finding you.”
“I said let’s take it slow.”
Do you think you can handle all the many truths that have been deeply buried at once? Hunter tapped his own head. Could your mind endure it?
“I didn’t go to all this trouble to call you here just to watch you go insane.”
Just insane? Hunter delivered a decisive blow.
“After hearing all the answers, you’ll be too busy trying to run away.”
Hyungoh’s head went numb at those words. He couldn’t argue against the statement he heard whenever he thought he could forget about it. Hyungoh recalled similar words he had previously heard from Michael and Herick.
If I tell Choi all the answers to his curiosities, he’ll run away.
If I tell you everything, you’ll just run away again.
Run, run, run. Hyungoh tried to maintain his composure. It felt like someone had set his head on fire. His eyelids trembled involuntarily. It’s okay, Choi Hyungoh. Don’t get excited.
“I don’t want to hear that kind of talk from you of all people.”
Hyungoh said with a grin. But Hunter could tell from his clenched tone that he was displeased.
“I’ll say it again, we have plenty of time. In the meantime, you can rest and…”
While Hunter was speaking gently as if soothing an upset child, the hotel phone rang. All three of them looked in that direction simultaneously.
A puzzled Taylor got up and answered the phone. His face gradually became serious.
“Hunter, there’s a man looking for you.”
“Hmm?”
Hunter looked at Taylor with suspicious eyes. What man? His gaze slowly turned to Hyungoh.
“Did you not come alone?”
“Ah.”
Hyungoh just remembered someone he had forgotten. At that moment, the hotel room door opened roughly.
“…Huh.”
Hunter let out a short exclamation. He seemed dumbfounded by the appearance of an unexpected person. At the end of his gaze stood Theo, looking distinctly agitated with tension visible in his eyes.
