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Last night, Jinsu received a call from Director Song on his way home from work. Chairman Yu had joined hands with Choi Inho. At first, he didn’t believe it. But after hearing Dojun’s story about meeting Seonkyu, his brain felt like it was melting.
“Is that true? Haah...”
A father who joined hands with the trash who had been shaking his son’s company. He was so ashamed he wanted to die. At the same time, his rage towards Chairman Yu grew uncontrollably. He knew that Han Jintae must have spearheaded it. It was obvious that Chairman Yu planned to use him to commit illegal acts and then conveniently distance himself. This was absolutely unforgivable. Jinsu told Director Song, who was asking about Choi Inho’s whereabouts:
“The only way is to tail Han Jintae.”
In the end, he decided to meet Director Song and work together. Jinsu went home and changed to an inconspicuous car. After picking up Director Song, they headed to GN’s headquarters. They heard from security that Han Jintae was still at the company, so they just waited.
“Did Chairman Yu say anything else?”
“We’re not on good terms. That’s probably why he let it get to this point.”
It was obvious how Chairman Yu would use Choi Inho without even seeing it. It was too disgusting to even mention, leaving a bitter taste. As they waited silently, Chairman Yu appeared in the parking lot with Han Jintae leading the way. Jinsu turned off his lights and watched the two of them.
“Let’s follow them.”
The driver and Han Jintae also got into the car with Chairman Yu. Jinsu carefully followed behind. As expected, Chairman Yu got off at his mansion. His face was very haggard from recent events, and his eyes were extremely clouded.
“Where will Han Jintae go...?”
After dropping off Chairman Yu, Han Jintae switched to his own car. He drove leisurely through the alleyways of a luxurious residential area. Jinsu slowly followed behind him. Before long, they arrived at Han Jintae’s apartment.
“Director Song, I’ll keep watch here tonight, so you can go ahead.”
“Are you going to stay up all night?”
“I have to stop it, even if it means that.”
“Then I’ll go meet Seonkyu again.”
After exchanging glances, Director Song got out of Jinsu’s car. He rushed to the studio apartment where Seonkyu lived. It was an old multi-family building, so he could freely enter the first floor. Director Song quickly went up the stairs and rang the doorbell.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Director Song, who came with CEO Park Dojun.”
Seonkyu readily opened the door. He still had a haggard face and stood away from the door.
“Why are you here again?”
“I was in a hurry earlier.”
“Come in.”
Seonkyu let Director Song inside. The shabby old officetel, about six pyeong, was utterly squalid.
“Are you going to tell me to contact Reporter Choi?”
“Yes.”
“If I call him, he’ll demand all sorts of things.”
Seonkyu was in a difficult situation. He was under police investigation, and if he got tangled up, his charges could increase. Director Song, reading his uncomfortable thoughts, persuaded him.
“This time, you’re helping us by siding with CEO Park Dojun.”
“...”
“So at least try.”
Reluctantly, Seonkyu brought his phone from the desk. He turned it on and licked his dry lips.
“What do I say if it connects?”
“That Seonkyu will go to where Choi Inho is.”
“And I’m really going alone?”
Director Song shook his head.
“CEO Park Dojun and I will go with you.”
“In that case, well...”
Relieved, Seonkyu called Choi Inho’s new number. But for some reason, he didn’t answer. Seonkyu’s brows furrowed as he tried several more times with the same result.
“He’s not answering.”
“If he calls, be sure to contact me. And take this.”
Director Song took a million won in a check from his wallet.
“Use it for living expenses.”
“This much?”
“If Seonkyu had met a good mentor, he wouldn’t have gone through such hardships.”
Seonkyu felt a lump in his throat and lowered his head.
“As a senior who entered society first, I also feel sorry.”
“...”
“So make the right choice now.”
“Thank you.”
Instead of pushing the weakened Seonkyu, he embraced him. He decided it was better to win his trust and work together to catch Choi Inho. Director Song left the studio apartment area and watched the public opinion trends until late at night. Just as he was dozing off, Seonkyu contacted him.
“It’s me, Ahn Seonkyu.”
“Speak.”
“I just talked to Reporter Choi.”
“What did he say?”
“I told him I’d give him the Hae-joo data, and he said he’d meet me.”
“And the address?”
“He said to wait at Sinsa Station Exit 1, and he’d pick me up.”
“Alright. I’ll head that way too.”
It was just as Director Song was about to leave. He almost fainted after checking a message from Dojun. He was speechless at Choi Inho’s shameless demands and threats. Just then, Dojun called.
“The situation has become urgent.”
After finishing the call, he went to the location Seonkyu mentioned. While waiting near Sinsa Station Exit 1, a taxi stopped. The person who got out of the taxi was Seonkyu. Nervous, he kept looking around. Choi Inho hadn’t arrived yet, so Director Song called.
“I’m watching you, so don’t worry.”
“Okay.”
But Choi Inho, who was supposed to come, didn’t appear. An exhausted Seonkyu sent a message to Director Song.
[He’s not coming. He’s not answering the phone either.]
It seemed like it was going to end like this. Just as Seonkyu was about to turn around, a taxi approached from afar and stopped. After a brief conversation with the person in the taxi, he got into the passenger seat.
“It’s Choi Inho!”
Director Song also slowly followed behind. He was about to contact Dojun, but Jinsu called him first.
“Yes.”
“Director Han has moved. He’s near an officetel in Sinsa-dong right now.”
“That seems to be Choi Inho’s hideout. I’ll see you later.”
The taxi entered an officetel complex, just as Jinsu had said. It stopped in front of the officetel’s main entrance, and Choi Inho was the first to get out of the taxi.
“Found him.”
No sooner had he felt relieved than a car pulled up in front of Choi Inho. A moment later, the person who got out of the driver’s seat was Han Jintae. Choi Inho introduced Seonkyu to Han Jintae and then entered the officetel building. Director Song called Dojun. As soon as the call connected, he shouted:
“I found out where Choi Inho is!”
After the call, he sent the address and got out of the car. Jinsu, who recognized Director Song, also ran up with a tired face.
“Let’s go in right now.”
“CEO Park Dojun will be here soon.”
“That’s good. Then I’ll go see my father.”
Jinsu left, and a short while later, Han Jintae came out of the officetel. As he watched him leisurely leave, Dojun arrived.
“CEO, you’re here.”
“Was it here?”
“Yes, I just received a message from Seonkyu that he’s in unit 701.”
A red tinge appeared in Dojun’s irises. It was a sight Director Song, who had been assisting him all this time, had never seen before. Currently, Dojun had lost his composure. He worried that he might completely lose his sanity.
“CEO, never...”
“If you’re going to stop me, don’t come.”
His voice was also different from usual. The trembling low voice had never before carried such a sense of dread as it did today. The two entered the building. As they got into the elevator, Dojun’s ragged breathing was clearly audible.
“Calm down.”
“I can’t calm down. If I hadn’t lost Choi Inho that day...”
Hae-joo’s tears still seemed to blur in Dojun’s chest. Although he had comforted her calmly on the beach, he was actually not okay at all. He was desperate and filled with anger, and his heart felt like it was about to burst even now.
“Ring the doorbell.”
Finally, they arrived in front of unit 701. Director Song rang the doorbell and deliberately showed only his lips to the camera.
“Who is it?”
It was Choi Inho’s voice. Director Song changed his voice.
“It’s management. We received a call from another resident about a gas smell.”
“It’s fine here, so please leave.”
“If you don’t get it checked, you won’t be able to use gas.”
“Ah, seriously! This is so annoying.”
Choi Inho grumbled. As they waited nervously, the front door lock finally clicked open. As soon as a tiny gap appeared, Dojun grabbed the doorknob. Without giving Choi Inho time to react, he pulled it open violently.
“What is this, ugh!”
Choi Inho, recognizing Dojun, was utterly terrified as if he had seen the grim reaper. Forgetting to scream, he quickly backed away.
“Very... nice to meet you.”
His tone was far from friendly. It was clear that Dojun had come here with murderous intent. If he was caught like this, it would be over. As he tried to run, a shocking impact, as if his scalp was being ripped off, struck his head.
“Aargh!”
Dojun had grabbed him by the hair. Director Song immediately locked the door. No sooner had the click sounded than Dojun slammed Choi Inho’s head against the wall while holding his hair. Seonkyu, startled, hid under the desk. Choi Inho screamed desperately.
“Help me, Seonkyu!”
“Just apologize now, please!”
Dojun seemed to have given up on being human. Choi Inho, seeing the madness grazing his lips, thrashed around wildly. As soon as he raised his arm to defend himself, Dojun’s foot flew out. Choi Inho instantly fainted. When he started mumbling incoherent nonsense, cold water was poured on him.
“Open your eyes.”
“Ugh...”
Dojun grabbed Choi Inho by the collar and pulled him up. His face, swollen in the meantime, was slammed to the floor. Choi Inho, whose body was miserably folded and collapsed, trembled limb by limb and kicked wildly.
“At least you shouldn’t have touched Hae-joo.”
“Ugh...”
But his anger still wasn’t appeased. Dojun ripped off a railing post from the duplex stairs. As he raised it towards Choi Inho, Director Song intervened.
“CEO!”
“Get out of the way.”
“If Choi Inho dies, all our efforts will be for naught.”
“Move.”
“Think of your wife waiting at home.”
Only then did Dojun lower the pole he was holding. He gasped for breath and stared at the still unconscious Choi Inho. It was when a relieved Director Song stepped back. Dojun swung the lowered pole and struck Choi Inho’s thigh with all his might.
Thwack!
“Aaaargh!”
Choi Inho screamed in pain as if his skin was tearing and rolled on the floor. But Dojun’s expression didn’t change at all. He grabbed Choi Inho by the collar again and whispered in a hoarse voice.
“Listen carefully. You hit me first.”
“Ugh... cough cough.”
“I’m acting in self-defense. Right, or wrong?”
“Guh!”
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
Dojun picked up the pole. Terrified, Choi Inho rejected him with his whole body and started having a seizure.
“S-save me!”
“You hit me first. Right?”
“Ugh, yes.”
“Be clear about it.”
Choi Inho, his face streaked with tears, gathered his trembling hands and nodded his head. Dojun let go of his collar and went in front of Director Song.
“Hit me.”
“What?”
“Hurry. That way we can call the police, can’t we?”
“Even so, this is a bit...”
“If you have any pent-up anger towards me, let it out now.”
Director Song’s head throbbed. He sighed at Dojun’s drastic request and measured the angles.
“It’s better if your lip is slightly busted and bleeding, so stay like this.”
“You can hit me with that pole too.”
“Don’t say such horrible things!”
Director Song recoiled. Choi Inho had already fainted, and Seonkyu was trembling with his back turned. He couldn’t waste any more time and clenched his miserable fist.
“Alright, here I go.”
“If you miss, we’ll have to do it again, so do it well.”
Director Song, having made up his mind, threw a punch towards Dojun’s corner of the mouth. It made quite a loud sound. But Dojun didn’t even blink.
“Well done.”
“Don’t ever make me do something like this again.”
Dojun’s lip was busted and bleeding. Not enough, he rubbed his hand roughly over the wound to make it more prominent. Thanks to that, Dojun’s mouth was covered in blood.
“Call the police.”
They searched Choi Inho’s phone and bag and found a recording of a conversation with Han Jintae. It was a loophole he had created to save himself. With the threatening messages Hae-joo received, the evidence was perfect. Dojun felt an empty despair, his strength draining away. To get to this point, he had been so hurt and endured so much pain. He found Hyunseong’s name on his phone and pressed it. A metallic sound rang in his ear, and a metallic taste spread in his mouth.
“CEO!”
“Put Hae-joo on.”
“Just a moment.”
He heard Hyunseong waking Hae-joo up. Her muffled voice, suppressed by Dojun’s call, reached his ears.
“Dojun?”
“Hae-joo.”
“Where did you go?”
“...You know.”
Choi Inho had collapsed at Dojun’s feet. Complex emotions swelled in his throat, and the past events flashed before his eyes. He thought about how he had protected Hae-joo all this time just to say this one thing...
“Don’t cry anymore.”
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