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Han Jintae’s vision was momentarily blinded by the headlights. He flinched at the burning tire smell and the furiously roaring engine. By the time he could assess the situation, it was already too late. His body was lifted by a massive impact before plummeting to the ground. CRASH!
“Haa... haa!”
Chairman Yu’s breathing was like that of a wild beast. It was an impulsive accident, born of uncontrollable rage. He had slammed on the brakes just before hitting Han Jintae, but it was already too late. Han Jintae lay sprawled at the edge of the headlight’s beam. Judging by his lack of movement, he seemed severely injured.
“This is all your karma.”
Chairman Yu had intended to look after Han Jintae if he simply followed orders. He had even planned to provide for him after he served his sentence. Of course, it would be slightly less than the conditions Han Jintae had just mentioned, but he considered it not bad. However, Han Jintae had crossed the line. He had committed a crime that a subordinate should never commit, so this punishment was only natural.
“I just need to clean up quietly.”
The sky, coincidentally, was gloomy, as if rain would pour down at any moment. Seeing the heavy clouds, it looked like a shower was imminent. His heart pounded chaotically. Despite feeling like he would collapse, Chairman Yu groaned and got out of the car.
“It’s a relief I didn’t bring anyone.”
There are no secrets in the world. Just looking at what Han Jintae had done, no one could be trusted. He hadn’t trusted Han Jintae in the first place. He had only temporarily borrowed his hands because he was so unflinching in carrying out any dirty deed. But somehow, things got tangled once Dojun got involved. Things subtly deviated from Han Jintae’s reports, leading to this mess.
“Give me back my laptop.”
Chairman Yu was already in a state of pure chaos. His reason-dead mind even gnawed away at his once-vibrant soul. In this world, money and power could bury even murder. An accident like this was no problem at all. Staggering, he walked from the car towards Han Jintae. Confirming there was no movement, he picked up the laptop bag that had fallen to the ground.
“That’s enough.”
There were only faint, sparsely placed streetlights around. He returned to the sedan and left the scene, leaving behind the accident traces. This entire scene was captured perfectly by Dojun’s phone camera. It was also being recorded by his dashcam.
“This crazy bastard!”
As Dojun leaped out of his car, Director Song and the bodyguards, who had been hiding, also rushed over. They had to avoid disturbing the accident traces on the ground. Dojun shouted at the bodyguards.
“Call the police and request an ambulance!”
“Yes, CEO.”
“Do not step on these tire marks.”
He cautiously approached Han Jintae. Placing a hand on his nose, he felt a faint breath.
“Hey, Han Jintae!”
The accident was too severe to move his body carelessly. Dojun tried to wake him by slapping his cheek. Director Song brought bottled water and poured it on his face. Only then did Han Jintae barely open his unfocused eyes.
“Are you coming to?”
“The show... isn’t over yet.”
“What are you talking about?”
“...Kuhahaha!”
Han Jintae’s insane laughter was chilling. For a moment, he struggled, breathing heavily, as if he would die at any moment. As he seemed about to lose consciousness again, Dojun urgently asked.
“Why did you call me to this place?”
Han Jintae slowly blinked. He barely managed to lift his gaze to Dojun and opened his blood-smeared mouth.
“It’s fun.”
“What?”
“I’m always drawn to the stronger one.”
“…!”
“That’s why I probably spent my whole life cleaning up after others.”
“Have you already given up?”
“Chairman Yu has already... cough... prepared to pin everything on me.”
“Is that so?”
“No matter what choice I make, I’ll die, and that old man...”
Han Jintae, struggling to continue the conversation, had a seizure. Then, his pupils instantly dilated. Just then, police cars and ambulances, having received the report, rushed from afar. As the loud sirens echoed through Han River Park, a media outlet released an exclusive breaking news report.
________________________________________
Chairman Yu returned to the hospital where he was admitted. His hands trembled visibly from driving, leaving him utterly exhausted. He wiped the sweat that drenched his forehead. When he closed his eyes and leaned his head back, he felt so dizzy he could barely keep his balance.
“At this rate, I won’t live a full life. What a mess, all because of one rat.”
The longer Han Jintae was at large, the more disadvantageous it was for Chairman Yu. He had even offered to double the payment to street gangs, telling them to kill Han Jintae. This was a direct threat to Han Jintae’s life. He expected that Han Jintae wouldn’t have been able to sleep properly and would certainly not have been able to eat peacefully. Yet, amidst all this, he cunningly called him directly.
“You can’t even trust those gang members.”
It was better to handle it himself. Even if he was suspected of being the culprit, he could just deny it. Before going there, he even removed the dashcam from his sedan. This was good enough.
“I need to rest now.”
Chairman Yu immediately went up to his hospital room. His arrival drew the attention of the bodyguards and secretarial staff guarding the hallway.
“Chairman!”
“Call a nurse and ask for an IV drip.”
Entering the hospital room, he immediately stripped off his clothes and threw them in the trash can. Only after changing into a patient gown did he finally feel relief. He gulped down cold water and cleared his dazed mind. Then, he placed the laptop bag he had taken from Han Jintae onto the bed.
“That foolish bastard, did he think he’d be safe coming like that?”
He unzipped the bag. As he reached to pull out the laptop, he grabbed a rectangular cutting board. To add weight, a piece of marble had been tightly wrapped in tape.
“No, no!”
Chairman Yu turned the bag upside down and shook it. A folded note fell out, and he picked it up. Inside was a short message, seemingly written by Han Jintae.
-The ultimate winner of this incident was finally Park Dojun. The old man lost.
Chairman Yu stumbled in a daze. Just then, there was a commotion outside, and the door burst open. It was the police.
________________________________________
A New Beginning
Dojun explained the situation to the police who arrived at the scene. He handed over the recorded file of his conversation with Han Jintae before coming here, as well as their recent exchange. Paramedics were moving Han Jintae onto a stretcher. There wasn’t a single uninjured part on his body, and the surrounding area was a mess.
“What is Han Jintae’s condition?”
“He’s deceased.”
As expected. Han Jintae had come here to die. Perhaps he wanted to avoid a meaningless death if possible. There was no way of knowing if this was truly what he wanted.
“CEO! Look at this!”
“What is it?”
“News Agency A has just released an exclusive breaking report.”
The phone Director Song handed him displayed an article about Chairman Yu. It contained sensational details about all the corruption and double life he had led. Han Jintae had already handed over all the data to the media. Then, he made a condition, asking them to publish the article at a time of his choosing. As promised, the article was released to the world. It was to spite Chairman Yu, who had even mobilized gangsters to kill him, a loyal servant for so long.
“In the end, it was going to come to this anyway.”
Dojun was gripped by a hollow feeling, unable to see ahead. A bitter aftertaste churned in his stomach. For a moment, he craved a cigarette. He wanted to swallow the acrid smoke down his throat and exhale the bad memories.
“No, what good is a cigarette?”
He had to go home. It was time to deliver this news to Hae-joo, who would be waiting, unable to sleep even at this moment. To tell her it was all over. To tell her that from now on, they would only be happy.
“How many years has it been?”
From the moment he loved Hae-joo, it had been a war for Dojun. He lived each day with such tension that he would have no regrets even if he died. The day Hae-joo first came home was vivid in his mind. The sharp-eyed woman who guarded herself against Dojun was now a complete wife.
“Hae-joo.”
He wanted to go to the sea with Hae-joo again. He wanted to fly far away and lie on a beach if possible. If he could let all his past hardships drift away with the waves, then never again...
“You’re CEO Park Dojun, aren’t you?”
It was a case involving a death. The police confirmed the videos Dojun provided and began their investigation. Meanwhile, reporters and media outlets, who had heard the news, gathered at the scene to cover it.
“I have a few questions.”
It was difficult to go straight home. While the scene was being processed, Dojun had to answer the police’s questions. By then, it was past midnight. It was only in the early morning that the police gave him permission to leave, and he got into his car.
“CEO, shall I drive?”
“No, it’s alright. Director Song, you’ve worked hard too, go and rest.”
On the way home, his mind was blank. He drove mechanically, looking only straight ahead, until he suddenly realized he was home. As soon as he parked the car in the garage, Hae-joo ran out.
“Dojun!”
Dojun seemed like a lost person. He wanted to reach out to Hae-joo, who was running towards him, but his body wouldn’t obey.
“Open the car door quickly!”
Hae-joo’s desperate cry was heard faintly through the closed car window. Dojun shook his head violently. Only then did a memory, which had been engulfing his soul, resurface. It was the scene of Han Jintae being hit by the car.
“...Get lost.”
With that barely audible, mantra-like utterance, his body finally moved. He pulled the car door handle and stepped out.
“Dojun!”
He embraced Hae-joo as she rushed into his arms and buried his nose in her neck. She was so frail and small, yet she had kept Dojun going until now, and his throat tightened.
“I saw it on TV. Chairman Yu was urgently arrested.”
“Yes.”
“I called so many times, but you didn’t answer... You were mean.”
He had turned off his phone’s sound as soon as he arrived at the scene. He hadn’t thought to turn it back on, which made Hae-joo anxious. That day, Dojun slept deeply for the first time. The next morning, Director Song came to work, but Dojun didn’t wake up at all. It was past noon. A worried Hae-joo stroked Dojun’s hair. Only then did his closed eyes barely open.
“Are you awake?”
“Sleepy.”
“You’re not sick, are you?”
“I must have been tired.”
Outside, it was noisy all day. With Han Jintae’s death and Chairman Yu, who had killed him, GN faced a desperate situation. Consequently, Chairman Yu’s youngest son, Jinhan, also received media attention. Reporters even flocked to the company, requesting interviews, but he refused all of them. That evening, Chairman Yu’s eldest son held an emergency press conference.
-As a company that should be a role model, we sincerely apologize for causing a disturbance.
That day, Chairman Yu’s eldest son stated that he would actively cooperate with the police investigation. He also said that Chairman Yu would step down from his position as chairman. Despite this, public opinion and anger showed no signs of abating.
“Are you going to sleep more?”
“Yes.”
Hae-joo also lay down beside Dojun. The two enjoyed a nap during the languid afternoon. When the sun set, it began to rain. Hae-joo sat up at the sound of rain tapping on the window.
“Is it night already?”
“Yes.”
“It’s raining.”
“It is.”
Hae-joo opened the window and watched the rain falling from the eaves. The temperature had turned chilly, and the leaves were turning yellow. It was autumn. When Hae-joo first came to this house, it felt like spring was in full swing, but now the season had changed. Her heart fluttered for no reason.
“I feel like I can finally breathe.”
________________________________________
Currently, beside Hae-joo lay Dojun, bare-chested, wearing only his underwear. The blanket pulled up to cover below his waist made for a pleasant sight. Just then, a cool breeze blew in. The scent of fallen leaves drifted into the bedroom, allowing them to fully enjoy autumn.
“Hae-joo, how do you feel?”
“It doesn’t feel real.”
“In what way?”
“That I have a husband.”
“What?”
Dojun had asked about his feelings now that the journey that had pained her was over. But Hae-joo gave an unexpected answer.
“I thought I’d never even date in my life.”
“Even though you didn’t know we were registered as married.”
“Because it was a ‘stolen’ marriage.”
“So, do you hate me?”
“Do you know what the biggest miracle that happened to me is?”
Dojun sat up.
“I wonder. What is it?”
“You, Dojun.”
“Hm?”
Hae-joo moved closer and sat in front of Dojun. She stroked his hair as if caressing a child and gazed at him warmly.
“If it weren’t for you, Dojun, I would have died a long time ago.”
Dojun pulled Hae-joo into a hug. He swayed slightly, like on a swing, and whispered into her ear.
“Shall we go to the sea at dawn?”
“So we can always come back again...”
“Yes. Let’s do that.”
The autumn night was exceptionally deep. Immersed in the bathtub, the two enjoyed an intimate date. Their touch was filled with temptation. Dojun, especially, would pull Hae-joo back into his embrace if she moved even a little away.
“You make me greedy.”
Warm steam continuously rose and enveloped them both. Their touching skin became more intimately pressed together as they submerged in the water, stimulating their senses. Dojun’s breathing was becoming labored. Taking Hae-joo under his large hands was no longer enough to satisfy him. He finally lifted his eyes, which had become unfocused.
“It feels like torture. You’ve intoxicated me.”
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