Chapter 6.3

“What are you going to do now, Sunbae-nim?”

KyungHyun gazed at EunHa. She had finally fallen asleep after receiving the sedatives. He raised his head. He had lost weight in the past few days.

“…I need to give Kang SungHo a call.”

He took out his cellphone and left the room. His colleagues followed behind him.

“What are you going to say to him?”

Lieutenant Cha JoongWon, who had been standing outside the room, looked at him with worried eyes. He was KyungHyun’s police subordinate and the man he had become accustomed to calling General Manager Cha.

“Now that the patient has woken up, I should report it.”

KyungHyun pressed the speakerphone button and placed the cellphone on the table. He then leaned on the sofa and took out a cigarette. As expected, SungHo answered the call as soon as it started to ring. He had definitely been waiting for KyungHyun’s call.

– What a pleasant surprise. Director Shin has decided to call me for a change.

“Things have been happening on our side lately.”

Biting his cigarette, KyungHyun crossed his legs.

– Really? What happened?

“Three days ago, one of my newly recruited employees came to the YongSung founding party and shot Noh HyungChul.”

– And why are you telling me such an important thing now?

SungHo’s voice over the speakerphone sounded sharp, but it didn’t sound surprised. No matter how hard KyungHyun tried to keep the word from spreading, there was no way SungHo hadn’t heard about such grave news within YongSung.

“I needed to check something first.”

– Check what?

“I needed to know who was behind this. It might have been the work of another mob organization, but I couldn’t rule out the possibility of another coup from the inside.”

– …Then wouldn’t torturing the bitch who shot the gun do the trick?

“I never said it was a woman. You’re very intuitive.”

There was a moment of silence. Everyone listening to the speakerphone on the table had grave expressions on their faces. KyungHyun didn’t wait for SungHo’s answer and languidly spoke.

“Anyways, even if I wanted to torture her, she got shot in the process and fainted, so that wasn’t an option.”

– …Did she die?

SungHo’s soft voice sounded serious as he asked.

“No. She woke up just a while ago.”

KyungHyun took a deep drag of the cigarette as he observed the tension. Even though there was no sound coming from the speakerphone, SungHo had not ended the call.

“As you said, we did some work on her. And she told us that she worked for Serim.”

– What a wicked bitch. I don’t know anything about this.

As SungHo feigned ignorance, KyungHyun slowly exhaled the cigarette smoke. His dark eyebrows went up. He had already expected SungHo to react like this.

“Then it shouldn’t matter if I kill the woman. I understand. There are still things I want to figure out, so I’ll spend a bit more time with her before I take care of her.”

General Manager Cha and Lieutenant Han caught their breaths. They didn’t know why KyungHyun was speaking like this to SungHo.

– Director Shin.

“Yes, sir?”

They heard the clicking of a lighter through the speakerphone. SungHo cleared his throat and exhaled the cigarette smoke.

– That bitch. Send her to me.

KyungHyun had a blank expression on his face as he coldly replied.

“You just told me that she has no connection to you, Hyung-nim. Didn’t you?”

– KyungHyun.

The intervals between the clicking of the lighter gradually became shorter.

– It’s true that I sent her to help you out as a colleague because you had a lot on your plate. I was planning on telling you a bit later.

“Is that so?”

KyungHyun’s indifferent tone seemed to suggest that he didn’t believe SungHo.

– You don’t think that I ordered that bitch to shoot Noh HyungChul, do you? If I wanted that, why wouldn’t I just send you?

When KyungHyun didn’t respond, SungHo raised his voice.

– Send that bitch back. If she has to die, I’ll be the one to kill her. The crime of putting our dear Director Shin in an awkward position is a serious one.

“I’ll think about it, Hyung-nim.

– What?

SungHo’s thin voice cracked unpleasantly. KyungHyun took another drag of the cigarette, which had now been burned to the filter. He let out a long sigh as he exhaled the smoke before pressing the cigarette butt onto the ashtray.

“Did I stutter?”

– So now you’re arguing with me?

KyungHyun could hear SungHo grind his teeth with rage.

“In a situation like this where you’ve put a tail on me because you can’t trust me… Don’t you think I have some questions as well? I’ll take full advantage of having a woman from Serim in the palm of my hands.”

– Just now… you dare to… Are you telling me that you’re going to go against me?

“You can think whatever you’d like.”

A cruel gleam flashed across KyungHyun’s eyes as he calmly replied.

“I’ll talk to you another time, sir. Goodbye.”

Without waiting for SungHo’s reponse, KyungHyun ended the call. He could clearly imagine SungHo’s furious reaction right now.

“What do you plan on doing now? If you turn your back on Kang SungHo now, things will get difficult.”

After making sure the call had definitely ended, General Manager Cha cautiously spoke to KyungHyun.

“We’ve both reached an understanding a long time ago. We just didn’t say it out loud. Let’s plan our operation on Serim once this matter is over.”

“Sunbae-nim, why don’t we just win over Lee EunHa and send her back to Serim?”

KyungHyun shook his head at Lieutenant Han’s cautious suggestion.

“If Lee EunHa sees Kang SungHo right before her eyes, she’ll try to kill him.”

Judging from her attempted suicide just now, KyungHyun wasn’t wrong. However, if they could convince EunHa to work with them, they might be able to turn this messed up situation around.

“But…”

Lieutenant Han was about to try and convince him otherwise, but KyungHyun cut her off.

“Well, it might actually be better off that way. Rather than following after the gangs for 10 years and cleaning up after their shit in the name of justice, it might just be better to kill off the leader of the organization. Don’t you think?”

“Superintendent Shin.”

General Manager Cha spoke up softly when he saw that Lieutenant Han was too dumbfounded to say anything.

“I know. We’re police. Not thugs.”

“……”

“I will act according to protocol, so don’t worry.”

“…I apologize if you thought we were worried.”

“No need to apologize.”

Click. KyungHyun lit another cigarette and bit down on it as he chuckled. His exhaustion could be clearly seen on his weathered face. His colleagues understood very well how he felt.

Korean history has shown that there was a long-standing union between the mob and national politics. Every time their superiors changed with the political climate, the end goal of their mission would slowly get pushed back. Whenever this happened, they would have to replan everything, and the one who was in the most danger at these times was the man in the front lines, KyungHyun.

At the beginning, he wasn’t the only one who had been planted. KyungHyun, who had graduated the academy at the top of his class, had been picked alongside five veterans of the violent crimes division.

However, everyone but KyungHyun had been exposed or killed. There was no way KyungHyun was the only lucky one to escape unscathed.

Nevertheless, KyungHyun was able to frequent both YongSung and Serim for 12 years. And he managed to get these results by sheer willpower. He made decisions that decreased the possibility of making mistakes and didn’t show any weakness. Anyone watching over KyungHyun couldn’t deny his incredible talent.

3 years had passed since Cha JoongWon had been planted in YongSung. He was often thankful for starting his life as a cop instead of a gangster.

“What should we do about the public sentiment within YongSung?”

“Let the word out that Lee EunHa will die by my hands and that she’s a spy sent from Serim.”

“And what will happen if the people at YongSung go after Serim? It’ll become a huge fiasco.”

Lieutenant Han recalled the massacre that took place 10 years ago and spoke up with a grave expression.

“Until Noh HyungChul recovers, no one will make a move just yet.”

This meant that the gangsters of YongSung wouldn’t be making any rash decisions while their leader was lying in his sickbed. General Manager Cha nodded his head.

“Understood, sir. Also, Im SungJoon came up from Busan last night. Please be careful.”

Im SungJoon, the man in charge of the operations in Busan and Kyungnam, was another man who had Noh HyungChul’s trust and confidence. He usually didn’t leave his territory, but it seemed that he hurried up here when he heard of the attack on his boss.

“We’ll figure out what to do about the Shenzhen matter now. If Im SungJoon notices anything, it’ll be troublesome.”

Im SungJoon didn’t like how KyungHyun had gained so much influence and power within YongSung so quickly. On top of that, he was a very observant man, so it would be best for them to lay low for now.

“Yes, sir. I’ll prepare everything accordingly.”

“Also, Lieutenant Han.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Get in contact with Kim MinSuk’s advisor and leak out the fact that Noh HyungChul is currently hospitalized after having been attacked.”

“What good will come of Mayor Kim knowing about this? The possibility of him backstabbing Noh HyungChul is high.”

Lieutenant Han anxiously spoke up, but KyungHyun looked at her with a cold gleam in his eye.

“That’s exactly what I want.”

Noh HyungChul was a man who knew very well how much corruption Kim MinSuk had taken part in all this time. Noh HyungChul had made illegal donations to Kim MinSuk in order to keep his self-interests intact. In other words, they shared a symbiotic relationship. However, if Kim MinSuk planned to run for the presidency, his most dangerous liability was Noh HyungChul.

Kim MinSuk hadn’t been happy with YongSung’s most recent demands, but he complied because he was afraid their connection would be revealed to the public.

Up until now, KyungHyun had done his best to gather the evidence of Kim MinSuk’s illegal activities and corruption, but Noh HyungChul never showed the specifics of these activities to anyone.

“If Kim MinSuk decides to take the bait, this might be our only chance to tie him to Noh HyungChul and take them both down. Since Noh HyungChul is currently bedridden and can’t leave his hospital bed, we need to find another way to prosecute him. If an irrefutable piece of evidence comes to light, even the prosecutors who are turning a blind eye to all this won’t be able to sit still.”

Having Noh HyungChul leave the country was a crucial step in this project, which they had been developing with the cooperation of the Chinese police. Before he became the leader of YongSung, Noh HyungChul did time for 10 years for embezzlement and conspiracy to murder in his early thirties. Nowadays, he was very reluctant to personally go out and do the dirty work.

After he was released from prison, he expanded his business to illegal stock manipulations and investments. However, only his subordinates were charged for petty offenses.

Because of this, for half a year, all the team members began to plan a massive bust of the illegal dealings of Philopon in the black market. They did all this to draw out the elusive leader of YongSung into a place where they could arrest him. Now that this was all water under the bridge, they needed to modify the plan. And it was up to KyungHyun to do this.

“Do you have a plan in mind?”

“Even if I don’t, I need to make one.”

KyungHyun bit his cigarette as he murmured. Lieutenant Han and General Manager Cha gave each other a look. Their boss’s unwavering attitude in the midst of this crisis gave them a bit of comfort.

“Understood, sir.”

“Then you may leave.”

They were currently in the penthouse of the hotel owned by KeumOh. KyungHyun had been living here for a few years now. It was the safest place to be in order to avoid any suspicions, but they still needed to be careful because the whole building was crawling with YongSung’s gangsters.

After giving a short greeting, General Manager Cha left first. Dressed as a call girl, Lieutenant Han began to follow after him, but she stopped when she got to the door and turned around.

“Superintendent Shin.”

Smoke flowed out of the cigarette held between KyungHyun’s long fingers. The man seemed to perfectly suit this dreary, colorless room. He opened his mouth and let out a short reply.

“What?”

“…About your decision to keep Lee EunHa from returning to Serim… Is there another reason for that decision?”

KyungHyun tilted his head as he gazed at Lieutenant Han before answering indifferently.

“What do you mean?”

“I was just wondering if you had a personal reason for making that decision.”

“What personal reason?”

When Lieutenant Han hesitated, KyungHyun answered for her.

“Are you talking about romantic feelings?”

“I didn’t mean to pry into your personal life, but…”

“If you want to report it to my superiors, go ahead.”

When KyungHyun scoffed, Lieutenant Han quickly raised her voice.

“That’s not what I meant. We’re all on the same team. I only wanted to tell you that there’s a high chance you’ll be in danger, Superintendent Shin.”

KyungHyun stared at her as he languidly murmured.

“I feel like an incompetent boss for making my subordinates worry.”

“…I apologize if I crossed the line.”

KyungHyun silently gazed at Lieutenant Han as she lowered her head. He understood her worries very well. As a newcomer to this team, she was stressed about having to completely modify a plan they had been working on for half a year.

“Lieutenant Han.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Lee EunHa told me this not too long ago. She said that when it came down to it, she’d rather choose the capable thugs over the incompetent police.”

Lieutenant Han’s brow slightly twitched. KyungHyun continued as he mocked himself.

“Don’t those words hurt your pride?”

“…Yes, sir.”

“Even if it’s for my own ‘personal reasons’, I want to show Lee EunHa.”

“Show her what?”

“That the police haven’t been doing nothing. That we have been working on this for the past 10 years. That we’re still working on it.”

“We’ve never done nothing about this, sir.”

“You’re right. So I want to show her that we’re going to end those bastards on our terms.”

“Is it… because of the guilt you feel for having been unable to protect Lee EunHa-ssi’s family 10 years ago?”

Lieutenant Han had a strange ability to catch someone off guard with her observations. This skill shone the brightest when she was interrogating a suspect for their special crimes unit. Feeling as if he was being treated like a criminal, KyungHyun felt bitter inside.

However, KyungHyun also couldn’t help but chuckle at his lieutenant’s attitude as she carefully tried to warn her boss about his decisions.

“I can’t say that I don’t feel any guilt. However, that’s not the only reason.”

He felt that it would be for the best to answer truthfully instead of making up an excuse. If he didn’t give a justification for his behavior, there was a chance this competent subordinate of his would defy his commands.

“Do you know how Lee EunHa’s face looked as she pulled the trigger to shoot Noh HyungChul?”

“How did she look?”

“She looked exactly the same as when she escaped the murder at her house 10 years ago. She was trembling in fear, but she still shot him. Even with a gun at her head. Even though she knew she’d surely die.”

Lieutenant Han blinked in silence. Her eyes looked unfocused as if she were looking at something far away. Then her expression turned dark.

“Lee EunHa proved to us herself that she is no longer the child who ran away from violence.”

“…Most humans grow up and adapt.”

“You’re right. Lee EunHa grew up very well. When I saw her, all the guilt that lay deep down in my heart flew away in an instant, but…”

KyungHyun wet his dry lips.

“…When Lee EunHa was shot down in front of my eyes, I almost lost it. I felt as if I’ve failed her again.”

“…Failed her?”

Lieutenant Han thought that these words were very unlike KyungHyun. KyungHyun looked up and met her eyes.

“10 years ago, after that incident, when Kang SungHo found her and kidnapped her, I already failed her once.”

“Superintendent Shin.”

“When I heard that Lee EunHa had gone missing, I believed that Kang SungHo had ultimately killed her.”

“I do believe that he found Lee EunHa-ssi to get rid of her, but don’t know what made him change his mind in the last moment.”

“That’s exactly what’s bothering me so much.”

When Lieutenant Han looked at him in confusion, KyungHyun spoke again in a languid voice.

“If I stopped to think about it, I could have figured out that Kang SungHo would find Lee EunHa and kill her. I knew that he was a man who would dig out any possible threat by its roots. And yet, I remained an onlooker in all of this.”

After turning her over to the police, he should have put her under police protection. If he had done this, the following events would never have taken place. No, if he had only kept a better watch over Kang SungHo at Serim, would he have realized that Lee EunHa hadn’t died and was still alive? That she was actually operating as a member of Serim all this time?

“You didn’t do that deliberately. Every human makes mistakes. Police are human too.”

Lieutenant Han spoke clearly as she defended him. KyungHyun frowned as he chuckled.

“I don’t want to make another mistake when it comes to Lee EunHa. I’d rather be stabbed with a knife than be incompetent in her eyes once again.”

“…I understand, sir.”

Lieutenant Han quickly recognized what was going on from her short conversation with KyungHyun. He would never put Lee EunHa in any danger, and that decision would never change.

“It doesn’t matter if you report this to my superiors.”

“I won’t report it, sir. I understand.”

“I didn’t say anything important, though. Weren’t you curious about whether I had any personal emotions when it came to that woman?”

When KyungHyun calmly asked her, Lieutenant Han shook her head.

“…You don’t have to tell me, sir. I don’t think I need to know any more than what you’ve told me.”

“Did I answer your question then?”

“Yes. It was sufficient.”

Lieutenant Han nodded at him. When KyungHyun had told her that he didn’t want to let Lee EunHa down again, his brooding face gave her the answer she was looking for. What one saw was often more powerful than the words one heard.

He had always been a cold man, and no one could figure out what he was thinking. She had her suspicions when she asked him why he was showing such strange emotions and treating Lee EunHa like a victim. Even if he did feel something for her, she never expected KyungHyun to answer so openly.

‘He’s a pretty straightforward guy.’

Thinking that it wasn’t so bad to see a human side to this man, Lieutenant Han finally exited the room.

Click.

When KyungHyun heard the door close, he raised his hand and pressed his temple. Just behind his wall, there was a young woman lying there who made his nerves bristle. As he recalled the moment when this woman had been shot, all the blood rushed to one side of his head, giving him a migraine.

Bang!

The moment he saw the dark red blood burst out of EunHa’s body, his body moved faster than he could think. Even though he knew it was dangerous, he shot the gangsters of YongSung, including Noh HyungChul’s bodyguard.

“……”

There were many times when KyungHyun had to make an independent decision while carrying out an operation. However, he had never made such a decision for the sake of someone else before. He had always made it for his own wellbeing. This was because if he ever died in the middle of the operation, all the hard work that the team had put into this mission would disappear in an instant. KyungHyun believed this would be the most harmful outcome.

‘It’s dangerous. As expected.’

KyungHyun thought to himself and smiled bitterly. Until a few months ago, he never would have thought that he’d have to modify his plans for the sake of one woman. It didn’t make any sense for him to disregard the danger and risk his own life.

‘Am I being punished?’

In the past, he never understood how his subordinates could tremble in fear because of their lovers, and he’d laugh at them. If his past self could see him now, he’d be absolutely dumbfounded. He had also felt annoyed whenever one of YongSung’s men would take a glance at her. He had even childishly thought that it would have been better if Lee EunHa was less beautiful.

He bent over to extinguish his cigarette, and he caught sight of his reflection on the glass table. With a big hand, he rubbed the anxious expression on his face.

‘Why are you holding back?’

Actually, since a while ago, he constantly wanted to see that woman’s face. As soon as Lieutenant Han left the room, his heart wanted him to rush over to the bedroom next door and burst through the door. Even though he knew she was safe, he wanted to make sure with his own two eyes. If he could, he wanted to keep her in his sight until she fully recovered.

No, actually, he already decided to do just that. Ever since he infiltrated the organization, he always practiced restraint. But for the first time, he didn’t care if he broke this rule that no one else had enforced on him. He would have to be responsible for his own behavior, but wasn’t that always the case?

After he realized that there was no need to hold back his feelings, KyungHyun burst out of his seat and walked towards the bedroom without hesitation. He felt that he would only be satisfied when he saw the object of his desire.\n