At my words, the warm atmosphere at the drinking table froze instantly, like the Han River in the dead of winter.
The playful tone vanished from Park Dong-su's voice as his expression hardened.
"Brother, watch your words."
"I don't think there's anything I shouldn't say. Didn't I tell you from the beginning when I first gave you the information about the war on crime? I told you to keep it quiet and hide alone. What do you think was the reason? I believe this kind of thing will keep happening."
Park Dong-su's face contorted at this.
"Damn it. Who doesn't know that? Is there anyone who doesn't know? Even a passing high school student knows. How can you do that to the son of the person I served?"
At this, I couldn't help but burst out laughing.
The quiet restaurant, with only us as customers, was filled with my laughter.
However, the atmosphere grew even heavier with my laughter.
Park Dong-su glared at me with a cold look.
"You... are you laughing now?"
"You still think it's the era where gangsters talk about honor and loyalty. Everyone in the world knows that's just bull. Are you the only one buried in the past, not knowing what even a passing high school student knows?"
"Shut up!"
Park Dong-su shouted.
Isanggeun's face also hardened.
The smile on my lips faded.
"...... If you don't do it, I will."
"Let's not go too far, brother."
"Too far?"
I looked at him with disbelief.
Park Dong-su then spoke with a voice filled with frustration.
"Yeah, let's not go too far. Even if we are gangsters! Even if we are the kind of gangsters that get beaten up by others! We are people with honor. No matter how much the times change, I don't want to change."
"Really, you're so frustrating."
It seemed there was no need to continue the conversation.
I put down my glass and stood up.
I gave Park Dong-su and Isanggeun cold, stern looks.
"Let's pretend we never agreed to work together. I'll help you make sure this coup goes smoothly."
"Hey! Kim Muhyeok! Sit down."
Park Dong-su shouted loudly, clearly angry.
But I was even more furious.
"Damn, Uncle, do you still see me as the high school student I was on the hospital rooftop? Should I just dismantle your entire organization? I think it would only take one phone call."
Park Dong-su was speechless, staring at me.
A tense atmosphere settled between us.
"Still don't get it after all this? Or are you just ignoring me?"
I thought that if we didn't resolve this properly, it would lead to nothing but trouble.
I came here with the intention of drawing a clear line.
Park Dong-su is a good person, but...... he's too good, and that's the problem.
"Everything I've done so far has been out of goodwill towards you. What have you ever given me, or even asked for my help? Why do you keep making me lose faith in you?"
"Hey......"
I cut off Park Dong-su's attempt to make an excuse firmly.
"I warned you clearly. Take care of Isaseong yourself this month. And by October at the latest, prepare to move to Seoul and contact me. If you don't take care of it this month, I'll handle it myself."
Park Dong-su looked at me without a word.
"Already, from the moment you had Byun Seong-ho stab me, you can't live comfortably anymore. Whether what he did was true or not, it doesn't matter. You know that, right?"
Park Dong-su's fist, which he had placed on the table, clenched tightly.
"See how Byun Seong-ho is tomorrow. Make the right decision. I want to work with you. It's October. If you don't finish things in Busan by then, it's really over between us."
"...... Muhyeok."
As the atmosphere turned hostile, I also warned Isanggeun, who was reaching for my ankle.
"Mr. Lee, be careful too. This time, I'll let it slide, but don't think about pulling out a knife in front of me. I'll show you what it's like to lose the things you value most."
I turned away coldly.
Neither Park Dong-su nor Isanggeun said a word.
As I pushed aside the curtain at the entrance of the restaurant and looked back at them,
"If you resolve everything by October, I might call you 'brother' then."
With that, I left.
'Damn......'
Walking to the car I had parked nearby, I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.
I needed to draw a line, but......
I couldn't help feeling bitter.
Ming-su, Hyun-seong, I should go have a drink with them.
I got into the car to vent my frustration.
The sound of the car door slamming shut echoed.
* * *
After Kim Muhyeok left, the two men sat in silence, drinking for a long time.
"......"
Park Dong-su sighed, and Isanggeun poured him more soju.
Park Dong-su, who had been sitting with a dark expression after speaking, finally slammed his glass on the table.
"Isanggeun."
"Yes, sir."
"That kid is really damn resolute, isn't he? It's so frustrating, but I can't get angry. Yeah, he's right. Damn, what have I ever done for him to save me from getting caught?"
"Sir......"
"Go see Isaseong. It'll be easier to talk to him since you've never met. Tell him to leave on his own. I'll take full responsibility for his family. Got it? That's the best I can do for him."
"......"
Park Dong-su twisted his lips in distress.
"...... Now, you can't just rely on brute force to be a gangster. I know what Muhyeok means. But...... damn, it's a mess. I have no money and no education, so I do this......"
"...... I think the same."
"Ultimately, it's a world that moves with money, isn't it? We have to adapt. After you meet Isaseong, we'll finish things in Busan cleanly and move to Seoul. We'll live a life that no one envies."
"...... Yes, sir."
Park Dong-su, who had been wearing a hazy expression, shook his head as if to clear it.
"Let's deal with the headache from tomorrow. Let's just drink today. Drink and die! That's the only way I can sleep."
As Park Dong-su raised his glass, Isanggeun also raised his, clinking it lightly against Park Dong-su's.
The next day, with a hangover, I went to the office and heard that Byun Seong-ho had been found dead by hanging in his cell.
* * *
Seoul Detention Center.
In the lawyer's meeting room, Cheonsuwan was waiting for his brother.
A moment later.
Cheonsuhan, who entered with a guard, smiled happily when he saw his brother.
"Brother!"
"......"
Cheonsuwan sighed.
"Can we talk quietly, Park?"
"Yes."
The man called 'Park' gave the guard a look, and the guard unlocked Cheonsuhan's handcuffs and left.
"Talk. I'll come back later."
Park bowed and left.
The door closed, and the lawyer's meeting room fell silent for a moment.
Cheonsuwan spoke first.
He pushed the lunch box he had brought from the hotel towards Cheonsuhan.
"Eat first. Is the detention center food edible?"
"Damn, it's a mess. I'm in solitary confinement, and it's so cramped....... The smell is terrible, and I feel like I'm dying."
Cheonsuhan opened the lunch box eagerly.
"But even here, money can do anything. I can secretly buy cigarettes, and the guards treat me nicely, so it's bearable."
Cheonsuhan stuffed his mouth with food and chewed. Cheonsuwan, who had been watching him with disdain, finally spoke.
"Anyway, Suhan."
"Huh?"
Cheonsuhan, who had been eating, looked up.
Cheonsuwan stared at him expressionlessly.
"What were you thinking?"
"What do you mean?"
Cheonsuwan continued to stare at him without saying a word.
Feeling the tension, Cheonsuhan tilted his head.
"What? Why? Speak up."
"Why did you act without telling me? What were you planning with Mr. Kim, the legislator? And why did your name come up as the main culprit? What were you thinking?"
Cheonsuhan started coughing, as if the words had caught in his throat.
"Damn, I thought I was going to die. It's...... Brother."
"Don't try to beat around the bush. Speak clearly. Can I trust you? Can we work together?"
Cheonsuhan looked at him with a blank expression at Cheonsuwan's firm words.
"...... Did I do something wrong? When my in-laws said there was no one else they could trust except me, should I have refused? I couldn't tell anyone because they told me not to. Even if I couldn't, how could you treat me like a criminal? Have I ever disobeyed you?"
Cheonsuhan vented his frustration, feeling wronged.
But Cheonsuwan's expression didn't change.
"...... Is that all?"
"Of course. What else could there be?"
"Did you just act on Mr. Kim's request without telling me? This wasn't a small transaction; it involved billions of won."
"What power do I have? I have to watch my father-in-law, my father, and now my brother. And now I have to watch my non-existent nephew too. What can I do?"
"You must have felt betrayed."
"Of course I did. My father doesn't even think about saving me, just leaving me here. And you come to see me and treat me like a criminal. Am I some kind of fool? Why is everyone making a fuss over me?"
Cheonsuhan finally raised his voice. But Cheonsuwan spoke calmly.
"...... I said I'd take care of things after my father-in-law passed away. But how can I trust someone who's secretly lining their own pockets? Don't you think so, Suhan?"
"What?"
"I'll say this one last time. Just do nothing and wait for my instructions. I'll take care of things so that you can live without any trouble. Don't be greedy and act within your limits. Got it?"
"......"
"Think about it while you're in prison. If something like this happens again, I'll have to think differently about you. Let's not fight like the chaebols. If you have any grievances, speak up anytime. I'll visit often."
Cheonsuwan stood up, patted Cheonsuhan's shoulder a few times, and left the meeting room.
Each of them had different thoughts swirling in their heads.
'Something's off. I need to keep a closer eye on him to prevent him from having any other ideas.'
'I'm going to be used and then discarded. I need to find a way out.'
To Kim Muhyeok, this was just a small act of revenge, but it left a small spark between the Cheonsuwan brothers.
* * *
I had planned to return to Seoul with my friends, but I received a sudden call from my grandfather.
I went back to Seoul a few days earlier alone.
Driving on the highway, I was lost in thought.
'In two weeks, the real-name financial system will be implemented.'
All stocks will plummet to their price limits.
Thinking about what I needed to do to prepare for the upcoming chaos, I soon arrived in Pyeongchang-dong.
"I'm back, Grandfather."
"You're early. Change your clothes and come out. We have somewhere to go."
"Somewhere? Where?"
"You'll see."
A short while later, I got into Grandfather's car and we set off.
"Is your father-in-law doing well?"
"Yes, he's healthy."
"That's good. Did you enjoy seeing your grandmother?"
"Yes!"
Grandfather looked at my beaming face with a bitter expression.
"Your father-in-law would have enjoyed coming to Seoul......"
"Probably...... even if he came to Seoul, he wouldn't have been able to stay. He's that kind of person. He's never left Busan, so a new environment might be too much for him. I didn't push him too hard."
"Hehe, you look much better after your trip to Busan. It suits you."
With that, Grandfather fell silent.
Was the bitterness and disappointment I saw in his expression just my imagination?
I couldn't put into words the gap I felt between the old Cheon and the current Grandfather.
Finally, the car stopped.
We had arrived at the residence of Daehyun's honorary chairman, the top chaebol in Korea.