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After parting ways with Heo Eun-Sil, Kang Chan arrived at the Korean restaurant where the reservation was.
“I was told the Nam Yang Company made a reservation?” Kang Chan asked.
“This way, sir.” A middle-aged woman in a navy blue suit led him to a room inside the restaurant.
Slide.
Kim Tae-Jin and Seok Kang-Ho were already waiting for him.
With the table in the middle, Kim Tae-Jin and Kim Hyung-Jung sat closer to the walls while Kang Chan and Seok Kang-Ho sat opposite them.
No one showed any signs that they had been drinking alcohol.
“Please accept this, Mr. Kang Chan. This is for you, Mr. Seok Kang-Ho.” Kim Hyung-Jung held out IDs.
One was a resident registration card, and the other had the words ‘National IntelligenceService’ inscribed in red.
“With this, you can access any government building, regardless of the location. If you ever find yourself in trouble with the police or civil servants, just show them this card and tell them to contact the number written on its back. We’ll take care of the rest,” Kim Hyung-Jung continued.
Kang Chan liked the resident registration card that stated he was twenty-five years old more than that privilege.
From now on, I can smoke without worries!
Seok Kang-Ho looked at the ID, seemingly amazed. He then put it in his inner chest pocket.
“You may also now schedule a golf session with Ambassador Lanok, Mr. Kang Chan. However, you’ll need to inform us of the date two days ahead.”
“Can we really do that?” Kang Chan asked Kim Hyung-Jung.
Kang Chan had recently asked them to help Lanok go golfing again as a favor. He wanted to make Lanok happy.
“Since it’s an unofficial event, Yoo Bi-Corp has to be in charge of security.”
Kang Chan thought that shouldn’t be a problem, but Kim Hyung-Jung’s face hardened for some strange reason.
“The forces that are trying to stop ‘Unicorn’ are moving on a larger scale than we expected. They’re trying to change the Director of the National Intelligence Service, which makes it difficult for us to provide Ambassador Lanok’s security. The President and the Prime Minister are doing their best, but the ambassador could find himself in a dangerous situation.”
“Alright.”
“We’ll make a reservation at the Kyung Seoul golf club in Jangheung[1]. As I mentioned earlier, you just need to tell us about the date two days in advance.”
“Then I’ll discuss this with him.” Kang Chan agreed, but there was something that he was curious about.
“Why are they so against connecting the rail to South Korea?” Kang Chan asked out of sheer curiosity about what kind of people they were and why they were so opposed to the project.
“Those people are looking to become the next administration. From their perspective, if this administration announces that we’ve been connected to the rail, the results of the next election would already be obvious. That’s why they’re willingly putting their lives on the line to stop ‘Unicorn,’” Kim Hyung-Jung explained.
Kang Chan tilted his head.
“Japan is desperately supporting those people. Being unable to stop them despite knowing full well what they’ve been up to is quite frustrating for us.”
It was quite difficult.
When they had finished their conversation, Kim Hyung-Jung pressed the buzzer to order food.
“I contacted the French embassy and dispatched employees today. Oh, and the National Intelligence Service also sent us three agents as support. Mr. Seok Kang-Ho will also be there while you and Ambassador Lanok play golf. I asked him for help since he’s better than our employees,” said Kim Tae-Jin.
Seok Kang-Ho smirked. He looked satisfied.
This fucker was the leader of stupidity, but he fought quite well.
Their meal came into the room. As they were eating, Kang Chan listened to them talk about the current political situation, many parts of which made him simmer with rage.
***
When Kang Chan returned home from a ten-kilometer run that morning, Yoo Hye-Sook looked like she was out of her mind.
Kang Dae-Kyung and Kang Chan prepared breakfast. Yoo Hye-Sook ate her rice so quickly it was as if she drank it like soup. She then ran over to her makeup table.
It was still 8 am.
Kang Chan and Kang Dae-Kyung leisurely made tea and sat facing each other at the table.
“I feel like luck is suddenly flooding in after your accident happened,” Kang Dae-Kyung commented.
Kang Chan drank tea, having nothing to say to that.
“I’m thankful, but I keep getting worried about you lately, perhaps because I’m not capable enough. I keep getting knots in my stomach since I can’t help but wonder if you’re getting hurt or in danger.”
Kang Chan took the worry in Kang Dae-Kyung’s eyes to his heart.
‘Is he saying I should come home no matter what happens?’
However, Kang Dae-Kyung meant something else.
“If there’s something you want to do or if you want independence, then don’t worry about our family for the moment. Whenever you aren’t able to come home, just let me know like you did before. Your mom and I believe in you. If you think what you’re up to is the right thing to do, then don’t hesitate to go for it. However, I do hope the three of us will always have each other. You understand me, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Kang Chan answered.
“Thanks for buying your mom clothes. If I told her I was going to buy some for her, she probably wouldn’t have ever accepted it.”
They smiled warmly. Kang Chan was truly thankful for having the chance to sit down and talk to a father figure. His heart warmed up, which hadn't happened in a while.
There was still some time left before 9 am.
They turned on the TV to watch the morning news but found extensive reporting about the Woo Ak-San gang instead.
According to the news, almost a hundred of its members had been arrested and were being charged not only for being a part of a criminal organization, but also for murder, incitement, criminal threats, and extortion. They were also hunting down a member that managed to escape.
‘Aren’t they going too far with this issue?’
Kang Chan read the chyrons of different news stories at the bottom of the screen, one of which stated that the ‘President of Alion Entertainment has been arrested.’ It was followed by ‘Actress Lee Ha-Yeon, engaging in prostitution,’ and ‘Prosecution aims directly at the entertainment industry.’
“Isn’t Lee Ha-Yeon a famous actress? So things like that still happen, huh?” asked Kang Dae-Kyung.
“I think so. I’m a bit surprised.” Kang Chan agreed with Kang Dae-Kyung and pretended to be shocked.
In a way, he truly was. He didn’t expect them to go this far.
Kang Dae-Kyung got changed at around 9 am. At 9:30 am, he left the apartment with Yoo Hye-Sook.
Kang Chan would be leaving for school soon as well. Before that, he called Lanok first, hoping that the ambassador would be happy.
Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.
- Monsieur Kang, the ambassador is doing an interview. Is it urgent?
“It’s not. Please just tell him to call me when he has the time.”
- Understood.
Kang Chan tilted his head. Compared to the previous phone calls, he had received quite a polite response this time. With this out of the way, he headed to school.
The results of the kids’ training in the sports field were now showing quite a bit. In particular, the boys’ bodies and postures looked pretty good. Still, if they wanted to do their part, they’d need to go through an intensive training session for about six months.
Kang Chan first went into the athletics club room.
“Hey,” Seok Kang-Ho greeted him.
“Hi. Have you had your coffee yet?”
“I was waiting for you.”
While Seok Kang-Ho was making coffee, the door of the athletics club room opened.
Damn it!
Having Seok Kang-Ho make coffee in front of the others didn’t really look good, since they could see it as Kang Chan disregarding him.
“I think I placed it somewhere around here,” Kang Chan murmured while noisily searching through the desk that was on one side of the room.
“Have you found it?” Seok Kang-Ho asked, then turned around while holding a paper cup in each hand.
“It’s not here.”
“Then look for it after you drink this coffee,” Seok Kang-Ho said.
“I’ll do that.”
Damn it. I can’t believe I have to go through this bullshit just to drink a cup of coffee.
Annoyed, Kang Chan turned around and looked behind him. All of the bullies, including Heo Eun-Sil and Lee Ho-Jun, had come into the room.
“What?” Kang Chan asked the bullies.
Have I been letting them get away with too many things?
When Kang Chan’s expression hardened, a few of the students dropped their gazes. However, Heo Eun-Sil and Lee Ho-Jun held their ground.
“We want to be trained properly.”
To Kang Chan, it sounded like they were asking him to properly kill them.
“All of us here have decided to go into Yoo Bi-Corp and become security guards. Though studying is out of the picture, we still want to do something with our lives,” Heo Eun-Sil said.
“Get lost.” Kang Chan turned away and drank the coffee.
“We admit and sincerely feel the things we did before were wrong. That’s why we’re never going to bully anyone from now on, and we’d even get rid of bullying completely. Even we want to go to school and be able to dream.”
Are these shameless fuckers serious?
At Kang Chan’s murderous gaze, even Heo Eun-Sil, who had been taking a firm stand, lowered her head.
Kang Chan put the coffee down and walked toward Heo Eun-Sil and Lee Ho-Jun.
“I’m cutting you all some slack because you said I'm the reason why you're all getting beaten up by those idiots called the group of bullies or whatever. And I'm tolerating you all since you promised to get rid of all the bullying in this school. But that’s where I draw the line. Just continue what you guys are already doing.”
“But we said that we were wrong.”
“To me?”
Cho Sae-Ho flinched when Kang Chan smirked.
“I don’t care if any of you crosses me. I can just beat you all up myself or break your arms. But what about those that transferred schools, tried to commit suicide, and are now suffering from depression because you guys tormented them? Would their wounds disappear just because you all admitted you were wrong and I accepted your apology? You still have a long way to go. You’ve completely destroyed other kids’ education and lives, yet you still have the guts to dream of becoming security guards?” Kang Chan asked, then smirked. “Stop messing around and go back to what you all were doing.”
“Then what are we supposed to do?” asked one of the bullies.
“Bring a proper end to what you all have done. Go apologize and get their forgiveness, even if it means having to return all of the money you extorted from them.”
The kids observed his mood, their body language showing that they didn’t know what to do.
“You guys are scared, aren’t you? Shameless fuckers. You don’t even have the guts to seek forgiveness and pay your victims back, which could require working a part-time job that’ll pay a few dollars an hour. And yet you all want to become a security guard? Were you expecting me to let this issue slide after you’ve apologized to me and pretended the kids that you’ve all tormented so badly don’t exist?”
Kang Chan gritted his teeth to hold in the urge to hit them.
“What made you think everything’s already been fixed just because you’re all now close with the athletics club members? Stop messing around and get the hell out of my face. If any of you utters one more word right now, I might just break your arms in a way that would prevent you from working out ever again.”
Cowardly fuckers.
Would they know the feeling of walking past snack bars about ten times in my previous life just because I wanted to eat pork cutlets, which weren’t even that expensive?
At the time, Kang Chan endured everything because his pride would’ve gotten hurt if he stole from other kids. This resulted in his inability to forgive those that used their strength to abuse others.
Fortunately, when Kang Chan tightly clenched his teeth, the kids went out of the athletics club room.
Seok Kang-Ho drank coffee while observing Kang Chan’s behavior.
“Do you want me to make you a new one?” asked Seok Kang-Ho.
“Leave it. My mood is ruined. I should work out.”
Kang Chan took a sip of his coffee, which was now cold, and took out his workout clothes.
1. Jangheung is a South Korean county ☜