KTC | Chapter 48

A sudden, inexplicable chill ran up Seo Jihan’s spine to his neck. He let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head vigorously to dispel the alluring thoughts.

The kimchi-making event wrapped up smoothly. As some of the church members started to slice the steaming pork they had brought to one side, Choi Seonwoo, feeling nauseated, apologized and quickly left the scene. Naturally, Seo Jihan followed him out.

“Good day, Priest.”

In the yard stood unwelcome guests. It was Lee Juhee, the team leader they had met before, and behind her stood Goo Seungjun. Goo Seungjun greeted them with a slight bow as their eyes met.

“What brings you here again?”

Already on edge from the consultation issue, Choi Seonwoo responded more stiffly than he intended. Lee Juhee, having bowed deeply once more, turned her gaze to Seo Jihan.

“We have business with this side today.”

“With me?”

Seo Jihan’s eyebrows twitched upward, and the bodyguards, already watching intently, stepped forward, creating a standoff.

“Mr. Seo Jihan, you will need to come with us.”

“What?”

At Lee Juhee’s words, Seo Jihan laughed in disbelief. His eyes, bared white, suddenly turned fierce.

“What’s with this atmosphere, as if you’re hauling off a criminal?”

Already irritated to death, now these ruffians want what from him?

“You’ll see once you come with us.”

“Throwing suspense into my relaxed church life. Why should I listen to you?”

With muscles as tense as his mood, Seo Jihan took a step forward when Kim Youngchan blocked his path.

“Just as Jihan said, there’s no reason for him to comply nicely with you. If you’re thinking of forcibly taking him, you’d better have a warrant.”

“A warrant? That wouldn’t be hard. But involving the police would make things more difficult for you, not us. We came here directly because we didn’t want to escalate things.”

Standing silently behind Lee Juhee, Goo Seungjun looked at Choi Seonwoo with a somewhat troubled expression. The openness of his gaze allowed Choi Seonwoo to quickly grasp what was going on.

Ah, this is seriously giving me a headache.

Choi Seonwoo checked his watch and then stepped between the confrontational Lee Juhee and Kim Youngchan. He looked at Lee Juhee with a weary expression.

“Does it have to be this way? John is still a minor. Did you contact his guardian first?”

“…We are just following orders from above… I’m sorry, Father.”

Lee Juhee also wasn’t unaware of her own lack of power. Choi Seonwoo looked back at Seo Jihan troubledly. However, stimulated by Choi Seonwoo’s words, Seo Jihan showed an unexpected reaction.

“Forget it. Don’t get involved, Father.”

Seo Jihan passed by Kim Youngchan and Choi Seonwoo and glared at Lee Juhee.

“I don’t need a guardian. It’s obvious you’re just going to spout nonsense. I’ll listen to it myself. I’ll go with you.”

This is him being recklessly defiant.

Internally frustrated, Choi Seonwoo grabbed Seo Jihan by the nape.

“Hey, do you think this is something you can handle just by yourself squirming?”

Seo Jihan turned around with a shocked look. Choi Seonwoo, looking more angered than Seo Jihan had ever seen, glared warningly before shifting his gaze to Lee Juhee.

“As his temporary guardian, I can’t let you just take him without any proper procedure. At the very least, I must accompany him. And if I am to leave the church, I need to inform the diocese and find a replacement priest, so you’ll have to wait until then.”

“…Yes, that much is,”

Choi Seonwoo didn’t wait for Lee Juhee to finish, still holding Seo Jihan by the nape, and they headed toward the priory. The sky, which had been growing darker, was now nearly devoid of natural light, filled with thick clouds.

By the time they reached the priory, delicate snowflakes had begun to drift through the air. Though it was the first snow, which would bring excitement to some, no one here felt any romantic stirrings.

“Do you know why they came?”

Stepping into the entrance and before even taking off his shoes, Choi Seonwoo asked. Seo Jihan crossed his arms and shrugged.

“Would knowing change anything? They came determined to take me.”

“Knowing the reason just makes you more willing to go?”

“Dragging it out won’t change anything.”

“At least you should prepare. Get a lawyer so you don’t make any disadvantageous statements.”

Seo Jihan shook his head.

“Do you think they joined the National Intelligence Service because they wanted to? They’re also shackled, just keeping whoever they can. What they want from me is the same.”

Survivors of the Unknown Cult Massacre were both victims and suspects. Although all the children were in a completely incapacitated state, and it was arguably justifiable given those who died deserved no less, the sheer number of people dead meant someone had to be held accountable, and more had been concealed than revealed. This implied that someone or some group with substantial influence over government agencies was actively covering up the truth.

It was the same now. They weren’t really interested in the truth. Like coaxing survivors in the past and rigorously turning them into weapons, their interest lay only in ensnaring and exploiting Seo Jihan for their purposes.

If he kept up his ignorance and resistance, they wouldn’t be able to touch him based solely on his fingerprints found at past scenes, as that alone couldn’t definitively pin the massive killings on him.

“Hey, you idiot. Do you think that’s all that’s the problem?”

Choi Seonwoo looked at Seo Jihan disdainfully, who he thought had a good grasp of the situation.

“They came because they know about your grandfather and you going to the Philippines to catch Kwak Jaepil. That’s a bigger problem, now.”

“Ah…”

“If even one of the people your grandfather moved against in the Philippines falls into their hands, it’s over. Your grandfather would be marked as ordering a murder, and you could end up being charged with complicity if things go well. Got it?”

Finally, the smile faded from Seo Jihan’s face.