DE | Chapter 5.5

As soon as they arrived, Joo Seonghyeok got out of the car with a dumbfounded look and lit a cigarette. Leaning against the car, he exhaled smoke into the dark sky, then turned and walked into the pension. An associate, giggling while on the phone, straightened up in shock when he saw Joo Seonghyeok.

“Where is Lee Kangpil?”

“He has been trying to contact us.”

“Let me see his face. Get the barbecue ready.”

“Yes!”

While calmly smoking, Joo Seonghyeok waited as a barbecue grill and tongs were set up in front of him. A laptop was also placed there. Joo Seonghyeok heated the grill with a butane torch, starting to cook the beef. Soon, Lee Kangpil appeared on the flickering screen.

Where had the leisurely expression gone, now replaced by a face filled with anxiety and unease?

– Joo Seonghyeok.

“Yes, Lee Kangpil. Long time, no see.”

Joo Seonghyeok casually placed a body part on one side of the grill.

– Where is my kid?

Joo Seonghyeok continued grilling the meat as if nothing was wrong. Lee Kangpil’s gaze slowly dropped.

“Does the meat taste good?”

– No way…

Lee Kangpil’s face turned pale.

– You barbarian, where is Kotaro!

Lee Kangpil screamed, pounding the desk. The bang seemed to resonate even to Joo Seonghyeok. However, the man calmly picked the best-cooked beef, letting the juice burst in his mouth. The meat melted deliciously. Joo Seonghyeok chewed thoughtfully, glancing at the cooking body parts. Not a hint of nausea.

– “You bastard! Give me back my kid now!”

Lee Kangpil cursed in Japanese, pushing his face close to the screen. Joo Seonghyeok chuckled softly. This reckless fool always brought his own trouble.

“If you want even a corpse back, you had better do as I say.”

– What?

“Bring Song Heemin.”

Joo Seonghyeok flipped the beef, speaking calmly. Lee Kangpil’s eyes, bloodshot and narrowed, saw the burning small ears and fingers. He wanted to believe they were not Kotaro’s, but the poor quality of the cam made them look too similar.

“Then I shall give you back the kid.”

At least a part of him. Lee Kangpil’s eyes widened at the continued speech. His body shook, and he jabbered something in Japanese. Joo Seonghyeok shook his head and picked up a piece of cooked meat with tongs, blew on it, and ate it, savouring the beef’s flavour.

– How can I trust you, and I…

“Have you ever seen me break a promise? I am not like those sneaky Japanese.”

Joo Seonghyeok murmured softly, smiling. Breaking promises is your kind of thing, is it not, Lee Kangpil… The whisper soon grew louder.

“Bring Song Heemin. We are making a trade. Give and take. Nice, right?”

– …When?

“Day after tomorrow.”

Joo Seonghyeok spoke up to there and then slammed the laptop shut. Lee Kangpil continued calling Joo Seonghyeok’s name to the now dark screen, but the man did not respond. The man, seated in the chairman’s place, soon got up from his chair.

“Bring Song Heemin now.”

“Are you really going to fall for what Joo Seonghyeok said?”

Lee Kangpil laughed and slapped his subordinate who had made the comment. The man’s massive build packed a punch, quickly knocking the other to a corner. Lee Kangpil mercilessly stomped on him.

“So, fuck, are you guys going to bring Kotaro, or what, you stupid mutt?”

With every word he spoke, he kicked, splattering the man’s face with blood. The man, stained with blood and constantly mumbling ‘I am sorry’ in Japanese, did not seem to evoke any pity as the others just watched silently.

“Ha, you were not going to listen from the start!”

Lee Kangpil eventually pulled out a golf club and began beating him.

“What? Think it is safer to live in a deserted village? Keeping him close is actually dangerous? Bullshit, you idiots! You should have kept him close, like I said! You are the reason you are called parasites of society!”

Of course, even if Kotaro had been close to Lee Kangpil, Joo Seonghyeok would have easily taken him due to Lee Yeonhong’s presence. But the man vented his frustration unnecessarily. As the others hesitantly dragged away the man knocked unconscious by the golf club beating, Lee Kangpil put the golf club on his shoulder and calmly caught his breath before settling back into his comfy seat.

‘…After all, getting rid of Song Heemin, that woman, will not cause me any loss. The police have already been used enough.’

Licking the blood-soaked end of the golf club, Lee Kangpil sank back into the chair.

The reason Lee Kangpil was so attached to Kotaro was because the child was hard-won. After hearing from the hospital that his sperm was weak and the chances of having a child were slim, he had almost given up but eventually had managed to have a child. He cherished and loved him deeply. He had climbed to this position, even killing the chairman who had taken him in like a father, all for Kotaro. Without that child, none of this would mean anything.

As Lee Kangpil sat buried in the chair, someone knocked on the door after a while.

“Come in.”

“What is with all the seriousness?”

Song Heemin spoke as if puzzled while walking in. Lee Kangpil was silent. She slowly approached him and looked at him holding the blood-splattered golf club.

“Who did you beat this time?”

“I do not know their name.”

“Lee Kangpil, how can you not know your own men’s names. The kids get hurt.”

“Do you really like it when I call your name so casually?”

“What?”

“Ha, do you really like me that much?”

“What, what are you talking about?”

Song Heemin’s face turned red. Lee Kangpil grabbed her wrist and pulled her close.

“I know you like me.”

“…What? Since when…”

“I have known from the beginning. I feel the same about you. But, Heemin, I was so sorry when you said you wanted to be a cop. But in the end, you were right. You became a cop and protected me. How happy I was…”

“Lee Kangpil, are you crazy?”

“I am not crazy.”

Lee Kangpil stroked her torn earlobe and smiled.

“I love you, Heemin.”

Slap! Song Heemin slapped Lee Kangpil hard across the face. Silence lingered in the room. Lee Kangpil slowly blinked his eyes and touched his split lip, then chuckled and looked at her.

“Did not work, huh, you cop bitch.”

“You crazy bastard…!”

“What are you doing, not tying up this bitch.”

Song Heemin quickly tried to reach for her gun holster but was swiftly grabbed by the gang members and had her arms tied behind her back. Then, looking down at her sprawled on the floor, Lee Kangpil sighed.

“Tried to go easy on you, but you are too quick.”

“Are you not going to untie this, you son of a bitch! What are you trying to do!”

“After I become chairman, it is just getting rid of a card in advance.”

“What?”

“Take her away and gag her. She is too noisy.”

“Yes.”

“Lee Kangpil, you bastard! You will regret this! Just know that, you son of a bitch! Hey!”

Lee Kangpil, annoyed by the noise, picked up the AirPods lying next to him and plugged his ears. His calm expression seemed to reflect the opera playing within.

Oh! sweet kisses, o languid caresses,
While I trembling,
Unveil the beautiful shapes from the veils!
My dream of love has vanished forever…
The hour has fled…and I die in despair!
And I have never loved life so much!

Song Heemin screamed as she was dragged away. However, her hair was yanked, and a boot kicked her. Soon, a gag was stuffed in her mouth, leaving her only able to emit muffled groans. One end of the handcuffs in Song Heemin’s back pocket was attached to a pillar, the other to her wrist, and the men left the room.

Lee Kangpil shook his head slowly while listening to opera.

“Korean women are too fierce. They should be submissive like Japanese women.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. What about outside?”

“There are a few cops that woman brought.”

“Handle it.”

“What about the car?”

“Do I have to tell you everything?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, I’ll go down myself.”

Lee Kangpil got up, his back muscles twitching. The gang member swallowed dryly and stepped back, knowing about the large tiger tattoo on Lee Kangpil’s back. They say the scariest thing in Joseon is a tiger.

Taking the elevator down, Lee Kangpil smiled amicably at two policemen standing at the entrance. The policemen tensed up.

“Are you friends of the detective?”

“…”

“Detective Song Heemin said to go back first.”

“What?”

“She said she wants to be with me today…”

One cop nudged the other, and after staring at Lee Kangpil, they nodded, rubbed their chins, said they would go check, and drove away. Lee Kangpil kept a gentle smile until they disappeared from sight, then his expression turned cold, and he slipped back inside the building.

[The police, who had a shootout in the middle of Seoul, remained silent about this incident…]

“Boss.”

“Uh.”

“…What are you doing?”

“Can’t you see?”

Joo Seonghyeok was looking at newspapers, ranging from recent ones to those over a year old. Where he got the glasses, no one knew, but he stylishly wore frameless glasses and was marking them with a bright red colored pencil. Next to him, Lee Yeonhong and Kotaro were making paper crafts with useless newspapers. Already, paper boats stylishly folded from newspaper sheets adorned their heads like hats.

“I’m looking for something.”

“What?”

“Shut up, it’s noisy.”

Oh Hyeontaek clammed up, his lips sealed. He looked down at the trio and sighed, rubbing his face. They looked like a very harmonious family. Oh Hyeontaek worried whether he had grown too fond of the kid to send him away.

“Alright… this should do it. Hey, Hyeontaek.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Check where all these circled places are.”

“Why?”

“Why is a Japanese blanket a why, fuck. Just do it.”

“Yes.”

As ordered, Oh Hyeontaek sighed heavily and took the newspaper out. Joo Seonghyeok continued folding the remaining newspapers while glancing at the two playing around, then pulled out a cigarette. Just as he was about to light it, his eyes met with Kotaro’s. Kotaro was staring intently at the cigarette.

“Want a smoke?”

“What kind of thing to say to a kid.”

“Well, you were fucking staring.”

“Get a grip, Joo Seonghyeok.”

“Fuck, you’re not one to tell me to get a grip, are you?”

“Isn’t that the truth? You’re less sane than I am.”

“Fuck, how humiliating is it to be told by a 300-year-old monster that you’re not sane?”

“Then live a little saner.”

“What the fuck? What did you say?”

“Did I say something wrong?”

Joo Seonghyeok stood up abruptly. Lee Yeonhong, telling Kotaro to stay here for a bit, was dragged away by Joo Seonghyeok. Joo Seonghyeok kicked open a random door and saw gang members playing hold’em and shouted, “Fuck,” then flung open the next room. He pushed Lee Yeonhong onto the bed in the empty room.

“Do you want to die?”

“Yes. I want to die from the power of Joo Seonghyeok’s gaze.”

Lee Yeonhong said shyly. Joo Seonghyeok looked down at him dumbfounded, then rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a knife, stabbing it down towards Lee Yeonhong’s groin. Lee Yeonhong nimbly dodged this sadistically sadistic act. The knife plunged into the mattress, and Lee Yeonhong grabbed Joo Seonghyeok’s wrist.

“I know you’re dying to be alone with me…”

“This, fuck, who would want…”

“What about between Joo Seonghyeok’s wet legs then?”