PEN Vol 3 Ch. 23

Parking the car in front of the main gate and shaking off his heavy thoughts with difficulty, Cheon Sejoo handed his keys to an employee and got out. Ehwagak, which he usually visited only on Wednesdays when it was closed, was bustling with people on the weekend even in the parking lot.

He could hear a baby crying, perhaps a customer with a young child, and the endless sound of people’s footsteps on the gravel. Searching for an employee with an impassive face, Cheon Sejoo soon ran into Han Jiwon, who had just finished escorting another guest.

“Manager Han.”

“Mr. Cheon! You’re here. Are you here to see the Director?”

Dressed in a hanbok¹of white and blue, Han Jiwon was managing the staff with her usual neat appearance. After giving various instructions through her earpiece, she smiled brightly and extended her hand, seemingly ready to escort him.

“He’s in the annex. I’ll show you the way.”

“You seem busy. I’ll find my way there. Don’t worry about it.”

He smiled faintly as he spoke, and Han Jiwon didn’t seem to mind. Looking genuinely busy, she lightly grasped and released Cheon Sejoo’s arm, thanked him, and quickly disappeared towards the main building.

Ehwagak, a renovated traditional Korean house, was a place where the classic beauty of hanok²and modern interior design blended in elegant harmony. The recently renovated courtyard was beautiful, like a place where an immortal in a suit would recite poetry, and the moss garden in front of the annex exuded a rustic charm.

Guided by an employee waiting outside the annex, Cheon Sejoo stepped inside, where Seok Yoohyung, who had arrived first and was seated, raised his head. Sharp eyes scanned Cheon Sejoo up and down.

“I’m late. Have you been waiting long?”

“Nah. I had an appointment here earlier today, so I just rested while waiting for you.”

Where he gestured with his chin, a thick futon was laid out. Cheon Sejoo nodded as if relieved and went to sit across from him. Sitting upright without leaning back against the chair, Seok Yoonhyung’s figure came into full view.

Seok Yoonhyung, who turned seventy years old this year, was a robust man for his age. His face had more scars from cuts than wrinkles, with a hard and firm impression. His darkly tanned skin looked healthier than anyone else’s, and his stubborn lips hinted at his strong character.

He was about the same height as Cheon Sejoo, but Seok Yoonhyung’s build was much larger. The rumors that he had wrestled a bull with his bare hands in his younger days couldn’t be dismissed as mere hearsay. Even though he had only been under him for two years, Cheon Sejoo still tensed up when Seok Yoonhyung raised his hand. It was a natural physical reaction based on memory.

“You’ve been well, I see. Well, looking at your face, I can tell you’re doing fine.”

“Thanks to the director, I’ve been well. More than that, I appreciate you dealing with the Guhmsung faction issue.”

Nonsense, At Cheon Sejoo’s courteous greeting, Seok Yoonhyung laughed boisterously. While he poured tea into a cup and placed it in front of Cheon Sejoo, the door to the annex opened, and staff began bringing in food. It took quite a while to set the table as all the dishes were served at once, catering to Seok Yoonhyung’s dislike of course meals.

The staff left the room only after placing all the ordered alcohol and drinks on the table. As the door closed, Seok Yoonhyung placed a small piece of galbi (short rib) on Cheon Sejoo’s rice bowl and clicked his tongue.

“Eat your rice first. Ha, I don’t know what’s so tasty about these tiny things. Still, you gotta eat ’em³ to be polite. Right?”

“Yes.”

Cheon Sejoo obediently nodded and replied, making Seok Yoonhyung chuckle as he pushed the dishes towards him. Perhaps because of Cheon Sejoo’s seemingly delicate frame compared to Seok Yoonhyung’s own sturdy build, he didn’t forget to nag, asking if that small amount of food would even make a dent in his hunger every time Cheon Sejoo took a bite.

While Cheon Sejoo ate silently, accepting whatever Seok Yoonhyung gave him, the latter suddenly spoke.

“Those guys were useful. How’d they find everything so well?”

He was referring to his team members. Seok Yoonhyung and his subordinates had received significant help from the disposal team in their recent operation against the Guhmsung gang. If it weren’t for them, they wouldn’t have caught Lee Hwanbae yet.

It was a simple remark, but for Seok Yoonhyung, a man who was stingy with praise, “useful” was the highest compliment. A faint smile touched Cheon Sejoo’s lips at the acknowledgment of his team.

“They’re all smart. And hardworking.”

“Yeah, seems like it. You’re the dumbest one there, right?”

Seok Yoonhyung grinned and retorted. He downed the sansamju (ginseng liquor) in front of him in one gulp and picked up some spicy raw fish salad with his chopsticks. After quietly chewing the piece heavily coated in gochujang (red pepper paste), he placed a glass of alcohol in front of Cheon Sejoo and asked.

“Are you still thinking those damn, fucked-up thoughts?”

“…….”

His voice was seemingly laced with laughter, yet serious. Cheon Sejoo didn’t answer Seok Yoonhyung’s question, keeping his mouth shut. His gaze remained fixed on the rim of his rice bowl.

Only a few people knew the detailed circumstances that led Cheon Sejoo, a promising doctor, to end up here. Shin Gyoyeon, Chae Beomjun, Seok Yoonhyung, and Moon Sunhyuk were about all.

Among them, Seok Yoonhyung was the one who understood Cheon Sejoo’s inner thoughts the most. It was Seok Yoonhyung who pushed Cheon Sejoo when he struggled upon first joining the organization, who made him accustomed to harming people, and who brought him to his senses when he was tormented by guilt.

“Stop being a goddamn pain in the ass and live your life diligently, kid.”

Seok Yoonhyung, seemingly finding drinking from the small glass tedious, gulped down the sansamju straight from the bottle and said this in a casual tone. Years ago, when Cheon Sejoo was suffering from insomnia and guilt of his younger sister Hye-in’s death because of him, these were the first words Seok Yoonhyung had said.

You’re being a pain in the ass. Just live diligently.

From Seok Yoonhyung’s perspective, Cheon Sejoo’s behavior was nothing short of a ridiculous. His sister was already dead, and he had taken his revenge. So, why was he still clinging to the past instead of moving on with his life?

“If I was your sister, I’d jump down from up there. I’d come down and slap you hard, telling you not to waste your life, oppa-ya.”

At the thought of Seok Yoonhyung, over seventy years old, saying oppa-ya, Cheon Sejoo let out a small laugh. Unlike Seok Yoonhyung, he wasn’t someone who could live without looking back at the past. Therefore, Seok Yoonhyung’s words didn’t resonate with him. However, Cheon Sejoo could smile because he understood the sentiment behind them.

Although Seok Yoonhyung had hit Cheon Sejoo countless times during his training, leaving numerous scars on his abdomen, Seok Yoonhyung cared for him. Having spent 50 years in the organization, he had never seen someone as intelligent as Cheon Sejoo.

However, since this guy, who understood ten things from a single word, couldn’t grasp even half a word when it came to his sister, Seok Yoonhyung couldn’t help but nag him whenever they met. He found it regrettable and pitiful that such a handsome and intelligent young man was wasting his life consumed by guilt.

“I’m not telling you to just work your ass off, dammit. Fuck, who knows when we’ll die? What’s the point then? You’ll just regret it when you die. What I’m saying is, Sejoo…”

“Yes.”

Seok Yoonhyung picked up a shrimp with his chopsticks and placed it in Cheon Sejoo’s rice bowl. It was Cheon Sejoo’s favorite seafood.

“If there’s something you like, something that catches your eye, even just a little, take a look at it. Live like that.”

Affection was hidden within his rough words. Cheon Sejoo, with his head bowed, clenched his fists and smiled. Seok Yoonhyung added another shrimp to his bowl and continued.

“Isn’t that what living is? Living isn’t some grand thing, you know that by now.”

“I know what you mean.”

“Damn kid, you sure are good with your replies.”

Seok Yoonhyung laughed, his shoulders shaking, and gulped down more sansamju. Then, he suddenly raised his arm. Look, he said, roughly pulling up his shirt sleeve to reveal a deep cut on the forearm of his right arm, the same arm he’d been using chopsticks with just moments ago. The stitches were protruding, indicating a recent injury. 

As Cheon Sejoo frowned, Seok Yoonhyung grinned and said.

“That damn Chinese bastard did this to me. Ha, shit, he stabbed me with a sashimi knife. It hurt like hell, I thought I was gonna die. Anyway, that’s not the important part. The point is, people like us, we gotta live like I said, to survive this harsh world. Otherwise, you’re bound to go crazy.”

Seok Yoonhyung, his face flushed red, tapped his head as he spoke. Thump, thump. The index finger of his right hand, which landed on his partially gray hair, was missing half a joint, and his ring finger bore the mark of being severed and reattached. Cheon Sejoo nodded, checking Seok Yoonhyung for any other injuries.

He understood what Seok Yoonhyung was trying to say. He knew he was saying this out of pity for him, seeing him listlessly doing only what was asked of him, like a man living on on death row. He had heard these words several times before, and each time, he had just quietly responded and moved on. But today, for the first time, Cheon Sejoo pondered Seok Yoonhyung’s words.

f there’s something you like, something that catches your eye, even just a little, take a look at it. 

Hearing those words, a face came to mind. If he said he thought of this person while hearing such words, they would probably snap at him angrily. But in any case, the first thing that came to his mind was that pale, sullen face.

Cheon Sejoo spent his time with Seok Yoonhyung, thinking of Sejin. Seok Yoonhyung, whose drunken habit was to repeat himself, had told Cheon Sejoo to look at what he liked about ten times before finally getting up from his seat.

“Anyway, good work. Take this and buy your guys something tasty. This is from me, and this is from our chairman. You have no idea how happy that old geezer was, saying it’s like a bad tooth finally got pulled after taking down those bastards.”

He handed over two checks, the amounts of which were substantial. Cheon Sejoo’s eyes widened. He considered refusing one, but instead bowed his head in thanks and accepted the money. He intended to distribute it all to his team members.

“I’m going. Come visit headquarters when you’re free. Our son’s face is always gloomy there, so he says a son like you needs to show your face more often.” 

“Yes, I’ll visit when I have time.”

“You’re really good with your replies.”

Seok Yoonhyung left the annex with a hearty laugh. After he left, Cheon Sejoo checked the time. They had spent a considerable amount of time together, but since they met before dinner, it was still a little before 10 PM.