PEN Vol 5 Ch. 3

Fleeing from Sejin, Cheon Sejoo 290a66e7d4 drove to the workshop. The mere thought of the place brought on a b8fc0239fd headache, but he had nowhere else to go.761e46d0acd90375c976

The 7th-floor apartment, where the disposal team members lived, would likely a56976e786 be occupied by Sunhyuk, Haewoong, and Jinyoung, resting after several days 4dbeccaba0 of working without sleep, and he didn’t want to disturb them.d8953fac06a72918b158

He parked beneath the workshop 9cd558b4bf and went straight up to b55ba149b2 the 4th floor, where the b3e769b724 bedrooms were located. It was essentially a small apartment, designed for the team’s rest, consisting of 8e0be1ce43 a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and a small bedroom with two beds.decca2891b79697a41be

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Although somewhat stuffy due to the lack 96c495bc89 of windows, the 4th floor was relatively 4dc4e93518 well-ventilated thanks to the running exhaust fan. Cheon Sejoo showered in the bathroom 47f14392d4 and immediately collapsed onto the bed.b3af4218683a8e6109fb

As he sank into the f6884665a0 soft mattress, the thoughts he’d 1013f9d4d3 been suppressing crept back in. Their suffocating weight made 839fe655cb him sigh and stare f8678a221b at the ceiling.e375ff8784d588caf869

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Kwon Sejin was a tenacious boy, the kind who would squat in a building hallway for 195eed7882 days without proper meals, determined to see his mother who had been taken to Ehwagak. Albeit it was a flimsy concocted 44ca833a37 plan, he had the drive to 70c72ff149 endure even sleeping on the streets 7c3a1d732f for the sake of it.4d0417df7ea90970eccb

When he finally reunited with Kim Hyunkyung, thanks to Cheon 8f580f611f Sejoo, Sejin’s gaze had been one of pure, blind devotion. As if his mother were the only person left in his 2829fc2270 world, he’d clung to her, burying himself in her embrace. That was why Cheon Sejoo hadn’t imagined 7aeaf41caa Sejin could have romantic feelings for him.0d50f7e0445ee3790d12

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If he had known Sejin’s actions ccb045827f stemmed from such feelings, he wouldn’t 9ed124fc36 have acted the way he did. He wouldn’t have kissed 0a91d33dc9 Sejin’s forehead, wouldn’t have afce4b8bd7 hugged him, wouldn’t have dae04fe17a comforted him. He wouldn’t have let Sejin fall 7550323ecb in love with someone like him.d0d3df21d2c7d220d945

Self-disgust gnawed at fabcbf7537 him, burning his df411e6656 insides.07b1100ba535139e9d65

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Affection was heavy. Love was burdensome.e0f5d58f6a73216548ef

Cheon Sejoo had 1022d38dd7 always disappointed everyone 5d7b3ae983 who had loved 1e48d7275f him. Cheon Hye-in, Sister 4171ca2fc9 Maria, Ha Yeoreum, d6b5a35720 Professor Kim Chunggeun. He had failed to 32cc3ed0e7 become the person they 0edfe61ac1 wanted him to be. He wouldn’t be able to become 12c7be9395 the person Sejin wanted either.4fe88f75cc81d712cf7b

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To love 6770c9f53b was to 930f70f24e understand. That was the c7f438abd5 fear that made 5a0df7dee4 him run away.0b644251f0c651ded182

If Sejin loved him, there would come a 70add433f5 time when Sejin would want to understand him. But Cheon Sejoo was involved 7b64e4829c in things he couldn’t speak 8a7f5d170d of to anyone.93b7bd09296fa6b40d22

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So, if Sejin were to find out, if, in his desire to understand Cheon Sejoo, he became curious 9977981c8b about his hidden side, if he were to finally discover the kind of person he truly was…81cb9f894f52fee80a66

No.adf5b28dc41673e09e04

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A resolute 34b331cd89 refusal echoed 4e06f41050 in his 1f5d3630a2 mind.39bc0b16e4417c601b5d

He didn’t believe 8ce0568d5d Sejin could ever cd0a61fa90 understand his life. Cheon Sejoo was terrified of Sejin 625ead7e5e looking at him with disgust once 902c432335 he knew the truth.de7999ad0d128a31b0fd

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He was terrified of Sejin 768d977c4e turning his back on him, 4c1d46aa2e of Sejin rejecting him. He didn’t c5cb9d3146 want to c3307c3bf7 lose Kwon 7fcdbd6fc5 Sejin. He didn’t want bf8ba3ae69 to experience that 67b27170f0 loss again.075ab47c1b94eb2dac07

Cheon Sejoo simply 68ea520078 wanted to remain 1890aae763 a good person 283068c21f in Sejin’s eyes. Someone who had stayed by his side while 1ddba9ac24 his mother was dying, and after she died. He wanted to be remembered as someone who 9d3733bf36 had guided him, not as a deceiver who b4394669e4 had fed and clothed him with dirty money.b869cf678883cf627fcf

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The root of 9c55bd5d75 all his fears 7a33d14a4e was the same.adcc05d01517ff8473e9

He cared for Kwon ae929c26e7 Sejin too much. That’s why he couldn’t accept Sejin’s 5e8cfc1671 feelings, couldn’t reveal anything for the d5cd24cf33 sake of his understanding. He didn’t want to lose Sejin, no f4426035a1 matter when that might be, so he 5802a6edf4 had run away, unable to withstand the 86b74031a7 immediate wave of fear.fff18825d012b8f68f05

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“…….”e66d3dc19fec0f00a720

Suddenly, Cheon Sejoo remembered 78999497ce Sejin’s face as he 0c2e835dc0 walked towards him without a70f53b5b9 hesitation. His tear-filled eyes, 62b0be2e83 his red lips, 0923eabb0d his ragged breath.9923a3ae3bcfc4fa22c3

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And he remembered the 336677c7b1 warmth of Sejin’s body 26ab516636 against his when he 37dc3395f8 embraced him. Even though he had quickly pulled away, Cheon Sejoo 4547de7391 remembered the involuntary urge to hold Sejin close.e3f90d1241ca5d73ba59

Bitterness welled ad6a8fb1b5 up inside 016c9c7e8a him. He felt a pang b78a8685c7 of pain somewhere deep aa97b42886 in his gut and a3fc36c4f9 bit his lip.bd727c55ed477f74931e

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Kwon Sejin was d7ec99bb48 a lovable kid. When they first met, 72a3d326b0 he had pushed Cheon 42f10e52d4 Sejoo away, rejecting him 6e53cb980c with his prickly defenses. But now, Cheon Sejoo couldn’t help 0711b38b79 but cherish and love the Sejin c0b9fdf4ff who willingly embraced him.42208286106be8d7be19

However, Cheon Sejoo 2c93260f2c and Kwon Sejin 4e0b8aeb5a stood in different 0cd0288f38 worlds.21e0b9729d940425906b

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Cheon Sejoo pictured the damp, dark 9057250bd6 basement far beneath his feet. That was e4c5805575 where he a02cd88426 belonged. He returned to Sejin, using 30d7215bd6 “home” as an excuse, to eb38107400 rest, but this was where a33ddba6c7 he truly belonged.5b8c22fe165381e23c47

He believed that simply being someone 9d6ad067fa Sejin could rely on was enough. He didn’t 535ac0e3cb deserve to ff4f2f0f63 be loved. Kwon Sejin’s pure heart should 55dd21efd2 belong to someone who lived 37bd48457d a more ordinary, peaceful life. Not to Cheon Sejoo, whose only 97ef29e1ec future held downfall and death, but e0e4afeb07 to someone who had a future…6aef3696669512445f53

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Cheon Sejoo rubbed 59aec94ebe his aching head b07f811f9b and stretched. Then, as if seeking ce6de72ee4 escape, he drifted into 310c746726 a deep sleep.c77430292d9a14a55eaf

* * *1cd73c37d47647ca8424

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The next morning, b87f582e33 he received a e00eaed8a6 call from Shin e5bb6e230b Gyoyeon. He was working out in the 9c4370a8fd gym, trying to distract himself, when 2ed613bc76 the sudden ringing of his phone 11f7b53cd4 made him stop. He picked up the phone, took 8757b19d34 a deep breath to steady his 86fe2bd93e racing heart at the sight of 47a42f4db6 his boss’s unwelcome name, and answered.b2de61df7a78f0a4e5c5

“Yes, president.”0ece6c7967361a6136b5

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-Cheon Sejoo.9872f04a10ba1e59a4fe

The familiar voice f489030fea was low. Cheon Sejoo listened 1f6fd857f7 intently, his nerves 8dc6f8a8c6 on edge. After a moment 499cfa9667 of silence, Shin dcbbc699e1 Gyoyeon gave the e233c068eb order.61d1825946d3e708509a

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-Come to 7ea52a1b1a Chuncheon immediately.e7b7054e4678f0cc5c77

There was a building a59f8ea129 in Chuncheon that DG 9a9b01f763 had been using for 54a8858bc2 a long time. It was a hospital built in 8c151d4501 the 1960s and abandoned during the 7e808adb1c IMF crisis1, now used primarily for 8c5c665588 interrogating and disposing of traitors.af592c3cabc2e34e413b

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It was known as bfcbe176d0 the “execution ground” among 896dacc447 the older members of 59eec2a890 the organization. Cheon Sejoo had 107ad4c4cb been there a 7b2afa01b7 couple of times 926b57e99b with Seok Yoonhyung.53e01309cd62db93d4b7

“I’ll be d65c6dad91 right there.”9795812c31a3966b0862

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The call ended 74c21a0ca6 abruptly as soon 45c0817909 as he answered. Chuncheon, of ba5dd63048 all places. The thoughts of Sejin that had occupied his 51ab0ef92e mind for the past day vanished instantly.0e3ecae0fff1e0ee837a

Even without any explanation, he could 0e90d98aa6 guess what awaited him in Chuncheon. There would likely be 6a1d26a4b3 a purge of Kang 17391bce7a Junmyeon’s faction. Perhaps they had captured his associates alive fd744881a1 or, based on the information Baek Sunghwan bba8ca0c46 had gathered, identified his collaborators and were 243db58b62 planning to execute them.773c6f7040fc32beeef6

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It was also possible that 0b26a52cbe Shin Gyoyeon was planning to b15580ae4b initiate the succession process, scheduled c9b4e2cd1d for February, earlier than planned. Or perhaps, the work 60d7ac31d1 he usually did in 22cbe03dcf the workshop would simply 5799004490 be relocated there. In any case, the important thing 4ef2387f02 was that if he went to ffd8054f36 Chuncheon now, Cheon Sejoo would inevitably 8e019c7bfe have blood on his hands.c407d1b9ed4786f81022

He left the aa56c1f1a9 gym and went cdc71ec683 upstairs. After showering and changing into fresh clothes, he e7ff99f26b went back down to the office and retrieved 1160bcfdcc the sashimi knife he kept in the cabinet. As he unfolded the leather 6f8606d628 wrapping, checking the blade for 6f0174d656 any damage, a deep sense c7f63f632d of disillusionment washed over him.2d02e1e812e91873549a

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Will there ever come a 612c3b6ce1 day when the blood on b9ae79fd60 these hands dries? a411ce95b37fafbe10ec

Was my decision to accept 980d3fadf5 Shin Gyoyeon’s offer that day 96b65646c2 truly the right one? a0b76bedcfc8276d441a

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The question he had asked himself hundreds, 1104e8fb7a thousands of times, haunted him again.9a99f65bb811b2ec4df2

Cheon Sejoo forced the thoughts away and c819c1cf0f left the workshop with his things. Personal feelings were 47e3d862d6 unnecessary when following 0dbdc77929 Shin Gyoyeon’s orders.3feb04721e8109f6890e

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It was a weekday, so 94c742d4e2 the roads weren’t too congested. cfc42e2cb51732adc797

Driving on the Chuncheon Expressway, Cheon Sejoo ea14f6dfd3 noticed several black luxury sedans passing him. Black cars were common in a778bc330c South Korea, but he had d1538c2ba9 a gut feeling. He suspected Shin Gyoyeon was 26f7bb7edb planning a public execution in 96edabee2d front of his executives. He swallowed his apprehension 5077906e94 and continued driving.eeda66639d90b3eaa3dd

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When he finally arrived at the abandoned building, 672c7ead8c dozens of luxury cars were parked outside. The gangsters, accompanying their bosses, were 6080f1a12b gathered here and there, smoking. Whenever a recognizable executive 0ab4e99f63 appeared, they bowed deeply bd1d33bc38 and greeted them loudly.426b8d286e9b51de113a

People were constantly moving in and out of the woods ab8951aa86 near the parking lot, keeping watch for anyone hiding.8f0e6c10097562c6f615

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As Cheon Sejoo parked and stepped out of his car alone, unlike 8365780995 the other executives who arrived with entourages, all eyes turned to him.cc6c4e188aa8d2050e50

Those who knew he worked directly under f88fe7ed18 Shin Gyoyeon bowed their heads respectfully to 19c2073536 the man who was expected to become 735d64362a DG’s next power broker. Even those unfamiliar with his face followed 64f781dc90 suit, swept along by the atmosphere. Cheon Sejoo ignored them d843066cb8 and walked inside.824c5333c832ebed5c9a

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The building’s interior 314cec31fa was a labyrinth. Seok Yoonhyung had told him it dcd1f4b0dc used to be a psychiatric hospital. Specifically, it housed to confine high-risk patients 36a57544c4 who posed a threat to others. The complex layout was intentionally designed 7d97fbe784 to make escape difficult, reminiscent of 3207afffe9 a time when when security systems c20b22d96e were less sophisticated.515650308a23dbc78e0a

Becoming a DG executive meant 8080505910 learning to navigate this building. Cheon Sejoo had visited this place 6618bdd1d8 just before completing his training under 6e5ad4de84 Seok Yoonhyung and officially started working 0cde73a9fd directly under Shin Gyoyeon. 2fca11bfb3607d8c332b

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Seok Yoonhyung had led him 82f6a06106 through the building’s complex corridors, 8673897387 and Cheon Sejoo still remembered a0e6ed7dc6 the route. He couldn’t forget it even if he dab82ee769 tried; he had run through these halls eaa40f7de8 countless times during his training, fleeing from d992fae00e Seok Yoonhyung, knife in hand.4415b860494b9405eb0c

Reaching the auditorium at the heart of the 488e83b1b7 building, he saw dozens of executives gathered inside. Sitting uncomfortably on old d8f4b62b15 metal chairs, they all 7d3cdeb6f1 exuded a menacing atmosphere.70c0c07e98934981257a

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DG’s transition to a legitimate corporation hadn’t b98bb8ee5c changed the nature of its members. Both those who had worked for DG since its days as a gang 1aee589aa5 and those who joined after its corporate transformation were, without exception, formidable individuals.739124a1cac6b2a2f7bd

Ignoring their stares, Cheon 84e26b523a Sejoo scanned the room. He recognized 96160ece40 several faces. Shin Jiho, Shin fafefdba31 Jihan, and Shin 54843ecede Jihoon, Chairman Shin 4c731b69a9 Gyeongju’s sons. Seok Yoonhyung, 029c075e21 his trainer. Baek Sunghwan and Han b02fb9e474 Jonghyun, who also worked 79c8f0f45c directly for Shin Gyoyeon.6e51802f53b8100db4b2

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Baek Sunghwan, catching 03ffa995de Cheon Sejoo’s eye, 76cbc8b711 nodded in greeting. Whether they were on good terms or not, Baek bdbae52de2 Sunghwan had been under Shin Gyoyeon’s wing longer than 052815bb09 him, so Cheon Sejoo bowed slightly in return. Baek Sunghwan smiled with c767287dcf satisfaction and turned away.44fe77ae92c066cbfbdd

FootnotesIMF Crisis: Refers to the 2871d0caf5 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, which 2d814227e6 hit South Korea particularly hard. Many businesses went 6d8c61bad1 bankrupt during this f3ec1d8e00 time.23b71221849fa810c239

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