SU | Chapter 5.2

Unfortunately, today’s task was a case of the latter. Gu had placed too much faith in Yoo Han’s usually impeccable ability to deliver on tasks, so much so that he hadn’t even equipped him with a body cam or made sure he had a radio for communication. It was more like he hadn’t even thought to do so.

“Look, you’re not the one at fault here. It’s my mistake for not making sure everything was thoroughly prepared.”

Gu ruffled his hair and sighed heavily.

“Anyway, are you going to tell me what really happened?”

“…”

“You did come across the target, right?”

“Yes. I almost succeeded, but… I messed up at the last minute and let him get away.”

“What kind of mistake could you possibly make after doing everything right… Ah.”

Gu sighed, recalling the earlier events. Worried that Yoo Han seemed unreachable and wouldn’t come out on his own, Gu had finally stepped inside the club. But the empty room was a mess, as if a scuffle had taken place there, with food and bottles strewn all over the tables. Gu asked a guard on the second floor for details. The guard told him that a man with blue hair had run out of the room long ago, and a young-looking man covered in blood had followed him out.

Desperate, Gu had searched every corner of the club, but Yoo Han was nowhere to be found. When a disheartened Gu, along with Yong and Horangi, returned to the car, Yoo Han was pacing outside the car, a complete mess.

“What happened to the cash in your wallet, and how did you get hurt?”

“…I’m really sorry about the money. I’ll work harder on tasks to make sure I pay it back.”

“High and mighty without a dime to your name.”

“It’s not that. Even if we find Kim Minjae later, I’ll help out more with the tasks. Of course, if Director Ji allows it… Anyway, I’ll earn it all back.”

Hearing the name Kim Minjae made Gu’s chest twinge. The keepsake ring and money Yoo Han was desperately looking for had long been in Ji Youngwon’s possession. Reluctantly becoming part of a deception, Gu coughed awkwardly.

It was curious why Director Ji hadn’t returned the ring to Yoo Han immediately after retrieving it. Whether it was to continue using Yoo Han’s dedication for bell running tasks or to keep him closer for other reasons was hard to say at the moment. Most likely, it was a bit of both.

“It probably won’t work with the Director.”

“…What won’t?”

“Just apologizing. You need to explain exactly how the mistake happened if you want to avoid getting into too much trouble. Be prepared for that. It will help us make sure we don’t repeat the same mistake when we catch the guy with blue hair next time.”

Yoo Han’s critical mistake was encountering Lee Sungmin. That was all. However, he couldn’t easily open up about it. While it was partly to protect Lee Sungmin’s privacy, it was also instinctively to avoid hurting himself. If what Lee Sungmin had said was true, Yoo Han wasn’t sure he could face the detective agency staff with the same cheerfulness as before.

“Manager Gu.”

Gu turned his head at Yoo Han’s call.

“What if the person I like turns out to be bad? What then? Have you ever experienced that?”

Taken aback by Yoo Han’s unexpected question, Gu furrowed his brows.

“…Hmm. Well, I’m not exactly a good person myself.”

Gu gave a big yawn as if he was relieved, then suddenly stopped.

“Are you talking about Director Ji?”

“…No.”

Strictly speaking, it was about all the members of the detective agency, including Director Ji. Yoo Han timidly denied it as he looked down the sterile white corridor. Just then, a nurse approached Yoo Han and Gu, ready to guide them.

“Please, come with me.”

It was Yoo Han’s first time in an emergency room since the day his mother had collapsed. He looked at his bloodied palm, wrapped hastily with a handkerchief, and his face was tense with anxiety.

“Are you uncomfortable anywhere else?”

The nurse asked mechanically as she removed the handkerchief from his palm. Yoo Han shook his head silently. In truth, his neck, where Lee Sungmin had grabbed him, still hurt, and his waist, struck by the bottle, felt bruised, but it wasn’t severe enough to require emergency treatment. Unskilled at complaining, Yoo Han just sat on the portable stretcher, staring blankly at his palm.

“…Nurse, can’t a guardian come in here?”

“Hmm? No, they can come in. The person who was with you earlier seemed to have stepped out to take a call.”

Yoo Han bit his lip anxiously. As the handkerchief was unwrapped, the state of his palm was worse than he thought. The nurse’s brow furrowed as she looked at the crudely clotted blood on his palm.

“I’ll call the doctor. Please wait here for a moment.”

The curtain opened and then closed again. Yoo Han sighed softly as he stared at the opaque white curtain. His eyes grew heavy with sleep as dawn approached, and every small movement of his injured palm sent sharp pains shooting through.

“Ouch.” As Yoo Han winced, the curtain opened.

“Hey, little rat.” Startled, Yoo Han slowly looked up. It was none other than Ji Youngwon who had parted the curtain and stepped in.

“D… Director?”

Yoo Han blinked in disbelief, unable to believe that the Director had come to the hospital at this hour. His sleepiness vanished instantly.

Ji Youngwon looked at Yoo Han with a furrowed brow, his appearance a mess despite the clothes Ji Youngwon had bought for him. Blood was clotted on his forehead where it had stuck to his palm, and his top was stained with indistinguishable food marks. His once-white sneakers were badly scuffed. Ji Youngwon’s face hardened more severely than usual at the sight of Yoo Han, especially noticing the clear bruises and nail marks on his neck.

Ji Youngwon took another step closer. Frightened, Yoo Han scooted back, causing the portable bed to make a loud noise.

“You know you messed up, right?” Ji Youngwon murmured, and Yoo Han’s head dropped lower.

“Yes… I’m sorry.”

Yoo Han took Director Ji Youngwon’s scolding over the failed errand to heart. Ashamed of his disheveled state, he felt terrible for not being of any help in the mission. Lee Sungmin had once spoken the truth to him, but Yoo Han found his desire not to be disliked by Ji even stronger, making him despise his own pettiness. He had a lot he wanted to say, but all that came out was a foolish apology.

Ji Youngwon examined Yoo Han’s state carefully for a while. Yoo Han felt suffocated, unable to breathe properly because Ji Youngwon was standing silent with his hands in his pockets.

“Director, is there something you wanted to say…?”

Just as Yoo Han asked hesitantly, a doctor and a nurse in gowns appeared.

“Hello.”

The doctor, who was initially polite, flinched upon seeing the grim atmosphere Ji Youngwon was creating with just his presence. Ji Youngwon gestured with his chin, silently telling them to proceed without minding him. The small gesture carried an intimidating air, making the doctor and nurse shift their eyes nervously.

“Um… the wound is not wide, but it’s deeper than it looks. It seems it was not a clean cut…. Hm. How did you get this wound?”

Yoo Han glanced at Ji Youngwon before replying.

“Well, there was a piece of glass stuck… it was so painful I ended up pulling it out impulsively.”

Ji Youngwon, who had been listening quietly, bit the inside of his cheek. The doctor shook his head disapprovingly.

“You should be careful next time. When something is embedded in your skin, it could damage important tissues like tendons or nerves. Removing it impulsively often leads to more damage.”

With nothing left to say, Yoo Han’s head dropped even lower.

“We need to check for other pieces… um, follow me.”

It seemed that a simple dressing wouldn’t suffice, as the doctor turned away. Just then, Ji Youngwon stopped the doctor.

“Doctor.”

His low voice made the doctor pause.

“Please check him thoroughly.”

“Excuse me?”

“Look at him; he’s a mess.”

With that, Ji Youngwon abruptly pressed a finger on Yoo Han’s neck where a purple bruise was visible just below the ear. Yoo Han winced and jerked his head back as Ji Youngwon pressed. The doctor, caught in the tense atmosphere, nodded awkwardly.

As Yoo Han went for further examination, Ji Youngwon stepped out to the parking lot at the back of the emergency room. It was the darkest hour before dawn, and he walked briskly to a parked Starex in the corner.

“Stupid bastards.”

Ji Youngwon admonished the two figures—Hwangso and Horangi—lying prone with their heads to the ground. Despite the winter cold, they were sweating profusely, dampening the concrete.

“You can’t do one thing right, you fucking idiots.”

Ji Youngwon lifted his leg and kicked their heads like a soccer ball.

“Argh!!”

“Ugh!”

Their hefty bodies collapsed with dying screams. Lying with their heads on the rough concrete felt like their skulls were splitting. Tense, Hwangso and Horangi corrected their postures again.

“After all that, to think you’d mess up a simple bell run…”

“Keuk.”

Ji Youngwon kicked their abdomens repeatedly. Whether it was anger at Yoo Han’s battered state or the failed errand, even he couldn’t tell.

“Can’t you even use him properly?”

“Ugh.”

“Leaving him to roll by himself? While you guys mess around, huh.”

“No, sir. Not at all!”

“Damn it, keep it down.”

Hwangso and Horangi collapsed next to the car tires. Ji Youngwon brushed back his disheveled hair and sighed deeply. The men, clutching their stomachs, tried to get up again.

“Can’t even stick to the basics.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Ji Youngwon took out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. Gu Kangsan quickly ran over to light it for him. Taking the cigarette naturally, Ji Youngwon inhaled deeply.

At the same time, Gu Kangsan’s face violently turned sideways. Smack! His bear-like body momentarily lost balance and staggered. He managed to regain his posture and stood with his hands behind his back, his head bowed to the ground.

“This rat bastard wouldn’t talk even if he died.”

“…Yes.”

“And without the body cam, there’s no way to find out, right?”

“I’m sorry.”

After a few more puffs, Ji Youngwon hit Gu Kangsan’s cheek a few more times. His cheek turned red and swollen from the blows. Eventually, Gu Kangsan collapsed to the ground.

Ji Youngwon flicked away the cigarette butt.

“For the time being, we proceed without any bell runners. Make sure the rest of the schedule goes without any mistakes.”

“Uh… understood.”

“And if you ever go to a bathhouse or wander around, you take this rat bastard with you, report to me first.”

“Yes.”

“Get lost.”

Ji Youngwon pocketed his hands and turned, leaving the parking lot. The three men sprawled on the ground, finally free from the violence. Gu Kangsan turned his head and spat blood-stained saliva. Hwangso held his aching abdomen and sighed deeply.

“It really hurts to get hit after a long time…”

“Yeah… but at least it was short today.”