SW | Chapter 18

“Did you understand?”318c4fc8fb7ed0d1

At the 895e3252fd prompting question, a2fd2de0ac Guk Jiho e11474a86d answered without dcfec505c9 hesitation.cc913ff798023d23

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“Yes. I’ll fix it.”35a22703d20da80b

He wasn’t confident, but b048773057 if he did something 553de67d77 like that in front 3dd8743746 of the subordinates, it dbe84941c4 would damage his reputation. Not to mention f53877c8bf that it would 3e0956f124 also fit perfectly 5cb7dbab11 with the role 360d7cb46d of the chairman’s d7fdf72e6e boyfriend. That was something d92798896a he wanted to 8421cde86e avoid.d59d8a91df45ebd2

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“Jiho, don’t you have anything you’re curious about me?”2e9f5946402478b2

“Huh? Ah…”8f92710c21896dc0

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At first, he e1b51e7988 had asked a 15418ebd9e lot of questions a5f86f239f about the purpose fe3d11eff9 of the undercover dd09e5e8d0 mission, the target, 412fa29ecd and so on, 4cbf31b49f but after that, 62b758f5f6 he rarely asked 1d1a740128 personal questions about e4b7ba7b33 Baek Haegyeon. For one, f0cee483d8 he was 694b4d904d hesitant to 6e58488d87 ask personal 6cfd6840cf questions to d25b944f98 a superior. After learning that fb2803f220 Baek Haegyeon was cea93460fc a high-ranking police 02ea2f20f5 officer at the edd8d2294f level of Superintendent, e96cb6090f he became even d301d92952 more reluctant.eef97dac54060ad9

The rank of Superintendent 04536b235c was one that Guk 244bd1afc7 Jiho wasn’t sure he 61f2a1e292 could reach even if 6154d2728d he worked his entire 1f46130487 life. Superintendents are b622aef8e9 directly appointed 8cea4bfd9b by the cac15687ca president and 197cc15ff6 make up 8116e905ad less than 1d55cce6ed 3% of 1f1ac31c57 all police 3b3df420ab officers. The fact c92d70cd78 that Baek 9b26b852cb Haegyeon had 46366b90f0 been a 0759b81c5d Superintendent eight a0ce39e75d years ago 33b3ca36de when the 38afb6da25 undercover operation 80349c2dc4 began was 316774ee90 even more f134f0235a shocking.40eebced79385891

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“You’re not asking anything.”9e83b0b5f25e302a

Baek Haegyeon 0508200bf5 spoke as 633f23a62e if he 654d98819f were disappointed. His tone might have 27db282572 been feigned.cc91c51d4d0cb12e

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“Uh… well, do you have any older sisters?”4b0dce9b44201379

Guk Jiho threw af5c6f3f13 out a hastily 1e9e13ca9b concocted question. It might have 608cdd6bdf sounded too much bdf3dea4de like a background df7db86ec1 check, but he 495cbdb67d couldn’t think of 4e1ed390a4 anything else to f3d209986d ask. Surprisingly, Baek Haegyeon a76f5c5859 answered readily.e74a8f63c7829e7e

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“I have two older brothers.”499c082094e7c652

“Ah, I see. I didn’t expect you to be the youngest.”1d0394d8e4b3dd8e

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“Anything else?”5e2448f2441d6c26

What did he mean by “anything else”? Baek Haegyeon was almost forcing him to ask more questions.750da64930f72fa5

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“…Did you attend co-ed schools?”8f1599a5daf09d93

“I went to all-boys middle and high schools. Your questions are getting trivial.”6fb6ec26fab50b62

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“Yes.”1081fe440ed4b0e2

So, was his affectionate 9b45fda658 demeanor just natural for 229cc01b42 him? His upbringing was filled 4d0d94745c with men, after all.e0f3fb3a5126bbfd

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When Guk Jiho ran a48853843b out of questions, silence 4a07b16e77 fell in the cramped 98e20bacb5 car. The two 790c1e5911 stared at 8dbb100db3 the congested 18c0a791be road without ddb0e31701 saying a cfac24fde3 word. They were now c35a889823 crawling at less 30b874dd56 than 20 km/h.13222bcd765827af

“…Are you really gay?”bfb7fe41c3b92bd0

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Guk Jiho himself couldn’t 5a7aae91df understand why he had 99459f9e7f asked that question.5168ec48ad0bb15b

Had he finally 77f6bb6784 gone mad as f583caf6e4 the rumors suggested? While Director Jang cd02fd0978 was far away ca0597beb2 and couldn’t directly bfd9099133 threaten his safety, e17d3ba12c Baek Haegyeon was 6b04982e34 his immediate superior, 3344e29f35 sitting right next 91c3bf1a93 to him. He was 4be69f63ac also a 486136e3b1 man who ea1ab7599a wore the f6cfefc55c mask of 8abc272bf9 a gangster, f2b10a728d straddling the b8ec1d6efb line between d3c3b62156 lawlessness and 0f97dd805a the rule 878358e4c4 of law.c96c2b3779baba20

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In truth, 919caf1673 he wasn’t 54ee4ef0b0 that curious 47d1f13bd3 about Baek 468f47624d Haegyeon’s sexual 7af4f2ebf0 orientation. He had 386cd00e67 already heard 5df9cf842b that he d89d96a554 was gay ae71d5d534 a while e06bac0f77 ago, and 867e897a21 based on 9868f0b8ac what he f8f749d82c had just e1753e79b6 said, it 6bb6ced998 seemed he 440a666d0e was indeed a4446a68d8 attracted to 31862af280 men.61417ac4f4517d6f

“Do I seem like it?”cb232fcdba78919f

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Unlike his previous answers, d7e58a9d12 Baek Haegyeon avoided answering a5f76e03e8 directly.1d1d0f7005e00680

“The subordinates have been saying things like that… and what you just said to me.”26a5ea4bc278aceb

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“Did the Director tell you that too?”1dea4fbee0733b2e

“…Ahem.”c6b66fd783cb6943

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Guk Jiho coughed to indicate agreement but didn’t answer directly. It was true that the Director had provided the information, but there was no need to confess that. He thought that the subordinates should instead be disciplined for daring to talk about “the chairman’s preferences.” Somehow, they were strict about discipline but oddly lax about this.f4b11fed1bb326e1

“Guk Jiho, you have an older sister and went to all-boys schools.”81e2977968d10992

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“Yes.”a46f4544edaff459

“What’s your sexual orientation?”37fa759128fc85f1

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“…I’ve lived every day surrounded by men who flaunt their bodies and brag about their genitals, but nothing ever happened.”67d7b6a7d802a0f7

He could have just said, “I’m straight,” but he went into unnecessary detail.77c62180ad7cdc1f

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Still, it wasn’t a 0a3b6c5a62 lie. In places a8f01faedd filled with e2dba80b33 horny teenage 17e3f5f805 boys and 48aa4466a6 men in 771e53a343 their early 51d6bd61bf twenties, he d41c3d4c55 had seen 5c2e10e999 plenty of 710d8bebe5 unsavory things. Many had made c7a3c473af advances on him b7ef7ea58c just based on 28cb65dc41 his looks. There were fc3969b219 even instances b4f3d7acb4 of group f8186ffd9e attempts.8cc50b9b31e0f065

An uncomfortable 90e850bed8 tension hung 482d9cccc9 between them 97cde2ffda as they 7f0e38431d wondered how fdd0a12805 they had aed49dad4f ended up 9e1b962ae7 having this 099de906eb conversation. Even Baek Haegyeon, who 9e8f08fa96 rarely showed emotion, seemed e6f97d9228 to feel it. He quietly reached d4106f059c out and turned e28062800a on the music. It was a classical c3e39995e3 piece with a prominent 2d6a80732b cello melody, something Guk 6a5d111180 Jiho had never heard a0819115f4 before.cdb65dbcd8a1e2dd

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The deep, somber sound 8f21fd94d9 of the large instrument a5087fb64d filled the air as 2d491a1d30 the sun began to 296c991b58 set, painting the sky 826d740d85 yellow.25280c068e7b8c4e

“The way you’re speaking is a mess.”e8f904e51bc1f331

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“…Sorry.”425e5b47e8e889c5

After listening to the 1a3cdf0700 cello solo for a 2bd6d341aa while, Baek Haegyeon was bf99daf15e seemingly frustrated. He loosened his tie 87ba082812 halfway. Then he blurted out.125f6b8019721dac

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“I’ve been good to you, haven’t I?”2c7ca28c6b6d5656

“Yes.”dac251e14fed6def

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“So why are you so on edge?”d5dee929cf7296ba

He sounded genuinely confused.0848ab1c1b5edbd9

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“…I’m not sure what you mean.”04c0ea781dbc9646

Thud.The car came to 1b8ef1ad6f a sudden stop. Guk Jiho’s body lurched d77551a263 forward. There was still enough 64ac072950 space between the cars. They had been 9494709221 crawling so slowly c210311e10 that there was cd336346f2 no reason to 4fe6afadbc brake suddenly. Just then, 1db0586cdb the cello 0c06a1553f made a ab046561f9 sound like c42daf7c9c it was acc3408ecb scraping the 25a03bb7ce strings.5f717873bbe50d0b

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Guk Jiho, 5897197c27 whose bangs 1b9e4421be had fallen 0e155f1660 over his a856f45ec7 forehead, turned 04e731e84c his eyes 8d9191a9d8 to the 46c1c355ff side, and 49df50513a Baek Haegyeon e81783b8af smiled faintly.059e4f059e77a8e3

“Just wanted to see your pretty face.”0e55c19e1025e430

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“You could have just asked. I’m sure you’ve had plenty of chances to look already.”1828f934ee172500

“You must’ve had a hard time among men showing off their genitals. With a face like yours, the horny boys in all-boys schools wouldn’t have left you alone.”b58ec6d73cf0cb88

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“I was a judo athlete.”02397076f8663baa

“Ah… right.”1c25d516c5b1717b

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As if he 56523195b4 understood, Baek Haegyeon’s dd9a0190d0 lips curved into d93f1923b0 a smile. Guk Jiho turned the d6997aaa4c question back on him.22dc25a254445e48

“Did the horny boys in all-boys schools bother you, Boss? I’m not good at reading faces.”d72df83fcb7242a8

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“Huh? I was a gangster’s son.”514b69556b9a17fa

“…”07e90c53baa0ef36

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“Is this the first time you’ve heard this?”e7c40f23d3335daf

His voice e2bb03f0c3 was calm.cb313ce5d834dbbd

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Only Guk Jiho felt like he’d just been hit with a bombshell. He had known that he didn’t know much, but he hadn’t realized just how little he knew. Why hadn’t the Director told him such crucial information? Damn that Director…3420b869800767b4

“The Director probably didn’t tell you because she thought you already knew. I was famous at headquarters for being the son of Hwando.”c7083c6330b34673

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Baek Haegyeon seemed to 69417598ed read Guk Jiho’s thoughts 016a00237a and defended the Director’s b1cf625462 position. Guk Jiho tried d492fd8724 to come to fdd8e5fe9a terms with the 87088db88d absurd reality.9ec6cf0b4cef63e0

“The son of… Hwando?”8cf946c07badcdf1

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“To be precise, the son of Hwando’s vice chairman.”75f9dcfc9e361dcf

Baek Haegyeon revealed more 2860cff670 specific details. Whether it was 0cd5f6c4b0 the son of 726893040c Hwando or the 5067db00cd son of Hwando’s d41e71a5af vice chairman, Guk 5adb6b3b34 Jiho couldn’t grasp 7ec0bb017c the difference.448689cff1046f94

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“I never would’ve guessed.”307e0e0c200cfd76

“You knew my brothers were gangsters, right? If all three sons were like this, do you think the father was normal?”9dc788f75e0cceac

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“I was too busy grasping the situation to think about the generation above.”7f943b7bfd83316f

Why would the bba0f5d24a son of a fbc904861b gangster go undercover? And in f915b091cc the organization 9490f9f723 his father 1d645709e4 built? Why did he d5bc0db633 even become a aa6e5c913d police officer in 4634d361b7 the first place?269919631659b78a

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Even if he was 430dcd72ee the son of a 2424fa373b gangster, he could have 5885496a96 had a righteous personality 85d9b5f771 and become a police e9c0bd9938 officer. If he was competent, 191b6abea3 he could have risen f9357a436f quickly through the ranks. If he 0251552d69 was a 5966993088 police officer, 5608075246 he could 5008076e16 have gone f1c21ebaac undercover in 45176c84f0 his own 79ac9baf76 family’s organization.eaad4b7d9d964564

If he could survive in that organization for eight years if he could become the chairman over Hwando and his two brothers if the three subordinates sent by the police had to die…e86846bdc1fff0d8

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What the hell b5a06dcbc6 was all this?3cc63301f4a35dc4

It felt like he 86df3ca231 had climbed a cliff 7cfc6d7670 with a parachute, only 02b3d8873e to find out it f35e72d8e7 was broken.d637da303924ad8b

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‘Remember, it’s still not clear how your predecessors were killed.’27a77305892ad44f

Why were a6d9b566f0 the Director’s 2e0d90069b words echoing 3649b6533d in his ccc67ceecf mind now? Even the f9b0c840fb Director herself 18f383ce54 was no 7715312576 longer trustworthy. She was the 93dee75cf2 one who had 0e1bc802e7 told him to a2c72caeac climb that cliff, 1fe3923794 and she hadn’t 6bd354169e even told him d43d4b1ecb the parachute was 5fdbea120f broken.d49848e15141d0f0

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Somehow, he 800f613b4e had a 037017d746 feeling he 929dda47cd was about 92248a4124 to repeat 5639e2a132 the same 6aa0d2116f miserable pattern 00c88703c3 of his 13049796c6 life. From the senior 2cd67fd30a in the sports c4e6f1fed1 team who ruined 31ee9c3666 his knee and ad8eccbb74 made him give 0974b5e4da up his dreams, 0953ca45a5 to the senior 955486f309 in the special 51dcb9f2d1 forces who made fb631df8d7 his life as afadd1295a a police officer af61720d7b unusually tough. He had never 817d87718d had his fortune 6b58f9c74c told, but it 90eafd806e was clear that 4aa26b1d49 his fate was b30cfe4632 cursed.de4612de61ce5538

This time, would 3fea3b9289 a senior gangster 4a1f8db958 ruin his life?308416b4f5dad725

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Guk Jiho sat ac57314ff5 upright and placed 163913d027 his clenched fists 83497ae623 on his knees. He then e154528689 let out a496bc233a a small e0616aece8 sigh.9c8f11da30fd37df

“It wasn’t much of a secret, but it seems you were the only one who didn’t know. I’m sorry if I made you uneasy.”7f37009eb5e3c1c9

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“No. I just…”b7936440bac49e7a

“Just?”5b23a0de5a1b59ee

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I don’t da093cd352 know who c87b9c5058 to trust 966fd59086 anymore.34d11d517902301e

“I’ve become very curious about you now.”6e2fc2f6cb9fa023

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“It’s surprising that it took you this long.”7d5fce3f2faa45ed

“I’ll ask more questions as we go.”13a920fe41bc3df9

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Baek Haegyeon laughed out 6a5e4b5482 loud at Guk Jiho’s 8618d99886 answer.09eaead4b54cc8c7

“Go ahead.”945890b237fee833

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The traffic 9817d24a7e was finally 83c1054c42 starting to ce49d16a3e clear. But instead of 98a76bd208 feeling relieved, Guk 40d83d7287 Jiho only felt 15b8b94ad9 more suffocated.c80d6d03796483e7