TTS Vol 1 Ch 1.4

Just a ten-minute drive up from Itaewon Station, a neighborhood of grand estates appeared, a luxury enclave inhabited solely by the nation’s top politicians and business elites.

Among the lavish estates in this affluent neighborhood was the residence of Park Chigyeong and Park Sihyun. It stood two stories above ground and extended three levels underground, cleverly designed into the slope of the hill, allowing even the first underground floor a commanding view of the Han River.

Inside this mansion which is excessively large for a family of four, Gong Yunseon sat at the edge of her youngest son, Park Sihyun’s bed, applying ointment to a fading bruise on his cheek. Her face looked pained as she clicked her tongue.

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“How can a bruise still be visible after three days? Honestly, if your brother hadn’t become a prosecutor, he would’ve ended up working for your grandfather, doing who knows what.”

“What? As a gangster?”

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“Son! Don’t you dare call your grandfather a gangster!”

“Why not? He is a gangster. I heard everything from Dad. He may not have been trafficking people, but he did everything else a gangster would do.”

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“You little…Are you serious right now?”

Ppak! A sudden slap sent Sihyun’s head snapping forward. Clutching the back of his head in pain, he looked up with an aggrieved expression and wailed.

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“Ah, Mom! Are you hitting me now too? Isn’t it enough that I get slapped by my older brother around, and now I have to get hit by you too? I’m supposed to be the miracle child, the blessing of this family! Then why the f*ck does everyone keep picking on me?!”

“’F*ck?’ Don’t use that kind of language in front of me, you little brat! This is exactly why! Who the hell do you think you are, running around doing whatever you want?! Every d*mn time you little brat pull this crap, I’m so embarrassed that I can’t even show my face to your father and brother! Do you understand?!”

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Park Sihyun briefly paused and pondered the number of times his mother had called him “little brat”, then, putting on a pitiful face, grabbed her hand and called out to her.

“Mom, can’t you say something to hyung for me? I’m old enough now, and getting slapped by him is just wrong. Especially in front of a classmate from school. The more I think about it, Mom, the more I realize how messed up it seems. How am I supposed to go back to school and face everyone when I got humiliated by my older brother in front of a girl? She’s going to spread rumors—‘Park Sihyun’s nothing special after all.’ What’s going to happen to my reputation at school? Mom, she’s the girl I like!”

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Hyung (형) : A term used by a younger male to refer to an older brother. It carries a sense of respect and familiarity.

“If you like her, confess to her, you little brat! Not by editing her into fake photos!”

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Gong Yunseon scolded him sharply, but the sight of Park Sihyun’s swollen cheek softened her heart, and her tone gentled as she sighed.

“I know, dear. Mom understands how you feel, Sihyun. But what can we do? Even I’m afraid of your brother.”

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“That doesn’t even make sense, Mom. What kind of mother is afraid of her own son? You gave birth to him with all that suffering. Did you pick hyung up from somewhere?”

You little…! Biting back the irritation rising in her throat, Gong Yunseon maintained an overly refined smile and held Sihyun’s hand tightly.

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“You know very well that I’m powerless against your father, don’t you? Well, your brother is just like him. That’s why Mom can’t say or do anything in front of your brother either.”

After patting the back of his hand a few more times, Gong Yunseon took his arm, helping him stand up from the side of the bed. Wrapping her arm around his waist, she led him out of the room with elegant strides.

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“Let’s go to your brother and apologize properly. Tell him you’re sorry and that you won’t do it again, dear. Okay? What good will it do you to upset him?”

As they made their way down to the first floor together, Gong Yunseon continued to comfort her son, and Park Sihyun finally came to stand reluctantly in front of the study on the first basement floor.

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Then, in a sugary, singsong tone, she called out to one of the housemaids, “I should bring some fruit to our dear Prosecutor Park.”With that, she headed up to the dining room on the first floor with a rather lively gait, leaving Park Sihyun behind. He stared anxiously at the study’s imposing closed doors, then cast a resentful look after his mother, watching her figure retreat up the stairs.

Just as Sihyun had pointed out, Gong Yunseon was indeed the daughter of a notorious gangster family—a family that, while never dealing in human trafficking, had made its name through all other sorts of criminal activities.

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They had more cash than they could handle, but not much in the way of brains, so all they ever did was run loan shark operations and speculate on land. Gong Yunseon’s father had made his name through these illicit activities.

Perhaps it was because she grew up in such a household.

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Gong Yunseon had a tendency to both admire and cower before those highly intelligent people. This led her to be immensely proud of her eldest son, a prosecutor, and her husband, a politician, yet simultaneously intimidated by them.

It was almost strange enough to make one wonder, how could a mother be like that toward her own child?

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Perhaps influenced by her behavior, Park Sihyun also perceived his older brother, Park Chigyeong, as an exceptional presence.

To Sihyun, his parents were the people he loved most in the world, and the person they respected most was his older brother. He was someone he couldn’t afford to cross if he wanted to survive in this family. Someone he needed to stay in the good graces of at all costs.

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Nervously staring at the door, Park Sihyun swallowed dryly, hesitated, and then finally knocked.

“Yes,” came a brief response from inside, and after swallowing again, Park Sihyun opened the door.

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The study was surrounded by glass walls on all sides that offered a breathtaking view of the Han River. However, Park Sihyun’s eyes, fixed on his older brother seated with his back to the river, reflected fear toward the man than awe toward the scenery.

Standing at the doorway, he nervously observed his brother sifting through what appeared to be a massive stack of documents. Taking a deep breath, he finally mustered up the courage to step inside. It was the first time he’d seen his brother in three days.

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“Hyung, um…”

His brother continued flipping through the papers, and Park Sihyun, lowering his head submissively, mumbled in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

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“I… I’m sorry, Hyung. I really… I won’t… ever do it again…”

A dry response came from above his head. “Alright.”

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Thrilled by his brother’s acknowledgement, Park Sihyun jumped closer to Park Chigyeong, speaking in a more animated tone than usual.

“Don’t worry about Taeri, Hyung! I’ll figure something out! I can do it!”

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He looked like a dog eagerly wagging its tail, desperate to win his master’s favor.

“How?”

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“…What?”

With a loud clatter, Chigyeong tossed the pen he had been holding onto the desk, his cold and indifferent question immediately deflating Sihyun.

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“What exactly can you do?”

What can I do?

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It wasn’t a question looking for an answer, so Sihyun simply exhaled helplessly. Park Chigyeong let out a slight chuckle, returning his gaze down at the case files as he replied in a calm tone.

“Just go to school and behave, Sihyun. That’s all I ask of you.”

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Picking up the papers again, Park Chigyeong scanned the lines on the page and then asked,

“What kind of girl is she? She doesn’t seem like she’s after money.”

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“Huh? Who? That b!tch Taeri?”

“The victim.”

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Park Chigyeong corrected him, keeping his cool gaze on the case files.

“Oh… right. Uh… Hyung, I don’t know her that well. She doesn’t talk much about herself. That b!tch’s so cold. Whenever I ask her anything, she just stares at me with this condescending look and doesn’t even answer. She just acts all superior because of her pretty face. Though, that’s kind of what’s charming about Taeri…”

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Even though he rambled, straying off-topic, Park Chigyeong remained impassive, silently flipping through the documents. Realizing his brother had no intention of engaging further, Sihyun, looking even more dejected, finally brought the conversation back to the point.

“From what I heard, Taeri’s father is an executive at some big company. So she’s not exactly short on money, Hyung.”

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“Then what should we offer her?”

“Do we have to offer her anything, Hyung? Do we really have to settle? Can’t we just pretend it never happened?”

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“You really don’t learn, do you?”

Park Chigyeong sighed softly as he pushed aside the stack of files he had been reading and pulled another pile into the center of the desk.

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“Our father’s fourth term is just right around the corner, Sihyun. You should be thinking about resolving this cleanly, not doing things that could throw a wrench in Father’s plans.”

Not having considered this, Park Sihyun’s mouth let out an “Ah” of realization, while Park Chigyeong frowned slightly, scribbling a “?” on the paper in front of him.

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“So you said you’d handle it. Was that your way of saying you wanted me to take care of it?”

“Oh, no, Hyung. I’ll handle it myself.”

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“So, how are you going to do that?”

Watching his older brother casually twirl a pen between his fingers, Sihyun stared with a rather determined expression on his face, attempting to think things through.

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If I need to get Taeri to agree to a settlement, what does she need, if not money?

Good family background, intelligence, popularity, stunning looks, an amazing figure… She seemed to lack absolutely nothing. No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn’t come up with an answer, leaving him at a loss.

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“This is why you shouldn’t mess with someone who doesn’t have any weaknesses, Sihyun. If there’s nothing to hold over them, the ones who end up exhausted are us.”

Lost deep in thought, Park Sihyun suddenly flinched.

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His brother had risen from his seat, and with a clink, unfastened his watch as he walked toward him.

Classical conditioning theory, better known as Pavlov’s dog experiment. When he heard that watch’s distinct “clink,” Park Sihyun’s slightly relaxed anxiety would immediately spike to its peak.

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“Let me ask you one last time. Are you really sure you didn’t distribute anything? Because if this becomes a distribution of obscene materials case, it’s a whole different story.”

“N-no, I didn’t, Hyung. I-I swear! Really, I didn’t… just three photos, the ones on my laptop… I only showed them to a few close friends. That’s it, Hyung. If it’s Taeri’s weaknesses you need, I’ll find them, I’ll figure it out! Her weaknesses, I’ll…”

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“Sihyun, come here.”

His brother beckoned him closer as Sihyun instinctively began to step backward.

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Even with his ashen face, Park Sihyun leaned his face closer as his brother had directed, lowering his gaze as he didn’t dare meet his brother’s eyes.

Park Chigyeong moved his hand, and Sihyun, bracing himself, squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his jaw tightly. The long-awaited touch of his brother’s hand landed on his face.

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“The bruise is still there,” he heard his brother murmur.

Surprised by the unexpected gentle caress rather than the usual force, Park Sihyun slowly opened his eyes, looking up at his much taller brother with an astonished expression.

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“Apply the ointment properly. Don’t pull anything like this again.”

Sihyun immediately understood. His brother would take care of things for him once more.

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“Yes, yes. Hyung, I won’t do it again. I promise, I really won’t.”

He held up his pinky finger, nodding his head vigorously. Tapping Sihyun’s cheek lightly a couple of times, Park Chigyeong left the study.

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Park Sihyun touched his cheek where his brother’s fingers had brushed against him, a blissful smile spreading across his face as if he’d just conquered the world.

* * *

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Exiting the study, Park Chigyeong rubbed the back of his neck, exhaustion evident on his face. As he reached his hand into his pocket, his phone vibrated softly.

Climbing up the stairs, he pulled out his phone, his eyes falling on the chaotic message that came into view.

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Realizing it wasn’t the message he was waiting for, Chigyeong let out a deliberate sigh, arching his eyebrows in mild irritation as he tried to search his memory.

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So, she wants me to contact her first, huh? Now, what was her name again?

Ah, right. Kang Taeri.

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That naïve little thing.