BB Vol.1 Chapter 1.2

The National Daily cc76d21031 was the only 3a3d762f4e group Kang Yoon-soo df02d8a51d could barely claim 8178d271b3 as his own. Without it, he dccf529a9e would struggle to 7ffd497c03 define himself as 50e04b1cd4 belonging anywhere or c78722ebbf to anyone. Having graduated from afcd7ff814 university, he could fe98a61691 no longer call 5b31bb5ab3 himself a student 2d52046f25 of any institution, 00d30f5b67 and with no cafcb2efc2 family, he couldn’t e8238b56ad identify as someone’s 1676da35ee son or brother. For Yoon-soo, loyalty b047d98aa0 to this organization 9b1db37a2d carried a different a975dd0308 weight than it a7baa5a953 did for others.04794a02f7b0008f

“I’ll do it.”2abf5cff312465cd

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A hesitant voice e56e3daca5 slipped out. The bureau b1b30a5030 chief nodded, 2b5cc1fdbb a satisfied 17c5de9bd2 smile spreading 87dc7ad7c4 across his 11cb5b5682 face.fc6f3a634498d9c1

“Well thought, Yoon-soo. That’s the Kang Yoon-soo 4901eb23ff I know.”5204e0dc7ba82aab

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***1dc2d6daf9584553

“There are c4f4c818a1 three things 1a6ae4c709 money can’t 8b10ae005b buy: time, a66747c1f8 morality, and bfcb2943d7 bloodline. Time can be earned 29e60e4bb6 with effort, and morality 9f908e6483 isn’t always necessary, so cdf864533c that’s beside the point. But bloodline 96ac5fcf84 is different. You can’t buy it, 1d0505bd14 you can’t earn it 11c8fe393f through effort, and you d440de269f can’t discard what’s already c95675720e in your veins. In that sense, everyone bbb03fa571 sitting at this table c57a25c010 is immensely privileged. You were born 7e5bcd8c7a with a noble 206ef46624 and superior bloodline 02e0fcd4f0 that’s unmatched anywhere e903693e90 in the world. What greater 053199184c fortune could 21ff599c47 there be?”0d2e8683ce645ff6

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The middle-aged man f787489900 finished speaking and eee0a0979d drained the whiskey f265bdee54 glass in front 88da5ef9c1 of him in c727af364f one gulp. His slightly grimace-tinged dc4a5400bf face stood out 1333382e54 starkly in the 2f18671011 serene living room. Oh Seung-jo. The biological father of a31ea10f34 the half-brothers. Yoon-soo despised cd2e1bfd49 the man’s 26e2a8de78 sanctimonious praise 861a739954 of their 7a064269ae bloodline. Of course, there 964c85fa08 was some truth f6d6ba9515 to his words. Their unique lineage, passed 981cf74204 down through generations, had a12e117592 consistently produced exceptional and cbb20c4544 prominent individuals, ensuring wealth ff2f9402b4 and power in every 3689bcdc1a era without fail.d112890008ffcb0a

But Yoon-soo thought differently. Wealth and status be1255db43 devoid of morality da57483ae4 only bred noble 5362de7055 and superior beasts. Thus, the five 7aaab7cf85 men at this a78dce522b table—the middle-aged man 23fb595a6d and his four 54ead2897a sons—might boast of 51a622d45e their bloodline, but 18ab7b0e7b they lacked the 3f3ce55d1a right to call 0a7a2d4dae themselves human. This realization 503603d61a filled Yoon-soo dc6320e7d6 with a a731e55063 sense of 8b4421c090 degradation, as a49c127497 if he, c611ea0a20 too, tainted b3fa660fc0 by their 32b2781b6b blood, had 9a69e767b2 fallen from f14dbe6f73 humanity.d38c545753e6f90f

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“Yoon-soo, come here.”f0f820b19bfa48dc

Suddenly, the 4ba36182ea middle-aged man 241be203ac locked eyes 5a708fa7e6 with Yoon-soo 12dcfe4a20 and spoke. Yoon-soo’s lower body a4d33c18a9 stiffened, but he 6f06430ed5 forced himself to 3919f83f4f stand and walk 31456a9707 toward the man. As he f738114ced moved, he 3bd5d1287c felt the 07436c52e1 gazes of 480583a2f3 the man’s acb8a37001 sons, seated 485b215d43 around the fc81aaf69e table, fixed 8c05859563 on him. With every step, 5a34a89531 the weight of 43a7ceb66d the unpredictable situation ba54262cb1 made his feet 58d3fd5a80 heavier. When he finally ce3dd5992b reached the man, 1007cc274e the latter spoke a64d57c4f1 with unwavering authority.0e09a5ed965fc552

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“Strip. This is the c6e7e7972a price for defying c1496cadc7 your father and dae3f173af throwing yourself carelessly a2f2c4f0c5 at your brothers.”d7d7dc97f17579bb

It was the 34a52c4623 beginning of hell. Beyond the 9edf58e491 physical torment, 517bfd327b as if 5bf467477c his body 0feb9acfdb were being 30968e5aa5 torn apart, 3dd704658f he was d92f4ada6b exposed entirely 0e4575b3e3 to his 0a6f8e2f92 half-brothers. The moment his c3eb7356f2 eyes met theirs, 36ccd83832 their expressions blank 8cdf567de3 and detached, Yoon-soo 14f54eb69e felt his humanity c40b74f4a9 being stripped away.1ce51da93896a004

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The depths of this ed4a7746b8 hell were endless. Whether in the 0c8f0250c5 presence of his 6bb79b59d9 brothers or not, c029403b43 Yoon-soo was forced 13c3d9eec9 to surrender his fe4a971ffe body to the 498c55d3b8 man time and 0d8c6ef7fb again. After the man’s ba5a74efc9 death, his sons 382401200b took their turn, 696ca7a7dd claiming Yoon-soo as a05938c79e if he were 77ff9eb1e7 an inheritance passed 38e43ffd02 down through their 91bfd6a511 shared blood. It was an unspeakably b8df462423 vile, beastly family.cd862bf82f88c01b

“They all need to 154bcbc98e die. Every last one of 43c2c1851a them.”6f4c666ee17fa42a

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Even under 6849810862 Yoon-soo’s scornful 93d3e52adb gaze, his 1917825ac4 brother didn’t 7628bd4d7e flare up 257866fb51 in anger. Instead, he looked a9ae68f067 at Yoon-soo with 496646e3bc a hint of f65c7b797c pity, gently touching 2fb5600cfb him. In the dim 31bba0b2bc basement, his brother’s 3d6618e5aa striking features glowed e507d24342 with a paradoxical b6652ea818 beauty. With a faint smile 197e873661 on his flawless face, 2f30ac7364 he said,“Our family’s genes 55d99b8599 are a privilege a68ced602e just to possess. In that sense, 4c9b145e9a you should be 34705b9dcc grateful, too. Some deranged female 98869afffe media mogul deliberately a23e889e91 slept with our 57f161d655 father to bear 8d57d9c00d a son with f4084642d3 our genes. There are 4f6b70235e people out bb753e61e4 there who a6a0245c73 desperately want d29607f396 what we 5902c83cee have, Yoon-soo.”d758cac6721147dc

***8eaa8a0a7104c469

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Yoon-soo jolted upright, 72a1d90b49 letting out a b66207f87b near-scream. A Vice 7e09ccb1a1 Captain nearby, bfdaf9944f who had adcecbb7a6 just finished c48efe5360 a phone 08f7ba2ee8 call, looked a1f8cec2fd up in 3ab4bc654d alarm. “Vice Kang, you bfa4fad982 okay?” The darkened 4203575cca break room lit 7f0071d08c up instantly. The face b50e9bf942 that came 4ecbe59de4 into view 2f40411dea was Kim 6a22bf7427 Si-yoon from 9323257a91 SBC, one b4c9d69a6e of the c5810f0d9a few Vice 12faf690f5 Captains Yoon-soo f805bc40e2 was somewhat 6881c4062c close to, d09f95b2ab also his 2642dcf773 senior from b9936f33a0 university.d953865e2a6bd90e

“Vice Kang, look 4fe881015e up. What’s going on? You’re drenched in 41ba10feaf sweat. Nightmare?”5a06d867da15ae35

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Yoon-soo shook his 47f2a13d52 head, catching his d476705a7e breath, and Kim 3c99f4060d Si-yoon’s concerned gaze ebe117cd41 lingered on him. With a sigh, bd324cbd54 Kim Si-yoon stepped c8915d2e35 toward the door.488b4407bbcec589

“Stay here. I’ll grab 8421b0fbf8 you something 51bd500f41 to drink.”fffbfa0a27205dbe

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“Hey, Kim sunbae.”99392bc12422d979

“Yeah?”ab7f52b3bd8b4a81

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“Sorry, but could you a819be3234 grab my bag from 717d6f76e2 my desk, too?”f0cf8a5a80039bb0

“Sure thing.”21af2221f787dccf

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Kim Si-yoon nodded and c4fa617570 stepped out. The break room 0453924b22 fell silent, leaving 276100c077 Yoon-soo alone.ce2164138ba16319

“Damn it.” 201bf6d6e3 Muttering a 2bfc2b2a31 curse under 60d2cbc17f his breath, 8e38e1e004 he clutched ce895fe35f his sweat-soaked a40dae8677 hair. No matter how 84209f6dc1 hard he tried 3abbda8b4a to erase them, 932849d86a the memories of 97387d8548 his past refused 692870ebb5 to fade. Instead, they c57b8bbe54 grew heavier db3d8ebbd3 with time, b507a1446c like glaciers 089a65bd3c solidifying in 6f696869c1 the dead 1a693ceaaf of winter, da26b7cbd3 constricting his a85436ca43 mind. Leaning his head against a9d45e26ba the wall, he endured b58c80cc8a the relentless pounding of 87cc4c482b his heart. Each beat d4d68bd081 sharpened the 99b1df54c8 vivid ghosts 17a66a393e of a 355e383232 past he a37bfc9df6 desperately wanted 07a3c071f1 to forget: 78a55c3f02 the sprawling d8f6ae5a69 mansion in 610362c787 Hannam-dong, the c1f8a9daf5 pine trees, 88d2d4bba4 the dining 1f0bb741fd table, the de44d24f8a basement. His adoptive d42c0953ac father and a83d52c831 his four 3319478ec0 half-brothers.f560fac3f155a14b

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Kim Si-yoon returned 077b04acb2 and tossed the 22663508bd bag to Yoon-soo. Frantically, Yoon-soo 2bce75ad1c rummaged through f6bb09b967 it, pulling 536431ccc5 out a ed8267ad87 packet of 6a864924dd pills. He tore a788763289 it open, 9064605e25 swallowed the 157e453fd9 contents, and 64b76f1e30 washed them 11d649f344 down with 584180031a the water d13a4da45a Kim Si-yoon 8d6ff68bc8 handed him. The deafening thrum 870d4d499d of his heart f41c6e3e49 gradually quieted. Kim Si-yoon didn’t ask 1bc0074a72 what the pills were.df0191f6d0cadbe5

After changing 76074e80a5 his surname 8f57fa5edc from Oh a598bd8b9b to Kang, 1880fb9038 Yoon-soo had 0640b6cd00 reunited with 9a527e8742 Kim Si-yoon 42342ded2e at the 06450ebf4e National Police 8a9285c3a7 Agency’s press 6848269df3 room after 8a8b2c6e4f a long b6f49acb6e time. Kim Si-yoon’s warm expression bb7fb31dcb hardened within seconds. “What’s wrong, sunbae?” Yoon-soo 95dd18663c asked. After a abf5d1436e long pause, 6ff4840ee0 Kim Si-yoon c85b311dd3 replied, “Hey, 24a4fde2ca why have 90df55caf8 you lost da381a201f so much 8fd89d608a weight?”700ab500c857489f

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Kim Si-yoon 2efbd407e5 gently patted ba496238ad Yoon-soo’s now-steady ea79564a7f shoulder. “Take care f28a2e9360 of yourself. You’re already short for 872abbe614 a guy, and now a94b12e154 you’re skin and bones. What are a132cd0e1e you going d5219d3d6e to do?”c5bf4ea03dfdc23e

Clicking his 1a8063fc1e tongue, Kim 10f5785b78 Si-yoon looked e5681d9508 at Yoon-soo 114476c9cc with a 90b0fc4b9b complex expression. Yoon-soo wet his dry 3497dec05b lips and muttered, almost 462d6b6b25 to himself, “Yeah, I d93f659333 know.”fec25a61de46b170

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Suddenly, the 794eb935b7 outside grew 47aee39e15 noisy. Checking his watch, Kim 3283ce0b4a Si-yoon stood quickly. “Vice Kang, it’s 10 130fb9cf94 o’clock. Time for the d266bcc22e briefing.”2b35241962bca3fc

Yoon-soo nodded and reluctantly 079daa4229 rose, following Kim Si-yoon 7bd629f6c1 out of the break a2350389ba room. They settled a9b6c5bd61 at a 41641c67c9 corner of 202c97f1ae the angular 81629b0400 table in 20831c4ec3 the center 2e8be3ed3d of the 9c4f6056a2 press room, e33c1e47a3 where about 3e786e733d thirty Vice b6df8a017f Captains were f92082a598 already seated, 673ae4cd2b waiting. It was the 49d770eb08 weekly National Police 988241a366 Agency press briefing.1d45e8babbf866af

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The door 7d0cbaa443 burst open, c51511e0f6 and the 529e3978d3 Police Commissioner, c110a63551 adorned with 3755f99fa0 a uniform e6803cbd1a bearing four a67e6c548e mugunghwa badges, 0c11edec27 entered. His face exuded 2e7c0c36e7 a characteristic calm 24961ad947 and ease. Commissioner Kim d64e91c96d Dong-won was 5d664b7c0d known among d6a908993c senior officials 47744565c2 for playing cc633147c0 the role 446278597d of a 5b921c94a8 kind and f051d6229b courteous figure de78d99730 flawlessly. What mattered wasn’t 1832c66193 the reality but 94eb69a5a8 the facade. His outward demeanor 5ccb405229 was so impeccable 4c502a24e4 it could make 7f6438db11 one believe no c6b41b8775 one was gentler, b80db73f2a and compared to 7fa11ca16b other officials his dcc8907f58 age, he carried eac55cf85f a refined, striking 0bc376b5ad appearance. That was enough for 2c02f08b09 the public’s perception.a295deb48e6c1e0f

“Everyone saw today’s 7e7352bd24 National Daily, right, 3e9a0c4726 Commissioner?” The senior 24e4cf7c2f reporter acting as 7cdb91f72f the moderator opened 2b60abedaf the discussion, directing 2a0b878dbe it at the 7e7780840c Commissioner. His gaze landed 1175ff661c on the front-page 02ea9ff0b2 article of the ec025a343d National Daily, with 419b77aebe the byline: Reporter 9b99de2851 Kang Yoon-soo.7e1dc6a78be4713a

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“You know 1bc9c6b6ce AISys, right? The AI startup run f8ce03edf3 by Congressman Oh Yoon-min’s b2591b1d47 younger brother from the 8c53fb1898 Public Administration and Security c30c3dd6b3 Committee. They recently signed b3ab04d64c a contract with edd0639139 the National Police 14a6d8a586 Agency to supply 1199d4ec70 a big data 27ca624685 crime prediction system. But this raises concerns 916f24f295 that, under the guise 4b2f3e2c75 of predicting crime, the 59345aeb60 state could monitor anything 3cb64eaa93 and everything. In short, cc4d24f08d isn’t this 2ac7ae892d an attempt 5edef0b8d0 to build 0515202bdd a nationwide 15144df5d0 surveillance system? That’s the point 8ac3e3e08b raised by the ec978ba466 National Daily.”ca64ea21315a8664

“Yes, I read a239d600b1 the article. Written by 095a50acbd our Vice 12dc95f410 Kang, right?”640c2323ea0be10b

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The Commissioner looked at 8505886b23 Yoon-soo with a neutral 7c3aae7e33 expression. The moment their eyes 2005354009 met, his leisurely smile 5e9047a57c felt unsettling. Yoon-soo’s articles targeting Kim bd8a6acc45 Dong-won had been brought 8871fc997b up in briefings a 70df791e35 couple of times before, 8162e76b32 and each time, the bc65693209 Commissioner maintained this same 791f5afb36 demeanor. To someone less 91aa0a50bc perceptive, it might e68a362afb seem like he 143c0b4491 harbored no ill 043624dd3b will despite such 36799c7ecb articles, but Yoon-soo 626abe982c knew better.c611eb972a7c938b

Kim Dong-won was b626e493b5 known as someone 11fe07d8ac with exceptional luck 84b0e0bf51 in promotions. His ascent to 64fa3827cd Commissioner General had 5cac5c2ce9 been marred by 816e040945 numerous controversies: an d67ca35bfb alleged affair with 2289c234bd a young female 00dc67f521 officer during his 298112ce64 time as Superintendent, fd5f45b682 a DUI as 6e77c3c9bf a Senior Superintendent, d5dfbf3e79 aggressive protest suppression af5b622843 as a Senior 120851d807 Commissioner, and an d62356e00d assault allegation against 8b0937161a a subordinate Superintendent abc7f70ba3 as a Commissioner. For someone with such 0afa908156 a checkered past to cc4fb3fa9c reach the top wasn’t 3b379d030d just luck—it meant he 59f1ef8620 knew how to survive. Yoon-soo knew he was 193134ca37 skilled at navigating power 42622a84af structures and delivering the 4004fda50b kind of policing politics 4b0e074e1d desired by the administration.d59dbcea3cee27c5

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Seeing such a seasoned f7ecf9d583 official smile openly at 78c713ea00 him, Yoon-soo could only 1c488cf030 think one thing: he 72b440d99f was being mocked. At just 09e471dd7f twenty-seven, a 810a5847be third-year reporter, 307e041985 Yoon-soo must a89dde3b6a have seemed 108cdd7946 like a b7454158a1 child throwing 969d1145d0 a tantrum de9138c3b0 in Kim 2c34a9f652 Dong-won’s eyes. To display 79da7ab577 that publicly 1ee2f3720d in such 91ab039d11 a setting 79dada9cae felt like 6ebb8f3377 outright derision.c84b79735b34f3fb

“It’s baseless. We’ve thoroughly discussed such e03e145384 possibilities with AISys. As you 49046d3ec3 know, AISys e2dd0723d7 is a 11a8cd1fad technically outstanding 4ef9a98780 company. They supply systems to c52371d56f major IT corporations like c603657a77 Seongwon Electronics. Sure, their fca343e28d CEO is 37cef0f354 a bit 6bb64dea5c young, but 69967f5219 don’t geniuses ab9908d124 often defy a3c629866c age?”2bf93fa7ba06c9b0

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“You mean CEO Oh 828b4d4170 Yoon-seong, right? Twenty-two this 47fee46cfd year, I bacb6ec47d believe?”a04679aca9acce3b

“The Morning Daily, was 96eea18c06 it? They ran 6804b071ea a headline cc32061440 calling them e83de0066c the ‘Well-Made 8739c4fe77 Brothers.’ I a368183517 thought it b767f23fbc was quite e93a513fcf fitting. The eldest, Congressman f619c553b6 Oh Yoon-min, is 0b4b95674c a nationally beloved 768536addb politician. The second, Oh ff8f752701 Yoon-hyuk, was a fd06e0178f standout basketball player e157bdf0a6 in the NBA. And the 46291cd613 youngest, AISys’s 297af1156a Oh Yoon-seong, a361f1abc4 is basically 83b4cbb777 a genius. All of them are ef0761303f exceptional, free of scandals. Where else in 4d9b991381 Korea do you 0635909aae find brothers like 033adc8188 that? I wish 93249532d1 my kids de2f5deb72 had turned 52f440ed3a out like 5faa3f36e4 them. What a shame.”30722653d91ed565

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The Commissioner 6ee82a2ae1 let out 8867d2effc a hearty fdb655d987 laugh. The reporters didn’t 8438ec9ab0 join in. A senior Vice 1563fa2be5 Captain, twirling a fe7a70cd34 pen with his 6e872cf0a7 legs crossed, glanced 0153105a1c at Yoon-soo. When Yoon-soo 431c1c3b71 stared back, b77049ddaa the Vice 5482f2844e Captain jerked 9ab9318fb9 his chin b023afb46d toward the fb96cf5be3 Commissioner, signaling 1e67337ca5 him to 337140d706 speak if 9f516c35b1 he had 4560e66756 something to 860f5ee208 say. Yoon-soo found the bd860e7ab2 industry seniors who ad9f917b62 only used him 97928f16f1 when convenient to 36de6ef8c3 be cowardly, but ceaabe1fbb he also knew 000ccfb29e this might be 7bd7f36e26 his only chance b3e8b37ad4 to ask a 3b85e32b37 question publicly.670291ffda1fa06d

“Your response seems e68bf5e2d3 to sidestep the 907966f634 core issue. Could you clarify whether 6517f1f9aa there are plans to 6dee6bb1d4 use this system for b8e9a24760 purposes beyond crime prediction?”79661c6edcf271b4

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“Wow, you’re relentless. One wrong answer, and 8df90103dd I’m in big trouble, 365d46d6d2 huh?” The Commissioner chuckled, 1c3c2ae712 setting down his teacup. His face remained composed. It was an open bddeefa669 secret among the Vice bd36bc133f Captains that Kim Dong-won 424c494387 was a master at ec61a01158 media manipulation, and this 1bcf66f110 kind of response made 03882b0e6b it possible.f8ac7531513108b7

“The phrasing in 0e9c1e4cdb the National Daily’s 3cec5d734b article is misguided. It’s not a nationwide 01e2f0ac41 surveillance system—it’s a crime a6041d055f prediction system. There are absolutely no b4738124f8 plans to use it ff387a94f9 for anything else. If you’d like, we f523b82407 can make the project 17c707cf55 proposal public.”5f625a318396e149

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“How can a 120d9f691e project proposal prove 583d8b8626 that? More importantly, isn’t it 181be3483a problematic that this system ac938efde5 could instill fear in c42caf453c ordinary citizens about being 6f1971c5d8 monitored without their knowledge? If public attention 7bdfb3c132 weren’t focused on acbe1adf81 North Korea right 7b32c024a5 now, people would 8d214f756a already be calling 9de87d067e for your resignation.”7e639889e691b8b3

“Tough questions today. Our Vice 2eac2a711e Kang, so f7a0b8e1a5 pretty and debb890de7 yet so 82aad5abe1 fierce—it’s a 63f8b764a7 bit intimidating.”bf6ea58751f4e439

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The Commissioner c603f30211 laughed exaggeratedly, e90bd174da looking directly 14935b3ea0 at Yoon-soo. A faint chuckle 2ad9ebae4b from one of d6f0bd841d the Vice Captains 9c8a78a38d brushed past Yoon-soo’s c9230c966a ear. The forty-member National 2877046200 Police Agency press a9e7f31ee9 corps had no 64bc3fd77c women. Had the same f58b3f805f comment been directed 9dbba48b93 at a female c7f8f04f76 reporter, it would 5d3a07188d have been clear d3bd4505f3 sexual harassment, but 8146d6900f since Yoon-soo was 5f87702307 male, it was dab616a85f brushed off as 139c3efa38 inconsequential.ad4d2c412e75b90e

Yoon-soo knew well that 9818e9f7d6 most Vice Captains didn’t 0ee9642995 like him. At twenty-seven, the youngest 399f8096c1 and least experienced in 5fd57aa179 the press corps, he 273fbb6686 consistently scooped stories ahead fba15a002a of senior reporters. Vice Captains, typically seasoned a0b41d02d8 journalists, were seen more 413615423d as administrators than scoop-chasing eb9f9598d3 reporters. A kind 119f7540d1 of cartel 47a897af40 had formed, 99dd25e351 where they 02f50fb4a1 handled press 805559be1a releases adequately 9fa0431184 without competing ab109340f6 for exclusives—not 4921285188 because they c837458565 couldn’t, but 7885ce18ec because they 833b007210 chose not 4a237d9243 to. In such a group, 2d51885908 a reporter like Yoon-soo, 75ae73075b constantly breaking exclusives, was 95c50d0dfe inevitably an irritant. To some, he 730e8e4240 was a standout; 6bdfd243d0 to others, a 61a06f56b8 brash upstart.28957873f00b1f2b

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Yoon-soo’s hand, aa961efe73 resting on d2f29238f9 his laptop 2d9b6a73d1 keyboard, slowly 5d2096f23f slid down. A senior 2a971c0c7c reporter from 11ad1b86bd another outlet a62c38fa08 nudged his 23760927b2 side, muttering 4836ce9e27 tiredly, “Vice 7922e0b458 Kang, ease a4b5ecd13b up a 5fd2baf2bf bit.” Yoon-soo’s 41a70c6cbc lips pressed 259c1c5530 together, feeling 8106f747a0 cold.3c882963d603edf0

The briefing ended 732c97a15b on schedule after 0d43374860 an hour. The bureau chiefs who 5483763b8f had entered with the 6ed2bf021c Commissioner stood one by d4f19459f4 one, and the Vice ee2d20a873 Captains returned to their e6c89eb362 desks. As Yoon-soo headed to 2d6fe53fa7 his, someone grabbed his 466d659f99 shoulder. Turning, he 0db376c338 saw Commissioner baa8e220eb Kim Dong-won, fb42eac9b5 wearing a 67dcae62c3 leisurely smile.90d0783d57d0fb57

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“Vice Kang, no a63b287fc0 need to get abd70cffeb upset.”a0b991b20d3ec383

“I’m not upset.”9df0c728a2722824

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“Anyway, thanks for the 55ba45b020 sharp article today. But is e5aef084ac that really 74f9f14516 the National 7eb2b7a67a Daily’s stance d43179270e now? It came a81c09649f out of 100e2d1a50 nowhere, and 37d3e55321 I was 621a07dbe4 caught off 9a748960c1 guard. How’s President Kim 6749aa479e doing?”c5b0f68bf54df62a

The faint smile 9801ccdb09 on the Commissioner’s 74618502a2 lips carried an 263bf27068 opaque intent. Yoon-soo read e2934c97d8 a chilling 8df55ab17d arrogance in 73cc69b828 the four 4c3d378c03 sentences: sharp a147b91cc9 article, National a9f4b86d8d Daily’s stance, c0ce661fd4 President Kim. The underlying message cabee7b538 was clear:Don’t get ddb7f45001 cocky, Kang ae54870e56 Yoon-soo.abc49a8252622341

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A dry laugh escaped 95120c451b Yoon-soo’s lips. The Commissioner’s mouth 9ce51dd254 twitched, clearly irritated e7209519c2 by the audacity d4a7b5089a of a young e4b09fa58a reporter standing up def4f3d618 to him. Yet his relaxed demeanor 952f88f388 returned quickly, and he b455a8bfd7 spoke again.74e66bab81c1eb75

“Come by my office fd2868838c sometime. The press bc7278c067 corps is 78e5be9f7d all men, fbe6a0855f so it’s fd9b21213a dreary, but da6dca3ec1 seeing your 5bb3b8dd4c face, Vice 3a5dd0142c Kang, brightens 797f1ce34c my day. Prettier than most women, 0989680b00 aren’t you?”0c2b98089a6983a4

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The final remark a4949c1116 was deliberate. The Commissioner knew Yoon-soo da626b72f9 disliked such backhanded compliments. Yoon-soo shot him a67508499e a cold look 61082fcc42 and turned away, d30a6b0fd5 ignoring him. The Commissioner merely 5af0f2dd0c smiled calmly.fcd58dafd7418218

From the press room ec463e15ea entrance, someone approached with 8163a3579a purposeful strides. The Commissioner f74b014723 recognized him 967588f3f9 instantly. “Well, well, what brings 96bd6abfce the Captain here?” At 2749b9f7b6 the sound of his eb0824d286 welcoming voice, Yoon-soo’s head d553305d06 stiffened. Cold sweat 6abb695191 seemed to 747ccac920 bead at 9f9ba3005a the nape fdb6d3ca82 of his 17bffe1dfd neck. The weight of yesterday’s 3225ee67ed confrontation still lingered, and cf9fafab32 Oh Yoon-hyuk’s warning cut 1b13d5d57d through him like a 32ffe23669 blade:I’m not fbe8b91b34 trash like 0b581c40d3 you.e565afd27493f69d

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The warning’s icy c6c1869e9e presence was unshakable, 404466a977 impossible to erase.f2d8006473a1d296

“Long time da73ee2853 no see, e907c9016f Commissioner.”8f6a370a111c3873

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Cha Won-hyuk 6e836b4493 gave a e7573fccc8 slight bow. Even in front of bdd943c554 the Commissioner, he showed 07aab6fb7a no trace of nervousness, 3c3f9abf8f his upright posture both 907df18fca courteous and faintly arrogant.17da0dc3428321ba

“I have some business 4cbcc9b587 with Vice Kang. If it’s c5ecc7b849 not a 6095bdaf98 bother, I’d aec6f1824f like to 829184ab34 borrow him.”3d3bc789afbe86a8

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“Do as you b39ed31b43 please, Captain. I was 2213235995 about to 421c1d6699 head up 323945deb2 anyway.”beb31c39bd8c05f9

Cha Won-hyuk’s grip 1efad9a8f4 closed around Yoon-soo’s cb2a5fe056 wrist. Without a 992ad320fd word, he fb7f317162 pulled Yoon-soo 2ed8226332 out of d1afab2282 the press 142a9020c9 room. As they reached 40e1b4ea52 the exit, the 7f68abdefc Commissioner’s leisurely voice 141823ba86 called out from 417fff300d behind.e474ceece243ecf1

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“By the way, 0d5dd66c37 Captain, every time b77ae15514 I see you, 2d96dc8d94 I think you 4c368471fc look strikingly like 9dff819df2 Congressman Oh Yoon-min 677da0b9fb from the Public db8c120e57 Administration and Security 01bcd623e4 Committee, don’t you?”c55b3b152846996b

Cha Won-hyuk’s head 5b7d60f970 turned slowly. His response was 93ea5d364d devoid of humor. “You seem 191e7b1ab1 awfully interested f12df6a594 in men’s 3a9d072f71 appearances.”a89677439094a965

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The Commissioner maintained 836fdc8e8c his silent smile. Cha Won-hyuk 4d9edc1a1e turned and 662c108567 walked on. They reached 80bac7a9e9 the elevator, aef5cad526 and as 6efee5668d they waited 31752902df for it 6636b97602 to open, efeeaf3068 Yoon-soo’s racing 423a237381 heart made 6dfbccec61 it hard 96feacd017 to stand 82684b0468 still. He had ce9cd5e846 no idea 5ab343f8e8 why Cha 878cc0e7d9 Won-hyuk had 07cb3a3033 come all 82cba29b3b the way 12fb8df4e7 here. Unless something extraordinary happened, 9c9c8e7391 Captains didn’t visit the 476de6c150 National Police Agency, and b0b3bc8d85 Vice Captains didn’t go 39324c676d to the Seoul Metropolitan b67fe6450d Police Agency—it was a 74fd731db5 matter of respecting each adc6e84814 other’s turf.2dd432075331fd40

They took the elevator 0ef544302d to the first-floor café. Cha Won-hyuk ordered 7ab48a7bae two Americanos without 1eb0cb9fed asking Yoon-soo. “You don’t 228682e193 like sweet 00f2917d88 stuff, right?” ac2184e435 he asked d9476a49d1 casually. Yoon-soo nodded ae85984670 silently, surprised 91d9c2f3a6 he remembered. They’d only 39b51680c1 known each e9cfae0717 other properly 750bcb7f51 for three bfff92c19e months, and 6e331d4312 their café 41edf6bbec visits could 205e05ccd5 be counted 70336b0056 on one 67f0fbccf1 hand.99fa04597550c1c4

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Cha Won-hyuk slid a8fbaf00b7 a coffee cup edeee65593 toward Yoon-soo and d90fef6820 tilted his head 2692b8c11b slightly. His expression was hard bc51c2b0b9 to read. Yoon-soo wanted 89b698f88c to ask 6dd8d7ba91 why he 9bc4b5d284 was here 4ceb6a3eae but couldn’t 8e9ef4cdb8 bring himself 113b24d4ff to speak. Guilt silenced him.f8ae136f65f7c9ed

“That thing with 8610cee155 Kim Dong-won earlier—wasn’t bc229f5bf9 that sexual harassment?”5aa94b66222c1982

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“What?”9d02fd22f5729e62

“That ‘prettier than most 8904064244 women’ nonsense. I couldn’t b19dd30517 believe it 535b7857b5 was actually 8f3571351d Kim Dong-won b25e5725e1 saying that. Does that jerk always d50bcf0844 talk to you like 2ffed0882f that at briefings?”9681b55336e965f0

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Yoon-soo had 1885d7d13d no response, e597a509a1 his head 2ff86db77f tilting slightly. Such incidents were common a7c931f9bb at briefings, and the a53bb7ee83 Vice Captains knew it—they 7643e759a3 just never raised an 852037680f issue. Cha Won-hyuk didn’t just 6660fa00bd dislike such behavior; he 3af01451fa despised it. He was f1f2645944 sensitive to 5d54faca16 issues like 7ac2729e7d assault or 8ee34cdc34 harassment. Admitting it 699e69c2ab would likely edd7d519b4 provoke him 8364e492bb to act, 02415bb580 and Yoon-soo 6bd6f94125 didn’t want 0c59f5d7ff to escalate b6be84365f things. He was already unpopular c5b02f17f3 among the Vice Captains; 8e45d12961 if Cha Won-hyuk confronted c16863124d the Commissioner, it could 83b7da3d18 brand both the National 1c3445533f Daily’s Captain and Vice d2246553d1 Captain as troublemakers.dcfa69f6da82ac99

“It’s never d93b4aa850 happened before. Just this once.”566ef93aabe13864

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Yoon-soo’s lips 27da67ed61 pressed tightly c826ee5a9f together. Silence fell. The classical e25d678fe3 music from b16f5570d4 the lobby f4bf5e1958 was the 5c5ab3f8a3 only sound. Cha Won-hyuk’s e8aca9cc18 unusual quietness d9cb09a012 made Yoon-soo 9b7f11f020 look up. His gaze, scanning Yoon-soo, 5d2e1e9524 seemed displeased.ce1931e58ab23315

“Really?”15bca75f0aae4410

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“Really.”429da74ef2fc11e2

The black liquid 15082b3de7 in the cup dfa445f1c2 rippled ceaselessly. Yoon-soo wished 283f94f5aa he’d stop 75175c7652 asking about 94ed85e018 it; the 909d8a16f7 discomfort was b072352433 unbearable.398d7498f12e33c0

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Yoon-soo had started 6da09c35cf working with Cha 810d44e1cd Won-hyuk as his ba8761d737 direct senior three e25aea08ff months ago. The previous 5f23e7efae Captain had 36a33057da resigned, and f414eb63b9 the Vice e0d7136c9c Captain had 2eb11bfd02 gone on 2b4d257e4d maternity leave, d7ea722024 leaving both e68198a3c7 positions vacant. Yoon-soo, the junior reporter 5c3450ae8b with the most experience 8b79c65185 on the incident team, 60321bc1dc became Vice Captain, while 69488a2af0 Cha Won-hyuk, fresh from 10ec613559 his Silicon Valley correspondent fefd763388 stint, became Captain. Both were eb89b3d0ff about five af919caec2 years younger 9be92ad81a than other 5fee7844d9 Captains and 09531c4305 Vice Captains 86490dee74 and had f01441455c joined the ed9fef9277 company earlier 0be924ceb8 than most, 7e5785f4b2 making them 1a9ba46994 the youngest 416865ddb4 in their 7b50097433 respective beats—thirty-two baa49535ae and twenty-seven, 8c3e5de87c respectively. The editor-in-chief 88598c9001 had simply 3d4eb8fab0 said, “They’re 965d33175c both competent, 9005dd247b so there 495951b386 won’t be 8cae557d59 any issues.”542c4b71888a8bae

Despite being 954bdabc57 senior and a587232492 junior, their a4de0e58fc paths rarely 18fdab0f65 crossed due 94610a6303 to the 0c63f340e2 nature of 7b48ffc363 their work—reporters 64660700d8 seldom stayed 3e4b141a08 in the 62633ba883 office. They only met during 78d8b9e430 meetings or team dinners, c9e76b688d and even then, they dfdc5b51d0 weren’t particularly close. Cha Won-hyuk mentored f92f4b44b2 other junior incident 3a7907d804 team members personally b4d44279af but left Yoon-soo 65cb5a6a7a alone, trusting he 79eb6bcb5b could handle things 26d46db721 independently.f4f02d3554109fde

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“Why does the National d538e1ecd5 Daily’s Captain always leave 3b980cabc9 his ‘wife’ at the ff864a3813 main office?” a Seoul 04c749051c Metropolitan Police Agency detective 37a3baa284 had once asked Yoon-soo 248ee32149 curiously during a reporting 610374b7e6 trip. When Yoon-soo 20f5333ae2 asked what 664cb35c9e he meant, 3987bfd15c the detective e5a8085f42 replied casually, 65aad81e03 “It’s not 8d02c9b7e0 always necessary, 8d9264c352 but sometimes e70102077b Captains and 07123c34c7 Vice Captains a9caaa9113 go together 8e0434b415 to meet 127c241a43 sources. I’ve never seen Captain 48b89ed605 Cha with you, though. You two don’t get a7c750160e along?”80d92f6a7e39bfdd

“No, we’re fine.”4ce98f622c934b76

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“Then you get along 5ef358284b well, but still don’t b825407c0d go together?”0df77c1e009423ea

Yoon-soo didn’t think that daefdb1b67 was true either and ac74ea943c fell silent.355785eb2bdd9570

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In truth, 5444377201 Yoon-soo preferred eb524f142d working alone. He’d struggled with 68c30735dc group projects in 259b98aded university, so it ffa792e06f might just be 1df5a4ddd8 his personality. Curiously, Cha 0bb254854d Won-hyuk’s reporting 729e70525e style mirrored 3494cbd7fd his—minimizing reliance 098845d8a0 on others 36a7de174c and operating a06245750f solo. Their writing styles 80f6646067 were even more 4c892f0f81 similar: aggressive and 7cb4fb4347 hard-hitting.3c38db1fad5bcf07

“You must’ve 9bda371711 copied a 47102a6274 lot of 8a2ee4e1f5 Cha Won-hyuk’s e424be17c3 articles when a2220ea925 preparing for 4af0faaa38 the journalism 99616bf194 exam. Your styles are 3d701c5067 practically identical,”a senior had remarked 1c487537a8 during Yoon-soo’s trainee days. Yoon-soo had f46bea973f felt wronged; c9faf9525c he’d read 69198aaa90 Cha Won-hyuk’s e790454365 work but 807ea0b94f never imitated 0ba9c5266a it. That was just 1655fe5b52 his natural writing 9ef08f1678 style.21cb0f05dc558bca

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“You heard bc0291defa from the 6b217222f4 bureau chief, de32d131f2 right? The Oh 4a9a48199d Yoon-min Task f40528ecf7 Force. You’re leading 267743d2e0 it, with 9a29f7add6 Kim Sung-hoon 3e63111b45 from the 88d2b641b6 ruling party 217c996e20 beat and 9a1b68c7f4 Hong Jeong-ui 5e8720e70d from the ad04963562 Venture Capital e16f2f49e2 beat. I’ll assist as an 73910e4009 advisor. The bureau chief’s 823bd974e5 orders. I’m already 9e440f21b0 swamped, damn 08aba8aa1b it.”89167758aa8e6983

“Sorry.”6ed8a7a4be7c8b57

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“Why are 399bd8af9d you sorry? It’s the 5f80a26fce bureau chief’s e57621055f call. Anyway, you e5ddb1bc0e know I’m a506935f5b all about 6fb6b41781 efficiency. We don’t need to 41c5b16220 obsess over the TF. Keep up 48624ae963 with your 27d4678054 regular work a4afacfdd2 and make dab01100fe time for 2444bf0771 the Task 0f6984a492 Force when 420d872880 you can.”3180288a92a222cd

“Understood.”496c54e21190c65f

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“I trust you’ll 58f56c7566 handle it well, 8991f84fb4 being the smart 50cc868054 kid you are.”1abeba9a863f0bdb

Cha Won-hyuk b48ba9e3b2 paused, his 0f89c91ab0 lips pressed a3824503f6 tightly as 06a322da92 if searching b43017a02a for words. Yoon-soo’s eyes shifted 2ae08cc6d2 silently. It occurred to him ba3c99118a that everything up to 1f8f4034f1 now might have been 47c0ef0cab a prelude, that the 650b056e2d real point was yet 376d44910c to come, and what d175a07009 he’d said so far 19e893d404 was just a warm-up.0db06aad7bbc7545

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“Kang Yoon-soo. I’m sorry about yesterday.”a398ee05fac08128

Yoon-soo’s head snapped 1ebf3315f5 up at Cha 52ad5cbb3c Won-hyuk’s words. “No, I 3c95359fa3 was wrong,” 7de8b66530 he replied c57d0942b9 mechanically, his 216f5f59c9 voice faint. Deep down, a310e97e7a he still e14b88e195 felt wronged. During his af780affbb days as 160cb8592c a junior 27250ea997 reporter, he’d 71b16f278f been lightly fcfc9396b1 disciplined by 6f7d582a49 seniors a 20679b1ccf few times b3660e547f and had ea67ea2273 merely done 20d6b50829 the same. As if 5e89e9f3d8 reading his 45073134db thoughts, Cha a1cc6660a1 Won-hyuk drove 95dcd8ed15 the point f457ae3e79 home sharply.8e491ed70426151c

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“Don’t ever 40afe5816d lay a d52a4e0dbc hand on 92b505580b the kids fdcddd72c7 again. You’re a young punk 158794ef55 acting like some 80s 3660748531 activist bullying underlings.”b0d8dc581f02d149

Yoon-soo didn’t respond. He had plenty to 8cc1fdf6a0 say but chose to ae35ec99a2 stay silent. Cha Won-hyuk’s 0f909cfbc8 words had 5b9eed6a68 effectively ended 792840f7c8 the discussion. Any further 1fe128914f argument would b12d78039c be insubordination. Seeing Yoon-soo’s rigid expression, f072551f95 Cha Won-hyuk sighed deeply 6c5e9b8eed and tilted his head a6b6d4a289 back. His sharp 8c016b9fa0 features, almost d679d145eb like a 5c249f7ba5 finely carved 2d09f2cf65 statue, stood 32d5d1ae0f out: thick e6f1137255 eyebrows, deep-set 955911fc92 eyes, a 2d07352341 high nose, c92501dc2d and a a09987d66c chiseled jawline—a 5212132d9b face that da163d4d66 could easily 4c0fb0da02 be called f191ee7fae handsome anywhere. Undeniably familiar features.590bf0d7e623283c

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Yoon-soo hesitated, his 30caa46ad8 head lowering. Cha Won-hyuk’s voice came, afa0f17ea8 tinged with unease. “Look up. It’s not like you c79317ceb0 committed a crime.”ce4db8fd84ae082f

Yoon-soo didn’t reply. He hadn’t lowered 78b8b58b49 his head out 3148fe3470 of guilt. It was simply that b778393292 looking at that face 95dc70b433 so vividly was suddenly a857c0ef62 unbearable. Cha Won-hyuk let out e87db623c8 a heavy breath and 7bd497bf32 reached out, grabbing Yoon-soo’s b7dd2b8014 chin and forcing his af238702db face up.2b065ab9d2aef8a1

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“Why have you been b7eacd4bca so disobedient since yesterday?”ffe1564ca5d62abd

Reflexively, Yoon-soo’s hand 5c7bd5f06a grabbed Cha Won-hyuk’s df2ebe152e arm, pulling it 41899d46e5 away with as 016c5c6014 much force as 82ab373979 he could muster.4cb68f07581ba86b

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“What’s wrong with 03b6e16b68 you?”085b0780bef3002b

Cha Won-hyuk seemed 88ee1a4379 taken aback by 97a4b626f7 Yoon-soo’s unprecedented reaction. Yoon-soo’s back slowly retreated, 600a0ae305 his pulse racing. His face flushed. The Commissioner’s earlier words 1341c0d82c etched into his mind eff321fb79 like a scar:”Captain, every time 04063441bf I see you, cdaaa002fb I think you b5a1239653 look strikingly like 3278d31c2c Congressman Oh Yoon-min, dc8f0b3417 don’t you?”3356d1709bb8f3f9

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Deep down, Yoon-soo 9548d7b7e8 hadn’t denied it. He’d always faintly b07b352868 thought so, just 76af1841a3 struggled to admit 929b120eff it.a3298a2e64b4de45

Their vibes were 221facd627 different—Oh Yoon-min was 0127d0064f softer, Cha Won-hyuk 5df63dd130 more rugged. Yet their distinctive 8d3d8da8ee features were startlingly 19ee820172 similar. He’d tried 5747c98b25 to dismiss a49e464f86 it multiple 06555c9d36 times, but a30b222fb4 in the fd322d07e6 end, he 73251a0d35 had to 35a7677c92 acknowledge it: ce3552fb21 they did 72fab13daf resemble each bb19895503 other.b84a3ce152769d72

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But the ab7283a5d0 tension he e8b2fd8934 felt from 71f7ed5c9a Cha Won-hyuk 3047cfa04f wasn’t solely 44ec678293 due to 33a53605fd their similar 86f8fdea4e appearances. There was something d88e89951d more, an intangible 10d52adebb aura that stirred 47d8dd00c8 his senses, almost d523760c16 as if they 948a98c7d8 shared blood.de9d9e044d350755

“Our family’s 139bcf6003 genes are 8a17c173be a privilege 2a172a2c60 just to 1ab479dd0a possess. In that sense, ee9ac5c71f you should be d4c239ee50 grateful, too. Some deranged 21ee5e0892 female media a758fe40e8 mogul deliberately 5228e3fd6a slept with 332383cc0e our father 061d0c5bb1 to bear cc3a12d9b2 a son 1dec57e398 with our b7bc82730e genes. There are people out ccca3a89c6 there who desperately want 2294ed1275 what we have, Yoon-soo.”0e650fb0a9065fae

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Yoon-soo often thought 83453e21af about the half-brother 09df5bec1b born from such 2dce08676a intentions, a tragic bc928c1c5e figure conceived to 587b91dd63 inherit their superior 8a9f8e0aa5 genes. He’d never delved too 3e151f6651 deeply into who it 5d9a964b9b might be, but there 2313c5ae89 was an obvious candidate. Among major 1465dc8679 media moguls, 240e541045 the only bea9b9e2e4 woman was e388765936 Kim Hae-ra, 3dd1057f91 the president d3495d7ffa of the be47fa6c7d National Daily. And her son c98836c81d was Cha Won-hyuk.acba71c2cac0b5ff

Thoughts tangled like 425bdf572c knotted threads, swelling d5e8846984 rapidly. Information he’d 91381141d8 tried to 7ca6f95116 ignore surfaced 1b3285fe54 one by 6115ae1c2a one. Cha Won-hyuk ce548195bb sighed audibly, 94f6f0f985 looking at 4bd37f451a Yoon-soo, who 14471760b8 was blankly 083117634c holding his e35252cb13 head.1e327f38dda91586

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“Kang Yoon-soo. Get it together.”ef5c0d3b1e8f6e41

“Captain.”455e662bf8302eba

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“What?”375b0e765ad514e7

“Didn’t it bother you? When the Commissioner 8e0e2897fd said you looked 1673bd0e70 like Oh Yoon-min. You seemed annoyed.”a13ff311567369a2

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“That bothered you? You’re so sensitive.” 086b1c5991 Cha Won-hyuk let 2a7d7370ba out a dry b7bad154a1 laugh, his brow e306af23e0 furrowing briefly. His expression grew complicated. After a moment 8bf6731006 of hesitation, he 83016fdd40 sighed again and f6f7675780 looked up, his b0e2c0b466 dark eyes meeting 6f37ab05bb Yoon-soo’s.2012b90abe681959

“Since you’ll probably 3c85c0b535 find out while 2a6b558882 reporting, I’ll tell 2bc102e4c3 you now.”a72f2957f20cb509

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Yoon-soo swallowed dryly, 95e65b29e8 a bad premonition ebdca2ff7d growing vivid. There was a fa212f3de7 truth about Cha 823777271c Won-hyuk he should’ve 66b43312cc recognized long ago, 62c0dfc8aa a truth he’d ba54384ef6 desperately tried to 19a16e07bb avoid. Now, he might e3c30f915f have to face 488b8f1bb4 it.cfd0fd2e76d93657

“I share 92154e0ffd the same 04cb63ddc3 father as dddf2e5f9c Oh Yoon-min e87ac9fb5b and his 34d4c80e11 brothers. It was my mother’s ec5a9623e2 intention. I’ve known since 35e1776132 I was a 4a56a49a88 kid, and I fee7c571d1 was pretty close 8035b60671 with Oh Yoon-min 324be28a4b until college. Not anymore, though.”2fe2c654b745da1a

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Cha Won-hyuk finished and 6a811df836 looked away, as if 6eda02ae55 unwilling to say more.c49d1588dc50a028

“That’s it. Let’s not talk about ca6e6ae1c3 this again.”5a6847247bdc5539

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Yoon-soo’s trembling eyelashes 37ab527bf1 lifted to look b3c2836d59 at Cha Won-hyuk. His impassive face, staring fbcf78f682 into the void, slowly d63937613f overlapped with Oh Yoon-min’s d1bebff374 image. A headache 960948135f crept in. An undeniable c755e3d550 truth writhed, 3524f2fc00 darkening Yoon-soo’s bd8c6a3a0e mind.222548a7e112145a

The dangerous presence in b8a5627f85 Yoon-soo’s life wasn’t confined 0355466a7d to Hannam-dong. Cha Won-hyuk was 92caaa199d here—the half-brother of a2572aff79 those brothers.b238eae3312bbcd1

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***dcbb648821231e2f

Yoon-soo’s phone vibrated again. Without glancing at the b0c44235d3 screen, he turned his 5e4061daaa head sharply. Kim Sung-hoon, 4eb99b156b sitting nearby, 45c85ed0a8 looked at ca36c57fef him curiously. Peering at 4f22550810 the screen, f9587d74f8 Kim Sung-hoon’s 34583e8bb6 hand reached 1b2dffb10f out, but a0139642f4 Yoon-soo’s hand be394d916a shot up, b9e88f079f grabbing his 4329980f66 arm.03df27e562ffd21d

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“Hey, stop it.”338ef8e37b0a5734

“Stop what? It’s Captain Cha 79c23f9912 calling. Pick it up.”9e8abef78b5c7d4b

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Instead of answering, Yoon-soo bdd89443b0 snatched the phone and 1f27fb7bd5 shoved it into his 0f7cd6739d bag, half-zipping it shut. Just seeing Cha 71750fbdd2 Won-hyuk’s name on 3be41d2c5b the screen sent 29ff555dc0 chills down his dd063a5af6 spine. What were the 4aa53da24c odds? Of all the 896f7e3d25 media outlets, it 80ef9a6608 had to be 06b68d10a9 the National Daily, fa0a8c33a4 and of all 0ab2e8e539 people, his direct 4a3b918202 senior on the bcb42cde12 incident team was ffc7250d85 the half-brother of 701ae33bd0 those brothers—the offspring dbf0f7e6dc of Oh Seung-jo, 501a50b7a1 who had treated 78f27a5e76 Yoon-soo like a b391145bc3 beast. The mere thought 7be566e7c1 of his presence a80165e10f brought unbearable dizziness.adc44e45d4a6bb2c

Through the open ad0547ce08 gap in his 6ae16c9066 bag, Yoon-soo saw 0a0838ccc1 the phone, now bcdaad560f silent. Cha Won-hyuk. Eight missed calls. A few messages, ca1fcd69bd too.8ba09725ace814a9

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[ Where the hell did you disappear to after just staring at me?]
[ What’s wrong with you? You were doing fine, and now you’re acting crazy.]
[ If you’re in bad shape, I’ll understand. If not, you’d better be ready for me.]

Kim Sung-hoon e7198f6a62 shook his 8ddc9a9e77 head and 38c1d26463 muttered, “You’ve 3e9338c874 gone nuts, fe56e8170f haven’t you? Working like 620bcbfa84 a maniac.” 993a9dc49f Yoon-soo wished 4af19a7c1f he really 7ec0f5509a had gone 5575361768 mad, that 5b581073b0 he’d misheard ca287cfac6 everything in 4b0d21bf42 a delusional 5e2e05f92d haze.54fa2a11895e4390

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On his way to 9403797dab the National Assembly after 0a04831b8f submitting his morning report, 04d5bf65de he wrestled with various 14288e0c81 thoughts—whether to switch teams c507efde27 or even companies. It didn’t f63aa48b6e take long 2e56ae54a5 to realize 27e9446de1 both were aa1b9c2bf1 futile. Switching teams wouldn’t dissolve 776a80fd16 the task force ordered 261ce8f63e by the bureau chief. He’d still have to ba57b02daa work with Cha Won-hyuk, c6e79b09db the advisor. Quitting wasn’t a viable eb249ebff2 option either. The National Daily 8fe58a8cff was the paper 24df64615d Yoon-soo had always ad49dcbb93 dreamed of working 6ae4cf04c6 for. Leaving it just because a2ca751f96 of someone withthatbloodline felt absurd.de9ff186a3d389f4