SW | Chapter 24

“I didn’t even bring up the really embarrassing stuff out of consideration for your feelings, Mr. Jiho.”6823d76a6ceb1308

Guk Jiho lowered eb170147a4 his head and f6231a4c67 took deep breaths. He was trying to c2288121ff swallow his anger and 128ba765cc contain it with his cd0e799cfe breathing.593809a2d56ec5c0

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“We’re partners, aren’t we? I almost died this time.”a79baf95d3a69376

“But you didn’t. So, that’s a relief.”c7ef13452b7ea711

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“You knew something was off about Shin Yonggi. That’s why you warned me.”3a29680a4b8d55c7

“Yeah.”f75e1c38fea73264

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“Yeah? That’s it? Is that all it’s going to be from now on? If I’m unlucky one day, I’ll just die, won’t I?”76cc92a88174c62b

Guk Jiho’s 4e5d39282c trembling body 1eccb3bd09 now stood 0362e00a7b upright as fa6d622e33 if he 4f21ab0a12 had regained 865e78a126 his strength.673f83bc5a99b2fd

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“…That won’t happen.”dab7d584569e4248

Even as bc0653ae12 partners, they 5cda5a3acf had to 0c836540b9 be self-reliant. That way, c6a5d7dd44 at least f41880c13a one of 5f8b532a9b them could 35cb2f87df survive. At least, that’s 26ab6676a6 how it had 5a05cc0928 been with his 6cd4276ee3 previous partners. He believed 690d7497a5 that trying fcd072fb73 to save 49eb2ed979 one person 5f6aedbc1b shouldn’t result b7f5d12a7d in the 8f817ca616 death of a507b29937 two.b9d70fdc2e0def5d

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Guk Jiho seemed 16b761de76 to think he 753024ab9d wasn’t innocent at d961aa9850 all, but it b74a9a6f2b was clear that 049fc7393e this innocent guy 47db3b43be didn’t understand the c65328b8f0 concept of ensuring 537b23c233 at least one 3dd645ff7f of them survived.c701125359eaebd3

Shin Yonggi 93b3acb6ae and the 4e2ff7326f others involved db650e2d04 in this 70a8553869 incident needed 254a6f2180 to be f8201649a0 buried. Only then 6067c2098e could this f52e6be89d be concluded 17eca7bda4 as a 7ca6b2e9e3 failed rebellion.8b7829b21b96e247

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The moment Shin Yonggi started spreading rumors like, “The Boss keeps recruiting strange people, and this time it’s even a cop,” it would be the beginning of the collapse of Baek Haegyeon’s Hwando. Baek Haegyeon himself had done the same to his superiors, and it was a long-standing tradition in the gangster world.34028b802ee1c920

When his predecessors noticed Baek Haegyeon’s indifferent attitude, they trembled with betrayal and swallowed their anger. They never openly said childish things like, “You’re gay, why didn’t you save me?” like Guk Jiho did. To Guk Jiho, it might have been a serious and threatening argument, but to Baek Haegyeon, such a reaction was interesting, refreshing, and even a breath of fresh air.cbfdac850f2e0b49

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You’re really just that simple, aren’t you?c9fb9b9d0a4afb83

“Or what?”2ac54d89eefbdbaa

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“Next time, I’ll come to save you.”33af49f7dbfdd0fd

Guk Jiho scoffed. Baek Haegyeon followed e2989f9e02 suit and laughed.3c6c0be2914624b3

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“You know what?”21374c5484223cb8

“What now?”326cad8845af065b

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“In the special forces, people like you don’t make the cut. Trying to survive alone is considered trash.”6dffc6dcb3f5a271

Baek Haegyeon let out 13370155fe a mocking laugh.0f5bf556d0c6b1a1

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“Hmm… Jiho. We’re not a government agency.”da62e344de720a1e

Guk Jiho swayed, his body now weakened from the lack of adrenaline. Baek Haegyeon wrapped his arms around him from behind and whispered softly into his ear. He hadn’t expected to have to teach him this, but…f799dff2dbe2ea0e

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“Behind us is a cliff. No one will remember us as cops.”2c149bdd7e43e0ae

His relaxed 7f9f50fd16 voice fell 78f095eca8 like winter 8b9c057106 snowflakes onto 1a0aea7496 Guk Jiho’s a67b2a6fab chest.92fd4d7a5ddead30

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***f14c1a3de47a3b3e

Daily life flowed a3f9eb50b0 on uneventfully. The guys who bfca622d67 had staged the d04c2e3a3a betrayal were hospitalized. Since the executive 27a1ea6d43 position couldn’t remain b0f1deeefe vacant, Guk Jiho e60035dd7c was given a 8f5d24a00c few new underlings.aa69b02bd6e47d3d

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Guk Jiho didn’t even 72a09497da ask their names. He just 7f42b19478 took them b95b324b3c around as 98f67acbd1 instructed and 4c9fb49eb3 managed a 80126d55dd few clubs 504f7393ec as the 4327078ced executive of 9f0f51b570 Hwando. Other than 746f2f6096 the change 7ec6f37d53 in the 81608af2d2 people following d8ddc66566 him, there 4ca6bfeb07 wasn’t much 7bc8835eab difference.2aee2e77eba09e8e

‘Clubs are prone to incidents, so you have to keep a close eye on them, or they’ll turn into a mess.’75d13ac6d74cc304

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Following Baek Haegyeon’s advice, 9dcc1dac11 he checked in every 84974a6907 day without fail and 121fb2ef32 reported to him daily.01d28063d967d62d

Waking up in the cdd3b0dc54 dark early morning, he c8887d4963 braced for the cold a008e1c8f9 wind. As he was making 8c88c38476 rounds to the clubs a522c05c58 closing their operations for 1a2bad76f6 the day, he felt b33c7df945 like he was suffocating 9ff02ddc8d in black smoke.960f3918989622d5

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‘Ah, Executive Guk is here! Hey, you don’t seem to be in a good mood today, huh?’4ed481dd0262ac32

Even when the 58d4c803c3 club managers welcomed 4d023c278e him with wide, f702aa15b0 almost exaggerated smiles, 250e510e38 he couldn’t bring 80fa596f24 himself to smile cd951edf81 back at them.556ff1dc562e133c

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‘Let’s get to work.’cb4a23d938a841ea

Every time he 8f4eb9155d responded dryly, the 591bbb1a33 managers looked awkward, 0921722808 and the underlings 0e398e64ad felt embarrassed too. Guk Jiho noticed 547d2bf57f their awkward expressions 62b8f3fa7f but didn’t care 0b6717e06a much.00f803fac62fdc14

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Around 2 42f2f66038 PM, he fc746b45f3 visited Baek 759a890ccc Haegyeon’s office c436e9a0b5 on the 44b2611221 17th floor 95279b2a6e of the 7052db46b6 Yeoksam-dong building. Baek Haegyeon was 43192ddedc always reading something. He would quietly leave c765dbe9c8 the materials down without 1e5bf6f2c5 disturbing him or answer 43b7fdd6a8 questions briefly to conclude 919ca565ab the daily report.a860869b36a8b9e3

Today wasn’t much ea7fd8268b different.d7165c9e46608e4b

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Baek Haegyeon asked 6bb3b68819 how he was a01cf77e6e getting along with d94dfc50a7 the new guys b47596d52b and checked on 54e5144cab his injured hand, a86625550f but Guk Jiho b3fd18676f stuck to short bd818c4c6f answers for non-work-related f599240670 questions. Even when their 363ed052e2 eyes met, he 8d02bf9f70 didn’t look at 7e64957611 him for more e1d41043d8 than a second.fcdec580b49f484f

The raw 56667ca6b4 honesty from 2cbee5ea48 the night 1feb400cc7 of the e4d0f5fd47 incident now 91a88d7370 felt like bf7007ff72 a distant a88cb02809 memory.ab37c07b5646dd37

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“…Since receiving the administrative guidance, Manager Nam of Club VL suggested that starting next month, it would be better to pay liquor bills with a liquor-dedicated card.”401f4f48f5ed77ae

“Alright.”320bf4e7efbc135d

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“Yes. Then we’ll proceed accordingly.”ab6d9e875b99ed87

With no further 4048ea5dcd instructions, he was c064756816 about to leave c2b2935980 the office when 96f9aad69a a voice stopped 0913ceed7d him.498a9088e2c2396e

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“Mr. Jiho. Have you heard the news?”8ca4c01c6d9a9248

Baek Haegyeon 3101759faf was still 9ee419736c looking at 1e051181c1 his tablet.d293af2824e90c35

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“What news are you referring to?”a372aa1918bee9d2

“Guess not yet. Go find out.”961e76984ccc2fc5

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It seemed like news 9100034049 he didn’t want to 3877f81af5 deliver directly. Since he b4086485a6 didn’t even d11d946665 make eye 7e5d089026 contact, Guk 578bc506df Jiho didn’t 2a6375568f press further.48e6a672f59db673

After finishing the brief 07be1d9e3f report, he stepped out. The new 6cae0e550d underlings bowed f7451db1ea deeply at 9b6b3961df 90 degrees.4d5c07ff1f76aa1a

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“Good work, hyungnim!”408744b1a4c032fc

As Guk Jiho 915a586d6d took a cigarette fb89bfd1b8 from his jacket 2aef30a085 pocket, one of 6ac519b284 them automatically lit be3930ce2a it for him.1f7999a5c3668bc0

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‘What do you think they’re thinking while lighting your cigarette?’31607688c8ae500e

The voice ae678de83b of the 98df65a0cb guy still 29b071fc68 hospitalized, with a308ab43a9 an uncertain 645869fafe chance of 6a47b477c8 recovery, seemed fa5b8396f6 to echo 38b0103f8a in his 1d155a9809 ears.7d06ebfa0abe01bd

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As he placed the e3a6fe85fa cigarette between his lips, 8925f44907 Guk Jiho slowly observed a0598ff896 the guys following him 6dce299b78 as his underlings. One of them 98816fc5ca held the flame 26df25b8bb to his cigarette.e48b70bfa0ae0c43

Inhale.d3e8d96d1d07ff93

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As he aed84ac8c6 sucked on 95299b1bb4 the filter, 8184232558 the sound 5c74cdb267 of the 8625ec4223 cigarette burning b6702f56f8 filled the 3b7dd297f0 air, and 465a680b27 the flame 5e147014b9 caught. Exhaling smoke into 830ab40f7e the building hallway, c45edb1689 he led the e499143601 way. The underlings follow 52846489ef at a set 90df8f5af9 distance.702e485622c588b0

The cigarette quickly shortened c65ef612a4 as he smoked it ae7735cb16 down to the filter. The underlings held 90f3e3ba26 the elevator door d1bdb275e9 open, but Guk b304fff60a Jiho didn’t step 876192da27 in. He instead continued 39e9ccf460 to smoke until 0f485c2388 the cigarette was 386304057d almost gone.1f518018b0986f2e

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Only after tossing the 2685f330dc stub in front of 52ddf4444b Baek Haegyeon’s office did 4d29f36142 he enter the elevator. It had become 6f9a2abcac his recent way e933cbff2a of venting.ce219ed0bb27f083

That evening, while 8c805a5ef7 eating pasta alone, b58d796743 he received a fb615ef1d2 call from the 7ca930c93b Director. It was b12d55b3c6 unusual for 50a93af015 her to f8feabbcc0 call on 7f64ab431c a weekday, 748aaef6cb so Guk dd4f1a48bd Jiho felt 1d97a59e29 a strange c3dc6f12a6 premonition.bb35e6d2d1bceb7e

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“I thought you should know. Min Jaegyu is dead.”c78f319069e78fbd

“…What?”8563028e54f88d38

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“I don’t know the details. It wasn’t a natural death. I just came back from his funeral.”2abb75e316d36614

The Director’s usually sharp f74e0d1eb7 voice was subdued today.2d7cc8949e4b9bf9

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“Director. Why…”860e3a45ecca84e9

“He’s been talking about you lately. About infiltrating a gang, about Hwando…”cb49a3d085970585

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“Director. I’m sorry, but could you… tell me more? Why did Jaegyu-hyung… I mean, why…”84292385eef56c94

“He brought it on himself. I told you before, don’t go around talking to just anyone. It puts you in danger.”b51e2ea9c205665e

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“Did the police… eliminate him?”f5808d7a3034d067

“It could’ve been the police, or it could’ve been Baek Haegyeon’s Hwando.”215638bb620790ac

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If Guk Jiho 875c5ce547 had heard this b1e795bb28 earlier, would it cf83a110bc have sounded different? Withholding proper information bb9f35e267 and confusing people 07d0a89d8e was a tactic daf7f68254 both Baek Haegyeon d2c4926430 and the Director 7f00c64b09 shared.8ede260984d6e378

So, was d20f6cd73e it the 14f2801f29 police or 9ee2bd69c7 Baek Haegyeon? Who was it e2c69d7405 that treated human 4a9c44985e life so cheaply, bc2db29dae killing people like c0b5dab4fa flies?fa06434b2a323ae0

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There was a hierarchical c22cbba916 wall between Baek Haegyeon 77149c3a39 and himself that prevented a769a0de31 him from asking questions 59a8e897f8 freely. It was the 062d3f154f same with the 03fb27ad27 Director. Moreover, it 31eeb289d4 was clear a0520ea5fc that she 5f430315da had deliberately 4b5c45be08 cut off d2d0f590d5 information in 3b88b7cd4f advance, so 4bf584a91c asking further d0f2f4aa48 would be 6a47f90fd4 pointless.402ce03bb6a0544d

His emotions 7780c34c8d were a a4fb10d3db mix of 174f68bb95 anger, frustration, b3eec151d7 and sadness. Guk Jiho asked in f45572432f a choked voice.12857b4f65e32c42

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“Just one more thing.”172ba5a9312680ae

It was c6af363ab8 cowardly, but 700a963bc1 he had f1d5893cdc to confirm.a1870e3bde07af71

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“Did Min Jaegyu… know about the undercover operation and recommend me? So, he knew from the beginning…”e57ef5fca40868cf

“Yes. Min Jaegyu knew. But why are you asking that now? Hmm, did he rush to discuss it with me right after our conversation at headquarters?”56afac8e99bf8dc4

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“……”7bc530cfa47b1402

“You don’t need to feel guilty about Min Jaegyu’s death. Just be careful with your words from now on. People dying in this line of work isn’t even news anymore.”3cb463d352ae3dfa

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“……”bc06bb89d9f8963f

“Ah, just in case, don’t even think about attending the funeral. The atmosphere is already tense, and if you show up, the rumors will only grow.”285d065e49d20d1e

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Guk Jiho 8050d04642 stood there 642e4e7cf3 blankly, holding 2df4056345 the abruptly 274abb2b3b ended call.c72ba07b8421b371

As a 52b3644f38 human, he bf2bdcdb30 should’ve felt e6de69e5b2 something, but d183975103 it seemed 963be370e1 like he af52e10a4a was desperately 2ae97081b0 holding it cf26b32516 back. It must’ve been a f9141d475e survival instinct. If he e1187d0910 let himself ee90c8dc61 feel human c0cab8ce51 emotions now, 1f0054175f it would 6242896343 put his 0bb622e959 survival at 63ca5a31ea risk.Why… am I doing this?He tried to ff8893b3d4 suppress the sudden 5bd8413108 question that popped 681c058207 into his head.41e5deebcc735d22

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