<107>
"Will it be okay?"
Even after arriving at the airport, Wang Han kept voicing his worries. He was concerned about Ja-kyung staying alone while he and Wang Lun left Korea. He feared that any remaining remnants of Chairman Kang's faction might barge in and threaten her life.
"Representative Kang is with her."
Wang Lun chimed in, but Wang Han still couldn't rest easy and repeatedly urged her to contact them immediately if anything happened. Wang Lun planned to heal from his heartbreak, while Wang Han intended to wrap up his affairs and return.
"Make sure to contact us when you go to the island."
Ja-kyung gave a bitter smile. The two kept bickering about going to the island. Ja-kyung wanted to go hunting, catch fish, and enjoy life in the wild, but the island Kang Il-hyeon had picked out was truly... a honeymoon destination. Seeing the red flower petals spread across the bed, Ja-kyung had almost thrown the tablet.
"Have a safe trip."
The two brothers hugged in farewell and entered the gate. Left alone, Ja-kyung watched until they completely disappeared, then turned away. Going to the parking lot to find the car, she set the navigation to the neighborhood where she had lived as a child.
Kang Il-hyeon♡Lee Ja-kyung
She bought a bottle of water at the small corner store at the neighborhood entrance. On the wooden porch, a bent-backed old man sat preparing wild greens again today. Her steps up the slope felt somewhat heavy. She hadn't noticed when climbing with Kang Il-hyeon, but walking here alone brought back many childhood memories.
About halfway up, a green iron gate with peeling paint opened, and five rough-looking young men poured out all at once. Even at a glance, they looked in bad shape. They spat on the ground and looked at Ja-kyung with sidelong glances. Ignoring their gaze and continuing upward, she could hear them whispering behind her.
The midsummer sun stung the crown of her head. By the time she had finished half the water she was drinking, she arrived at the top of the neighborhood where she used to live. The flower garden was still well-tended, and the house had been repaired, making it seem like a different place. Sitting on the wooden floor to cool her sweat and downing the remaining water, a message arrived.
It was Kang Il-hyeon. After replying to his question about where she was, she walked toward the stone wall. Climbing up and sitting on the wall, the whole of Seoul came into view at a glance. The scenery was quite impressive. It seemed like the night view would be pretty once darkness fell.
These were things she couldn't enjoy as a child. Lost in old memories for a moment, a call came in. Her brow furrowed at the text "My Honey" displayed on the screen. No matter how she saved it under his name, he somehow changed it like a ghost.
[Why did you go there?]
A tender voice.
"Just. Came to visit."
[What are you doing now?]
"Looking at the city. The weather is really nice today."
Laughter lingered at the end of her words. Silence from the other end of the phone. She checked if the call had dropped, but it hadn't.
"Are you listening?"
[Yes. I was just savoring your voice for a moment.]
"You're such a pervert."
A laughing sound came through. And also a voice giving instructions.
[I think I'll be off work soon. Should I come there?]
Ja-kyung agreed without any hesitation. After ending the call, she admired the sun setting beyond the mountain, then climbed down from the wall. Opening the door, she couldn't find any traces of the past. Every step made the warped wooden floor creak. Then fatigue overwhelmed her, and she stretched out and lay down.
Turning her head, she saw flowers blooming profusely below the stone wall. A gentle breeze occasionally blew over her shaded head.
Kang Il-hyeon♡Lee Ja-kyung
Sitting in the back seat of the car, Il-hyeon had his left arm in a cast and opened the window after looking at the chicken and beer placed on the seat beside him. Hearing that Lee Ja-kyung had gone to her old home, he had bought chicken thinking they could drink beer while watching the night view, but the smell was stronger than expected.
It was torment for someone who didn't particularly like fried food. Regretting not putting it in the trunk instead, he took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. As the neighborhood drew closer, a smile spread across his lips. The car stopped, and Tae-soo got out, retrieved the chicken and beer, and handed them over. Then he held out a pistol.
When Il-hyeon looked at it quietly, he added:
"The neighborhood is quite rough, so I prepared it just in case."
Il-hyeon tucked it into his coat and smiled.
"I'll come back to pick you up later."
"No need. I'll return with Lee Ja-kyung."
"Yes."
After Tae-soo left, Il-hyeon began walking up the alleyway. The hill was steep, lights were dimly on here and there, and unlike the daytime, it was rather noisy at night. Sounds of arguing could be heard here and there, and sounds of things being smashed as well.
Humming a tune as he climbed, black shadows mingled together ahead, moving upward. Five men, and since they were smoking cigarettes in front, all the smoke blew back toward where Il-hyeon was. They kept spitting phlegm on the ground and snickering. Whether drunk on alcohol or drugs, one of them couldn't keep his balance and swayed.
"Walk straight, you crippled bastard."
"Hey! But is it true he has lots of money?"
"Can't you tell by looking? Someone coming to this neighborhood in an expensive car, wearing expensive clothes, what else would it be? Obvious."
"Hope there's a shit-ton of cash in the wallet."
"Should we go to the club today and swipe that bastard's card?"
They giggled among themselves, acting like they were dying of joy. Il-hyeon's steps gradually slowed. He roughly guessed where they were headed. It seemed Lee Ja-kyung had become a target of the neighborhood thugs. Following behind with an interested expression, one of them looked back.
Apparently he told his friend next to him too, because he also kept glancing back. But they didn't stop walking. Whispering sounds could be heard.
"Fuck. Why does he keep following us?"
"Isn't he with the bastard up there?"
"Did you see his face?"
"No. It's dark so I can't see."
"He's really fucking tall."
"Don't worry about it. He's a cripple with a messed up arm."
Il-hyeon looked at his cast arm and chuckled. Arriving at the very top house where Lee Ja-kyung was staying, they peeked inside over the stone wall. Il-hyeon passed them, opened the gate, and went inside. Behind him, flustered voices could be heard. What the hell. So they really are together?
Lee Ja-kyung, who had been lying on the wooden porch, sat up abruptly at the sound of the door opening, then her eyes went wide.
"Huh?"
Il-hyeon held up the beer and chicken in his hand.
"A gift."
Ja-kyung's gaze reached the men standing at the door. She thought they might be employees Kang Il-hyeon brought, but their attire was completely different. They swarmed in, and looking closely, they were the same guys she'd seen in the alley during the day. Il-hyeon was setting down the chicken and beer on the porch and loosening his tie. His eyes were filled with amusement.
Understanding the situation, Ja-kyung demanded an explanation.
"Why did you bring them here?"
The answer was ridiculous.
"Weren't they your friends?"
"How do you figure that?"
"They're thugs."
He really says the darndest things. Ja-kyung frowned, but the men standing at the door with absurd expressions drew their knives. Close the door. Fuck, block him. Such voices could be heard. Ja-kyung stood up and took out her wallet from her pants pocket. After taking out cash, she approached them and handed it over.
"Satisfied? Take it and never come here again."
Perhaps mistaking her willingly giving money for fear, the men who had been flustered changed to triumphant expressions. One of them flicked open a folding knife and pressed it under Ja-kyung's throat.
"If you don't want to die, hand over your wallet."
Ja-kyung looked at the knife under her throat with an annoyed expression and sighed. At most, they were in their early twenties. She couldn't understand why they would waste their precious lives like this. Looking at Kang Il-hyeon, he was sitting back against the porch with a cigarette in his mouth, watching with an entertained expression.
"Honey. Need help?"
When Ja-kyung glared at him, he pulled something from his coat. She thought it was a wallet, but it was a pistol. Her eyes went wide. He usually didn't carry a gun. The men who saw the pistol also froze at the same time. What the hell. Is that a real gun? Fuck! It's not a toy?
Il-hyeon pointed the gun barrel at the men.
"Whose head should I blow through first?"
Ja-kyung signaled with her eyes to put it away, but he paid no attention. Kang Il-hyeon's expression grew increasingly mischievous. He stood up, gun in hand, looking at each man one by one with a contemplative expression about whose head to shoot first.
Ja-kyung scolded him with an annoyed face.
"Don't. They're still kids."
Il-hyeon smiled sweetly.
"If they're over twenty, it's fine if they die."
Before she could even protest his nonsense, Il-hyeon aimed the gun and pulled the trigger. With a bang, the bullet hit the iron gate. Ja-kyung turned around in surprise. Why is he shooting for real? He had a regretful expression.
"Oh my. I missed."
As he tried to shoot again, the men blocking the front screamed and rushed out the gate one after another. Looking out, they were running down the hill path as if their tails were on fire. Ja-kyung frowned, picked up the money the men had dropped, and stood up.
Psht, Il-hyeon had already returned to the porch, tossed the gun aside, poured beer and handed it over. As soon as Ja-kyung took it and sat beside him, he leaned his head against her.
"Aah, I suddenly got tired because of these bad guys."
You're the worst one of all. But somewhere, an oily aroma wafted. Turning to look, Ja-kyung discovered the chicken and quickly slipped away.
"Oh, it's chicken!"
Kang Il-hyeon's body tilted sideways as if about to fall, and his expression turned fierce.
"More happy to see chicken than me? Should I be born as a chicken next time?"
"Don't pick a fight. I'm hungry, I said."
Ja-kyung opened the lid, closed her eyes, smelled it, and beamed. Having eaten nothing since lunch with her brothers during the day, she was feeling empty inside. At her expression liking it even more than expected, Il-hyeon's fierce gaze softened.
Ja-kyung picked up a chicken leg first and held it out to Il-hyeon.
"Eat."
A breeze cooling the midsummer night's heat blew from somewhere. He took the leg she offered him. The oily smell he hadn't wanted to smell until just moments ago now felt different. After taking a bite, Il-hyeon chuckled.
"It's good, isn't it?"
He nodded. With the person he liked by his side, it was a night where nothing felt bad.