<111> Side Story. 3
Thwack, Il-hyeon's gaze turned to the newspaper placed on the table. There, last night's incident was printed in headline size. A Japanese organization executive jumping from a hotel in downtown Hong Kong was a major incident. Of course, he hadn't jumped of his own accord.
Jang Myeong, Jang Yi-an's grandfather, lit the pipe-shaped tobacco he had been clenching and gestured to his secretary with a displeased expression. The secretary held out a tablet. What was captured on it was Furukawa Daichi. Though his face was covered with a hat and mask, he had been alive and well just three days ago.
Il-hyeon took it and flipped through the photos one by one. After entering Hong Kong, he had made contact with no one. Then a single black car appeared. The people in the car had their faces cleverly obscured so they couldn't be identified.
"He's a pro. It took less than five minutes to kidnap him."
He flipped to the next photo. And then the next one again. Il-hyeon's hand stopped in midair. Though the person wore a T-shirt with the hood pulled down deep and sunglasses showing only the bridge of the nose, this time he recognized them instantly. He looked at the photos with an expressionless face as a staff member came and poured freshly brewed tea.
After expressing his thanks, Il-hyeon handed the tablet back to the secretary.
"I will cover the losses."
Jang Myeong straightened up from where he had been leaning against the sofa with a surprised expression.
"Why would you?"
"Let's call it the penalty for failing to control the cat."
Il-hyeon smiled bitterly. Now he understood why Jang Myeong had asked to meet him in person. The cat that left the house had caused an accident. The image of him waving his hand while hiding everything seamlessly during their phone call just a few hours ago was still vivid.
Jang Myeong was the one who had hired Lee Ja-kyung along with Il-hyeon's father who died the year before last. There was no way he hadn't recognized him. He was an old man with a fiery temper, but the fact that he had asked to meet first meant he intended to let it slide.
"That's unexpected."
Il-hyeon's gaze, which had been fixed on the teacup, moved to Jang Myeong. Perhaps because he had offered to take responsibility, or for some other reason, Jang Myeong's face had softened slightly.
"I've always seen President Kang as an extremely rational person."
In the past, that would have been unthinkable. No matter how much they were Kang Il-hyeon's people, when they made mistakes, what returned was brutal retribution.
"I've gotten older and my heart has grown more generous."
At the nonsensical words, Jang Myeong snorted.
"If only you had shown that generosity to your father as well."
Il-hyeon fell silent. Jang Myeong had never asked how Chairman Kang had died. But he probably had a rough idea. In this world, family members shooting at each other wasn't anything surprising.
Just then, the mobile phone in his pocket vibrated. It was Wang Han's number. Excuse me. He rose from his seat and walked toward the hallway behind the living room. As he put the receiver to his ear, Lee Ja-kyung's voice came through.
[Where are you?]
"Hong Kong."
[When will you come?]
Il-hyeon's gaze went to his wristwatch. At the words that it would be later than expected, a strangely relieved tone could be sensed. How cunning.
"Miss me?"
[Yes….]
The voice answering reluctantly lacked energy. That's what happens when you cause such a huge accident.
"Wait. I'll be there soon."
***
After ending the call, Ja-kyung let out a sigh, and Wang Run dragged him along without rhyme or reason. After pushing away Run who was clinging like a leech and trying to leave, he persistently tried to drag Ja-kyung into a shop. The shop was in a corner of Macau, a place that did tattoos and waxing and such.
As he was pulled inside, a man with tattoos even on his face greeted them. When Ja-kyung pushed through the door he had entered through, Wang Run immediately followed and grabbed his arm, hanging on.
"Just once. Just this once."
"Are you crazy? If you want to wax that badly, do it yourself, hyung!"
"All three of us can't die. You have to be the sacrifice. Who knows? You might discover a new taste."
"No. The one who's going to die isn't all three of us, it's going to be you, hyung. If hyung hadn't lied, Han hyung and I would never have come here!"
As the large men argued in front of the shop, passersby glanced at them. The reason Wang Run dragged Ja-kyung here right after arriving in Macau and unpacking was simple.
To prepare at least a gift in case the quick-witted Kang Il-hyeon found out all the facts. But why his body had to be offered up as that gift, no— as a sacrifice, was not easy to understand. And Brazilian waxing at that.
"Who would want to receive this kind of gift!"
"You don't know. Just wait and see. President Kang, that pervert, if he finds out, he'll flip his eyes in joy."
"Who are you calling a pervert!"
At Ja-kyung's outburst, Wang Run burst into laughter. It was Lee Ja-kyung who always called him a pervert and crazy bastard at the drop of a hat. He rubbed his hands together like a fly and pleaded with Ja-kyung.
"Wei. Please, I'm begging you. Save my life."
"If you were that scared, why did you do such a thing?"
"How was I supposed to know it would turn out like this?"
Wang Han, who had been in the driver's seat, couldn't stand it anymore and got out, quietly adding a word.
"Let's just do it together, all three of us."
Run hesitated, and Ja-kyung's crumpled face slowly smoothed out. Suffering alone was unfair, but if all three did it together, it felt somewhat less unfair. He didn't know why he and Han had to be sacrificed for something Run had stirred up, but if Kang Il-hyeon found out, he certainly wouldn't let it slide.
He had openly shown his displeasure about sending them on a trip. Of course, he had coolly told them to have fun, but until the day before departure, he had tormented them so much in bed that they had practically had to lie down on the plane.
"So, shall we go in?"
Run grinned and pushed Ja-kyung's back. Ja-kyung sighed and was reluctantly dragged in, and Wang Han followed suit. But none of them knew that it would involve tremendous pain.
***
"Why that expression? Aren't you happy?"
Lee Ja-kyung and the Wang brothers couldn't quite laugh. Kang Il-hyeon had appeared before the stinging from the waxing had even fully subsided after they arrived at the hotel. Wang Run laughed heartily and spread his arms wide.
"Our President Kang, you've gotten even more handsome since we last met. Right, Wei?"
Ja-kyung laughed reluctantly. Kang Il-hyeon walked past Run and came to Ja-kyung. He suddenly grabbed both cheeks and kissed him, making Run and Han's faces contort. Conscious of the Wang brothers, Ja-kyung pushed Il-hyeon's shoulders away.
"W-wait a minute."
"I missed you."
"When there are people around…."
"Who's going to see?"
At those words, the Wang brothers made expressions like they'd eaten shit. So we're not people standing behind you. But having committed sins, they couldn't even joke about complaining. Who would have imagined that the man they had kidnapped and delivered last night was connected to Kang Il-hyeon.
"You're later than expected. Sorry."
Better late than never.
"No, it's fine…."
Il-hyeon's gaze swept up and down Ja-kyung once.
"What did you do today?"
Ja-kyung looked at the Wang brothers. They urged with their eyes to lie quickly.
"We were at the casino."
"And?"
"We went shopping too…."
"And?"
Ja-kyung's lips moved wordlessly like a goldfish. He couldn't bring himself to say he had gone to wax his pubic hair.
Wang Han hurriedly added.
"We ate egg tarts too! When it comes to Macau, it's tarts! Haha."
He laughed heartily, and Run chimed in from the side, suggesting they eat one more time. Just when it seemed the atmosphere would smooth over, Il-hyeon laughed.
"You were having so much fun you didn't even know you lost your mobile phone."
All three fell silent for a moment.
"That's right…."
He gazed at Ja-kyung intently with a smile and called Park Tae-su.
"Tae-su, call Lee Ja-kyung's phone."
Suddenly? Ja-kyung looked at Il-hyeon with a flustered face. He had gone to find the phone at dawn but couldn't retrieve it because police were swarming the place. He had suspended the service for now….
As he cautiously moved his eyes around, Park Tae-su made the call. Since it was suspended, no one would answer. Just then, a phone rang from Kang Il-hyeon's pocket. Ja-kyung's eyes grew wide, and Wang Run and Wang Han behind him were the same.
Il-hyeon licked his lower lip once, then took out the phone from his jacket's inner pocket. It was the one Ja-kyung had left on the building rooftop. The words "Our Baby" displayed clearly on the screen.
Ja-kyung stared at it without even blinking.
"I'm curious. Why our baby who went to play in Macau was in Hong Kong."
What was feared happened all too easily. His gaze moved toward Wang Run. You caused this, you take responsibility.
"And at a murder scene in the building right across from that. Hmm?"
Gentle tone and expression. Even more frightening. Ja-kyung held his breath and looked at Wang Han and Wang Run standing behind him. Their faces had turned pale as well. Kang Il-hyeon was smiling calmly, but his eyes were like those of a predator about to tear into its prey.
Ja-kyung moistened his lips and tried to handle it flexibly somehow.
"Well… I wonder why that was there…?"
As he continued to feign ignorance, Il-hyeon smiled and signaled Tae-su with his eyes. Soon the door opened and two large men entered and grabbed the Wang brothers' arms. When Wang Run shouted asking what they were doing, Il-hyeon raised his fingers in a warning gesture instead of answering.
"Open your mouth one more time, and I'll remove from your body an amount equal to my financial loss."
Saying he'd harvest organs from a living person while smiling as if it were nothing, Wang Run shut his mouth. Watching the two being dragged out, Ja-kyung's expression hardened. Surely he wouldn't actually kill them. He believed that, but no one knew what Kang Il-hyeon might do when he was pissed.
He stepped back slightly and smiled awkwardly.
"I was… deceived too."
"Sure you were."
"If you're going to kill someone, kill Run hyung! He's a really bad guy."
Il-hyeon marveled.
"As expected of our baby. Your loyalty is outstanding too."
He loosened his tie. Ja-kyung stepped back one more pace and clenched his fist. He wasn't planning to strangle him with that, was he? As he watched, he threw the tie aside and beckoned with his finger. When Ja-kyung didn't move, he came forward, grabbed his shoulder, and threw him onto the bed.
As he hurriedly tried to get up, he grabbed Ja-kyung's ankle and climbed onto the bed. Then he placed Ja-kyung's calf between his arm and side to lock it in place. Seeing his hands grip precisely above the ankle and the instep, Ja-kyung turned pale and raised his upper body. Even as he struggled, his foot wouldn't break free from that grip.
"Just a moment! President Kang!"
Il-hyeon smiled as if he would melt.
"It's going to hurt. Of course, it won't hurt as much as my heart does."
His voice was chilling. It meant this was no joke. He screamed desperately.
"No! President Kang! Hey, Kang Il-hyun!"
"Keep listening. Speak."
Feeling strength in the hand gripping his ankle, Ja-kyung swung his arm.
"I have a gift! I have a gift for you!"
Il-hyeon's hand, which had been about to twist the ankle, paused for a moment. In that gap, Ja-kyung quickly pulled his foot free and scurried off the bed. Perhaps thinking he had lied to escape the crisis, Kang Il-hyeon's expression turned fierce.
"Want me to break both sides?"
Ja-kyung hesitated. His lower body still felt like it was burning. To present this as a gift. Wang Run was a crazy bastard too. He wasn't going to freak out and break an arm for nothing. While he stood there deliberating awkwardly, Il-hyeon approached with long strides.
Fuck it, he didn't know anymore. Ja-kyung squeezed his eyes shut, went to him, and grabbed his hand. Then he put the hand inside his own pants. As he rubbed the hand against his now smooth member, Kang Il-hyeon's face completely froze.
He said he'd flip his eyes in joy, but he looked fucking pissed.
Shit. I was the idiot for listening to Wang Run.
Better just beg. The moment he pulled his hand free, his body was seized and thrown onto the bed. Kang Il-hyeon, who had been right in front of him, was now visible above his head. His face was fiercely contorted. From his twisted lips, suppressed groans and laughter flowed out.
"Haah, fuck… you really are."