<128> Side Story. 20
"How is it? Do you like it?"
Inside the black box, matching bracelets shimmered. Kang Yoo-jung had contacted him saying she'd stop by the company briefly, and he wondered what it was about, but she had brought a gift for his birthday. On the inside of the silver bracelets, each other's initials were engraved.
"A cat would probably like it."
"I asked a friend to make them. They said if we break up, they'll change the names for us."
At her joke, Il-hyun's eyebrows rose. He warned her not to say such things even as a joke.
"Shall we have dinner together? Ah, you said you found your brother. How about the four of us eating together?"
Il-hyun outright rejected it. He said they would have dinner alone, just the two of them. Just then, commotion erupted outside the door before it burst open and Jang Tae-ho entered. The face of the secretary following behind him was torn with embarrassment. Seeing Jang Tae-ho's thoroughly heated expression, the USB Lee Ja-kyung had given him last night came to mind.
Il-hyun signaled the secretaries to leave, then rose from his seat.
"What brings you here this morning? Prosecutor Jang."
"What did you make my sibling do?"
"Please speak so I can understand."
Seeing the unruffled Kang Il-hyun, Jang Tae-ho clenched his fist tightly.
"Playing the hypocrite, acting like you cherish someone, then seducing an innocent kid and making them steal..."
"Please sit down first. There's nothing to gain for either of us by shouting."
"Did you threaten them, by any chance? What did you do to make that tender-hearted kid steal from the house of the older brother they met for the first time in 20 years?"
Kang Yoo-jung, who had been quietly listening to the two men, stepped forward.
"I was wondering who it was. By any chance, are you Lee Ja-kyung, no, Yang Sun-woo's... older brother?"
Jang Tae-ho's gaze shifted from Kang Il-hyun to Kang Yoo-jung. Jang Tae-ho, who had been red and blue with anger, flinched, and his expression slightly relaxed. Kang Yoo-jung smiled brightly, and when she urged him to sit down, he reluctantly took a seat.
Seeing this, Kang Il-hyun made a dissatisfied expression. So the brothers have similar tastes, it seems. Lee Ja-kyung still turned red-eared every time he saw Kang Yoo-jung, and each time, Il-hyun felt the impulse to cut those ears off.
Kang Yoo-jung sat down and introduced herself with a polite face.
"I am Kang Il-hyun's older sister. Kang Yoo-jung. Since you have a connection with our family, you know who I am, right?"
"Yes. I know."
"My brother supposedly threatened your sibling, but that's a misunderstanding. Rather, he gives and gives everything he has and doesn't have, so sometimes when I watch from the side, I wonder if he's being taken for a fool."
Kang Il-hyun looked at Kang Yoo-jung with an absurd expression. Did she just call me a fool? Nevertheless, Jang Tae-ho still seemed unsatisfied.
"Are you telling me to believe that now?"
"Prosecutor. You know that Representative Kang Il-hyun was shot at his inauguration ceremony two years ago and struggled between life and death, right?"
Jang Tae-ho didn't answer. There was no way he didn't know about that incident. When he saw the news, he was so happy—he had even wished that Kang Il-hyun would just die.
"The person who shot him at that time is your sibling."
Kang Yoo-jung spoke clearly as if engraving each word. Jang Tae-ho's eyes grew wide. Then he made an expression saying that was nonsense.
"My sibling couldn't even kill a baby ant."
Il-hyun scoffed inwardly. Can't kill an ant, but sure killed people well enough. His mouth tingled to speak, but thinking Ja-kyung would get angry if he found out, he barely held back and only smiled. Kang Yoo-jung gently soothed Jang Tae-ho.
"If you're curious, ask your sibling directly. For reference, there were even worse things after that, but I still acknowledged and accepted their relationship."
"......"
"Of course, it wasn't easy."
She smiled with a regretful face, and Jang Tae-ho had an expression of total disbelief. Kang Yoo-jung affectionately took his hand, met his eyes, and comforted him softly.
"I also have many times when I don't understand my brother and find it hard to accept him. But what can we do. We're family. We have to embrace and carry them together."
***
Thud, thud, a pile of banknotes stacked high. With nothing to do and getting bored, Wang Lun, Wang Han, and Ja-kyung gathered at the pool and decided to bet on who could stay underwater the longest. After several rounds, the amounts kept growing.
Ja-kyung, who had entered the water, sat cross-legged, slowly releasing the breath he had taken in beforehand through his lips, counting numbers in his head. Wang Han came out of the water first, then Wang Lun who couldn't hold out any longer, and finally Ja-kyung came up last.
Puhah, Ja-kyung surfaced, wiped his face, and laughed.
"One more time?"
Han shook his head. Forget it. I'd rather compete with a fish.
"Wei, come here. Do you have gills or something?"
Lun grumbled and wrapped his arm around Ja-kyung's neck trying to push him underwater, but Ja-kyung slipped out like a loach and escaped above the water. He was shaking his wet hair when one of the three phones rang. It was Ja-kyung's. Seeing the caller, the smile disappeared from Ja-kyung's face.
"Who is it?"
Wang Lun, who had been in the water, asked, and Ja-kyung signaled him to be quiet with his finger, then walked across the lawn while answering. Hello?
[It's me, Kyung-joon. Are you busy?]
A somewhat serious voice. Ja-kyung guessed what he was calling about.
"No, hyung... Go ahead and talk."
[You... don't you have something to say to me?]
A cautiously asking tone. Had he already figured it out? Ja-kyung licked his lower lip and rolled his eyes around. Anyway, stealing was wrong, but leaving it as is might cause trouble for Kang Il-hyun later.
"I'm sorry... If you're asking if I stole the USB, yes, I did it."
A long sigh sound came through the receiver.
[Why did you do that? By any chance... were you threatened?]
"No."
[You can tell me the truth.]
"Really, no."
[During the day I went to see Kang Il-hyun and heard something absurd. He lied and said you were the one who shot him two years ago.]
His steps stopped. Since it's come to this, wouldn't it be better to confess cleanly? Jang Tae-ho hadn't asked how Ja-kyung had lived, but pretending not to know wouldn't make it never happen.
"That's true. I did that."
[Kyung-joon.]
"And last year, I threw an axe at Representative Kang's father's head.]
[......]
Of course, he didn't die from that. Ja-kyung muttered to himself, and from the other end, something like a groan and sounds of suffering flowed out. After hesitating, Ja-kyung spoke.
"I know you're disappointed, hyung. But this is me. If what you expected was an innocent and kind sibling, I'm sorry. I couldn't grow up any other way than this."
In the silence, only the sound of footsteps on the grass could be heard. It's awkward. Is the difference in how we lived really something that can't be helped? Walking toward the wall, Jang Tae-ho spoke first.
[No. I'm sorry. I was thinking on my own... and you must have had a hard time too.]
His voice was completely deflated. Guilt rushed over Ja-kyung. He didn't ask any more about that matter.
[When you have time, come home. Let's have dinner together.]
"Yes..."
After ending the call, Ja-kyung sighed. This was unexpected. He thought he'd get angry and make a scene saying he wouldn't have someone like that as a sibling. Was he accepting even that because of the guilt of having lost him?
With a bitter feeling, he looked back to see the Wang brothers making a fuss with their heads stuck in the water like puppies. Walking toward them, a message arrives. From Kang Il-hyun. The dinner location and time were indicated. And below that, a single line.
[Make sure to bring the gift.]
Ja-kyung's face crumpled like paper.
After finishing his shower, Ja-kyung was drying his hair when he properly unfolded the lace panties with a dazed expression. Good grief. No matter how many times he looks at it, it's hideous. Mesh in front, cat on the back. He frowned deeply, pondering whether he really had to wear this. It's not too late even now. He was about to send a message saying he couldn't wear it when a text came from Kang Il-hyun.
[Honey. Did you put it on? If I don't get my gift today, I might cry.]
Fuck. Is he watching with a camera somewhere? Looking around the room, he eventually put on the panties with a feeling of resignation. The feeling was softer than expected, and the shape was even more embarrassing than the previous one.
Fine. It's a birthday. Just for today. With a bitter smile, he put decent clothes on top of it. It doesn't feel like going on a date, but rather like being dragged to a slaughterhouse. After fixing his hair and getting dressed, he came outside, and Sang-ju's wife smiled brightly.
"My, how splendid."
He forced a smile at her when Wang Han and Wang Lun, who were in the living room, came running like arrows. They looked Ja-kyung up and down with puzzled expressions.
"Wei, what about Representative Kang's gift?"
Ja-kyung shrugged and evaded. I'll give it to him when we meet.
"You didn't prepare anything? He'll be disappointed."
Ja-kyung didn't respond and tried to just pass by. Then Lun casually remarked.
"If you haven't prepared anything yet, at least wear sexy underwear. Couples do that kind of event a lot."
Han hit Lun's back.
"Stop it, Lun. Representative Kang isn't a pervert. And would Wei wear that even if someone told him to?"
"Well. That's true."
The two chuckled. When Ja-kyung, who was walking, glared at them sharply, they exchanged glances and trotted after him. No way, you...! Before he could even speak, they shouted that they didn't want to hear it and went out through the entrance. The car Kang Il-hyun had sent was already waiting in front of the gate.