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In the church courtyard where the free food kitchen had been set up, an endless line stretched on, and people gathered at the blue tables the moment seats became vacant. Reporter Yoon's camera, which had been filming various parts of the food kitchen, captured one of the volunteers.
The man wearing a green apron was handsome enough to stand out even from a distance—tall with a good build, and he smiled warmly at people.
"He's good-looking."
Reporter Gwak, who was eating ice cream next to him, looked in that direction.
"Kang Il-hyun?"
"Who would think that guy is a gangster? Just looking at the exterior, he's more than an actor."
"The difference from an actor is that he actually carves people up."
Reporter Yoon took his eyes off the camera and looked back at his senior, Reporter Gwak.
"Did you see it?"
"See what? It's called a company, but who doesn't know it's a gangster company? You know a National Assembly member was found dead from suicide three years ago, right? That was all—"
Thank you for your hard work. A man suddenly appeared between the two who were whispering secretly and handed them vitamin drinks. The man was smiling as brightly as possible, but his eyes and the aura he exuded were anything but ordinary. The back of the man's hand had many small scars that time hadn't erased.
"Please write a good article. We're doing a lot of good deeds."
The man locked eyes with Reporter Gwak and emphasized the words 'good deeds.' Reporter Gwak, gulping nervously, quickly took both drinks and responded with a forced smile. The man in front was a secretary working under Kang Il-hyun. Secretary in name, but if you go by the organization's hierarchy, he'd be the right-hand man.
What was his name... Park Tae-soo?
Park Tae-soo, who had suddenly appeared to hand over drinks, bowed and disappeared. Reporter Gwak lowered his voice toward Reporter Yoon.
"Hey. You didn't just hear that, right?"
"So what if I did? We didn't make up false stories."
Reporter Gwak wiped the sweat flowing down his forehead without realizing it.
"Is this sweat? Did I look nervous?"
"Why are you so scared? Who said they'd kill you?"
At the mention of killing, Reporter Gwak quietly looked at the drink in his hand. Throwing it away would be conspicuous, but drinking it felt unsettling. While he was hesitating, Reporter Yoon next to him opened the cap and gulped it down. He reached out to stop him, but it was already empty.
"You bastard. Why did you drink that? How do you know what's in it?"
Reporter Yoon pointed with his eyes at Kang Il-hyun who was serving food. Park Tae-soo, who had handed over the drink earlier, was standing next to him, and Kang Il-hyun, who was listening to him, was looking at Reporter Yoon and Reporter Gwak. Startled, Reporter Gwak turned his back slightly and called out to Reporter Yoon.
"Damn. Why is he looking over here?"
"I wonder. I'm curious too."
Reporter Yoon held up the drink and nodded his head to say thanks. Kang Il-hyun gave a soft smile and greeted them politely, then went back to serving food to the people in line. Making eye contact and smiling at each homeless person, and even readily shaking hands with those who extended theirs—he looked just like a politician.
"Shit, disgusting."
Kang Tae-han, who had thrown off his glasses, squeezed disinfectant alcohol generously on his hands and rubbed them over and over. While serving rice to the homeless, so many people grabbed his hand in gratitude that even though he washed cleanly with water, the icky feeling didn't go away.
"Cockroach-like things. They just rush in because they're getting free food."
He spat on the ground and took out a cigarette from his pocket. Immediately, a subordinate nearby came and lit it. After taking a strong drag, he exhaled it into the heavy air.
Despite it being May, the weather was hot enough to scorch. The TV had been chattering that this summer would see the worst heat wave in history, but come to think of it, the same news always came out around this time.
A little distance away, his younger brother Kang Il-hyun was taking photos with the volunteers. At the sight of him acting like a good person, a sneer naturally escaped from Tae-han. Detestable bastard. After finishing the photo shoot, he greeted the volunteers, untied his apron, and handed it to a subordinate nearby.
Then after exchanging a few words, he walked toward where Tae-han was. Standing nearly 190 centimeters tall with a solid frame and Western-style physique, he drew people's attention no matter who looked. The sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up to reveal firm forearms, and the shape of his muscles changed with each arm movement. No wonder women drool wanting to have a go at him. Annoying bastard.
Approaching close, Il-hyun opened a bottle of water and drank from the neck down.
"You act well? You could be an actor."
When Kang Tae-han sneered, Kang Il-hyun threw the empty water bottle into the trash can and retorted sharply.
"Instead of time for sarcasm, manage the kids. A reporter came by earlier."
His tone, lower than average by a whole note, was somewhat chilly.
"Reporter? Who?"
Il-hyun, who had taken out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, lit it and looked down at Tae-han with a sidelong glance. Kang Tae-han, wearing glasses, resembled his mother living in America. Moreover, always frowning, he felt anxious and neurotic. After exhaling cigarette smoke with a "whoosh" on that face, the wrinkles between his eyebrows deepened.
Tae-han waved away the incoming cigarette smoke with his hand and cursed.
"And please smile in front of people. If you smile, who's going to say anything?"
"That's your specialty. You smile all you want."
Il-hyun flicked the cigarette he was smoking forward.
"Let's stop. This isn't something just anyone can chew on."
At those words, Tae-han's gaze sharpened. Though they had different mothers, having a younger brother eight years his junior act so preachy was undeniably unpleasant. When he was young, he used to pin him down and beat him to make him repent, but after his height and frame shot up, that became difficult too.
When was the last time he beat him? It might have been when the guy was in his first year of middle school. Even back then, he had kicked the brat who was talking back for some reason. But that day was different. Kang Il-hyun, who had been getting beaten, snatched the weapon an assistant was holding and stabbed it into Tae-han's side, landing him in the emergency room.
That scene comes to mind. Kang Il-hyun was definitely smiling then.
[If you hit me one more time, I'll stab your heart, hyung.]
Calling themselves gangsters and thugs, the Kang Tae-han brothers grew up without a single drop of blood on their hands. Their father Kang Woo-jin had established a lucrative territory, eating, drinking, and getting drunk, and even taking lives when necessary—meeting stronger guys and getting beaten was part of it too.
But Kang Il-hyun was different. Growing up the same way, he became increasingly cold and cunning like someone thirsting for blood. Though he carried a weapon everywhere, his work was so clean that there was nothing for their father Kang Woo-jin to fault. Tae-han recalled this fact with a bitter taste in his mouth.
His thoughts were interrupted when his right-hand man Park Tae-soo approached with soft steps.
"Boss, you've worked hard."
Tae-soo spoke quietly so only Tae-han could hear.
"I'll take care of the cleanup, so please go ahead."
Unlike usual, Tae-soo's tone was cautious. Sensing something unusual, Tae-han narrowed his eyes.
"What happened?"
"There was an incident at the establishment in Cheonho-dong. A fight broke out involving Assemblyman Seo's son."
Tae-han's expression twisted fiercely. Trouble always came when things were going well.
"Is it serious?"
"One person lost consciousness. It seems weapons were involved."
"Damn it."
Tae-han ran his hand roughly through his hair. This was exactly why he hated dealing with kids from rich families. They went around swinging their dicks and created messes that others had to clean up.
"Where's Il-hyun?"
"He's finishing up with the volunteers."
"Get the car ready. We're leaving."
The free food kitchen event was nearing its end. Kang Il-hyun, who had been serving the last of the people in line, took off his apron and headed toward where Tae-han was waiting. Unlike his brother, his expression was still composed.
"I heard. Assemblyman Seo's son?"
"Yeah. Caused trouble at our place and put someone in the hospital."
"What are you going to do?"
"Clean it up. What else?"
Tae-han crushed his cigarette under his foot.
"You handle the reporters. I'll take care of the scene."
"Got it."
As the brothers were talking, Park Tae-soo brought the car around. A black sedan that didn't stand out. Tae-han got into the back seat, and Il-hyun followed.
"Where to?"
"Cheonho-dong. Quickly."
The car began to move. Inside the vehicle, a heavy silence fell between the brothers. The same father, different mothers. Different temperaments, different methods. But in the end, they were both part of the same organization.
Tae-han looked out the window. The sunlight glaring off the asphalt was blindingly bright. A shitty day was getting shittier.
While Il-hyun made calls here and there, Tae-han closed his eyes. The vibration of the car and the faint sound of the engine. He tried to organize his thoughts.
Assemblyman Seo. His son. An unconscious patient. Weapons. It was going to be a headache.
"The reporters from earlier."
Il-hyun spoke without taking his phone away from his ear.
"What about them?"
"Take care of it nicely. Money or threats, whatever works."
"I know."
After finishing his calls, Il-hyun lowered his phone. In the quiet car, his voice resonated low.
"Hyung."
"What."
"Stop underestimating me."
Tae-han opened his eyes and looked at his brother in the rearview mirror. Kang Il-hyun was staring out the window with an unreadable expression.
"I never underestimated you."
"You did. You still do."
Il-hyun's voice was calm but carried weight.
"That's why you keep getting surprised."
Tae-han couldn't refute those words. He had been surprised when his eight-year-younger brother stabbed him. And he was still surprised now, seeing him handle business so cleanly.
"The unconscious one."
Il-hyun changed the subject.
"Can he live?"
"Doesn't matter. If he dies, we just have to handle it."
"No. If possible, keep him alive."
Their eyes met in the rearview mirror.
"He'll be useful later."
Tae-han couldn't understand what his brother was thinking, but he nodded. In this world, having more cards to play was always better.
The car carrying the two brothers sped down the road. In May's heat, the asphalt stretched endlessly like a black river.
The brothers were heading toward another problem, another mess, another day in their lives.
And somewhere in the city, the unconscious man was breathing faintly, not knowing his fate had already been decided by others.