<29>
"Wow. Fuck. It's huge no matter how many times I see it."
Kang Seok-ju stood in the second-floor living room, looking at the swimming pool and uttered words that could have been either cursing or admiration. In the yard, employees were filling the completed pool with water. The tiles were cobalt blue, making it feel refreshing just to look at.
Seok-ju turned and approached Ja-kyung. Today he was neatly dressed in a black suit, his hair styled with wax. Though he himself would hate to hear it, dressed up like that, he looked even more like Kang Il-hyun.
"Hurry up and get dressed. Let's go together."
Kang Seok-ju urged him to go to the funeral together. A few days ago, Choi Gi-tae's factory had exploded, and his younger brother along with his subordinates had died in the chaos. It had even appeared on the TV news once, and when asked if he hadn't seen it, Ja-kyung simply shook his head.
Despite the number of people who died, the newspapers and news didn't cover it much. Due to the investigation, they couldn't retrieve the bodies for several days, and only today were they holding the funeral. The investigation itself was just for show, with an atmosphere of sweeping it under the rug.
"How could they get taken out like that by one person? They say all the dead guys had their brains blown out and spilling outside."
Listening to this, Ja-kyung frowned with a sickened expression.
"Horrible...."
"They say it was one shot, one kill."
Seok-ju mimed shooting a gun into the air. Bang, bang, bang. Then he aimed it at Ja-kyung. Look at that shooting form. Go join the army, you bastard.
"Hands up."
"Not funny.... Stop it."
Seok-ju straightened his posture and chuckled.
"I wouldn't get caught like that. Getting shot and dying like a retard. Isn't it pathetic?"
Looking at Kang Seok-ju's expression, he seemed like someone going to a celebration party, not a funeral. Sure enough, Ja-kyung learned that Choi Gi-tae and his younger brother had a bad relationship. There was a reason the dead brother's phone had "that fucker" saved instead of a name.
"Probably after the funeral ends, that bastard Choi Gi-tae will throw a celebration party right away?"
"His younger brother died though?"
"I get it. Even if Managing Director Kang died, I'd do the same."
Kang Seok-ju gritted his teeth. Seemed like a lot had built up. The wound on his temple had faded considerably compared to when Ja-kyung first saw it. Had Kang Il-hyun stabbed it with an awl? To have felt murderous intent to that degree yet not killed him—remarkable.
"Just in case I'm asking... you're not telling Managing Director Kang about this kind of talk, right?"
Even after badmouthing him, he gets scared and always confirms to keep it secret.
"I don't... we're not that close."
"Right? Though honestly, the two have completely different personalities, so they couldn't become close."
He still seemed pleased inside, thinking he was closer than Kang Il-hyun. I wanted to tell him that while he might be closer in terms of emotional distance, that wasn't the case for his body. That he'd already hooked up with Kang Il-hyun once. Of course, I also wanted to add that it was absolutely not because he liked it.
***
I thought it being a funeral meant it would be at a hospital, but it was a fairly large Buddhist temple. Outside the temple, black cars filled the area, and inside, people dressed in black were packed together. Seemingly hundreds had gathered. Most of the arriving cars moved in groups of several vehicles.
People who got out of the cars climbed the stairs and moved upward where the incense altar was prepared. Along both sides of the ascending path, wreaths made of chrysanthemums stretched out, and under the blue tarps spread across the courtyard, mourners were gathered and eating.
Walking with Seok-ju, there were people here and there who recognized them. Mostly they asked if his father was doing well. As they approached the incense altar, the scent of incense grew strong. Inside the main hall, Choi Gi-tae was wearing a chief mourner's armband and greeting people.
Ja-kyung followed Seok-ju, took off his shoes, and went inside. The man in the photo surrounded by white chrysanthemums was the person Ja-kyung had put a bullet in the head of a few days ago. Following Seok-ju, he lit incense, bowed, and prayed that he definitely wouldn't go to a good place.
Someone like you shouldn't be born and should live in hell forever for the world to be at peace.
"Thank you. For coming all this way."
Choi Gi-tae extended his hand toward Ja-kyung. On his face, nothing resembling sadness could be found. Ja-kyung took that hand and offered words of comfort.
"You must be deeply distressed...."
Choi Gi-tae scoffed and lowered his voice.
"Not particularly. Not really."
This guy is also quite a bastard. Ja-kyung was forcing a smile when the entrance became noisy. Wondering who had arrived to cause such commotion—it was Kang Il-hyun. Park Tae-soo was with him too.
At his appearance, people's gazes focused all at once. From here and there, people stepped forward first, bowing at the waist to acknowledge him, and even those who had been eating set down their utensils to go greet him. Even elderly people bowed their heads toward Kang Il-hyun. Even mixed among many people, his presence was distinct. Ja-kyung thought he understood a little why Kang Hoon feared his son.
Kang Il-hyun smiled pleasantly. Seeing that, Seok-ju quietly muttered from beside him.
"Fuck... disgusting even from afar...."
Choi Gi-tae also chimed in.
"Hey. Go stop him from coming. Makes me want to throw up the yukgaejang I ate."
Just then, a man approached Kang Il-hyun. The man with graying hair was wearing the same armband as Choi Gi-tae. Being a view from behind, his face wasn't clearly visible. Ja-kyung observed the man closely. Il-hyun was holding his hand and comforting him. His expression was also full of regret. Amazing acting skills. Better than me.
Having finished the conversation, Kang Il-hyun walked this way. The middle-aged man who had been holding hands turned around, and the moment Ja-kyung confirmed his face, his eyes widened.
It was that man.
The man who had supplied drugs to his parents. The man who would frequently come to their house and fool around with his mother. The man who had brought a club one day, claiming his father had stolen drugs, and swung it around. And the man who had tried to kill young Ja-kyung.
Fifteen years had passed and his hair was sparsely white, but his face hadn't changed much. The man went around the mortuary again, greeting people.
Kang Seok-ju nudged Ja-kyung who was standing transfixed.
"Ian, let's hurry and go."
But he was too late. Before they could even put on their shoes, Kang Il-hyun was right in front of them. Kang Il-hyun had his hands thrust in his pants pockets, chin slightly raised, looking at the two with disapproving eyes. At that sharp gaze, Ja-kyung belatedly came to his senses. It seemed like the sound of Kang Seok-ju rolling his eyes could be heard all the way here. It was his first outing since the bullet incident, and he hadn't received permission from Kang Il-hyun either.
"Now why would our two young masters come here?"
"Brother. I... came to comfort G-Gi-tae...."
Il-hyun's gaze shifted from Seok-ju to Ja-kyung.
"And Ian?"
Ja-kyung looked at Seok-ju. He had come because Kang Seok-ju suggested going together, but he also had the purpose of confirming the faces of Choi Gi-tae and his family.
"Me too... to comfort...."
"Who?"
Il-hyun asked, and Ja-kyung turned his head sharply to look at Choi Gi-tae. He was now greeting other mourners just entering the main hall.
"That... that person over there...."
Kang Il-hyun's eyes went cold.
"Was he that close to you?"
"We're not close, but... when someone experiences something sad... I learned that we should share the pain together...."
One of Kang Il-hyun's eyebrows rose crookedly. Then he noticed a small scratch above his eyebrow. He hadn't been able to see his face inside the house for two days straight—had he gotten into a fight somewhere?
"Well look who it is. It's Seok-ju."
The man who was supposedly Choi Gi-tae's father, seen earlier, suddenly appeared. Seen up close, he looked quite exhausted. Shadows had fallen over his face, his eyes held deep worry, and anger lingered as well. Kang Il-hyun had been looking at Ja-kyung but then entered the main hall. Ja-kyung thought to escape during that gap, but Choi Gi-tae's father spoke to him.
"Who is this friend...?"
"I'm Jang Ian.... I came from Hong Kong."
"Ah, I see. Thank you for coming."
The man extended his hand. The hand that had groped his mother's breast and struck his cheek when he was young. If possible, he wanted to cut it off right here and now. But Ja-kyung politely extended his hand and grasped it.
"You must be deeply distressed.... I hope your son has gone to a good place."
He patted Ja-kyung's hand. Tap, tap.
"Thank you. Such a young friend, yet so thoughtful."
Afraid his anger toward the man might show, he kept his eyes lowered. Even so, after letting go of his hand, the man stared intently at Ja-kyung and tilted his head.
"Have we... met before?"
"This is my first time seeing you...."
The man laughed.
"Well. With a face this handsome, if we had met, I wouldn't have forgotten."
The sly appearance from before was nowhere to be found, and now he was just a father who had lost his child and fallen into loss. The man told them to stay and eat before leaving, then entered the main hall. Ja-kyung and Seok-ju quickly came down before Il-hyun could come out. Seok-ju lowered his voice and pressed close to Ja-kyung.
"Let's eat somewhere else. I'll get heartburn."
Agreed. As they hurried their steps, Kang Il-hyun's voice came from behind.
"Ian."
Seok-ju stopped and cursed with his mouth shape while squeezing his eyes shut. When he turned around, Kang Il-hyun was approaching.
"If you're going home, ride in my car."
His tone was polite, but his eyes were fierce.
"I can go with Seok-ju...."
His gaze shifted to the side, piercing Seok-ju. Really? Sure enough, Kang Seok-ju was already stepping backward. He said he forgot he had an appointment, and perhaps afraid Kang Il-hyun might find fault with him, he bowed until his back nearly broke, then quickly fled. Ja-kyung let out an inaudible sigh. Ha, that cowardly bastard....