Mother Tape Chapter 10.4

“Because back then, you were too young for Mr. Seon Wisoo to have ruined anything.”

“Heuk…!”

No matter how playfully Jaekwon spoke, Wisoo’s entire body trembled.

“For us, there was a person named Kwak Bonyoung, so we were already falling apart.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I was wrong. Truly, I, I’m so sorry…!”

“Mr. Seon Wisoo. Mr. Seon Wisoo!”

Jaekwon cut Wisoo off. Wisoo, who was on the verge of a panic attack, gasped and turned his head toward where Jaekwon’s voice was coming from.

“You’re finally looking at me.”

The hand that had moved down from his chest clasped Wisoo’s hand.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

Whatever he says, I will endure it. Thinking this, Wisoo answered.

“Yes….”

“Have you eaten?”

However, Jaekwon asked as if they had just seen each other yesterday.

“You look hungry. And you’ve lost a lot of weight.”

Wisoo was in a daze. It felt as if he were hearing things. Even though they were touching like this.

“Right now I… I’m not dead, am I?”

After dragging out the time until Jaekwon’s insides were worn thin, this was all he asked. Jaekwon laughed weakly at the screw-loose remark.

“You’re asking that now? You should have asked as soon as you came to your senses. Why. Because you think I died and appeared before Mr. Seon Wisoo?”

“I thought you would be… very angry with me.”

Jaekwon blinked slowly. A green flash of light passed before his eyes like a vision. It was the green of the slip that Kwak Bonyoung had put on Wisoo. A wicked green.

I have neither the right nor the reason to be angry with you.

“Does it seem that way?”

“…….”

Wisoo shook his head. There was no hint of anger in Jaekwon’s voice. He could feel that Jaekwon was not just pretending, but was being sincere.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo is alive, and I am not angry.”

“…….”

“So let’s go back to how we were before. As if nothing happened, eating delicious food, searching for new snacks. Let’s live normally like that.”

“…….”

“If any villain out there can live so ostentatiously and well, why can’t Seon Wisoo?”

Making mistakes and regretting them, losing someone and fumbling for, licking, and missing that loss, some commit evil deeds and some do good deeds, but somehow, they all live on. There is no reason Seon Wisoo cannot do the same. He did not even need to take on the burdens of those people on their behalf. That was for each person to bear.

“No one has the right to stop Mr. Seon Wisoo from doing so. So don’t ask for my forgiveness either. Don’t tell me you did wrong to me. There are other people who should say such things, and the one who should hear them is you, Mr. Seon Wisoo. In fact, I’m the one who’s sorry. For coming late, for letting go of your hand back then.”

Jaekwon could immediately recall the contents of the CD he had confirmed with his own eyes. Seon Wisoo, who had to sweep up his own wreckage to keep from breaking.

Jaekwon knew about the conspiracy and illicit union between Kwak Bonyoung and Jung Taegyu. About this person, who had been thoroughly commodified, as documented in papers.

Jaekwon was not shameless enough to be told he was sorry. And even if he were shameless, it would not be toward Seon Wisoo.

“I have something to ask you. Back when we were young… did you have a crush on me?”

Wisoo nodded very faintly.

“And when we met again, you liked me again?”

This time, he nodded a little more clearly.

“What’s so great about someone like me with a bad memory that you fell for me twice….”

Jaekwon’s voice, as he let out a hollow laugh, was damp.

With his eyes covered, Wisoo could not see Jaekwon’s face, so he could not know why his voice was moist.

“Are you, are you… not angry with me…?”

Jaekwon kissed the back of Wisoo’s hand, which was resting on top of his own. Then he slowly lowered his head to kiss his nose, his lips, and the tip of his chin.

“I confirmed it with your mother. Unbelievable as it may be, in Mr. Seon Wisoo’s own way.”

“In my own way…?”

“And I cleared up the misunderstanding.”

I want to see your eyes. Jaekwon slowly removed the towel that was covering them. A trembling gaze, as if it could not understand, was revealed. Jaekwon gently cupped his cheeks.

“I’m the one who wants to apologize for believing that swindler, even for a moment.”

“No, no, I have nothing to be apologized for.”

“Lies. You were hurt back then.”

His eyes did not sting from the light. It was because Jaekwon was blocking the lamp. But strangely, tears still fell. Perhaps because even a blocked light is still light. When Wisoo tried to rub his eyes, Jaekwon raised a hand to stop him.

“You were hurt back then, and you still think about it, don’t you?”

Jaekwon smiled bitterly as he watched Wisoo flinch away from his hand.

“Still, I have nothing to be apologized for….”

He could not bring himself to say no, and just averting his gaze was honest. Jaekwon let out a sigh-like laugh. Then he nodded.

“I understand.”

Jaekwon flopped down next to Wisoo and turned off the lamp with the remote. He had hastily turned it on because Wisoo had suddenly flinched and showed signs of waking. It was not needed anymore. He squeezed Wisoo’s hand tightly and contorted his body onto the bed, which was rather cramped for two people, himself included.

“Then tell me when you want to receive an apology.”

“…What if I never want to receive one?”

“Then I’ll chase you even after death, I guess.”

“You don’t believe in things like that.”

“Would you prefer I didn’t? Would I remain someone Mr. Seon Wisoo can rely on that way?”

Just as he thought. Wisoo held Jaekwon’s hand tightly and stared at the ceiling.

Even though he could not see the dead, there was an unpleasantness and a chilling presence that made his skin tense up. Wisoo carefully surveyed his surroundings. With his whole body, with all his senses.

But perhaps because of the hand he was holding, he could not feel anything. The soft whispers from the hallway, the sound of a cart’s wheels and footsteps, the sound of a car horn and city noise from far beyond the window. That was all.

It was very quiet.

“No. I think I’ll be okay….”

Wisoo blinked. The tear that fell from below the corner of his sharp eyes looked like a miracle to Jaekwon.

“Just stay as you are, just be the person Mr. Kwak Jaekwon wants to be.”

At first, there was a catalyst. He felt something like the wind from a hyung whose name he did not even know. Something like blue ink or a river reflecting the night seemed to flow from him, making him different from others, so he had approached him.

But he was drawn to him a second time as well. He had fallen for him again. A catalyst may be momentary, but a heart can be eternal.

Jaekwon pressed his body closer to Wisoo’s. He nuzzled the tip of his nose against his cheek, then lowered his head slightly and kissed his shoulder.

“Our Wisoo, so admirable.”

“…….”

“So praiseworthy, so praiseworthy.”

Wisoo possessed a strong will and life force that could not be presumptuously judged. He was grateful that he had endured until now, giving him the chance to come find him. There had been a reason why he had nothing but revenge, why nothing he did was enjoyable, why he felt empty. In exchange for not being afraid of the world, he had erased the past entirely, forgotten even your promise, and had nothing left but hatred for Kwak Bonyoung.

Into such a life, Seon Wisoo had entered. He had found him. The act of sharing something to eat, the heart of buying sweets while thinking of someone, the paper cup telephone, the calls made just because he wanted to hear a voice, the bone-deep feeling of being sorry and the existence of the other person pulled up from that place.

Seon Wisoo saved me. Twice. Therefore, Wisoo was admirable and praiseworthy. There is nothing wrong with Seon Wisoo. He is just ordinary, and lovable.

❖ ❖ ❖

Public interest continued sporadically. It was probably because there were many people involved, and other issues broke out one after another. The interest in Jung Taegyu did not last as long as expected.

Still, as the indictment had been issued, a manhunt for Jung Taegyu was underway. Jaekwon was also personally searching for him, but it seemed he had gone completely into hiding, as his tracks had vanished.

“The other villas have already been searched.”

Hwang Gujo mumbled, clutching his head.

“I think he might have a lover and bought a house in their name. We’ve already dug up everything under Jung Taegyu’s identity. But if it’s a third party like a lover, we can’t find it through documents, so this, it’s getting a bit tricky.”

Jaekwon was sitting with his head leaning against the bathroom wall, arms crossed and eyes closed. The sound of water came from inside, as Wisoo was showering. The slightly open door had been left that way by Jaekwon, telling him to call if he needed him. Waiting in front of the door was also his choice.

“I think he’s completely disappeared.”

“What about the possibility that he changed his name and left the country?”

“We’ve considered the possibility of smuggling by sea and have people stationed at every port. We’ve already spoken with the captains. But there’s no word.”

“He could’ve taken a bigger bribe and double-crossed us.”

“That’s possible too…. It’ll get tiring if he goes to the Chinese side.”

Hwang Gujo let out a groan.

Jaekwon, regardless of whether Hwang Gujo was groaning or not, got up from his spot. The sound of water had stopped.

He took the robe he had chosen for Wisoo, thinking of Wisoo, and went into the bathroom. A thin body, belying the weight he had put on, was enveloped in the pale steam. Amidst it all, only his buttocks were plump, and the area around his nipples had darkened slightly. Because the other parts were thin, the slightly protruding nipples were even more noticeable. Jaekwon went, “Hmm,” and wrapped Wisoo snugly in the robe. He shamelessly pretended not to notice that he was hard, his thigh area having thickened.

“I can do it myself.”

“What if you slip? It’s faster if I take you and lay you down.”

Jaekwon meticulously tied the belt of the robe so Hwang Gujo could not see, and then led him to the bed. While Jaekwon placed one of his thighs on the bed and dried his hair, Wisoo ate a sweet yogurt.

“I want to eat an apple….”

“They said to be careful with fruit for a while.”

Jaekwon, who had managed to hear the voice that could have been buried by the sound of the hair dryer, replied.

The two of them were acting as if there was no child between them. However, though it was not mentioned, all of Jaekwon’s actions were extremely careful and meticulous. The focus, however, was more on Wisoo, who had become weak because of it, rather than the child itself.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

Hwang Gujo, who had been staring at the two of them, spoke up, prepared to be cursed at or punched.

He had only called for Wisoo, but like a set, Jaekwon also looked this way. He turned off the hair dryer as if to say, speak. It became quiet in an instant. The silence that follows noise feels particularly heavy.

“Well, it wasn’t something to focus on like this.”

Hwang Gujo gave an awkward laugh and cleared his throat.

“That, the place Jung Taegyu might have gone, do you perhaps know?”

Kwak Jaekwon silently wound the hair dryer’s cord. But behind Wisoo, where he could not be seen, his gaze toward Hwang Gujo was so cold it could freeze. With a look that said, I’ll kill you, Hwang Gujo slightly turned his head away.

“Not the one in Chungcheong Province. And not Cheongsu Seongso either.”

“Then in Gyeonggi Province….”

“Ah, it’s not there. He cleared it out early on, it seems.”

“Is that so…?”

Wisoo looked down at the yogurt and furrowed his brow. At the sight of his tightly pressed lips, Hwang Gujo licked his own. Right. This was a harsh thing to do to a kid with trauma.

“Hey, no. Forget it. We’ll find it if we search a little more….”

“Ah. There’s a mountain cabin in Gangwon Province.”

Hwang Gujo, who was about to get up, froze in place and asked again.

“A mountain cabin?”

“Yes. He took me there once, saying he was washing me.”

He had said it was to hold a rite, but Wisoo was neither a shaman nor a spiritual medium. He was merely a vessel. He had no one to hold a rite for, nor did he know how. Looking back, it seemed it was just Jung Taegyu’s way of doing things. Packaging things to look plausible, as if there was something more to it, to burden him and also to keep the clients on edge during that period.

“There’s a mountain cabin, but I don’t know if it’s Teacher’s. So there….”

“Jung Taegyu.”

“Ah. Yes. I can’t guarantee that Jung Taegyu is really there.”

Wisoo habitually said Teacher, but immediately corrected himself at Jaekwon’s whisper.

‘Now, I’m not scared of that teacher at all. I have no affection for him at all. I just hate him. I resent him… and I don’t want to see him again.’

Recalling the voice that had whispered to him last night, clinging to him, Jaekwon reminded himself that this was just a habit, and habits could be broken quickly. He wanted to extract all the memories of the past from Wisoo and bleach them clean. He wanted to erase the very existence of the swindler named Jung Taegyu.

“Do you happen to remember which mountain it is?”

“I don’t remember the mountain… but I remember the way there.”

“Chief.”

Hwang Gujo gestured with his eyes. Jaekwon did not answer for a while, then quietly asked.

“Are you really going to be okay?”

At that, Wisoo, who had been sucking on his spoon, turned to look at him with wide, round eyes.

“I’m asking if you’re okay talking about Jung Taegyu.”

“Ah….”

Wisoo nodded his head.

“Yes. I told you I’m not scared of him at all anymore.”

Only then did Jaekwon nod his head toward Hwang Gujo.

Hwang Gujo approached with his laptop. A road view was on the screen.

“I’ll pull up the road view with the Cheongsu Seongso building as the starting point. Just tell me the direction as you remember it.”

Jaekwon got up from his seat and opened the refrigerator. Then he took out all the snacks for Wisoo. They were all things he had painstakingly chosen after consulting with the doctor. He pulled over a small round side table, placed it next to the bed like a table, and spread everything out. It might take a while, so he pulled Wisoo to lean against him in a half-reclining position. Then he took the laptop himself, sat next to Wisoo with an arm around his shoulders, and navigated the touchpad.

“Tell me if it gets difficult.”

“I’m not tired.”

Wisoo shook his head, his eyes tinged blue from the screen’s light.

“Because I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

Hwang Gujo quietly opened the snacks and arranged them.

❖ ❖ ❖

Enough time had passed for his shoulders to ache. An hour and a half had gone by by the time they found the mountain’s location. Wisoo tried to rub his dry eyes, and Jaekwon, stopping him, opened a vial of artificial tears and put them in for him. Wisoo was literally in a situation where he did not have to lift a single finger.

“Wait here a minute. I’m going to go have a smoke.”

“Okay….”

Wisoo, whose stamina had noticeably decreased, was dozing off in the meantime. Jaekwon laid Wisoo down comfortably and went out with Hwang Gujo to the sky garden meant for guardians.

He had used smoking as an excuse, but since reuniting with Wisoo, Jaekwon had not been smoking at all. For fear that any harmful substances on his clothes or hands might affect Wisoo.

Instead, Jaekwon took out a lollipop and put it in his mouth. Hwang Gujo briefly told him about the mountain.

“The altitude isn’t high. It makes sense that the mountain doesn’t have a name. It’s on the level of a neighborhood hill. By Korean standards, of course.”

“And?”

“It’s private property.”

Jaekwon, rolling the lollipop to the other side of his mouth with his tongue, solved it simply.

“Then buy it.”

“You’re literally throwing money into a landlocked plot, just like that.”

“It’s Kwak Bonyoung’s money anyway.”

“Yeah. I guess so.”

Shaking his head, Hwang Gujo did not raise much of an objection either.

“What if it’s someone from Hyegwang?”

Hwang Gujo asked, lifting his head as he waited for the call to connect. Jaekwon leaned his arms wide on the railing and tilted his head back. The hazy sky, characteristic of the city, was visible.

“Whether it’s Hyegwang or Gwang-pal, their main house is screwed, so what do they have to be picky about. If they still insist on being picky, handle them the right way.”

“You got it.”

A moment later, Hwang Gujo returned with an expression of disbelief.

“We don’t need to buy it.”

Crunch. Jaekwon, biting down on the lollipop, flicked an eyebrow.

“Turns out, this is Kwak Bonyoung’s land.”

“…Ha.”

Everything comes full circle, back to its place.

In this strange coincidence, Jaekwon finally, for the first time, felt a sense of kinship. No matter which way I turn, we end up meeting, Father.

❖ ❖ ❖

The rain fell intermittently. Seeing as the clouds had not completely cleared, it seemed it was not yet time for it to stop.

Since you should strike while the iron is hot, Jaekwon decided to go and check immediately, as the matter had become less cumbersome.

“You’re going to the mountains when it’s raining?”

“It’s not raining much, and the mountain is low. It’s fine.”

Hwang Gujo and Jaekwon whispered in low voices, conscious of the sleeping Wisoo. Keeping his voice down, Hwang Gujo shook his head.

“The sun will set on your way there!”

“…….”

“What’s wrong…?”

His voice was not even that loud, but in the end, Wisoo woke up, stirring. At the sight of him trying to sit up, rubbing his eyes, Jaekwon clicked his tongue and approached.

“It’s nothing. It’s for a check-up.”

“It’s not for a check-up.”

Wisoo looked anxious. He looked around, then grabbed the arm of Jaekwon, who was sitting beside him, and shook his head.

“Can’t you just stay here today and not go anywhere?”

“…….”

“Please.”

There was no way to hold out when he was pleading so resolutely. Seeing the clear look of defeat on Jaekwon’s face as he yielded his stubbornness, Hwang Gujo let out an inward sigh of relief.

“Alright.”

“Then I’ll go get the doctor.”

While at it, Hwang Gujo decided to use the doctor-card trump. If a guardian needed to stay by his side, he could hardly go anywhere.

Unable to refuse Wisoo’s plea, Jaekwon completely lay down next to him, even pulling the blanket over himself. Wisoo wrapped his arms around Jaekwon’s waist.

“I’ll just send my people.”

“Where… is it?”

“To the mountain. To check if Jung Taegyu is there. You might not know because you’ve only seen me acting like a lazy bum, but I surprisingly have a personality that can’t stay still.”

In truth, he was indeed a lazy bum.

Wisoo hesitated before asking.

“There are police, you know.”

“I can’t just privately summon law enforcement to come and go just because I have a personal suspicion about a place.”

Since he was a wanted man, reporting him would hardly end as just a personal suspicion, but Jaekwon was someone who did not fully trust the system. The system was ultimately made of people, and people were bound to have flaws, cracks, and greed. And Jung Taegyu was precisely the kind of human who was good at exploiting those things like a beast.

I have to do it. I had to see it for myself.

It was not a savior complex. He just believed he had the right to do so. His grudge against his mother was secondary. The biggest thing was that he wanted to avenge what Seon Wisoo had suffered with his own hands. Without having to dirty Seon Wisoo’s hands as well.

“So I’ll just send people.”

Jaekwon whispered as he swept Wisoo’s overgrown hair back and tucked it behind his ear.

“Let’s wrap things up quickly and get you discharged. You don’t like hospitals, do you?”

“…….”

“Why is there a bandage there?”

Wisoo awkwardly changed the subject. With a child on the way, and seeing as he had likely done a fair bit of investigating, it seemed he was pulling a trick as soon as the topic of the hospital came up, afraid that Jaekwon would bring up his secrets that he had not spoken of. Jaekwon smiled like a villain. This was because, of all things, he had gotten that bandage precisely because of Seon Wisoo.

“For putting in some pheromone regulators.”

As expected. Wisoo’s expression flinched.

“They said mine is too heavy for Mr. Seon Wisoo right now and could be harmful to the baby, too. So I’ve been regulating it, though temporarily, since before we met.”

“…They said there are medicines, or devices you insert in your arm.”

“I took out the device. I needed to get injections. It was at a level where oral medication wouldn’t work, so it had to be a bit special.”

“…….”

“It’s not like the daily shots Mr. Seon Wisoo got to become an omega.”

Wisoo’s expression, which had clouded over with worry, cracked with a sharp sound. Wisoo ducked his head low.

“…Did you find that out while investigating, too?”

“There was a doctor who told me.”

It was none other than the vice director, Dr. Son.

Dr. Son, upon receiving a generous sum in his Swiss bank account, had spilled everything. Jaekwon had to endure listening to the story, cracking his knuckles over and over again at the man’s ethical standards, which seemed to have thrown the Hippocratic Oath to the dogs.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo is a very healthy and amazing person, you know. They said there are almost no people who grow up this well after receiving such a procedure at such a young age.”

“It doesn’t sound like a compliment….”

“I should give you a compliment. It was something you did well. The one who did wrong is Jung Taegyu, so go curse at him.”

“…Anyway, please don’t go today. I have a bad feeling. I know Mr. Kwak Jaekwon doesn’t believe in words like these.”

“I believe you.”

Jaekwon pulled Wisoo into a tight embrace. He rested his chin on Wisoo’s head and pressed down just enough so it would not hurt.

“It’s cute. The nonsense Mr. Seon Wisoo says.”

He had no intention of telling Wisoo what he had done while he was gone. In fact, he was of the mind that it was better if he never knew. So, continuing to pretend he did not know Wisoo’s world was something he could do as much as needed.

Coincidentally, no sooner had he finished speaking than lightning flashed outside. Following a bolt of lightning that momentarily turned the world white, thunder boomed with a tremendous sound. The rain had started, and the weather was turning more severe than expected.

“See? I told you I had a bad feeling….”

Wisoo squirmed and burrowed into Jaekwon’s embrace. Jaekwon merely said in an indifferent tone, ‘The weather service should hire Mr. Seon Wisoo on special contract.’

❖ ❖ ❖

“You’re not at a point where you need to lie down for 24 hours. That’s a relief. But please stay lying down as much as possible.”

Wisoo listened intently to the voice coming through the crack of the door.

“Your recovery is also on the faster side, you’re doing really well at this point.”

Jaekwon, thinking of the version of Wisoo he had missed, of how he might have grown up if not for Jung Taegyu, tapped his foot on the floor in displeasure. Tap, tap.

“Um… but is there a reason you called for me separately instead of the vice director….”

At the question from the doctor standing before him, Jaekwon went, “Ah,” and lifted his head. Then he lightly squeezed and released the man’s shoulder as if it were nothing.

“That’s because you are more skilled, of course, doctor.”

He was a man of similar age to the vice director but had been pushed out in the hospital’s political power struggles. Jaekwon liked this man. The vice director position would soon be vacant, and with Wisoo’s unique condition, having someone he knew in a key hospital position would certainly be helpful.

After finishing the conversation and entering the hospital room, Jaekwon squeezed out some hand sanitizer and looked toward the bed.

“Come on, I’m not even scolding you, why do you keep pretending to be asleep?”

On the bed was a huddled pile of blankets. Of course, it was Wisoo hiding. At Jaekwon’s words, Wisoo sheepishly poked his head out.

“No, it’s just become a habit….”

I really should have destroyed him.

However, there was no one left to destroy besides Jung Taegyu. Kwak Jaekyung still had not regained consciousness, and wasn’t Kwak Bonyoung already dead and gone, having even had his 49th day memorial rite?

“I’m going to go catch Jung Taegyu today.”

“…Do you really have to go yourself?”

“I’m just going to confirm, just confirm. It’s not like I have handcuffs or a warrant. I’ll just see if he’s there and report it to 112, so don’t worry.”

“…….”

“Hey. What’s with that expression? I told you I don’t lie.”

It was not a lie. He would be getting help from the police, after all.

“I’ll just see his face and come back. Just his face.”

Jaekwon reassured the grim-faced Wisoo. As he kissed his forehead, he naturally brought his chin to it to check his temperature.

“No fever. That’s a relief.”

“Did they tell me not to move an inch from the bed?”

Having heard everything, Wisoo feigned innocence.

“As much as possible.”

Jaekwon did not lie just to scare him preemptively.

Soon, he changed his clothes. He put on jogger pants and sneakers with sturdy soles. Then, like his pants, he pulled a dark-colored anorak jacket up to his neck and pulled the hood down low.

“How do I look?”

Jaekwon turned and asked Wisoo, who was staring at him intently. Wisoo mumbled, his face half-buried in the pillow.

“Like a suspicious character.”

“That’s good. I’d like to see the sight of Jung Taegyu getting so scared he pisses himself.”

“Ugh. Gross.”

“Yeah. It is gross.”

At his openly disgusted expression, Jaekwon laughed cheerfully.

“I’ll leave Hwang Gujo here.”

“Can’t you not go alone…? It’s scary….”

“I’m taking private security guards. Don’t worry.”

The purpose was closer to that of private investigators than personal bodyguards. He expected greater efficiency than using a private investigation agency. Because he wanted to minimize the time as much as possible.

Using them, who were adept at concealing their tracks and did not shy away from harsh places like mountains or seas, was the best choice even in retrospect.

“I’ll be back, so get a good sleep. I’ll tell you good news when you wake up again.”

Wisoo pulled the blanket up so only his eyes were showing and watched Jaekwon’s back as he left.

His heart pounded. It must have been because it reminded him of when his parents left his hospital room.

He scurried to the window and watched the car, which he presumed Jaekwon was in, drive away. Seeing that, Wisoo hurriedly looked for Hwang Gujo.

Just before he went to the nurse’s station to ask them to make an announcement to find the guardian, Hwang Gujo fortunately returned. He, too, was in comfortable attire.

“Jaekwon just left. You heard the explanation, right? He’s not the type to hide things.”

“Let’s follow him.”

Wisoo said urgently. He was already struggling to take off his patient gown.

“Let’s go together.”

“Why? No, you’re not in a physical condition to go, Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

“Still, let’s go together.”

Wisoo spoke incoherently. His expression was anxious. Hwang Gujo tried to calm Wisoo down and make him sit, but it was no use.

“What if Jung Taegyu hurts Mr. Kwak Jaekwon like he did my parents?”

Wisoo was in a panic.

Hwang Gujo had only been vaguely considering the possibility, hoping it was not the truth, but when Wisoo uttered the words, he felt his hands and feet go cold.

“It’s okay if I just watch from afar. I won’t be a burden. Please….”

He more than fully understood why he was so afraid.

“And… I have the right. To see that person’s, no, that bastard’s end.”

There was not a single thing wrong with what he said. The extremely awkward profanity, on the contrary, showed just how sincere Wisoo was.

Hwang Gujo did not feel at ease either. Kwak Jaekwon was also his oldest, closest friend. Hwang Gujo eventually chewed on his lip and headed for the nurse’s station. As he went, he turned back and spoke firmly to Wisoo.

“I’m going to get the doctor’s permission. Wait.”

Wisoo waited anxiously. In Hwang Gujo’s hands when he returned was a wheelchair. He unfolded it wide, sat Wisoo in it, and then moved at a high speed.

“I couldn’t get permission for many hours. We will move as fast as possible, and with as little movement from Mr. Seon Wisoo as possible. You have to cooperate with me.”

❖ ❖ ❖

Perhaps thanks to the downpour last night, the sky was clear. Moreover, since it was still a weekday, the highway conditions were also quite cooperative.

“Maybe because Mr. Seon Wisoo and I stared at the road view until our eyes nearly popped out, it doesn’t feel like my first time on this road.”

Hwang Gujo tried to lighten the mood deliberately. Wisoo, knowing his intention, also smiled, but the smile was so awkward that it only made the atmosphere sink further.

Hwang Gujo let out a deep sigh and soothed Wisoo.

“I brought you because you were so scared, and I fully understand the reason, but you know this could worry Jaekwon even more, right?”

“I know….”

Wisoo answered gloomily.

“But if I hadn’t come, it would have been more agonizing.”

Wisoo answered blankly, his gaze turned out the window.

“My parents, and this ominous feeling of mine, I don’t know if any of it is real or not. It just all… everything… everything surrounding me feels fake….”

Even if it was an unwanted role, Jung Taegyu was a being who had constructed Wisoo’s world under the name of Teacher. Wisoo was in a state akin to experiencing an allergic reaction for which he had no immunity. He was anxious if Kwak Jaekwon was not by his side. But now he was even going to see Jung Taegyu…. He absolutely could not wait meekly in the hospital room.

“I understand.”

The day was bright, and Jaekwon had people with him. Hwang Gujo was confident that even if something were to happen, the targets would not be Seon Wisoo and Kwak Jaekwon. No, it had to be that way.

The parking lot was just a vacant, wide-open lot. Puddles had formed from yesterday’s rain. If not for that, clouds of dust would have been flying around.

“Was the mountain cabin in a high place?”

“Not really. It only took 30 minutes to climb up.”

“I don’t know why on earth he built a house here.”

“It’s too small to be called a house. Just, like a resting place….”

Hwang Gujo waited for Wisoo. Wisoo, having been firmly warned, moved very cautiously. Hwang Gujo, watching from the front, was worried Wisoo might fall backward, so he soon positioned himself behind him.

Wisoo’s stride as he walked ahead was narrow. Hwang Gujo identified that this mountain was a rocky one. There was no risk of slipping on mud, but it was the kind of place where if you fell, you would get a bad scrape somewhere.

“Step here. You have a good sense of direction, Mr. Seon Wisoo.”

“It’s because I had to at least learn the way.”

Wisoo answered as if it were nothing.

There was nothing to do on the mountain. It was painful. He was bored, and of course, he had no friends. As such, Wisoo had no choice but to store everything he saw in his head.

The weather was chilly, but a hike was still a hike. Hwang Gujo frowned, worried about Wisoo’s health. However, as they got closer to what was presumed to be the mountain cabin, Wisoo’s eyes shone. It was not a look of innocence, but the expression of someone on the verge of resolving a long-held, deep-seated emotion.

“I’m worried about Mr. Kwak Jaekwon, but.”

Wisoo mumbled, panting slightly.

“I’m also looking forward to seeing Teacher….”

Hwang Gujo felt a sense of déjà vu at Wisoo calling him ‘Teacher.’

There were many things to worry about. People who grew up in cult-like groups from a young age often find it hard to break free. A chill went down his spine. The thought of ‘could it be’ arose, but before he knew it, a flat patch of land appeared before his eyes.

“Mr. Seon Wisoo, could it be that….”

Without even a chance to ask, Wisoo stopped in front of the mountain cabin.

And in that spot were Jaekwon and Jung Taegyu.

❖ ❖ ❖

The security guards had confirmed that there was no one who could be a threat in Jung Taegyu’s house. Jung Taegyu was completely alone. Traces of him having cooked and eaten ramen by himself remained pitifully, and his grown beard showed the passage of time.

Jaekwon told the security guards to go down. If they were reluctant to descend the mountain completely, he told them to at least go to the mineral spring that was 500 meters further up.

The employer’s will was firm, so they could not refuse.

And looking at Jung Taegyu, who was forced to kneel in the yard, Jaekwon dragged out the time. Every time he tried to get up, he would press down on his thigh with his sturdy-soled shoe, inflicting pain. For 30 minutes, he did nothing but make him kneel.

It might have looked like he was doing nothing and just killing time, but that was not the reality. A fierce battle was raging inside Jaekwon’s head. He did not even realize 30 minutes had passed. While knowing he should never kill Jung Taegyu easily, and while intending to do just that, now that he was face to face with him, he was busy restraining the urge to tear him apart and kill him right away.

And while he was agonizing so much, Wisoo and Hwang Gujo arrived. At the sign of presence, Jaekwon turned around.

Someone who should not be here was there. Jaekwon frowned.

“What is this.”

A displeased voice flew at Hwang Gujo. Wisoo was faster than Hwang Gujo, who was trying to make the excuse that he could not help it. Wisoo rushed at Kwak Jaekwon. For a moment, Hwang Gujo flinched and almost subdued Wisoo without realizing it.

“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?!”

However, Wisoo did not even glance at Jung Taegyu.

“You’re not, hurt anywhere, are you?!”

Jaekwon was also flustered. As if hit by a small but powerful typhoon, he unknowingly raised his arms and cooperated with the physical inspection.

“I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine.”

Wisoo even unzipped Jaekwon’s anorak to check. Only after confirming there was no smell of blood did he feel relieved.

Because Wisoo had rushed at him, Jaekwon had ended up taking a step back. Thanks to that, even though Kwak Jaekwon’s foot was off his thigh, Jung Taegyu could not get up easily as he had been kneeling for too long.

“Ugh…. Wi, Wisoo.”

At the ghost-like voice calling him, Wisoo whipped around. Then, though it was futile, he tried to hide Jaekwon behind him. He stretched out his arms to shield Jaekwon’s body.

“Wisoo. Wisoo…. You’re very angry with Teacher. Yes, our Wisoo is very angry with Teacher….”

Wisoo stared coldly at Jung Taegyu’s servilely smiling face. Hwang Gujo felt a deep sense of apology for having doubted Wisoo even for a moment. Seon Wisoo had simply not been able to shake off a habit; he was in a state of having completely cut off all affection for and being thoroughly disgusted with Jung Taegyu.

So, the reason he wanted to see Jung Taegyu was something else. Not longing, but to confront him and bid a complete farewell.

“How could you do this just because Teacher… was harsh to you.”

Following his servility, Jung Taegyu offered something like a threat. But Seon Wisoo was firm.

“Why did you do that to me?”

Wisoo wanted to ask. He was genuinely curious.

“Why did you lie about treating me to separate me from my family, deny me basic things, abuse me, and try to brainwash me?”

“Brainwash!”

“Why did you… why did you sell me out?”

“I didn’t sell you out, you brat.”

“Have you never, not even once, felt sorry toward me?”

Wisoo did not tremble in the slightest when he said these words. It was because they were words he had practiced countless times in his mind. He was so, so curious.

Jung Taegyu shifted his buttocks slightly. While pretending he still could not get up because his legs were numb, he was slowly loosening his legs.