The Taste of Lies Chapter 5

Youngmin recalled the student he’d met by chance at the bus stop. Had he made it home safely? Had he finished the sports drink? Why had he been there at a time when others would be at school?

Rotten seed. Bad seed.

No matter how many times he turned it over in his mind, those insults were too harsh.

Youngmin headed toward his rented room, thinking of the unanswered greetings he’d had no one to give.

Contrary to the old officer’s claim that he was in and out of the patrol station for brawls day in and day out, over a week into his duty, Youngmin hadn’t been able to see Sangtae. Instead, he had to endure becoming a new spectacle within the station, facing the flood of civil complainants—or rather, gawkers in the guise of complainants—who poured in.

No matter where or how the rumor that he was the police chief’s mistress’s son had leaked out, people crowded into the station just to get a look at his face. They came bearing false complaints, claiming they couldn’t live with the noise—whether from the neighbor’s dog or the back alley’s chicken, they didn’t know, but it was unbearably loud, so please do something about it.

Even when he said his hometown was Incheon and that both his parents were alive, they didn’t believe him. The people of Mukhyeon knew nothing but gossiping about others, got bored when they had nothing to chew on, and were humans whose long lives were a curse.

“Really, it’s not true?”

He even got the same question from his patrol partner. Youngmin deliberately stepped on the accelerator. With a scraping sound from the underside of the vehicle, the patrol car rumbled over the speed bump. Officer Kim, whose temple had banged against the window, rubbed his head and shot Youngmin a fox-like glare.

“If it’s not, just say so with words. Hey, you! You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“I’m sorry, sunbae-nim. This is my first time driving seriously since getting my license…”

Youngmin played dumb with a straight face. The earnest expression he wore while making his excuse only stoked Officer Kim’s anger.

“Then you should be even more careful…!”

Ssshh, ssshhh. Static crackled over the radio.

—Mukdul, Mukdul! Can Mukhyeon Patrol Station Patrol Team 2 respond?

“Let’s talk later. This is Mukdul, we can respond. What’s the matter?”

After a warning, Officer Kim grabbed the radio. Youngmin found him pathetic. Without a reply, he listened to the words coming through the radio.

—A report came in that a brawl broke out at the empty lot near the Garasan Reservoir behind the township office. The reporter is the duty officer at the reservoir machine room, and he said it was so intense that it seemed like someone would have to die for it to end, so he reported it. He said it’s probably just the local technical high school kids, but he told them to lock the door and stay put until the police arrive so they don’t get caught up in it. Anyway, please respond. Be careful. Over.

“Yes, copy. Mukdul is heading to the Garasan Reservoir empty lot. Over.”

Youngmin turned the car around. They say quick response is the lifeblood of police work, but driving fast on rural roads with few streetlights in the pitch-black dawn wasn’t easy. Moreover, they had been patrolling in the opposite direction from the reservoir. It wasn’t until 20 minutes after the report time that the patrol car arrived at the scene.

The brawl was already over.

Among broken soju bottles, dozens of cigarette butts, and black plastic bags melted and stained by glue, one pale thing lay scattered about.

Squinting, he saw it was a student in a white school uniform shirt.

“…Damn it. That hurts like hell.”

A familiar voice.

It was that student who’d disappeared with the sports drink from the police station.

Kim Sangtae.

Youngmin quietly repeated his name in his mouth.

∞ ∞ ∞

“Oh, why are you so late? I thought I’d have to clear away a corpse.”

The light came on in the container makeshift building. A middle-aged man in a cotton tracksuit ran out and clung to Officer Kim’s forearm. Officer Kim surveyed the empty lot and answered gruffly.

“Is this really a brawl? Where’d everyone go, leaving just one guy?”

“It is a brawl. As soon as you guys came up the hill with your sirens blaring, they scattered like ants caught in the rain.”

The middle-aged man elaborated.

To Youngmin’s eyes, it looked less like a brawl and more like a one-sided gang beating. Delinquent boys bound by blind loyalty wouldn’t abandon their crew and run away. Youngmin shouted toward the empty lot.

“Kim Sangtae!”

The student started to run, then stopped and flinched. Sangtae looked back, clutching one arm. A question mark hung over his tilted head.

“You know me?”

“…”

“Of course I know you.”

As Youngmin hesitated, Officer Kim stepped in. He told the middle-aged man he’d contact him if needed, coaxed him back into the makeshift building, and approached Sangtae. Slapping Sangtae on the back, he said loudly.

“Whew, you’ve sure been in and out of the station. The cops in this town could recognize you just by looking at your toes.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re amazing.”

Replying half-heartedly, Sangtae was looking at Youngmin. The gaze flying straight at him stung like an arrow. Youngmin scratched his cheek with his finger for no reason.

“Youngmin, you keep an eye on this kid. I’ll take a look around.”

“Yes, sunbae-nim.”

Grabbing a large flashlight, Officer Kim left. Youngmin tugged Sangtae by the forearm. Caught off guard by the sudden force, Sangtae was helplessly pulled along.

“Do you eat regularly?”

“You’re that ahjussi from before. Yeah, I eat.”

Realizing belatedly, Sangtae twisted his body. Youngmin forcibly pried his hand off his forearm and shone a penlight on it. Blood beaded on the skin, as if he’d scraped it falling to the ground. The arm he held in one hand was gaunt.

“Lying won’t do.”

“I’m not lying. I said I eat well, didn’t I?”

Snapping, Sangtae shook his arm free. Despite his appearance, Sangtae was quite strong. The fist caught at the tip of the penlight was red. So he hadn’t just been taking hits. Youngmin muttered to himself and grabbed Sangtae by the shoulders with both hands.

On a night in early spring, the weather was still cold, and Sangtae ended up feeling Youngmin’s body heat. The moment their noses brushed, Sangtae’s eyes shook widely.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Breathing roughly, he shoved Youngmin’s chest. His heart contracted as if squeezed. Sangtae covered his mouth with his hand.

“Didn’t drink, didn’t smoke. And you surprisingly didn’t huff glue either.”

After checking the back of his neck, his lips, the tip of his nose, and finally the smell of his hair, Youngmin took a step back. Sangtae was glaring up at him as if wronged. Unable to fathom why, Youngmin also widened his eyes to match his.

At that indifferent face that showed no inkling of understanding, Sangtae’s anger flared up.

“I thought you were going to kiss me!”

“Me? Why?”

“No, that’s not it!”

Youngmin couldn’t understand why Sangtae was angry. It was impossible to make out each other’s complexions in detail in the darkness. Still, he could tell Sangtae was getting heated. The temperature of their close-pressed bodies was hotter than before.

“I was just checking if you’d huffed glue.”

“I don’t do that crap!”

The calm response only poured oil on the fire. Sangtae yelled loud enough that Officer Kim, who had gone far, turned around. But he soon deflated.

“…Fuck.”

He kicked at the ground in vain. Dust scattered over the dry earth.

“Fuck, ah, fuck. This is so embarrassing.”

“…”

Youngmin bowed his head to suppress a rising laugh. He kept his mouth tightly shut so Sangtae could feel embarrassed without restraint.

If he laughed now, he’d likely earn the resentment of Sangtae, who had made such an absurd misconception. Even if it was a trivial incident, it would be a blow to that kid’s pride. For some reason, Youngmin didn’t want to be disliked by him.

The torn school uniform shirt looked cold. Youngmin took off his thick police jacket and draped it over Sangtae’s shoulders.

“No CCTV, and no evidence to pin down who the culprits were. …Hey, Ma Youngmin. Why is he wearing your clothes?”

Returning, Officer Kim frowned and shone the flashlight at Sangtae. Sangtae also shrugged his shoulders and blinked, then turned his gaze to Youngmin. The flashlight beam followed his line of sight.

“I put it on him, sunbae-nim.”

“Why? He’s not a girl.”

“Exactly.”

Officer Kim’s remark drew a chorus from Sangtae.

“It’s cold out. He’s still a kid—”

“I’m not a kid.”

“Enough. Get in.”

Youngmin ignored Sangtae’s protest and shoved him into the back seat of the patrol car. Then, without giving him a chance to retort, he slammed the door shut.