[Prosecutor Seo Min-jun Resigns. Following the Path to Political Prosecution?]

Chairman Yang stared at the newspaper he was holding. The new year had dawned, and Seo Min-jun, seemingly having waited for this moment, left the prosecution to join his father-in-law Kim Hyun-sik’s party and campaign team.

People were excited about this handsome young prosecutor full of righteousness and vigor, and thanks to him, Kim Hyun-sik’s approval ratings had visibly risen in just a few days.

A dragon born from a stream is trying to become a serpent. As he put down the newspaper and removed his reading glasses, Secretary Choi appeared with a knock. Behind him stood a tall, solidly built man. The man made a deep bow to Chairman Yang, then knelt and pressed his forehead to the floor.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Chairman. My name is Kim Young-taek. I’m from Jecheon and currently run a small business in Seoul.”

Chairman Yang picked up his pipe. Secretary Choi standing beside him lit it, while Kim Young-taek remained motionless in his bowing position.

“I hear your help was significant this time.”

“Not at all. Had I known earlier, I would have handled it myself. I’m deeply sorry for unintentionally causing you trouble.”

Chairman Yang laughed silently. Baek Soo-hyun had sought out Kim Young-taek to survive, but looking at the outcome, it was a poor choice. Kim Young-taek had changed his mind after learning that the person he was helping was someone Chairman Yang was pursuing. Having been in this field long enough, he surely knew what happened to people who fell out of Chairman Yang’s favor. So it seemed he had decided to protect his organization rather than maintain loyalty.

“So, when is it?”

“The 8th, in Busan. If you entrust it to us, we’ll take care of it.”

“I heard you two were in juvenile detention together. Will that be alright?”

At this probing question, Kim Young-taek’s expression darkened slightly. Chairman Yang tended to believe in physiognomy. People’s faces show traces of their lives as they age, and Kim Young-taek didn’t look like someone who would betray easily. Perhaps this quality had earned Baek Soo-hyun’s trust.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Chairman Yang nodded slowly.

“Very well then. Handle it your way.”

“Thank you.”

“You may go now. I don’t appreciate snake oil salesmen visiting my home first thing in the new year.”

Despite what must have been an offensive remark, Kim Young-taek showed no reaction as he stood up and bowed respectfully. I’ll take my leave now. As he turned to leave, Chairman Yang called him back.

“Do you know my grandson is looking for you?”

“I’ve been contacted.”

“Avoid him. He’s young but has quite a temper. Nothing good will come from crossing paths with him.”

Yes, I understand. After Kim Young-taek disappeared, Chairman Yang picked up the newspaper again and called for Secretary Choi.

“What’s Beom up to?”

“He stayed at the hotel yesterday, and according to the manager, he drank heavily until dawn.”

Chairman Yang clicked his tongue disapprovingly. His desire to eliminate Baek Soo-hyun wasn’t solely because of Seo Min-jun. His late son had been the same way. Never causing trouble his entire life, then suddenly turning against even his parents, bewitched by something. Had he remained under his father’s protection, he wouldn’t have died so meaninglessly. So for the sake of his only grandson, it was right to remove any troublesome elements from the start.

***

Ah, Ho-beom winced at the headache that hit him the moment he opened his eyes. Getting out of bed, he picked up a discarded T-shirt and walked out to find an employee cleaning the chaotic living room. The person’s back looked remarkably similar to Baek Soo-hyun’s, causing Ho-beom to instinctively stride over and grab their arm. When he turned them around to check, it was an unfamiliar face. The other person also seemed quite startled.

Ho-beom’s brow furrowed fiercely.

“Who are you?”

“I-I’m the new cleaning staff assigned here today.”

“Didn’t they tell you not to come up when I’m here?”

At his chilling voice, the employee looked uncomfortable and glanced somewhere else.

“Well, they told me to clean immediately…”

Before he could ask more, Ho-beom noticed someone’s reflection faintly visible in the pool area. He heard Kim Woo-young’s voice, then the pool door opened and he appeared.

“You’re up? Are you okay?”

Ho-beom released the employee’s arm and gave Kim Woo-young a displeased look.

“Don’t send people up here without my permission.”

“How could I just leave this mess?”

Ho-beom surveyed the disordered room. True to Kim Woo-young’s words, it was a disaster. Broken bottles and glasses had scattered glass fragments everywhere, and furniture was damaged. Looking down at his hands belatedly, he noticed scabs from cuts and tears.

Ho-beom instructed the cleaning employee to return in the afternoon. After the employee hurriedly left, he went to the refrigerator, quenched his thirst with bottled water, and put a cigarette in his mouth. While searching for a lighter amid the mess, Kim Woo-young came over and lit it for him.

“Why are you doing things you never used to do?”

Ho-beom didn’t respond and roughly rubbed his face. The alcohol hadn’t fully worn off. He must have drunk heavily, as the smell of alcohol rose with each exhale of cigarette smoke. Still, he searched for his phone to check if any messages had come during the night.

“Is this all because of Baek Soo-hyun?”

“Mind your own business.”

“I’m just disappointed too. I didn’t realize the scarf would be a farewell gift.”

Ho-beom glared at the scarf Kim Woo-young was wearing. He really handed them out to everyone, just like promotional towels. F*ck, he might as well have embroidered ‘Farewell Celebration’ with the date on it. Even through his hangover, anger bubbled up.

“What will you do when you catch him? Kill him?”

Ignoring the question, Ho-beom stripped off his clothes and entered the bathroom. Turning on the cold water and soaking his body helped clear his mind somewhat. It had been ten days since Baek Soo-hyun escaped. Despite roughing up Kim Tae-shin in the search, there had been no significant leads. Kim Young-taek or whatever his name was had returned from China but then disappeared.

As his anxiety peaked, his nerves were on edge, and he hadn’t slept properly for days. That’s why he drank excessively yesterday, until suddenly his anger became unbearable. In this state, if he caught Baek Soo-hyun, he felt he might actually wring his neck rather than just break his legs. After letting the cold water soak his body for quite some time, he came out to find Kim Woo-young still on the living room sofa.

“Leave. I don’t want to see your face.”

Kim Woo-young was absorbed in his phone, and Ho-beom’s voice grew louder.

“Didn’t you hear me say go downstairs?”

Kim Woo-young looked back and tilted his head curiously.

“That’s strange…”

As Ho-beom tried to ignore him and return to the bedroom, Kim Woo-young hurriedly blocked his path.

“Beom, you know how good my eye for detail is, right?”

Before Ho-beom could respond with “what nonsense,” Kim Woo-young thrust his phone in front of his face.

“I think Baek Soo-hyun might have become a ghost.”

Ho-beom looked at Kim Woo-young with contempt.

“Stop taking drugs.”

Undeterred, Kim Woo-young urged him to watch the video. It was a YouTube video titled “Hongcheon Wheelchair Ghost” with over a million views. As soon as he pressed play, something suddenly jumped out from the darkness. Looking closely, it was a person in a wheelchair with long, flowing hair. After ear-splitting screams, the camera shook violently before cutting off.

Kim Woo-young turned the screen back and paused at the wheelchair section.

“This is super hot right now.”

Ho-beom retorted with a menacing expression.

“So what? You want me to go ghost hunting? Should I make you a ghost first?”

“Don’t get angry, just look carefully.”

Ho-beom couldn’t see what he was supposed to notice. It was dark, and the face was completely covered by hair, making it impossible to identify properly.

“You know Lee Seo-yun, right? The model. She wore this kind of wig when she came here to hook up with me. She asked me to find it because it was expensive. But it disappeared without a trace the next day. Didn’t Baek Soo-hyun wear a wig when he escaped?”

Ho-beom recalled the footage of Soo-hyun’s escape. The curly hair did look quite similar. However, there could be many similar wigs. But… his gaze slowly moved down the video. His eyes sharpened as he discovered something.

He captured a still from the video and zoomed in as much as possible.

“I told you to look at the face. Why are you looking at the legs—”

Kim Woo-young stopped mid-sentence and made a surprised sound.

Ho-beom clenched his teeth and urgently called Park Tae-jun.

“Tae-jun. Come here right now.”

***

The man in the next room must have had a severe cold, as he suffered all night and hadn’t recovered by morning. Soo-hyun looked for medicine but found only a few painkillers left. Though he wanted to leave immediately, he couldn’t abandon a sick person.

Soo-hyun gathered his valuables and drove out. He parked in a distant downtown area, covered his face with a mask and hat, then visited a pharmacy to purchase various medicines. Next, he went to a soup restaurant. After ordering takeout soup, he sat in a chair waiting and noticed his mud-covered sneakers.

The sneakers were among the expensive items he had received from Yang Ho-beom when he started working at the hotel. Now they were filthy and ruined. What good is a luxury brand? Even shoes follow their owner’s fate. Feeling bitter, he pulled out some tissues, dampened them, and wiped the outer surface of his shoes.

While waiting for his packaged food, two men entered. They ordered hangover soup with soju and turned on the TV. Soo-hyun, who had been sitting absentmindedly, looked up at the familiar name coming from the TV. Seo Min-jun’s face appeared on the screen.

[The Korean Party’s recruitment of Prosecutor Seo Min-jun is interpreted as an attempt to refresh the party’s image and capture the young vote. Meanwhile, Prosecutor Seo Min-jun expressed his ambition to stand with the powerless and create a just and fair society.]

Resignation? Seo Min-jun? So he really quit being a prosecutor to become a politician. Soo-hyun was astounded and incredulous. How dare someone like you talk about justice? As he gritted his teeth and glared fiercely, he overheard the newly arrived customers talking.

“If he plays his cards right, he could become the next Kim Hyun-sik.”

“Nah. It’ll be tough this time.”

“Why? His approval ratings have risen thanks to his son-in-law.”

“We’ll have to see it through. If something blows up, it’s all over.”

Just then, the restaurant owner came out with the packaged food. “Two orders of sundae soup are ready.” Soo-hyun slowly rose from his seat. The two men were still arguing about who to vote for.

“That’ll be 20,000 won. I added extra since it’s takeout.”

“Thank you.”

He took out a 50,000 won bill from his wallet and handed it to the owner. Suddenly, he wondered if everyone saw Seo Min-jun that way.

“Owner, do you also think Prosecutor Seo Min-jun is righteous?”

The owner, giving him his change, smirked.

“How would I know? They say so on TV, so I guess that’s how it is.”

A bitter taste filled his mouth. That’s how they are. They can use the media to turn victims into perpetrators, cover up crimes, and manufacture justice where there is none. So for someone like me with nothing, it’s right to lie low and hide. Generally, if you know your place, you won’t die early.

He knew all this. He knew, but…

Damn, I still can’t help feeling angry.

Stuffing the change into his pocket, Soo-hyun finally left a parting comment to the restaurant owner.

“Don’t believe it. That bastard is full of lies.”