Chapter 7

“Who are you?”

Despite her polite words, her voice was tense and forceful. Hiding the fear in her expression, Seoyun raised her voice again and asked once more.

She had no idea why men who looked this intimidating were looking for Jiho. Surely they were not debt collectors. If that were the case, they would be looking for her rather than Jiho.

Perhaps he had sensed people outside, because Jiho came out of the room after slipping on his slippers. He faltered when he saw the men, but then, as though he had immediately realized something, he walked over with an indifferent face.

“Song Jiho?”

“Yes.”

“Jiho. Wh-who are they?”

“Ah, they’re from school. Um…. The new professor. I guess he has something to discuss because of a class project.”

Even after hearing Jiho’s explanation, Seoyun was bewildered. No matter how important the project was, would a professor really come in person to see a mere second-year undergraduate student?

“Professor, I…. I’m sorry, but it’s not really suitable to invite you into the house, so would you mind talking at the café just ahead?”

“…….”

With a faint smile, Jiho lied with an easy, natural face. He had been uneasy that the men might question him in front of Seoyun, but there was no reply from them, nor any change in their expressions.

“Sis, go inside. I’ll talk with the professors and come back.”

“Do you have money? Wait a second, take some for coffee.”

“No, it’s okay. The professors will buy it.”

Jiho waved his hand and went down the stairs. The men silently followed after him.

Even after putting the wallet she had been about to take out back into her bag, Seoyun stood there for a while. Something still seemed suspicious, but Jiho’s words could not have been a lie.

He was a good younger brother who had never lied to her even once. Besides, his grades were so outstanding that perhaps a professor really might come looking for him.

I guess the engineering department has a different atmosphere from the humanities department I attended.

She tried hard to rationalize it to herself, but the feeling of unease did not go away easily.

***

The house located in a quiet village on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province had a simple exterior made with a zinc gabled roof and old red brick. Beneath the sky, where night had already fallen, the windows were brightly lit. It was a privately owned villa that Ijun visited from time to time.

Ijun sat on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other, a glass still half full of whiskey in his hand. His jacket and tie had been tossed carelessly over the armrest, and several buttons of his shirt had also been undone.

It was a disheveled appearance most employees would never have the chance to see, nor be allowed to. That much showed just how foul Ijun’s mood was.

“Song Jiho. So this is the culprit?”

“Yes, Executive Director. Now that I’ve seen the name, it makes sense.”

Chief Choi, who had hurried all the way to the villa and now stood there apologetically, nodded his head.

He had been given a day, but it had taken four days to identify the culprit. In the meantime, Ijun’s patience had been reduced to barely a single thin thread.

Ijun shot a sharp glare at Chief Choi, the stout man in glasses.

“What, is he famous?”

“Of course. There probably isn’t anyone in this field who doesn’t know Song Jiho. Ever since high school, he’s swept up just about every major competition, both in Korea and abroad, and when he won DEF CON in his second year of high school, it became something legendary.”

“DEF CON?”

“Yes. It’s the world’s largest hacking defense competition, held in Las Vegas every year. At the time, he was the only high school student to join the K Engineering College hacking team and participate, and I heard it was practically a one-man show by that kid. Even at that age, scouting offers poured in from all over the world, but for some reason he rejected every one of them and chose the rather ordinary path of entering the Department of Computer Engineering at Korea University.”

Entering the Department of Computer Engineering at Korea University, the top university in South Korea, was considered an ordinary path? Ijun, who had earned his bachelor’s degree from Korea University’s Department of Business Administration, felt somewhat displeased. Just what kind of world was that field?

Listening to Chief Choi’s praise of the culprit with a frown, Ijun narrowed his eyes. Then he lifted the report in his hand closer to his eyes.

It was the first page, filled line after line with the dazzling record Chief Choi had just been admiring.

“A second-year? Just a second-year college student?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

That brat, barely dry behind the ears, had dared pull something this bold?

As if he had sensed what was on Ijun’s mind, Chief Choi pushed up his glasses and spoke again in a somewhat excited voice.

“He’s a genius. People throw that word around easily these days, but Song Jiho is a real genius. If that kid had truly set his mind to it, I’d guarantee he could have become a cracker (black hat hacker) more famous than Anonymous, someone who could dominate the world.”

Ijun thought he understood a little why Chief Choi’s voice had gotten louder. Was he saying that since the other man was such an extraordinary figure, the matter of the company server being breached should be taken into account?

“So, you’re saying he’s being brought here right now?”

“Yes. As soon as his identity was confirmed, Chief Hyeon took members of the security team to his home and secured him. He should arrive in about ten minutes.”

Without answering, Ijun brought the glass in his hand to his lips.

It had been four days of his insides boiling and his blood drying up. Once Song Jiho arrived, how should he deal with him? He was like a ticking time bomb. If Song Jiho had moved quickly with money as his objective, then the countdown might already have begun, but Ijun could only hope that was not the case.

Ijun’s head ached so badly that he felt he had never agonized like this in his life.

How much time had passed? Car headlights shone through the window, and then the sound of a vehicle stopping in the yard could be heard.

Soon, the front door opened, and the heavy sound of footsteps along with signs of what seemed to be a struggle reached him. Ijun silently sharpened his attention.

“Executive Director, we’ve brought him.”

Chief Hyeon entered the living room first with quick steps, followed by a member of the security team. The large-built employee had hold of Song Jiho’s arm and was practically dragging him along.

Only after stopping in front of Ijun did the employee finally let go of Song Jiho’s arm roughly. Jiho, who had been resisting stubbornly the whole time, at last collapsed forward in front of Ijun, almost dropping to his knees.

Ijun looked down at Jiho with a dry gaze.

“Everyone, please leave us. I’d like to talk with this young man alone.”

At Ijun’s low voice, Chief Hyeon, Chief Choi, and the security team employee all quickly withdrew. Only Jiho, left kneeling in an unsightly way, remained before him.

Ijun slowly swallowed a sip of whiskey. Then he spoke.

“Instead of staying like that, why don’t you sit down.”

Hearing Ijun’s sinister voice, Jiho slowly got to his feet. The way he bit his lip hard made it seem he was feeling deeply wronged about something.

Fair skin and fine, delicate features. He still had a youthful face.

So much so that it was hard to believe he was the one who had done something so bold.

Why did he somehow feel strangely familiar?

At Ijun’s gesture of the chin, Song Jiho sat down on the sofa opposite him. He was trying hard to hide the fear in his eyes, but neither his expression nor his face looked like that of someone feeling sorry or guilty.

“All right. It’s a cliché, but should I first ask why you did it?”

“…….”

“No, actually, I’m not all that curious about that either. What’s done is done, so what should I do with you?”

Jiho gave no answer. Only his gaze, fixed on the floor, did not soften in the slightest.

The anger that had been writhing inside Ijun for days began to rear its head. But concealing his emotions was something far too familiar to Ijun.

With a scoff, Ijun picked up Chief Choi’s report again. What was the use of being a genius? He was still just a brat. He seemed to have some pride of his own and was putting up a childish sort of stubbornness, but that too would only last for a while.

“If you’re a Korea University student, you must have done pretty well in school. Do your parents know you’ve been going around doing this—”

Ijun could not finish what he had been saying. It was because he had seen the personal information for Song Jiho on the next page of the report.

Father: Song Jeonghun (deceased)

-former CEO of K-Cell

Mother: Hwang Jingyeong (deceased)

Older sister: Song Seoyun (27)

-graduated from Korea University, Department of English Language and Literature

-currently working part-time

Startled, Ijun looked at Jiho again. Still keeping his gaze fixed on the floor, Jiho muttered rebelliously, as if driving a nail into Ijun’s thoughts.

“I don’t have parents.”