Internal Affairs (2)
I stepped out of the room right away with Park Donghyuk. What met our eyes was Lee Euna, standing alone by the railing after apparently sending Kim Minhyuk on his way. The moment she spotted us, she hurried over with quick little steps.
"I sent Minhyuk back. But you should go check it out quick."
"What's going on?"
"Same old crap. That bastard Jungshik and his crew—they're doing shit even kids wouldn't pull. Every damn day, something blows up at the restaurant..."
Lee Euna's tone grew rougher. She must have been putting up with a lot from that Jungshik guy and his gang.
"Got it. Hey, Euna, come here for a sec."
Park Donghyuk called her over. They huddled together, whispering back and forth. Looked like there was something to it.
A moment later, Lee Euna nodded and approached me.
"Uh, Junyoung, follow me."
"Pardon?"
Wait, weren't we just going to check it out? The answer came from Park Donghyuk.
"There's no need for you to deal directly with those guys, Kim Junyoung. Just follow Euna here, and you'll hear everything we say."
"If there's an outsider around, they'll act different from usual," he added with a sly wink.
"But won't they think we're ganging up on them like some rigged go-stop game?"
Lee Euna chimed in with her opinion. Fair point—they probably would suspect that. No reason not to drag me along if they wanted to.
"Come on, if we were trying to trick you, why spill all the dirty details to an invited outsider? Besides..."
Park Donghyuk rubbed his face.
"If I'm rigging shit this stupid, just kick my ass out instead."
He let out a heavy sigh. Lee Euna patted him reassuringly.
"What would the rest of us do without you, Donghyuk?"
"Nah, I'm just saying. Euna, you know I ain't going anywhere. I'll stick around protecting everyone till I croak."
"Anyway, let's go see..."
I cut them off. I clearly wasn't suspicious of any setup right now—that wasn't the point.
Plus, they're planting all these needless flags.
Park Donghyuk caught on with an "oh shit" look, his flesh jiggling as he bolted off.
"Right, yeah! Catch you later! Keep an eye on things! Euna, he's all yours!"
"Uh, sure."
Park Donghyuk pounded down the stairs, huffing and puffing. From behind, he looked like he'd tumble if he tripped.
I watched him go, thinking,
Unexpected.
Guys built like that usually lived up to their looks, but he got along with Lee Euna and the old folks. From what I'd seen, he was selfless and worried a lot. Judging by appearances alone was a mistake, clearly.
Though he's got some dirt, no doubt.
For now, he was friendly toward me, and even if they pulled something, it wouldn't hurt me. So my call was to watch and wait.
As I stared after Park Donghyuk, Lee Euna sighed and said,
"I'm worried he'll drop dead running like that. Junyoung, shall we go? Better hurry if we wanna see what Donghyuk mentioned."
"Yeah, okay."
We headed down those stairs toward where Park Donghyuk had gone—not toward the residential area, but along the subway tracks.
"Watch your step. These stairs are rickety..."
"Got it."
We descended via the emergency stairs to the lower tracks. Just as we were about to enter a certain section, Lee Euna stopped and whispered,
"Keep quiet from here on. If they catch us, it's trouble. Uh, that came out weird, but anyway..."
She pressed a finger to her lips, fumbling awkwardly. She seemed the type to apologize even for a slip of the tongue—not some tough customer by nature.
I nodded to show it was fine.
"Yes, understood."
"Th-thank you."
I'd half-expected some secret hideout, so following the tracks was a letdown. Didn't pay much mind to her speech, though. Whatever—good was good. I followed her lead.
Lee Euna guided me slowly again.
"Let's go."
I stepped carefully after her.
Clack-clack.
"!!!!!"
"!!!!!"
As we moved along the tracks, noise started filtering in. Beyond the residential area formed along the upper subway lines at Northdong Station. From that restaurant they'd mentioned, some serious commotion was brewing.
Lee Euna silently pointed ahead, lips sealed now.
I nodded and headed that way.
Soon, Park Donghyuk's familiar voice rang out.
"So, why the hell are you doing this?"
"Hey, Agent Park. Just bring out Aunt Myunghee, problem solved."
"Deputy Kim's right, Park. Summoning a few bottles ain't a big deal."
A pissed-off voice from a guy in his fifties, and a sleazy one from a fortysomething.
Park Donghyuk sighed at the men.
"Sigh... Myunghee needs rest too. What can you do when her mana won't recover? Yeah? It's alcohol summoning, but limited amount per day."
"Don't be so stingy. What's so hard about summoning booze?"
"It ain't stingy—booze causes problems. Like last time, you started shit a few times. Yeah? And Minhyuk's off now, during mealtime—what're you even doing here?"
"Hey now, you saying we're in the wrong?"
"Tsk. Agent Park, you think your clout from big shots keeps you safe?"
"Huff. What does that matter? There's rules in this group, right?"
From the gist, some woman named Myunghee—Kim Minhyuk's mom—with alcohol-summoning powers. They were bullying her to bring it out. Park Donghyuk was trying to stop them.
Ridiculous.
No wonder Park Donghyuk sounded exasperated. I'd figured psycho awakeners rebelling, spies tied to raiders, or just lunatics causing chaos.
Just shaking down ability users for booze?
Maybe that's what they tried with Lee Euna last time—drunk bullshit.
As I stood there dumbfounded, not Park Donghyuk or the men, but Kim Minhyuk's voice piped up—the middle schooler from before.
"You're pissed 'cause you can't drink! What the hell are you doing?!"
He was yelling at adults, mad as hell again.
"Butt out, kid!"
"Bring your mom, you little shit. Quit the crap."
Of course, Kim Jungshik and his crew weren't pushovers.
A thump—like they'd shoved Kim Minhyuk.
"M-Minhyuk, your parents are sick. If you..."
Even Park Donghyuk tried reining him in. Sounded like the kid's folks weren't well.
Makes sense why they'd let the son act out.
From what I'd overheard earlier with Park Donghyuk and Lee Euna, Minhyuk didn't seem like a delinquent. Just a hot-blooded middle schooler facing bullies targeting his parents—especially sick ones. No wonder he was blind with rage.
"Even Agent Park tells ya to scram. Huh? Adults talking—beat it."
But Kim Minhyuk had hit his limit.
To the fortysomething's words, he bellowed loud enough to shake the underground.
"Who the fuck are you to talk about my mom, you piece of shit! Huh? You booze-guzzling, batshit-crazy, dickhead motherfuckers!"
"Piece of shit? Kid got no parenting."
"Fuck you. No parents, that's why you act like this, you dog! Booze now, you psycho?!"
"This little fucker."
A punch and a scream—thwack and aaagh.
Kim Jungshik's gang had hit Kim Minhyuk.
A thud as he crumpled, followed by curses.
"You fucking bastards!"
"Come at us, kid."
Left alone, a fight was inevitable. But Park Donghyuk intervened.
"Hey! Hey! Calm down, everyone. No fighting here. Look at the situation! Minhyuk, Minhyuk—I'll handle it, so go inside."
"Uncle Donghyuk, no point. Either I die or these fuckers do—we're settling this today. Move!"
"Agent Park, we let it slide before for your face, but not today. Discipline the kid. Or hand over what we want."
"Ghosts die from booze? Or kill with that shitty skill? Huh? Become murderers, you shits!!"
"Jesus."
Tension at a boiling point. Park Donghyuk's mediation failing this time.
Murmurs from onlookers—no one stepping in.
Those guys must have strong abilities.
As Park Donghyuk said before, they definitely had powers. Otherwise, no way he'd let boozehounds run wild.
Just as the fight was about to erupt...
"...Take this. Minhyuk, come here."
"Mom, but—"
"You gonna disobey? Park Donghyuk, hand this over."
"...You sure?"
"Yeah. They won't leave otherwise."
"Uh, okay."
"Ooh."
"Myunghee finally shows. Looking fine. Thought you'd hide till the kid died."
Myunghee—the one Minhyuk called mom—spoke, and the crisis defused. Minhyuk quieted; the men mellowed.
A clink of glass.
"Ooh, red this time?"
The men cheered.
"That's right. So quit harassing my kid and go."
"You got it. Look at the value here. Yeah, listen up and we're good."
The men's mood flipped to jolly in seconds.
"Let's roll, boss. Section Chief Choi. You know the drill?"
"Yessir. We'll prep. Deputy."
"Heh, take care, Minhyuk's folks."
They grabbed the booze, laughing as they left.
The restaurant buzzed with murmurs. Park Donghyuk barking orders.
"Minhyuk, Myunghee—head in. Everyone else..."
With his voice fading to background noise, Lee Euna tugged my sleeve.
"...Let's go."
Her face was scrunched—not a one-off. Flushed with anger now.
"Donghyuk'll be up soon. Wait over there."
"Sure."
"I-I know it's absurd, but yeah. Company went bust ages ago, but these bosses, deputies, agents... that's the problem."
"Ah, yeah."
Actually, she seemed embarrassed. Fanning herself as she walked.
I'd be too.
I let out a dry chuckle. Now I got what was going down here.
Amazing.
Reality's stranger than fiction, huh.
Something's off, though.
A few hitches, but with shortages of food, clothes, shelter—trapped underground—it was bound to happen.
And.
Now I see why he brought me in.
Why he'd proposed that deal, exactly.