Chapter 239
Chapter 239
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 239
Chapter Title: The Reporter's Escort
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Clunk.
The face of the person stepping through the door looked familiar. I flashed a grin and said,
"Funny running into you here. Reporter Kang."
"......"
Kang Yu-ha stared at me with a baffled expression. How should I put it? It was the look of someone eyeing an utter eccentric they couldn't comprehend.
Rattle.
Kang Yu-ha pulled out the chair across from me and sat down. It was where the detective in charge had been sitting just moments ago.
"A reporter just waltzing in like this—is that allowed?"
"The investigation's wrapped up."
"Ah, more anticlimactic than I expected. Figured they'd hold me for days and lean on me."
"Who does that kind of heavy-handed interrogation these days?"
Kang Yu-ha shook his head with a wry chuckle and spat out,
"Normally, no, you couldn't get in. But since I was the one who connected you with the detective here, it doesn't count as a security breach. They made an exception."
"I see."
"Of course, it helps to have good connections. That's how us reporters make a living."
As expected from a top-notch reporter.
Kang Yu-ha let out an incredulous laugh.
"You hit me up out of the blue talking about some tip for the public good. Then asking if I knew any cops with pull. Had me wondering what the hell you were thinking."
"Haha. It was pretty sudden, yeah."
"If I'd known you'd pull something like this, I'd have talked you out of it."
Kang Yu-ha spoke in a grave tone.
He'd once worked alongside violent crimes detectives, churning out in-depth crime reports, right?
He must have seen enough of this world's ugly underbelly to last a lifetime.
"If I'd known you'd slip a GPS tracker on yourself and infiltrate their hideout solo."
"Yeah, probably."
Any sane person would have. Even the detective Kang introduced asked if I was right in the head.
But time was tight, and I didn't have the patience for a full persuasion pitch.
In the end, it was half ultimatum before heading out with Hyun Tae-seong. The call stayed connected the whole time, so they'd heard every word.
It was only because of that connection to Kang Yu-ha that they even listened to my wild claims. If some average Joe like me with zero priors suddenly claimed to know the location of a chaebol's illegal party, most would just call bullshit.
"The detective was floored too. Even veteran cops gear up to the teeth before raiding a drug den. And here you are, a regular guy charging in half-cocked. Haah."
Was it too reckless? As I grinned sheepishly, Kang Yu-ha ran a hand through his hair and said,
"You're the first person with that kind of guts I've ever met, President Song."
"High praise?"
"Half and half."
So the other half's an insult.
Fair enough. From the cops' side, it must've been like a bolt from the blue.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought. Maybe because you know the reporter here. The questioning was pretty friendly."
"That's because there's no flight risk, the public interest is clear, and you cooperated fully."
Kang Yu-ha shot me a look like, Do I really need to spell out the obvious?
"Plus, your hair test came back negative."
"I was kinda looking forward to my first pair of cuffs. Oh, riding in the patrol car was a real thrill, though."
"......"
Kang Yu-ha reverted to that initial expression. The face of a scholar beholding the inexplicable.
"Why the hell did you do it?"
He bit out each syllable, sincerity dripping from every word.
Probably the first question on his mind the moment he laid eyes on me.
"Oh come on. I told the detective everything about my motives and goals during questioning."
"Public interest? For a brighter, cleaner society?"
"Something like that."
"President Song, let's cut the crap. I'm good at reading people, you know."
Kang Yu-ha fixed me with a steady gaze.
"At the very least, that shiny noble excuse doesn't fly with me."
"Isn't it polite to play along and pretend you buy it?"
Like some song lyric somewhere.
"I don't roll that way. I gotta dig until I know the truth."
His sharp eyes pursued me relentlessly. Well, yeah. That's always been your style.
'Even when everyone else missed Hyunmu's dark secrets—or pretended not to see them...' This guy had clung to it doggedly, vowing never to let it slip away. What could be scarier than an unbreakable pen? I'd resolved never to make Kang Yu-ha an enemy, and I let out a soft chuckle.
"......They kept getting in my way. And coveting what was mine."
I dangled a sliver of truth. Otherwise, he'd never let it go.
"Annoyingly so." Is that answer enough for you, Reporter? I swallowed the rest. Kang Yu-ha stood there dazed, like he'd been smacked upside the head, then gulped and snapped back to reality.
"How the hell did you even learn about this secret socialite party? How long have you known?"
"Reporter, this doesn't seem like the best spot for an interview."
I nodded toward the door. The detective with the scar across his cheek was leaning there, not sure when he'd returned.
"Ah, Detective Kim."
"Kang, what's with you? This ain't done yet."
Detective Kim gave Kang Yu-ha a sidelong glance.
"Sorry. Got a little carried away..."
"Forget it. Song Woo-yeon? Reference interview's over. Got a few more things to check, but you're good to go for today."
Detective Kim shuffled his papers briskly.
"It's late—past 3:30 a.m. Taxis only this early. Want me to call one?"
First bus wouldn't run for a while. I'd come in Hyun Tae-seong's car, so mine was back home. Normally I'd hitch a ride with Jo Yi-ruk or Baek Jae-ha, but they'd be asleep now... I glanced at Kang Yu-ha with a sly smile.
"......!"
Kang Yu-ha shot his hand up and shouted, "I'll take you home, President! I insist on escorting you!"
That's more like it. Nothing beats a car with just the two of us for a secure interview spot.
"Appreciate it, then."
"Yes, sir! I'll get you home safe and comfy!"
Kang Yu-ha hammed it up, then bustled over to open the car door for me. I stifled a laugh and accepted the escort. Click. The door shut, and Kang Yu-ha whipped out his phone. Not the nav app—recording first.
"Mind if I record?"
"Go ahead. Be my guest."
A true journalist's form. He started the engine and dove right in.
"So we're talking the secret socialite party tied to H Group's eldest son. Before we get deep, anything I need to watch out for?"
Thorough to a fault? My decision to partner with Kang Yu-ha for business felt spot-on. Just one condition from me.
"Keep the tipster's identity airtight secret."
Everything from tonight stays under wraps.
"Stick to that, and the rest doesn't matter."
The next morning,
The front page blazed with the scandal involving a major conglomerate's heir.
"Nom~."
The coffee aroma hit different today—so rich and inviting. That's the stuff. Nothing beats it for us caffeine addicts in the modern grind.
As I savored the kick waking my sleep-deprived brain, the office door burst open.
"Presiiiident!"
It was Hyun Ye-won.
No surprise there.
"What's up? This early?"
"O-oh, the news! Did you see the news today?!"
Saw it, alright. Kang Yu-ha nailed the splash. But I played dumb.
"News? What about it?"
"Y-you gotta see it! Right now!"
Hyun Ye-won shoved her phone in my face with the morning broadcast.
-Breaking news. Police raided a drug party at a luxury home in Seoul, apprehending multiple people caught using narcotics on site.
The anchor laid out the details crisply. Footage rolled of the mansion's exterior—the one I'd hit last night.
Cops had it cordoned off with police tape.
-The ringleader, identified as H—a scion of a major Korean conglomerate—is currently in custody.
There was Hyun Tae-seong, hat pulled low, cuffs on, being hauled away. Fast work.
-The bust came after an anonymous tipster provided police with precise details on the drug party...
My identity was fully anonymized. Good.
I'd asked to keep any involvement hush-hush, and they'd honored it.
'Statements sealed, records restricted. Gotta file a protection order with the court too.' Witness protection program? I'd probably testify at trial. They could clear the gallery... Bang!
"You saw it, right?!"
Hyun Ye-won thrust her face close.
"Yeah. Saw it."
"That's... Hyun Tae-seong."
"Is it?"
"Yeah! That's him! The guy sending you roses and causing a fuss, and behind the scenes...! Th-that psycho bastard!" That's the bigger issue right now? Baffling, but she was fuming, so I let it slide. Knock knock. Jo Yi-ruk rapped on the wide-open office door.
"Eek."
Hyun Ye-won trembled like a rabbit before a predator.
"H-ha. Sorry for the intrusion, President. We'll talk later...!"
She bowed quick and scurried past Jo Yi-ruk. He sighed deeply, shut the door, and stepped in.
"Why do you always indulge that Hyun girl?"
"She's cute."
All that chatter. Jo Yi-ruk eyed me like he couldn't fathom it, then spoke up.
"You've seen the news already, I take it."
"Yeah."
The whole world's buzzing about it—hard not to. After my reply, Jo Yi-ruk hesitated, then blurted, "......Did you know about this too?"