Hangover

My head throbbed, and my throat was parched. I must have had way too much to drink with Dae-hun last night. I could barely even remember how I made it back to the hotel.

Even after chugging a bottle of cold water from the fridge, the thirst wouldn't go away. I ended up heading outside to grab a bowl of hangover soup—pork backbone soup, to be exact. In Seoul, you could get this stuff twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. Seoulites were truly blessed. To think they could eat this whenever they wanted.

I returned to the hotel with a coffee in one hand. But now that I was back, I had absolutely nothing to do. No one to meet, either. I could have set up an appointment if I really wanted to, but I didn't feel like it. I just wanted some peace and quiet. Besides, the hangover was still lingering in my system. Damn those boilermakers. I wanted to lie down and rest.

I crawled into the crisp, rustling sheets and lay down. It had been a long time since I'd had the luxury of just idling around in bed like this. It was a lifestyle I couldn't even dream of back in the Philippines. By this hour, several guys would have already been drifting in and out of my penthouse suite. They would have been pounding on my door since early morning. I had no idea how there could be so many reports to hear and so many documents to sign. They never left me alone. Sometimes, I wondered if moving into that suite had really been the right choice.

Being in a space filled with absolute silence seemed to put my mind at ease. Everything that had happened in the Philippines felt like a distant memory. It seemed almost laughable now that I had stressed and agonized so much over a petty matter like Nam Yong-woo. So what if I spent a lot of money? I can always make it back. But the welcome quiet was short-lived; the prolonged silence soon began to make me feel uneasy. I turned on the TV. I needed some background noise. I decided to just leave the news on.

I had just turned on the TV, and it was already flooded with drug-related news. It was startling. This wasn't just about the hostesses at Gangnam room salons anymore. It wasn't a story exclusive to celebrities, artists, or gangsters. These were ordinary people. Average citizens seemed to be easily exposed to drugs now. I hadn't realized that narcotics had penetrated so deeply into everyday life.

Still, it wasn't entirely a negative sign. The fact that drug news was so prominent meant that it was still considered "shocking." It was still a novelty. If drugs were truly widespread and deeply integrated into society, they wouldn't even make the news. Just like the neighbor's kid getting blackout drunk and throwing up in the apartment hallway doesn't make the evening broadcast. Once drug abuse became completely normalized, accidents caused by high drivers wouldn't even be worth reporting. They would simply become too common. The public's perception of drugs would shift accordingly.

Therefore, Korea wasn't completely ravaged by drugs yet. Rather, it was in a state of panic, screaming, "Oh my god, what is this?!" as the drugs first began to pour in. People were just shrieking in surprise at a situation they had never experienced before. The solution was simple: cut off the smuggling routes. Since it was difficult to manufacture drugs domestically, all they had to do was block them at the borders. If they could just stop the drugs from entering, the problem would be solved. Yet, there was no way to stop it. China kept pushing drugs into the country. Cowardly bastards. If they wanted to make money that badly, they could make a fortune selling to their own population of 1.4 billion. I couldn't understand why they insisted on selling to a tiny country like ours. Were they really that terrified of their own death penalty? We all have to kick the bucket once anyway, so why not go out doing what you want?

In the afternoon, feeling a bit stiff, I went for a run along the Han River. It was absolutely magnificent. The Han River stretched out right next to the trail. The wide-open sky and the city skyline created a breathtaking view. On top of that, the path was beautifully paved and well-maintained. It was flat, perfect for running, and equipped with convenience stores, restrooms, and benches at regular intervals. Perhaps because of the river breeze, even the air felt clean. Best of all, if I got tired while running, I could head back whenever I wanted. I could hail a taxi, hop on the subway, catch a bus, or simply walk back into the city center. There was truly no place like this. It was the ultimate running course.

Midway through my run, I stopped by a convenience store to try the famous "Han River Ramen." I wasn't particularly hungry, but I wanted to experience it. They said it was the trend, after all. Sitting on a bench, looking out over the water while eating ramen, I finally understood why it had become such a sensation. It was ninety percent atmosphere.

As I ate, I observed the diverse crowd filling the Han River Park. Couples on dates eating ramen. Friends who had brought picnic mats to enjoy chicken and beer. Cyclists. People doing light workouts. Everyone was enjoying the Han River in their own way. Watching them brought back the news reports I had seen this morning—stories stained with the shadow of drugs. It was a warning sign that narcotics were creeping into daily life. Having dabbled in the drug trade myself, even if only a little, I knew exactly what the next step would be. The number of people shooting up in dark basements would steadily grow, turning them into addicts. Once the addict population swelled, those shameless bastards would crawl out of the shadows to shoot up and enjoy their high in broad daylight. These clean streets and parks would soon be overrun with drug addicts. Instead of people enjoying chicken and beer, the Han River Park would be packed with people lying around with needles in their arms. Just like San Francisco. Just like Philadelphia and Seattle. Seoul, too, would see drug abuse emerge as a massive societal crisis.

I didn't live in Seoul, but I could always return whenever I wanted. In fact, I wanted to return. To be honest, I liked Seoul. Part of it was because I grew up here, but even after living in other countries and cities, none of them compared to Seoul. It was clean and safe. The public infrastructure was top-tier, and public transit was incredibly convenient. Delivery services were unmatched, and amenities like hospitals and department stores were highly accessible. And, of course, you could get hangover soup twenty-four hours a day. But if nothing was done, this city would be consumed by drugs. The thought of a city like this collapsing left me feeling strangely unsettled. If I could, I wanted to stop it, but this wasn't something within my power to solve. I cleaned up my ramen container and began to walk slowly along the riverbank. I even took a few photos. I wanted to preserve this memory for a long time. This clean Han River. A riverbank that might not stay beautiful forever.

Team 3 of the Jeollanam-do Provincial Police Agency's Violent Crime Investigation Team had staked out in their car until dawn before finally calling it quits. No matter how long they waited, Seo Dae-hun and Gong In-bae never emerged. No one hung out at a room salon for six hours straight. They had likely slipped out through the back door. They had lost them completely. There was no way to even guess where they might be now. Still, they couldn't just give up and go back empty-handed. Grasping at straws, they began calling around to track down Dae-hun's whereabouts. Knowing it would take some time to get a lead, they headed to a bathhouse to wash up. Stepping out after a hot bath, they felt a bit refreshed. To grab some breakfast, they stopped by a nearby bean sprout hangover soup restaurant. Since it was early morning, the place was completely empty. Before long, bowls of clear bean sprout soup were served.

"Ah, this is great. So clean. How's yours?"

"It's delicious, sir."

"But seriously, how long has it been since I contacted those bastards? Why haven't they replied yet?"

"If we do get a lead, are we going to keep tailing them?"

"Of course. We have to get something out of this. We didn't come all this way for nothing."

"Yes... of course."

Detective Corporal Lee Gyeong-uk played along with his team leader's words out of obligation, but in truth, he was thoroughly displeased with the situation. He already had a mountain of work back at the office, but his team leader had dragged him all the way here. He had been forced to drive from Gwangju to Incheon, and then to Seoul. The driving, the stakeouts—everything fell on Gyeong-uk's shoulders. All the team leader did was sleep in the passenger seat and nag. Old fossil. Gyeong-uk just wanted to go back and do his actual job.

If the circumstances clearly indicated that Gong In-bae was some kind of kingpin and there was solid evidence of criminal activity, Gyeong-uk would have gladly participated. He would have stayed up for days to keep watch. But that wasn't the case here, was it? The team leader's speculation was wildly out of hand. Gong In-bae and Seo Dae-hun's actions were perfectly reasonable and easy to understand. He already knew they were classmates from the Special Warfare School. And since In-bae's father had passed away, Dae-hun had simply stepped in to help act as a chief mourner. People who wanted to stay on their good side had shown up to pay their respects. That was it. What else was there? Oh, the fact that so many people came from the Philippines? Well, since In-bae worked in the Philippines, of course people from the Philippines would come to offer condolences. If someone worked in the US, people from the US would come; if they worked in Japan, people from Japan would come. The team leader was treating something completely natural as highly suspicious. Even if a detective's job was to doubt everything, this was barking up the wrong tree.

Even Jang Yun-mi, who had acted as a chief mourner yesterday, was just someone who had attended the funeral. She ran a travel agency and had a business relationship with In-bae. Naturally, In-bae had to show up. Yet, the team leader had caught wind of some baseless rumor and kept spouting nonsense about In-bae being the real power behind Daehun-pa, or some faceless boss. It would have been fine if he just kept the delusions to himself, but he was dragging Gyeong-uk along with him. Not wanting to engage, Gyeong-uk kept his head down and silently shoveled bean sprout soup into his mouth. He just wanted to go home.

Just then, an unfamiliar voice spoke up.

"Is the food here any good?"

Turning around, they saw Seo Dae-hun standing there alone. Both Gyeong-uk and the team leader gasped in surprise. Dae-hun casually pulled up a chair and sat down at their table.

"If the bean sprout soup is decent, I'll order a bowl. If not, I'll go somewhere else. Seoul is great and all, but there are too many places where the food just doesn't hit the spot. Jeolla-do has the best food, hands down."

"The broth is quite clean. You won't regret ordering it."

Unlike Detective Corporal Lee Gyeong-uk, who had tensed up at Dae-hun's sudden appearance, Team Leader Moon Gang-su casually shot back. Gyeong-uk knew his team leader had exchanged greetings with Dae-hun a few times in the past.

"Ma'am, one bean sprout soup, please."

After placing his order, Dae-hun looked directly at Moon Gang-su.

"By the way, Team Leader. Did I do something to offend you?"

"Huh? Offend me?"

"Yeah. You've been tailing me so much that I thought I'd committed some heinous crime. I was so terrified last night that I couldn't sleep a wink. See these dark circles? My skin is completely ruined from lack of sleep."

"Ahem."

"If I've committed a crime, get a warrant and lock me up. Otherwise, let's call it a day here. It's not like I've ever done you dirty, Team Leader."

"Hahaha. Listen to this bastard talk. Pretty soon you'll be giving me orders, eh?"

"You're getting slow on the uptake, Team Leader. I'm giving you a golden opportunity right now. What you're doing is illegal surveillance on a civilian. Illegal surveillance is a crime, right? So, before I file a formal complaint, I'm giving you a chance to correct your own mistake. It's not like we're only going to see each other for a year or two. Let's play nice and let this slide."

"What? You crazy son of a bitch, you've got a lot of nerve talking like that to a cop."

Enraged by Dae-hun's words, Moon Gang-su slammed his hands on the table and stood up, shouting. His chair scraped back and fell over, but fortunately, there were no other customers in the restaurant. Only the owner watched them with anxious eyes from behind the counter. Dae-hun, however, remained perfectly calm.

"Surely I can say this much? I'm just telling you not to break the law. Is that really something to get so worked up about? Don't you agree, Detective Corporal Lee Gyeong-uk?"

Dae-hun suddenly directed his question to Gyeong-uk. Gyeong-uk was already startled that Dae-hun knew his name, but being put on the spot like this made him freeze entirely.

"Uh..."

As a flustered Gyeong-uk stammered, Dae-hun kindly provided the answer for him.

"Don't bother answering. No matter what you say, it won't end well for you."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"So, are you going to stop here? Or are you going to keep pushing this?"

"Bwahaha. This is hilarious."

Moon Gang-su picked up his fallen chair and sat back down.

"Seo Dae-hun. Just because Daehun-pa is riding high lately, you think you're untouchable, don't you? Arresting a punk like you is child's play. What do you say? Want to try on a pair of silver bracelets right now? You've never worn them before, have you? We just got a brand-new model in. Want me to cuff you?"

"I'd appreciate that. How did you know I love brand-new things? Did you find that out through your illegal surveillance too? Man, you guys are thorough. But here's the thing, Team Leader. When I file my complaint, I'm not going to the police. Why would I do them any favors? I'm going straight to the prosecution."

"What? The prosecution?"

"Team Leader, you know how desperate those prosecutors are right now, don't you? Especially with all the talk about handing investigative authority over to the police. But what if a report of illegal police surveillance lands on their desks? What if they find out you treated an ordinary citizen with a clean record like a criminal? They'll launch an investigation immediately. And you know what prosecutors do best, right? Leaking. They'll leak everything to the media. The press will eat it up. And what will the police brass do then? They hate bad publicity, so they'll cut their losses and throw you under the bus. They'll claim it was a rogue operation, completely unrelated to official police command, and dismiss or suspend you. Why risk all that just to catch a guy like me? If you just leave us alone, we'll take care of our own business."

"You cheeky little bastard. You're pushing your luck. I'm barely holding myself back right now. If I blow my top, it's on you."

"What kind of bullshit is that? You're the one breaking the law, and you're blaming me? Try saying that in front of a judge. 'Your Honor, I am innocent. Everything happened because Seo Dae-hun talked back to me like a piece of shit.' What do you think the judge would say?"

"He'd say I did a great job and ask why I didn't beat the living daylights out of you instead."

"Oof, look at that confidence. I love it. Okay, I fully understand your stance, Team Leader. In that case, we'll have to adjust our actions accordingly."

"And what exactly can you do?"

"Well, think about it. Since you came all this way to spy on us, the Metropolitan Investigation Unit must have a lot of free time on their hands. Why else would detectives from the Jeollanam-do Provincial Police Agency be eating bean sprout soup in Gangnam, Seoul? It's because you have nothing better to do. So, I'm thinking of giving you some actual work. Come to think of it, we've been far too gentle for gangsters, haven't we? I tried my best to avoid trouble, but it seems all that effort was pointless. If I get treated like garbage whether I'm careful or not, why should I bother behaving?"

"You... keep this up, and I really will arrest you."

"Then fucking arrest me! How am I supposed to live with you constantly threatening and intimidating me like this? But let me tell you something, Moon Gang-su. If you want to arrest me, you'd better brace yourself."

"What? Moon Gang-su? Am I your fucking friend, you piece of shit?"

"If you were my friend, would I have ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠let you act like such a dumbass? I would've beaten some sense into you a long time ago. Whatever. I'm done talking to you. If you want to lock me up, bring a warrant. You know where to find me, right? Since you've been spying on me so much, you must know. Come find me."

Dae-hun stood up. He turned toward the exit to leave, but then spun back around as if he had forgotten something.

"Hey, Moon Gang-su. Everything that happens from this moment on is entirely your fault. Got ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that, you motherfucker?"

On his way out, Dae-hun slapped a hundred-thousand-won bill onto the counter.

"Ma'am, put their table on my tab. Sorry for the noise. Keep the change. I'll come back for the bean sprout soup next time."

Only after Dae-hun walked out of the restaurant did Detective Corporal Lee Gyeong-uk finally let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He looked at his team leader, who sat there dazed, his mind completely shattered. Moon Gang-su's eyes had lost their focus. In terms of logic and the actual situation, the team leader was entirely in the wrong. This was, without a doubt, illegal surveillance disguised as a routine investigation. Even so, Gyeong-uk found Dae-hun's behavior bizarre. The Seo Dae-hun he knew wasn't this kind of character. He had always been closer to a chivalrous rogue, but today, he had suddenly transformed into a cheap thug. Gyeong-uk couldn't help but wonder why.

Dae-hun walked out of the restaurant. Once he was outside, reality finally hit him, and he felt a sudden wave of self-reproach. You crazy bastard. He wondered if he had picked a fight for no reason, but he knew it was necessary. It was an action the usual Dae-hun would never have taken, but he had made a bold, calculated move. This was the only way to draw the spotlight away from In-bae.