Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Sudden Situation (2)
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Even under the soft lighting, the photo gleamed with a fresh luster, clearly printed not long ago.
Shin Sang-yeol picked it up and compared it to the one he'd pulled from his pocket with the photo Moon Seok-il offered.
Despite the difference between black-and-white and color, they resembled each other enough to confirm it was the same person.
"Looks like a match. Mind filling me in on the details?"
"That wasn't in the request. If you want more, double the pay."
Shin Sang-yeol instinctively shrank back at Moon Seok-il's husky voice, nonchalant as ever.
He scratched his ear awkwardly. Special class above first-grade, they said—and the aura alone was no joke. No wonder it was so hard to even make contact. Rumor had it his predecessor, Manager Baek Young-rim, had wet himself a little just sitting across from the guy.
"Yeah, well, that's not the point. But this photo alone doesn't prove anything, does it? The original request was—"
"To kill him."
Moon Seok-il cut in quietly. Slow, but his timing was pinpoint sharp.
Shin Sang-yeol forced an awkward smile, his face paling.
"Ah, I think there's a misunderstanding—"
"Bring him. Or don't—that's fine too. That's what the woman requested. Cut the word games."
Shin Sang-yeol let out a long sigh. Only then did the tension ease, and work mode kicked in. He prided himself on handling business with ice-cold precision. Meeting someone from a different world had thrown him off for a moment, he realized.
The corner of his mouth twitched up slyly.
"Right. What I mean is, show me the results. Anyone looking at this photo would say the guy's alive."
"He was. Before I handled it."
The photo showed the sky, buildings, passersby, and a few cars blurred around the model.
It was a sneaky shot of Son Gwang-yeon laughing heartily as he left the medical center. Probably right before suggesting they grab some pork cutlets. For some reason, his son seemed to hate the stuff.
'What a weird kid anyway. These days' youngsters go nuts for pork cutlets.'
Moon Seok-il pushed the newspaper toward Shin Sang-yeol, briefly reminiscing about that day.
Shin took it and found the short article, kindly underlined in red marker.
「OO Province, 〇〇 City Vehicle Plunge, Driver in 30s Dead」
······ The car had burned completely, the body badly mangled, and so on.
"Hmm, too bad. Would've been nice to verify the aftermath too."
Even as he said it, Shin Sang-yeol was grinning. Downright sinister, even. But it made sense—one could hardly complain about not seeing corpse pics.
At the core, he'd taken on a dirty job, but now he could report completion. Joy bubbled beneath the unease.
'Birds of a feather.'
Working for someone who ordered hits—figures they'd breed that kind of character, Moon Seok-il thought with an inward shake of his head.
"The cops probably have more detailed evidence. If you're hiring a killer, you ought to have ways to dig that up."
"Sure, the other staff'll check that. But your rep precedes you in our office."
Shin Sang-yeol mumbled "office"—secretarial or personal affairs, he blurred it.
He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and stood, pocketing the photo and paper.
"We'll deliver the success confirmation after final checks."
Moon Seok-il nodded. Shin offered a handshake, but he ignored it, wetting his lips with barley tea instead. Still, the eyes hidden behind sunglasses glared at Shin to the end.
Clean-cut look like a square, but those sharp, venomous eyes didn't match the round face. Snake eyes. Left a bad taste.
Sure enough, Shin flicked his eyes to the cafe corner.
"Well then."
He dipped his head lightly in farewell and turned.
After Shin left the cafe, Moon Seok-il stroked his chin and murmured.
"Tail him. Dig deep."
Time to prepare a counterattack. Not just for Son Jin-hyuk.
Moon Seok-il's crew was fully exposed too.
He lingered over 30 minutes more after Shin was gone. No plans to savor music or romance. Just killing time to check in with his colleagues' progress.
The dim interior lighting suited the black night. More than the streetlights flooding the glass windows like daylight. The sticky foreign tune—no clue from where—fit his mood too. Some auntie-voiced chanteuse warbling; chanson, maybe.
'Expected it, but these guys are filthy.'
Tails had stuck since taking the job. From errand runners to gangsters, retired spec ops. Whether distrust in his skills or monitoring quality—who knew. He shook the amateurs, but the clever trackers were trouble.
He'd told Kim In-rang and Kang Hyeon-chang to grab some, but they chose suicide. Poison or jumping high. Choices from industry vets knowing what torture awaited.
'Lucky I skipped home.'
Almost exposed his colleagues' families. Complicated routes were industry textbook; trackers wouldn't complain.
'Won't fool 'em forever anyway.'
Moon Seok-il smelled it sharp from the client. The musty stench of an imugi shielded by money walls. Those types never quit. They had Son Gwang-yeon's location pinned too.
'Still, I staked my life on the promise.'
Money was just a contract tool—spit it back or return it, done. But a death pact backed by life? Only death broke it. He could die for friends, but not watch them get hurt.
'What the hell was that thing?'
Moon Seok-il's spine prickled recalling Chuseok nightmare. Sharp, hard goosebumps like snake fangs.
Binding to prevent betrayal, no resistance allowed. A grim reaper explained it well enough······.
He shuddered.
Beep-beep-beep. His watch alarm snapped him out.
Thirty minutes since Shin left. Reliable colleagues shadowing the snake-eyed man like ghosts.
Moon Seok-il left without lingering.
As he headed out, four men in the corner rose, reflected in the glass door. No surprise. Predictable foes were easy prey. Surviving that countryside monster's grip made these "fixers" look like one-legged rabbits.
'Cute bunch.'
Moon Seok-il's blank face cracked a sly smirk on one side.
"Jin-hyuk asleep?"
"Not yet."
Jin-hyuk couldn't sleep a wink.
Skipping his daily workout left him buzzing with energy, plus the kids had his arms pinned left and right, fidgeting. He'd hoped for a rest day, but it felt more like prison. People really do live up to their nicknames, he thought.
"No, just lie there."
Hong Gi-jun gently pressed down on Jin-hyuk's chest as he tried to sit up.
A faint, restrained whiff of booze from his breath. He'd said work tomorrow—must've stuck to one sip.
"Uncle's been busy, barely saw our Jin-hyuk's face after you came. So I popped up."
"Yeah."
Jin-hyuk lay still, rolling his eyes to look at Hong Gi-jun. Silly pose, but what could he do when an adult said stay put? Teenage Son Jin-hyuk listened well.
But had the guy always been this big? Looming in the dark room, he seemed gigantic. Sein Group vice chairman already. He hadn't been so aggressive in business before—impressive growth even knowing the future.
He'd made group chairman once, but only thanks to his wife's efforts, no greed for fame or fortune. Maybe Dad's rural success spurred him, pulling that timeline forward a decade-plus.
As his mind spun, Hong Gi-jun asked softly.
"No troubles?"
Not army— what troubles?······.
It's your daughter wearing me out. Awful sleeping habits.
Couldn't say that······.
"Some weirdos snooping around Chuseok."
"Weirdos? Land buyers come by plenty."
"They watched our house all day."
He'd only vaguely told Dad about suspicious folks. Full truth? Content too wild. Who'd believe he knocked 'em out cold with rice cakes?
Anyway, he'd planned to spill eventually. Grateful for the prompt.
Hong Gi-jun's breathing quickened.
Backlit by darkness, Jin-hyuk still sensed his eyes sharpen fiercely.
"Stalking?"
"Yeah. For sure."
All he could hope was Hong Gi-jun believed him. Couldn't admit bullying Moon Seok-il's crew out of intel.
"Built like athletes. Land guys have beer guts; these didn't—sunglasses, short hair, pinstripe suits."
Pinstripe suits? Big deal, but Jin-hyuk relayed observations raw. Come to think, land guys weren't pinstripes either.
Hong Gi-jun, listening silently, asked.
"Unsettled even with bodyguards?"
"Yeah. Mom and sis are weak."
Hong Gi-jun sighed shortly, patting Jin-hyuk's chest with his palm.
"Don't worry. Sleep sound."
"But Mom and Dad—"
"Said don't worry."
Man wouldn't let him speak.
Just wanted to check if parents were asleep.
Uncle don't get me.
Right on cue, Yu Se-ra's laughter floated from downstairs. Not asleep.
Mom and Yu Se-ra turned chatterboxes together.
"Uncle'll handle it. Live fun, Jin-hyuk."
A grave, low tone rare from cheerful Hong Gi-jun.
Something about it thumped Jin-hyuk's chest.
"Sleep. Long trip, you must be beat."
"Yeah."
No sooner had Jin-hyuk answered than Yu-jin hugged his neck, whispering in his ear. Sleep-induction babble for his ears only, Son Yu-jin's specialty.
'Sleep. Your gnome elite feud boss.'
Like anesthesia, fading awareness snapped off.
Hong Gi-jun watched, amazed. Mid-convo, the kid conked out.
"Su-jeong, I'll take—huh?"
Simultaneous.
His daughter ignored his arms, magnet-pulled to Jin-hyuk instead.
Hong Gi-jun chuckled and turned away cleanly.
Opening the door to leave, he glanced back.
Mouth smirked, eyes held a crafty, stingy smile.
"Take care of our girl."
Sincerity unspoken till now.
The adults' warm time ended; night deepened.
The door slid open softly as Hong Gi-jun entered.
He perched on the bed's edge, patting Hong Su-jeong's butt.
He knew his wild-sleeper daughter wouldn't nod off easy if woken.
Fuuu—.
A long sigh like a grudge-bearing soul.
Booze lending courage? Confirming all three on the bed asleep, Hong Gi-jun murmured softly.
"Not sure if you saw the report in the chairman's study. Childish ploy. Hoped if you were that person from back then, you might help."
Hong Gi-jun's eyes misted deeply.
"I don't know everything. Impossible for a normal brain—can't even remember yesterday's econ news."
Not for any listener. Just a grumble to one returned from a now-alien past.
Hong Gi-jun was lonely.
No one to share it, but he wished this sleeping guy understood. Only he knew Jin-hyuk's long solo struggle.
"Tried it, realized how tough. How risky reliving a life. Leading the group solo in unknown waves, no allies—"
Hong Gi-jun's mutter cut short.
Whoosh—!
The dark room darkened further as Jin-hyuk's shadow swelled.
Hong Gi-jun startled, clamping his mouth, curling defensively. Cat-nimble, cradling his young daughter.
The room-filling shadow glared angrily at Hong Gi-jun.
Straightening up, Hong Gi-jun narrowed his eyes.
The black shadow rippled like ocean waves—unfamiliar, but the voice rang familiar.
The being that bound him with loneliness-forged chains, surely.
Staring into the void where eyes should be, he spoke calmly.
"You've... been here all along?"
【I do not exist there.】
Hong Gi-jun nodded, still fixed on the shadow.
"There" meant not this space, lingering in its own place.
"Won't they wake?"
He nodded toward the three asleep in the dark.
【Impossible. Only imprinted souls hear my voice. For that slim chance, I've paused that world's time.】
Hong Gi-jun sighed deeply.
Relief or regret? Unclear expression.
"If you're not present, why now?"
【You hastened your death······.】
Ah, caught.
Hong Gi-jun slowly closed his eyes in acceptance, breathing steady.
The flame-like five years returned to him flashed by like a panorama.
Fierce yet happy flames.