Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Fury at the Gukbap House
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Lee Jae-hyun, who had been at the Incheon cafe, calmed down Song A-ram, who had grown emotional while explaining the incident.
“You feeling a bit better? Calmed down now?”
“……Ah, don’t ask. It’s embarrassing.”
She seemed to belatedly realize how she must look, dropping her flushed face and avoiding Lee Jae-hyun’s gaze.
Fortunately, she appeared somewhat settled.
Lee Jae-hyun watched Song A-ram for a moment before speaking.
“I’m really grateful for your help catching those bastards. Hit me up for A/S anytime.”
“…….”
Song A-ram didn’t reply to Lee Jae-hyun’s words.
Lee Jae-hyun let out a chuckle and rose from his seat.
“Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
“Home. Gotta explain things to your dad too.”
Song A-ram’s face clouded with conflict at his words.
She’d dredged up old memories and handed over evidence, sure.
But for her, the real hurdle was probably telling her father she’d been enduring bullying all this time.
Even so, Lee Jae-hyun had no desire to let Song A-ram’s father go on living in the dark.
One key counter to school violence was alerting the parents—and her father knowing about the bullying was essential to head off any further harm.
Lee Jae-hyun quietly watched the still-hesitant Song A-ram.
Eventually, she rose cautiously from her seat.
Lee Jae-hyun led Song A-ram back to the shop.
As the two entered Song’s Gukbap House.
“Welcome……”
The owner’s face hardened the moment he saw them.
In no time, he scowled and charged at Lee Jae-hyun.
“You ever seen a fucking bastard like this!”
Curses flew from his mouth as he seized Lee Jae-hyun by the collar.
Startled, Lee Jae-hyun grabbed the owner’s arm.
“Huh? No, boss, looks like a misunderstanding—let go first and calm down……”
“You think I can calm down right now? Look at my daughter’s tear-streaked face!”
Lee Jae-hyun tried to soothe the fired-up owner, but it was pointless.
The gukbap boss, seething, shook his collar and pressed on.
“You little shit, I had your number the second you strutted in here ‘investigating’! Think cop badge gives you a free pass? You dare make my precious girl cry?”
“Ah, uh…….”
Lee Jae-hyun couldn’t muster a response.
After all, it was true—she had cried during the investigation.
How the hell was he supposed to explain that?
As he mulled it over, the owner misread the silence and came at him again, eyes blazing.
“You mangy……!”
He reared back for more curses, but Song A-ram stepped in.
She shoved between them and spoke up.
“Dad, calm down first!”
“Huh? What?”
Her shout finally pried the owner loose from Lee Jae-hyun.
Had her reaction tipped him off that something was off?
Flustered, the boss glanced back and forth between Song A-ram and Lee Jae-hyun.
Lee Jae-hyun straightened his clothes and spoke.
“Boss, take a breath. Let me……”
He meant to apologize and detail how Song A-ram had ended up in tears.
It had happened amid the investigation, after all.
But Song A-ram cut him off.
“This guy helped me.”
“Huh?”
Her abrupt words left the restaurant owner cocking his head.
He shot Lee Jae-hyun a quick glance, then turned back to Song A-ram.
“Helped with what?”
“Well…… um…….”
She’d stepped up boldly, but now fumbled for words, lips twitching silently.
In the end, Lee Jae-hyun took over.
“Your daughter’s been getting bullied at school.”
“What? What the hell……”
The boss whipped around to Lee Jae-hyun, eyes bulging.
As Lee Jae-hyun opened his mouth to elaborate under that insistent stare, Song A-ram jumped in again.
“Hang on, mister. I’ll take it from here.”
She drew a deep breath, steadied herself, then laid out the situation step by step.
Time wore on.
Having heard the full story, the boss stared silently at Song A-ram.
At last, he shuffled forward and pulled her into a hug.
“I’m sorry, A-ram. I’m the worthless one. Oh god, oh god……”
“No, Dad, no. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“No. I should’ve seen it. What kind of father misses his own daughter suffering…… I’m sorry, so sorry……”
The gukbap house owner wept, heaping blame on himself, while Song A-ram matched him, faulting herself right back.
Each trying to ease the other’s guilt, blaming only themselves to offer comfort.
Some might call it part of the healing……
Lee Jae-hyun saw it differently.
“No. It’s nobody’s fault.”
He wedged in between the comforting pair.
Song A-ram, her father—
They were simply victims here.
No way could anyone pin blame on them.
“If anyone’s at fault, it’s the murderer. And the bullies.”
“Murderer……?”
The shop owner turned to him, wiping tears on his hand.
School violence to murderer—what the hell?—confusion etched on his face.
“The incident five years back, right in front of this place. The one the bullies trotted out as their excuse.”
“That one? That was an accident……”
Lee Jae-hyun kept explaining.
The boss still looked baffled.
As far as he knew, accident, plain and simple.
But it wasn’t Lee Jae-hyun who cleared it up.
Song A-ram, nestled in his arms.
She dabbed tears with her sleeve and spoke, voice hoarse.
“No, Dad.”
“Huh?”
“I saw it. Wasn’t asleep that night. Took pictures too. Wasn’t two tumbling from the car—one fell first, then the other jumped in deliberate-like.”
In that same slow, quiet tone from the cafe, Song A-ram recapped briefly.
With every word, the shop owner’s eyes grew wider.
“What the……”
Direct eyewitness from his own daughter—he gaped, speechless.
He stared blankly at her for ages, squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them and fixed on Lee Jae-hyun.
“You catch that bastard?”
“Already got him. Just needed evidence, and your girl delivered. My substation’s wrapping it up as we speak.”
“Ah……”
Lee Jae-hyun flashed a no-worries grin.
Song Boss exhaled softly in relief, bowing his head low.
Then, voice thick with embarrassment, he spoke.
“I was way out of line with a fine gentleman like you…… Truly sorry about earlier.”
“No harm done. Totally understandable mix-up.”
Lee Jae-hyun grinned and nudged him upright by the shoulder.
It was a natural mistake, and now cleared.
Bigger fish to fry, though—something the boss needed to hear.
“Boss.”
“Yeah.”
“Straight talk: once this breaks, the neighborhood’s gonna light up again.”
“……Figures. Murderer caught and all.”
Lee Jae-hyun’s tone turned dead serious.
The boss nodded, face a tangle of emotions.
Accident? Try murder.
Rumors’d run hotter than last time, no doubt.
God knows what bullshit’d spread now.
For a gukbap house owner, pure worry fuel.
Doubly so after the bullying bombshell.
But this time? Different story.
Lee Jae-hyun was on the scene.
Mad dog to some. To others, a hunter baring fangs in protection.
“I’ll bust my ass to keep last time from repeating. A-ram won’t go through that again.”
“……”
At that rock-solid voice, the gukbap boss looked up, locking eyes straight on.
Worry still lingered there.
Lee Jae-hyun pressed on.
“You two’ll make headlines as the father-daughter heroes who nailed the murderer. She won’t be ‘that unlucky bitch’ anymore—she’ll be the girl who caught a killer.”
“……Don’t care what they say about me. Just look out for my girl, please. Bullied at school all this time…… I……”
Shadows crept back over the boss’s face.
Guilt, probably—he trailed off.
Lee Jae-hyun tightened his grip on the man’s shoulder.
“Boss, one more time: not your fault. No worries. Trust me, give it time—I’ll handle those bullies who tormented A-ram, personally.”
“Yes. Thank you. Thank you, sir.”
Choking up, Song Boss bowed repeatedly, thanks spilling out.
What for, exactly?
Rescuing Song A-ram from bullies?
Clearing the incident’s truth, scrubbing off the dumb curse on this place?
Both?
Who knew……
One thing crystal: next move.
‘Lock up those devil bastards who tormented Song A-ram.’
School.
Second-safest spot after home for kids.
But there, drunk on petty power, swinging fists—not just scarring victims, but hammering spikes into their parents’ hearts too.
Lee Jae-hyun? No letting those devils slide.
So……
Thanks? Nah.
“What thanks? It’s my job.”
Lee Jae-hyun shot Song Boss and Song A-ram a bright grin.
Devils on the brain, though, sparked a stray thought.
‘Where’d Serhen vanish to?’
She’d looked pissed as hell earlier.
But before he could puzzle it out, his smartphone buzzed wildly.
Vrrr.
Lee Jae-hyun checked the vibrating screen right away.
Name up top: familiar.
Park Dae-hyung.
From the guy holding Park Chun-beom down at Hanseong Police Substation.