Chapter 167
Chapter 167
Snake (5)
Yu Yeon-seo smirked as he watched the actor look at the picture and smile shyly at the person sitting next to him.
“The assistant director isn’t giving you a hard time anymore, is he?”
“Gasp, how did you know?”
Uhm Dong-pil hadn’t just been difficult with the director. He had also made barbed remarks to actors with less recognition, especially the one playing Oh Tae-seong. He’d say stereotypical things like, ‘He’s an idol, but not a single food truck has shown up for him,’ or ‘As expected of an idol, he can’t act.’
What is this, the dark ages of mistreating idol actors?
He was such an old-timer. He even managed the staff communication community in an old-fashioned way, which led to someone selling information. The way he treated people also screamed of a bygone era.
These days, people were generous toward idol actors. Even actors didn’t try to keep them in check, thinking they were in a different league altogether. Besides, investments were often based on fandom, so idol actors with strong fan bases frequently attracted good investors. The fact that Uhm Dong-pil couldn’t grasp this showed how out of touch he was.
“Did you do something, hyung?”
Yu Yeon-seo was lost in thought and didn’t answer, but the actor playing Oh Tae-seong took it as a silent affirmation and looked at him with eyes full of admiration.
He has been quiet since then…
After his conversation with Yu Yeon-seo, Uhm Dong-pil had been diligently participating in the shoot. He no longer picked on easy targets like certain actors, the director, or the staff, and he even took it upon himself to manage the crowds that gathered at the filming location. But with his type, the discipline only lasts in the beginning before fizzling out.
I should talk to him one more time before the effect wears off.
I need to convince him that I’m really going to bring him to JSENM, to fuel his fantasies. But since when did I enjoy singling someone out and crushing them like this?
It must be because of my past memories.
The memory synchronization was over 70%. It was impossible not to be influenced.
In any case, the staff found Uhm Dong-pil’s change of heart puzzling, but they had a rough idea that Yu Yeon-seo had resolved the issue. The reason articles about Yu Yeon-seo’s class as a leading actor on the set of ‘Snake’ had emerged was because the story had spread by word of mouth among them.
“Alright, now that Ye-won is here, let’s wrap this up quickly!”
Shin Ye-won was a busy person. Moreover, a drama set was less relaxed than a film set. Yu Yeon-seo rose from his seat.
The narcotics team investigated the mobile phones of the club promoter who had died suddenly and the dealer from whom he had received the drugs. A common number appeared in both, and at the end of that trail was the top star, ‘Yu-mi.’
Han Yu-jun, who had come to arrest Yu-mi on Son Jin-ho’s orders, was suddenly stopped by someone.
“Are you an extra? Why are you so late?”
“Excuse me?”
“Go stand over there.”
“I’m not an act—”
Since he couldn’t see Kim Yu-mi, Han Yu-jun decided to assess the situation from where the extras were waiting. Soon, a lavishly dressed Shin Ye-won stepped out of a luxury sedan.
“Where did you find this guy? He’s got a great look, let’s put him in the front.”
“Follow me.”
For the time being, Han Yu-jun followed the staff member’s instructions. Shin Ye-won, playing the top star Kim Yu-mi, was scratching herself as if something was bothering her. The constant scratching and the wounds peeking out from under her sleeve were common side effects of addiction.
“Oh my, who is this? Not bad. What agency are you with?”
Despite it being a brief appearance with mostly improvised lines, Shin Ye-won was completely immersed in her role as the top star. When Kim Yu-mi lightly touched his chin, Han Yu-jun frowned in displeasure.
Even in this situation, the atmosphere was so charged that a few watching staff members were thrilled.
“Can’t you speak? I asked what agency you’re with.”
“The Inpo Police Station.”
“What?”
Han Yu-jun took out his ID and showed it to her, along with a pair of silver handcuffs.
“Kim Yu-mi, you’ll have to come with me to the station for a moment.”
“Wh-what? Who do you think you are…”
“Do you need me to explain the charges you’re facing right here?”
Han Yu-jun gestured with his head toward the spot Kim Yu-mi had been scratching. Her face instantly turned pale, and her resisting arms fell limp.
“Let’s go.”
He cuffed Kim Yu-mi’s wrists and led her off the set. That was the extent of Shin Ye-won’s special appearance. Having nailed the scene in one take, Shin Ye-won said goodbye to Yu Yeon-seo.
“Want to grab a drink with Chan-hwi and Hui-jin later?”
“If I have time. Take care.”
Yu Yeon-seo watched her leave without a second thought. He could read the disappointment in the eyes of those watching him.
There’s nothing going on, like I keep telling you.
Were there delusional shippers from ‘The Imperial Seal’ here too? Yu Yeon-seo ignored the disappointed onlookers and moved to his next location for the following scene.
Thump.
“Ah, sorry.”
The man who had bumped his shoulder bowed his head, saying it was fine. He was wearing a hat, so Yu Yeon-seo couldn’t see his face clearly. But for some reason, he felt a chill. And these feelings were never wrong.
Was there someone like that on set?
Yu Yeon-seo had an excellent memory. He was even praised by those around him for memorizing the names of even the most junior staff members. Yu Yeon-seo abruptly turned his head back. The man had already vanished somewhere.
“…Suspicious.”
“Yeon-seo! Want to run through the lines before we start shooting?”
“Yes, hyung.”
At Jeong Hyeon-sik’s suggestion, he turned his head back. With information about the set being secretly leaked, he wondered if they were all just spectators. A suspicion arose. So he sent a text to Im Seung-hyeon, telling him to investigate the person who had sold the filming location information.
With Shin Ye-won’s cameo, the fan service scenes were over. And finally, the story moved into what was essentially its second act.
The arrested Kim Yu-mi readily confessed about the drug dealer who had approached her. Being a top star, the dealer was no ordinary person. And that was precisely the intention—to hold a weakness over her.
“Get him!”
“He’s over there!”
After weeks of undercover investigation, the narcotics team apprehended the key figure connected to several top stars and chaebol heirs, including Kim Yu-mi. Son Jin-ho and Han Yu-jun sat him down in the interrogation room and began the questioning.
“Mr. Park Woo-jun. You’re aware that drugs were found among your belongings, correct?”
“…”
“Where did you get them?”
(What does this bastard’s voice sound like?)
At Son Jin-ho’s inner thought, Han Yu-jun shook his head. The man was an addict, so all he could hear were bizarre noises. When the suspect wouldn’t open his mouth no matter what they asked, Son Jin-ho yelled.
“Where did you get these drugs?”
“…”
“I asked, where did you get them!”
The dealer, who had been high since his capture, kept his lips sealed. But he couldn’t fool Han Yu-jun.
(Snake…)
“…Snake?”
At Han Yu-jun’s repetition, Son Jin-ho’s expression changed. There was the thrill of finally grasping the tail of the formless ‘Snake,’ and there was rage.
“Did the person who gave you the drugs to sell have a snake tattoo?”
“…”
(…How.)
Han Yu-jun’s eyes widened as he looked at Son Jin-ho. Son Jin-ho gestured for him to step outside for a moment.
“Hoo… What do you think?”
“He’s an addict, so it’s hard to read his thoughts. I need to listen more.”
“Good. From now on, you ask the questions. You can do it, right?”
Perhaps thanks to Son Jin-ho’s guidance, the sounds from inside the interrogation room were no longer grating. And Son Jin-ho had taught him a lot about how to get people to speak based on their inner thoughts. Han Yu-jun nodded. But stepping out for a moment was a mistake.
“Uh, huh?!”
“What is it?”
“Something’s wrong with him!”
Son Jin-ho and Han Yu-jun looked into the interrogation room. The suspect they had brought in was writhing and convulsing. White foam was spewing from his mouth.
“What’s going on?!”
“Call an ambulance!”
They rushed into the interrogation room and administered first aid. They couldn’t lose a lead they had worked so hard to get.
“…He’s dead.”
But the suspect died. The cause of death was a drug overdose.
Just like that, the hard-won clue to Snake became useless. Drug investigations were incredibly difficult to begin with. On top of that, the team members were exhausted from forgoing sleep and readily conducting stakeouts. The witness they had barely managed to catch had died so senselessly, and everyone looked demoralized.
“Mr. Oh Tae-seong, aren’t you going home?”
“Just after I finish this.”
Among them, Oh Tae-seong looked particularly awful. With dark circles under his eyes, he tapped away at the keyboard soullessly.
“…To be honest, I came here because the cyber investigation team was overworked.”
“Is that so?”
“But when I look at it, this place is worse. Even I can’t just go through someone’s private messages.”
“This is all because you’re not sleeping. The team leader isn’t here, so you should head home.”
“Haa… I suppose I should. You have a good night.”
Leaving the exhausted Oh Tae-seong behind, he became lost in thought.
I need to see the team leader.
The head of the narcotics team, Prosecutor Park Ki-hoon, had yelled at them, spouting some strange logic about the suspect dying because they had treated him too harshly. But his inner thoughts were different. The voice he read from Prosecutor Park was unsettling.
He picked up his phone to meet Son Jin-ho but didn’t make the call. Because Son Jin-ho was sitting at a street-side food stall near the police station, drinking alone.
“Team Leader. What are you doing here?”
“Can’t you tell? Sit. Have a drink.”
Han Yu-jun sat down across from Son Jin-ho with a reluctant expression. There were already two empty soju bottles on the table.
“Prosecutor Park Ki-hoon’s voice is suspicious.”
“Right.”
“I think Prosecutor Park is going to make a move… If the investigative authority is with the prosecution, our team will be…”
“…Right.”
Since he wasn’t listening, Han Yu-jun snatched the glass from Son Jin-ho’s hand. Finally raising his head, Son Jin-ho looked into Han Yu-jun’s eyes.
“Want me to tell you a funny story?”
“…”
“It was a long-overdue vacation. I was planning to go to the beach with just my daughter, Su-yeong.”
The listener hadn’t even responded, but a drunk Son Jin-ho rambled on, slurring words he couldn’t comprehend.
Son Jin-ho was utterly exhausted. The ‘voice’ that had been so helpful in his line of work was gone, and the lead he had painstakingly caught had died suddenly before they could get anything out of him. Snake had been formless even when he could hear the ‘voice,’ so could he possibly catch him now?
Han Yu-jun pretended to listen, pondering how to persuade Son Jin-ho.
“Hey, Han Yu-jun.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you stop me back then?”
“Pardon?”
Han Yu-jun, who had been staring blankly at the side dishes, lifted his head. This was where he had to display the facial expression he had practiced so many times. As he heard Son Jin-ho’s inner thoughts recalling the tunnel accident, his expression had to shift from confusion to shock.
“That was…”
Team Leader Son Jin-ho was that person back then?
Han Yu-jun stared at the resentful Son Jin-ho with trembling eyes.
“Why did you save me?”
(You should have let me die then.)
Then at least I could have died with my daughter. If I hadn’t foolishly dreamed of revenge, I wouldn’t be experiencing this kind of despair.
With those words, Son Jin-ho slammed his head on the table and lost consciousness. Left alone, Han Yu-jun stared blankly at the top of his head.
(Yu-jun. You must always live a good and upright life.)
The teachings of his late father suddenly came to mind. The reason his body had moved on its own during the tunnel accident was that his father’s almost brainwashing-like lessons had been ingrained in him.
Father, who lives a good and upright life in this day and age?
But the very person I saved was blaming me.
“…I never wanted this either.”
Did you think I wanted to hear these ‘voices’? The voices of my relatives coveting my father’s inheritance, the voices of friends who, it turned out, were deceiving me. The bizarre voices of addicts sometimes reappear in my nightmares, do you think I…
Han Yu-jun picked up his untouched glass and downed the drink in one go.