The Truth Revealed

At Seung-gyu's words, Jaehyuk looked at him with an expression of utter disbelief. "Why...? The man who hasn't shown his face to the family once since Dahyun was born—why is he coming out of the woodwork now...?"

"The team leader planned to stay hidden and watch over you until the day he died. But as your life grew more and more dangerous, he asked us to reveal that he was still alive. He wanted to help you."

"Why exactly is my life in danger?"

Seung-gyu let out a short sigh before asking, "You're currently working undercover in the Gangryonghoe as a police officer, correct?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"The National Assembly member Cha Jinyong—the one who had our team and your father's team disbanded—is a business partner of the Gangryonghoe. Luckily, right before our team was dismantled, I used a special virus to completely erase our members' identities. So Cha Jinyong still doesn't know you're the team leader's son."

At that moment, Miss Min arrived carrying a tray of snacks and drinks. She set it down between Seung-gyu and Jaehyuk. Jaehyuk handed over the USB he had received from Ga-young in Vietnam and asked, "Does the information on this USB have a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠significant connection to the disbandment of my father's team?"

"It does. Your father's team—our team, that is—was investigating intelligence related to the presidential election when we uncovered evidence of Cha Jinyong's election rigging and other crimes."

"So his power was used to disband your team in order to bury that information?"

"Exactly. After that, we faced countless assassination attempts. In the end, we had no choice but to hide our identities, our movements—everything."

"So that's why you couldn't attend my uncle's funeral... You were being hunted."

At Jaehyuk's words, Seung-gyu fell silent, his face clouding over as if the memory brought him deep discomfort. Then he lifted his drink and drained it in one go.

"The team leader was willing to risk being tracked so he could attend your uncle's funeral. But we opposed it, afraid he might leave a trail. In the end, he couldn't go."

The sorrow in Seung-gyu's voice left Jaehyuk quiet for a moment. Then he asked the other question weighing on his mind. "......Was my uncle's murder connected to my father or Cha Jinyong?"

"That incident wasn't related to the team leader, but it was connected to Cha Jinyong."

"Did my uncle offend Cha Jinyong so badly that he used the Gangryonghoe to have him killed?"

"It went far beyond mere offense. Your uncle was about to cut the man's Achilles' heel. The information he had secured on his own could have inflicted unimaginable damage on Cha Jinyong. It even contained records of secret dealings with North Korean spies. If it had all come to light, it would have ended Cha Jinyong completely."

Seung-gyu took another sip to wet his throat and continued. "The files on the USB you received are the kind Cha Jinyong could easily bury with lies or media manipulation if he chose to. But that particular information included voice recordings of Cha Jinyong himself and video footage. Its impact was enormous. I have no idea where your uncle obtained it."

"Then we can just use that information to finish him off."

"That's the problem. On the day your uncle was killed, that information disappeared along with him. It doesn't appear Cha Jinyong's side obtained it, but..."

Jaehyuk's mind was spinning. He had never imagined that he and his family were entangled in something this massive.

Seung-gyu handed him a cell phone. "If you need any information in the future or require assistance, contact me on this phone. I'll do everything in my power to help you complete your mission safely."

When Jaehyuk rose quietly from his seat, Seung-gyu gave a low-voiced order to Miss Min. "Miss Min. Please escort him out."

Guided by Miss Min, Jaehyuk left the basement. Once the door had closed, Seung-gyu let out a heavy sigh, leaned back in his chair, and stared up at the ceiling with a complicated expression.

Jaehyuk stepped outside with the woman named Miss Min. While climbing the stairs, he asked her, "Then... are you with the National Intelligence Service as well?"

"No. I'm a civilian cooperating with the boss because I owe him a great debt."

She introduced herself a beat later. "Ah, I should have introduced myself sooner. My name is Min Se-bin."

"Oh, I see."

After parting ways with Se-bin, Jaehyuk returned to the villa near the company. Still fully dressed, he collapsed onto the bed and sank deep into thought.

He had considered using his vacation to visit his family, but after learning the truth about his father, his heart was too unsettled. He wanted to be alone.

"Ha... This feels like absolute shit..."

Since middle school he had been told his father was dead. After that, he had stopped thinking about him much at all. He had simply lived as if the man had never existed. But now that same father was suddenly alive, saying he wanted to help his son while he was deep undercover in the Gangryonghoe.

I still can't believe it. The father I thought was dead was actually a National Intelligence Service agent... One who vanished after investigating and attempting to expose a major politician's crimes.

Jaehyuk sighed. Overwhelmed by turbulent emotions, he finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.

The following evening, Jaehyuk walked along the street wearing a navy jacket. His friend Jihun had texted that he would buy the drinks, and Jaehyuk—already in a troubled state of mind—decided to join them and drown his worries in alcohol.

When he arrived at the meeting spot, Jeonghan and Jihun, who had gotten there first, waved at him. Jaehyuk returned a faint smile and gave them a light wave before sitting down across from his friends.

"You two are both on leave until next week, right? Let's eat, drink, and die happy tonight."

Jihun ordered food and drinks as he spoke. Jeonghan looked at Jaehyuk and asked, "Jaehyuk, are you okay?"

"Huh? I'm fine. Why?"

"Your face looks terrible. Like... I don't know how to describe it."

Jihun nodded in agreement and asked, "Did something bad happen?"

Jaehyuk remained silent for a moment before answering as if nothing were wrong. "No. It's nothing."

Even after learning so many things about his father, his heart still felt uneasy. But he told himself that staying troubled like this wouldn't change anything and slowly relaxed his rigid expression.

"I didn't ruin the mood, did I?"

"No. If you're good, we're good."

"Ah, I suddenly want tripe."

At Jihun's random comment, Jeonghan stared at him blankly. Jaehyuk couldn't help but snort with laughter.

"Why the hell is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this guy craving tripe at a chicken restaurant?"

"Then should we hit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up a tripe place for round two?"

"Sure. If we're still alive by then."

When the server brought the alcohol, Jihun mixed soju and beer into somek. "Let's toast first."

The three friends clinked their glasses. Time passed. Eventually Jihun lowered his voice and asked his two friends, "Hey, guys... Do you have any regrets about choosing this path?"

Jaehyuk set his glass down. "What path?"

"The work you're both doing right now. Have you ever regretted choosing it?"

"Hmm... Sometimes. Whenever the job gets too hard."

"I get that feeling sometimes too."

What Jihun was referring to was undoubtedly the gangster-related work Jaehyuk and Jeonghan were involved in.

"If it gets too difficult, tell me. I'll pull you both out however I can."

"Thanks, but... we're okay for now."

Jihun lowered his voice even further, as if afraid someone might overhear. "For now, maybe. But let's be real... Everything you're doing is criminal. The kind where you end up with blood on your hands..."

He knocked back the rest of his drink and looked at them with genuine pity. "I can understand it for me—I'm from a gangster family. But you two weren't supposed to live lives connected to this world. That's why it kills me. It really fucking kills me... You guys could have walked any straight path you wanted. How did you end up on this godawful road...? What kind of lightning bolt from hell is this...?"

"It was our own choice. We just have to live with it."

"Yeah. You have to take responsibility for your own decisions... But when you finally realize it was the wrong choice, can you really avoid regretting it...?"

His words growing heavier with drink, Jihun continued, "Listen. If one of us ever feels like what we're doing now is wrong and wants to take a different path... the rest of us should help. I don't think that life is something you can do for long anyway. That's why I have no intention of fully inheriting the family business."

As he spoke, Jihun refilled his friends' glasses. Jaehyuk and Jeonghan quietly watched the liquid rise.

Suddenly, Jaehyuk remembered a conversation he had shared with Jeonghan in his previous life.