The Gwangju Rock Festival (1)
"I have heard that story as well." N stood up from his seat and turned to face the window of his office. The bright light flooded in, illuminating N completely, but the light blocked by N's frame failed to reach JSD.
"Sigh... Honestly, I would like to keep the Chief of the Presidential Security Service by my side."
"Please, drop the honorifics. You are the President now." JSD felt uneasy that N was speaking to him so formally. It implied that they were not as close as he had hoped.
"No, no. Even if I became president through a stroke of luck, you are a much more significant figure than I am, Chief."
"Even so..."
N naturally cut JSD off and continued. "In a situation where JD must face punishment, it is nearly impossible for you to simply walk away unscathed. If we handle this poorly, it could be a fatal blow to the current administration."
"B-but..." JSD felt wronged. No matter what bad deeds he had committed, he had built up so much merit over the years. To be discarded like a worn-out shoe was unthinkable. If they pushed him into a corner, there was no telling how he might lash out. But N skillfully tossed the ball back to him at just the right moment.
"Perhaps, why don't you seek Chairman Choi's advice?"
"Chairman Choi, you say?"
N nodded. "That is correct. As far as I recall, you have never suffered a loss by listening to Chairman Choi's counsel. If that is the case, I believe I can trust him as well. If Chairman Choi proposes a plan, I, N, will follow it by any means necessary."
Upon hearing this, JSD's face brightened instantly.
"I-is that true?"
N responded with a bright smile. "Of course. Do you think I would intentionally try to abandon you? I am very uncomfortable with this situation myself. However, now that the administration has just been established, and I have to face a national referendum in a year, it is not easy to be associated with JD. Still, as I just said, if Chairman Choi provides a plan..."
N trailed off, but JSD nodded hurriedly.
"Understood! I will go and meet Chairman Choi!"
Faster than he had entered, JSD left the presidential office.
JSD did not know how deep the relationship between Yoon-gi and N truly was. He was unaware of when N had started receiving support from Yoon-gi. He only perceived that N and Choi Ki-hyun had a somewhat friendly relationship, so JSD took N's words to be sincere.
"Chairman Choi. Please, help me. If things go on like this, I’m finished."
Surprisingly, JSD offered the seat of honor to Choi Ki-hyun. Of course, Choi Ki-hyun did not sit in it, but the very fact that JSD offered it was proof of how cornered he currently was.
"Indeed. I was truly shocked when I heard the news. To think that the citizens would point their spears even at the Chief of the Security Service..."
N had demanded that YS and DJ never step forward directly. He meant that while they would manipulate things from behind the scenes, it was packaged as a pure request from the citizens. From the citizens' perspective, JSD was someone who needed to be ousted anyway. As such, for YS and DJ, leading this protest was quite easy. They didn't have to lie, they didn't have to hire agitators, and they didn't even have to stand at the front. And the effect was excellent.
"I only did as JD ordered. Chairman Choi, please, help me. You know better than anyone that I am just a man who works like an ox doing what he is told from above, don't you?"
In his desperation, JSD instinctively tried to package himself. It wasn't technically a lie, but that didn't mean his sins would vanish. Of course, Choi Ki-hyun would never make the mistake of saying, "It is time for you to be punished," to JSD's face.
"That is true. Honestly, JD is the bad one; what fault could you possibly have, Chief?"
"Right? Right?! As expected, Chairman Choi is the one who understands me best."
Choi Ki-hyun carefully offered his opinion to the teary-eyed JSD.
"In that case, how about you go with that method?"
"That method, you say?"
At JSD's puzzled reaction, Choi Ki-hyun nodded deliberately.
"What I just mentioned. The strategy of going with the narrative that you aren't the bad one, but JD is."
"My dull head doesn't quite understand what that means. Could you explain it simply?"
JSD's complexion brightened slightly. However, Choi Ki-hyun's following words were no indulgence.
"You will likely have no choice but to stand trial. Standing as a witness is a given, of course..."
"That is true. That is a given! Ah... I apologize."
JSD, who had cut off Choi Ki-hyun without realizing it, bowed his head and waited for him to continue.
"Looking at the current state of the protests, there is a very high possibility you will stand trial as an accomplice."
"Ah..."
To the sighing JSD, Choi Ki-hyun laid out a 'plausible' scenario.
"Even if the President tries to protect you, JD will not intend to die alone."
"Ugh!"
Only then did JSD realize one worst-case scenario he hadn't noticed. It was JD's 'drowning ghost' strategy. Since JD had given JSD countless orders, he knew JSD's Achilles' heel better than anyone. If such a JD stood trial? Since their relationship had soured to the point of becoming mortal enemies, it was highly likely JD would never go down alone.
"If JD reveals all his crimes while asking for leniency, and simultaneously drags you in as an accomplice, the President will never be able to protect you. He was elected on the promise of judging the previous regime, and President Reagan guaranteed it—how could he possibly protect you?"
"But... but... I only followed orders..."
JSD was so aggrieved that tears streamed down his face.
"Therefore, stand in court, but claim that everything was done because JD ordered it. Say that you had absolutely no personal ambition."
"I never had personal ambition from the start. But... listening to your words, Chairman Choi, I suppose others won't think so..."
"Instead," Choi Ki-hyun offered a lifeline, not to JSD, but to JSD's sons. All the contributions JSD had made for YK over the years. Although it would be problematic to pardon JSD's crimes based on those contributions, Yoon-gi intended to settle his debt by finding a way for JSD's sons to survive.
"Instead...?"
"I may not be able to save you, Chief, but I will take responsibility for your sons."
At the mention of his sons, a glimmer of hope appeared on JSD's face. It wasn't just anyone; Choi Ki-hyun himself had said he would take responsibility for them. That couldn't just mean personal protection, could it?
"Y-you will take responsibility?"
Choi Ki-hyun nodded firmly. "I will make your sons the youngest members of the National Assembly."
"...!"
JSD looked at Choi Ki-hyun in shock.
"I will spare no support, including study abroad, so they can attain the highest education. And I promise substantial economic support so they can win the hearts of the people in their districts. With your sons' abilities, they will surely be able to become the youngest assemblymen."
The current record for the youngest assemblyman was YS's 26 years old. Since the age limit for the National Assembly was 25, they would effectively have to become assemblymen at 25. Since general elections were held every four years, Choi Ki-hyun's promise was essentially saying he would make them assemblymen the moment they passed the age limit.
Gulp! JSD swallowed hard.
"However, you will have to suffer a bit, Chief. If JD uses the 'drowning ghost' strategy, it may be difficult for you to avoid the death penalty..."
Choi Ki-hyun's voice and expression, which seemed to lament, sounded genuinely sorrowful, so JSD was moved to tears once again.
"Ughhh..."
"But if you cooperate fully with the prosecutors and maintain a proper attitude in court, since JD was the actual brain, I believe a sentence reduction is possible. The death penalty could be reduced to 20 years, or... if you are lucky, even 10 years."
"But, if I serve prison time, my sons..."
Choi Ki-hyun naturally cut JSD off. "Taking that into account, I will ensure they become assemblymen. If you admit to all the criminal facts and appear cooperative in court, in the future, the people will call you this."
"Call me what?"
"The tragic number two."
"The tragic number two..."
JSD didn't find Choi Ki-hyun's expression particularly unpleasant. Thus, JSD asked, "What if I cannot give up and deny all charges in court?"
"You will be remembered as JD's eternal loyal servant."
JSD's face crumpled instantly.
"Ugh... Anything but that..."
JSD sat in thought with his face crumpled for a moment, then finally dropped his head once before looking up again.
"Understood... I will follow your advice, Chairman Choi."
Even though Choi Ki-hyun had completed what Yoon-gi had asked, he did not smile. Instead, he bowed his head toward JSD with a heavy expression.
"I am the one who is truly sorry. I am not capable enough to save you, Chief..."
"No... since you said you would save my sons, my heart is at ease. If I am punished like this, my sons would be recorded in history as the sons of a traitor. But, if you look after them, Chairman Choi... I can rest easy."
JSD, who had performed JD's evil deeds with all his heart and soul. Although it was not a perfect level of punishment, at least he would bear greater responsibility for his actions than in the previous history.
[Perhaps, while rotting in prison for the same reasons as now, he will slowly realize how many bad things he has done. At least he will end up pouring out JD's evil deeds with his own mouth in court.]
For some reason, Choi Ki-hyun recalled Yoon-gi's words.
'It's fortunate the Chief doesn't remember what I said to him before.'
Shin Ho-jun had heard from JSD yesterday that he had decided to confess all of JD's crimes. If JSD had recalled what Shin Ho-jun had said in the past while talking to Choi Ki-hyun? He would have felt a sense of incongruity. The question of whether he loved his sons and the promise to make them assemblymen had strangely consistent elements.
However, JSD thought of it as a casual question and didn't remember it at all, and thanks to that, Shin Ho-jun was able to efficiently carry out the work Yoon-gi had ordered for JSD's sake.
'There really aren't many people who can make judgments like this...'
It was clear that what Shin Ho-jun was doing now was something rare in the history of the entire world.