Chapter 87
"Assuming it's someone with a long name like you said, Lawyer, that might make it easier to track down. Lucky break."
"Once we narrow it down to someone in the Yangjin Group, we just need to find people there with long names."
"Oh, but thinking about it, couples usually engrave each other's names on rings. So it's probably his girlfriend's name, not his own. Or it might not even be a name. Some people get English love quotes or Latin phrases engraved."
"Really?"
The conversation about that video kept going even as they slipped out of the noraebang and headed to the parking lot. Getting the ring design and the fact that the cameraman was around 190 cm tall was a pretty big win. Considering the average height for Korean men was 175 cm, 190 cm stood out like a sore thumb. Even among basketball players, guys in the 180s weren't that common.
"For now, let's ask Jeong Yeongjun if he's ever seen that ring and if he knows anyone around 190 cm tall."
Kang Minjae grinned happily as he said it.
"Whatever it takes, I hope we find the bastard. Head back to the office?"
Kang Minjae asked as he pulled onto the main road. Cha Juhan nodded, then pulled out his phone. Given how unstable Jeong Yeongjun had seemed yesterday, he wanted to tell him about this promising lead to ease his mind.
"The call cannot be answered and is being connected to voicemail..."
But Jeong Yeongjun didn't pick up. It was 11:30 a.m. now—plenty of time for any normal working person to be up—but maybe he was still sleeping.
"Still no answer?"
"Nope."
Cha Juhan pocketed his phone. Lunchtime was approaching, and in the bustling district, clusters of people in suits milled around restaurants. Staring at the scene for a long moment, Cha Juhan thought back to yesterday.
"We met Jeong Yeongjun yesterday around 10 a.m. When you called to see if we could meet, Lawyer Kang, it was just before 9, and he said he'd woken up at 7."
"Yeah. He said he usually gets up at 7, so call anytime after that. Lifetime habit of early rising—he called himself a total morning person. Even when he wants to sleep in, he can't."
It was an ominous sign. Every time they'd called Jeong Yeongjun before, he'd always answered before the third ring—like he kept his phone right by his side at all times.
It'd be great if he was just sleeping through it.
"What if he's actually sleeping and we wake him up, ruining his first good rest in ages?"
Kang Minjae asked, seeing Cha Juhan pull up Jeong Yeongjun's number again. Cha Juhan pressed the phone to his ear and replied,
"Even if that's the case, better safe than sorry. This could be a sign of something, and ignoring it would be worse."
He tried another dozen times after that, but no answer. By now, they were almost in Gangnam. Cha Juhan snapped his phone shut and said to Kang Minjae,
"Let's go to Jeong Yeongjun's officetel."
"Huh? Because he won't pick up?"
"Just in case."
There hadn't been a single message from Jeong Yeongjun since they'd parted yesterday. He'd been the type to send frequent texts like "Thanks for all your hard work" or "I'm so anxious. There'll be good news, right?" And after every meeting, without fail, he'd text something like, "Sorry I can't help and keep showing my weak side. You're both working so hard, and I'll pull myself together."
Cha Juhan figured those were his way of reflecting on his behavior after they left, full of regret and resolve. He didn't always reply, but usually sent something reassuring.
But yesterday? Nothing.
"Hurry as much as you can."
The anxiety was real, not baseless. Jeong Yeongjun wasn't acting like himself. Even if nothing had happened, it pointed to some sudden shift in his mindset.
"Park the car and come straight to Jeong Yeongjun's place."
Cha Juhan got out at the officetel entrance and rushed toward his unit. Waiting for the elevator—which felt slower than usual today—he checked his phone a few more times. Maybe he'd missed a ring while running over. But no missed calls.
The elevator finally reached the 19th floor, where Jeong Yeongjun lived, and spat him out. Cha Juhan reached the door and rang the doorbell.
"......"
No response. He rang it several more times in a row. The first time they'd visited, Jeong Yeongjun had complained the bell was too loud. Cha Juhan hadn't said it, but he'd thought even a heavy sleeper would jolt awake at that volume.
After ringing it so many times for so long, if he was sleeping, he'd have woken up and opened the door by now.
Went out?
No. He couldn't go out. He'd said he was too scared people would recognize him, no matter how bundled up he was. The way he talked, it was like he thought he'd spread some plague just by stepping outside—pure paranoia. That's why they came to the officetel instead.
If he needed anything, he'd use delivery or ask his sister.
"Jeong Yeongjun!"
He pounded on the door and rang the bell more, but still nothing. Cha Juhan frantically pulled out his phone and found his sister's contact—the number she'd slipped him last time when Jeong Yeongjun had stepped away to the bathroom, saying to call her if anything happened to her brother.
"Hello......"
"This is Lawyer Cha Juhan. I'm handling Jeong Yeongjun's case."
"Cha Juhan...... Oh, Lawyer. Sorry, I was sleeping. What's up? Is something wrong with my brother......?"
"Do you happen to know the password for Jeong Yeongjun's officetel?"
"Huh? His officetel password? Why...... Is something wrong with my brother?!"
"Tell me the password first. It's urgent—I'll explain later."
"Uh, uh, I'm not sure...... Oh, wait! It's probably his new wife's birthday. His bank password is her birthday too......"
"When's Go Jin-a's birthday?"
"Let me look it up right now. Found it! 0730!"
Cha Juhan wedged the phone between his shoulder and ear, punched in the door code. It beeped cheerfully, and the lock clicked open.
"Lawyer, is it serious?"
"I'll call you later."
He propped the door open with the stopper for when Kang Minjae arrived, then bolted inside. The place was so spacious he couldn't spot Jeong Yeongjun right away. He pressed his forehead, scanning around briefly. He opened the door nearest the living room—looked like a dressing room. Empty.
He ducked out and opened the next one.
This is the bathroom......
A little way down the hall was another door at the far end. As he grabbed the handle, thud-crash! Something fell inside.
Jeong Yeongjun was definitely in there. Cha Juhan turned the handle, but it stuck, like something was blocking it.
Locked.
He rattled it back and forth, but no give. He stepped back two paces, then slammed his foot into the door with all his weight.
"Guhk, kkhk, ugh......"
The door flew open to reveal Jeong Yeongjun, a hose tied to the curtain rod looped around his neck. A chair lay toppled at his feet—that must've been the crash Cha Juhan heard, him kicking it away.
"Jeong Yeongjun!"
Cha Juhan rushed over, grabbed his thrashing legs, and hoisted him up to slacken the hose around his neck.
"Kkhk, hngh, ugh."
Jeong Yeongjun groaned from above.
"Jeong Yeongjun. Snap out of it! Jeong Yeongjun!"
"Hngh, hng...... Huuk, huuk!"
Still holding his legs, Cha Juhan craned his head up. Jeong Yeongjun's face was beet red, like it might burst, as he hacked endlessly. The coughs dragged on so long Cha Juhan wondered if he hadn't lifted high enough, if the hose was still pressing.
"Jeong Yeongjun, you okay?"
"Huuk, kkhguk, Law, Lawyer, huk, huu!"
Good—he was speaking, so the pressure must be off. If he'd been a sturdy guy, that kick might've snapped his neck. If so, even finding him might've been too late.
Lucky? Unlucky? Who knew. Either way, he needed to cut that hose off his neck fast—but to do that, he'd have to let go of the legs. And then it'd cinch tight again.
"Jeong Yeongjun! Lawyer!"
That was Kang Minjae's voice from outside.
"The room at the very end!"
Cha Juhan shouted, and footsteps pounded their way.
"Huuk, Lawyer, let, huk, let me go."
"Jeong Yeongjun, what are you saying?"
"Let, go, please......"
He begged desperately. Should Cha Juhan soothe him? Staring at Jeong Yeongjun flailing his arms in the air, he wrestled with it for that brief moment.
"Don't talk nonsense."
"......I, huung, I want to die."
"You told us you were sorry for not helping while we slaved away. Sorry for showing your weak side, right?"
"Hngh, hnghngh. Hngh."
Sobs echoed from above.
"So, hngh, let me go...... People like me aren't worth...... Hngguk, living......"
"You've always apologized to me, Jeong Yeongjun, but none of it was sincere, huh."
"No, hngh, that's not true. I'm always sorry to you, Lawyer......"
"So you're fine making me the lawyer who let his client slip through his fingers to suicide?"
Luckily, he wasn't kicking yet to make Cha Juhan drop his legs. If he did, it'd be over. The words sounded a bit accusatory, but keeping the talk going to distract him seemed best.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't think of that...... But I don't have the strength to go on. Hngh."
"Jeong Yeongjun."
"......"
"Don't you want revenge on the bastard who dragged you this low?"
"......"
"Whoever did this to you, don't you want payback? Even after committing that crime, doing this to you, that guy's strutting around shamelessly. That's okay with you? You did nothing wrong. If someone's gotta die, it should be the guilty one. So why are you trying to end it?!"