CH 57

“The surgery seems to have gone well.”

“What about Lee Ja-kyung?”

“He arrived in Korea three hours ago.”

Il-hyun looked at his watch. He told Ja-kyung to come to his house, so he’ll see him soon. There’s a hostage, so he won’t come armed with guns. However, because he was stabbed in the back once, he is unsure how it will turn out, so Il-hyun has also increased the number of guards at home and is fully prepared.

Il-hyun looked out the window and it was pouring heavily. Seong-min, who was in the driver’s seat at the time, abruptly stepped on the brakes. Tae-soo looked back as Il-hyun’s body leaned forward with the screeching sound.

“Are you alright, sir?”

“I’m sorry. Suddenly, a motorcycle cuts in!”

Il-hyun, who had been frowning, straightened up and raised one eyebrow. Tae-soo’s gaze also turned forward when he looked ahead. In the rain, a motorcycle was blocking the road. Seong-min, who was behind the wheel, apologized repeatedly, but Il-hyun couldn’t hear him.

Tae-soo also noticed something unusual and put his hand inside the jacket and grabbed the gun. Sure enough, the man who got off the motorcycle took off his helmet. The rain made it difficult to see, but he was certain of this view. Haa. Il-hyun gave a puzzled smile.

Tae-soo tried to get off with the gun, but Il-hyun stopped him by raising his hand. Then, with his arms crossed on the seat, he sat back and gazed out the window, as if watching a movie. In the rain, Lee Ja-kyung pulls out a gun, loads it, and points it at him. Tae-soo’s face stiffened, whereas Il-hyun smiled.

“Tae-soo.”

“Yes, president.”

“Doesn’t that look so damn sexy?”

Tae-soo looked back with an expression wondering if he had heard it wrong. The corners of Kang Il-hyun’s mouth went up.

“That’s why I can’t look around.”

Il-hyun got out of the car and opened his umbrella after he told them to stay still. The sound of rain pummeling the umbrella was loud. Lee Ja-kyung, who was only 10 meters away, stood there pointing a gun at this place and did not budge.

Fuck. Il-hyun had planned to kill him until yesterday, but when he saw Ja-kyung, he changed his mind again. Il-hyun walked forward while holding an umbrella. The rain soaked his pants and shoes, but he didn’t mind. He could see Lee Ja-kyung’s face clearly even when he was only 2-3m away.

His skin was slightly tanned, his eyes still looked like those of a wounded cat, and the sight of him aiming a gun drenched in rain made him look captivating.

With the gun in front of him, Il-hyun stopped walking.

“Long time no see.”

The Ja-kyung didn’t even move with his gun still pointing at him.

“I guess you still don’t want me to hear your voice.”

Il-hyun smiled and walked forward. The nozzle landed squarely on his left chest as he got closer. Ja-kyung raised his eyes and glared at Il-hyun.

“Where is Wang Lun?”

Il-hyun grabbed the nuzzle, pushed it to the side, and attempted to take another step forward. However, Ja-kyung refused to let him approach and aimed the gun under his chin. With the intention of blowing up his head at any time.

The two’s eyes were intertwined. Kang Il-hyun, whom he saw after a year, had a more relaxed expression than the viper-like expression he saw on the screen. Despite the loaded gun under his chin, he didn’t blink an eye and appeared as happy as if he had received a bouquet of flowers.

“Your brother is fine. I also put his fingers back together. Of course, I don’t know if it will stick well.”

“…”

“I’ll let you talk to him now if you want.”

When Ja-kyung did not respond, he dialed a number. The figure of Wang Lun soon appeared in the video. He was dressed in a hospital gown and had bandages on his finger. He was in better condition than when he first saw him yesterday morning. He shouted at Ja-kyung with a surprised face.

[You come here? Did you come alone? I told you not to come,]

Tuk, and the phone hung up. Ja-kyung took his gaze away from the screen and glared at Kang Il-hyun in front of him. The relief that Il-hyun did not harm Wang Lun softened his ferocious spirit.

Il-hyun smiled and asked.

“Can I put an umbrella over you now? I don’t want you to get rained on.”

Il-hyun took a step forward, grabbed the gun aimed beneath his chin, and slowly set it aside. Ja-kyung walked in under the umbrella. The silence between the two was broken by the sound of rain. Il-hyun held out his hand while looking at Ja-kyung.

“It’s been a while since we met. A handshake is okay, right?”

“Don’t play tricks.”

He suddenly grabbed Ja-kyung’s hand. When Ja-kyung tried to pull away, Il-hyun pulled him with force. Ja-kyung lost his balance and was dragged into Il-hyun’s arms as his body moved forward. Ja-kyung tried to push him away, but Il-hyun hugged him tightly.

Ja-kyung was embarrassed by the unexpected action, but he was feeling a tingling pain in his neck at the time. Ja-kyung’s eyes widened. Il-hyun took a syringe from the inside of his sleeve and inserted it into Ja-kyung’s neck. When the drug went in, he felt a stiff pain in his neck.

Ja-kyung pushed Il-hyun away, pulled the syringe out of his neck, and aimed the gun at him again. However, Kang Il-hyun quickly grabbed the gun, threw it aside, and grabbed Ja-kyung’s neck with one hand. His breathing became more rapid, and his eyes widened. He tried to take Il-hyun’s hand, but his entire body couldn’t muster the strength.

Kang Il-hyun pushed the syringe with half the drug in front of him and smiled and a stiff pain came to his neck.

“Sorry. There still some.”

He couldn’t tell if the suffocation was caused by the medicine or by Il-hyun strangling him. His vision was becoming increasingly hazy. He threw the syringe to the ground to see if the medicine was completely injected. Ja-kyung staggered backward, drew his knife, and swung it around.

Ja-kyung redirected the knife and swung it again, but his hand loses strength and it falls to the floor. His eyelids trembled, and his breathing became increasingly fast. Il-hyun, who approached cautiously, kicked the knife to the side with his foot.

Ja-kyung finally sat down, barely raising his head to look at Kang Il-hyun. Fuck. Bastard… Rain poured down his cheeks. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Il-hyun sat down in front of him and placed his lips against his ear.

“Welcome back.”

His voice felt as distant as a dream.

“I’ll preserve you nicely, just wait a little bit.”

His consciousness faded away as there was a buzzing sound. He reached out and tried to grab the gun again, but to no avail. He fell backward and blacked out as he felt himself sinking into the ground.

***

The bloody Ja-kyung woke up in a shabby warehouse. He frowned as he noticed bugs and rats crawling under his feet. He took a deep breath and looked around, but all he saw was a drum.

He tried to stand up, but his legs refused to cooperate. He slumped into his seat without hesitation. He even attempted to crawl away. At that moment, a creepy sound came from the drum in front of him.

He directed his gaze to the drum. The head slowly rose as bright red fingernails appeared on top of the drum. When Ja-kyung noticed a cheap jewel bracelet glittering on the wrist, his eyes widened.

The woman whose face was visible above the drum was his late mother. The man he called father crawled out of the other drum next to it. He had that terrifying expression on his face when he whipped him. With that face that appeared to be about to leap out of the barrel and kill him.

The frightened Ja-kyung sat back and stepped back. They flowed like liquid out of the drum and crawled like spiders toward Ja-kyung.

[Are you happy being the only one alive? You traitor!]

[I shouldn’t have given birth to a bastard like you in the first place!]

[I should have killed you by breaking your neck, not your legs!]

[Come with us! You also come with us!]

It feels like his ears were being ripped apart by their evil voices. Ah, don’t come. Do not come! Ja-kyung fumbled to the side, looking for something to throw. The previously rough ground was transformed into a smooth, high-quality floor. His mouth dropped open the moment he turned his head and looked up.

Kang Il-hyun had a devilish smile on his face and a scalpel in his hand.

[I’ll preserve you nicely.]

As soon as he finished speaking, he thrust the scalpel down into Ja-kyung’s eyes. Arghh!

Ugh. Ja-kyung jumped up from his seat, surprised. He took a deep breath and looked around, only to realize it was all a dream. He regained consciousness and looked around after rubbing his cold sweaty face with both hands. It was a place that felt familiar.

Inside, there was not only a bed, but also a refrigerator, a dining table, a sofa, and a variety of household items. He got out of bed and put his feet on the floor, but his legs were weak. He still hasn’t had enough strength in his body. Come to think of it, he remembered Kang Il-Hyun inserting a syringe into his neck. After running his hand over his neck, he slowly moved forward, wary of his surroundings.

Ja-kyung walked out the door and into a long corridor. And every room adjacent to the hallway. He suddenly realized he was in Kang Il-hyun’s basement. He frowned and looked around for people, but he couldn’t even find a single ant.

Instead, CCTVs have been installed throughout the ceiling, which did not exist previously. Il-hyun changed him into a pajama, but he noticed a strange sensation in his chest area. When Ja-kyung sneakily lifted his clothes, his nipples were slightly swollen and the teeth marks were clear.

His butt is fine. Only then did he realize that it was Kang Il-hyun’s work and gnashed his teeth. This perverted nipple asshole! Ja-kyung went to the elevator’s front, but it didn’t work even after he pressed the button. He kept the gloves imprinted with Kang Il-hyun’s fingerprints in his bag just in case.

Damn it, it must be in Kang Il-hyun’s hands now.

Bang! Bang! He slammed his fist against the elevator door, but it didn’t budge. Ja-kyung went to the shooting range location. He looked inside, but it was empty. Each room was empty except for the one where Ja-kyung stayed, which was furnished with household items.

He couldn’t even get out and was completely trapped.

Ja-kyung clenched his teeth and looked up.

This bastard. What are you going to do with me now.