Chapter : 1
Yeongjeong (影幀).
It referred to a hanging portrait of the deceased, used at funerals.
Hyun had stood before so many of these portraits that it had gone beyond familiarity and into something close to weariness. Even so, she always tried not to lose her sense of reverence. Before death, everyone was equal.
“……”
Hyun picked up a stick of incense from the neatly arranged row and placed it into the burner. She bowed twice. Then she gave a slight nod of greeting to the chief mourner.
Did he cry a little?
Daeik, who had lost his father that very morning, seemed to have slightly reddened eyes. But Hyun didn’t comment on it.
They weren’t that close, but still—he was his father.
Not that it meant much to her. What mattered to Hyun was the aftermath this funeral would bring.
He probably has no idea.
No idea how nationally catastrophic the things his father, Jo Chihoon, had set in motion truly were.
With that thought, she raised her head. A line of mourners stretched behind her, so she didn’t attempt any private conversation with Daeik. Instead, she gave him another small nod and moved toward the reception room on the opposite side of the funeral hall.
It wasn’t a particularly peaceful passing, yet the excited voices of former classmates—happy to reunite after so long—could be heard beyond the doorway.
“Hey, how have you not changed at all? No, wait—did you get even bigger? You lucky bastard.”
“Seriously, you could’ve kept in touch. Do you even know how many years it’s been?”
As expected, he came.
At the center of the group—of course—was him.
An Jaehyuk.
Even without much change in expression, the gentle curve of his lips carried an air of refinement. Jaehyuk always stood out. He had broad, solid shoulders and a build that was nearly twice the size of the men around him, yet somehow gave off a lean impression overall.
Everyone wore similar black suits befitting the occasion, but on him, even a plain black shirt—barely containing what looked like carefully sculpted muscle—appeared expensive. Despite the playful praise from the group surrounding him, Jaehyuk responded only with a faint smile.
Just like always.
Back in school, he had never lacked for friends. Here too, he effortlessly drew everyone’s attention.
Hyun sat a little apart, observing. As she glanced around, she began to notice familiar faces—ones she hadn’t contacted in years, yet hadn’t forgotten.
“Still, I knew Jo Daeik was doing well, but I didn’t think it was to this extent. They say this place alone cost hundreds of millions. Even the mourners who came earlier were big names—people anyone in the country would recognize.”
One of the men around Jaehyuk spoke loudly enough for Hyun to hear.
“Keep it down, idiot. The one who hasn’t changed isn’t Jaehyuk—it’s you. Why are you so curious about someone else’s wallet?”
At that moment, Daeik—having finished greeting mourners—appeared, drawn by the noise. Unlike earlier, his face looked rather bright. In one hand, he carried a soju bottle he’d been pouring from.
“By the way, Jaehyuk, how long’s it been? When I tried to call, you never picked up. Do I have to wait until my father dies to see you?”
Hyun’s attention, which had been on Daeik’s voice, shifted back to Jaehyuk. At his friend’s half-hurt complaint, Jaehyuk let out an awkward chuckle.
“I’ve been busy. Sorry.”
Instead of a long excuse, he offered only a short apology.
That’s so like An Jaehyuk.
The thought crossed her mind. He hated things becoming troublesome, so he always kept his words brief. It was hard to read what lay beneath.
“Work’s not too hard, is it? Dealing with bad guys can’t be easy.”
“You’re a detective, right? Always taking all the cool jobs for yourself.”
“Seriously though, the last time we saw you was when we became adults. That’s eight years ago.”
“Hyun, you too. Do you even know how many years it’s been since we’ve seen you?”
Suddenly Daeik’s gaze landed on Hyun, sitting slightly apart. Instantly, all the attention that had been on Jaehyuk shifted to her.
“Jang Sung-hoon didn’t even show up. Our friendship’s dead.”
Hearing his raised voice, Hyun glanced again at the bottle in Daeik’s hand. It was already empty, and there was no telling how many he’d downed before coming over.
He’s drunk.
Well, even if they hadn’t been close, it was still the day his father died. Staying sober wouldn’t be easy.
“Yeah, it’s nice seeing everyone after so long. Let’s try to meet more often.”
Under everyone’s gaze, she smiled kindly, as she always did. For a fleeting moment, Jaehyuk’s eyes passed over her, and she let her meaningless smile fade.
Anyway… where did Jo Chihoon run off to?
Amid the stares directed at her, she subtly checked the receiver hidden in her pocket.
“Hey, he’s way too drunk. Are we really okay just leaving him like this?”
Before long, Daeik was crawling on the floor, completely out of it.
It was past midnight. Most of the friends who had come to pay their respects had left. Only Hyun, Jaehyuk, and a few others remained.
“Hyun, when are you heading out? Did you bring your car?”
The friends who had been sitting farther away moved closer. It wasn’t a secret that more than half of them had harbored feelings for Hyun when they were younger.
“Where are you living these days? If it’s not far, want me to drive you?”
The men didn’t want to miss their chance with the now beautifully grown Hyun.
Everyone held onto a bit of nostalgia about their first love. And she was, by any standard, strikingly beautiful.
Even Daeik—used to seeing celebrities—kept sneaking glances at her, unable to focus on conversations.
“My boyfriend’s coming to pick me up. He should be here soon, so I should get going.”
Unfortunately for them, their fantasies shattered neatly.
Hyun finished the soju in her glass and stood.
“Oh, if Daeik wakes up, could you give him this?”
As the men sighed in disappointment, she pulled something from her wallet.
“Tell him to call that number when he sobers up.”
She handed her business card to one of the men who didn’t seem ready to leave yet.
And until she stepped outside, she hadn’t realized—
An Jaehyuk was no longer in his seat.
Hyun stepped into the backyard of the funeral hall. Since she had been drinking, she couldn’t drive, so she had already contacted b0-13 to come pick her up.
—Honestly, you only ever call me for annoying stuff, sunbae.
“Then you should’ve come to the funeral yourself. Fieldwork’s your job, isn’t it?”
—When it’s a friend’s father, you said it was right for you to go. Anyway, I’ll be there in ten minutes.
As always, he hung up while grumbling. Annoying as his complaints were, no one moved faster than b0-13 when called.
While waiting, Hyun surveyed the funeral grounds.
“What a ridiculous waste of money.”
Holding the funeral in an entire rented temple complex was no different from what a chaebol family might do. Even the line of security guards standing watch late into the night wouldn’t seem strange at a glance.
No one would notice anything unusual.
No one except Hyun, who had been tracking every move of Daeik’s biological father, Jo Chihoon.
In the backyard—the only place untouched by security patrols—she let herself breathe.
The mourners who had passed by earlier were all Jo Chihoon’s associates.
Which meant—
Even now, deals are probably still being made…
“It appears the transactions are continuing, even under the circumstances.”
She had been about to turn the corner when a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.
An Jaehyuk?
Holding her breath, she pressed herself against the wall and listened to his call.
“Jin Hwi-han, Park Jae-won, Hwang Jae-young. Those are the only ones I saw today. Others will probably come to pay respects after today. Doesn’t something seem off?”
She had vaguely heard that a Korean detective was investigating this case—but she hadn’t expected it to be An Jaehyuk.
“I’m talking about Jo Chihoon. Are we certain he’s dead?”
Hyun flinched. No matter how capable a detective he was, he shouldn’t be able to see through the death Jo Chihoon had meticulously staged.
She waited silently for his next words. Unfortunately, she couldn’t hear the voice on the other end. After a long pause, he let out a heavy sigh.
“…Understood. I’ll return shortly.”
He ended the call, his voice slightly subdued.
Hyun leaned against the wall. Around the corner was a dead end, meaning Jaehyuk would have to pass through where she stood.
“Hi.”
