Chapter : 36
After turning off the shower and shaking the water from his hair, Kang Hansu stepped out of the bathroom naked.
Half of the man’s body was covered in tattoos, and scars of all sizes were etched everywhere.
Each time he moved, the dragon engraved on his skin seemed to writhe.
On the outrageously comfortable bed lay a naked woman, sprawled face-down and fast asleep.
The bed they had been rolling around on until just moments ago was a complete mess, and the clothes stripped from the woman were scattered carelessly across the floor.
“Hah.”
A deep sense of satisfaction welled up as he looked at the wrinkled, soiled bed.
Lee Taesin would be horrified if he saw the state of it.
Though, of course, the odds of him ever returning alive were extremely low.
Kang Hansu slowly swept his gaze around the bedroom, lavishly furnished with expensive furniture and refined taste.
That bastard, living in a luxury penthouse like this and indulging himself, all thanks to his father.
Everything he enjoyed should have been Hansu’s to begin with.
He pulled a few checks from his wallet and placed them on the table, then crossed the room toward the dressing room.
Half of the dressing room was filled with women’s clothes and underwear in various sizes and styles. The other half was packed with Kang Hansu’s suits.
All of Lee Taesin’s original clothes had been disposed of, though luxury watches, shoes, cufflinks, and other accessories had been left behind.
His taste was high-end—every item he owned was difficult to acquire.
After putting on a watch, pants, and a shirt, Hansu stepped into the living room, where the night view of the Han River spread out before him.
How does it feel to be on the run when you had such a nice place, my dear nephew?
Or did you really breathe your last beneath the freezing seawater?
Director Mo, who had been waiting in the living room all evening, approached holding out a jacket.
Slim and bespectacled, Director Mo looked more like an accountant than a gangster.
“No word from the son who went to look for Lee Taesin?” Hansu asked as he slipped his arms into the jacket.
“None.”
Though reports had come in that Lee Taesin was dead from the men who had chased him down to the southern coast, Hansu didn’t believe it.
That bastard wouldn’t die so easily—not with a younger brother to leave behind. More than anything, no body had been found.
He wasn’t the kind of man who’d die from taking a few knife wounds.
Ten years ago, he’d survived even deeper injuries.
More than a month had passed since he disappeared, yet there wasn’t even a trace of him.
“You’re still combing the internet?”
Director Mo had said that since Taesin was striking enough to be unforgettable, there was a chance someone might have uploaded a video of him.
“Yes. Nothing’s been posted yet.”
Given how skilled Lee Yusin was with computers, it was possible that even if something had been uploaded, he’d deleted it immediately.
“Lee Yusin is a senior in high school, so we also checked the Ministry of Education’s database in case he transferred schools, but we found nothing.”
“He’s not careless enough to leave his brother somewhere we could find him.”
He hadn’t vanished into the sky or sunk into the ground—so where the hell had he gone?
“What about Lee Taesin’s bank accounts?”
“They’re untouched.”
Running required money.
There was a strong chance he’d hidden untraceable assets—cash, gold, things like that.
Or he might have borrowed money from close friends or acquaintances.
The two left the penthouse and got into the elevator.
“So he really went overseas.”
“We’ve got people out in China and the Philippines too. If they find him, we’ll hear about it.”
“Raise the bounty.”
“Understood.”
It was about time to convene the shareholders’ meeting.
Agenda item: Dismissal of the CEO.
Those who had followed former chairman Lee Hyunil would have no choice now.
The rumor that Lee Taesin was dead had already spread throughout the industry.
In the lobby, subordinates stood in neat rows waiting for Kang Hansu.
Recently, information had come in that the Miraepa gang had crawled all the way up to Seoul and were dealing drugs in Gangbuk territory.
Wiping them out for good—so they’d never set foot there again—was also something he, the next chairman, needed to take care of.
Taesin cooked ramen with seafood added.
He was already full, but the delicious aroma stimulated his senses.
He ladled the ramen into a camping bowl.
Watching Lee Seol slurp down a bite, Taesin asked,
“So—whose cooking is better?”
“That’s… a really hard question.”
“I won’t be hurt. You can be honest.”
After hesitating briefly, Lee Seol met Taesin’s expectant gaze and answered,
“It tastes exactly like the ramen my dad used to make.”
A smile spread across Taesin’s handsome face.
It felt as though the dark night sky brightened with that single smile.
Once your eyes were drawn to him, it was impossible to look away.
He pulled Lee Seol toward him like a magnet—so powerfully that she couldn’t resist or push him away on her own.
Warning lights went off in her head.
She shouldn’t get any closer.
She shouldn’t let him approach and dig into her life so freely.
One day, he would return to his own world.
Though he wore the face of a kind man, he belonged to the world of darkness.
He and Lee Seol were like oil and water—unable, and never meant, to mix.
As he himself had said, he was a dangerous person.
Perhaps the easiest way for her to stay safe was not to get close to him at all.
Maybe coming along on this night fishing trip had been a mistake.
The longer she spent with him, the more she felt herself being drawn in.
How could she avoid falling for him?
Lee Seol set down her chopsticks and rinsed her mouth with bottled water.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” she replied, avoiding his gaze.
“What you said just now—were you just saying it to make me feel good?”
“No. It really is delicious. I’m just… too full.”
She forced a yawn as she spoke.
“I want to go home now. I didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m tired.”
“…All right.”
While Taesin packed up the fishing rods and livewell, Lee Seol cleaned up the camping gear and food.
On the way back, she lay down in the cabin and closed her eyes.
She only pretended to sleep—but ended up falling asleep for real.
And she dreamed.
She dreamed that after night fishing, her father carried her home in his arms as she slept.
Half-asleep, she felt her body lift into the air and clung to her father’s neck.
His arms were warm and comforting.
With his strong arms, he had always lifted his small, light daughter effortlessly.
“My little princess. Such a good age, such a good time.”
A strange voice, tinged with laughter, drifted into her dream.
Startled awake, Lee Seol returned to reality and realized she was in Taesin’s arms.
Flustered, she said,
“P-put me down.”
As she squirmed, Taesin murmured,
“Stay still.”
“Come again sometime, miss. Let’s see each other often.”
The captain waved playfully as he called out.
Biting her lip, Lee Seol buried her face against Taesin’s chest.
She’d resolved to keep her distance—so how had she ended up being carried like a princess?
Taesin carried her to the car, set her inside, and started the engine.
Lee Seol closed her eyes again, pretending to sleep.
Thankfully, Taesin didn’t ask anything and drove quietly.
After a while, the car stopped and the engine shut off.
“We’re here.”
Pretending to wake up, Lee Seol unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door.
“I had fun today. I’ll head in now.”
She hurried away as if afraid he might stop her.
All the shops were closed, and most of the neighbors were asleep—the neighborhood lay in silent darkness.
Somewhere, a dog barked.
The light on the second floor was off.
Her grandmother, who went to bed early, was probably already snoring soundly.
Without saying a word, Taesin followed her up the stairs.
It seemed he meant to make sure she got inside.
She quietly opened the front door and stepped in, only to see light spilling out from the crack of the room where Kang Hoon was staying.
It meant Kang Hoon was still awake.
“Please, that’s enough—!”
Just as Lee Seol turned to tell him he could go, she was pushed backward by Taesin as he closed the door and stepped toward her.
