BITM Ch23

It was the spring after the cold snap had passed. From that day to today, the animal hospital had gone on indefinite leave. An announcement was posted on the glass door covered by blinds:

Closed for a while due to personal reasons.

The notice was printed by a computer, not handwritten. No one answered when the bell was rung or when a call was made. There was no response even to the message that said there was something to discuss regarding the requested matter. Worried that Han Naeyung might have collapsed at home, Jin passed by Han Naeyung’s building every night. Sometimes the living room light was on, sometimes it wasn’t.

The desire to issue a warrant and break in surged to the top of Jin’s head, but he was barely holding back. Was it really that upsetting to mention what was found on the CCTV? No matter how much he thought about it, that was the only reason Han Naeyung would be angry. To be precise, Han Naeyung didn’t get angry but rather disappeared.

Jin thought about Han Naeyung more now, when he couldn’t see him, than when he often did. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say he was preoccupied with thoughts of Han Naeyung all day long.

“Prosecutor Jin.”

As he was about to put away his phone after a meeting with the chief prosecutor, Prosecutor Park called out. The bags under Prosecutor Park’s eyes were dark.

“Is that matter being resolved well?”

“No.”

Jin replied bluntly.

“What, is the unidentified body case still at a standstill?”

“The case is progressing.”

“Then what isn’t being resolved?”

“Love.”

“Hah!”

Prosecutor Park’s eyes almost popped out in surprise.

“Prosecutor Jin, who’s always been alone, is in love!? Are you serious? I thought you were like a seedless watermelon, all show but no go!”

“Keep your voice down.”

Prosecutor Park, who was making fun of Jin, smirked.

“Hey, who is it? Who managed to thaw our stone-hearted Jin?”

“A stunning beauty.”

“A celebrity?”

“Think more broadly.”

“Come on, tell me. Who is it? Someone in the same building? Or did you meet through a matchmaking agency?”

“A matchmaking agency?”

What is that? Jin put his still-quiet phone back in his pocket.

“How did they get my number, I don’t know, but they keep calling since I was an intern. Even though I’m married, they still call. I got really pissed off when they said they’d introduce a wonderful woman to a divorced man.”

“They never called me.”

“Hmm… well, I guess that company is very discerning.”

“Are you getting a divorce?”

“You brat!”

“Why, didn’t you say it was a discerning company?”

Jin stood up, pushing his chair back.

“Prosecutor Park.”

“What.”

Prosecutor Park, who said there was no such thing as divorce in his dictionary, was fuming.

“How do you seduce someone?”

Prosecutor Park raised an eyebrow as if the question was absurd.

“If you set your mind to it, is there anyone who wouldn’t fall for you?”

“…”

Prosecutor Park’s expression seemed to say, “Seriously? You tried to seduce someone and they didn’t fall for it?”

“If even you can’t do it, then there’s no answer. Give up.”

“It’s hard, really hard.”

Mumbling, Jin left the meeting room.

The suspect extraction in the case of the five-way intersection was still up in the air. On the contrary, the murder weapon in the mountain murder case in the jurisdiction had been found by the police a week ago.

As Jin predicted, the murder weapon was a hiking stick, and fingerprint analysis was completed in the morning, leaving only the report to be received. The child abuse murder case was also well into the trial with the prosecution seeking a 20-year sentence, but Jin’s personal life was a mess.

While he was recalling Han Naeyung several times a day, bitterly reflecting on what went wrong… he wondered if Han Naeyung was at least eating well.

The sensation of the smooth, saliva-wet thigh was fading from memory. Han Naeyung, who initially resisted, was beginning to accept his touch. Jin thought that it was because Han Naeyung was interested in him too.

If disappearing was a way to avoid arrogance, it was perfectly successful. Jin’s confidence had plummeted to the point where he was asking Prosecutor Park for dating tips.

Jin smoked a cigarette, returned to the prosecutor’s office, and threw the cigarette pack on his desk.

“Prosecutor, aren’t you smoking more than before?”

Lee Inyoung asked.

“Am I?”

“It used to be half a pack a day, but now it seems like you’re smoking a full pack.”

Lee Inyoung pointed out something Jin hadn’t realized. Jin shook the nearly empty cigarette pack. He had indeed increased his smoking.

“You should start by cutting down on cigarettes.”

Jin smiled bitterly as soon as Han Naeyung’s voice came to mind.

“Do you want to keep hearing affectionate nagging?”

“Huh? From me?”

Jin shook his head with a smile. Lee Inyoung pouted, saying she thought as much.

“Oh! By the way, prosecutor. We haven’t identified the body with the gold tooth yet, but we have narrowed down the suspects.”

They called the unidentified body found decaying in a mountain in the jurisdiction “Gold Tooth” (Crown). Fortunately, if they had narrowed down the suspects, it should be possible to identify the body. Was this case simpler than expected? However, Lee Inyoung’s bewildered face shattered Jin’s expectations.

“By the way, the fingerprint analysis from the murder weapon came back, and it’s a bit problematic. You need to take a look.”

“What do you mean by problematic?”

Jin asked as he picked up the file on the desk.

The murder weapon, a hiking stick, was found in a dirt mound approximately 500 meters from the location where the unidentified body was discovered. Fingerprint analysis revealed that the prints matched those of Song Iljae, the victim in the Ogori case. AFIS confirmed this.

Jin squinted.

“Ogori victim…?”

“That’s right. The fingerprints on the stick match the deceased from the Ogori case.”

Song Iljae was the victim of the Ogori case, who had been killed with an animal euthanasia injection. Despite the sequence in which the bodies were found, the actual order of death was Gold Tooth first, then Song Iljae. This document clearly indicated that Song Iljae had killed Gold Tooth with the hiking stick before being killed by someone else.

Jin twisted his lips in bewilderment. It was a strange case where the murderer became the victim, like a food chain.

So, who killed Ogori Song Iljae?

“If we assume that Song Iljae killed someone in the mountains, then who killed Song Iljae? And both of them had their tongues removed.”

She asked the same question Jin was thinking.

“Ugh, suddenly I have goosebumps. Maybe the ghost of that person killed Song Iljae.”

Of course, the ghost of the murdered victim wouldn’t have come back for revenge. Although sometimes detectives or prosecutors might call in a shaman when a case seemed unsolvable, Jin didn’t believe in superstition.

“A motive of revenge.”

It was an obvious but highly probable reason for a murder.

“We should focus on that. Since Song Iljae had a history of blackmail, this case is likely related to that.”

The most plausible assumption now was that Song Iljae blackmailed Gold Tooth and eventually committed murder. Or conversely, Gold Tooth might have tried to get rid of Song Iljae and ended up being killed. The starting point was to find their common ground.

“I’ll look into it as you said. I’ll also inform the section chief. And I’ve organized today’s schedule, so please check it.”

Jin pressed his forehead as he sat down.

Even though they were in the violent crime division, they didn’t handle only major cases. When short-handed, they often dealt with simple criminal cases.

Today’s suspects included a delivery man from a Chinese restaurant who committed robbery, a habitual bicycle thief, and other so-called petty criminals. The bicycle thief was a minor and was expected to come with his parents. Jin just hoped the kid felt remorse for his crimes.

***

Except for one minor, we have identified all the residences.

Han Naeyung stared at the message from Jin. He also looked at the message sent a few days ago.

Nari wants to see you. Honestly, I want to see you more. Contact me.

His lips twisted involuntarily. He tried to smile at the message that seemed to carry Jin’s voice, but only his eyes squinted.

Han Naeyung pushed his phone aside and sat in a single chair. In front of him was a firmly closed door. His bloodshot eyes lingered on the doorknob.

The fact he discovered after three months of tracking Jang Juntae was that the information from the detective agency was wrong.

Jang Juntae’s range of activities included only orphanages, nursing homes, and animal shelters. He had no specific residence and slept and ate at churches or volunteer locations.

Repentance…? Did he really repent? Did God forgive his sins? If so, it was wrong. The people Jang Juntae should beg forgiveness from were Jaemin and himself.

‘I haven’t forgiven you yet, so you can’t repent on your own.’

Han Naeyung’s eyes turned cold.

The first person he found through the detective agency was Lee Kyungchul

He was the one who had bought Jaemin and him from a middle-aged woman. When Lee Kyungchul was in a bad mood, he would starve them all day. He would also force them to eat food he had chewed and spat out. Han Naeyung thought of the cabinet beyond the door and the formalin inside.

He sneered at the pathetic piece floating around. The sensation of cutting the cooling tongue lingered in his hand.

As Han Naeyung’s gaze turned to the door, gray memories slowly crept in. It was the day all plans had gone awry.

***

“Lee Kyungchul, you bastard. Are you kidding me? You say you have no money?”

“How about you stop acting like a thug and settle down?”

“Hearing that from you is so funny it makes me want to cry. Ah, whatever. I’ll just call your boss directly.”

“Please, stop harassing me! I barely got this job. My hands and feet are tied, I can’t do anything else!”

“That’s your problem. You think I’m asking for a lot? Just three hundred. Isn’t that right?”

“Three months ago, you took five hundred, and now you’re saying something different?!”

“Hey, Lee Kyungchul Why don’t you find another job instead of working at the car center? No matter how kind the boss is, he won’t keep someone with a record of child prostitution.”

As the man sneered and turned away, Lee Kyungchul threw a punch at him.

“No matter how hard I try to live a straight life, people like you ruin everything! Die, you bastard! Die!”

Lee Kyungchul climbed on top of the fallen man, gritting his teeth as he choked him. The man, sensing the danger, scratched at Lee Kyungchul’s arms.

“Ugh, cough. You… crazy…”

Realizing he couldn’t go on like this, the man groped the floor for something and grabbed it. As he struck down, blood spurted from Lee Kyungchul’s eye.

“Ugh, ugh. You bastard, you’re dead today. Ugh.”

Spitting blood-tinged saliva, the man plunged a sharp object into Lee Kyungchul’s head as he screamed in agony. The sickening sound of the stabs echoed through the half-open window. Neither of them realized that someone was watching. From the tinted car outside, Han Naeyung observed the gruesome scene unfolding inside the dark car center.

Han Naeyung’s pupils dilated with confusion as Lee Kyungchul’s convulsions slowly subsided. He gripped the steering wheel tightly.

“…It’s not my fault. This bastard tried to kill me first. Damn it! It was self-defense.”

The man, alternating his gaze between the bloody hiking stick and the fallen Lee Kyungchul, backed away in panic. Then, he threw the stick away and started muttering to himself, even slapping his cheeks.

The man dragged Lee Kyungchul’s bleeding body by the legs, looking around cautiously before stuffing it into the trunk of a car parked far ahead.

“You idiot. You should have given me the money when I asked. Then you wouldn’t have died.”

After checking his surroundings again, the man pulled out a water hose and washed the car center yard. Scrubbing the floor with a broom, it was soon as if nothing had happened.

The man, holding the blood-stained broom and hiking stick, loaded the evidence into the backseat and hesitated before starting the engine. As the car ahead moved off, Han Naeyung followed with his lights off. His gloves were damp with sweat.

The man’s car headed towards an undeveloped hillside near a newly built apartment complex. The so-called new town was still incomplete, its half-finished buildings looming ominously in the darkness.

As the roads narrowed, traffic dwindled. Fearing the man might notice, Han Naeyung slowed down. The car in front also slowed, perhaps conscious of being followed. Eventually, the man pulled over with the engine running.

Unable to stop, Han Naeyung drove past as if he were going somewhere else. After rounding a curve, he stopped at a distance where the engine noise wouldn’t be heard. The small vial in his pocket rattled. Gripping the syringe and scalpel together, he knew today was the day. He had decided to kill Lee Kyungchul

Imagining revenge was always easy, but it took a long time to act on it. Hesitation held him back, and he despised his own weakness. Yet, he had come this far.

He had been waiting for Lee Kyungchul to leave the car center, not expecting the man’s unexpected visit or their intense fight.

The dark hillside outside looked eerie enough to hide a body. Han Naeyung buried his face in the steering wheel, catching his breath. He waited until just before dawn, when the first light started to seep in.

Only then did Han Naeyung step out of the car and begin climbing the hill. Lee Kyungchul should not have died. He had to be alive. Only then…

Wandering through the leaf-covered hillside, Han Naeyung gagged at the stench of blood. The source of the foul air was Lee Kyungchul, lying nearby. As he approached, he saw that fallen leaves covered Lee Kyungchul’s body. In their haste, they hadn’t even bothered to bury him properly.

“…Help.”

The dying Lee Kyungchul croaked as he sensed someone’s presence. His arm trembled as he tried to lift it. Save me. Han Naeyung watched him silently repeat the same plea.

“Sa…ve…”

Lee Kyungchul, using his last bit of strength, clung to Han Naeyung. He might have thought he was saved. But his life was in Han Naeyung’s hands.

“Why did you do it?”

Han Naeyung asked.

“Why did you do this to us…!”

Lee Kyungchul was at death’s door, yet his eyes, though vacant, seemed to register Han Naeyung’s voice, trembling slightly.

“Tell me… Why did you do this to Jaemin, to us?”

Lee Kyungchul, foaming at the mouth, struggled like an epileptic.

“…….”

Han Naeyung held his breath and brought his ear close to the man’s lips. That was how he heard Lee Kyungchul’s final words.

“I don’t want to die.”

That was all. His eyes had completely rolled back, leaving only the whites visible. Han Naeyung grabbed him by the collar.

“No, not that kind of talk. Not that kind of plea…!”

Even as he shook the collar he was holding, there was no response.

“I should have killed you. You… I should have…”

He strangled the already lifeless body, but it didn’t even twitch. Han Naeyung kicked the limp body. Warm blood gushed from the head like a waterfall. Even hitting the cheeks with his fists or squeezing the neck as if to break the bones, the dead man did not return. Tears streamed down Han Naeyung’s face as he stood in utter desolation.

We suffered and wallowed in misery for four months, but wasn’t your death too merciful? I wanted to cut out your writhing tongue and watch the blood spurt like a fountain. The imagination should have become reality, but someone else took that from me.

Lee Kyungchul, you probably think you met an unjust death. But I will never reveal how you died or by whose hand. I will make sure no one remembers you. You did that to us. The tongue is a blade. Your blade must also remain silent forever.

Han Naeyung pulled out Lee Kyungchul’s limp tongue. The pale blade glinted coldly in the dawn light.

Splat!

“Haah, haah…”

Han Naeyung snapped out of the memory of that dawn on the hillside, shaking off the shuddering chills, and glared at the door.

His face was completely soaked with tears.

Finally, he was nearing the end. The final moment to repay the long, hellish hatred was approaching. But no matter how many of them died, Jaemin would not return. The cruel truth tore at Han Naeyung’s heart.

***

Han Naeyung went down to the hospital and opened the door after a long time. The hospital, which hadn’t seen any visitors for a while, had even lost the lingering scent of perfume.

He opened the display case in the consultation room and took out three bottles of medicine in order. Han Naeyung clenched the medicine bottles. The sound of the bottles rubbing against each other was grating. His hands were already tainted once, there was no need to hesitate, and there were plenty of opportunities with Jang Jun-tae.

All that was left was to carry out the act, but why did he keep thinking of him? Would he be able to touch him without hesitation after secretly killing Jang Jun-tae? No, it was impossible. To remain forever silent to him, it was right to leave now. He couldn’t embrace Dike with blood-stained hands.

“I’m not wrong. They are the ones who drove Jaemin to death. I’m punishing them on behalf of myself and others who suffered more than death. What’s wrong with that? Why do victims always have to suffer? If the law is not on our side, I have to solve it with my own hands. I’m not wrong.”

His nine-year-old self still screamed inside.

Han Naeyung leaned against the display case and covered his buzzing ears. At that moment, the hospital door chime rang. Han Naeyung put the medicine bottles in his pocket and hurried out of the consultation room. He was speechless when he came face-to-face with the man who had entered.

The man, too, looked at him in silence. As always, his black suit and neat tie seemed to armor his body.

“Are you okay?”

The man spoke, standing a bit away. Han Naeyung tried hard to suppress the face that was about to contort.

Why haven’t you contacted me? Isn’t it too shameless? He had expected harsh questioning. But what came from his mouth was not questioning, but concern. Han Naeyung felt like he was going to collapse.

The cold medicine bottles in his pocket brought him back to his senses.

“Prosecutor.”

Han Naeyung took a breath and continued speaking.

“From now on… don’t come to see me.”

Jin stared at Han Naeyung’s lips. Cold air seeped out from those seemingly fragile lips. The biting cold froze Jin in place.

“…Do you dislike me now?”

“I never liked you from the beginning.”

Han Naeyung’s slow, gentle tone had hardened. Jin took a step closer to Han Naeyung, who did not retreat, and took another step forward.

“I don’t like you, Prosecutor.”

Before he knew it, Jin was close enough to feel his breath. Certain that he was lying, Jin smiled incredulously.

“Then why did you sleep with me? No, how was it even possible? You said I was the only one.”

Han Naeyung hoped his voice wouldn’t tremble.

“Sleeping with you… because I liked it.”

“Are you saying you only liked sleeping with me?”

“…Yes.”

Jin couldn’t figure out what face to make or what to say. He only knew that even as Han Naeyung nonchalantly tore at his heart, he didn’t hate him at this moment.

With that beautiful face, he dug into Jin’s guts with sharp claws, yet Jin didn’t want to give up.

“Are you pushing me away on purpose? Is there a reason for this?”

“Why would I do that?”

“You said only I was okay, and not others.”

“I told you. I used you.”

“What did you use me for, exactly?”

“I’ve been manipulating you as I pleased. Now, I don’t want to do that anymore.”

Looking at him with emotionless eyes as if he was fed up, it was driving him insane. It felt like being thrown from a sweet dream into a harsh reality.

“Go.”

Han Naeyung turned his gaze as if he was tired of arguing.

“Let me ask one more time. Did you really not like me? Did you sleep with me just because you liked the body?”

“…”

Han Naeyung didn’t even look back, as if he didn’t see the need to answer twice. He just stared at the window with the blinds down, asking Jin to leave.

“I must have been a bother to you.”

Jin spoke without knowing what answer he wanted. He hoped for a denial, but Han Naeyung gave him the answer he least wanted to hear: “Yes.”

“But you said you enjoyed sleeping with me.”

Jin muttered with a sneer.

“Good.”

Jin roughly grabbed Han Naeyung’s arm, dragging him to the sofa and throwing him onto it. Han Naeyung’s eyes reflected the shock of the sudden situation.

Jin unbuttoned his shirt and touched his bare chest as he pleased. Han Naeyung tried to draw his legs back to stop him from pulling down his pants, but Jin immediately turned his body over. Pressing down on the back of his neck, Jin pulled Han Naeyung’s briefs down to his thighs.

The strong force restraining him made resistance futile. He heard the sound of a zipper being pulled down. Jin pressed his upper body tightly against Han Naeyung’s back and asked menacingly.

“Do you know I never even did it properly because of watching your reaction?”

Jin bit down on Han Naeyung’s neck and pressed his erect penis against the exposed skin.

“Ugh…! Stop it.”

“If you like the body, this shouldn’t matter, right?”

“Ugh!”

Han Naeyung bit his teeth as Jin forcibly thrust his large shaft inside him. His lower body was violently spread open. It hurts, it hurts. Ignoring Han Naeyung’s voice crying out in pain, Jin pressed his waist down even deeper.

His vision turned white. Han Naeyung’s body trembled as if having a seizure. His insides contracted, twisting around Jin’s member. I hate it, I hate it. Please. It hurts. Han Naeyung murmured.

Jin, who had been moving his body with a grimace, saw Han Naeyung’s neck turning red and stopped. He pulled out from the clenched inside and turned Han Naeyung’s body to face him. Han Naeyung, breathing heavily, was flushed red all over.

It wasn’t pleasure or excitement. It was fear. He was afraid of his own hands, not anyone else’s.

Only then did Jin feel like cold water was poured over him for what he had done. He couldn’t bring himself to touch Han Naeyung’s trembling body. As he tried to button up the shirt he had violently unbuttoned, Han Naeyung leaned heavily against the sofa and clutched his shirt.

Han Naeyung bit his lip, looking at Jin, who couldn’t even manage to apologize. It was himself who had driven Jin to this point. He couldn’t blame Jin for what he had brought upon himself.

But he resented his trembling hands, his weakness in not being able to move on from the past, his helpless body. So, he decided to put an end to it. Han Naeyung composed himself and fixed his clothes. Jin looked the same as before.

“Did I do something to deserve this treatment from you?”

Han Naeyung’s voice was faint. Jin wished he would get angry instead.

“You.”

The words stuck in his throat. Jin looked at Han Naeyung, who was still trembling.

“You didn’t do anything.”

He spoke wearily.

“I was the one… who fell.”

Han Naeyung’s hands, which were fixing his shirt, paused.

“I thought you were attracted to me too. I was deluding myself as I pleased. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Jin couldn’t easily sort out his emotions. Han Naeyung clenched his lips. If he relaxed even a little, his sweet breath might reveal his feelings.

‘I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to be hurt. Will you accept my confession, my past?’

Could he endure if Jin turned away upon learning about him? Han Naeyung didn’t have the courage to accept such a change in Jin’s feelings. So, he had to remain silent now, as he always had.

Eventually, Jin turned away.

His back seemed to be telling Han Naeyung to hold him. He felt that if he let him go now, he would lose him forever. His vision blurred.

Prosecutor.

Han Naeyung called Jin in his mind.

Prosecutor…

He called, hoping Jin wouldn’t turn around.

“Why are you crying?”

Before he knew it, Jin was facing him again.

“I can’t… I can’t do this.”

Han Naeyung covered his mouth with his hand. I like you. I really do. He suppressed the words that threatened to spill out. Jin approached and placed his hand over Han Naeyung’s. His hand, too, was wet with tears. He removed Han Naeyung’s hand from his mouth to let him breathe.

Jin hugged Han Naeyung tightly.

“What is it that makes you suffer so much?”

Jin’s voice was painfully low. Han Naeyung clung to his back desperately.

“Please, really, don’t come to see me anymore.”

“…”

“…Until I call you, don’t come.”

“Will you… call me?”

His voice lacked confidence. But his sweet breath remained.

When it’s all over… At that time, even if you feel repulsed, take my confession and my sin upon yourself. Jung Woomin within me doesn’t call this a sin, but if you say it is, Han Naeyung will accept it.

Han Naeyung looked at the blinds obscured by the ceiling stains with blurred vision. The blinds, which had received the flickering light of the signboard, soon turned black, dyed with the color of the night.

The signboard ‘AZALEOS’ was now completely out.