OMS 109

When Park Dong-sik woke up and went to the living room, he found a security guard standing in front of Kim Tae-han’s room. The guard politely greeted him, then stood at attention like a soldier, staring straight ahead with his hands behind his back. Kim Jun-han had left for work, and Kim Yoon-ah brought water while checking on Park Dong-sik’s condition.

“Are you okay?”

“No. It was a blood-curdling night.”

“Did you fight with the CEO?”

“Fight? More like I got beat up one-sidedly.”

Kim Yoon-ah’s eyes opened wide, and Park Dong-sik waved his hand. 

“It’s just a figure of speech, don’t misunderstand—he didn’t actually hit me.”

“People are coming from the hospital this morning to pick up Kim Tae-han. The CEO strongly insisted that he shouldn’t have any contact with you until then.”

After contemplating for a while, Park Dong-sik went to the bedroom, opened the safe, and retrieved documents about Park Dong-sik and Kim Kyungsu. Kim Yoon-ah watched anxiously and stood up. “Hee-soo-nim?”

After gesturing for her not to come, when he tried to enter Kim Tae-han’s room, the guard blocked his way.

“I’m sorry. The CEO said not to let anyone in.”

“I just need one minute.”

“I’m sorry.”

Come on, just one minute. As he tried to force his way in and the guard tried to stop him, he pretended his stomach hurt, making the guard flinch back. Seizing the opportunity, Park Dong-sik quickly slipped into the room and poked his head out.

“If I’m not out in one minute, then you can drag me out.”

Closing the door and turning around, he found Kim Tae-han sitting on the bed, though he’d thought he was sleeping. His eyes were bloodshot. Kim Tae-han stared silently while Park Dong-sik brought a chair and sat beside the bed. His appearance up close was even worse. His swollen eyes showed he’d been crying.

“How are you feeling?”

“…”

“I heard you want to get a DNA test when the babies are born and get custody.”

“Yeah…”

Park Dong-sik handed the documents to Kim Tae-han.

“See for yourself.”

Kim Tae-han opened them and furrowed his brow.

“What is this…?”

“You’re asking the wrong question first. You should ask who this is.”

“Who is it…”

“Me.”

Park Dong-sik placed his documents and Kim Kyungsu’s documents side by side and pointed specifically to Park Dong-sik’s photo.

“This is me.”

Kim Tae-han looked at the photo indifferently.

“Hee-soo. I don’t understand what you’re saying…”

“I told you before. I’m not Lee Hee-soo. The day Hee-soo drowned, I also drowned, and when I woke up, I was in Hee-soo’s body. My real name is Park Dong-sik. I’m a loan shark, two years older than you. Hee-soo and I are stepbrothers, and Kim Jun-han knows all of this.”

Kim Tae-han reached out and lightly touched Park Dong-sik’s forehead. 

“No fever…”

Park Dong-sik leaned back with a sigh and waved the photo in front of Kim Tae-han’s eyes.

“Look properly. Why won’t you believe it? Aren’t you a film director? I thought artists were supposed to have great imaginations—was that all lies? Why won’t you believe me even when I’m telling the truth?!”

“So you’re saying you’re not Hee-soo. You’re this…what’s his name…Park Dong-sik? Even the name sounds so provincial.”

Park Dong-sik’s temple twitched. What did this bastard just say? Making fun of someone’s name like that.

“You’re saying you’re this person?”

“Yeah. I’m Park Dong-sik. Not Lee Hee-soo, who you’re desperately in love with, but Park Dong-sik. Do you understand now? Does it make sense? This is what I originally looked like! Look at my face! How is it? Not attractive at all, right? Not your type? Actually, I was a real man’s man!”

Even with a glimmer of hope, Kim Tae-han’s face showed complete disbelief.

“Then where is Hee-soo?”

Park Dong-sik answered without hesitation.

“I don’t know. Park Dong-sik’s body was found dead the day after drowning, and if our souls switched, then Hee-soo must be dead. If you don’t believe me, check for yourself. Jun-han has videos of everything—me meeting Hee-soo that day, going into the funeral home. If you need to see them, I can call him right now to show you.”

As he tried to call Kim Jun-han, Kim Tae-han stopped his hand.

“Do you hate me so much that you’d go this far, even making up fake documents?”

Park Dong-sik exploded in frustration.

“Did you even listen to what I just said?”

Kim Tae-han spoke with a determined expression on his face.

“My brother said he won’t do a paternity test. But I’m going to. If both babies are his, I’ll give up cleanly. But if they’re mine, I’m taking custody. I’ll sue if I have to.”

Park Dong-sik squeezed his eyes shut.

“Tae-han. Let’s not do this. Even though you’re a bit crazy, I thought you could still reason. You weren’t this unreasonable before, right?”

“How is it unreasonable to claim my own flesh and blood? It’s my natural right.”

“…”

“Don’t try to make me give up, make my brother give up instead. The chances they’re mine are higher than his.”

Park Dong-sik gritted his teeth tightly and glared daggers at Kim Tae-han.

“So you’re going all the way? Even if I choose Kim Jun-han, you’re saying you’ll take the children?”

“I know what I did to you was wrong. But what about my brother? He ignored you and never cared about you until now. Why should only I give up? Because of my mistakes? If that’s it, I’ll atone until I die. I’ll live groveling before you my whole life, serve you like a dog. So…”

Kim Tae-han’s voice cracked with emotion.

“Don’t push me away anymore. I’m already in hell, and I’m so blind with rage I don’t know what I might do.”

Maybe it would have been better if he’d just cried. Seeing him consumed by obsession and madness made Park Dong-sik feel both drained and empty at the same time.

“You know…You’re becoming more and more like your father…”

“…”

“How are you any different from Chairman Kim?”

Kim Tae-han’s eyes reddened, and he finally dropped his head and fell silent. Just then, there was a knock and the door opened.

“The hospital staff is here for Mr. Kim Tae-han.”

Behind the guard appeared several sturdy men, including a doctor. After asking them to wait a moment, Park Dong-sik said to Kim Tae-han.

“Get up. Let’s go to the hospital first.”

“I’m not going.”

“What?”

Kim Tae-han shouted at the people at the entrance.

“Everyone leave! If anyone here touches me even slightly…” Kim Tae-han pulled out a sharp ice pick from under his pillow and unhesitatingly held it to his throat. What is that? Why was it under the pillow…Was it because of Jun-han? Come to think of it, it wasn’t surprising. Kim Jun-han was desperate to kill Kim Tae-han, and Kim Tae-han, knowing his brother’s nature, must have come prepared.

Kim Tae-han’s eyes flashed coldly.

“Dr. Jung. This is the carotid artery, right?”

Kim Tae-han pressed the ice pick under his jaw. While the doctor and staff were standing awkwardly uncertain, Kim Yoon-ah barely poked her head in from behind and frantically gestured. 

“Hee-soo-nim, it’s dangerous, please come out quickly!”

Park Dong-sik decided to try calming Kim Tae-han first.

“Tae-han, please.”

“You leave too. I want to rest…”

“Don’t do this. I don’t want to deal with a corpse here.”

“Perfect. If I die in front of you, you’ll never forget me.”

His angry eyes trembled with tears. How did it come to this? If I hadn’t taken your feelings lightly from the start…If I’d been clear about my position…Would things have been different? Park Dong-sik squeezed his eyes shut, opened them, and walked to the entrance. Then he reached out to the doctor.

“Doctor, do you have a lighter?”

“What? No…I quit smoking…”

“Here you go.” 

The guard beside him took out a lighter and handed it over. Park Dong-sik forced out a smile as he took the gleaming silver Zippo. 

“Nice one. I’ll return it soon.”

He turned sharply, gripping the lighter tightly in his fist, and strode toward Kim Tae-han. Kim Tae-han was pointing the ice pick at his neck, breathing heavily.

“I told you, Hee-soo. I won’t move an inch from—”

Park Dong-sik ignored him and threw his fist with all his might. With a thwack, Kim Tae-han’s body folded and collapsed to the side, falling dead silent. After taking a deep breath, Park Dong-sik grabbed the ice pick from Kim Tae-han’s hand and threw it to the side.

“You idiot, the carotid artery is here. That was just your neck.”

After precisely pointing it out with his finger, he pulled Kim Tae-han’s shoulder, but he was completely unconscious. Checking his nose, thankfully he was still breathing. Park Dong-sik turned to look at the entrance.

Seeing the doctor and staff’s pale faces, he told them to get a grip and take him away.

“Don’t worry about it. He’s just unconscious for a moment.”

Suddenly, blood started trickling from Kim Tae-han’s nose. Flustered, Park Dong-sik roughly plugged his nostrils with nearby tissues.

“Oh, why is he bleeding…Doctor, he’s okay if he’s breathing, right?”

“Ah, yes…well…”

“That’s a relief. He’ll cause trouble when he wakes up, so please move him quickly.”

After returning the lighter to the guard and stepping outside, Kim Tae-han was being moved on a stretcher from inside. Seeing his limp arm hanging down, Park Dong-sik brought a blanket to cover him and tucked his arm in.

After watching Kim Tae-han leave and taking a breather, a phone call came in as if on cue. Seeing “Hee-soo’s Mother” displayed, he let out a bitter laugh. Hadn’t I blocked this person…Of all times to call, why now…

Fuck, it feels like today is going to be a dynamic day.