SOG Ch 107

“I, I don’t want to become, uh, a shameful child to my mother…”

A sex offender. Huu… Gyeong Chang-hyun sobbed uncontrollably.

A customer entering the bathroom looked at Gyeong Chang-hyun crying in bewilderment and headed inside. Jae-chan felt like it would be a nuisance if they stood in front of the sink any longer. Seon Jae-chan comforted the crying Chang-hyun while recalling the layout of the shop before stepping outside.

Because there was a corner, the woman wearing the beanie would not be able to see the bathroom and the stairs to the second floor. Jae-chan led the sobbing Chang-hyun to the second floor.

“What a complete psycho, that… Huu, I saw her talking to Jeong Yeon-oh that day…”

Jae-chan found a corner to avoid people’s gaze and gained new information. The story was that the woman on the first floor had a connection with Jeong Yeon-oh.

He recalled the woman with the beanie. Fair appearance. Estimated to be in her late twenties or early thirties. Moreover, judging from the atmosphere, Chang-hyun seemed to be quite wary of her.

“…What’s the connection between Jeong Yeon-oh and that woman?”

“Dunno. If that bastard Jeong Yeon-oh’s involved with that woman, he’s really messing around. …Ah, I didn’t intend to tell you this…”

You shouldn’t get involved with that person either… Chang-hyun burst into tears again. ‘That person’ seemed to refer to the woman with the beanie from earlier.

Understanding the situation better after hearing Chang-hyun’s confession, Jae-chan realized that he had deliberately pushed him away all this time out of concern.

“What if you get involved too…”

Patting Chang-hyun’s shoulder as he sniffled, Jae-chan recalled the day he saw Jeong Yeon-oh at his house.

He had often felt it, but Chang-hyun was terrible at lying. How awkwardly he had reacted when he saw him again, how fearful he was that Jeong Yeon-oh might notice Chang-hyun’s acting skills. That was why Jae-chan had hurriedly left. He had been worried about Chang-hyun’s extremely lax behavior, which was why he had assigned the follower.

“Is she by any chance the last person you met at the bar?”

Jae-chan handed him a new tissue, recalling the CCTV footage he received from the bartender. Chang-hyun said in the affirmative and blew his nose vigorously until a popping sound was heard.

“Yeah. …I definitely remember being greeted warmly when I entered the pub.”

Because the injustice he had endured was significant, Chang-hyun simply laid out all the facts.

“… I don’t really want to talk to that woman, but damn, she keeps interrupting me… So, she must have seen something. If only she’d testify, it would surely help… Damn, she’s such a psychopath…”

Gyeong Chang-hyun thought for a moment about his second cousin. Gyeong Hye-in, the first daughter of President Gyeong Jeon-seok. Unlike his second daughter, Gyeong Hye-su, who was as pretty and kind as an angel, Gyeong Hye-in was a psychopath who took pleasure in torturing him ever since he was young.

“Is she someone you know?”

“It’s Gyeong Hye-in… My cousin, so she’s the first daughter of the current President.”

Chang-hyun said as he wiped his nose with the crumpled tissue. Jae-chan paused at that.

The eldest daughter of President Gyeong Jeon-seok. Even a relationship with Jeong Yeon-oh. He immediately felt suspicious. Jae-chan resolved to find out more about her as soon as possible.

“Oh, but what happened to you? And what’s with the helmet?”

Gyeong Chang-hyun pointed to the helmet still attached to Jae-chan’s side. He recalled the situation a few days ago. He didn’t know how heartbroken he was when Jae-chan simply left like that. Even though he had pushed him away, it was still hurtful. But now, seeing his friend right in front of him, tears flowed uncontrollably.

In addition, tears filled Chang-hyun’s eyes again as he inadvertently thought of his mother. He couldn’t even pick up her calls out of guilt. How could he face his mother after being labeled as a sex offender?

After sobbing for a while, Chang-hyun suddenly realized that the comforting hand on his shoulder had stopped. When he looked up, he saw Jae-chan with a strange expression.

“…? Why?”

Chang-hyun automatically followed Jae-chan’s gaze. Across the two-lane road, an ordinary alley with cars parked came into view. It was inevitable that a dark gray sedan caught his eye right away. Despite his sorrow, it was such a well-made car that admiration escaped him.

Was Seon Jae-chan interested in cars?

Chang-hyun tilted his head and Jae-chan said, “It’s nothing.” Then he was asked again about Gyeong Hye-in.

“Can’t you go down? You said you met her today to persuade her.”

Chang-hyun held back his tears at the suggestion of going down for testimony. He crumpled the tissue and anxiously twisted his fingers.

“She must have already left… And psychos don’t easily change their minds. It’s either once or never.”

Seeing his clearly downtrodden face, Jae-chan took out his phone. Since the person in question was right there, he played back the CCTV footage.

“Wow. Where did you get this?”

Chang-hyun put his head close to Jae-chan. The quality of the CCTV footage was not good, as if it had been taken secretly with a cell phone, but he could clearly see Gyeong Hye-in next to him.

While watching the recorded scene with Chang-hyun, Jae-chan adjusted the brightness of his phone. He pointed to a vague shadow opposite Chang-hyun, next to a woman named Gyeong Hye-in.

“It looks like your relative has company.”

“Uh… Yeah.”

“Do you remember?”

Jae-chan asked thoughtfully, tapping his index finger at the corner where only a shadow was visible at the bottom of the screen. Although it wasn’t clearly captured, it was clear that someone was there based on the movement of the shadow.

Before, Jae-chan had just kept her identity in mind, but now that he had decided to delve into Gyeong Hye-in’s identity, her companion was also an important clue, no doubt about it. Who could have been with her? His curiosity was intense.

“There was someone. I don’t remember much. It seems like he was a man.”

Chang-hyun muttered. At that moment, on the screen, Gyeong Hye-in was casting a friendly gaze towards the shadow for a brief moment.

Jae-chan repeatedly checked the CCTV. When Gyeonghyein pointed to the tarot cards and spoke, he witnessed a brief glimpse of a hand and arm from that direction.

It was definitely a man. He seemed slightly smaller in stature than Woojin.

“But what does it matter?”

Chang-hyun frowned. Since it might not have anything to do with the case, Jae-chan decided to put it on hold for now. He originally intended to investigate Gyeong Hye-in, so he could do it together then.

“Your relative, should I try persuading her?”

Jae-chan asked, putting his phone away. Chang-hyun looked at him with a puzzled expression. Trying to persuade Gyeong Hye-in was an absurd idea.

Jae-chan added, clearly reading Chang-hyun’s doubts.

“Not persuade, but ‘negotiate’.”

“With what?”

He just laughed. Chang-hyun shrugged, thinking it was probably a joke. Still, even if it was empty words, it was comforting that Jae-chan stepped forward as if it were his own business.

“Let’s go down. That person must have left too.”

Jae-chan stood up and suggested. Chang-hyun also felt at ease as he confessed his feelings openly, and since he was slowly getting hungry again, he nodded willingly.

And the opportunity for persuasion, or rather, negotiation, came sooner than expected.

Gyeong Hye-in was still present in the first-floor hall, where the pop singer’s fresh voice could be heard. Chang-hyun, who was heading down the stairs, stopped. Gyeong Hye-in, who was taking a big bite of the freshly ordered hot dog, glanced up. The three people’s eyes met.

*

Gyeong Hye-in ate her milkshake and hot dog in silence. When she walked into the shop, her dumb cousin was eating it so deliciously that she ordered it as soon as he ran away in frustration.

Gyeong Chang-hyun, whom she thought had left, unexpectedly returned. And next to him was a face she also knew well.

‘It’s getting annoying.’

Behind the whining cousin, whose tail was between his legs, was a face she had seen in photos a few times. Guide Seon Jae-chan. It was the first time she had seen him in person.

She chewed the extremely irritating snack food while looking sullenly at the two young faces.

“Hello. I’m Seon Jae-chan.”

Jae-chan was taken aback by the unexpected situation for a moment before walking over to Hye-in and sitting across from her. Chang-hyun, whose complexion was once again pale, hesitantly followed.

“…”

Even after the greeting, the other party remained silent. She just sipped the soft, sweet drink with a straw to neutralize the salty taste.

Seeing Gyeong Hye-in’s indifferent expression, Jae-chan began to broach the subject slowly. He wanted to know about the memories of the night Chang-hyun couldn’t remember.

“I heard something from that guy. About the night at the bar—”

That’s how Jae-chan started the conversation.

“I can’t help. I don’t remember anything.”

Gyeong Hye-in answered as if intercepting him without averting her eyes at all. It was a playful, yet iron-clad attitude.

In a negotiation, you need to know what the other party wants. Jae-chan was assessing the person who was furrowing her eyebrows and decided to poke around for now.

“Is Jeong Yeon-oh that useful? I don’t know what it is, but I can do what he can do. As long as it’s legal.”

So, he brought in Jeong Yeon-oh, who was said to have a connection with Gyeong Hye-in.

“Is that so?”

Gyeong Hye-in smiled with an infinitely light attitude.

“Well, what can I say? Even though I like younger men, flashy young masters like you are not my type.”

Hye-in said as she looked at Seon Jae-chan’s appearance, which looked extremely neat on the outside.

“As for Jeong Yeon-oh…”

Jae-chan persisted without giving up.

“Well, Yeon-oh is indeed a charming young man… Do you think he and I have that kind of relationship?”

“Not really, you don’t quite match. You are too good for him, Noona.”

Jae-chan spoke in a softer tone than usual. Gyeong Chang-hyun’s mouth dropped open as he stared at the two people alternately as if he had heard something he shouldn’t hear.