TTD Ch 122

Wei, wait. Wei. Ja-kyung took out a 38-caliber gun from Wang Han’s bosom in an instant and walked toward the container entrance. Act rationally. If you shoot CEO Kang now, you’ll regret it later. Wang Han held Ja-kyung’s arm, but he easily shrugged him off and holstered the gun behind his back.

The subordinates ahead were the first to notice Ja-kyung’s presence. They greeted him casually and cleared the way for him to enter. It seemed like they assumed he had an appointment with Kang Il-hyun.

As the heavy iron door opened, all eyes were focused on it. Under a small light, Kang Il-hyun was standing with his back turned, and in front of him, Jang Tae-ho was sitting with his arms and legs bound. A little further away were Park Tae-soo and other henchmen.

Kang Il-hyun’s expression stiffened as he turned to look at Ja-kyung. Wang Han and Wang Lun, who followed behind, offered greetings on his behalf and forced an awkward smile. Ja-kyung took confident steps forward and glanced indifferently at Prosecutor Jang, who was tied to the chair and unconscious.

Kang Il-hyun blocked Ja-kyung’s path.

“This is unexpected. What are you doing here?”

Even though he suddenly appeared, Kang Il-hyun didn’t lose his composure. Ja-kyung felt angry at his brazenness, but he also wondered why he went to such lengths. If the man in front of him was truly his flesh and blood, then why did he…?

“I didn’t come because I had something to do with you.”

“Then.”

“Jang Tae-ho entered my house without permission.”

“So.”

“I’m going to kill him.”

Ja-kyung took out the gun from behind his back.

“CEO Kang, get out of the way.”

Il-hyun nodded lightly and took a step to the side. Jang Tae-ho, whose head was hanging down, slowly gazed up. His mouth was taped shut, and his eyes seemed clouded as if he couldn’t recognize the person in front of him.

Ja-kyung pulled back the muzzle of his revolver. The cylinder clicked. The silver muzzle of the gun was aimed precisely at the man’s heart. As Il-hyun stepped aside, leaning on his arm, he watched the scene with a relaxed expression.

“Go ahead, shoot. I want to see your skills after such a long time.”

As Wang Lun tried to stop him from behind, Wang Han held his shoulder, telling him to leave the decision to Ja-kyung. Ja-kyung’s finger on the trigger didn’t even twitch. Il-hyun didn’t miss his movement and observed him closely. Ja-kyung tightened his grip. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Il-hyun grabbed Ja-kyung’s arm and raised it upwards.

BANG- The gunshot ripped a hole in the container’s ceiling. An instant silence filled the air. Ja-kyung removed Kang Il-hyun’s hand from his arm and stared at him coldly.

“CEO Kang, don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Ja-kyung didn’t ask why Il-hyun was interfering but whether he had anything to say. Meanwhile, he prepared for the next shot with his hand. Il-hyun’s expression turned cold. He was sure that Ja-kyung knew everything and came searching for him. How he found out didn’t matter. He was only curious about the reason why Ja-kyung, who was supposedly his only remaining family, was trying to shoot him.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Click, click, the cylinder turns again, and Ja-kyung stretched out his arm. Jang Tae-ho lifted his head with difficulty. Memories of the family photo he had seen at his house flashed in his mind. Is he really my older brother? If so, why didn’t I recognize him? In the end, family becomes meaningful when you spend time together, like Wang Han and Wang Lun.

As he tried to suppress the emerging thoughts, Il-hyun blocked his path and looked at him intently.

“Baby, did you know?”

Ja-kyung glared at Il-hyun fiercely.

“What.”

“The man in front of you, he’s your own brother.”

“So.”

Il-hyun’s eyebrows narrowed as he saw Ja-kyung’s indifferent expression. He might have felt less irritated if Ja-kyung had exploded in anger. The cat’s state of mind was not very good.

Ja-kyung handed the gun to Il-hyun.

“Or do you want to shoot him?”

Il-hyun’s gaze shifted to the gun and then moved upward. Ja-kyung’s expression was so cold that it felt unfamiliar. Il-hyun suddenly wondered if Ja-kyung would have looked like that when he shot him at the inauguration ceremony two years ago. As he touched Ja-kyung’s cheek, telling him not to get angry, Ja-kyung swiftly changed the direction of the gun and swung it.

Thunk! The grip of the gun hit Il-hyun’s chin, and he staggered backward.

When Park Tae-soo and his men panicked and took a step forward, Il-hyun raised his hand to stop them. Blood dripped from his lips as he raised his head. He wiped the blood with a handkerchief, then scratched the inside of his mouth with his tongue and spat the remaining blood on the ground.

Then he looked sadly at Ja-kyung.

“You don’t have to hit me, do you?”

Thunk, Ja-kyung threw the gun he was holding to Kang Il-hyun. As the gun hit the floor, Ja-kyung turned around and walked away. Wait a moment. Hold on. When he lifted his foot to chase after him, Ja-kyung turned back with an angry expression.

“Fuck! Do you know what really pisses me off? That you tried to kill Jang Tae-ho? Don’t make me laugh. A family that I don’t even remember, why should it matter to me? But you know what? If that’s the case, you should’ve told me in advance. You knew everything and still deceived people like a damn con artist! You even stole my toothbrush!”

“Don’t get angry.” When Il-hyun tried to approach, Ja-kyung raised his hand to warn him.

“Don’t you dare come any closer, fuck! I’ll really lose it!”

Ja-kyung huffed and came out of the container. Wang Han and Wang Lun, who were bewildered, hastily followed him. Wei, wait. Let’s go together. Bang! A gunshot was heard. Ja-kyung and the Wang brothers paused and turned back. Bang, bang! Wang Han tried to turn around, but Ja-kyung paid no attention and kept going toward where their car was parked.

***

Il-hyun lowered the gun he had aimed at the ceiling. Three more bullet marks appeared next to the one Ja-kyung had shot earlier. He counted the marks in his mind, but Ja-kyung didn’t return. Ah, he leaned his head back and let out a groan and a sigh. Shit. The cat is really mad.

Il-hyun looked back at Jang Tae-ho, who was lying helplessly. He approached him and made him look up. He still hadn’t regained his senses. It was a natural result because he was drunk at the time of the kidnapping and was given an anesthetic. Il-hyun let go of his face and looked at Tae-soo.

“Tae-soo.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Find out if there is a hospital that erases memories through hypnosis.”

Seeing Tae-soo’s bewildered expression, Il-hyun waved it off. He ordered his subordinates to take Tae-ho back home and then stepped out of the container. He tried to call Ja-kyung, but as expected, his phone was turned off. After that, he sighed briefly and called Wang Han, but the same thing happened. Fuck. His steps towards the car quickened.

***

Il-hyun got out of the driver’s seat and took out a bouquet of red roses from the passenger seat. A tall alleyway stretched out in front of him. Fortunately, Wang Han contacted him in the interim after Ja-kyung disappeared. He said Ja-kyung was angry and went to his old house. He was really upset, so please calm him down.

As he walked up the alleyway, a group of hoodlums sat around, laughing and smoking. As they recognized Il-hyun, they quickly scattered like cockroaches into the nearby houses. The closer he got to Ja-kyung’s place, the slower his steps became.

The lights were on, so Ja-kyung must be inside. Il-hyun looked at the flower in his hand once, then silently stood in front of the gate. After knocking, he went to the fence and looked inside. He considered the possibility of Ja-kyung having a gun or holding a knife, so he approached with caution.

Contrary to his expectations, Ja-kyung was sitting casually inside. Only his back was visible, and beside him, beer cans were scattered about. He must have been drinking alone for a while. Ja-kyung couldn’t even handle alcohol properly. Il-hyun didn’t know what Ja-kyung was looking at, but he was bent down, looking at something on the floor for a while. Intrigued, Il-hyun craned his neck to see.

What on earth are you looking at so intently?

After a while in the same posture, Ja-kyung moved whatever he was looking at to the side. Il-hyun’s expression darkened. It was the missing poster he received from Tae-soo a few days ago. Ja-kyung took another sip of alcohol and looked at it again.

Il-hyun leaned against the wall. Absentmindedly, he noticed small flowers crushed under his feet. They were the ones he had planted together with Ja-kyung last spring. He didn’t do it on purpose. After moving his seat to the side, he was staring at the crushed flowers when his phone rang from inside his jacket.

Damn it. He took it out and pressed the end call button a beat too late.

Creak-, the tightly closed door opened, and Lee Ja-kyung peeked out through the gap. Awkward silence flowed between them until Il-hyun smiled affectionately, offering the bouquet of flowers.

“I bought you flowers.”

Bang. The door closed again, and Il-hyun closed his eyes tightly. He walked up to the door and knocked forcefully. Thump, thump, Ja-kyung. Hey, Lee Ja-kyung. There was no sound. This time, he went to the fenced window and waved the bouquet of flowers. But something whooshed past above his head, and the flower petals dropped to the ground. Realizing that what flew past was a knife, Il-hyun quickly pulled back his head.

“Baby, what are you do-”

Whoosh, something flew at him again. He managed to dodge it swiftly, but the fist-sized rock rolled far away. Il-hyun leaned against the wall and shouted.

“Are you really going to do this?”

No answer. Letting out a sigh, Il-hyun sat down under the window. The bouquet in his hand became a mess. He had never made Ja-kyung this angry before. It was frustrating, and he couldn’t figure out how to calm his anger.

“I’ll wait here.”

Around the house, the sound of crickets buzzed loudly. Il-hyun leaned against the wall and looked up at the sky. The weather was good, the stars were clear, and the crescent moon was as beautiful as a cat’s smile. He spoke towards the inside.

“I’m sorry, honey.”

Silence.

“I won’t do that again.”

Still silent.

“Shall I go in and beg?”

Lee Ja-kyung remained silent, instead, only the dog in the lower town barked intently.