MIM 119

[“I want you to kill Jae-seung.”]

Three weeks before the incident, when Shin-woo visited Ma Jin-seong’s study late one dawn after finishing work, he received an unexpected proposal. “Proposal” was more appropriate than “mission.” Indeed, Ma Jin-seong’s tone when asking him to kill his son was casual, without any hint of coercion.

[“Well, I know you two got quite close…but there are few guys who handle jobs as cleanly as you do. You need to live your own life too. You wouldn’t want to stake your life on a brief friendship, right?”]

True to his talk about life, Ma Jin-seong’s terms were extraordinary. If Shin-woo killed Ma Jae-seung, he would give him enough money to live comfortably for life, a new identity, and grant him freedom. Given Ma Jin-seong’s track record, the offer of freedom was more surprising than his determination to kill Ma Jae-seung. True to form, while he elaborated on the compensation, he never mentioned why he wanted Ma Jae-seung dead.

What valid reason could there be? Damn it, he didn’t even care to know.

That bastard probably didn’t care how much Ma Jae-seung was looking forward to going to university, to finally leaving this mansion and entering the outside world.

[“I’ll do it.”]

Shin-woo accepted the proposal. If he refused, Ma Jin-seong would quickly find someone else. Taking the job himself was the only way to know the detailed plans and prepare countermeasures.

[“Haha! That’s right. You really are smart! If only my son were half like you.”]

Ma Jin-seong found it highly amusing that Shin-woo, who had been close to Ma Jae-seung, would betray him for his own benefit. It seemed contradictory that he would specifically assign the job for Shin-woo while offering freedom, but unsurprisingly, even this was just mere entertainment for him.

Ma Jin-seong was planning to stage Ma Jae-seung’s death as a robbery-murder. He planned to turn off all CCTV in the mansion for a day under the pretext of changing security companies, and wanted Shin-woo to drug Ma Jae-seung and kill him at midnight. He reassured Shin-woo that he had already spoken with high-ranking police officials he had invested in, and even specified the method of murder.

[“You need to cut his throat. His recovery is getting faster, so we need to make his death certain.”]

After receiving the date, Shin-woo immediately leaked the murder plan to Joo-yeon. He judged that at least she wouldn’t want Ma Jae-seung dead, if only for the money.

He only needed to drop subtle hints in front of Hye-jung, who often approached him with obvious interest. Working close to Joo-yeon and already sympathetic to Ma Jae-seung’s abuse, Hye-jung predictably came to Shin-woo just two days later, pale as a sheet.

[“I’m sorry. I just…felt so sorry for Young Master…for Young Master Jae-seung.”]

The terrified Hye-jung relayed everything she had seen and heard to Shin-woo. She said Joo-yeon was furious and looking for someone to kill Ma Jin-seong.

[“Could you bring me the chairman’s seal from the study?”]

Shin-woo asked Hye-jung, who had feelings for him, in a gentle voice. It wasn’t difficult to pressure her since she was already involved. Everything fell into place after that.

He tracked down and met the men Joo-yeon had hired through the dark web. He offered to set the stage for them to easily deal with Ma Jin-seong, saying he had wanted to kill him anyway. The operation was identical to Ma Jin-seong’s plan, just with a different target. After midnight, when all cameras in the mansion were turned off and Ma Jin-seong moved from his study to his bedroom, they would kill him and escape. It was a perfect plan—a robber killed Ma Jin-seong, but no one in the household saw or heard anything, and there was no recorded evidence. This way, even those who had plotted together wouldn’t dare touch Ma Jae-seung. Ma Jin-seong’s death would serve as a warning to everyone.

Finally, Shin-woo completed preparations by tampering with Ma Jin-seong’s will.

And at last, the morning that had seemed would never come dawned.

Shin-woo had trouble sleeping. They say bad premonitions never fail, and the plan went wrong from the very start.

To ensure Ma Jae-seung would sleep deeply through all the horrible events, Shin-woo was supposed to spike his dinner with sleeping pills. He thought he could do it, but when the moment came to actually drug Ma Jae-seung’s food, he just couldn’t. After countless meals poisoned by others, he couldn’t bring himself to add drugs to Ma Jae-seung’s food too.

[“Can I sleep with you tonight?”]

[“No. You’re tired too, so sleep comfortably in your room.”]

[“Tch.”]

Instead, he kept Ma Jae-seung busy all day so he would go to bed early. It should be fine since Ma Jae-seung’s door wouldn’t be opened anyway. At his firm words, Ma Jae-seung lingered with a disappointed face before reluctantly heading to his bedroom around 10:30.

As midnight approached, the operation would begin when Ma Jin-seong moved from his study to his bedroom. Shin-woo wandered in the darkness, waiting for the agreed signal. The study door he had been staring at endlessly opened with a creak at precisely midnight.

Ma Jin-seong was somehow wearing a wide grin on his face.

After pacing the corridor briefly, he turned not toward his own bedroom but toward Ma Jae-seung’s.

Shit. This isn’t going according to plan.

Joo-yeon’s men were supposed to infiltrate Ma Jin-seong’s bedroom; this would ruin the plan. What if Ma Jin-seong tried to harm Ma Jae-seung himself, or if Ma Jae-seung woke up…? Imagining the worst scenario, Shin-woo checked the knife hidden in his clothes and quickly followed Ma Jin-seong. Ma Jae-seung’s bedroom door was slightly open, as if welcoming Shin-woo.

Ma Jae-seung lay sound asleep on the large bed in the middle of the room. The moon was exceptionally large and bright tonight, as if all the world’s moonlight was illuminating Ma Jae-seung. And beyond the headboard, Ma Jin-seong stood with his head bowed, looking down at his son.

He smirked when he saw Shin-woo.

[“Sorry. Thinking it’s the last time made me sentimental. Is that okay?”]

[“No, it’s not. What if blood splatters?”]

[“It doesn’t need to be too perfect. They won’t investigate thoroughly anyway.”]

After finishing his words, Ma Jin-seong casually jerked his chin. Shin-woo tried to think of how to get Ma Jin-seong back to his bedroom, but he was so on edge about Ma Jae-seung waking up that he couldn’t think straight.

[“Actually, I was surprised you accepted this job.”]

[“…Lower your voice.”]

[“I thought you two had grown quite close. Money versus friendship might be simpler, but cutting a friend’s throat is different, usually.”]

Ma Jin-seong lazily stroked Shin-woo’s neck. 

[“You’ll miss him,”] he whispered, while gazing at the deeply engraved barcode tattoo as if it was incredibly endearing.

Shin-woo drew his knife as slowly as possible. Let’s threaten Ma Jin-seong and take him outside. If I could get him to his bedroom, the men waiting to kill him would be there, so first, before Jae-seung wakes up…

Just then, moonlight tilted across the bed. Shin-woo inadvertently looked down at Ma Jae-seung’s face bathed in pale light and sharply caught his breath.

Ma Jae-seung’s face, though his eyes were closed, was slightly contorted. Tears that had rolled down his temples glittered in the light.

His heart sank. Before the shock could fade away, screams were heard from outside.

[“Fire! Fire!”]

People in the house began running out and shouting. A crashing sound of something falling and breaking rang out. Ma Jin-seong, sensing something was wrong, turned to look at Shin-woo. The moment their eyes met, Shin-woo grabbed Ma Jinseong’s collar and dragged him out of the bedroom.

Outside was chaos. The flames spread rapidly like a forest fire, jumping from wooden furniture to other furniture, to stairs, and walls. There was no more time to waste. Shin-woo faced Ma Jin-seong, knife in hand.

[“You…don’t tell me.”]

And immediately lunged forward to slash his throat.

[“We’re late. We started a fire, wondering where the Chairman might be hiding.”]

Two men appeared on the stairs, smirking. They began hunting Ma Jin-seong, who wasn’t completely dead yet. They mounted his body, slit his throat, and brutally decapitated him. 

[“Because we were told to bring it,”] they said with a laugh as Ma Jin-seong’s head rolled across the floor.

A thunderous crash rang out as part of the mansion collapsed. Shin-woo urgently turned toward the bedroom. He needed to get Ma Jae-seung out immediately.

As he was about to run, he stopped abruptly upon seeing a figure in front of the bedroom. Ma Jae-seung stood like a ghost, staring blankly at the burning mansion.

Flames danced in his pale olive eyes. Those eyes, stained with betrayal, met Shin-woo’s before rolling back.

“Like a leech.”

Someone spoke from above. Though his vision was failing as he lost consciousness, Shin-woo recognized Joo-yeon’s voice.

Blood gurgled up his throat. Breathing was becoming increasingly difficult.

“Finally dying? If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had this falling out with my son.”

As he sensed death approaching, Shin-woo’s thoughts immediately went to Ma Jae-seung. He wished the last voice he heard, the last face he saw, would be Ma Jae-seung’s. He recalled the arms that had embraced him crushingly, the gentle lips that had confessed love, and those beautiful green eyes.

He heard the sound of a gun being loaded. “I love you.” Shin-woo smiled as he echoed Ma Jae-seung’s confession with his own lips.

Having this memory alone to take with him left no regrets.

Bang!

The gunshot left his ears ringing. Had his chest been pierced? He felt no particular pain, perhaps due to numbness. A heavy thud followed as something collapsed beside him. He saw a black hole in his blurry vision. Then he met Joo-yeon’s wildly bulging eyes. Her eyes were filled with confusion and shock, as if she hadn’t yet realized she’d been shot.

And then…

“Shin-woo…Shin-woo, Shin-woo!”

The voice he had so desperately wanted to hear called his name. The voice became closer and clearer, too distinct to be a hallucination. As panicked breathing became audible right in front of him, his body was suddenly lifted. Warm hands frantically caressed his face, brushing away blood-soaked hair.

“Shin-woo. Answer me. Shin-woo.”

Hot drops fell onto his face. It was Ma Jae-seung. He rambled while calling for an ambulance, then sobbed loudly while desperately kissing Shin-woo’s blood-covered lips.

“I…love you.”

Though he wanted to comfort him, his voice trailed off, fragile as a candle in the wind. I love you. After barely managing to utter those three words, his strength gave out completely.

“No! You can’t die and leave me! You think I’d let you die? I’ll save you even if I have to transplant every organ in my body!”

Ma Jae-seung wailed as if about to lose his breath, then collapsed over Shin-woo’s body and screamed until his throat was raw.

“You promised to stay whole. You promised! I love you! Okay? I love you, I love you…”

Just as Shin-woo had once held him when he lay fallen here, Ma Jae-seung preciously lifted his battered body in both arms. Then, like a broken machine, he endlessly repeated the same words.

“I love you.

“I love you. I love you…”