Chapter 86: CH 11.7

“My… My family is in debt, and I have to pay it back soon, but I have no money, so I’m grasping at straws…”

“Are you the head of the household?”

“No… I have a father, but I…”

My ears were burning. After listening to my stammering answer, the investigator moved on to the next question without digging any deeper. While answering, I raised my downcast eyes. Yeon Woojeong’s gaze was still on me, and as we made eye contact, he was the one to look down this time.

The dissonance hit me in the chest. I was the first to look away, but because he did it this time, it was hard to take it as he was simply looking away.

Yeon Woojeong’s forefinger tapped on the table silently. I followed that movement. Strangely, that small movement felt like subsiding my anxiety.

“Mr. Kim Jiho, you received a tip worth two million won. Are you claiming that it wasn’t in exchange for drugs?”

“Yes. I found out about the drugs… when I entered the room and received the tip. They were smoking cigarettes with a weird smell…”

“Are you saying that when you walked into room B103, people were already smoking weed?”

“Yes.”

“What did you get the check for?”

“I only… bit it. They said they’ll give it if I bite it.”

Yeon Woojeong’s finger, which was tapping on the table, suddenly curled into a fist. He repeatedly clenched his fist tightly, and the veins on the back of his hand seemed to move dynamically. Yoo Seonah next to me weighed in that the money I received was never for drugs.

I looked up to examine Yeon Woojeong’s face. There was no prominent change in his expression.

“Mr. Kim Jiho, you knew from Mr. Han Juhyeok that it was a site of illegal acts. But then why did you enter room B109?”

“Before that, I went to the restroom to wash my hands and made up my mind to leave, but… a man asked me…”

At that time, I just thought that I was unfortunately caught by a bastard. Actually, it wasn’t that big of a deal to me because such a worse thing often happened, but now that I had to say it in front of Yeon Woojeong, my mouth hardly moved.

This situation to explain in detail about how stupid and pathetic I was indeed hard, but thinking about Yeon Woojeong who had to hear what I said…

“That person forced my client to engage in sexual activity and assaulted my client when he refused. My client ran away from that situation, and in his haste, hid in an empty room. And not long after, the investigators broke in.”

Yoo Seonah looked at me, and I nodded. I felt Yeon Woojeong’s eyes looking up again and scanning my cheek.

I lowered my head. Yeon Woojeong’s low voice rang.

“Do you remember who it was?”

I couldn’t help but reflexively look up. I couldn’t read his eyes, but they didn’t look completely cold.

“Only his face.”

Yeon Woojeong’s gaze stayed on my face for quite some time even though I had finished my answer. Yoo Seonah next to me seemed to talk about important things such as suing, but I could barely hear her. I was glued to him, unable to move until Lee Jeonghan asked the next question. 

“Then when you entered that room, was it an empty room without anyone inside?”

Yeon Woojeong looked away as the question drifted away from the drugs toward the body in the room. I stopped stuttering and stated what I had prepared. 

“Let’s take a lunch break, then finish up.”

Just when I thought it was almost over, Yeon Woojeong checked his watch and stood up. I looked up, chasing after him, but he didn’t look at me and left the room after giving instructions to Lee Jeonghan.

“You did well.”

Yoo Seonah patted my shoulder. I glanced at the open door, then I bowed to her.

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After some time, the food delivery arrived. In front of me was a warm, steaming bowl of rice soup and chocolate. 

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When can I go out? I heard nothing even though quite some time had already passed. But I didn’t feel uneasy. Why is it? I hadn’t had a proper conversation with Yeon Woojeong, but I had an optimistic thought that it would be okay because I had him. It was something strange.

The reason I could think that I had Yeon Woojeong was that he was behind me. I couldn’t raise my head when I thought about it. I wanted to be a better person, and I wanted to show him only the good side of me. Even though things won’t go the way I wish for, can I go to the end like this?

Come to think of it, I was being excessively greedy. That man didn’t know Yeon Woojeong’s face nor his exact address, so if I just left Yeon Woojeong’s house, this kind of thing would never happen. In a way, that was the simplest solution. 

But I didn’t want to do that. Out of all things, I didn’t want to think about it. I know. How selfish I am. 

Even at this moment, I was relying on Yeon Woojeong’s words. That it won’t be the end even if he is disappointed in me. It was horrible enough that I disappointed him, but I had to undo it. I had never collected the spilled water. Can it be collected, though? If not, I had to dig up the ground. Yeon Woojeong gave me chocolate after all.

I can pay the debt once I get the money back, then let’s say I’ve cut ties with my father. There’s no need to tell him the details. Once I apologize and ask him to move, then it will become something that never—

“Mr. Kim Jiho. Please come out.”

The door was opened. As I walked out, Yoo Seonah was waiting for me. I looked around, but there was no Yeon Woojeong. It wasn’t surprising, but my eyes kept darting to the side. 

“Good job. While a release doesn’t mean you’re innocent, I think there won’t be any follow-up investigation… and if the autopsy comes up as expected, you won’t have to worry about it anymore.”

I got in Yoo Seonah’s car. I looked outside the window until the Prosecutors’ Office got far away, then bowed my head.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. Oh, I’ve requested for the return of the confiscated items, so you can get them through Senior Yeon, or I’ll bring them to you.”

“Yes.”

I got involved in a lot of things overnight. It didn’t feel real to be locked in and out. The dark scenery outside the window was still the same as when I got locked in. Although it was bitter inside my mouth that the other things ran normally even though I got in trouble, I felt relieved.

I got closer to the officetel. When I saw the familiar building, it occurred to me that that house was the first home I had. I had nowhere to go except that place. And I didn’t want to leave it.

As we arrived at the parking lot and I unbuckled the seatbelt, Yoo Seonah looked at me.

“Don’t go out for a few days, stay home.”

“… Yes.”

“At this moment, it’ll be a problem if you’re out of reach and go out for a long time. Okay?”

Yoo Seonah seemed to think of me as a problematic kid, and coaxed me. I said okay, thanked her, then got out of the car. She opened the window and gestured to me to quickly go inside. I walked in, turning away from Yoo Seonah’s car.

I felt drained belatedly. It wasn’t even summer, but my steps were sluggish as if I had been trapped in humidity. 

The first thing I did as soon as I entered the house was to enter the bathroom. I looked at the mirror, and I was a mess. My scratched cheek was ruddy, my gel-coated hair was disheveled, and the uniform I wore was ridiculous.

So I looked like this, huh? I blankly stared at my poor self inside the mirror, then took off the clothes and showered.

Inside the house was as neat as I left, and as expected, there was no trace of someone eating. Did Yeon Woojeong stay up all night in the Prosecutors’ Office? He looked very tired, and I was worried that he didn’t get some sleep.

I sat on the sofa. I have to get the money quickly so that I can give it to the man and end it with him. There are only a few days left. I couldn’t help but laugh at how long the day had been and how it wasn’t over yet. 

When will Yeon Woojeong come? I guess I have to think about what to say before he comes. I lay down on the sofa and blinked my heavy eyes.

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