Chương 323: Chapter 323: Listen To Me From Now On
After having dinner with Kim Woong-rae at a restaurant, we went to a room salon operated by Geuksung Group in Gangnam for drinks and had a long chat.
"Well then, Senpai. I'll see you next time."
"Yeah, yeah. See you again, Junior."
Kim Woong-rae, tipsy and flushed, laughed heartily.
As the car he got into pulled away, I turned to Oh Hyeon-woo sitting next to me.
"Let's walk for a bit and talk while clearing our heads from the alcohol."
"Sounds good."
We passed through the noisy nightlife of Gangnam, filled with loud voices of drunken revelers, and finally reached a quieter street.
As the cold winter wind brushed against my face, I felt the warmth from the alcohol slightly fade away.
"Hyeon-woo, keep an eye on Manager Kim Woong-rae. He can't be fully trusted, you know."
"Got it."
Without further comment, Oh Hyeon-woo nodded. His lack of questions puzzled me even more.
"Aren't you going to ask anything?"
"Ask what? About Manager Kim Woong-rae? Forget it. You must have your reasons."
"You've heard a lot of stories here and there, right?"
"About you?"
I nodded, and Oh Hyeon-woo chuckled lightly.
"I've heard a few things. But what difference does it make? You're still my friend. Looks like Myeong-su's brainwashing worked on you."
Though Oh Hyeon-woo answered playfully, I knew he had been giving it serious thought.
As someone from a family that had walked the path of law for three generations, I was aware he was trying to understand me, someone attempting to manipulate Korea from behind the scenes.
"I can't promise about anything else, but I will promise one thing: I will never do anything against the national interest."
"You do what you want. I have no interest in it. I'm just going to bury myself in the Prosecutors' Office. So don't ask me to get involved in politics. I won't do it, even if you die trying."
"What about Min-kyung? She might think differently."
In my past life, Han Min-kyung had stepped into politics, but I wasn't sure what she might be thinking now.
When I asked lightly, Oh Hyeon-woo shrugged.
"That might be true. Min-kyung is Min-kyung, and I'm me. Even if we got married, we must recognize our differences. But if Min-kyung wants to pursue politics, I'll support her. But I'm not interested. I seriously have no plans to get involved in politics, so don't think about pushing me into it."
Oh Hyeon-woo genuinely seemed to hate politics. I nodded along silently at his disgusted expression.
"I have no intention of making you do things you hate either. But Hyeon-woo, why do you hate politics so much?"
"I've seen too many corrupt politicians during my time in the major crimes unit. And I can't even investigate with a peaceful mind. You don't know how demeaning it feels every time a case file gets filed away in the cabinet. You start to question if this is why I became a prosecutor. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about it."
In fact, I hadn't had any deep conversations with Oh Hyeon-woo.
Though I knew he was flourishing in the Prosecutors' Office thanks to his grandfather's influence, I didn't know anything else beyond that.
"I see. You've been going through a lot too, Hyeon-woo."
"It can't be helped. To rise up, you have to become a political prosecutor. I know that, yet I still turn a blind eye. If I didn't have my grandfather's influence, would I be able to gain experience in the major crimes unit with this personality of mine? Probably, I would have just been stuck in the periphery and retired without making a mark."
Hearing his deep lament, I stopped walking and spoke.
"Want to have another drink, just us two?"
"I'm really fine. I'm just venting to a friend while drunk. I don't even say these things to anyone else, not even family. Keep this secret."
"Isn't it normal to talk about anything over drinks? Let's go to my place and have another drink. I'll treat you."
"Come to think of it, I've never been to your house. Should I check it out?"
Nodding and waving my hand, Manager Ma, who had been keeping a distance, approached us.
"Please contact the mistress and have her prepare a meal for us."
"Yes, understood."
"And also, please find someone to drive. Hyeon-woo, hand over your car keys. We need someone else to drive us home. You can ride with me."
Oh Hyeon-woo nodded and took his keys out of his pocket, handing them to me. I passed them to Manager Ma.
I set off to Pyeongchang-dong with Oh Hyeon-woo in the same car. As soon as we got in, he pulled out his phone.
"Let me call Min-kyung."
I nodded lightly, and he sheepishly laughed as he dialed.
"Oh, Min-kyung. I'm having another drink at Mu-hyeok's place and I'll stay there tonight to head to work right away tomorrow."
I couldn't hear Han Min-kyung's voice, but I gathered the context from Oh Hyeon-woo's replies.
It brought a smile to my face without me realizing it. It felt good.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry. I'll drink in moderation. When have you seen me drink until I black out? Oh, I got it. See you tomorrow evening."
As he hung up, Oh Hyeon-woo showed an embarrassed expression.
"Ah… I'm already being tied down."
"That's how it is. But I haven't heard much about your relationship. When did you two get together?"
"Oh, you don't know, huh?"
From there, Oh Hyeon-woo happily shared how he had started dating Han Min-kyung.
The stories that had begun from the moment we set off continued until we reached Pyeongchang-dong.
As I quietly listened, I poked him in the side when we could see the entrance to my house in Pyeongchang-dong.
"We're here. I got it, so stop talking. My stomach hurts. Some people can't even brag about dating, but your level of bragging is top-notch."
"You asked first!"
"I just didn't expect it to go on for this long."
"We haven't even gotten halfway through yet."
I shook my head while chuckling at Oh Hyeon-woo's blatant bragging as we entered the house.
"Boss, welcome back."
"Madam, I'm sorry. I'm so late, aren't I?"
"It's alright."
"Hurry in and get some sleep. I'll just eat a little and then sleep."
Despite saying it was fine, Madam's gaze was filled with concern as if she wanted to prepare something more for us.
"Is there anything else you need? I can wait to make it…"
"I'm just being polite. Sleep comfortably. Please prepare hangover soup in the morning."
"Yes, Boss. Then if you need anything, just call me."
After seeing Madam off, I gave a signal to Manager Ma, who was standing nearby.
"Manager, if I need anything, I'll call you. So go in and rest."
"I won't."
"I just want to eat comfortably with my friend."
"Understood. I'll be on standby."
Finally, Manager Ma bowed his head and returned to his room.
"I've been thinking every time I see Manager Ma, but is he not a bit too earnest? Like a bear. I don't think I've ever seen him smile."
"Stop talking nonsense and sit down quickly."
The living room table was set with snacks and alcohol.
We sat facing each other with the seats reserved for the honors empty. I opened the whiskey bottle placed on the table and passed it to Oh Hyeon-woo.
"Have a drink."
"Thanks."
Oh Hyeon-woo took the glass with ice and accepted the drink I poured.
After pouring him a drink, I filled my own cup and raised it.
With a toast, our glasses clinked lightly before we finished our drinks in one go.
"Oh, this is good."
"Good, right? It's expensive stuff."
"Really? It's nice."
"I'll let you take one when you leave."
"No thanks. Even if you're a friend, it'll cause trouble down the line. Just pour me another drink instead."
In response to my half-joking, half-serious remark, he nodded lightly and poured the drink again.
"By the way, Manager Kim Woong-rae is indeed a political prosecutor. Hmph… I heard he was investigating the President's inner circle for corruption, and I wondered if it was the case."
"It can't be helped. If you want to rise to the position of the head of major crimes, you need a keen sense of politics."
Oh Hyeon-woo turned the drink slowly in his cup, smiling bitterly.
"Can our prosecutors ever escape the blame of being the regime's dogs? Back in Yoon Chang-ho's day, the only image our prosecutor general had from the outside was being opposed to the regime. But if you look deeper, it was all a power struggle laden with political calculations, wasn't it?"
I simply listened to Oh Hyeon-woo's thoughts without answering.
"I don't know. In my heart, I sometimes think of quitting being a prosecutor and starting a law office instead."
"Then you'd probably get beaten up by the Chief Justice, right?"
"Oh, that's true."
"It's the path you chose. Just grit your teeth and endure it. And when you become the prosecutor general, then change the system."
Oh Hyeon-woo looked at me without answering. I smiled gently back at him.
"I know it's funny for me to say this, but you chose this path. You gave up the predetermined path of a judge for the road of a prosecutor. And it's true that you're taking a more convenient route thanks to your grandfather's influence."
"No matter what I do, I always end up hearing that it's because of my grandfather. I won't deny it. I really got a lot of help from him. But every time I hear that, I can't help but feel this sense of self-loathing."
I understood the core of Oh Hyeon-woo's hidden insecurity.
After all, I too was just a being who had nothing but my grandfather's name in my past life. And it was because of that I had to die.
"I'm the same. You think I got here without my grandfather's influence?"
"Honestly, your ability has surpassed that of Chairman Cheon. How many people do you think would associate you with Chairman Cheon now?"
"But I haven't started from the same line as the others. If my grandfather hadn't had the money, it would have taken a long time to reach this point."
"That sounds like you're saying you could have achieved this without Chairman Cheon's wealth. I envy your confidence."
Though he said it jokingly, there was a hint of self-deprecation in his words. I paused, pondering while shaking my glass.
'Should I tell Oh Hyeon-woo about my plans?'
The only ones who knew my plans were Myeong-su and Hyeon-seong, who had grown up with me since childhood.
Perhaps I was just trying to exploit Oh Hyeon-woo and the others.
Sensing this undercurrent, Oh Hyeon-woo spoke first.
"Speaking of which, I feel like it's the first time you and I are drinking together like this."
"Isn't it?"
"You know what? Unlike Myeong-su and Hyeon-seong, you're strangely hard to approach, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I know."
"For some reason, you're the kind of guy that feels distant. Even back in college and now as well."
I raised my glass toward Oh Hyeon-woo. The cheerful clinking sound of our glasses echoed in the living room.
Unlike Oh Hyeon-woo, who was drinking, I simply held my glass and stared at him.
"I must have made you think like that."
"I get it. I've known Myeong-su and Hyeon-seong since we were kids, but we met in college. But sometimes, it feels a little disappointing. You were the one who suggested starting this group. Yet you hardly attend, and you've never shared with us about what you're planning, right?"
"..."
"You're talking a lot today. Don't hold anything back. I'm tipsy and in a good mood, that's why I'm saying all this."
Having a distant friend. I decided to share my thoughts with Oh Hyeon-woo, who awkwardly laughed.
I set down my drink on the table and spoke.
"Hyeon-woo."
"Yeah?"
When I called him, Oh Hyeon-woo stopped mid-drink and looked at me.
"From now on, you need to listen carefully. If you hear this story, you must be someone who's willing to follow me to the end. Can you promise me that?"
As I spoke with a serious tone, Oh Hyeon-woo set down his glass.
He looked straight into my eyes as if to question when he ever smiled.
"I've thought since we formed this group that we were meant to stick together to the end. Am I wrong?"
That point was indeed correct. I had gathered those I needed and who needed me to form this group.
Nodding in agreement, I added.
"Right. But this is an entirely different issue. If my plans come to light, it could shake Korea to its core."
"Hmm…"
Oh Hyeon-woo groaned and fell into thought.
I waited quietly for him to respond.
"Okay. I promise."
As I awaited an answer, I raised my glass and downed the drink in one go to moisten my dried lips.
I then took my time explaining the plans I had been contemplating and preparing.
Occasionally, Oh Hyeon-woo asked questions, and I provided answers to ease his curiosity while thoroughly explaining the future I envisioned.
"I'll tell Min-kyung and Jae-ha separately, so until I do, promise me not to mention a word to anyone, not even Min-kyung, who promises the future with you."
"Understood."
"Then you can go in and rest."
I guided Oh Hyeon-woo to the room I used to stay in as a child, then closed the door.
With him behind me, it was a night filled with deep thoughts.
The next day.
Oh Hyeon-woo, who had a bowl of hangover soup prepared by Madam early in the morning, left Pyeongchang-dong.
"Manager."
"Yes, Boss."
"Increase the surveillance on Oh Hyeon-woo to the highest level and get daily reports."
"Understood."
As I ordered while looking outside the study window at Oh Hyeon-woo's car leaving my house,
as the car vanished into a dot in my sight, I finally turned my body.
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