Chapter 148
It took him a long ti to reach the conclusion, but the execution was quick. Hwang Daesik slowly prepared his farewell letter.
Dont skip als because Im gone, I believe youll live well. You dont need . Study hard and go to college.
He crumpled up the paper after finishing it without any hesitation and shoved it deep into the trash can. Then he sat next to his grandson who had fallen asleep soundly.
Hwang Minjae had wandered around outside for a while and fell asleep quickly. Hwang Daesik paused his hand that was reaching for his grandson.
Im sorry.
His palm that had been hovering over his face gently touched his grandsons forehead.
He clumsily stroked his grandsons hair and sat there for a long ti. Outside, the rain was pouring down as if reflecting his feelings.
The next day, Hwang Minjae woke up earlier than usual. When had he felt so good? He got up first and helped his grandfather with the breakfast. His body was light and his mood was good.
Why are you doing all this?
You have to eat a lot if you want to do that after school.
There were more side dishes than usual. Hwang Minjae didnt feel any discomfort and sat at the table and ate heartily.
It seems like it will go well.
Really?
The company he was protesting against had also agreed to talk. They wanted no noise because of the listing, and Hwang Minjae only needed his grandfathers dical expenses, he didnt ask for much.
Please go to the hospital today.
Okay.
Lets go together from next week, its vacation.
Alright. Go ahead.
Hwang Daesik answered calmly without grumbling. Hwang Minjae, who was suddenly engulfed by anxiety, looked at his grandfather with a blank stare. The grumpy look that he used to show when he didnt want to be affectionate was gone and now his smile was natural.
Ill be back.
Its nothing He thought and left the house.
As soon as his grandson left, Hwang Daesik cleared the table as usual. And he threw away the things that would be useless after today one by one.
He sat at the desk to write a new letter instead of the one he wrote and threw away last night. He hesitated several tis and left a brief note and put down the pen.
Was there any need to write long? He was a bad father who was leaving his grandson alone anyway
Before he left, he glanced around the house for a mont and lightly dusted off his shoulders. As if he was shaking off an invisible burden.
He couldnt rember the things he had done with his son as he got older. His grandson had filled that place.
Where are you going?
Oh, uh over there.
Your face brightened up when your grandson ca. You look good.
The people who had worried and shared food with him no longer worried about Hwang Daesik. They were relieved that the grandfather and grandson were living together and relying on each other. Hwang Daesik smiled and greeted them. His expression was bright, maybe because he was happy.
He crossed the bridge at the entrance of the village without wandering. He didnt rember exactly, but he had crossed here with his son, daughter, and wife who had passed away.
Hwang Daesik leaned his head and looked down. The river was quite swollen. At this rate, he wouldnt wake up in the ergency room like last ti.
Oh
He had to leave his shoes. Soone gave them to him. He couldnt just leave them to be swept away.
He carefully placed the shoes he had been wearing cautiously in case he got lost. And he left the world without any regrets.
Hwang Minjae, who felt uneasy about sending his grandfather to the hospital alone, left school early. And he found a brief letter on the desk.
[Live well.]
As soon as he saw it, he kicked his seat and ran. He ran around the corners of the alley and asked the passing people if they had seen his grandfather.
Where is he?
He asked and asked and stopped for a mont at the entrance of the village. He looked around like a lost child looking for his parents.
Huh, huh
He sobbed with his breath. He cried and ran.
(You had fun with your dad here)
There was a place that ca to mind. The bridge at the edge of the village. It must have rained heavily yesterday and the river must have swollen a lot Could it be.
Please
He ran and wiped his tears with his sleeve. He was out of breath, but he didnt stop. He felt like he would miss his grandfather if he was late.
He reached the riverside after running desperately. There was no one on the bridge.
Grandpa!
There was no one on the bridge. Only sothing in the center caught his eye.
Oh, no
A pair of shoes neatly placed. He could tell from afar that they were the shoes he had gifted. He stumbled and fell as he ran towards the bridge. He was so anxious that he didnt get up, but crawled on his knees. Just like he had clung to his grandfather, begging him not to go.
Ah, Grandpa
Hwang Min-jae grabbed the shoes with his trembling hands. They were the shoes that Hwang Dae-sik had carefully kept and only wore when he went out for a drink. He never wore them for work, afraid they might get worn out.
The river flowed with a cool sound, and Hwang Min-jae sobbed. He couldnt control his body, and he lay down and got up again repeatedly.
He tried to lift his head and look at the riverbank. But he couldnt bear to see it, so he bowed his head and cried until he couldnt breathe.
Cut! Okay!
The director had arranged the shooting schedule in order, for the sake of the actors emotions. With Hwang Min-jaes scene of crying on the bridge, the filming of Vulgar Murder was over.
The staff held their breath and looked at Yoo Yeon Seo, who was lying on the ground. Soone swallowed hard. When Lee Taegyeom and Lim Seunghyun tried to approach him, he got up and dusted off his knees.
Yoo Yeon Seo, are you okay?
Im fine.
They had to do many retakes of the running scene because of the onlookers.
The cara rail couldnt keep up with his speed and stopped for a mont. Yoo Yeon Seo felt annoyed then. He had to find his grandfather right away, but this damn cara kept stopping him.
Ah I felt like I almost got it.
He felt a blur between Hwang Min-jae and his own self. And that sensation, though brief, made him feel ecstatic.
It was different from the acting he had done before, when his past mories interfered. That ti, it was a lucky coincidence that created a masterpiece. But today, he felt like he had beco Hwang Min-jae.
Soone had called this thod acting, he thought. He stretched out his arm.
Hey, water.
Here.
Yoo Yeon Seo exhaled deeply. He had run so fast that he was out of breath. But thanks to the influence of the soul, he didnt take long to breathe normally.
He went straight to the monitor and stared at Hwang Min-jae on the screen.
I dont think I need to shoot any more
Even though it was just a scene of running mindlessly, he could feel Hwang Min-jaes aura.
The director nodded, though reluctantly. The result was pretty good. And he had already lost the sense of Hwang Min-jae, and his eyes stung whenever the wind blew. The assistant director jumped up and shouted.
Yes, thank you for your hard work!
Its over!
The staff cheered. The actors who werent filming today were also there.
Lets go to the after-party.
Yeon Seo, lets go.
Yoo Yeon Seo followed them and looked back. The village where Hwang Dae-sik and Hwang Min-jae had lived, he felt strange and gazed at it for a long ti.
***
Hey, you graduated, what are you going to do? Lets hang out with the kids.
No, I have to go to work.
What? Didnt you get compensation?
Do you think theyll pay on ti? And thats for tuition. Its tight even if I go to Seoul.
Hey, youre no fun.
Park Ji-woo swung his hand, and Hwang Min-jae dodged it. He didnt have the dark and depressed atmosphere he had when he first appeared. A faint smile lingered on his lips.
Im going. See you later.
Yeah. Go.
Hwang Min-jae turned and walked. He wore the long padding that his grandfather had given him. It was cold, but the sky was blue without a cloud, and the uphill road was not that steep.
It was not the shabby and narrow village with winding and sloping roads where he had gone to find his grandfather. The road on the main street was straight. Unlike then, he didnt wander around because the address was not written properly.
Hwang Min-jae, who had just started to stand on his own, moved forward without any hindrance.
***
Choi Nam-yoon shouldnt have died
The diary could be a decisive evidence, but it was weak. And Yoo Yeon Seos words bothered him.
[There must be an accomplice. Find out.]
Thats easy to say
Baek Seo-jun groaned and leaned his weight on the back of the chair. The chair creaked dangerously.
Baek, why are you ignoring my words?
I have sothing to do.
You always ignore my words. Baek Seo-jun gritted his teeth inwardly. Kwak Chi-hoon, who was sitting next to him, frowned at his dry response, but only for a mont.
You seem to be hanging out with Yoo Eunho, the vice president of Juseong, lately?
How do you know that, Lieutenant Kwak?
Baek Seo-jun leaned back from the backrest and glared at Kwak Chi-hoon. Kwak Chi-hoon clenched his teeth, feeling humiliated by his gaze.
Well, hes very popular, isnt he? He was in the photos, right?
True, Yoo Eunho was almost a celebrity. No wonder he felt the eyes on him Baek Seo-jun sighed. He always got attention when he was with the two brothers, whether he liked it or not.
Hes my high school classmate.
Hmm, really? You must be close?
He was close. They had been friends for ten years.
He answered casually, hoping to ignore the person who kept nagging him, but Kwak Chi-hoons eyes changed as soon as he heard that.
Well, if you need any help, just let know. I have quite a lot of connections, you know?
Baek Seo-jun read the greed in Kwak Chi-hoons eyes. He chuckled. It was funny that he got along with him because he was friends with the grandson of Juseong, while the son of the chief director didnt work.
Ill handle it myself.
No, but
Just then, his phone vibrated. Baek Seo-jun jumped up.
Hey, did you get the record?
(Buy dinner.)
Of course, send it to quickly.
It was the call record of Choi Nam-yoon, whom he had been waiting for. He didnt need Kwak Chi-hoons help. He had plenty of contacts.
If theres a problem, the brothers will cover for .
Besides, it doesnt matter as long as he doesnt get caught, right? Hoping for a clue, Baek Seo-jun smiled faintly.
He ran outside, and Kwak Chi-hoon cursed softly behind him.
Son of a bitch
He hated the way he ignored him just because he had so connections.
A reporter, was it?
Kwak Chi-hoon fiddled with the business card in his pocket and entered the number on the card into his phone.
[Your colleague seems to be eting with the children of Juseong a lot lately Yoo Eunho and Yoo Yeon Seo.]
[Oh, I dont want anything big. You dont think Im asking you to spy on them, do you?]
[Just, sotis he suddenly goes out for sothing other than work, right? Just give a call then.]
Kwak Chi-hoon hesitated for a mont on the call button, then pressed his thumb hard.
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