Chapter 98: Doorbell Phantoms and Yakuza Reckoning

“You’ve been like this since college—both with school and work, you seem to look for any excuse not to go. You weren’t like this when you were younger.”

“Hahaha, is that so?”

Do-yun laughed as if he’d just heard a delightful joke, looking at me with a gaze so satisfied it felt… well, sweet. If I’m allowed to say that. Flustered, I shoved a spoonful of bean sprout soup into my mouth. Then, I marveled.

“Whoa.”

The spicy, piping-hot soup felt like a healing balm on my alcohol-wrecked stomach. This was insane. It tasted heavenly. When I gave him a thumbs-up, Do-yun’s face lit up with pride.

But just as I was enjoying this specialty meal prepared by the male lead, the doorbell rang.

<Delivery!>

I paused mid-meal and looked at him, confused. “Did you order something?”

“No. Must be a mistake.”

Do-yun got up immediately, picked up the intercom, and spoke. “We didn’t order anything.”

<The address says right here…? Please check.>

Do-yun stared at the man through the screen for a moment before heading toward the front door. He’ll handle it, I thought. Anyway, the soup was incredible. Eating it with rice and kimchi made it feel like a meal straight out of Jeonju. The sound of the front door opening drifted from a distance, and then… Do-yun didn’t come back for quite a while.

Why is he taking so long? It doesn’t even sound like he’s talking to anyone.

Worried, I set my spoon down and called out toward the foyer. “Do-yun?”

The front door slammed shut instantly, and Do-yun’s voice rang out loudly.

“…Yeah! I’m just going to the bathroom for a second!”

He practically sprinted into the bathroom. What was that about? When he finally emerged a moment later, he looked strikingly pale. Maybe he drank too much last night, too.

“Are you feeling sick?”

“Huh? No. Ah, yeah…. I guess so.”

For some reason, Do-yun looked unstable.

“Are you okay?”

He remained silent for a while, his face deep in thought. Then, sitting back down and picking up his spoon, he suddenly looked at me and spoke.

“Hyung, how about moving into my place?”

I felt my hangover vanish instantly—not from the soup, but from shock.

“Why… all of a sudden?”

“The security here seems a bit weak. Anyone can just walk in… like that delivery driver.”

“He probably just got the wrong house. This place is fine. You lived here too, why are you being like this?”

Do-yun tilted his head, thinking it over, then nodded.

“Right…. I should deal with it quickly, then.”

“Deal with what?”

“Nothing.”

But it wasn’t “nothing.” From that day on, Do-yun started following me around incessantly.

The level of it was getting serious. It was actually fine while we were at the office, but he’d finish every task exactly on time just to make sure he left with me. Then, he started sleeping over at my place as if it were his right, claiming he was too tired to drive back to his own house.

To be honest, I didn’t hate it, but the way he was pathologically alert during our commutes was strange to watch. He’d overreact if someone even brushed past me on the street, and if I stayed late at work, he’d march right into my department to drag me out.

Sometimes, he’d lock me safely in the house and head back out to finish his own work. I was bewildered. I never thought I’d have to say this again at my age, but I couldn’t hold it back.

“What’s wrong with you lately? Are you… my mom?”

“I just don’t want to be away from you for even a second, Hyung,” Do-yun replied shamelessly.

I really don’t think that’s it…. But whenever I tried to dig deeper, he’d skillfully change the subject. I decided to play along for the time being.

In truth, I’d already noticed him checking my front door and mailbox with excessive scrutiny. When I caught him looking, he’d hurriedly turn away, but he was so obvious about it that it was impossible not to notice. It seemed he was worried about a specific letter reaching me.

What is he so worried about?

But based on his behavior, he wasn’t going to give me a straight answer. After tolerating his strange behavior for about two weeks, I decided I couldn’t live like this anymore. It felt like living with a boarding school proctor.

I’m going to have a real talk with him today.

However, my plan was foiled.

Right after work, Seung-hee suddenly burst into my house. Seeing Do-yun there without warning seemed to catch her off guard, but she soon wore an expression of “I should have expected this.” I had no idea what she was concluding on her own.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter if you both hear this.”

Judging by her suit, she had rushed here straight from work. The three of us sat at the dining table. Looking at Seung-hee’s grave face, I felt a twinge of worry.

“Is something wrong at home?”

“…Not our home, but the Han family. I heard the eldest son was beaten nearly to death at a gambling den and was moved to the ICU.”

My eyes widened.

“You mean Han Won-ju? I just saw him at the wedding.”

“Yeah, him. The guys he was hanging out with were all arrested. Apparently, they were caught with gambling and drugs at the same time…. You weren’t in contact with him separately, were you?”

I shouted in disbelief, “What are you talking about? When would I have the time?! I’m a hardworking, honest citizen!”

Do-yun chimed in to support me. “He’s right. Hyung has been with me all day lately.”

Oh right, I was going to talk to him about that. I’d momentarily forgotten because of Seung-hee’s intrusion. Seung-hee looked a bit skeptical at Do-yun’s remark.

“…Fine. Anyway, your name apparently came up as a common contact in their phones, so I came to check on you first. The police might call. Make sure you answer carefully.”

“There’s nothing to be careful about. I’m innocent.”

“I’m not saying I doubt you.”

But even as she said that, Seung-hee was observing me with sharp eyes.

I understood, though. There was no guarantee that her younger brother—who she thought had finally got his act together—hadn’t fallen back into the temptations of his old “trashy” friends. But man, how long do I have to deal with these misunderstandings after changing my life…?

I felt incredibly wronged. Then, a memory surfaced that I needed to tell Seung-hee.

“Back then, when I met him. Nine years ago, when I got hit on the head with a bottle, passed out, and was taken to the hospital. Remember? I even had amnesia because of it.”

“Of course I remember.”

“…Actually, I hadn’t done drugs then. He tried to force them into my mouth, and I got hit while trying to avoid it. So, even if medical technology advances so much that they can detect drug residue from a century ago, I’ll still test negative.”

A sudden silence fell over the table. Both Seung-hee and Do-yun looked like their eyes were going to pop out.

After a moment, Seung-hee yelled, “Then why didn’t you say anything back then?!”

“She’s right!” Do-yun added, his voice raised.

“…I only remembered recently.”

The two of them looked at me in disbelief. Seung-hee muttered, “…That bastard deserves to die.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Do-yun agreed.

They had been sitting there awkwardly without speaking, and now suddenly they were perfectly in sync. Despite the absurdity, I asked what I was curious about.

“But how did he get beaten like that?”

Seung-hee, looking visibly more relieved than before, replied, “From what I heard… he got into an argument with some Yakuza members while high at the gambling den.”

What an unexpected and ridiculous turn of events.

“How… how does that even happen?”

“Who knows. Might just be a rumor. I only found out because I have connections in the police. Anyway, he apparently got beaten to a pulp. The place is in an uproar.”

“Is it really that serious?”

“With a bit of exaggeration, they say he might die. I mean, why pick a fight with the Yakuza? No, actually, living like that, I knew he’d end up like this eventually. Sorry to say, but he brought it on himself.”

I had a bit of a sour expression at Seung-hee’s cold words. Then, Do-yun turned to me and asked cautiously.

“Hyung… are you worried about him?”

“No, just wondering if I should visit him or something.”

Instantly, a flash of displeasure crossed Do-yun’s eyes. He rebuked me in a sharp voice.

“Why would you go to a place like that?”

Seung-hee also looked at him with a bit of surprise. I expertly patted Do-yun’s shoulder to calm him down.

“I mean, we are acquaintances. And if Grandpa heard about it, he’d probably tell me to go.”

Do-yun was still heated but spoke a bit more mildly.

“He’s in the ICU anyway, so you wouldn’t be able to go. And if Grandpa mentions it, I’ll go in your place. Don’t worry about it, Hyung.”

Seung-hee looked at Do-yun and asked, “…You really seem to hate him.”

Do-yun seemed a bit flustered for a second, but he quickly replied with a smile.

“Isn’t it harder to find someone who likes that guy?”

Seung-hee was immediately convinced. Do-yun continued naturally.

“I heard about him once before; he was quite something. Not just gambling, but fraud, embezzlement, s*x crimes, blackmail, and stalking….”

For some reason, Do-yun stared intensely at me as he said that. When I tilted my head in confusion, he just gave me a beaming smile.

“But even if he gets handed over to the police for all that, how long would that b—… I mean, that man, actually serve? He’d probably get out on bail. At most, a few months of probation? That means nothing to someone like him.”

Seung-hee agreed with rare intensity. “That’s true.”

“…He needs to lose what’s most precious to him to truly reflect on his actions.”

Does he mean his life…?

But suddenly, I got a very, very strange feeling. It was a hypothesis I couldn’t explain or prove, but the thought struck me like a bolt of lightning.

Could it be that… he was the one behind this?