Chapter 84

#84 <The Epic for the Villains (5)>

From Moon Seok-il’s explanation, Jin Hyuk could guess the identities of the thugs.

It wasn’t hard to deduce that someone with the financial means to hire such people would likely have Hong Ki-jun behind them.

The problem was these guys.

Who on earth sent them?

Before Jin Hyuk could even think, Moon Seok-il continued his explanation.

“We know exactly where you live, so even if we give up, others will be sent after you.”

Jin Hyuk shook his head as he listened to Moon Seok-il’s words.

His mind grew cold as he revisited all the suspicious information he had set aside.

‘They’ve probably already sent others.’

It was reasonable to assume that those who disappeared without a trace were taken by the thugs. Even if Hong Ki-jun, given his temperament, didn’t harm anyone, their fate was uncertain.

As his mind cleared, the causality of why he had to live that way in his past life became clear. He mapped out the sequence of events in his mind, like drafting a plan, visualizing the flow of time and the unfolding of events.

And he realized that even on that day when he was nine, there was someone suspicious.

‘It wasn’t a mudflat accident.’

Jin Hyuk’s face twisted menacingly.

The dark silhouette of his grim expression reflected in Moon Seok-il’s eyes. Startled, Moon Seok-il quickly added, “We might have tried before. There’s no evidence, but given that the request came to us too…”

Jin Hyuk wasn’t listening.

He was already deep in thought.

Jin Hyuk once again realized the world he was standing in.

An era of greed and savagery.

Even in the 21st century, greed masked as freedom and justice spewed fire, so it wasn’t a problem unique to this era.

But the weight of being a party involved made his legs wobble amidst the noise of this all-too-common era.

‘Is that why they told me to protect my family?’

Both Grandma and Grandpa Cheon Gil-ryong.

He also began to understand why his dad and Hong Ki-jun were in such frequent contact, having secret conversations. The resentment he felt toward his dad somewhat subsided. His dad must have held back to avoid worrying the family.

The shadow mistaken for a spy and the thugs were undoubtedly sent by Uncle Hong Ki-jun. To protect his dad.

He almost messed up some innocent uncles.

Jin Hyuk reached out toward Moon Seok-il. Watching him stand up while holding his hand, Jin Hyuk asked with a hint of hope, “Any more information to share?”

【Any more information to share?】

“Ah, well, just a moment…”

Moon Seok-il rummaged through his jacket pocket and handed over a neatly folded piece of paper.

Jin Hyuk felt a pang of guilt seeing Moon Seok-il’s swollen face. He had always been naturally empathetic.

As Jin Hyuk unfolded the paper, his eyes widened.

‘Did they move to this address when I was nine?’

According to the handwritten investigation report and map, Son Kwang-yeon’s previous address was a seaside village about 20 kilometers southwest. Even by car, it would take at least 40 minutes following the winding roads.

It was a place where no one lived now, but Jin Hyuk recognized the address.

‘Mom’s old house.’

Back in the day without transportation, his parents must have walked the entire day to get there.

His parents had moved to their current address when Jin Hyuk was nine. Before that, they must have registered their marriage and moved to his mother’s family’s address.

‘That’s why mail used to go to Mi-kyung’s place when I was little.’

The recipient was also listed as Choi Jang-hwan. His dad had explained it away as a temporary registration before building the house. Back then, they even used alias accounts, so false address registration was more of an error than an intentional crime. Since he wasn’t a high-ranking official candidate, no one would have cared.

Jin Hyuk finally nodded in understanding.

‘I should thank this guy.’

Tap tap-!

Moon Seok-il repeatedly slapped his own temple with his palm, relieved to have survived the dangerous moment. He noticed the faint hostility in Jin Hyuk had subsided.

Gradually, the focus returned to his eyes. As his mind cleared, the silhouette surrounding the young man also disappeared.

“Any information about my dad? Did they say anything about what kind of person he is?”

“Huh? Your dad?”

This time, Moon Seok-il’s eyes widened.

A son born when he was twenty? So is this kid twenty too?

Under Jin Hyuk’s piercing gaze, Moon Seok-il swallowed his words without asking back.

“The client wouldn’t tell us that, and we didn’t find anything unusual in our investigation…”

Calmly observing, it seemed Jin Hyuk wasn’t an adult. Moon Seok-il trailed off, puzzled.

“But, you know…”

Jin Hyuk exhaled lightly, as if sighing.

“I still haven’t decided what to do with you guys.”

“Blame me, but please show mercy to these guys…”

Moon Seok-il, with one side of his face severely swollen and his eyes puffy, pitifully shook his head.

‘Tsk-.’

Jin Hyuk clicked his tongue.

Despite wanting to recruit them, why did they look so pitiful even though he had labeled them as villains? Perhaps it was because he felt a hint of goodwill toward the man who stepped up to take responsibility.

He examined the fallen men. He checked their pulses, flipped their eyelids to inspect their pupils, and even checked if they had defecated like wild boars.

‘They won’t die if left like this.’

They weren’t people who would die anyway. The rebound force, like hitting solid rock, emphasized their sturdiness. He had only knocked them out to find a way to use them.

Huu-, he let out a long sigh.

Seeing Moon Seok-il, who had turned desperate to save his comrades, and the sprawled men, Jin Hyuk felt pity for them.

‘Slower and weaker than wild boars…’

Although they had taken the wrong path to end up like this, they hadn’t harmed his parents yet. Protecting his family was important, but maybe there were circumstances worth considering for these men too.

‘Family comes first, but…’

Seeing them barely breathing made him uneasy.

He had thought there was no need for an epic for villains.

If you give a narrative to those who commit evil, someone might even sympathize with a murderer. Then what crime did the victims commit? That’s why Jin Hyuk originally didn’t want to know the backstory of villains.

He was the type to curse judges when news mentioned drunkenness or mental weakness as mitigating factors.

‘If I can control the situation, isn’t it okay to save the villains?’

Jin Hyuk clenched his jaw and paced. How could he keep them bound? What method could he use to recruit them as Hong Ki-jun had suggested?

After pondering while staring into Moon Seok-il’s eyes, Jin Hyuk finally nodded.

He found paper and a pen in the men’s car and threw them in front of Moon Seok-il.

When Moon Seok-il looked up in confusion, Jin Hyuk coldly said, “Write down the price of your lives.”

There wasn’t enough fear yet. A cold-blooded approach was more effective in instilling fear than a hot-tempered one. Jin Hyuk followed the theory Hong Ki-jun had taught him diligently.

He added his own improvisation to the theory.

Maybe it was okay to listen to their stories.

Maybe it was okay to give them a way out. But he needed to ensure they didn’t harbor any ulterior motives.

Jin Hyuk willingly became the villain to listen to their epic.

“Personal information, family details, addresses, and contact numbers. Write it all down. No need for long explanations.”

As Moon Seok-il picked up the pen with trembling hands, Jin Hyuk began waking the unconscious men. Pressing their philtrums with his thumb and their temples with his index finger, Jeong Sang-tae’s eyelids twitched.

***

“Oppa, what time is it in Korea?”

“Probably around evening. The time difference is about nineteen hours, so think of it as a five-hour difference.”

Son Kwang-yeon explained while counting on his fingers like Son Yoo-jin.

They were at a hot dog shop across the road from Waikiki Beach, a famous spot in Hawaii. It was Son Kwang-yeon’s first trip to Hawaii, but he wanted his wife, Han Yu-young, to enjoy every moment, so they came late.

Traveling made people feel light-hearted, and even Son Kwang-yeon, who usually didn’t drink without Hong Ki-jun, was immersed in the refreshing sensation of cold draft beer hitting his throat.

“Are you worried about Yoo-jin? We have our son, so it’ll be fine. Mi-kyung and Eun-jeong said they’d take care of her.”

“I just feel uneasy for some reason.”

“Are you sorry we came alone?”

“That’s part of it.”

“We didn’t get to go on a honeymoon, and we’ve been too busy to even board a plane. Let’s forget our worries and enjoy this.”

“Yes. We have Jin Hyuk, so it’ll be okay.”

Finally, Han Yu-young managed a smile.

Whether it was a mother’s instinct or because it was the first time leaving the kids alone, she didn’t want her unease to make her husband uncomfortable, so she tried to focus on the trip.

‘Worrying won’t help me do anything here anyway.’

Just then, Hong Ki-jun and Yoo Se-ra, who had said they’d wash up at the hotel, joined them, so Han Yu-young tucked her worries away.

Hong Ki-jun, wearing a Hawaiian shirt with orange and green flowers on a white background and white shorts, sat next to Son Kwang-yeon, while Yoo Se-ra, in a dress with a similar design to Hong Ki-jun’s shirt, sat across from him.

“Hey, Kwang-yeon. Did you start drinking without us?”

“What’s with you guys? Go sit over there. We’re on a date. We already had dinner together, do we have to stick together this late?”

At Son Kwang-yeon’s teasing, Yoo Se-ra narrowed her eyes and laughed.

“Tsk-, are you two trying for a third kid?”

“Oh, come on, unnie. It’s not like that.”

“Kwang-yeon oppa is really something. To have two kids with Yu-young, who’s so shy.”

“Ah, really.”

Han Yu-young finally covered her cheeks with both hands.

Hahaha-!

Yoo Se-ra teased Han Yu-young, whose face turned red even without drinking, and the men laughed at the sight.

“You’re so mean.”

Perhaps annoyed by their laughter, Han Yu-young glared at her husband and snatched his beer glass, chugging it down. It was definitely cold draft beer, but it felt hot and thrilling as it went down her throat. The refreshing sensation instantly dissolved her worries and tension.

***

Jin Hyuk let out the remaining tension with the wind.

He loaded the men into the car and sat in the driver’s seat.

“You guys know why I did this, right?”

If you mess around, your families won’t be safe. Jin Hyuk’s eyes conveyed that.

But his inner thoughts were different.

‘Ah, I can’t do this. How do robbers harm people they have no grudge against?’

He understood his past self, who never strayed down the wrong path no matter how hard things got.

Moon Seok-il and Kim In-rang, crammed into the car, reluctantly nodded, while Jeong Sang-tae in the passenger seat stared blankly out the window. Kang Heon-chang, with broken ribs, had a pale face and barely breathed.

Moon Seok-il, with broken fingers and a swollen face, rolled up Kang Heon-chang’s shirt. A dark shadow of death loomed over his right abdomen and chest.

“Uh-, this guy seems in danger-.”

“He won’t die from that.”

Jin Hyuk glanced at Moon Seok-il through the rearview mirror. He wanted to say something but held back. Since he had decided to spare them, pushing further would only be venting.

“We’ll never come back-.”

Perhaps because his comrades had woken up, Moon Seok-il, who had been flat on the ground using honorifics, was gone. He still clasped his hands in prayer.

Jeong Sang-tae and Kim In-rang, unable to move their jaws, didn’t dare open their mouths. They just wanted to escape the grasp of the monster in the driver’s seat.

“You don’t know who sent you, right?”

“Really. We just take the money.”

“Hmm-, that’s strange.”

Jin Hyuk narrowed his eyes and tapped the car door with his finger.

Tap tap- the tapping sound grew louder, and the rhythm quickened.

He didn’t doubt their words. But they still hadn’t given him the answer he wanted.

Making them volunteer was easier than forcing them. It meant he could control their movements. That’s why, even when assigning tasks to his team, Jin Hyuk never appointed but always took volunteers.

Tap tap-.

“Hmm-. I wonder if they’ll finish their military service…”

Well, he knew they were all reservists, but he just muttered it offhandedly.

Jin Hyuk’s murmuring didn’t stop there.

“If it’s not possible, make it possible…”

It was a slogan he used to chant daily during his military service.