[~♪]
When I pressed the doorbell button, a small bell rang quietly from inside the house.
In the quiet corridor of a low-income apartment building, Tae-ju stopped in front of the door to building 1010, located right in the center of the hallway, and took off the sunglasses he was wearing.
"Name: Han Yong-ju. Age: 38. He was the head of security at Starline Industries, the conglomerate that developed the H app. He's one of the suspects who promised to hand over the database of people with enhanced abilities registered on the H app to Kwak Chun-pal a year ago, when he was accused of bribery."
Joohyun, who was wearing a baseball cap, swept the tablet PC screen and looked up at Taeju, who was standing next to him.
“But, why did you suddenly come to see this person?”
At her question, Taeju turned his head and looked at her once, then looked back at the door in front of him and opened his mouth.
"When Kwak Chun-pal was arrested, I told you that the police and our agency intervened to root out the Eunwol faction after receiving an anonymous tip, right? The person who made that anonymous tip was Han Yong-ju."
"Ah, I see. So the reason you kept the informant's name anonymous at the time was to protect Mr. Han Yong-ju?"
Taeju nodded to her question.
[~♪]
I rang the doorbell again at the quiet response from the house.
“At the time, Han Yong-ju reported to the company’s executives that he was being threatened and that his family’s lives were being threatened by organized crime. Starline Industries immediately contacted the police and several hero sponsor companies.”
“So, the senior took care of the work.”
“After that, Han Yong-ju was recommended to resign for causing such a major security risk, even if he was not guilty.”
"That's a common story."
Yeah. It's a common story. It's so obvious that it's a problem.
Tae-ju answered her words in his mind and reached out to the doorbell again.
[~♪]
The third time I rang the doorbell, a voice came from inside.
“Yes, I’ll go.”
The front door creaked open as the voice of a middle-aged man approached the iron gate.
Han Yong-ju, wearing a shabby T-shirt and worn-out pants, with a wrinkled face here and there, walked out in slippers and looked around at the two of them. Then, upon seeing Tae-ju, he smiled happily.
“Oh my, aren’t you Mr. Splendid?”
“It’s been a while, Mr. Han Yong-ju.”
"Has it been almost a year? It's really nice to see you. By the way, what brings you here?"
In response to Yongju's question, Taeju immediately took out a few photos from his bosom and held them out.
When I showed him a picture of Kwak Chun-pal in a white suit with his hair heavily pomaded, Han Yong-ju, who had been smiling happily, withdrew his smile and showed a worried expression.
"I've recently discovered evidence of Kwak Chun-pal's resurgence in activity, so I've come to ask you a few questions. May I come inside?"
“Yes. It’s a bit shabby, but please come in.”
Following Han Yong-ju's guidance, the two soon headed towards his house.
**
In a small fish tank on one side of the living room, bubbles were rising from the air pump, and goldfish were swimming around.
Despite being an older apartment, the interior was quite tidy, with minimal furniture, giving Joohyun a quiet exclamation of admiration. Taeju nudged Joohyun's ribs, and she chuckled. Soon, the two sat on the floor of the living room they'd been led to.
“Please eat.”
Han Yong-su placed a small table and two paper cups of mixed coffee in front of the two people sitting on the floor of the living room, and sat down across from them.
“You want to hear about Kwak Chun-pal?”
"I'd like to know about the data he requested that night. What exactly was it he requested, and what was it about?"
In response to Tae-ju's question, Han Yong-su simply quietly took a sip of coffee from the mug in front of him.
"As I mentioned during the police investigation at the time, this is the personal data of some of the people who had their abilities developed and cooperated with the investigation. This is the personal information of those already registered with the H app."
“Have they ever said or done anything about what they do with the data?”
“No. I reported it to my superior before handing it over and took action.”
Tae-ju, who had been staring intently at Han Yong-su, who was speaking in a relaxed and calm manner and caressing his mug, soon opened his mouth.
“Actually, I came here because I had some questions.”
"huh?"
At his question, Han Yong-su raised his head and stared at Tae-ju.
Eyes that stare straight at him sharply.
“After receiving the recommendation to resign, you lived quietly and then moved.”
"Because the incident was so serious, I couldn't help but worry about what my neighbors thought. Even though I was cleared of charges, I was already mentioned as a suspect in the case."
While laughing out loud, Han Yong-ju looked at Tae-ju with a slightly lonely smile.
Despite his smile, Tae-ju opened his mouth with a cold expression.
“When I visited you last time, you were living with your family: your wife and seven-year-old son.”
“Yes, that was it.”
“Right now, you’re separated.”
"My new job is far away, so the commute is difficult, so we're living apart. Is there something wrong?"
Han Yong-ju looked at him calmly and answered, but Tae-ju continued speaking as if he didn't care.
"Gwak Chun-pal and his gang were arrested by me and the police thanks to an anonymous informant. However, they were ultimately released again due to insufficient evidence. And then, shortly after, you moved out of your previous residence and are now living apart from your family. Why?"
"Are you doubting me now, Mr. Splendid?"
Taeju stared at him with his usual calm expression, and Han Yongju also took a quiet breath and put down his glass.
"I don't know what you're thinking, but I have nothing to do with that guy, Kwak Chun-pal. And I have no desire to get involved with him now."
Han Yong-ju looked up at Tae-ju with a wicked expression, and Tae-ju, in turn, looked at him without avoiding his gaze.
Eyes staring straight at him. But those eyes were trembling, powerless, and lost all light, just staring at him dully.
Taeju knows these eyes well.
That night, it was just like my father's eyes.
[I'm sorry, Taejoo. I, I'm a sinner.]
Tae-ju frowned slightly at the memory of the past that suddenly came to mind.
Why did the memory of that day come to mind now?
I thought I had forgotten everything.
Taeju quietly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled.
“Mr. Han Yong-ju.”
“What is it?”
"I'll take my leave now. After all, everything I've said so far is merely my opinion, and I have no evidence whatsoever."
Tae-ju quietly got up from his seat and looked at Joo-hyun, who also nodded and got up from his seat.
“But, is your current appearance something you can show your son without feeling ashamed?”
The answer didn't come out of Han Yong-ju's mouth. But he still looked up at himself with the same calm demeanor he had at first.
At that sight, Taeju watched silently from his seat, then bowed and turned around.
Joohyun looked at the flower pot next to the entrance, then walked out first and opened the door.
From the open front door, Tae-ju turned his head and looked at Han Yong-ju, who was sitting on the floor, and said.
“Well, at least, from what I can see, you can’t show me what you are like now.”
The front door closed quietly, and silence fell over the house.
*
"Senior, are you still suspicious of Mr. Han Yong-ju?"
As soon as he got into the car, Tae-ju looked out the window at Joo-hyun's question.
"I'd like to think not, but given the circumstances, I can't rule it out."
"That makes sense. He made a deal with Kwak Chun-pal and then reported him, but then he was released and was afraid of retaliation, so he moved, separated from his family, and disappeared. It seems plausible to me, doesn't it?"
"What about the planted camera?"
Joohyun frowned at Taejoo's calm response, ignoring her words, and opened her laptop.
Soon, after she pressed a few buttons, Han Yong-ju's living room appeared on the laptop screen as a gray screen.
"But I was wondering what was going on because you suddenly pushed me like a senior, which is not typical of seniors. What happened to you, a senior who always maintains composure in any situation?"
"I just thought of old times."
"Thinking of the old days?"
"Just, bad old memories."
Tae-ju remembered that rainy night, looking at his eyes as he tried to hold on while pretending to be calm.
The night my father took his own life.
Tae-ju, who was looking at Han Yong-ju beyond the screen, sighed and put on his seatbelt in the passenger seat.
"For the time being, let's keep an eye on Han Yong-ju and his family. There's bound to be some movement in the Silver Moon faction, too."
"Yes, senior."
Soon the car's engine roared, and the car slowly left the apartment parking lot.
'Please, please, I hope I'm wrong.'
Taeju was hoping that this time, at least, he was wrong.