A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 148

148. Into the Abyss

Last Sunday night.

“Let’s get rid of Jung Ji-heon together. What do you say?”

Chae Eun-yeop, who had come all the way to Bae-il’s place, was trying to persuade him.

The guy who pushed Kim Jin-gu into the reservoir had fled overseas immediately after the deed. That’s why Cheolwang Group’s testimony was easy. Anyway, Cheolwang Group had also suffered damage because of Eun-yeop’s actions, so they couldn’t be touched.

To Eun-yeop, Kwon Bae-il was like a rope sent down from heaven.

“If you do as I say, I’ll give you 1 billion won.”

“…….”

“How about it? Tempting, isn’t it?”

Bae-il, who had been silently listening to Eun-yeop’s cunning enticements, finally opened his mouth after a long while.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

Eun-yeop’s pupils, which had been shining with murderous intent, darkened. Deep wrinkles formed between his eyebrows.

He thought this guy would jump at the offer.

But he couldn’t give up so easily. Eun-yeop raised one corner of his mouth and sneered. It grated on his nerves.

“Don’t try to play innocent. I know everything.”

However, Eun-yeop was in the dark about more recent information. He didn’t know that Kwon Bae-il was the one who had contributed to Eun-yeop’s arrest.

“You look tired. You should go and get some rest. Go home and rest.”

Bae-il quietly urged Eun-yeop, like a police officer soothing a juvenile delinquent.

The more he did, the more Eun-yeop had no choice but to grind his teeth.

“You think you’ll be safe? Huh?”

Eun-yeop shouted at Bae-il’s back as he turned away.

“If you don’t do it, that bastard Jung Ji-heon will kill you first!”

Bae-il’s feet stopped for a moment at Eun-yeop’s chilling words. But he didn’t turn back to Eun-yeop.

Eun-yeop turned away, his face unable to contain his anger.

* * * * * * *

The next day, in the evening.

Having made thorough preparations, Eun-yeop quietly waited for Ji-heon in the underground parking lot of his apartment. Knowing Ji-heon’s car well made everything easy. He had secretly attached a GPS tracker to Ji-heon’s car in the early morning.

And he obtained an illegally modified car, changed the license plate, and even attached tape to cleverly conceal the license plate, and waited for Ji-heon.

“Kwon Bae-il. If you don’t do it, I’ll kill you.”

I have to get rid of that bastard Jung Ji-heon.

He had been dozing off for a while because he hadn’t slept a wink, but he reacted immediately to the notification that the vehicle with the GPS tracker was approaching. Eun-yeop opened his eyes and glared at the entrance of the parking lot.

After waiting a little longer, he saw Ji-heon’s car entering the apartment parking lot. Eun-yeop started the engine from a distance and waited. He could predict Ji-heon’s path from getting out of the car to entering the apartment.

The opportunity is only once. He will ram Jung Ji-heon right in front of the apartment entrance.

Soon, Ji-heon got out of the car. He was in such a hurry that he quickly moved his feet. Seeing him running quickly instead of walking slowly, Eun-yeop also turned on the headlights brightly and stepped on the accelerator.

Jung Ji-heon. Farewell.

Vroooom!

But at that moment!

“Huh!”

A car parked next to him suddenly cut in.

Screech!

Crash!

Eun-yeop slammed on the brakes, but it was no use. Eun-yeop’s car didn’t listen and couldn’t handle its acceleration, crashing into the unidentified car.

Without even having time to scream, the two cars were smashed.

Ji-heon saw the light flashing towards him. His body, remembering the accident from seven years ago, became stiff as if he had already been in an accident. In that moment when his movements became heavy.

Screech! Crash!

Everything happened in an instant.

Another car cut in as if to push away the car rushing towards him. With a loud noise, the two cars collided and spun sideways.

Because of that, Ji-heon also had to quickly dodge. While Ji-heon staggered to the other side, the two cars, which seemed to be of similar weight, were cut in half.

Huff, huff, huff.

Ji-heon, who barely escaped the crisis, also took a rough breath and got up. Two security guards who heard the loud noise ran over.

“There’s been an accident! Call 119 quickly!” [119 is the emergency telephone number in South Korea, similar to 911 in the US.]

One of the security guards shouted urgently.

Ji-heon looked at the car in front of him. He could vaguely see the side of the man with his head buried in the steering wheel. It was Chae Eun-yeop.

Then who was the person who intervened and confronted the accident?

Ji-heon approached the other vehicle with trembling steps.

“……Su-il.”

The person who was covered in blood and unconscious was none other than Kwon Bae-il.

Bang, bang, bang.

“Su-il, Su-il.”

The door wouldn’t open because the car was crushed. There was no response from the inside even when he banged on the door. Bae-il’s expression, leaning against the driver’s seat, looked peaceful for some reason.

* * * * * * *

Jin-seo, who came to drop off Ye-na, was held back by Jung-oh and had to sit next to her without returning home.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong, Jung-oh…?”

The hand holding Jin-seo had strength in it, but she didn’t tell her why, so Jin-seo was puzzled. Guk-soon also had a blank expression.

Jung-oh couldn’t answer Jin-seo’s question right away and trembled her hand. She thought she shouldn’t be near Bae-il, so she should see Jin-seo off after Bae-il left, but she couldn’t tell her the reason right away.

In the meantime, Ji-heon called, and Ji-heon said he would come up right away.

“Stay a little longer. When Ji-heon comes, I’ll tell him to take you home.”

Jung-oh, who hung up the phone, said to Jin-seo with relief.

Jin-seo didn’t know why Jung-oh and Guk-soon were so nervous, but she thought she should stay still, so she nodded silently.

However, Ji-heon, who said he would come up soon, didn’t come even after 10 or 20 minutes.

Jung-oh called Ji-heon. But Ji-heon didn’t answer the phone. She had an ominous feeling that something was wrong.

“Sister, I’m going to go out for a while. Stay here.”

Jung-oh left the front door with an uneasy heart. The moment she stepped into the elevator, she heard a siren. Her heart beat faster and faster.

When the elevator reached the first floor, the siren became louder.

“Oh my, I guess there was an accident somewhere.”

Jung-oh became even more nervous at the neighbor’s mutter, who got on the elevator in the middle. The time it took to go down to the underground parking lot felt like an eternity.

Soon, the elevator door opened when it reached the underground parking lot.

The parking lot was chaotic. It was messy with wreckers, police cars, ambulances, and crowds of people. In the meantime, she saw paramedics trying to move a person.

No way, no way…

“Wait a minute, wait a minute.”

Jung-oh went forward with trembling legs. Tears quickly welled up in her eyes.

Jung-oh, who approached, checked the face of the man being carried on a stretcher and covered her mouth.

It was Chae Eun-yeop.

Her heart sank.

Why. Why on earth.

Then where is my husband?

“Jung-oh.”

At that time, Ji-heon came to her side and grabbed Jung-oh’s shoulder.

The pupils of Ji-heon, who had lost their way, found stability as if they had met a guide in a confusing maze. Ji-heon hugged Jung-oh who approached. He hugged his loved one, but he felt like he was being hugged.

A few hours ago, in that intense light that seemed like the last moment of his life again, Ji-heon only thought of one person. He will always be like that.

Losing you is a bigger fear for me than losing myself.

“Are you okay?”

Jung-oh, who had been gently hugged, stepped back half a step and asked, stroking his face.

“I’m okay.”

“Are you hurt?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Does it hurt anywhere?”

Seeing his wife, who couldn’t take her eyes off him and asked affectionately, he realized life. Ji-heon smiled instead of answering and asked.

“Jung-oh. Let’s get married.”

“We already did.”

“I mean the wedding.”

“…….”

“I want to see it.”

“…….”

“Lee Jung-oh in a wedding dress.”

In that intense light, a line of regret flashed through his mind. He hadn’t had a wedding yet. He had imagined her in a wedding dress countless times, but he had never actually seen it. He was sorry for that.

Whatever our last appearance is, I’ll be sorry to you.

Reaching that heart, this moment, which is just a loving heart, felt like a miracle.

“I love you.”

Jung-oh felt a lump in her throat for no reason at his sudden confession. If she made the same confession, tears would pour out more than her voice, so Jung-oh just burrowed back into Ji-heon’s arms.

After a while, Jung-oh, who came out of Ji-heon’s arms, asked about Bae-il.

“How is Inspector Kwon? How badly was he hurt?”

“I don’t know. He’s in surgery, but I haven’t heard anything yet.”

“…….”

“Chae Eun-yeop’s car rushed towards me. Then Bae-il’s car cut in. …As if he was throwing his body to protect me….”

Ji-heon couldn’t continue speaking. Jung-oh, who was watching Ji-heon, also felt heartache.

The surgery ended after 9 hours. The doctor said that the surgery went well and that they should watch the progress now. Bae-il was moved to the intensive care unit.

Even after returning home, Jung-oh handed Ji-heon a USB, who silently closed his mouth. It was the USB that Bae-il had left behind. Jung-oh doesn’t know what’s inside.

“Inspector Kwon Bae-il left this at home. He told me to give it to you.”

Ji-heon immediately brought a laptop PC and examined the data in the USB.

The USB contained several files.

He clicked on the first video file. As soon as the video started playing, Jung-oh gasped and covered her mouth with both hands.

It was a video of Ji-heon’s accident seven years ago. The video showed Kwon Bae-il driving into Ji-heon with his car, getting out of the car, and approaching Ji-heon.

Ji-heon and Bae-il weren’t the only ones in the video. There was one more person on the emergency stairs.

“But isn’t that… Chae Eun-bi?”

Jung-oh said, pointing to the person hiding on the emergency stairs. Even though she watched so obviously, she gave false testimony that Kim Jin-gu was the hit-and-run driver. To take Jung Ji-heon’s side.

Ji-heon calmly checked the video to the end as if it was all over, and then clicked on the next video. This video even contained audio.

It was a video of the hospital room. Ji-heon frowned because the hospital room felt strangely familiar.

“It’s the hospital room I was in 7 years ago.”

Ji-heon, who recalled his memory, said to Jung-oh.

“The hospital room 7 years ago? Inspector Kwon Bae-il even had this kind of file?”

Jung-oh, who was surprised by Ji-heon’s explanation, asked. He couldn’t answer that question. An even more terrible and surprising voice was heard in the video.

[Erase your memories one by one, starting with the closest ones. Like lighting a match and burning the brain. Everything in the place where the match passed will disappear. Memories of traveling, memories of serving in the military, memories of meeting new people. Light all the memories on fire. …Because it’s a memory I don’t need. Because it’s a useless memory.]

Ugh…

Ji-heon put his hand on his chest. He couldn’t breathe well. Chae Eun-yeop’s voice, which was heard through the laptop PC, seemed to be squeezing his breath.

“Oppa… are you okay?”

Jung-oh’s voice, which was right next to him, sounded far away. His heart felt like it was hardening.

Into the abyss, into the abyss.

It felt like endless darkness was swallowing him.