You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 455

#456

[On the way back from meeting Chan-young.]

As soon as I sent a message to the group chat, the read receipts disappeared at lightning speed.

[Kang Min-jae: Is Chan-young okay? ㅠ
Choi Jong-hyun: Would he be okay? Sigh……
Kang Min-jae: I know, but…… I’m worried the shock might be too much……
Jo Bong-joon: What does Chan-young say?]

It was as if they had been waiting for my message; everyone replied almost instantly.

Secretary Oh also read the message, but he didn’t seem to be in a position to reply just yet.

[He was very shocked and is having a hard time. But it doesn’t seem to be at a level where we need to keep a constant eye on him. And Chan-young has moved to the Strategy Department this time. It seems he has gained a lot of Go Sang-jun’s trust. Chan-young said he would look into Okashima Hospital.]

After writing the reply and settling back in the passenger seat, messages started pouring in again.

[Oh Yang-hoon: That’s a relief…… But seeing that he’s going to look into Okashima Hospital……
Kang Min-jae: I agree… I wonder if I should give him a call ㅠㅠ
Choi Jong-hyun: He must be in a mess, so let’s not contact him and wait a bit.
Oh Yang-hoon: Are you going straight home, Attorney?]

I replied that I was and fastened my seatbelt.

“I thought I was going to die of boredom.”

Tae-shik said, starting the engine.

He must not have fallen asleep in the car. Even though I didn’t contact him before coming down, Tae-shik was sitting in the driver’s seat, blinking.

I didn’t answer and turned on the radio news.

I had seen Kim Chan-young struggling many times, but it was the first time he had vomited like today, so I was worried about him like everyone else.

It wasn’t just because Kim Chan-young was our strength, but because I was reminded that he was no different from a victim like Lee Ga-yeon or Kim Mi-ja.

“Did things not go well with that kid Chan-young? Why do you look so grim?”

Tae-shik glanced at me and asked while we were stopped at a light.

“Things went well.”

“But why?”

In any case, Kim Chan-young’s move to the Strategy Department has increased his access to internal data for the entire Wooshin Group, so it’s true that I have some hope that he might be able to find out about Okashima Hospital.

“Just, I’m having a lot of thoughts.”

I’m worried about whether Kim Chan-young will be able to pull himself together, but I also have a lot of concerns about the direction of our investigation.

Since we stopped the plan to blackmail Kim Mi-ja into becoming our ally, the direction of our investigation had to focus on organ trafficking.

But we left Okashima Hospital to Kim Chan-young, and the investigation into Shingaku University Hospital has virtually reached the limit of what we can do in Korea.

It’s time to decide on a new direction for the investigation.

We are receiving weekly reports from the volunteer club sent to the House of Angels about whether any children have disappeared, and we have also asked if any children have mentioned studying abroad, but so far there have been no signs of that.

If I knew what to do, I would just move accordingly, but it feels a bit daunting because I have to find a needle in a haystack.

I don’t know which area of the sand to dig in, so I need to designate an area.

“Haa…….”

“Why are you sighing?”

“Because there’s too much to do.”

“We’re doing it one by one.”

“There’s a lot to do, but I don’t know what to do.”

“If you don’t know what to do, decide with Coca-Cola.”

“I can’t even decide with Coca-Cola right now.”

“Is there really that much to do?”

Is it because of my workaholic tendencies?

In fact, I could take a few days off, but if I don’t do something that could help exploit Wooshin’s weaknesses, even for a day, I feel guilty that I’m wasting time.

“It’s the weekend, so just don’t think about anything and rest, then think about it on Monday.”

“What do I do while resting?”

“Well, your hobby?”

“I don’t have one.”

Tae-shik looked at me with a distorted face, as if he was seeing a strange person.

“How can you not have a hobby? Don’t you like anything? Watching movies, playing games, etc.”

“I don’t.”

“You don’t like anything? I guess you don’t have time to play because you’re always working, but don’t you ever think that when you’re working? Ah, what should I do after work? Something like that.”

“If work is over, you eat and sleep.”

“No, you go into the study after coming home from work and before going to bed. Weren’t you doing a hobby then?”

“I’m working then too?”

“I’m going to throw up.”

Tae-shik imitated vomiting.

“I thought you were playing games in your study because you never came out?”

“What games.”

“Then sleep.”

“There’s a limit to sleeping.”

“You live a really boring life. Then go make a girlfriend. With that face, that height, and that spec [specifications; qualifications], why aren’t you hitting on women? If it were me, I would have built a harem kingdom long ago.”

I was more surprised that Tae-shik knew the word ‘harem’ than anything else.

Especially since it’s a word that originated in the Arab culture, which is hard to come across in Korea.

“I’m not interested. It’s not the time for that right now.”

“No matter how much of a lawyer you are, you’ll just be an old man when you get old. How much time do you have left for that appearance to shine? Why do you keep letting it rot?”

“At a time when even Sang-gil might die, should I make a lover and put that person in danger too?”

“……Well, yeah. Come to think of it, it wasn’t much different from now even when you were a prosecutor, so you probably won’t get old so quickly even after a few years.”

But Tae-shik clicked his tongue as if he was sorry.

“Anyone would think you’re a priest at some cathedral.”

“Do you think I want to live like this?”

“Then don’t live like this. Give up the investigation and everything. Quit being a lawyer too. It would be perfect to just play and eat with the money you’ve saved up so far.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Then what do you want me to do? Then live the way you’ve been living.”

Tae-shik started to focus on driving again.

I also turned my gaze away from him and scanned the message room, which was already filled with content cursing Go Sang-jun.

Then a phone call came.

It was my mother.

“Yes.”

─Is that Joo-han?

“Yes. What’s the matter?”

─What’s the matter? Can’t I call my son?

“That’s not it. Are you doing well?”

─No, I’m not.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

I asked the question of whether she was doing well as a formality, but I didn’t expect to hear that she wasn’t.

I was a little surprised and straightened up, and Tae-shik became a little conscious of me.

─I miss my son so I’m not doing well.

“You surprised me.”

─What are you doing tomorrow? It’s the weekend. Are you working?

“Well…….”

─If you’re not busy, stop by the house. You can sleep over and go up on Sunday. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you…….

─Tomorrow?

“Yeah. Are you busy?”

My mother’s voice asking if I was busy was very cautious.

What’s there to be cautious about when parents want to see their children?

I felt like I had made my mother feel self-conscious about such a trivial matter, so I shook my head even though my mother couldn’t see me.

“No. I’ll go.”

─Okay. Is there anything you want to eat? Mom will make it. I have to go grocery shopping today.

“Anything is fine. Ah, but……. Please make a lot.”

─Why? Do you want to eat too much?

“No, I’m bringing a guy who eats a lot.”

I looked at Tae-shik, who was nervously honking the horn at the car in front.

Then Tae-shik asked with his mouth, ‘Why?’

“Who is it? Min-jae?”

─No. Besides, there’s another guy.

“Okay, I understand. Let me know before you leave tomorrow. But you have to come before dinner?”

─Yes. See you tomorrow.

As soon as I hung up, Tae-shik launched a fierce barrage of questions.

“Where are we going tomorrow? Where? Am I the one who eats a lot? Are we going to eat something delicious?”

“We’re going to my parents’ house.”

“……Yes? Suddenly?”

“They told me to come. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them. And you said to find something to do.”

“That’s true……. But what are your parents like?”

Tae-shik asked an unexpected question.

“Just……. They’re normal?”

“What if they don’t like me? Because I’m a gangster.”

“Hmm…….”

I checked Tae-shik’s neck.

He’s wearing a shirt, but a menacing tattoo was revealed through a slightly open gap.

Moreover, the tattoo embroidered on his arm was visible under the sleeves of the white shirt he was wearing.

“Wear dark clothes tomorrow.”

“What about the tattoo showing on the back of my neck?”

“……I don’t know about that. But they won’t dislike you. They won’t like you, but.”

“I have a hard time dealing with adults.”

He doesn’t even blink an eye at other adults, what is he talking about?

Ah, come to think of it, I remember Tae-shik was particularly difficult with Secretary Oh.

It seems he’s the type who has a hard time with people he shouldn’t treat carelessly.

“Then shut your mouth when you go. I can’t go alone.”

“Should I tell Sang-gil to go?”

“When will Sang-gil sleep then? Sang-gil will be on guard all night after you go.”

“Haa……. Okay. I should put on a patch.”

Well, covering up the tattoo probably won’t make his scary impression disappear.

“Don’t you want to go to the bathhouse today?”

Tae-shik said as we passed near the university.

“Why the bathhouse?”

“I’m meeting adults, so I thought I should scrub off some dirt.”

“Don’t you usually wash?”

I must have looked at him with disgust without realizing it.

Tae-shik suddenly turned red and shouted.

“I shower every day until I’m squeaky clean!”

“But why are you going to the bathhouse?”

“Still……. It’s the first time I’m meeting someone I need to look good to.”

“You don’t need to look good to my parents.”

“Ah, just go if I tell you to. You only shower every day, you don’t scrub, do you?”

“I don’t have any dirt.”

“It’ll come out if you scrub. Anyway, let’s go.”

“You’re really annoying…….”

“I went to a bathhouse near your house before and got rejected. Because of the tattoo. But the sauna near the company accepts me? Let’s go there.”

Tae-shik turned the steering wheel before I even said yes.

Really, the only people around me are those who do what they want.

Anyway, Tae-shik parked the car in the bathhouse parking lot and got out.

I had no choice but to get out too.

“I don’t even have extra underwear, what kind of sauna is this.”

“They sell it inside.”

In the end, I paid for the bathhouse with Tae-shik and came inside.

People’s eyes were drawn to Tae-shik in an instant as we took off our clothes side by side in front of the locker, but there wasn’t a big problem thanks to Tae-shik quickly changing into sauna clothes.

Of course, the tattoo was stretched out to his wrist as if he was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt underneath.

“Ah, I’m so tired. I’ll go buy eggs and *shikhye* [Korean sweet rice drink] first. How many trays of eggs should I buy?”

“Tray? Don’t they sell them individually?”

“They do, are you kidding me? What kind of man eats them individually? You have to eat a tray. Where’s the store?”

“I think it’s over there.”

When I pointed to one corner, Tae-shik nodded and moved towards it.

I also followed him to the store.

I used to go to small bathhouses near the prosecutor’s office often when I was in the prosecution, but it’s been a while since I’ve been to a sauna.

There was also an area with several massage chairs on one side.

Several people were lying on the massage chairs with their eyes closed, and strangely…… strangely, someone looked familiar…….

“Oh, it’s Attorney Kang. Attorney Kang!”

Tae-shik recognized him first and grabbed Kang Min-jae’s knee, who was feeling the vibrations from the massage chair.