PHUW 74

Jeong Mok put Gom-i into the car, then immediately opened the passenger door. As he leaned in to fasten Haeri’s seat belt, his serious eyes scanned Haeri’s face.

“Why’s your face like that?”

“Huh… what?”

“It’s red.”

His straight brows knitted at once. A large hand clamped onto Haeri’s cheek.

“I-it’s because I’ve a fever.”

“Fuck…”

The low curse slipped out as the hand that had been touching his face slid away. With his fist so close, Haeri saw it clearly. Blood was smeared across the knuckles and swollen joints. It was obvious at a glance the blood wasn’t Jeong Mok’s.

“First, we’re going to the hospital.”

The man who could kill, maybe already had killed, climbed into the driver’s seat. He started the engine and pulled out. Even as he accelerated hard, the heavy sedan glided smoothly, without a single rough vibration, like it was sliding over water. A good car really was different… fuck. The pain and shock had rattled his head so much that even stupid thoughts like that floated up.

“We’ll head to the ER. Hold on a bit.”

The man, steady and clear, spoke toward Haeri, who was drifting in useless thoughts.

“What about Gom-i?”

Haeri glanced at the dog sprawled across the back seat and asked.

“I’m calling now. After I drop you at the ER, I’ll take him to the vet.”

“I’ll do it.”

They were already speeding, frighteningly fast. If he got distracted while driving, what if there was an accident? Haeri reached for the phone clipped to the dashboard.

“Not that one. My old phone’s in the inside pocket of my jacket.”

Haeri fumbled through the jacket and found it. The familiar device’s screen was wrecked.

“What happened to this?”

“I dropped it.”

More like threw it, but Haeri didn’t say that. Instead, he handed it over. Jeong Mok turned his head briefly and unlocked the phone. He found the vet’s number. After hours, the clinic redirected calls to the vet’s personal phone. Depending on the situation, the vet would either make a house call or open the clinic.

They explained everything to the sleepy vet who picked up. The vet said his house was closer to the hospital than the clinic, so he’d come to the ER to get Gom-i himself. Haeri thanked him repeatedly before hanging up.

By the time the call ended, the hospital was already close.

“What about that man?”

“Who?”

“Mr. Jang.”

At the very least, shouldn’t they send 119, if not the police? South Korean law was notoriously stingy about self-defense. Even if Jang had attacked Haeri with a weapon, with how Jeong Mok had beaten him half to death, Jeong Mok wouldn’t escape punishment.

And Jeong Mok wasn’t some freelancer anymore. A violent incident involving Hyeonsan’s new vice chairman would make headlines for days, if not weeks, even if it wasn’t as big as a top star’s affair scandal.

“I’ll take care of it. You worry about yourself.”

Jeong Mok cut him off flatly.

It reminded Haeri of the time with Kim Jeongwook. Back then, Jeong Mok had said the same thing, that he’d handle it. Afterward, Haeri had no idea what measures were taken. Usually, when there’s an incident, either the person involved or a related party goes to the police station, gives statements, writes reports. Haeri had been directly involved, but no police ever contacted him. Jeong Mok hadn’t seemed concerned about them either.

‘Maybe the lawyers handled everything.’

He was a chaebol vice chairman, after all. That must have been it.

When they arrived at the ER, the on-duty doctor came to assess the situation right away. Haeri had seen him several times before. He wheeled over a chair, giving Haeri a look that seemed to say, “Again? How many times now?” Even the ER nurse recognized his name immediately, pulled up his chart without asking. Being a regular had its conveniences, except that being a regular at the ER was nothing but misfortune.

The ER wasn’t busy, so treatment moved quickly. While Haeri was being treated, Jeong Mok handed Gom-i over to the vet who had arrived.

“How’s Gom-i?”

“He said he’ll run tests and call right back. From the look of it, no major injuries. He must be tough-headed, like you.”

“Good.”

Only then did Haeri feel relief.

Jeong Mok was already on another call. From the way he said “protection” instead of “professor,” Haeri guessed it was that lawyer he’d seen before.

As Haeri lay in bed, the doctor held up the new X-ray and explained.

“We removed the glass, stitched the bigger cuts. There’ll be scars, but you’re a man. The real problem is here, the metatarsal bone’s fractured badly.”

“Does he need surgery?”

Jeong Mok, just off his urgent call, asked.

“He does. We can do it as soon as this afternoon. The painkillers are working well for now. Rest in the ward until then.”

“Understood.”

Jeong Mok nodded and pulled out his phone again.

Haeri stopped the doctor before he left.

“Please check his hands too.”

“Hands?”

The doctor looked at Jeong Mok’s hand and frowned. His hand wasn’t unscathed after smashing someone’s skull.

“The bruising looks bad. Give me your hand.”

He examined it, then said the bones seemed intact. He disinfected the area and wrapped it with a stabilizing bandage.

Just then, loud sirens blared outside the ER. The doctor, still tidying up the used bandages, ran out. A couple of nearby nurses also rushed off. The rumble of a gurney accompanied a 119 paramedic shouting.

“He’s unconscious! He’s lost a lot of blood!”

“Code blue! Code blue! Get anesthesia and neurosurgery down here now!”

In an instant, the ER turned into a battlefield.

Patients and guardians in the waiting area all looked toward the commotion. Thanks to the painkillers, Haeri’s pain had dulled somewhat, so even he couldn’t hide his curiosity at the scene that looked straight out of a movie. Jeong Mok, still on a call, also turned his eyes toward the cluster of doctors and nurses surrounding the critical patient.

The gurney carrying the patient came to rest diagonally across from Haeri. With the flood of doctors, nurses, and paramedics, the curtain there was pulled open. The hand dangling from the side of the bed looked familiar. The doctors and nurses stripped off the patient’s jacket. The jacket that fell to the floor was the same one Mr. Jang had been wearing.

Swish.

Jeong Mok pulled Haeri’s curtain shut.

“Don’t look.”

“…He’s not dead, right?”

“That’s not something you need to worry about.”

Not something to worry about?

Then again, what could worrying change. What was done was done. As long as Jang didn’t die, things might still be manageable.

“Why did he attack you?”

“I’m not sure.”

Haeri explained what had happened earlier that day. Jeong Mok’s face was sheer coldness. It was so terrifying Haeri shrank back even though he had done nothing wrong.

“He picked up your phone and didn’t return it?”

“Yes.”

Haeri added that since all the data was wiped, he hadn’t wanted to take it back, so he told Jang it wasn’t his. That must have sparked the grudge.

“And for something that trivial, he tried to kill you?”

“He must have been insane.”

“Or there’s another reason.”

At that moment, the doctor opened the curtain.

“Your surgery will be delayed. We’ve got an emergency case, and there are no available surgeons right now.”

Jeong Mok looked displeased. But Haeri nodded that it was fine. He hoped Jang lived. Not that he wanted him well, he hoped lasting aftereffects left him suffering thin and long for the rest of his life. For that, Haeri could endure his own surgery being pushed back.

“Shall we transfer you to another hospital in Seoul?”

“It’s fine. I’m comfortable here. I know the doctors, the painkillers are working, and I want to stay close to Gom-i.”

At Haeri’s reply, Jeong Mok reluctantly agreed.

“But how did you know to come to the convenience store?”

“……”

Jeong Mok said nothing.

Why had he been there at that hour? He should have been busy as Hyeonsan’s vice chairman. Did something bring him by the house, and then by chance he saw Gom-i and followed? That was too far-fetched. If not coincidence, only one possibility remained.

Every night at 1 AM, Gom-i disappeared and came back licking his chops. Jeong Mok’s car had been at the cafe parking lot Gom-i often visited. It had to be that. But why? Haeri couldn’t understand.

Before asking why, he had to check if his suspicion was even right.

“Have you been watching me all this time?”

“Yeah.”

He answered immediately.

“Why?”

“…….”

Haeri stared at him. Jeong Mok avoided his eyes, unable to look straight at him.

“You were the one who told me to leave first.”

“…….”

“And after actually sending me out, you realized it wasn’t right?”

“……..”

“Why won’t you say anything?”

Haeri was starting to get angry. Honestly, who wouldn’t be?

“Why can’t you answer? You must have a reason for following me.”

His voice rose. Jeong Mok finally turned back to face him.

“Let’s talk later.”

“Later? Was it you calling Gom-i out every night at one? What a joke.”

“Sorry. If Gom-i had been with you, this wouldn’t have happened.”

He apologized. But that wasn’t what made Haeri furious.

“Yeah, Gom-i biting was bad. But you said you hated him so much you couldn’t stand living with us. Then why were you calling him? Don’t you think that’s really weird?”

“…….”

“Why won’t you say anything? Seriously, why are you like this? Huh?”

Haeri was angry, and his questions turned into an interrogation.