CH 27.1

Imsoo and his subordinates unloaded five boxes on the office floor. A rented container was placed next to the store and was being used as a temporary office. As his men retreated, Imsoo said.

“When I went to the boss’s family home, my mother prepared it in advance. She’s wondering if you will be going back at least once.”

“When do I ever have time. Is this all?”

“Yes. I collected everything, even scraps of paper.”

Giha spilled the contents of the box on the desk. Old papers, notebooks, and diskettes were an eyesore to look at. Imsoo asked.

“Then why did you suddenly ask me to import data?”

“They say that Cocaine has been sending signals to the body lately. Even the attending physician said he did not know the cause.”

Imsoo’s expression darkened.

“Then are we in trouble?”

“It’s not at that point of difficulty.”

He was a symbol of Paradiso and a major source of income, to the extent that if Cocaine stumbled, Paradiso would also stumble. Paradiso without Heaven’s song was an empty shell. Regardless of the information, what he was most curious about was whether or not the healer’s ability was immortal. Another healer was wanted across the country in case the day came when the power of Cocaine ran out. However, even if he was born with a healer’s voice, it would degenerate into a normal voice after a period of change. It’s not easy to find the person before then.

“Look through the rest. Report anything you think is useful.”

“Yes. But I don’t know if I understand.”

“Try as hard as you can.”

“Alright.”

Imsoo sighed as he looked at the pile of papers. Giha pressed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He couldn’t even keep his eyes open as he and his men had been hanging around the store for days. He just got a call from Chairman Cha. He told him to let Cha Myunghwan listen to whoever he wanted, whether he wanted Yaba or Cocaine. He also said that if he disobeyed him, he would not end with a warning this time.

Perhaps Chairman Cha, feeling that his son had no hope, intended to grant his wish while he was still living. There was no way that Cha Myunghwan was bewitched by Yaba’s insignificant singing. He must have taken off the mask and seen that face. Cha Yiseok alone was a headache, but even the wrong fly was entangled in the situation.

He conveyed his intention to hand over the store through his agent, but there was no news from the owner. Nothing was working out. The back of his neck was sore. If he listened to Cocaine’s song at a time like this… Giha chewed his tongue. This was why they were wary of Cocaine songs. Even when his ears were pierced by Cha Yiseok, and during this raid, he often listened to his song unexpectedly these days. It was clear that listening to the song made one feel refreshed. Customers wanted that feeling, and they would be looking for it again and again.

Then the cell phone rang. His subordinate’s voice came over.

— Boss… D- Director Cha came a little while ago and took Yaba.

Kang Giha’s cheek twitched.

“Go get him.”

— I’m sorry. I tried to chase them, but I missed them in the middle.

“Useless bastards.”

He swore and threw his phone away. He took out the tracking terminal, connected it to his laptop, and turned it on. He quickly browsed through the satellite photos on the screen.

***

The place he came to by car was the quayside. The two-story ultra-luxurious yacht looked like a sports car with a sense of speed. The footsteps entering the yacht and the hand opening the door were rough. The cabin with the lights off was as quiet as a ghost ship. It was a place where he came to once as a substitute for Cocaine, and it was the place where he first got entangled with Cha Yiseok. Cha Yiseok pushed Yaba against the wall of the cabin. He threw off his dark gray suit jacket and loosened his tie.

“It’s just the two of us now, so tell me. I told you not to go to Cha Myunghwan, but why are you still going?”

“I said I was going.”

“I told you not to go.”

“Who are you to say that?”

“There are not many people in the world who listen to me with deaf ears. Because I cleaned them up.”

“Didn’t I say that threats wouldn’t work?”

“You’re tearfully passionate. Wouldn’t it have been even more amazing if I wasn’t there?”

His face, which had reached the point of ignition, was pressuring his vision. He poured out vulgar language.

“Do you know what you looked like earlier? Like a cheap prostitute who spreads his legs at just about anyone. I thought the half-dead old man’s thing stood up as well?”

Slap—!

Yaba slapped his arrogant and impudent cheek. A sharp noise echoed through the cabin.

“Your taste for being in heat with such a cheap thing is also cheap. I have nothing more to say about you, so give me the medicine.”

He tilted his head and moved his gaze. The pupils were like those of carnivores with blood gushing backwards.

“A cat that raises its claws needs to be patted on the butt first.”

“Ah… !”

As soon as the words fell, he grabbed Yaba’s butt and pulled him. Cha Yiseok chewed Yaba’s tongue in half with his teeth. The taste of blood could be felt. With a shudder, Yaba kicked him and patted him on the shoulder. His breathing sounded like the hungry cries of an animal. Cha Yiseok seemed to be out of his mind. His behavior was violent and his eyes were terrifying. Yaba gasped and bit the man’s lip. Taking advantage of the gap where his lips withdrew, he pushed hard and slipped out of the cabin. The taste of blood still lingered in his mouth.

“Haa! Haa… !”

He ran through his breath that had gathered in the air and only looked ahead. He thought he was going to his apartment. He was only going to leave after receiving the medicine, but by the time he sensed the danger, it was already too late. He should have been more thorough, but it was foolish to show all his cards. The moment he arrived at the back of the yacht, he hardened as if he had been hit by a blunt weapon. It was because the yacht was already far away from the pier.

It was dark before Yaba’s eyes. He must have brought him here knowing he couldn’t swim. While he started to frantically search for a life jacket, Cha Yiseok walked from the other side with the setting sun behind him. He wiped the blood from his mouth with his tongue and narrowed the distance. His eyes that were against the sunlight were bloody and out of focus. Yaba held his breath and stepped onto the ledge. He staggered and stopped.

“Don’t be stupid. If you jump from there, you will be wrapped around the propeller and become fish food.”

He felt dizzy from the movement of the yacht cutting through the water. Yaba swallowed dryly and glared.

“Dying this way or dying that way, it’s all the same. Dock the yacht quickly.”

“The ship operates automatically, and I have to go to turn it off. But I have no intention of going there unless I capture you.”

Yaba’s hair stood up and he strained his body.

“Do as you please. If I go missing, Kang Giha will track down the chip and find me. Then you will have no choice but to become a murder suspect. Anyway, you like Kang Giha will buy the police with a decent amount of money, but the label of a murderer will follow you forever. Your son will be branded as a son of a murderer and will make friends with money and drugs. In the end, I will live as a drug addict who can’t be saved, and I’ll jump off the roof while cursing you. So, if you want to save your son, quickly return to the yacht!”

“…”

Cha Yiseok squinted his eyes and muttered something. Yaba braced his feet on the railing and pulled his body toward the sea. Cha Yiseok was startled.

“Fine. Come down first and tell me. If you run away like that, you won’t be able to talk properly.”

“I’m running away because you keep chasing me.”

“You were the one who ran away first.”

“You followed me first. You came after me with a face that looked like you were going to cut my throat a little while ago.”

“Why do you think I’m going to cut your throat?”

“Because you acted like you were about to cut my throat.”

“Alright. I have no intention of doing that.”

“Look in the mirror and tell me.”

“Haa.”

Cha Yiseok sighed and brushed through his hair. When his lowered eyes returned, his ferocity had softened.

“Do you know what you look like now? Like a frightened feral cat. Come here. No, I’ll go, stay there.”

Cha Yiseok’s feet cautiously stepped forward.

“… Don’t come!”

Yaba curled up. At that moment, a big wave came and his hand slipped. His body floated in the air, cold, hardened and fell. Before he could judge what had happened, he was sucked into the freezing water to the bone. The scrotum was saturated with his breath and lewd rubbing. Unable to bear the weight, both his body and consciousness collapsed into the sea.