CH 21.1

The phone on the dashboard vibrated loudly. Cha Yiseok tilted the machine and watched the number on the screen dryly. It was the boss of Paradiso. Perhaps the love interest melted because of the concern that the stake might cross the water. He planned to pass the promised share precisely. Of course, to bring it back to me. Before that, it is better to tame it as a faithful dog.

He ignored the desperate call and turned the steering wheel, turning the corner and parked on the open road. Han Sungjae walked out of the black BMW that stopped first. As he lowered the window, he bent his upper body.

“I was surprised by the sudden change of accommodation. For now I left my important luggage and moved to a nearby hotel, what happened?”

“I think Chairman Cha has attached a person. I’m sure he’s somewhere around right now.”

Han Sungjae looked around with only his eyes. Cha Yiseok pulled out a check and quickly scribbled.

“Move to a new accommodation as soon as possible.”

Han Sungjae looked at the check and widened his eyes.

“This is just above your apartment.”

“It’s good to minimize the movement. Find two people from Hong Kong. Smart guys.”

He parted ways with Han Sungjae and was driving down the street when the phone rang. This time it was Cha Myunghwan. Cha Yiseok held his phone to his ear with one hand, controlling his wheel. He sighed before saying hello.

— My father left a little while ago. He was saying he wouldn’t let that store go or whatever, I had a hard time calming him down. Don’t worry too much about what happened today. There were some misunderstandings with each other, but we solved them all…

“You must have some misunderstandings about me.”

— No. You were thinking of me too. Well, I’m going to Seoul next month for a regular check-up. If you are in Seoul for a few days, it will be easy for you to stop by. Not long ago, Dr. Yang told me that my cancer levels had gone down. The exact truth will be known only after a thorough examination… I guess it’s temporary because I’ve been living in a place with good air. It’s been like this not just once or twice, I’m tired of looking forward to it.

“Think positively. If your mind is healthy, your body will be healthy.”

— I should try. And the kid who’s called Cocaine or something. Tell him to come again tomorrow.

Cha Yiseok perked up.

“Which one do you mean?”

— Real Cocaine, not the scammer. Well, I don’t know how great he is, but Chairman Kim is so passionate about it, so I’m calling him out of courtesy. Now, just hearing the word “healer” makes me shudder.

People were easily addicted to Cocaine’s tone after just one hearing. He, who had once been eager to hear the song, knew him better than anyone. However, Cha Myunghwan did not respond at all. This time Yiseok was the same. His voice, close to the divine, was now lukewarm as if it had been mixed with undiluted water, and did not capture his nerves. Why…

Cocaine was a person with stronger self-esteem than anyone else. He looked like a porcelain doll housed in a glass coffin, but he knew his worth. He’s got some clever corners, too, so he doesn’t go beyond dangerous boundaries. Even in the restaurant, he had cleared the grievances of being insulted by him, but it was at a level enough to look cute. He would not dream in vain that he could control him with a few shallow weaknesses.

Still, he needed to keep an eye on him. It’s troublesome when a guy like that turns around.

“I’ll tell him to go tomorrow. Then, have a good rest.”

— That scammer.

He was about to end the call, but Cha Myunghwan hurriedly grabbed him.

— … What’s his real name?

“Apparently it’s Yaba.”

— It suits him.

It was a while after he heard a snort.

— Perhaps… Can you give me the contact details of the scammer?

“…”

The reluctant premonition was right. Cha Yiseok slowly scans the inside of his mouth with his tongue.

“There is a rule not to divulge employees’ numbers.”

— What… Fine. I have to figure it out on my own, and you must have had a hard time today too, so take a break.

When Cha Yiseok finished the call, he reached the apartment. Chairman Cha, this time he was quite good. He looked inflexible and straightforward, but on the inside he was a sly old man. If there was any sign of threatening Cha Myunghwan, he nipped it in the buds and put a protective shield on him. It was obvious when he pushed him to a trivial position and now used him to clean Taeryung’s ass. Next time, who knows how he would strike him again, so he needed to be careful for the time being. This brought him to his senses.

While he parked in the basement and waited for the elevator, he called Secretary Jang. It was past ten o’clock and he heard a man’s voice just waking up.

— Yes. Executive Director.

“Prepare a memo.”

A rustling sound was heard over the phone, and then a clearer voice was heard.

— Please speak.

“Get someone to tail a person. He’s more timid than necessary, so don’t let him notice, his address is…”

A scribbling sound was heard and Secretary Jang asked.

― Will you fax the photos?

“No.”

― If there is a picture, it would be convenient.

“A man in his early 20s, he is about 177 cm tall and quite skinny. He has pale skin, big eyes, and a particularly red lips, an overly lewd-looking guy. You will recognise at a glance.”

— …

“Report to me often.”

Cha Yiseok added in a low voice and hung up the phone. Yaba also entered the target of Chairman Cha through this incident, so it was not safe. Moreover, he did not know where he would go, so he also needed a watchdog. Cha Yiseok looked down at his bandaged hands. The hand healed by Cocaine was covered with the wounds he had made. He suddenly laughed bitterly.

Meanwhile, he couldn’t afford to look at anything else because of the cat. He couldn’t see anything when he was in front of him. The amount and time gradually increased. He was rather dangerous. Even using drugs would be safer.

After the issue was found out, he felt rather refreshed. It was no longer necessary to pour Yaba’s songs into Cha Myunghwan’s ear canal. He rubbed his throbbing shoulders and tilted his head from side to side. His neck was pounding.

He had lost weight recently. A headache that had been quiet for a while scratched his nerves. Unlike in the past, the sound of iron piercing the eardrum was an extreme pain. The elevator opened slowly, signaling its arrival.

Cha Yiseok pressed on his temple and stretched his legs into it.

***

Aaahhhh~~~

Cha Myunghwan’s villa was filled with the voice of Cocaine. Cocaine sang “Vocalize” and an aria in a row in the upper register. He did not stop and spurred his voice towards the next song. Beads of sweat fell from his hair and dripped down his cheeks. Hashish who harmonized by his side also followed without lagging.

On that day, he admitted to himself that he was engulfed in impure emotions and focused only on technique to show the difference between him and Yaba. The heart of the patient was the same, the most important thing was the mindset of the healer. The human ear recognizes the heart like a ghost, so if you are sincere, the audience will communicate first, and the effect will be multiplied.

He gave up the thought of making up for the insults of the day and completely immersed himself in the song. Rather, he was desperate for that.

The singing voice disappeared, and the waves that spread inside were scattered. Cha Myunghwan sat leaning on the bed and stared at Cocaine. With his fingers, he scratched the bone, avoiding the needle on the back of his hand.

“Do you really have to sing this close?”

Cocaine wiped the sweat from his cheek with the back of his hand.

“It will be difficult, but please be patient. The effect is different depending on the amplification of the sound, so a close distance without obstacles is good.”

“Then please take off that filthy mask. Seeing it up close makes me sicker.”

“I’m sorry. Taking off the mask is against the rules…”

“Ah, nevermind. Because I don’t even want to see your face. But do you have to sing four songs at a time? Just two songs from now on. And can the songs be different?”

Cocaine took a breath and answered.

“CEO Cha has lost a lot of energy right now, so it’s hard to do songs that are too intense from the beginning. Not only the singer, but also the listener will be exhausted. When the mind and body are stabilized to a certain extent, the real…”

“Don’t just talk, show your skills. Well, actually, the song selection isn’t bad. Your voice that is like curry without pepper is the problem.”

“…”

Hashish looked at Cocaine’s complexion with eyes astonished. Cocaine struggled to ignore the gaze and bit his lip. Cha Myunghwan clicked his tongue and said.

“But are you really a healer?”

“What do you…”

“Let’s say it’s an exaggerated rumor that you raise the dead, but not only Chairman Kim, but people who have listened to your songs act like cultists, how the hell are they doing that?”

“… It is just an exaggerated rumor.”

“Looks like that. How can you be worse than that scammer? He sang perfectly in his own way, but he had the power to immerse me so much that I couldn’t take his eyes off him.”

The outspoken words were more like curses. Cha Yiseok and Cha Myunghwan, although they have different nuances, they were no doubt brothers with the way they unhesitantly provoke people. Cocaine lifted his head upright as if to grab his ego that had been slumped on the floor.

“I will try harder.”

The corners of his lips, which were barely raised, trembled. Hoping it looked like a smile. Suddenly, he noticed an oxygen respirator appeared next to the bed. He had heard that cancer cells had spread to the lungs, but he had never seen Cha Myunghwan rely on the respiratory system.

“Aren’t you using the oxygen respirator?”

“I took it off not too long ago. Well, it’s because the mountains and the water are good, so it’s easier to breathe now. The number of times I take painkillers has decreased a lot, but I still can’t sleep without painkillers.”

Cha Myunghwan suddenly put a finger in his ear.

“But these days, my ears keep hurting.”

“What do you mean…”

“What should I say… Every time I hear something like tinnitus scratching my ears and head hurts with a stabbing pain. Every time I feel like my mouth is burning, it’s hard to explain anyway.”

Cha Myunghwan’s stiff eyes looked anxious and thirsty. While he was singing and talking with him, Cha Myunghwan didn’t focus on his gaze as if his mind was elsewhere. It’s like an addict who forcibly quitted a drug and couldn’t see anything but the drug.

Cha Myunghwan scratched his dark skin and asked abruptly.

“How old is he?”

“Who…”

“A swindler who’s called Yaba or something.”

“… He’s twenty-three years old.”

Cha Myunghwan murmured as his sunken eyes dropped to the floor.

“He’s older than I thought. I thought he looked like a teenager or something.”

Cha Myunghwan picked up the cell phone on the table and threw it on the edge of the bed.

“Give me his number.”

“I’m sorry. Staff numbers are…”

“Don’t nag me, if I say give it, then give it.”

Cha Myunghwan’s eyes burned with fighting spirit. Cocaine picked up the phone with a puzzled expression and put in Yaba’s number. Cha Myunghwan checked the number and frowned.

“The number also suits him.”

And Cha Myunghwan looked at the number for a long time. Even when Cocaine arrived in this room, Cha Myunghwan had a blatantly disappointed look on his face. He thought and pondered until he left the dormitory, arrived at the villa, and opened this door. It was the wisest to refuse this job, but he really wanted to try at least once.

But in the end, he hesitated because of the fear of failure and Cha Yiseok. From the beginning of this scam, it meant that he wanted his brother to die. It would be more convenient if Cha Yiseok gave him a choice, whether he quit or challenged him, but he strictly adhered to the bystander’s position. Whether he was overthinking or not, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being tested. A nervous voice broke his thoughts.

“What are you doing? Get out.”

Cha Myunghwan waved his hand in annoyance.

t/n: sorry for the late (free) release! I was busy with finals and also fell sick. The usual schedule will be resumed now