Park Han Dong and His Dongsaeng (2)
At first, I felt apologetic.
His life had become screwed up, all because I was reincarnated.
Then I became enraged.
Just want kind of person would do this sort of thing to the lives of two innocent people.
Park Han-Dong lowered his head in confusion.
What if someone had appeared to you in your darkest hour and declared that they would save you?
Regardless of the outcome, the joy and other emotions that were felt at that moment would be indescribable.
“Thank you so much. I’ll also do whatever I can to help solve this case.”
“I’ll leave my business card with you before I go, so if you remember something new write it down immediately and send it to me.”
I pushed my card through a small gap in the glass.
“Also, if there’s anything I could possibly assist you with, please say it. I may not look like it, but I am quite capable.”
“Even if it’s just empty words, I’m still very thankful. Apart from my dongsaeng, this is the first time I’ve ever heard someone say such kind words.”
Didn’t I hear that Park Han-Dong also grew up without any parents, and only had a dongsaeng?
It looked like we had more in common than I had thought.
“It’s not just empty words. It is the truth.”
After looking down at my card, he cautiously asked.
“If that’s the case, would a cell transfer be possible?”
“You want to move rooms?”
“I don’t quite get along with my other cellmates…”
His words trailed off into silence.
When I looked closely, the skin under his collar and around his wrists were covered in bruises…
His prison number was also 2110.
Since he had the same number as me, then he was probably assigned to the same cell as well.
I searched my memories, trying to recall who I had bunked with at the start of my prison term.
Ah. So it was that guy.
“Was it the Octopus?”
“Huh?”
“Sorry, I meant to ask, is there someone in your cell with a bald head?”
Park Han-Dong’s eyes widened.
“How did you know??”
Of course I knew him.
Because he was the guy who forced me to learn most of the skills that I had needed to survive prison.
At the time, while I was already exhausted mentally, he had also made me feel like I was dying physically.
Although, because of that, I was no longer afraid no matter who they stuck me with.
As a person who had taught me how to hold on for the 20 years I spent in prison, he was…
‘a fucker I felt grateful to?’
I let out a sigh and calmed my rage.
If Park Han-Dong was likely to have to spend a long time in prison, then I probably wouldn’t interfere.
Rather, I would have told him to be patient, and that it would help if he just thought about his future as a free man.
However I couldn’t leave Park Han-Dong like this.
Because I would definitely make sure that he was released sooner rather than later.
“That guy’s afraid of ghosts.”
“Ghosts?”
For now, I would make sure that he’d be able to live a comfortable life.
As I’m leaving, I’ll also hand some money over to the warden.
“You’ll need a bit of acting talent, but you can start by pretending to have auditory hallucinations. Then you slowly act like you’re starting to see something.”
“What are you saying all of a sudden…”
“If you act like you’re hearing auditory hallucinations, then you’ll probably get beaten more than usual. But you need to endure this. After that, things will get much easier for you.”
Although Octopus was a violent guy, if you tame him well, then he couldn’t be easier to handle.
I just felt regretful that it had taken too long for me to realize this.
Because that guy was released only three months after I had acted like I’d seen a ghost.
“Have you got the gist of it?”
“Basically…”
“Anyway, just hold on for a bit longer. When I have the time, I’ll come and see you again.”
I checked my watch.
Since his dongsaeng was coming for a visit, I’d wrap things up here and make way for them.
As I got up from my seat, he also followed me up.
“D-Detective.”
Then he called out to me while holding on tightly to my card.
“Thank you very much.”
I laughed as I left the visitation room.
No need for thanks, I was the one who needed to apologize.
A woman was sitting in the visitors’ waiting room.
From what I could tell, it seemed that this was Park Han-Dong’s dongsaeng.
“Oh?”
But something about her seemed familiar.
I was sure that I had met her somewhere…
From the way she was looking at me with her head tilted to the side, the woman also seemed to share the same thought.
We recognized each other at the same time.
“From the Spaniel case?”
“The pizza guy?”
Back when I first met the Spaniel in the Dongsu neighbourhood, she was the woman who I had saved at that time.
The woman who had said that she would refuse to call the police even if she was dying.
But for her to call her savior, ‘the pizza guy’.
“Could it be that you’re also Park Han-Dong’s dongsaeng?”
“So what? Do you know my older brother?”
The dongsaeng’s gaze ran over me from top to bottom.
Although I had taken off my jacket, I was still wearing the pants from my dress uniform.
When she noticed this, the look in her eyes sharpened.
Her resentment felt like it was trying to reach out and strangle me.
Seeing how similar their behaviors were, she really resembled her brother.