Double Junk - 75

Reversed Fragments

Miss Flower’s hospital room was completely empty. Truly empty. It was devoid even of a bed. The robust machines that had been accompanying Miss Flower were making strange noises—beep, beep, beep—and the door stood wide open.

Two organization members, previously affixed to the room, were gasping for breath, clutching their bleeding bellies. According to a mumbled account, a man wearing a doctor’s gown arrived. When they made way for him, he suddenly pulled out a knife. Shortly after, a hefty man and five others rushed in, taking Miss Flower away along with her bed.

After tending to the injured organization members, Seokju inspected the room, questioned people around, and tried to understand the situation. Several members hurriedly ran out and returned shortly.

“They said those bastards with swollen faces took her away with the bed. Are they insane? At this hour? We know there might be trouble because of Myung-jin hyungnim.”

“Kidnapping, right? After Myung-jin hyungnim, are they planning something against Miss Flower too?”

“Kidnapping? Nonsense. Why would they take a dying woman with no family? What would they gain by kidnapping her? They just took her away.”

Listening quietly, Seokju focused on the last member who spoke.

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why did they bring a dying woman, Miss Flower, all the way to this hospital we are related to? Why did they take her away with the bed?”

“Well…”

“Well?”

“She’s their family, so it must be cheaper. Because she’s family. Miss Flower used to be a pro like that. Just like Choi Jin-geol. Myung-jin hyungnim didn’t die, and the situation is weird. So, they must be trying to get their family members out.”

Seokju slowly closed and opened his eyes. In his mind, he recalled Kiheon’s face. Kiheon was the leader of the Central Ho Party. If all this was their doing, it was truly astonishing. It was not taken lightly, but to plan so meticulously was beyond expectations.

Even Miss Flower, if she was planted by them, when did this massive scheme begin? From where to where was it planned?

She never doubted it. Perhaps the reason for placing Jin-geol was not to hide Miss Flower. Jin-geol seemed suspicious, so maybe diverting attention that way was a tactic to conceal Miss Flower.

Seokju chuckled bitterly. Then, he suddenly stiffened his expression. He checked his wristwatch. Midnight was approaching. Everyone at home should be sleeping, including Ajin.

Seokju walked briskly into the room, picked up the phone lying on the floor. It was the phone he had personally set up in Miss Flower’s room for Ajin. Dialing quickly, he held the receiver.

“Where are you calling?”

One of the organization members asked.

“Home.”

“Why at home…?”

The members exchanged puzzled glances. Seokju’s actions were incomprehensible. Nevertheless, Seokju waited for the signal to be cut.

The dial tone continued for a while. The more it persisted, the narrower Seokju’s brows became. Then, finally. The signal was abruptly cut. Following that, a strange voice came through the receiver.

“Who, who is this…? I work at this house, but…”

“This is Kang Seokju.”

-Oh, Mr. Kang. I was on my way to check on Sophie when the phone rang loudly, so I answered. Can I take this call? I apologize if I shouldn’t have casually entered the boss’s room.

“It’s fine. I have something to ask.”

-Yes, what is it?

Before Seokju spoke, he briefly cleared his throat. His thick Adam’s apple moved noticeably up and down.

“Is Ajin at home?”

Even with that throat clearing, his voice sounded suppressed. Why was he so tense about asking if Ajin was at home? Seokju squeezed the phone tightly, and on the other end, a very casual response came.

-Ajin? Yes, he’s at home.

“Have you checked just now?”

-Uh… no. But isn’t it sleeping time, and he would be in his room?

“Please check right away.”

-Why…?

“Now. Right now.”

-Uh, okay. Just wait a moment.

Seokju sighed irritably at the resistance in the voice on the other end. Soon, the sound of placing the receiver on the floor echoed, and a stillness mixed with the sound of the wind followed. Seokju anxiously listened to that silence.

If the Central Ho Party was truly preparing for war and taking out their family members, Ajin’s whereabouts would prove his innocence.

At the point when they took Miss Flower away with the bed, Ajin, who had stabbed Myungjin’s chest with a knife, had not been left alone in the house. Seokju shifted the receiver to his opposite hand and clenched it. His palm kept sweating. He glanced at his damp hand with a grim expression. Beyond the silent phone, a signal of connection was heard.

– Boss.

“Where is Ajin?”

– That… Ajin is not here.

“…Not there?”

For a moment, Seokju felt like the sky was collapsing. The world beneath his feet seemed to crumble like crushed ice.

– Yes. We share the same room, and it seems like he hasn’t even laid out his blanket, hasn’t slept.

“Could he possibly—”

– Yes. Just in case, I checked the bathroom and the kitchen, but he’s not there. Where could he be sleeping… Maybe he found somewhere warm because the kid easily catches a cold.

Seokju slammed the phone down as if throwing it away. Ajin was not at home. There was no reason for him not to be home at this hour, past eleven, dozing off. He hadn’t even unfolded the blanket. It meant he had been missing for several hours.

Seokju’s shoulders shook. As he ground his molars, a lump rose in his throat. It felt like his head was about to split open. Recently, Ajin had been saying he wanted to go to the hospital, crying out to go.

“Ah, we should go to the hospital…”

“It’s okay. We can go. I’m not afraid of cars at all now.”

“Tomorrow, tomorrow is the day when Miss Flower and the lady undergo surgery, right?”

“No matter how simple the surgery is, since they’ve cut through flesh, it must be incredibly painful when they wake up. What if they cry loudly from the pain? There’s no one to comfort them… Of course, our lady isn’t someone who would cry because she’s in pain. But if she’s alone in the hospital, she might feel lonely and scared…”

“I want to see Miss Flower…”

“Really? Will you take me to the hospital?”

“Thank you so much, Boss… I’ll definitely repay this favor.”

Was it really that Ajin wanted to come to the hospital? Was he genuinely worried about Miss Flower? Was his worried expression and voice filled with sincerity?

Was it because he just wanted to leave the house? Was he looking for an opportunity to escape? Did he try to disappear with Miss Flower as soon as they arrived at the hospital? Or maybe there was another scheme at play. How did that pretty face and voice try to captivate him again?

Even the things beyond suspicion, the things that seemed unquestionable, had a dark shadow cast upon them.

Seokju splashed his face with water with one hand. Then, with a sigh-like exhale, he straightened his back.

There were no answers to be found by contemplating alone. He had to meet Ajin. He had to meet him and hear whether his innocence or deception.

Seokju turned abruptly. The cloak with a wave pattern fluttered dramatically.

“Let’s go home.”

Ajin, please. Please be at home. Please.

Curled up in a warm place, sleeping as if he knows nothing. Then suddenly appear and smile at me. Tell me you missed seeing me. Whine that you missed my warm embrace. Then everything will be okay.

Everything, okay.

As soon as Seokju got out of the car, he unexpectedly faced a disturbance. It was because the servants were gathered in the yard, making noise despite the late hour.

His plan was instantly crumpled as he approached. Just by looking, he could tell that something else had happened. Whatever it was, it was even more irritating because he couldn’t fathom what it could be.

Seokju, with a rough sweep of his bangs, spoke to the subordinate standing by his side.

“Find out what’s going on.”

“Yes.”

Simultaneously completing that short command, Seokju headed towards his room. Even though he knew Ajin wasn’t there, he wanted to see it with his own eyes. Just in case, maybe, just maybe. Ajin could have been sleeping in his room, not seen when he answered the phone. Ajin slept so quietly, not even muttering in his sleep.

Seokju swiftly opened the door to his room. Then, he turned on the light.

“….”

The room was empty. The place where the blanket was usually laid out was pristine. The floor, untouched by the owner, was as cold as ice.

Seokju squeezed his eyes shut. Even though he anticipated it, his chest still ached. Amidst this, he checked the bathroom and the study just in case. However, those places were also empty.

Nevertheless, Seokju didn’t leave any room for lingering regret. He left the room and crossed the corridor. He peered into the empty living room and the kitchen, smelling only the scent of the wind instead of food. Finally, he reached the rooms of the male servants.

“….”

Seokju, swallowing dry saliva in front of the door, opened it with a determined expression.

The room was empty, like every other space so far. The blanket, once neatly laid out, was now unfolded and crumpled, but there was no one there. Having glanced around the room, Seokju’s gaze halted at the door to the adjacent room.

It was Ajin’s place.