Closed Door

“Mr. Cho Roy. Excuse me for saying this, but do you know how many people die every day? We live in a world where someone around us dies every day. Yesterday someone died in the house across the street, today someone in the neighboring house. Death has become commonplace. Do you think that in such a world, someone will be interested in your grandmother’s death?”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“Yes. I think they will be interested.”

The lawyer let out an incredulous chuckle in response to my confident answer.

“An elderly woman died on the outskirts of the city. It’s news that will be forgotten in 5 seconds. But if you add something interesting before and after this story, won’t the situation change? You know, looking at what hunters have been doing lately, they’re very similar to politicians. They commit all kinds of crimes, but always end with phrases like ‘for peace, for civilians’. However, ordinary people look at hunters as celebrities. They welcome them, envy them, want them to be morally clean. It’s strange, when politicians do something wrong, people say: ‘Are there any clean ones among politicians? They’re all the same.’ But when hunters make mistakes, they are strongly criticized. If some dirty deed surfaces, it’s discussed again and again, and they’re pursued for life.”

“Why suddenly talk about hunters?”

“Just came up in conversation.”

I shrugged indifferently, and the lawyer looked intently at my face. It seemed he wanted to somehow understand what was hidden behind my expression.

“…Do you know my client?”

“And who is your client?”

“…”

“Listen. Don’t try to probe me. Just decide whether you’ll agree or not. I’ve stated my two conditions, and as I’ve already said, I’m not going to compromise or bargain, so don’t try to be clever.”

More important than the money for the agreement was that I never see that bastard killer again. It can’t be said that he served a lawful punishment by sitting only a few months, but I couldn’t take personal revenge either. Unlike this bastard killer, whose father was the head of a well-known guild, I was just a nobody.

If I could live the rest of my life without seeing him, if I could live without hearing his name and not seeing him, unless I specifically look for it – that would be enough.

After ten years of living with grief, anger, and a sense of loss due to grandmother’s death, only resignation remained. It could be called escape. I wanted to find peace.

“I’ll make a call for a minute.”

The lawyer’s face changed after my words and he went out of the restaurant. He talked on the phone for a long time, covering his mouth with his hand and watching me through the glass.

“We accept Mr. Cho Roy’s conditions.”

Said the lawyer, returning after the conversation.

“You say it as if you’re doing me a favor. I don’t care whether you accept them or not.”

“Please name the account for the transfer. I’ll transfer the money right away.”

Despite my sarcasm, the lawyer continued the business without changing his expression. I named the number of some unused bank account, and he made a transfer from his phone, gesturing for me to check.

“5 billion won as compensation. And an additional 500 million won for replacing the glass and installing a security door.”

As he said, the account showed a receipt of 5.5 billion won. The sender was listed as lawyer Park Gonyeong, it seems his client wanted to hide his identity until the end.

Although he probably didn’t expect to get a signature today, a pre-prepared agreement appeared from his bag. At the same time, we argued about whether to include phrases like “I ask for leniency” or “I don’t demand punishment” in the lawyer’s tricks.

I agree to a settlement, but I don’t ask for leniency. I won’t sue, but that doesn’t mean I absolve him of guilt. In any case, whether we include such phrases or not, Yoon Seungkyu will probably get a light punishment. That’s why I didn’t want to write phrases with such subtext.

After long arguments and nervous battles, the lawyer, sighing, put the signed agreement in his bag.

“With this, the agreement is completed.”

“Seems so.”

“Whatever you know, Mr. Cho Roy, it’s better to keep your mouth shut. That’s why my client willingly paid compensation.”

“I would advise you to worry more about shutting the mouth of that bastard killer than about me. And if you want me to be silent, I hope you remember my second condition. I hope that in the future, neither this bastard killer nor anyone associated with him who might remind me of him will catch my eye.”

“Your words have changed.”

“And whose pocket did the money for the agreement come from? It’s unlikely to be money from that bastard killer’s account. I wonder if he ever earned money with his own hands? Probably, he hasn’t earned not just 5 billion, but even 50 won. The fact that this bastard went unpunished after murder is thanks to his parents and connections, right? Therefore, I’ll probably be allergic even to the sight of your guild’s emblem. Maybe you should make this area a forbidden zone for your guild? Anyway, even if gates open here, your guild won’t have to come here.”

“…What guild?”

“You can continue pretending you don’t know. But remember that I said it clearly. I don’t know anything about personal affairs or inevitable circumstances, so don’t say anything else later.”

“We got what we wanted. There’s no more need to consider Mr. Cho Roy or follow you. Are you okay with that?”

“Why? Do you want to put me in an uncomfortable position? Maybe we should both become uncomfortable?”

“…”

“Or are you going to commit another murder?”

“You’re saying scary things.”

“In a world where people suddenly enter restaurants and commit murders, killing one ordinary person to shut his mouth is a trifle, isn’t it?”

“Once again, I ask you to be careful with your words.”

“Don’t forget that you too are among the people associated with this bastard.”

The lawyer nodded in response to my words about not meeting again and stood up.

“I wish you all the best.”

“Oh, don’t say such greetings. Somehow it sounds like you intend to make everything bad for me. Your people must be very rude.”

I exaggeratedly shuddered and made a grimace. The lawyer gave me a warning look and left the restaurant. I silently watched his receding back.

∞ ∞ ∞

The restaurant after closing fell silent.

Moonlight dimly illuminated the dark room of the restaurant.

Having finished cleaning and turned off the lights, I was sitting in the empty restaurant when I suddenly remembered about the soju that grandmother used to hide.

Although the restaurant didn’t sell alcohol, grandmother sometimes sat alone in the restaurant after closing and drank a glass or two of soju. When I came down to the restaurant, expecting grandmother who didn’t come, the sight of her back, sitting alone and drinking, seemed so sad that it was difficult to talk to her.

Grandmother never told me that she was having a hard time or was sad. She didn’t even show it. How could she not have felt tired even once, having lost her son and daughter-in-law, raising a small grandson alone and running a business with rude customers? But grandmother never showed me that.

It was for my sake. Because if she broke down, I would have faltered too. For my sake, grandmother was always there, unchanging and constant. Swallowing her sadness, loneliness, and difficulties alone.

It seems that even at a young age, I felt that I shouldn’t interfere with grandmother’s time. I sat, huddled in a corner, watching her back for a while, and then quietly went up home and pretended to be asleep. Then grandmother, having finished her short rest, would come up and sit by my bedside, stroking my forehead.

“Our Choroni, how good you are. Whose grandson could be so good and beautiful.”

Her rough hand long stroked my forehead and cheeks. Although her hands were wrinkled and rough, I really liked feeling their warmth.

I thought I would learn to drink from grandmother when I turned twenty. I thought that then grandmother would no longer drink lonely alone, and we could sit across from each other and share this time.

I sit in the same place where grandmother sat alone, tilting a glass of soju, and I too alone fill a glass. My silhouette is probably similar to grandmother’s silhouette, which looked so lonely and sad.

I tilted the soju bottle, half empty, apparently left after grandmother drank. With a gurgling sound, the clear liquid filled the small glass. I twirled the glass in my hand and carefully brought it to my lips. Fearlessly tipping it back in one gulp, I felt the sharp smell of alcohol instantly spread in my mouth and nose.

“Ugh.”

I almost spit it all back out. Reflexively swallowing the liquid, I regretted not spitting it out immediately.

“Khe, ugh…”

After gagging, I opened my mouth wide and took several deep breaths in and out. The smell of alcohol in my mouth was so strong that it was difficult to breathe.

“Ah, I couldn’t drink soju after all.”

I remembered too late that I wasn’t a soju lover, but a beer lover.

Although I said I would learn to drink from grandmother when I turned twenty, my first experience with alcohol was much later than planned. I remember it was about a year and a half from this moment, at a company dinner at the monster processing plant. That’s when I first tried soju and realized it wasn’t to my taste.

“Come to think of it, grandmother drank this strong stuff well.”

How many glasses did she drink? Was grandmother a strong drinker?