Free Web NovelWe walked without a word until we reached the innermost room.
Perhaps to hide his unnatural gait as much as possible, Hong Jinpyo clenched his teeth as he walked.
I walked on, making sure not to let my gaze drift to his legs.
“The setup is all ready. Please enjoy your time. And our manager would like to apologize on behalf of the staff for being rude to your guest, sir.”
The general manager bowed to both me and Hong Jinpyo.
I didn’t reply, simply took off my shoes and stepped into the room.
Manager Ma closed the door and stood guard in front of it.
Inside the room, we sat facing each other.
An awkward air lingered between us. To break it, I picked up a sake bottle with cherry blossoms painted on it and held it out toward Hong Jinpyo.
“It’s been a while. I never thought we’d end up sitting face to face, drinking like this.”
With a bitter smile, Hong Jinpyo accepted the drink. I filled my own glass and raised it.
“Let’s have a drink.”
Our glasses clinked lightly, and I poured the warm sake down my throat. The heat of it lingered in my mouth.
I lifted my chopsticks and placed a piece of sashimi in my mouth.
Until then, Hong Jinpyo hadn’t moved—just held his glass silently.
“Eat. The food here’s not bad.”
Only then did Hong Jinpyo pick up his chopsticks, and for a while, we drank in silence.
“You still meet up with Myungsoo and Hyunseong sometimes, right?”
At my question, Hong Jinpyo, who was about to bring the glass to his lips, froze for a moment.
“Yeah, I saw him once not long ago. Myungsoo called, said we should have a drink. We met up for dinner after that. Hyunseong was there too.”
“I see. I didn’t know.”
The awkwardness returned. This time, Hong Jinpyo was the one who brought up the past.
“Muhyuk, I’ve let go of what happened in high school.”
I quietly stared at him, my fingers brushing the rim of my glass.
Feeling my gaze, Hong Jinpyo cleared his throat and went on.
“If back then—no, if my father had been more powerful, maybe you and I would’ve switched places. But I was the one who picked the fight, and the result was your victory. Thanks to that, I learned something. That I was nothing. So what’s the point of bringing up right or wrong now?”
I listened to his calm, steady words without saying anything.
My lips moved faintly before I finally managed to speak.
“...I still don’t feel sorry for what happened. Like you said, if I hadn’t had the strength back then, I wouldn’t even be sitting here.”
“That’s true.”
“How’s your father?”
“He’s dead. Got kicked out of the prosecution, fell into gambling and booze, then got stabbed to death by some gangster he’d once put away. Well, call it his karma.”
I hadn’t known that. Or maybe I’d just never cared.
Noticing my expression, Hong Jinpyo gave a faint, dry laugh.
“Don’t look like that. The old man couldn’t let go of his past glory. That’s how it ended.”
People who’ve once held power often lose their way when it’s taken from them. And in that descent, they have two choices—
To accept and change, or to cling to what they once had and keep acting the same.
Hong Jinpyo had wisely chosen the first path, while his father had foolishly chosen the second.
“But really, I was surprised. Who would’ve thought Myungsoo would become a prosecutor? And not just stop there—now he’s a National °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Assembly member, even Secretary-General of the main opposition party. You never know how life turns out.”
There was a trace of bitterness on his face.
“Hyunseong’s married now, became a businessman. I never thought that guy, who only used to care about sports, could pull that off.”
That had been possible because of my help—but Hong Jinpyo, not knowing the full story, could only find it curious.
“Well, no one really knows how things will go.”
I downed another drink and looked toward his leg.
Sensing my gaze, Hong Jinpyo glanced down at his stiff leg.
“How’s your leg? Still giving you trouble?”
“This? Nah, not much trouble in daily life. I just can’t do anything too physical. Got used to it now.”
I’d said I wasn’t sorry, but knowing the truth, I couldn’t help feeling a sting of guilt.
I’d even warned Myungsoo to stay away from him, and Myungsoo had listened.
But things that are bound to happen always find a way.
Hong Jinpyo had assaulted Myungsoo, and I—trying to rewrite the regrets of my past—had gone there myself.
And when I saw Myungsoo beaten and lying on the ground, I lost it.
“I shouldn’t have gone that far.”
“No. If you hadn’t come that day, it would’ve been Myungsoo, not me, sitting like this. Back then I wasn’t afraid of anything. It’s all in the past now. I’ve let it go.”
What kind of years had he lived through to sound so detached now? I couldn’t help but laugh faintly.
“Let’s stop the heavy talk. So, why’d you want to see me? You didn’t call just to talk about old times, did you?”
He smoothly changed the subject. ƒrēewebnovel.com
“How’d you get into the redevelopment business?”
“Redevelopment? Well... it just kind of happened.” freewebnoveℓ.com
“Tell me properly.”
“After my father died, our family went broke. Then the place we lived in got slated for redevelopment. You know how it is—the compensation construction companies offer isn’t enough to move anywhere else. So I went out to protest. That’s where I met the chairman.”
“Chairman?”
“Yeah. In redevelopment areas, the person who rallies the evicted residents and negotiates is called the chairman. I started working under him, and for the first time in years, things started getting better. Got a decent place to live, too.”
He went on explaining how he ended up in the redevelopment scene.
I just listened, sipping my drink.
“Nowadays, I travel around, gather the evictees, and negotiate with construction firms and the government.”
“I see.”
“But why the sudden interest?”
“Your organization—is it the National Evictees’ Federation?”
At that name, Hong Jinpyo frowned.
“What do you take me for? I’d never work with those thugs.”
He refilled his glass and threw it back in one gulp, voice rising.
“Do you know how much those bastards have ruined the image of evictees? They’re criminals. They think they’re above the law. All they care about is wringing profit out of redevelopment.”
“Then you’re with the National Evictees’ Association, right?”
“Yeah. The chairman there took me in.”
I nodded slightly. If he was hostile to the Federation, that made things easier.
“You know Eunmi Apartments, right?”
“Eunmi? In Daechi-dong? Of course. I heard Joongwoo Construction’s redeveloping that area.”
“Right. Most of the purchases are done.”
“Wow, so the rumors were true. If I’d known, I’d have bought a unit myself. Shame.”
He clicked his tongue, but quickly brushed it off.
“A place like that wouldn’t even need us from the Association to step in. It’s an upscale area, and if the buyouts are already finished... Oh, but I did hear the Federation’s been rallying the shop owners there.”
“That’s actually why I called you.”
I lifted the sake bottle and refilled his glass.
“You’re right. The Federation’s trying to rope in the merchants. Eunmi Apartments is something I’ve been working on for years. But now some random bastards show up to steal the credit. I’d love to crush them, but I don’t want unnecessary noise.”
“With the Federation involved, that’s impossible. And why are they meddling with merchants’ affairs anyway?”
He muttered with a puzzled expression.
“That’s why I came to you. I want the National Evictees’ Association to handle the negotiation.”
“...Even if the Federation and we don’t get along, it’s still the rule that whoever gets there first keeps the spot. If we interfere, it’ll get messy fast.”
Even the moderate Association profited off redevelopment—it was the same game of dividing territories and sharing spoils.
Hiding my thoughts, I spoke evenly.
“If you pull this off, I’ll hand over every redevelopment negotiation that Joongwoo Construction and Daehyeon Construction handle. How’s that?”
“What?”
“How long are you going to work under someone else? The chairman takes all the real money anyway, doesn’t he? You do the work, he takes the profit.”
Moderates or radicals, they all joined redevelopment for the money.
During the Asian Games and Olympics, brutal forced demolitions had become a social issue, and construction companies had joined hands with the government.
They bribed the redevelopment association heads, hired gangsters to intimidate residents.
Eventually, the evictees formed their own groups to fight back.
What started with good intentions changed once money got involved.
They began taking “commissions” in exchange for securing “fair compensation.”
“It’s time you did it properly. Just handling Joongwoo and Daehyeon’s projects could earn you a fortune. And I can connect you to other construction firms, too.”
Like it or not, these groups were necessary evils—without them, greedy developers would crush people with impunity.
“Joongwoo Construction and Daehyeon Construction are two of Korea’s biggest. You’re saying you’ll hand their negotiations to me?”
“Of course. If you do well, you can oversee all redevelopment deals.”
The media always sided with the construction firms—portraying residents and evictees as villains.
Recently, after the Federation occupied the Progressive Party headquarters, public opinion had turned even more against them.
“Isn’t this a great chance? You could negotiate peacefully, get your name out there. Then the residents will rally behind you.”
A peaceful negotiator appearing amid chaos—it was the perfect opportunity to change the public’s perception of evictees.
I saw him swallow hard. He knew it was a golden chance.
If he didn’t, he’d be too stupid to deal with anyway.
“I’ll do it. But I can’t just barge in—I need a pretext.”
“There’s still time before redevelopment officially starts. After the election, Joongwoo Construction will contact you.”
“What are the Federation’s demands?”
“Massive compensation for key money, reimbursement for the business suspension during construction, and commercial unit rights after redevelopment.”
“Crazy bastards...”
He cursed under his breath.
“Who owns the shops? The merchants?”
“No, they’ve all been bought out.”
“So they’re tenants, then?”
I nodded, and after a pause, he asked,
“Can you guarantee their key money?”
Legally, it wasn’t protected, but in practice it existed. As long as there was no trouble, paying it was a trivial cost.
“If it’s reasonable, yes.”
“Okay. If the compensation and key money are fair, the merchants will accept.”
He was already calculating, as expected of someone seasoned in these deals.
“You think you can do it?”
“The Eunmi Apartments shops are prime spots, right? Then the rates will be higher.”
“Exactly. You’ll work out the details directly with Joongwoo Construction.”
Hong Jinpyo smirked confidently.
“If the offer’s fair, it’ll go smoothly. Push too hard, though, and they’ll join the Federation.”
“Do it. I’ll back you fully. Any issue with the Association? He’s your old benefactor, isn’t he?”
“The Federation broke off from the Association anyway. Even if I go solo, no one will complain.”
“Good. Then go for it.”
Time had flown. I checked my watch and called for Manager Ma, who’d been waiting outside.
“Manager, give this man your card.”
Manager Ma took out a business card and handed it to Hong Jinpyo.
I saw his fingertips tremble slightly as he accepted it.
“If you ever need help, with anything—call that number. No questions asked, I’ll help you once.”
He fiddled with the card, then gave a small nod.
“It was good seeing you again. I hope you seize this chance.”
I stood and offered him my hand.
He rose and gripped it firmly.
“Yeah. It was good seeing you too.”
What would become of this bond, forged in bad blood long ago, remained to be seen.
His face looked oddly relieved. I could only hope he took it in a good way.
