Free Web NovelAfter meeting Kim Muhyuk, Hong Jinwoo spent a completely disoriented day.
On the surface, he went through his schedule as if nothing were wrong, maintaining a calm façade—but his mind was tangled with thoughts of Hong Seokgeun.
Still, he couldn’t move rashly. As long as he didn’t know the exact charges under which Hong Seokgeun had been arrested, it was hard to even contact the U.S.
“Honey, you’re not going to sleep?”
His wife asked when she saw him unable to fall asleep. Even so, Hong Jinwoo couldn’t tell her anything. If he did, she might collapse on the spot.
“Ah, I’m waiting for an important call. You go to bed first. I’ll sleep in the study tonight.”
Seeing how exhausted he looked, his wife asked worriedly,
“Nothing’s wrong, right?”
“No. Have you ever seen me working on outside matters at home? It’s nothing, so go to bed.”
“Okay. Oh, right—Seokgeun didn’t call today. Did you hear from him?”
The moment Hong Seokgeun’s name came out of her mouth, Hong Jinwoo flinched. But only for a moment. He quickly smiled and replied,
“Didn’t you forget? Seokgeun’s an adult now. He probably went out drinking with friends and slept in.”
“Still... He calls every day, so it makes me uneasy when he doesn’t. I felt strangely unsettled when I went to bed yesterday......”
A wife’s intuition wasn’t something to dismiss lightly. While Hong Jinwoo grew more anxious, his unsuspecting wife complained,
“I should’ve gone to the U.S. with him.”
“He lives in a dorm—what could you even do if you went? And it’s almost break, so he’ll probably come back to Korea soon. Don’t worry.”
She couldn’t shake off all her anxiety, but she nodded anyway.
“Then I’ll go to bed first. Don’t sleep uncomfortably in the study—come back once you’re done.”
Hong Jinwoo nodded instead of replying.
As soon as she closed the door and left, the smile on his face vanished as if it had never been there.
He stayed awake through the night, waiting for Park Hyungsoo’s call.
It wasn’t until dawn was breaking that the phone finally rang. The moment he answered, Hong Jinwoo raised his voice.
“Attorney Park! Why the hell haven’t you contacted me!”
— I’m sorry, Assemblyman. I just finished speaking with your son.
Hearing that Park Hyungsoo had met Hong Seokgeun in person pushed his rising anger down a notch.
“Is Seokgeun safe? He’s not hurt anywhere, is he?”
The image of Hong Seokgeun screaming in the photos Kim Muhyuk had shown him still wouldn’t leave his mind.
— Yes. He didn’t appear to have any injuries.
“That’s a relief, at least. What’s the situation?”
— Things have gotten quite complicated. The drug possession issue is secondary. There’s an allegation that those drugs are tied to Al Qaeda’s funding......
Park Hyungsoo’s voice sounded troubled through the receiver.
In an instant, Hong Jinwoo’s face turned deathly pale.
“What? Al Qaeda? What kind of bullshit is that! What does Seokgeun have to do with a terrorist organization...... Are you sure?”
— Yes. The DEA carried out the arrest, but the investigation is currently being handled by the Department of Homeland Security. Fortunately, because it involves national security, it hasn’t leaked outside yet. But if the charges are solidified, I don’t think it’ll be stoppable. Given the current atmosphere in the U.S., being tied to a terrorist group......
Hong Jinwoo couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought. He wished it were just a vile joke. Al Qaeda—of all things.
The hand holding the phone began to tremble violently.
— The drug test already came back positive. It might be better to admit that part and......
Whatever Park Hyungsoo said next didn’t reach Hong Jinwoo.
“Attorney Park, you know Seokgeun. Does he look like ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) the kind of kid who’d do drugs? And what—Al Qaeda? He’s done nothing but study since he was young. How could he possibly be involved with a terrorist group!”
— I don’t believe your son did anything like that either. But as long as all the evidence points to him, regrettably, there’s nothing we can do in court.
“How can you say there’s nothing! I supported you and hired you so that Seokgeun’s life in the U.S. would go smoothly. And now this is what happens?”
— Just being involved in this case would end my career in the U.S. That’s the kind of country America is right now.
Park Hyungsoo’s words made Hong Jinwoo feel a surge of unease.
“Are you saying you’re backing out?”
— I’ll handle the defense up until the trial. But...... he won’t avoid prison. We might be able to reduce the sentence through a plea bargain, but with the Al Qaeda angle, even that won’t be easy.
“Al Qaeda...... Is that really certain? Why is Al Qaeda even coming up in a drug case?”
— I haven’t confirmed it with my own eyes yet. But they’re confident they have all the evidence. They say they received reliable intelligence, raided the scene based on that, and found your son along with a large quantity of drugs.
Hong Jinwoo felt as though darkness was closing in on him.
“Where was he arrested? The dorm? On campus?”
— No. He was arrested at a hotel. According to your son, he attended a party at a friend’s suggestion, drank alcohol there, and then lost all memory. When he woke up, he was in the hotel.
The more he heard, the more suspicious it sounded.
— He was looking for his phone when he found a strange bag, and inside it were drugs. That’s when the DEA stormed in.
“Is there really no way out?”
— For now, I’ll deny any connection to Al Qaeda. But for the drugs, it would be better to acknowledge the charge and seek leniency.
If even Park Hyungsoo was taking that stance, prison time was essentially guaranteed.
“......Then how long would the sentence be? The U.S. has a bail system—wouldn’t it be possible to get out even with a prison sentence?”
Park Hyungsoo answered with a sigh-laced voice.
— In the U.S., drug offenders receive mandatory prison time. It’s a serious felony, so probation and bail are heavily restricted. Still, through a plea deal, it may be possible to agree on the minimum sentence—assuming the Al Qaeda connection is firmly denied......
A throbbing pain spread through his head, and his vision blurred. Hong Jinwoo asked in a trembling voice,
“......Is it possible for me to speak with Seokgeun?”
— Please wait a moment. I’ll ask the person in charge here.
“Alright. I’ll wait.”
After hanging up, Hong Jinwoo hurriedly searched for painkillers. The moment he truly faced how hopeless the situation was, a splitting pain shot through his head, making even his hands shake.
He tossed the pills into his mouth, drank water, and let out a deep sigh.
“It seems you still don’t understand how serious this situation is. Once you’ve grasped the full scope of it, contact me again. Then we can have a proper conversation.”
Kim Muhyuk’s words before leaving resurfaced in his mind. If all of this was Kim Muhyuk’s doing, then his influence extended not just across Korea, but all the way into the United States.
“No. A mere businessman couldn’t possibly move the Department of Homeland Security. I’m overthinking it.”
No one in Korea could arbitrarily control the Department of Homeland Security.
The DHS had been established to safeguard national security after the U.S. mainland was attacked.
Trying to steady his anxiety, Hong Jinwoo waited ten minutes for Park Hyungsoo’s call. Then the phone rang again.
— Assemblyman. The person in charge here wants to speak with you first.
“Oh, really? Put them on right away.”
At the mention of a person in charge, Hong Jinwoo brightened. He wanted to know exactly how things were unfolding.
— Hello, Assemblyman Hong Jinwoo. This is Jessica from the Department of Homeland Security.
A bright, energetic female voice came through the receiver.
— I hear you’re curious about the circumstances surrounding Hong Seokgeun’s arrest. I can’t go into detail about the investigation, but considering you’re a lawmaker from an allied nation, I wanted to reach out by phone.
Hong Jinwoo realized that Jessica already knew everything about him.
“Isn’t a drug case under the DEA’s jurisdiction? Why is the Department of Homeland Security involved in a drug case......?”
— Just as your lawyer conveyed. The source of the drugs was traced to Al Qaeda. We’ve also confirmed that the proceeds from selling those drugs flowed into Al Qaeda’s funds. If that’s true, Hong Seokgeun becomes an accomplice to a terrorist organization.
“What are you saying? An accomplice? There’s no way my son would do such a thing. Korea stood with the U.S. in outrage over terrorism—we even deployed troops as an ally. And yet.......”
— There are Americans who betray their own country and assist Al Qaeda. Being from an allied nation doesn’t make it impossible. We already have the evidence.
At Jessica’s firm words, Hong Jinwoo pleaded in a desperate voice.
“It must be a misunderstanding. My son isn’t the type to do drugs or assist a terrorist organization like Al Qaeda.”
— I’d like to help you, but this is beyond my authority.
“What should I do? Tell me what to do. I’ll do anything if it means getting my son out. I have acquaintances in the U.S. as well.”
At that, Jessica suddenly laughed. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
— That’s an interesting thing to say. Moving a few lawmakers won’t bury this case. Should I repeat the charges? Drugs—and terrorism-related charges. You’re taking this far too lightly.
“.......”
— Even if the Korean president stepped in, this case couldn’t be covered up. Don’t think about escalating things. If you do, we’ll have no choice but to release the evidence to the media. I’ll leave it to your imagination what would happen then.
“Why are you doing this? What’s the real reason? What have I done so wrong......?”
— I don’t know about that. What I do know is that I’m not the one who can save you right now.
“Wait, just a moment—”
With those ominous words, Jessica handed the call over.
— Assemblyman, this is Park Hyungsoo. I’ll hand the phone to your son now.
“......Please do.”
His head was a mess, but his son’s safety mattered more.
— F-Father.
Hong Seokgeun’s voice came through the phone. Hong Jinwoo felt tears well up instantly.
“Seokgeun, are you okay? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
— Father, I really didn’t do drugs. Please believe me. Al Qaeda—that makes no sense. There’s no way I’d ever do something like that. Please......
Hong Seokgeun spoke through sobs, and Hong Jinwoo felt as though his insides were collapsing.
Biting his lip hard to steady himself, he forced his voice to sound calm as he tried to reassure his son.
“It’ll be okay. I’ll take care of everything somehow. Don’t admit to anything—just stay quiet. Don’t say a word. Understand?”
— .......
The call between Hong Jinwoo and Hong Seokgeun lasted quite a while.
* * *
Four days had already passed since Hong Seokgeun had been taken in.
“How’s his side moving?”
Drinking coffee instead of breakfast, I asked Manager Ma, who was sitting across from me.
“He’s continuing with his schedule. No special movements.”
He must be half out of his mind, yet he’s pretending everything’s fine.
Is he actually thinking of abandoning his son?
No—Hong Jinwoo wasn’t that kind of man, based on what I’d seen.
If he were, he wouldn’t have shown me his true face.
The operation Jessica relayed was flawless.
Tying it to Al Qaeda—brilliant.
If it were just a simple drug issue, Hong Jinwoo might’ve found some way to deal with it. But being charged with assisting a terrorist organization? Not even the president—let alone the president’s grandfather—could do anything about that.
I knew she was the type who got things done, but Jessica really is ruthless.
“Looks like the threat worked properly.”
She’d warned him not to escalate things, hadn’t she?
If Hong Jinwoo contacted the U.S. and dragged the State Department into it, things would get complicated for Jessica as well—so that warning was as much for her sake as for mine. Either way, it didn’t hurt me.
As I set my coffee cup down and wiped my hands, my phone—lying on the table—started ringing.
Checking the caller ID, I couldn’t help but smile.
“This guy’s no gentleman either.”
