Seeing DooSan entering the door, Marie frowned. „What are you doing here, son? At this hour?” She asked him. Seeing SuJin appearing from behind DooSan, Marie found it weird because „If you both are here, this means something happens, right?”
„You can say it so,” murmured DooSan drily. „Just… routine check. We won’t bother you too much. All we need are YuSan’s stuff.”
„YuSan’s stuff?” Marie asked, swallowing hard. „Why do you need them?”
„I try to find out some truths,” DooSan replied drily. „About him, particularly. That’s why, Mom, I hope you won’t do anything to impede that and you’ll answer my question: where is YuSan’s stuff?”
Marie frowned. „Not that I would have ever done something against you but… be as you wish. You can find them in your father’s office because YuSan has been working there since your father died. Something you are also aware of.”
„What I know is that I know nothing, Mother. Especially about YuSan,” DooSan feistily replied, heading toward his father’s office eventually. He didn’t go alone but was followed by SuJin. Before following him, SuJin slowly bowed in front of Marie.
Once in the office, DooSan stopped. SuJin did the same. Then both men carefully looked around at the elegant office, which was very clean and had fancy furniture. Yes, the office was clean, although, after their short conversation with Marie, both men understood that nobody had worked there after YuSan’s death.
Not only did this amaze SuJin but also to hear DooSan drily saying, „YuSan’s computer is that one. I hope it still works because nobody has used it after my brother’s death.”
„It still works,” they heard Marie’s voice behind them. This made both men wince and stare at the door. Looking over there, they saw Marie entering the office and carrying a tray with some cookies and juice on it. Marie disregarded their glances that were focused on her but said, „I took care of it to work because I couldn’t allow something that was of your brother to be thrown so easily at the trash.” Then, sighing, Marie left the tray on the desk. „More than that, as I’m sure that I’m the only one who has known YuSan very well, I can help you with what you are looking for and not waste your time here.”
In response to what seemed to be a question on Marie’s side, DooSan strangely smiled. This made even SuJin attentive. Even so, SuJin said nothing. He only focused on installing the programs he needed to check the data on YuSan’s computer. Even so, he still kept an eye on the mother and the son, trying to understand what the deal with them was because they seemed to be enemies, although he heard nothing about this.
SuJin was right in thinking this because DooSan and Marie seemed to be enemies lately. The reason? Yun Marie hated the fact that DooSan tried to take SolHi out of prison and have her near him. At the same time, DooSan hated the fact that Marie did everything to ruin his plan. Particularly, DooSan hated that Marie hid things from him, things about YuSan mostly. Even so, even if he knew that Marie knew some of YuSan’s secrets, he was also sure that Marie wasn’t aware of everything related to her elder son. The reason? YuSan hid so many things from his family, something that was really weird. „Secrets about which we found out only after his death. Or… am I wrong now?”
„Yes,” Marie confidently said. „You are wrong, DooSan. Why? Your brother wasn’t the type to hide things from others.”
„Still, he did that, Mother,” DooSan shouted, making SuJin wince. „He hid a lot of things from us, including the fact that SolHi was pregnant with my child.”
Marie and SuJin stared at DooSan, eyes wide open. Then, when she’d been able to control herself, Marie asked in a shaking voice, „Your child? What are you talking about, DooSan? What… child? I’m sure that YuSan asked my gynecologist about this because that child was his.”
„No, Mother: SolHi’s child was mine. Yes, YuSan might have asked your doctor about this, but he did that because he was interested in SolHi and everything related to her. It’s why he hid that child from me. And, this hurts, you know? It hurts a lot… that I’ve found out about this like that and not from him. It’s why I’ll always blame him for that because… if he had told me about what was going on, SolHi wouldn’t have suffered like that and maybe my child would have been alive now. I would have done everything to make this real.”
„If YuSan had told you about that child, you would have run away like a coward, as you always did. At least at that time, you were doing this,” said Marie, disappointed. „Don’t look at me like that, son! You weren’t listening to anyone at that moment. You felt disappointed and betrayed by everybody. You hated all of us and avoided us because of that… So Su Yon. Or what, did you think I didn’t know about her?”
„Of course not! I knew everything, even the fact that you told YuSan about that night. Because of you, YuSan and I…”
„Is it my fault now? Is it my fault that you drank so much that night that you got to share the same bed with your brother’s fiancé? No, son: it’s only your fault, just as it’s the blame on you that my son…”
„I’m also your son,” DooSan shouted, throwing the books off a bookshelf. „YuSan isn’t your only son. I’m also your child, Mother! Do you really not see me?”
Minutes after this, there was silence all over that office. Only SuJin’s fingers kept touching the keyboard, and he did that so fast while trying to seek secrets in that computer, secrets that would have undoubtedly opened Pandora’s box. A box that had been opened eventually because of a pen that DooSan suddenly saw at his feet. Lifting it from below and looking at the three letters engraved on it, DooSan frowned. „HMS? What the hell is that?” Then, when he remembered that he saw something similar at YuSan, he looked through the drawers until he found the one with HYS engraved on it. Eventually, he remembered that he had seen a similar pen in SolHi’s stuff and looked for it in his pocket where he kept it, a pen with the inscription HDS on it. This made him shudder and murmur, „It can’t be! Was it my pen?”
„Yes,” said Marie, approaching him and checking the letters. „These are the pens Min San ordered for the three of you. But… where did you get yours? As far as I know, you lost it years ago, the same night YuSan gifted it to you on your father’s behalf.”
Suddenly, DooSan raised his hand as though asking Marie to keep quiet. Yes, he needed silence to think about everything he found out that day. Yet, all he had eventually were more thoughts spinning through his head. Memories, better said, about the night eight years ago when YuSan gave DooSan that pen on their father’s behalf, whom they lost two years before that date.
Han Min San ordered three pens a few weeks before his death. He gave one to YuSan, kept the second one for himself, and intended to give the third one to DooSan when he had finished his studies at the Faculty of Management and Business Administration, a profession DooSan really hated. Yet, he accepted to go there at his father’s insistence, who wanted at least DooSan to rule the family business.
Yes, DooSan was undoubtedly Han Min San’s last hope to see one of his sons ruling the family business. He would have liked YuSan to do that, but this one applied his documents at the Law School, on the sly. Only when he’d been accepted there, did YuSan tell his father that he wouldn’t ever rule the family business, especially those related to dirty money. What he preferred to do instead was to catch criminals and send them behind bars.
Why YuSan considered that the family business was dirty, nobody ever found. Only one thing was clear: that once he entered the Law School and started working as a Prosecutor later, his relationship with Min San was so cold. The same happened to DooSan, who had a chilly relationship with Min San because he considered that his father hadn’t ever loved him or wished him the best.
Both YuSan and DooSan were wrong about their father though. Why? Because… Min San not only loved his sons but did everything for them to stay away from problems. Actually, Min San helped them to get rid of many problems, even if none of his sons ever found out. In particular, Min San helped DooSan, who had been a difficult youngster and got in a lot of trouble during his teenage years and first years of youth. Even so, Han Min San’s sons hadn’t ever found out how many good things their father did for them while he’d been alive, especially before his death.
What the two men found out was that Min San ordered similar pens for the three of them, and he did that right before his death. What convinced Han Min San to decide that, nobody ever found out. It remained a mystery even for his sons, just as they hadn’t ever found out about his plans and problems, enigmas that nobody tried to solve after Min San’s sudden death, who died in a car accident the day he was returning from a business trip, heading toward another one.
„Yet, this doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten everything,” murmured DooSan when he remembered his father. „I also haven’t forgotten that this pen is mine.”
„Of course, it’s yours,” said Marie. Then she grabbed his arm to help him keep his balance because DooSan staggered to his feet suddenly. „DooSan, did you really forget about the pen? Yes, I know that you lost it, but…”
„…it has always been in front of my eyes,” murmured DooSan, confused, looking at his mother. „I have had this pen so close to me. Yet, I’ve never thought that it was really mine and that SolHi kept it after that night. Not after the night when we… we…”
Suddenly, he felt his head cracking… He felt so dizzy and that everybody was against him. DooSan felt that he would have liked to turn back time and change things but… „Nobody had ever been capable of turning back time or changing fate. It’s not as easy as finding the lost things,” he whispered eventually, closing his eyes.
„As easy as finding things?” Marie asked him, confused. „What things?”
„The pen,” whispered DooSan. „I found it in SolHi’s apartment after she’d been arrested. A pen I didn’t remember where I left it. I probably forgot it in the motel room where we… Never mind! The important thing here is that she kept it even if she hadn’t ever known that it was mine.”
„Do you really believe that?” Marie asked in disbelief. „That she didn’t know whose pen this one was? I’m sure she…”
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„Mother!” DooSan shouted. „Stop attacking her so much!”
„She deserves that. Or what, do you think I will ever forgive her for what happened to YuSan?”
„Of course not, Mom! I mean… it’s not necessary to forgive the guilty one for what happened to YuSan. Even so, I hope you’ll trust at least me, your son, and stop this meaningless hatred.”
„Son!” Marie stubbornly supported her theory.
Both mother and son kept silent the moment SuJin said, „I’m in, but…”
„But?” DooSan inquired, approaching SuJin and staring at the screen. He didn’t understand too much from what he was seeing. Not until SuJin didn’t show him a file that seemed to have been a video that hadn’t finished loading. After that, SuJin said:
„The information shows us that your brother tried to send a video to his online memory card. Yet, he failed.”
„When did this happen?”
„17 of July, 2015.”
„The night SolHi was attacked and YuSan died,” murmured DooSan. „The video must be related to the attacker’s identity. Do you think you can restore it or find out where it was sent eventually?”
„Honestly, no, Prosecutor Han. I would have been able to do that if the video was deleted. Yet, once he hasn’t been fully loaded, it is impossible to recover something. Only if it’s still on the original device.”
„The phone! YuSan’s phone. He most probably used his phone when he tried to send the video. Mother, tell me that you still have it.”
„I think so. It must be in the storage room. Yours is still there because…”
DooSan didn’t stay to listen to what Marie wanted to add. He left the office in a hurry, heading with quick steps toward the storage room. While heading there, mistrust and fear sneaked into his soul. In his ears, only SuJin’s words were buzzing at that moment, words the young man said before DooSan left the office, „Someone received that video eventually, Prosecutor Han. Who exactly? I don’t know. Only if…”
The rest of what SuJin said were simple words. Then, it had been the anxiety from his soul that made DooSan quicken his pace toward the storage room. There was also hope in his soul, hope that YuSan left him something that night - solid evidence to be able to catch the bastard that harmed so many people all those years. DooSan hoped to be able to catch that man with a beast’s heart because it was the only way DooSan could explain how that man mercilessly killed so many souls that night. Otherwise, DooSan couldn’t explain how that man was still living on this earth while he knew that many other souls were simply living in hell after that night.
***
Sitting on the storage room floor, DooSan kept staring at the broken screen of a phone. He squeezed that phone in his hand, better said, a black one that he bought because he thought he lost it that night when he celebrated his birthday, a night he had spent with SolHi eventually. Yet, he didn’t lose it but YuSan took care to make it „vanish.” This happened because YuSan tried to hide from DooSan the truth about SolHi and his child, a truth DooSan had been trying to find out for years, but which he didn’t know because of his own brother, something he couldn’t understand.
Not only did this shock DooSan that day: to find out that YuSan took his phone that night but also the fact that he found, among the things Marie thought were YuSan’s things, the stuff that belonged to a woman. Whose things were those? SolHi’s. DooSan found her purse, phone, and even her ID in one of the boxes. This seemed strange to him because he hadn’t ever found out that SolHi had lost such valuable things as her ID. Yet, even if she didn’t ever talk to him about this, thinking that DooSan shouldn’t have known about what she had lost that night, DooSan was already sure that she was the woman who spent the night with him in that motel room. There was no place for doubts, not at that moment after he found her things in the storage room at his mother’s house, things Marie or YuSan had probably found in his brother’s car, which DooSan used that night when he left with SolHi from the club. Things they had hidden from him and SolHi, afraid that the truth would be discovered one day, a truth that had to remain secret from everybody.
DooSan thought that he wouldn’t ever find out about that woman or the secret that linked the two of them. Something that happened that night though. Yet, even if he had his phone and YuSan’s in his hand, DooSan was so afraid because… this reminded him of the night his brother died and he received a file from YuSan on his mobile phone. „It’s probably the file SuJin had told me that YuSan sent that night.” Yet, that file was evidence that DooSan was afraid to see because… this would have reminded him about the night when YuSan died.
Yes, DooSan clearly remembered the fear he felt that night and the madness that followed that. He also remembered the days that followed that tragedy, days when he looked for evidence and tried to find the one who killed YuSan. He also looked for evidence to send SolHi to jail and make her pay for everything, without even suspecting that she’d been the one punished that night. DooSan had also been punished that night by losing his brother and his child.
DooSan had been looking for evidence for years, not knowing that he had them right in front of his nose. He had them so close. Yet, he’d been a coward and hadn’t ever checked what YuSan left behind him. He didn’t do that because he was afraid to find out terrible secrets. Yet, he should have done that because all of them deserved to know the truth, especially SolHi and YuSan. That’s why DooSan turned the phone on eventually, after charging it a little first.
Turning the phone on, DooSan feverishly looked for the received files that had been saved there. Thus, he managed to see the video YuSan had sent him that night, which he turned on right away. Yet, he didn’t hear anything at first. Even the screen was black. Seconds later, he heard YuSan clearing his voice, to see his face eventually after his brother put the phone on its support. Only then did YuSan say:
„DooSan, finally! I finally decided to talk to you… tell you things I’ve been afraid to tell you about. Yes, I would have liked to talk to you about this face-to-face. Nevertheless, I’m afraid I won’t have this chance eventually… at least I won’t be able to tell you about this while I’m still alive. That’s why I decided to record everything until it’s not too late. Yes, I’ll record this and tell you the truth because I’m afraid I won’t have time to do it after this. Even so, I want you to know that I’m not doing this because I don’t dare to talk to you face to face, look into your eyes, and tell you that I love you and that I’m sorry for telling you so many bad words that day. Yes, I told them, but I’m sorry for this because… I should have kept silent and not hurt you. Nevertheless, I also have to accept that it hurts like hell… to find out that the woman I loved more than my life betrayed me with… you.
That’s why I kept silent about everything… It’s why I haven’t told you that I found the girl with whom you spent that night in a motel room and with whom you’ll have a child…”
Saying this, YuSan kept silent for a while. He even closed his eyes eventually, and he did that because pain overwhelmed him. DooSan clearly saw pain reflected on his brother’s face in that video. And, seeing this, he burst into tears, feeling that everybody was right in saying that he was the only one to be blamed for what happened that night.
DooSan said nothing after this or turned the phone off, although this had been his intention. He just listened to what YuSan said after that. „I won’t justify my acts though. All I did was take revenge on you for what you did. I know that’s been foolish and childish. I accept that. Yet, I did that, hoping that this would make me feel better. I wanted to feel better, but… it was worse because… If I hadn’t hidden this from you… If I hadn’t hidden the woman whom I’m sure you would have gotten to love more than your life, you would have been happy now.
I think that all of us would have been happier now if I had done that, DooSan. I’m pretty sure of that, even if it’s too late for that. No, it’s not too late for anything. It’s only the beginning, a happy one for all of us if we survive tonight. If everything ends well, as I hope it will end, I swear we’ll be all happy, DooSan… I swear I’ll tell you everything I know. Yes, I’ll tell you everything, about our pain in particular. I’ll tell you why our father acted as he acted with us and why we didn’t ever have the happy family we wanted. Not now though. Now I have to take care of her to survive…”
YuSan’s eyes filled with tears after that, just as DooSan did. It was too painful for him to watch that video, just as it might have been for YuSan to record his confession. Yet, he did that because he felt that it was the right time to do it… until it wasn’t too late.
„And I’ll do it, DooSan. I’ll do everything for her to live,” said YuSan eventually. „Even if someone has to die today… even if I’m the one who dies today… I’ll take care of her! I swear that… that jerk won’t ever win this war. Not after he hurt her just to hurt me,” said YuSan through tears. „He did that… he did that because he thought that SolHi was the woman I love, DooSan. It’s why he hurt her. But… I’ll take care of him to pay for that. I’ll take care of her and your son to live, DooSan. No matter the consequences… I promise!”
Seconds after that, there was silence all over. Only the tears were seen bathing YuSan’s cheeks, who was barely breathing while trying to suppress his cry. It was too hard for him… too hard…
Suddenly, YuSan winced and looked to his left when he heard a shout somewhere in the distance. A woman was the one who shouted. Yet, YuSan did nothing after this. He only looked to his left, through the window, as though he was waiting for something. That waiting made DooSan shudder inside. He even grabbed the phone with both hands while staring at the phone’s screen, waiting for what was next.
Eventually, DooSan heard YuSan growling… „Son of a…” YuSan growled that right before leaving the car. Seconds after this, he turned back and grabbed the phone, which he took with him. After that, all DooSan saw in that record was the black ground and heard only YuSan’s interrupted breath while this one was running, rushing to get somewhere. Not only this was heard in the video but also a strange hiss, the sound of „Lavender!” as DooSan murmured. Then, he winced again when he heard YuSan’s hissing breath, who had always suffered because of asthma. And, once the lavender had a strong scent, this seemed to weaken YuSan. Even so, YuSan didn’t give up but kept advancing toward the place from where the woman’s shout was heard. YuSan ran as though he would have been her last hope and the only one who could have changed her fate…
While listening to YuSan’s interrupted breath, DooSan also kept listening to the shout of the woman heard in the distance. He also heard that YuSan used the inhaler, probably trying to decrease the pain in his chest. Even so, YuSan never stopped. He didn’t do that even if it was dark all over, and the lavender was tall. Then, somewhere in the distance, DooSan saw something black outlining.
„A place that seems familiar,” he murmured. „The building. Yes, it’s the same building I’ve seen with SolHi,” DooSan feverishly added, staring at the images seen on the screen, trying not to lose any detail. Then he saw YuSan entering the warehouse and climbing the stairs to the second floor of that building, where muttered shouts were heard and weak sounds as though someone was hitting a punching bag.
Up the stairs, YuSan stopped. Then, he squatted, put the phone on the floor, carefully supporting it against the wall and trying to position it for the camera to be able to record the place and what was going on at that second floor of that building. Thus, DooSan could see a man insistently kicking the stomach of a woman who was crouched on the floor, a woman who had chestnut hair… „SolHi!” DooSan shouted, seeing her there, something that made him freeze for a few seconds.
He winced eventually when he spotted YuSan jerking to his feet and pouncing on the attacker, whom he knocked down. Then both men started to share punches and kicks with each other. Later, DooSan saw SolHi fighting with herself to stand up, having a lost glance while looking around and trying to find something. And… the last frame - something that marked SolHi and haunted her for the last eight years, causing her panic attacks and nightmares - SolHi grabbed the hammer that was on the floor and, as she could, approached the two men and hit.
SolHi hit only once. DooSan clearly saw it, an image that made DooSan’s heart stop for a few seconds because the one whose head SolHi hit was YuSan, whom she attacked from behind. The sudden attack knackered YuSan, who fell to the floor eventually, releasing his opponent.
Soon after this, the nightmare started: both for SolHi and DooSan. The reason? The silhouette of Han YuSan appeared in front of the camera again. Yet, this one wore black clothes and his eyes weren’t at all kind.
Seeing him watching her with hatred, SolHi pulled back and back. She didn’t release the hammer though. On the contrary, she squeezed it even harder in her hand. Then, so suddenly that even DooSan shouted, SolHi hit for the second time. She hit the moment the second YuSan pounced on her. Thus, he didn’t manage to avoid the hit and the hammer touched his head. This made the second YuSan kneel, staring with empty eyes at the place where SolHi fell to the floor… There, a few meters away from her, DooSan finally saw another victim - that YuSan who wore a gray suit and was unconscious…