The Country Life Diary of a Gangster's Secretary - c83

Park Undong has been a member of Taesung’s group for about 3 years now. He primarily served as the driver for Ihyeok or Seongjin. The reason was nothing special. It was because of his experience as a military driver. But Undong was quite satisfied with his position. 

 

When he goes around with Ihyeok, he gives him allowance and shares delicious food with him. Moreover, Ihyeok wasn’t picky about his driving skills.

 

“Undong-ah.”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Step on it, more.”

 

So it could be said that Undong was facing the most difficult situation since Taesung joined. 

 

“Yes!”

 

He was already driving at top speed. It was especially dangerous on the narrow roads, but whenever the speed decreased even a little, Ihyeok would uncannily catch on and glare through the rearview mirror as if he was going to kill someone.

 

Undong had heard from Baek-do-hyung that Ihyeok’s mood hasn’t been good lately, and it seemed to be true.

 

Especially since he was tracking down the Yushin faction bastards, it would be even more so.

 

“Um… but hyung, wouldn’t Hyeseong be at the office?”

 

Undong diligently stepped on the accelerator while carefully observing Ihyeok’s reaction. Those words also meant that he didn’t want his life to end quickly while driving.

 

“Don’t talk nonsense. He’s not the type to ignore calls like this.”

 

Ihyeok bit his lip while fixing his gaze on the text Hyeseong sent. Upon belatedly seeing the text saying he would stop by the office briefly, Ihyeok immediately called Hyeseong, but couldn’t hear his voice.

 

When the voice saying the call failed to connect repeated once, twice, and five times, Ihyeok felt an ominous premonition.

 

It just so happened that the Yushin bastards were hellbent on trampling Taesung.

 

Seongjin had already been attacked twice, and hadn’t Ihyeok himself almost been caught by those bastards in the gukbap restaurant alley last time? It was clear that they were using all sorts of tricks to devour their prey. Those bastards were now like beasts drooling and trying to fill their hungry stomachs with blood.

 

Judging by how they had been watching and attacking him and Seongjin, it was no exaggeration to say they were already prowling around Taesung.

 

Of course, according to what Baek-do and the guys investigated in turns, the bastards weren’t brazenly roaming right in front of the office yet. But could they confidently say those guys didn’t know of Hyeseong’s existence?

 

That’s why he specifically told Hyeseong not to come this week. He told him to endure missing him and come next week instead. Ihyeok intended to sort out the whole situation.

 

As if thinking he might die by Ihyeok’s hands if he was any later, Undong recklessly turned the corner like he was possessed by a race car driver.

 

He maintained the speed and parked the car right in front of Taesung’s building. As soon as he hit the brakes, Ihyeok immediately jumped out of the car.

 

As he went up to the office, Ihyeok fervently prayed. That when he opens that door, the kid will be sitting there obediently. That he will greet him with his fair face and black eyes.

 

“Hyeseong-ah!”

 

Ihyeok swung the door open right away.

 

But there was no one there.

 

Ihyeok panted as he quickly descended the stairs again. Even amidst that, he tried calling but the reality of hearing the automated voice remained the same. 

 

Did he leave because he got tired of waiting? Is he unable to answer because he’s on his way home? If only that was the case. Ihyeok anxiously bit his lip as he exited the building.

 

“Hyu-, hyung!”  

 

That’s when it happened. Undong approached Ihyeok holding something in his hand.

 

“This… it’s Hyeseong’s phone, right?”

 

Ihyeok swiftly snatched the item in Undong’s hand. The familiar cell phone. It was indeed Hyeseong’s. Seeing the cracked screen here and there, it seemed he dropped it. Ihyeok’s uneasiness amplified even more.

 

“Excuse me…”

 

A woman wearing a convenience store vest carefully walked up to Ihyeok and Undong.

 

“You’re the one who always goes around with Hyeseong, right? The one who works in that building.”

 

The part-timer hesitantly pointed to Taesung’s building and asked. 

 

“But…”

 

Ihyeok irritably replied, already incredibly busy as is. He knew Hyeseong frequently stopped by the nearby convenience store.

 

“Hyeseong came to our store earlier.” 

 

“Hyeseong did?”

 

Ihyeok furrowed his brows and approached her closely. The woman slightly blushed and nodded.

 

“Yes. But at that time, there were also two strange men in the store. They looked like scary gangsters… Ah, anyway, as soon as Hyeseong left, those men followed him out with terrifying expressions so I snuck a peek and the atmosphere seemed a bit unusual…”

 

“When was this?”

 

“Hmm… about 20 minutes ago.”

 

These bastards, Ihyeok yelled loudly, startling not only Undong but the part-timer as well. The wrinkles etched between his brows were deeper than ever.

 

“Undong-ah.”

 

“Ye… Yes?”

 

“Gather all the guys here right now. Tell them to come without a single person missing and search for Hyeseong immediately.”

 

“But, but right now the hyungs are all gathered to find the head of Yushin faction…”

 

“Don’t make me say it twice.”

 

The part-timer had long disappeared in the ominous atmosphere. Undong unwittingly felt his legs tremble at the expression and voice he was hearing for the first time. He could confidently say this was the angriest Ihyeok had been in the 3 years since joining this place. Undong started making calls without hesitation.

 

Ihyeok moved right away. If he was being chased by them, he would be around here. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if he had already been caught by those bastards?

 

Sweat trickled down his back. It was a product of fear. But Ihyeok didn’t even realize he was losing his mind to terror and panic, emotions he had never felt before.

 

Ihyeok ran around the nearby alleys like crazy. But when Hyeseong was nowhere to be seen no matter what, the focus gradually vanished from Ihyeok’s eyes. 

 

Returning to the front of Taesung’s building with a bewildered face, Ihyeok soon witnessed a chaotic scene.

 

Seeing several sedans parked in front of the building, it seemed the guys contacted by Undong had arrived.

 

His mind was a tangled mess. He had no idea where to start and how to find the kid. If by any chance something went wrong…

 

“Ahjussi!”

 

That’s when he heard it. A familiar voice came from behind. Ihyeok blankly turned around.

 

“Huff… haa…”

 

Hyeseong was already standing in front of him, gasping for breath.

 

“You…”

 

“Did you just get here? I lost my phone… Ah no, were you alright? I heard something strange earlier so I was wondering if…”

 

Ihyeok couldn’t hear what Hyeseong was saying now. Only the fair face flushed red, panting for breath, the sweat-drenched hair, the dirt-covered pants. Only the disheveled Hyeseong entered his eyes.

 

“…So I was wondering if ahjussi made someone hold a grudge. Those people were saying they would stomp on Taesung…”

 

Ihyeok tightly embraced Hyeseong.

 

“Ahjussi?”

 

“Where were you?”

 

Ihyeok firmly held the back of Hyeseong’s head.

 

“What on earth happened?”

 

Ihyeok separated Hyeseong from his embrace and asked with a deep frown.

 

“That, well… I was being chased by those men…”

 

Hyeseong mumbled while scratching his forehead, flustered by the sudden hug.

 

At that moment, Ihyeok saw it. On the fair and soft back of his hand, a torn wound. Not only was blood flowing, it had clotted messily and the surrounding area was severely swollen with inflammation.

 

“Why is this like this?”

 

“What?”

 

“I’m asking why it’s like this!”

 

When Ihyeok yelled, the startled Hyeseong flinched his shoulders and the nearby gang members also turned their heads, surprised.

 

Hyeseong finally realized Ihyeok was pointing at the wound on the back of his hand. When he finally escaped from the man named Bangsik, he accidentally got grazed by the blade the man swung randomly. 

 

Although it wasn’t a deep cut, the already weak flesh quickly swelled up, looking a bit grotesque even to Hyeseong.

 

“I got cut while running away.”

 

It stung a little but it wasn’t painful to the point of being unbearable. It was a wound that would heal quickly with some antibacterial ointment and bandages.

 

But Ihyeok must not have thought that way, as he grabbed Hyeseong’s wrist tightly with an extremely upset expression.

 

“What?”

 

“I got cut by a knife while running away from those men… But it hurts a bit. Please let go.”

 

At the mention of a knife, Ihyeok’s sanity snapped.

 

“Hyung! Hyeseong-ah!”

 

That’s when it happened. Baek-do, drenched in sweat, approached the two from afar. He seemed relieved after confirming Hyeseong’s safety.

 

“Hyung, thank goodness…”

 

Thwack!

 

Ihyeok released Hyeseong’s hand and punched the approaching Baek-do in the face. It truly happened in an instant.

 

“Ugh.”

 

Baek-do, who was defenseless, let out a short scream and collapsed to the ground. Hyeseong’s eyes widened in shock at the sight of Ihyeok suddenly hitting someone, his own family member, right in front of him.

 

“Hey, how are you managing the territory?”

 

Ihyeok didn’t stop there and continued to throw punches at Baek-do.

 

“Now you’ve gone and let the kid get chased? He’s hurt. Did you see? His hand?”

 

Baek-do gritted his teeth and silently accepted Ihyeok’s blows raining down on him. As the atmosphere turned grave, the other gang members also stood frozen in tension. They wanted to stop him but their feet wouldn’t move, fearing what the gang leader, who lost reason and was swinging his fists, might do to them if they recklessly intervened.

 

“You said there weren’t any. You said those fucking bastards weren’t around here.”

 

“I’m sor… ugh…”

 

Hyeseong’s eyes trembled slightly as he witnessed the scene unfold before him. He wasn’t unaware of what gangsters looked like and what they did. Perhaps it was because he was fearless that he could boldly come and go to Taesung’s office in the first place.

 

But now Ihyeok was feeling terror. At the sight of Ihyeok casually beating someone in front of him. His hands shook at the unfamiliar sight of the gangster Kwon Ihyeok.

 

“Ah, ahjussi.”

 

Hyeseong called out in a small voice but Ihyeok must not have heard as he continued throwing punches.

 

“It, it hurts.”

 

His thoughts came to a halt in bewilderment. Various words floated around in his mind, failing to form complete sentences.

 

Hyeseong took a deep breath and barely blurted out anything. He wanted to stop him somehow but couldn’t come up with a way.

 

But those words seemed to work.