Unexpectedly, someone was waiting in the arrivals hall.
Lee Young-jin’s eyes widened. His mouth followed suit, opening wide as his lips and the tip of his tongue twitched.
“Tea, Teacher.”
Teacher was there.
As always, he wore a neat suit and tie, his face kind and gentle.
Lee Young-jin couldn’t move properly. His feet seemed glued to the tiled floor, unable to budge, as Teacher took the first step towards him. The distance between them, initially five steps, quickly closed to just one. Teacher placed a hand on Lee Young-jin’s shoulder, gave it two quick pats, and then withdrew his hand.
“You’ve been through a lot, Young-jin.”
Lee Young-jin barely managed to nod his head.
Teacher didn’t seem to mind much. He naturally reached out towards the bag in Lee Young-jin’s hand, asking,
“Is this the item?”
As he asked, his fingertips touched the handle of the bag Lee Young-jin was holding. Lee Young-jin obediently let go of the bag.
“Yes.”
“Well done.”
A gentle smile appeared on Teacher’s face, his eyes and mouth curving softly. Lee Young-jin couldn’t bring himself to look up and lowered his gaze.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t get the first item.”
“No, the second item was much more important.”
“But, Teacher. Without the first, this is…”
Lee Young-jin stuttered, but Teacher cut him off.
“Yes, I read the email you sent.”
Teacher smiled at Lee Young-jin again.
“It’s okay, Young-jin. Teacher will take care of it, so you don’t have to worry anymore.”
Teacher didn’t react much to the absence of the first item or the fact that they didn’t know how much time was left. He passed the bag Lee Young-jin had given him to someone else. A polite hand received the bag.
“I’ve disposed of the room you used to stay in.”
“Oh… I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fortunate you returned safely. I’ve arranged a new room for you, so stay there for now.”
Lee Young-jin couldn’t lift his head, overwhelmed by guilt and a mix of indescribable feelings. It wasn’t clear whom his guilt was directed towards.
“Let’s talk about the details later. For now, rest.”
As Teacher turned to leave, Lee Young-jin hesitated but managed to speak before Teacher completely turned away.
“Tea, Teacher.”
Teacher stopped with his body half-turned, glancing sideways at Lee Young-jin.
“How is Mr. Jung-hoon…”
“Ha.”
A long sigh interrupted Lee Young-jin’s question, causing his shoulders to shake.
Teacher turned back around.
“You must be tired, so I didn’t want to discuss this here, but it can’t be helped.”
The sadness in Teacher’s voice made Lee Young-jin’s breathing quicken. The unease that had been gnawing at him since he first heard the news at Seo Seung-hyun’s penthouse burst like a balloon.
“Jung-hoon went missing right before being extradited from Shanghai to Korea.”
Teacher’s hand gently wrapped around Lee Young-jin’s shoulder.
“I looked into it personally, but couldn’t find any positive news. Perhaps…”
Perhaps.
Lee Young-jin didn’t want to hear, guess, or imagine what came next.
Teacher trailed off, instead squeezing Lee Young-jin’s shoulder firmly. The warmth quickly faded, leaving a chill as if ice had touched and then left, engulfing his entire body.
“I was going to talk about this later, but… there’s something you need to do right away, Young-jin.”
Lee Young-jin looked up at Teacher.
His wet eyes shaded by his eyelashes.
Teacher met his gaze directly and slowly began to speak.
“You need to find Park Eun-young.”
“Was she missing with Uncle Jung-hoon…”
“No. Park Eun-young was extradited to Korea. The investigative authority has been transferred, and she’ll be with the prosecution. It’s not certain, but.”
Instead of answering, Lee Young-jin looked at Teacher. He stared into those calm yet serious eyes for a moment before lowering his head again.
“If we find Eun-young, will we be able to learn about Jung-hoon?”
“Don’t get your hopes up too much.”
He asked one last question.
“Then why Eun-young…”
Before he could finish his question, Teacher interrupted him.
“There’s no time to explain that now. It’s urgent, so please hurry.”
Teacher held Lee Young-jin’s shoulder and gently stroked his cheek with the other hand.
“You can do it, right, Young-jin?”
As he had for the past ten years, Lee Young-jin obediently responded with a yes. A satisfied look flickered in Teacher’s eyes. He then removed his hand from Lee Young-jin and stepped back.
“I’m too busy to take you myself. I’ll call a taxi for you, so take that.”
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