Closed Door

“Ah, you were peeking at someone’s private scene and…”

“Hey, you! How can such a thing come out of a woman’s mouth!”

“What’s wrong with masturbation! What does it have to do with being a man or woman? Is it a privilege only for men? Did you rent this right? Want to fight me like girls?”

“Okay, let’s do it. Do as much as you want. Equally, until you get tired.”

“Are you sexually harassing me right now? Ah, I should file a complaint.”

“Hey, you little bitch.”

When Sa Gongwoo made an irritated expression, Cha Yeseung giggled.

“Crazy idiots. How did it happen that there’s not a single normal person among you?”

Sa Gongwoo ran his hand over his face as if washing it and sighed deeply.

Reality is too heavy.

Although hunting in gates was hard, everyday life with team members was almost as hard.

“Peeking secretly is good, but be careful so that the little brother doesn’t notice. And when you share vision, your eyes lose focus, and you look very stupid, so don’t do it on the street. Better do it when you’re alone. And if you feel like it, you can enjoy the sight yourself too.”

“Today one of us two will die. Tomorrow someone will definitely be on the memorial table.”

When Sa Gongwoo rolled up his sleeves and stood up, Cha Yeseung, sensing trouble, jumped up and leaped over the couch. Using the couch as a shield, Cha Yeseung shouted with an offended look:

“Ay, why? It’s advice, advice!”

“I’m just worried! I can’t always be around, and Choron has become very sensitive lately and wary of those who hang around! So I just wanted to make sure everything was okay, even in this way! I just wanted to check because if something happens, I need to run to help right away! Did you misunderstand my good intentions?”

“Yes, yes. You worry, check, protect and enjoy it at the same time. In a word, you’re a pervert-voyeur.”

“It won’t work. I’ll have to fight a girl like girls do. Today I’ll throw away all my principles.”

“Whyyyy. I told the truth, so whyyyyyy!”

Cha Yeseung screamed and jumped out the window. Sa Gongwoo, feeling the gust of wind, called out: “Ma Changgun.”

“Get ready to set the memorial table tomorrow.”

Saying this, Sa Gongwoo followed Cha Yeseung through the window.

5

‘Yes, that really happened.’

As if waiting for a break, I remembered old events, looking at the person entering the restaurant right after the last lunch customer left.

“Mr. Cho Roy?”

“Yes, I’m Cho Roy.”

“My name is Park Gonyeong. I’m Yoon Seungkyu’s lawyer.”

Last time I just blinked my eyes, not understanding what was going on. I didn’t know who Yoon Seungkyu was, and I didn’t understand why a lawyer suddenly appeared.

If he had said it was the culprit of the incident with grandmother, I would have understood immediately, but this lawyer didn’t explain everything simply and in detail.

I didn’t understand then, but now, thinking about it, I suppose the purpose was probably to establish psychological superiority. It was clear even from the arrogant and businesslike expression on this person’s face standing in front of me now.

“Yoon Seungkyu. The man who killed grandmother, right?”

“It was an accident.”

It wasn’t an accident, but a crime, but I didn’t point this out, as the lawyer’s word games hadn’t even begun yet.

“Currently, Mr. Yoon Seungkyu is experiencing strong feelings of guilt and suffering. He shows signs of psychological instability and is struggling to cope with daily life.”

I remembered the past, looking at the face of the lawyer who began to prepare the ground and speak.

At that time, I was in such a state that tears welled up in my eyes at the thought of grandmother. I shouted at the lawyer, bursting into tears:

“Why do something you’ll have to apologize for later? What did he do wrong to kill our grandmother? Because he hit grandmother and ran away, our grandmother couldn’t even get to the hospital and died on the spot. And now that he’s been caught, he’s supposedly repenting? If he repents, why send a lawyer? Where is this person’s family, why is a lawyer coming? Grandmother said that if a child makes a mistake, it means the parents raised them poorly. If it’s this person’s mistake, it’s also his parents’ mistake, so where are his parents? Does he really think he did something wrong? Money? Who’s asking for money? We don’t need your money, bring back our grandmother!”

The lawyer, who silently watched me, too excited to talk, crying and shouting, said he would come again later and left.

A few days later, the lawyer came again, this time with people who introduced themselves as the criminal’s parents. They said they truly deeply regret, that it’s all their fault for raising their son poorly, that if I say to beat them, they’ll accept the beating, if I say to kneel, they’ll kneel. And this middle-aged couple, without waiting for my words, burst into tears and knelt down, bowing their heads.

Is this the feelings of parents caring for their child?

I had no desire to forgive the one called the criminal, but separately from that, I felt uncomfortable looking at his parents.

In a restaurant where customers could come at any moment, to make a couple the age of my parents kneel and look down on them? Although I didn’t ask them to do this, if someone else saw this scene, I would definitely be judged. A situation where I become the bad guy if I don’t forgive them.

The lawyer standing aside as an observer and exerting pressure, the middle-aged couple kneeling on the floor and crying, and me, still immature.

I couldn’t handle the pressure created by this delicate confrontational situation. When I came to my senses, as if led by the situation, I had already written something like an agreement or petition stating that the criminal repents and asks for lenient punishment.

The criminal, emphasizing that his actions were not intentional, that he repents sufficiently, and that he reached an agreement with the deceased’s family, did not receive a long sentence despite killing a person. Moreover, he claimed insanity and received a reduced sentence.

I regretted my stupidity. But the regret didn’t end there.

The criminal was released from prison in less than six months. His release was justified by deteriorating health and exemplary behavior. Release for exemplary behavior after less than six months of imprisonment is a reason that even a passing dog wouldn’t believe.

I found out later, but the father of the criminal Yoon Seungkyu was the head of a fairly well-known guild operating in the metropolitan area. Although it wasn’t one of the best guilds in Korea, it was a guild of the level “Ah, that guild?”, which many could recognize, falling slightly short of major guilds but definitely above the level of small and medium guilds.

There were times when power belonged to the military, there were times when state power prevailed, there were times when the influence of businessmen was strong, but the final point of power became the awakened, and among them – hunters.

Although they said society had stabilized, the world was still under threat from monsters, and gates continued to appear. It was a world where an entire region could be destroyed by monsters if hunters didn’t act. Ordinary people naturally became cautious towards hunters, trying to please them and not irritate them.

Probably, Yoon Seungkyu’s father had the greatest influence on his early release.

Moreover, the middle-aged couple who came with the lawyer, knelt down and cried, weren’t even Yoon Seungkyu’s parents. The lawyer hired actors for money and put on a show in front of me, and people who had nothing to do with the case got paid for acting out a tearful scene in front of me.

If the released Yoon Seungkyu hadn’t come specially to laugh at me and mock me, I wouldn’t have even thought to figure out the real state of affairs and would have remained deceived to the end. I would have thought he was serving his sentence in prison, not even suspecting that he was free and enjoying life.

“Let’s sit down first.”

I told him to sit anywhere free, and I cleared the table where the last customer ate. I stacked the plates, put them in the sink and brought a glass of water.

“Ah, thank you.”

“This is for me. If you want water – it’s self-service here. There’s a water filter there, drink if you need to.”

I demonstratively drank cold water in big gulps, and for the first time, an expression appeared on the lawyer’s face.

“Ahem. First of all, let me express my deep condolences for the unfortunate incident.”

“Indeed deep condolences, as I feel.”

I responded with an ambiguous wordplay to words that didn’t feel sincere.

“I understand the painful feelings of the deceased’s family. Having lost a close person, you must be very upset. Mr. Yoon Seungkyu also blames himself, repents and deeply realizes his responsibility for this incident.”

“Then he should diligently serve his punishment. Although I don’t understand why he blames himself, repents and realizes responsibility only after he’s been caught.”

“All this time, Mr. Yoon Seungkyu’s condition hasn’t been the best either. Due to the previous incident, Mr. Yoon Seungkyu also received psychological trauma and couldn’t lead a normal life.”

“You keep saying ‘incident, incident’, but it’s not an incident, it’s a crime. Usually, they say ‘murder’, not ‘murder incident’. I don’t think an educated person like you doesn’t know this. Maybe you’re less educated than you seem?”

“…It seems my visit has caused you unpleasant feelings, Mr. Cho Roy.”

“No. I’m not bothered by your visit, but by your word games. Don’t beat around the bush, say what you want to say. Briefly, clearly and concisely.”