“Argh……!”

Han Seungjae, with bullets lodged in his wrist and thigh, writhed on the snow-covered ground. Though not rolling around, he squirmed in agonizing pain, not knowing what to do.

“It hurts…… Ugh…….”

Rough curses bellowed like a beast rang through the ears. At the same moment, So-yeon’s eyes, which had been tightly shut, instantly opened wide as possible. There were clearly two gunshots, and she thought he was already dead.

But what kind of situation was this? Why was Seungjae lying there, who was that unfamiliar man, and why was Seo Jun smirking! Could it be that this was the afterlife? Was she a soul freed from her body?

So-yeon, who could not think of it any other way, came to her senses because of the warmth of Seo Jun’s body enveloping her.

“What, what is it? Are, are we really alive?”

“Well. I don’t know what’s what either right now…….”

Seo Jun was just as dazed as So-yeon. However, as soon as he recognized who had saved him and So-yeon, Seo Jun smirked again and laid his exhausted body on the ground.

Right then.

Black, who had briefly fainted, shook his body out from between the rocks with a yelp. Then he immediately approached his owner, wagging his tail and frantically licking Seo Jun and So-yeon’s cheeks. Because of that, everyone’s attention was drawn to Black.

However, Seungjae, who never knew when to give up until the end, crawled on the ground as if he could not miss that chance and tried to grab the gun he had dropped when a bullet grazed his right wrist, using his left hand. But there was no way that would go as he wished.

Han Seung-yul, who had kicked the palm-sized piece of metal far away as if it was impossible, firmly stepped on Seungjae’s left wrist with the sole of his hiking boots and politely bowed his head.

“I’m a little late. Captain Tae.”

It was a greeting aimed not at his half-brother, but at Seo Jun.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re just a little late.”

“Late, but better than not showing up at all. And what can I do when the location tracking app guides me towards the cliff? Thanks to that, I climbed the cliff face with my bare hands and nearly died slipping on the snow several times, but you could at least act a little glad to see me.”

That was right.

Han Seung-yul had been monitoring Han Seung-jae’s movements as he targeted Professor Eom, and immediately pursued him upon receiving a report that he had urgently left for Jeju. Until he arrived in Jeju, his only thought was that he might be able to grab Seung-jae’s weakness if things went well.

However, just leaving someone to watch the house where Professor Eom was staying and observing nearby until Seung-jae committed his heinous crime kept weighing on his mind because of the debt he owed to Tae Seo-jun, who would soon become Professor Eom’s son-in-law.

That’s why Seung-yul kept agonizing over what to do. Until he heard the report that Seung-jae had taken Soyeon towards the mountains.

And by the time he made up his mind to stop it, Professor Eom had already been assaulted.

Though it was too late, the guilt of condoning a family tragedy made him tenaciously climb the rough mountain path, and he could realize that decision was a hundred times right upon seeing the relieved depth in Tae Seo-jun’s eyes.

“Anyway, it’s unexpected to see you again.”

Seo-jun said, frowning deeply, perhaps because the pain in his side was severe. Then Han Seung-yul, who was well aware of the extent of his pain, narrowed his brows. The wound had completely healed, but the area below his heart that had been pierced in Tamayon’s den still ached.

‘Save…… me.’

‘What did you say? Again.’

‘I want to live!’

‘There’s someone else who would be happy for you to go early, so take revenge. You can live and show them you’re living even better. You can crush those people. You can live tenaciously, do everything you want, and die slowly without regrets.’

‘…….’

‘Warrant Officer Park. Now that you seem like you’ll behave, I’ll treat you. If you refuse again, report directly to me. Make sure to load live rounds then. Well then, good work!’

Early last year, the man who chose to live and take revenge rather than disappear and die due to the persuasion of Tae Seo-jun, who was a military doctor at the time, was none other than Han Seung-yul.

“You told me to live and take revenge. Following that teaching led to something like this.”

This was also revenge, if you could call it that. How terrified he was on the inside by Tae Seo-jun’s words back when he was a military doctor, that he would bring live rounds if he didn’t receive proper treatment. Recalling that time, it could be considered a perfectly natural revenge, even if the target was different.

With this, the debt from back then was fully repaid.

Han Seungjae, who had surgery at a Jeju hospital, was immediately transferred to S University Hospital in Seoul.

A week later.

In front of the door to the single hospital room, two police officers stood at attention with their hands behind their backs. Han Seung-yul entered the hospital room, passing between them.

Han Seungjae was lying in bed with a haggard appearance, casts on his arms and legs, and even handcuffs on his uninjured wrist. Still, his vicious temper hadn’t died, as his eyes bulged out as if they would pop out as he glared at Han Seung-yul. His rough way of speaking was the same as always.

“Why are you here?”

“I hoped your surgery would go poorly, but I hear it was the opposite? I came to check if it’s true.”

“How dare a little shit like you hit me from behind?”

“You said to bite. I just bit as you said, so why?”

“Ha! Son of a bitch…….”

Han Seung-yul, who had been recognized as free from the law despite charges of illegal gun possession and inflicting injury due to his American citizenship, justification for using the firearm, and acting in legitimate defense on behalf of two people who nearly lost their lives, was waiting for only a light sentence of a suspended sentence with a fine for secretly installing a location tracking app on Han Seungjae’s cell phone, which would be handled in summary proceedings.

In contrast, what about Han Seungjae?

Kidnapping, attempted murder, possession of illegal drugs and weapons, stock price manipulation and disrupting the market economy. He had only the dismal task of devoting his entire life to the immense punishment for his countless crimes and deep involvement in other crimes, let alone being the successor of .

Moreover, how could Chairman Han, who ordered his own son to commit murder in order to cover up his past murder, possibly be safe?

The true nature and shamefulness of Chairman Han, who recently went so far as to kidnap, confine, assault, and threaten the family of a victim, abandoning his own humanity, was revealed to the world a few days ago. The next day, at an emergency shareholders’ meeting, he had to relinquish the position of chairman of as if it was snatched away from him, and he was steadily going through the process of placing the heavy crimes he committed before the judgment of the law.

Han Seung-yul, who had never called Chairman Han his father and had never once thought of Han Seungjae as his brother. He could finally feel it.

His heart, which had a hole and couldn’t beat properly, was becoming passionate again. How pathetic his past self from a year ago was, trying to end his hatred and resentment with death.

He came to Korea to take down Chairman Han, who abandoned his child, and Han Seungjae, who tried to eliminate even the abandoned siblings. For that alone, he had to temporarily act as the successor to . And as he wished, he tore down everything Chairman Han had built in his lifetime, so what regrets could he have?

He politely declined the position of the next chairman at the shareholders’ meeting. Now, with only the task of leaving Korea with light steps remaining, Han Seung-yul did not forget what he had to do until the end.

“You say I’m a son of a bitch. Fine. Take that, and I’ll give you one too.”

“What. You’re going to bite again?”

“You have a recently divorced wife. Soo Jin Lee, the precious daughter of ‘s CEO.”

“…….”

It was incomprehensible why he unnecessarily brought up that woman he had completely forgotten. Wasn’t she just the daughter of a small and medium-sized business that only made tissue paper? Han Seung-jae, who was already annoyed by the mention of his ex-wife, who had that little presence, glared with a crooked gaze, putting strength in his chin.

Han Seung-yul spoke in a kind voice with an angelic smile on his face.

“I heard the purpose of her marrying trash like you with those great specs was revenge. If the woman whose husband committed suicide because of you remarried the CEO of Lee, do you understand what I’m saying? Even if I explain it like this, do you still have no idea whose daughter your ex-wife is? Since there’s more than one or two companies you’ve trampled to the point they can’t recover.”

“What?”

“Already surprised. The real thing I want to say starts now. Listen carefully until the end. That Soo Jin Lee apparently collected stocks and information on your dirty deeds little by little in order to gnaw at your enemy’s family. For several years.”

“That slow-witted woman?”

Although it was just a divorce that meant nothing, it was quite unexpected that she thrust the divorce papers at me first, as if kicking me away. That was the extent of her courage, and she had no greater daring than that. She was that bland of a wife.

But what? Revenge? That lacking Soo Jin Lee who came and went as told?

“Don’t make me laugh. My ex-wife is a woman who could never do that even if she died and woke up again.”

Han Seung-jae snorted as if asking where they sold such drugs.

Regardless, Han Seung-yul, with his arms crossed, moved one foot forward to the bed and tilted his upper body and head. As if sharing a secret, he leaned close to Han Seung-jae’s ear.

“Is that so? Even though that woman is the internally appointed next chairwoman of among the board members? I did help out a bit behind the scenes, but they all praise her as a top-notch talent until their spit dries up. Saying Soo Jin Lee turned out to be a first-rate individual.”

“……!”

What the hell is this! Then, her acting slow-witted while we were married was all an act?

Now that his ears seemed to have cleared a bit, Han Seung-jae’s expression gradually turned as rotten as spoiled spinach.

“The rich are said to have enough to eat for three years even if they go bankrupt. But that’s not always the case. To explain it briefly again, it means the preparations to turn Chairman Han and you into beggars are perfectly complete.”

“This crazy bastard, where are you running your mouth recklessly!”

Han Seung-jae, intoxicated with rage, tried to throw a punch but was abruptly stopped by the taut handcuff chain.

“The story got long. I hope we don’t see each other again.”

Han Seung-yul briefly lowered his gaze as if bidding farewell and left the hospital room.

“Crazy…….”

Han Seung-jae’s fist trembled. The handcuff links clattered against the metal bed frame because of it.

He failed in trying to increase the size of his rice bowl and was even demoted. Just the fact that Han Seung-yul, who had no ties to Chairman Han, was a recognized businessman overseas made him feel a sense of crisis and create a scab by scratching. On top of that, in the end, he was deceived by his ex-wife.

That greed and misjudgment ruined his life without him even realizing. Like a possessed shaman riding on a guillotine.

For the first time, Han Seungjae deeply tasted the bitterness of his life going downhill.

With this, the roulette of life stopped spinning, and the game in the ring was over.

Han Seungjae was the perfect loser.

It was Han Seung-yul’s overwhelming victory.

10 p.m.

Seo Jun, who had finished showering and came out of the bathroom, put on his pajama pants over his long legs.

But he took off the top he had put on and went to the living room where So-yeon was without wearing it.

“Oh my, you’re done washing already?”

So-yeon, who sprang up from the sofa, approached Seo Jun with very worried eyes and asked.

“Yeah.”

“Was it not hard washing by yourself?”

So-yeon’s gaze was not on Seo Jun’s handsome face. It was on his right side. More precisely, it was on the nearly healed scar on the lower right side of his rib cage, in the 9 o’clock direction based on his navel.

Other than that, it was a very intact and sturdy body, but So-yeon soon asked again in a choked voice.

“Does it still hurt?”

It had been a month since Seo Jun was injured in Jeju Island. But So-yeon’s chest still ached as it did that day, and her large eyes slightly frowned.

“Well. I’m not sure.”

“It’s your own body, how do you not know!”

No matter how she thought about it, his tone was playful. So-yeon slapped Seo Jun’s back with her palm, not enough to hurt, just to make a slapping sound, as if telling him not to tease her. Then suddenly, Seo Jun bent his waist at a 45-degree angle, clutched his stomach, and let out a groan.

“Ah! Ouch…….”

As he staggered and sat on the sofa, So-yeon sat next to Seo Jun with a startled expression. She slapped his back, so why was his stomach hurting? It was a bit strange, but she apologized first.

“I’m sorry…….”

“Don’t just say sorry with words, blow on it, hoo.”

So-yeon blew her breath on Seo Jun’s reddish scar and asked, tilting her head slightly with concern. “Hoo……. Does it get a bit better if I do this?”

However, in the black pupils looking down at her, mischief was already heavily present.

“Ho, while you’re at it, put your lips on it too. Touch it too. Is that all you’re going to do?”

“You were pretending to be in pain just now too, right?”

So-yeon glared at Seo Jun as if she wouldn’t fall for it anymore, frustrated.

“Silly, when was that? Of course it doesn’t hurt anymore!”

“Eek!”

Seo Jun pounced on So-yeon and fell onto the soft sofa cushion with her. His broad back swallowed her small frame as if it would devour her, instantly shifting to a sensual atmosphere.

Ring ring…….

So-yeon’s cell phone rang.

“Yes, Dad.”

– Forget about you, let me talk to my lifesaver.

Seo Jun, who had his ear close to So-yeon’s face as she answered the phone, quickly snatched the phone from her hand.

“Yes, Father. This is Seo Jun.”

– I’m bored, so I was wondering if you could come over to our house right now? Let’s play a game of baduk (go).

“Of course. I’ll be there in 10 minutes.”

That’s right.

From the day Eom Eun-hyuk successfully completed his shoulder surgery, he called Seo Jun his lifesaver. And Professor Eom and his wife moved from Dogok-dong to Nonhyeon-dong a week ago.

There was no greater gift than this for Hyun-woo, who wanted to see his grandparents every day, let alone his daughter.

Late at night, Seo Jun and So-yeon, dressed in couple training suits, walked out the front gate arm in arm, affectionately strolling under the cherry blossom trees.

The spring breeze blew gently.

It was now the time when the cherry blossoms would burst into full bloom.