Whispers of Autumn Wind (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 44

Dae Woon slept poorly. He was alone on the second floor, so it wasn’t due to disturbances or lack of personal space.

The surroundings were quiet—quieter, in fact, than his usual residence above the office, where even in the dead of night, the sounds of passing cars and drunken brawls could be heard. It was so silent he almost suspected it was keeping him awake.

But that wasn’t the real reason. Dae Woon knew exactly why he couldn’t sleep: his father’s shadow kept looming in his mind. He had just taken one more step closer to uncovering the truth behind his father’s death.

Late last night, Dae Woon received a phone call from the U.S.—it was the detective who had investigated his father’s case. The man had stubbornly opposed the official conclusion that his father’s death was suicide.

He said he’d heard something intriguing from a narcotics officer: recently, during a raid on a mid-level drug dealer’s home, one set of fingerprints recovered matched those found in the car his father had been driving at the time of his death.

The U.S. police hadn’t yet identified the owner of the prints—so they reached out to Dae Woon for help. Dae Woon promised he’d do whatever he could, then hung up.

If they could just identify the print’s owner, the case—officially closed as a suicide—might be reopened for reinvestigation. Dae Woon’s blood boiled.

His father, who had lived a tragic life and met a tragic end, had been weak—too weak to protect what mattered most. Perhaps, had he not been born into a chaebol family, his father might have led a far happier life.

Exhausted from trying to sleep, Dae Woon finally kicked off the covers and got up. Jogging, he thought, might help calm his overstimulated nerves.

Stepping outside, he regulated his breathing and began running at a steady pace.

As he ran down the path leading toward the beach, two women leaving the resort caught his eye—dressed in absurdly mismatched outfits. Even with wide-brimmed hats covering their faces, Dae Woon instantly recognized them: Han Ga Eul and her grandmother.

He recalled Ga Eul mentioning she’d go clam digging in the tidal flats early this morning. She’d even checked the tide schedule and equipment rental locations in advance—and sounded thoroughly excited about it.

Watching them walk away, Dae Woon’s lips curled into a smile. He remembered Ga Eul’s eyes gleaming with desire. Knowing how passionate she was about everything, he could already picture how fiercely she’d be digging for clams.

Dae Woon began jogging along the beach. Many people were already out in the tidal flats, all dressed similarly for clam harvesting. He ran past them without slowing—even as the beach ended and the uphill path began, he maintained his pace.

Choosing to jog had been a good decision. Within minutes, sweat started beading on his skin, and his frazzled nerves gradually settled. Eventually, he ran almost in a trance-like state.

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