IRLPLBIO Chapter 15 Part 1

Joo Hae-jun, with one hand on Jae-gu’s forehead and the other on his own, muttered, “There’s no fever.” From behind Jae-gu, a small ‘pffft’ of laughter escaped.

“Ah, sorry. I came along because I was sorry for not contacting you sooner.”

It was Park Kwang-cheol. Jae-gu, whose one shoulder was held by Park Kwang-cheol, nodded.

“I came to explain what happened today.”

Park Kwang-cheol had one hand on Jae-gu’s shoulder. At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary gesture, but to Joo Hae-jun, even the distance they stood from each other felt strangely intimate.

When Jae-gu awkwardly scratched his head and Park Kwang-cheol gave a faint smile, it somehow felt ticklish. With a sensation like his back was itching, Joo Hae-jun unconsciously squirmed.

“Uh… well, if you guys met up, that’s fine… But what explanation are you giving?”

“That will be explained by this person.”

This time, a tall, striking man emerged from behind Jae-gu.

“I am Han Yun-cheol.”

Han Yun-cheol was a businessman with a somewhat cold impression, perfectly suited to his sharp suit. The moment he saw the mature and handsome man, Joo Hae-jun instinctively glanced at Park Kwang-cheol. Park Kwang-cheol merely stared with an unreadable expression.

“Are you Joo Hae-jun?”

A plain-looking man, whose presence was almost overshadowed by the handsome Han Yun-cheol, spoke to him. The golden badge pinned to his shiny suit was distinctive.

Anyone familiar with law would have immediately recognized it as a lawyer’s badge, but Joo Hae-jun didn’t notice at all. However, he sensed the man’s intent to say something and negotiate with him.

“That’s me… but why?”

“I am Lee Su-seong, a lawyer from DK Law Firm, representing Han Seong-cheol. I offer my condolences regarding the incident you experienced today.”

“Lawyer? …Incident? No, wait a minute. Before that, Han Seong-cheol, you said…”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Suspicion was already etched on Joo Hae-jun’s face.

Why would a lawyer come for this? How could the incident where a group suddenly appeared and swung pipes, beating people, possibly be an “accident”? And why was Han Seong-cheol, whose name hadn’t been mentioned once during the whole process, being brought up now?

As he thought for a moment, his suspicious mind concocted a story: for some unknown reason, Han Seong-cheol was behind the attack, and he had failed to beat Jae-gu. Even the attempt to gently persuade the raging Jae-gu to cooperate had failed, so it seemed they had decided to flip the whole narrative. It was a story quite close to reality.

“Joo Hae-jun, we regret today’s incident. First, here is an agreement request form, please read it…”

“What kind of situation is this, where you talk about an agreement without even explaining what happened? Isn’t this just playing word games?”

Someone a bit smarter would have understood the settlement money hidden behind the phrase “agreement request form,” but Joo Hae-jun couldn’t. Instead, he grew even more wary, furrowing his brow.

Han Yun-cheol, who had sent a brief glance to the flustered Lee Su-seong, stepped forward.

“Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Han Yun-cheol, Han Seong-cheol’s elder brother.”

“Brother…? No, why is that guy’s brother suddenly here?”

“Because it concerns my younger brother. As his elder brother, I intend to handle it properly.”

Han Yun-cheol managed a troubled smile, as if he were an elder brother tired of cleaning up after his wayward younger sibling. The more he did, the more firmly the thought, ‘Han Seong-cheol is the culprit,’ solidified in Joo Hae-jun’s mind.

Just as Joo Hae-jun’s expression was about to turn fierce, Han Yun-cheol held out an envelope to him. It seemed he had no intention of denying or hiding the truth, even knowing that Joo Hae-jun had figured out most of it.

“So, if you please… leave the aftermath to us, and we’ve prepared this so you can receive your treatment comfortably.”

Instead of taking it immediately, Joo Hae-jun narrowed his eyes.

He wasn’t a fool. If, as Han Yun-cheol claimed, Han Seong-cheol truly wasn’t at fault, then Dae-yeong Group would have mobilized all its connections to bury the real culprit. Coming with money now, offering it as consolation, only made it clear that Han Seong-cheol was indeed the culprit.

Seeing Han Yun-cheol speak each word clearly, as if hammering them into his ears, it almost seemed like he was deliberately trying to make Joo Hae-jun understand who the real culprit was.

Joo Hae-jun looked at Jae-gu again. Seeing Jae-gu, who had surely suffered worse than himself, remaining silent, it seemed an agreement had already been reached between them.

But he was smarter than Jae-gu. He wouldn’t be easily bought off with just a few coins.

Thwack, Joo Hae-jun snatched the envelope, glared at Han Yun-cheol, and opened its flap. It wasn’t a very thick envelope, so he didn’t expect a large sum of money.

Han Yun-cheol gestured for him to look inside.

If they’d put in about a hundred thousand won as treatment money, he’d refuse it, just like in a drama, and tell them to take it back.

Thinking that, Joo Hae-jun looked at the contents of the envelope, and the next moment, he doubted his own eyes.

“Th-this…! This!”

“According to Jae-gu, midterms are in a few days. He mentioned that he lost study time due to his injuries. While it’s difficult to compensate with money, we’ve included a bit more than just treatment costs as a gesture of comfort. Please don’t worry and use it freely.”

“H-hu-uh!”

Han Yun-cheol’s words barely registered in Joo Hae-jun’s ears.

Joo Hae-jun’s dazed head now automatically turned to Jae-gu. Upon confirming that Jae-gu was nodding, Joo Hae-jun clutched the envelope tightly.

“S-so, who was the culprit?”

“It was the Chang-shik-i Faction, an organization that hasn’t been established for long. It seems they approached my younger brother after learning his identity. In doing so, they appear to have harmed his friends. We’ve requested a thorough investigation from the police, so you can rest assured now.”

It was a fabricated scenario, but it seemed this would be the official story.

Han Seong-cheol, the main culprit, pretending to be the victim. Joo Hae-jun, the true victim, felt his breath catch, but then it rushed out again as he became aware of the amount inside the envelope.

Han Yun-cheol smiled faintly and gestured to Joo Hae-jun. It was a sign to put the envelope away if he understood. It was also a reminder to remember that today’s events unfolded according to the scenario he had laid out.

“…Yes, yes!”