At the same time Kim Mu-hyeok was meeting with Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang.
“Boss Cheon, have you arrived?”
“Manager Ha, you’ve been through a lot.”
Ha Myeong-hun greeted Cheon Su-man as he entered the VIP ward. For some reason, Cheon Su-man looked a little more haggard than usual.
“Can I see him?”
“Yes. Please come in.”
The hospital-room door opened. Cheon Su-man patted his shoulder before entering. Whether he was tired, sad, or simply thinking of nothing at all, his face was blank.
He was not even acting as fierce as usual. Finding it strange, Ha Myeong-hun closed the door. Even after it shut, Cheon Su-man stood some distance away and stared at Cheon Tae-san, who lay motionless in the bed.
“Father…”
Only after a long while did Cheon Su-man approach Cheon Tae-san’s side.
“Why did you do it? What on earth is Kim Mu-hyeok to you?”
Cheon Su-man’s eyes wavered. He bit his lip as though overwhelmed by emotion, then shook his head as if trying to shake off the thoughts and reached into his inner pocket.
“…Everything that happened was something you brought upon yourself, Father. You’re the one who made me like this.”
He took out a small medicine bottle and a syringe. With trembling hands, he inserted the syringe into the bottle and drew up the medicine.
“I’ll apologize later… in the afterlife.”