A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 34

A terminal illness?

Why would he suddenly bring that up? Is it the title of a movie? Or is he asking about some kind of keyword?

The look in Choi Taejoon’s eyes as he waited for my response was oddly uneasy, almost precarious.

“Is the main character living with a terminal illness before dying?”

“Usually… yeah.”

I searched my memory, but no specific movie came to mind.

Come to think of it, right before my car accident, he had also asked about a reason why I had to die, wondering if it was something like a terminal illness.

Wait a second—does Choi Taejoon have some kind of personal story related to this? As far as I know, he doesn’t. I narrowed my eyes and studied him.

“Why are you looking at me so suspiciously?”

“Suspicious? No, I was just deep in thought… trying to recall a sad movie.”

“Oh, so you’re deeply engrossed in some suspicious thoughts about sad movies?”

“How could someone have suspicious thoughts while watching a sad movie?”

“Why? Can’t sadness and suspicion coexist?”

Now that I think about it… there’s no rule saying they can’t. That’s just a bias.

“Sure, they can!”

But after saying that, I realized how absurdly our conversation had veered off course. It was so ridiculous that I let out an involuntary chuckle.

At my laughter, the tension that had stiffened Choi Taejoon’s face also started to ease.

“What’s so funny?”

“I don’t know. Heh… just everything. Oh, the movie’s starting.”

At some point, the movie he had picked was already playing on the TV.

I figured he had just clicked on one of the top recommended options without much thought. But the genre… didn’t seem so casual.

It was a psychological espionage film about an undercover cop, the same kind of role Hyun Woo Kyung played. And it was a noir—one of the genres he claimed to dislike.

“So… it’s about an organization? And there’s an undercover cop?”

“Sounds interesting.”

Choi Taejoon folded his arms and focused on the screen, wearing the kind of serious expression you’d expect from someone in the same line of work as the protagonist—like he was ready to critique how realistically the film portrayed the criminal underworld.

The movie began with the undercover protagonist leaking information about a gang executive to the police in order to save himself. As a result, the executive was brutally murdered by a rival faction.

“I-I’m thirsty.”

An intense thirst hit me out of nowhere.

I gulped down wine like it was water and stuffed my mouth with snacks indiscriminately.

Why is my heart pounding like this? It’s not like I did anything.

The scene shifted. Now, in order to extract a confession, the protagonist was being tortured while another suspected cop was also being brutally interrogated.

The screen was drenched in blood. Agonized screams filled the air, accompanied by the sickening sound of flesh being torn apart.

The sheer brutality made me wince. It was hard to even keep watching.

—”P-Please! Just spare my life! I don’t want to die like this!”

The actor’s desperate plea was so harrowingly realistic that I instinctively covered my ears.

“This is… a bit much. I know it’s just a movie, but still.”

Choi Taejoon clicked his tongue and gave a small nod.

“It’s well-made, but not exactly realistic.”

“Right? That scene doesn’t even make sense.”

I was about to say, How could anyone be that cruel? But watching this reminded me of how Hyun Woo Kyung met his end in Alcohol Swab, making it even harder to stomach.

“If this were real, it’d be worse.”

“…Huh?”

“In reality, they’d pass out before they could talk that much.”

I unconsciously pulled my knees up to my chest and inched away from Choi Taejoon.

At this moment, he looked every bit as dangerous and intimidating as the gangsters on screen. But in the movie, the moment they realized Hyun Woo Kyung was an undercover cop, they turned into something even more terrifying—merciless executioners.

What they did to him… was inhuman.

“Want me to explain in detail?”

“Do you really have to?”

“You don’t seem to believe me.”

“I do.”

Damn it. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to know! Why is he telling me this?

I was on the verge of plugging my ears when his fingertips lightly brushed against the back of my hand, making me jump in shock.

“Ah!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I-I’m just… scared.”

Taejoon looked down at me with an expression that was a mix of exasperation and something eerily unreadable.

“…As long as you don’t go stabbing people in the back, you don’t have anything to fear.”

I nodded fervently, silently swearing I’d never betray him.

“I would never—”

I cut myself off, staring at him.

If I said I wouldn’t do that, wouldn’t it sound like I was admitting to being an undercover cop?

And right on cue, in the movie, the protagonist was seconds away from being exposed as a spy. The dramatic background music swelled, intensifying the tension.

“Why would I—why would I do that? I’d never!”

Choi Taejoon didn’t respond. He simply swirled the wine in his glass, keeping his eyes fixed on the screen.

At least for now, while I was trapped in the world of Alcohol Swab as Hyun Woo Kyung, betraying Choi Taejoon wasn’t an option.

No—more accurately, it was impossible.

No matter how much Chief Baek wanted me to uncover information about the organization, I couldn’t pass on what I didn’t know.

And frankly, even if I could, I had no desire to.

I fidgeted with my fingers atop my raised knees, cautiously watching Choi Taejoon’s expression.

No matter how I looked at it, he was definitely suspicious of me after the whole incident involving Executive Director Kang Jae-wook.

If I tried too hard to prove my innocence, things would only get messier. And it wasn’t like I could just say, “On the outside, I’m an undercover cop, but deep down, I’m an idol.”

Who would believe that?

Honestly, the best course of action for both of us was for me to stay quiet and disappear without a fuss.

Still, I figured I should at least try to stay on his good side. With a forced, obsequious smile, I began to flatter him.

“Someone as wise, smart, and capable as you wouldn’t have ever been caught off guard like that movie protagonist, right?”

Choi Taejoon ran his fingers over the scar near his eye and answered,

“I have.”

What? No way.

His expression turned chilling as he fixed his gaze on me.

“What do you think I did about it?”

“D-Did you… kill them?”

“As if.”

He poured himself a full glass of the remaining wine.

That “as if” was telling. He may not have done it himself, but he clearly had someone else handle it.

From that point on, I couldn’t focus on the movie at all.

“Hyun Woo Kyung.”

I could feel Choi Taejoon’s gaze settle on me. He was staring so intently that my face burned under the weight of it.

What is he about to say?

He had called my name but left the sentence unfinished, letting the suspense hang in the air.

This is suffocating.

What if he asks if I’m a cop?

Of course, I’d deny it, but if I just outright said no, he wouldn’t believe me. He probably picked this movie on purpose, still holding onto his suspicions and watching my reaction.

He’s testing me.

I need to be clear. I need to deny it without hesitation.

I repeated it like a mantra in my head.

No, I’m not. No, I’m not. Absolutely not!

“How about becoming an idol?”

“No, I’m not—wait, what?”

Where did that come from?

Choi Taejoon rubbed the back of his neck lazily and looked at me.

Then, I remembered something—back in his hospital room, I had overheard his conversation with Kang Jae-wook.

Choi Taejoon had agreed to take charge of ST Entertainment.

“If you want…”

“Hold on a second.”

An entertainment agency run with mob money? Absolutely not.

“I’m at an awkward age for that. And besides, any interest I had in that sort of thing was in the past.”

“What about acting?”

“Acting? That’s not something just anyone can do.”

For some reason, his expression looked as if he were thinking, Well, I tried it, and it wasn’t so bad.

“Come on, that’s ridiculous. Acting is incredibly difficult.”

At my continued refusals, Choi Taejoon’s expression darkened slightly, as if disappointed.

“At least let me visit the agency sometime.”

ST Entertainment’s CEO was the chairman’s lover, and their rising rookie actor was none other than Park Ha-hyun.

The main suitor in this novel. Choi Taejoon’s one true love.

The police’s replacement for me after my death.

Before I died, I wanted to see his face—just once.

“There’s nothing to see.”

Technically, I wasn’t interested in the company itself—I wanted to see Park Ha-hyun. But I forced an awkward smile.

“I’m just curious, that’s all.”

…That’s strange.

For some reason, just thinking about Park Ha-hyun made my chest feel uncomfortably tight.

Choi Taejoon’s beloved. The person he loved enough to throw his own life away.

“Then, help me out with some work for a while.”

“Huh?”

“You said you were getting restless staying home all the time.”

Before I could even respond, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

“Secretary Kim.”

With his phone to his ear, his sharp gaze flickered toward me.

“Find a position for Hyun Woo Kyung at ST Entertainment.”

From the sound of it, Secretary Kim had asked what kind of position.

“Anything. Whatever’s available. Manager? Planning? You think I have time to figure that out? Just let him stick with you for now.”

I swear I could hear Secretary Kim’s internal scream from all the way over here.

After a few more brief instructions, Taejoon hung up the call.

“Sir…”

Still in shock, I looked at him, but he spoke quickly, as if it was no big deal.

“It’s nothing. Just think of it as helping Secretary Kim out.”

“And… what exactly am I supposed to do?”

“For starters—”

Just working with Secretary Kim would be exhausting enough.

Maybe I should’ve just agreed to the acting thing instead.

Choi Taejoon stood up and looked down at me.

“Jeju Island. Business trip.”

“Jeju Island?”

“Yeah. Two weeks from now. You’re coming with me.”

Wait… Jeju Island?!

Oh, hold on. That might actually be a good idea!

If I go, I might be able to check in on Hyun Woo Kyung’s siblings while I’m there.

“Yes! I’ll go! Let’s go together!”

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