A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 50

Director Kim’s sharp gaze bore into me.

For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating. Director Kim appearing in Taejoon’s bedroom? That didn’t make any sense.

“Police or thief. Which one are you?”

As expected, he hadn’t let go of his suspicions about me. He probably didn’t have solid proof yet just circling around, waiting for something to confirm his doubts.

I kept my voice low as I reached for the pill bottle in his hand, afraid that Taejoon might hear us from the bathroom.

“I think there’s a misunderstanding. That’s my medicine you’re holding. Taejoon took it without asking, so if you don’t mind, please return it.”

“You should have just played the role of a petty thief after some loose change or someone desperate for a sponsor. That would’ve been much more believable.”

He was implying that if I were simply after Taejoon’s wealth and power, I would have drawn less suspicion.

“I already told you—I’m not the police. And that medicine is mine. Now, give it back.”

“Even if this is yours, you could have just asked the executive director to return it. So what exactly do you think you’re doing?”

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

Of course, I had asked for it back before. But Taejoon wouldn’t return it, which was why I had to resort to this.

But that excuse wouldn’t work on Director Kim.

As I hesitated with a stiff expression, his face grew even colder.

“Do you remember what I told you before?”

The day he came to Taejoon’s house with paperwork assigning me to the security team.

“I told you to make sure we never meet under… unpleasant circumstances.”

“…Yes.”

“I’ll say it again. If you get in the way of the executive director’s future, I won’t stand by and watch.”

I hadn’t meant to deceive them, but I hadn’t leaked anything to the police either.

How could I?

I didn’t even have any real information.

Even that so-called organization chart that Team Leader Baek had asked me to make—I hadn’t even started on it.

Hell, I didn’t even know who was doing what in the organization.

And frankly, I had no intention of finding out.

The only reason I was trying to get the medicine out of his pocket was to help Taejoon.

Because if he got caught with it during a routine security check, he’d be arrested for illegal possession of controlled substances!

And yet here I was, being accused of being a petty thief and a sponsor hunter.

I knew he was saying it intentionally to provoke me, but it still pissed me off.

Director Kim’s eyebrows lifted slightly as if challenging me to respond.

And then—

The sound of running water from the bathroom suddenly stopped.

Taejoon had finished his shower.

There was no time. If he walked in on this conversation, things would get really messy.

Screw it.

I took a deep breath, exhaled heavily, and placed both hands on my waist.

“Director Kim.”

He narrowed his eyes at me.

I let out a long sigh, acting as if I was about to reveal some deep secret.

“…By any chance, do you like Executive Director Choi Taejoon?”

For the first time, Director Kim’s rigid expression cracked.

“…W-What?”

“I’m asking if you have feelings for him. I mean, how else do you explain this obsessive behavior?”

“Watch your mouth.”

Ah, yes. The infamous ship.

Even in the original novel, this pairing would occasionally pop up in fan discussions.

Director Kim as the dominant one, Taejoon as the submissive…

Curiosity had gotten the better of me once, and I’d read a fanfic out of morbid interest.

It was a mistake.

An absolute mistake.

One I desperately wanted to erase from my brain.

I shook my head violently to rid myself of the horrifying memories.

“Look at it objectively! You stick to him morning and night, practically live in his space, and never give him a moment of privacy. You call it loyalty, but it feels a little deeper than that, doesn’t it?”

I waved a hand dismissively before continuing.

“Don’t get me wrong—I get it. You’re in a dangerous line of work. You probably formed some kind of deep ‘brotherhood.’ But calling me a thief and a sponsor hunter? That’s a bit much, don’t you think? Maybe you should take a moment to consider your perspective of Taejoon.”

My heart pounded in my chest.

In the original, Director Kim had always come across as an emotionless robot—someone who followed protocol to a T.

It was why he worked so well with Taejoon, who also valued efficiency.

But the problem was that very personality.

Once he locked onto a wrong idea, he wouldn’t let it go.

And now, I had thrown a wrench into his logic.

Director Kim’s usually composed demeanor wavered. His expression was one of pure bewilderment.

“…D-Don’t say such nonsense.”

He was flustered.

From the moment I had turned the conversation toward him having a crush on Taejoon, he had been thrown completely off balance.

Seeing my chance, I flashed my best smirk and delivered the final blow.

And this time, it wasn’t a bluff. It was the truth.

“Oh, and that medicine? It’s a controlled substance.”

Director Kim’s face froze.

“If he gets caught with it, he’ll be charged with possession of illegal drugs. That means prison, Director Kim.”

His grip on the pill bottle tightened.

He stared at me, his expression unreadable.

“Woo Kyung,” he said slowly, voice low and dangerous.

“…Do you use drugs as well?”

I held his gaze.

“…Yeah. Sometimes.”

His face hardened.

At this point, I didn’t care anymore.

It was probably better to be mistaken for a drug addict. At least then, they’d be less suspicious of me being a cop.

“…Ha.”

Director Kim let out a short breath, staring at the pill bottle in his hand as if it finally made sense.

“So that’s why you got involved with Executive Director Kang Jae-wook?”

“Huh? Oh… yeah.”

Right. Kang Jae-wook’s primary business was illegal pharmaceutical distribution.

It seemed Director Kim had assumed I got tangled up with Kang because of drugs.

I simply nodded instead of correcting him. Think whatever you want.

Judging by the expression on his face, he had filled in the gaps himself. My need for money, my proximity to Taejoon—it all made sense to him now.

The sharp glint in his eyes softened just a little. Seizing the opportunity, I reached for the pill bottle again.

“So, can you return that now?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Ugh! Just give it back already!

I tried to grab it from him, but the moment I reached out—

“You’re up, Woo Kyung.”

The sound of the bathroom door opening was followed by Taejoon’s voice.

Turning around, I saw him standing there—shirtless, a towel loosely wrapped around his waist.

The dim glow of dawn had barely done him justice. Now, under the morning light, his body was strikingly vivid.

Contrary to what one might expect from a man in his position, there wasn’t a single tattoo on his smooth skin. But the defined muscles, the chiseled abs, and the scattered scars that traced his body made him even more imposing.

Taejoon wasn’t smiling, but he looked oddly content as he greeted us.

I took a slow breath and returned the greeting.

“Good morning, sir. Did you sleep well?”

Director Kim, keeping his gaze lowered, remained silent.

“What were you two talking about?”

Taejoon asked casually, ruffling his damp hair.

“Something important?”

“…Well—”

Crap.

What if Director Kim spilled everything?

If my heart could actually burst through my ribs, it probably would have done so by now.

I silently pleaded for him to at least soften the truth.

Lifting his head, Director Kim responded with an expressionless face.

“We were discussing today’s schedule changes. As I mentioned earlier, the golf game was canceled. After lunch, we’ll proceed to the filming set—”

“Enough. That’s fine.”

Taejoon waved a hand, cutting him off.

“You two sure are diligent this early in the morning.”

Without further questioning, he picked up a hairdryer and started drying his hair.

“What about breakfast?”

“It should be arriving soon. I made sure there’s enough for Mr. Woo Kyung to join as well.”

I stole a glance at Director Kim’s face.

Compared to when he was speaking to me, he looked like a completely different person. It was as if he was wearing a mask.

I wanted to ask why he hadn’t exposed me just now, but I didn’t dare.

The room filled with the sweet and savory aroma of breakfast.

The hotel manager who brought the food mentioned how unfortunate it was that we couldn’t enjoy the ocean view from the terrace because of the rain.

Hopefully, the weather would clear up tomorrow.

Before returning to Seoul, I planned to visit my family’s home and finally meet Woo Kyung’s younger sibling.

As Taejoon unfolded a newspaper, he spoke without looking up.

“If you need more, order whatever you want.”

I glanced down at my plate.

“…Thank you. I’ll eat well.”

French toast, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, and orange juice—it all looked delicious.

The morning was quiet.

The only sounds were the occasional clinking of utensils, the soft chewing of food, and the faint rustling of Taejoon turning the newspaper pages.

Not wanting to disrupt his focus, I quietly ate my meal.

Taejoon was extremely disciplined in his routines. Whether he was traveling for business or at home, he always woke up at 6 a.m., exercised, showered, and read the newspaper with breakfast.

Even though his job often required him to stay up all night, he never broke his schedule.

A diligent, hardworking mobster… If he had chosen a legitimate career, he probably would’ve been incredibly successful.

Pointless thoughts wandered through my mind until something caught my eye.

Taejoon’s phone screen lit up with a notification.

A text or an alert, maybe.

He picked up his phone, checked the message, and then set it down with an unreadable expression.

Then, with a perfectly neutral face, he folded his newspaper and leaned forward slightly.

“Woo Kyung.”

I had just stuffed the last piece of French toast into my mouth, my cheeks full as I chewed.

Taejoon watched me for a moment before saying—

“I found out what that medicine is.”

A text.

The message must have contained information about the pills.

And with that single sentence, my barely-hanging-on heart plummeted straight to the floor.

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