A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 55
As soon as Woo Kyung slipped on the jacket handed to him, the security chief’s shoes were placed in front of him as well.
“Please, I’m begging you. P-please don’t do this, Chief.”
The team leader shot Woo Kyung a sharp glare, muttering under his breath like a ventriloquist.
“Jus’ put ‘em on and walk, for goodness’ sake….”
“Yes, yes, I’ll wear them. I promise.”
He knew the security chief could see how guilty he felt, but there was no other choice.
With great reluctance, Woo Kyung slid his feet into the oversized shoes. There was no way they would fit. Just as the security chief’s jacket swallowed him whole like a sack, his shoes felt like boats on his feet. After all, the man was over twenty centimeters taller than him.
Taejoon let out a breathy chuckle, clearly amused by Woo Kyung’s appearance. Judging by the way he bit his lips, it seemed like he was barely holding back laughter.
“Come here.”
Taejoon wrapped an arm around Woo Kyung’s shoulder and pulled him under the umbrella. Taking advantage of the proximity, Woo Kyung quickly whispered, just loud enough for only Taejoon to hear.
“Why did you do that?! That was so embarrassing! I was already soaked, and now you’ve dragged the team leader into this too. Sure, he gave me the jacket because you told him to, but you know he must be cursing us in his head right now! This is all so awkward, so please, never do this again. Understood?”
Taejoon listened silently before flashing a small, nonchalant smile.
“It’s better than carrying you on my back.”
“I have two perfectly fine legs. Why would I need to be carried?”
“Then what about earlier?”
Was he talking about how he had slung Woo Kyung over his shoulder like a sack of rice? As if Woo Kyung had asked him to do that in the first place.
“I let it go because I felt bad.”
“If you really feel bad, then carry this.”
Without another word, Taejoon shoved the umbrella into Woo Kyung’s hand. He then casually patted his chest pocket, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with an air of indifference.
“Don’t think too much about it. Honestly, this probably makes things easier for him too. Better than me being the one stripping off my jacket, don’t you think?”
“…That’s even worse.”
“Then should I let you carry me instead?”
Woo Kyung shot Taejoon a look of pure horror.
To his dismay, Taejoon stared at him with genuine contemplation, as if he were seriously wondering if Woo Kyung had been secretly begging to carry him but was just too shy to say it.
“We seriously need to have a talk.”
Hearing Woo Kyung’s exasperated response, Taejoon let out a low chuckle.
“Team Leader Seo’s job is to keep me safe, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then this is for the best.”
Was he saying that if Woo Kyung tried to carry him, he might end up throwing out his back?
“And what happens if you get hurt, sir?” Woo Kyung asked. “If you get injured, attacked, or—God forbid—throw out your back?”
Taejoon gave him a side glance.
“Why are you suddenly asking that?”
“Just curious.”
Taejoon sighed, flicking his lighter open.
“If it’s work-related, I’d probably get fired.”
“Oh wow… So you’d be unemployed.”
“That’s right. Unemployed.”
“Do you, by any chance, have… a weak back?”
The lighter in Taejoon’s hand paused midair. He narrowed his eyes at Woo Kyung, slowly chewing the cigarette between his lips.
“Quit with the nonsense.”
Who was the one spouting nonsense in the first place?
Taejoon gave him a brief glance before adding,
“Besides, my back is perfectly fine. If you don’t believe me, I can show you.”
His tone had dropped slightly, and for some reason, it immediately brought back the memory of what had just happened.
“N-no thanks. Of course, it’s… s-strong.”
Maybe the whole thing with the jacket and shoes had just been an excuse. Maybe Woo Kyung had been grasping for something to talk about—something to fill the unbearable awkwardness that was suffocating him.
But the more he tried to distract himself, the harder it became to forget.
Instead of fading, the memory only grew sharper in his mind.
The moment replayed itself—the way Taejoon’s lips had trembled against his, the way his rain-soaked chest had pressed against him. Before he could stop himself, he let out a strangled groan and stomped his foot.
It had been an accident, but in the end, Woo Kyung had been the one who initiated it.
The thought of what might be running through Taejoon’s mind right now made him more self-conscious than ever.
As the rain poured relentlessly, they finally arrived at the set. The crew—directors, actors, and staff—were busy packing up their equipment and preparing to leave.
“Looks like they’re calling it a day.”
“There’s no way they can shoot in this weather.”
Come to think of it, today was supposed to be the day of that legendary scene between the two leads.
But it had just… passed.
Woo Kyung’s eyes darted around in search of Park Ha-hyun, but he was nowhere to be seen. Judging by the fact that Director Kim had also vanished, he must have left already.
Absentmindedly, Woo Kyung touched his lips.
Had he… just stolen that legendary moment?
The umbrella in his hands tilted slightly.
Taejoon reached over, steadying the handle.
“What’s with you? You’ve been zoning out this whole time. Something on your mind?”
Before Woo Kyung could answer, he spotted Director Kim rushing toward them.
As Taejoon followed his gaze, he let out a quiet sigh, as if he had finally figured it out.
He probably thought Woo Kyung had been worrying about how Director Kim would react.
He wasn’t entirely wrong.
It wasn’t that Woo Kyung wasn’t concerned at all. Given the ongoing rumors that he was a drug addict, appearing covered in mud alongside Taejoon would only make him look more suspicious. Once again, he’d end up being the villain of the story.
“Executive Director.”
Director Kim greeted them with a slight nod. Contrary to Woo Kyung’s worries, he didn’t show any sign of surprise. Instead, he calmly took the umbrella and handed over a pair of slippers for Taejoon, after helping him out of his mud-stained jacket.
“Give them to Team Leader Seo.”
“Ah… yes.”
Only then did Director Kim seem to notice that Woo Kyung was wearing the security chief’s shoes.
“Shall I take you back to the lodge?”
“No.”
“Then where to?”
Director Kim swiftly moved ahead and opened the car’s back door while asking the question.
“There’s somewhere I need to go.”
However, instead of heading toward the backseat, Taejoon walked right past him and slid into the driver’s seat.
“At least tell me the destination before you leave.”
Taejoon didn’t answer. He simply started the engine.
“Word is spreading fast that you’re in Jeju, sir.”
“…Guess I’m a celebrity now.”
“Kang Jae-wook’s side isn’t staying still either. As you know—”
“I’m not going far.”
“Then I’ll have the security chief ride with you. Team Leader Seo!”
“No need. I’ll just take him.”
Taejoon beckoned toward Woo Kyung, who was still standing there awkwardly.
“…Me?”
For the first time, Director Kim’s composed expression faltered as he raised an eyebrow in surprise. Taejoon motioned with his fingers, pointing toward the passenger seat.
“Get in.”
Woo Kyung hesitated. Seeing this, Director Kim, wearing a less-than-pleased expression, opened the door for him.
“Please get in, Mr. Woo Kyung.”
Though his tone was polite, his sharp gaze and firm voice made it clear that this wasn’t a request. As Woo Kyung approached, Director Kim spoke so quietly that only he could hear.
“If anything happens to the Executive Director, I won’t let it slide. Stay by his side and protect him, even if it costs you your life.”
‘Even if it costs my life’…
Had anyone else said something so dramatic, Woo Kyung might have burst out laughing.
Faced with the heavy, suffocating seriousness of the situation, he could only nod.
Not that it really mattered—he had already put his life on the line long ago.
Of course, the reason, meaning, and purpose behind it were entirely different.
He wasn’t about to die for Taejoon’s sake.
He simply wanted to die on his own terms—peacefully, beautifully.
That wasn’t a selfish desire. It was the most important thing of all.
“What did he say?”
Taejoon glanced at him while driving.
“Director Kim said something to you.”
“Ah, he just told me to look after you.”
Driving in this heavy rain was more challenging than expected. Even with the wipers working at full speed, visibility was poor. Eventually, Taejoon just switched them off entirely. As the squeaking stopped, the sound of the rain became even clearer.
“…How did you meet Director Kim?”
“It wasn’t a blind date.”
Was that supposed to be a joke?
Woo Kyung had missed the timing to laugh, but Taejoon wasn’t smiling either. If anything, his expression had darkened.
“Kim was originally a cop.”
“A c-cop?”
That was news to him.
Even in the original story, the background of the main characters had only been briefly touched on—there had been no mention of Director Kim’s past.
What had started as simple curiosity now seemed to lead somewhere deeper.
“Ah, so at the airport….”
Woo Kyung suddenly recalled the encounter with Detective Lee Jin-soo at the airport a few days ago. Now that he thought about it, the two men had seemed to share some unresolved tension.
It made sense. Their bad blood probably dated back to when they were both on the force.
“How did the two of you first meet?”
What could have made a detective leave the police force and end up in a place like Taesung Industries—a company deeply entangled with organized crime? And not just as an employee, but as Taejoon’s right-hand man, handling everything from security to… well, everything.
“It’s a boring story.”
“I still want to hear it.”
“I’ve never told anyone before. No one knows.”
Taejoon went silent for a moment before finally speaking.
“I was a suspect in an assault case.”
That… wasn’t surprising.
If anything, it was perfectly in line with who Taejoon was. Woo Kyung barely reacted.
But then—
“Kim was a rookie cop, fresh out of training.”
Director Kim… as a rookie? That was surprising.
Woo Kyung shut his slightly open mouth.
“And back then… I was still a minor.”
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