A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 64

Too close.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

I couldn’t tell if my heart was pounding from fear of getting caught or because I was sharing a blanket with Choi Taejoon.

“Sir, President Song is here.”

Along with Director Kim, another familiar voice chimed in.

“I was so shocked when I heard the news. How are you feeling?”

And then, the unmistakable voice of Park Hahyun.

“Please get well soon.”

The moment I heard that all-too-familiar voice, my shoulders jerked slightly.

Immediately, Taejoon’s hand shifted, pressing down firmly but gently on my shoulder.

A silent command—Stay still.

I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ll be quiet.

I forced my ragged breathing to settle and curled up as small as possible.

Please finish quickly and leave. All of you.

The only saving grace was that the room was cramped with medical equipment, preventing anyone from getting too close to Taejoon’s bed.

President Song spoke again.

“The Chairman is extremely worried about you, sir. He’s been blaming himself, saying he put you in danger by giving you this task.”

The Chairman? Blaming himself?

I almost laughed at the absurdity of that statement.

But surprisingly, Taejoon, who had been silent this whole time, finally responded.

“Thank you for coming all this way.”

There was a brief pause before his voice dropped lower, quieter.

“I’ll make sure to thank the Chairman personally.”

After that, the two exchanged a few more formal pleasantries.

Meanwhile, I remained huddled under the blanket, my mind drifting as I listened to Taejoon’s voice.

With my head resting near his chest, every word he spoke resonated through me like a low-pitched speaker.

Have I ever been this close to him before?

The heat from his body, the steady rise and fall of his breathing, and the warmth of his hand resting on my shoulder stirred something unfamiliar inside me.

Among the strong antiseptic smells of the hospital, Taejoon’s scent lingered in the air.

In the original novel, his scent was described as “smoky and slightly bitter, like late autumn leaves.”

But right now, it wasn’t bitterness I sensed.

It was warmth.

Comforting. Faintly sweet.

“Rest well, sir.”

President Song’s farewell snapped me out of my thoughts.

Then, Director Kim’s voice followed.

“This is a gift from President Song.”

I had been drifting in my thoughts, but the moment I heard his voice, my mind snapped back to full alert.

Great. I have an allergy to Director Kim now.

Instinctively, I flinched, and Taejoon’s hand moved again—this time, lightly stroking my hair.

It was gentle—almost soothing—like he was calming a frightened kitten that had burrowed under the covers.

The momentary panic eased, my heartbeat steadying under the warmth of his touch.

The conversations drifted toward routine small talk, signaling the end of their visit.

All that was left was for Director Kim to leave.

Once that happened, I could sneak out safely.

“Then, we’ll be going. Hope you recover soon—”

“Wait. One moment.”

…Shit.

A new voice interrupted.

A familiar, bright voice—a tone one notch higher than everyone else’s.

Park Hahyun.

“What happened to Woo Kyung?”

What?

My entire body stiffened.

The room instantly fell into silence—as if someone had poured ice water over everyone.

“Hahyun, who are you talking about? Who’s Woo Kyung?”

President Song’s puzzled voice cut through the stillness.

“President, you remember, don’t you? I told you last time. My senior from high school—Woo Kyung. I met him again after years.”

“Ah… you mean the employee who was a former classmate of yours?”

“Yes. He was at the scene of the attack too, wasn’t he?”

Taejoon’s fingers suddenly tightened in my hair.

“Ow—”

The sharp pull made me let out a tiny yelp.

Realizing what he had done, Taejoon quickly loosened his grip, instead patting my head gently—a silent apology.

Despite the tense atmosphere, Hahyun didn’t back down.

“Wait. Did anyone else hear that?”

Taejoon let out a low cough, clearing his throat.

“Sir, are you alright?”

Director Kim’s voice was laced with concern.

Taejoon raised a hand slightly, stopping him from getting closer.

“I’m fine. Just close the window.”

“Understood, sir. You should get some rest now—”

But Park Hahyun wasn’t done yet.

“If Woo Kyung was injured, someone should’ve said something. If he’s fine, then why hasn’t there been any news? I even tried contacting him, but he didn’t respond. I figured someone from the company might know something.”

Director Kim cut him off immediately.

“Woo Kyung is doing well. There’s no need to worry.”

“And how do I know that’s true?”

Hahyun wasn’t letting it go.

It was clear now—he had come specifically looking for me.

Unknown numbers had been calling all day, so he hadn’t answered.

Turns out, it was probably Park Hahyun.

If he had known Hahyun would be this persistent, he should have just picked up.

“That night—the night of the incident—I heard that three people were taken to the hospital by emergency services. One was Executive Choi. Another was the guard standing outside. And the third was Woo Kyung. That’s right, isn’t it?”

“How do you know about that night, Mr. Park?”

Director Kim’s voice was laced with suspicion.

Hahyun’s response was lighthearted and unbothered.

“I heard bits and pieces from people. And I read about it in an online article.”

“There wasn’t a single report in the media about this incident.”

“Ah, Director Kim, you must not be familiar with how things work in Jeju. This isn’t Seoul. When something like this happens, people talk. You can’t just sweep it under the rug.”

Right.

Hahyun was a Jeju native.

No matter how much Taesung Industries tried to suppress the story, they couldn’t control every small local news outlet.

Hahyun’s tone turned petulant, like someone who was dying of curiosity.

“But when I checked, only two people from the incident were admitted to this hospital—Executive Choi and the guard outside. There’s no patient registered under the name ‘Woo Kyung’ anywhere.”

“Did it not occur to you that he might not have been injured badly enough to require hospitalization?”

“If that were the case, he would have answered my calls. But—”

“Hahyun. Park Hahyun.”

President Song’s voice cut in smoothly, his tone light—almost as if he were soothing a child.

“You’ve always been curious about things that don’t concern you. Such a big heart, always worrying about others.”

Even without seeing Taejoon’s expression, Woo Kyung could feel the chilling shift in his presence.

It was sharp enough to pierce through the blankets, reaching where he was hiding.

“We should go now. Apologies for the disturbance, sir. Let’s go, Hahyun.”

“Ah, wait a moment! I wasn’t finished talking yet.”

Hahyun’s stubborn resistance clashed with President Song’s attempts to lead him out.

And then—

“…You must have been close.”

Taejoon’s voice was calm, but something in it coiled tightly.

Hahyun’s footsteps halted just before reaching the door.

“Oh, you mean me and Woo Kyung?”

For a brief second, the room was silent.

Then, as if delighted to finally hear the question, his voice lifted in excitement.

“We weren’t just close.”

A pause.

A deliberate, calculated pause.

Then, in crystal-clear articulation—

“We were lovers.”

Woo Kyung’s mind went blank.

It felt like a brick had slammed into the back of his skull.

What the hell did he just say?!

For a split second, he almost jumped out from his hiding spot.

At the same time, he could feel Taejoon’s entire body tense, muscles coiling with restrained force.

Hahyun, SHUT UP AND GET OUT!

“We were pretty serious, too. I mean, we were young, but still—”

“W-What the hell are you saying?!”

President Song’s panicked voice finally tried to rein him in.

“…You two dated?”

Taejoon’s voice was rough, the last syllable shaking ever so slightly.

He should have hidden under the damn bed.

No—getting beaten to a pulp by Director Kim would have been better than this.

Seeing Taejoon’s reaction, Hahyun pressed on, sounding amused.

“Yep. Woo Kyung was totally my type.”

“This is… unexpected.”

“Right? It’s weird for me too. We were so close, but after the accident—nothing. Not a single call, not a single text.”

Hahyun spoke in his usual carefree tone, but Woo Kyung knew he was up to something.

He was trying to provoke Taejoon.

But why?

What was he hoping to gain from this?

Taejoon’s voice hardened.

“For someone you were supposedly so close to, you didn’t contact him for years.”

Instead of getting flustered, Hahyun responded with a nonchalant chuckle.

“That’s just how life goes, isn’t it? Things don’t always turn out the way we plan.”

Then, in an insufferably lazy tone, he added—

“That’s why I’m going to make up for it now. It’s fate, don’t you think? Running into each other again like this. But ever since the accident, no matter how many times I called, I never got a response…”

Right.

Woo Kyung had deleted Ha-hyun’s number the second he saved it in his phone.

He should have just left it alone instead of blocking it.

Then he could have ignored it without suspicion.

Ha-hyun’s voice sharpened, like he was cornering his target.

“See? Look at this. It’s the right number, isn’t it? I called multiple times, but he never picked up. Here, should I try calling it now?”

Wait. What?

No. No, no, no. He wouldn’t—

BZZZZT—

The moment Ha- hyun finished speaking, Woo Kyung’s phone vibrated loudly inside his pocket.

That crazy bastard actually called?!

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