A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 69

Director Kim stepped forward and spoke.

“Wasn’t this supposed to be a simple inquiry? Forcing someone to stay and interrogating them like this is illegal. You should know that better than anyone.”

He then gestured toward Woo Kyung.

“Mr. Woo Kyung, you don’t have to answer everything. Come this way.”

“We’re not done yet!”

Director Kim swiftly blocked the detective’s path.

“We’ve been cooperating out of courtesy, but this is crossing the line.”

Woo Kyung had never been so glad to see Director Kim before.

“If you have further questions, please submit them through our legal representative in writing.”

The detectives seemed momentarily flustered, opening their mouths as if to protest, before muttering curses under their breath. One of them smacked the table with his notebook and pointed at Woo Kyung.

“There’s too much about him that doesn’t add up. Honestly, I find Woo Kyung even more suspicious than Executive Director Choi.”

So, they had picked up on the inconsistencies in the past that Team Leader Baek had fabricated. Sharp of them.

Choi Taejoon, looking utterly drained, turned away.

“Director Kim. See them out.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Woo Kyung. Follow me.”

Leaving the seething detectives behind, Woo Kyung quickly followed him.

“See you later, Senior.”

Oh, right. Park Ha-hyun was still there.

At the sound of his voice behind him, Choi Taejoon visibly flinched.

“O-Oh, yeah. You too. Take care.”

“Get well soon, sir!”

Despite Park Ha-hyun’s cheerful send-off, Choi Taejoon didn’t respond and just kept walking.

“Wait up!”

By the time they reached the hospital room, Woo Kyung found himself sitting next to Choi Taejoon on the bed.

“…What were you two doing?”

His monstrous recovery rate must have been innate because he already seemed fine. His complexion had improved, and both his expression and voice had returned to the Choi Taejoon Woo Kyung knew.

“We were playing Rummikub.”

“What’s that?”

Of course, someone like Choi Taejoon wouldn’t know what Rummikub was.

Woo Kyung hesitated, wondering how best to explain, then simplified it to match his understanding.

“It looks kind of like Mahjong, but it’s a number-matching game.”

“I didn’t know you had an interest in gambling.”

“Huh? No, it’s not like that.”

Damn. He must have simplified it too much.

Choi Taejoon pinched the bridge of his nose.

“…Gambling, and now lying.”

“When have I ever lied? I never did!”

He looked Woo Kyung straight in the eye and smirked.

“You said we were all over each other. I don’t recall that happening.”

Oh.

Oh, no.

So, he had heard what Woo Kyung had told the detectives earlier.

His neck burned, and he fanned himself awkwardly as he stammered,

“T-That’s… I only said that because they kept pressuring me…! But didn’t it feel satisfying to watch?”

“I wouldn’t say that. You should’ve just told them the truth.”

“The truth?”

Choi Taejoon’s gaze slowly ran down his own body before he continued,

“It’s still an option, you know.”

Woo Kyung gulped.

“S-Stop joking around.”

Pressing the back of his hand to his heated cheeks, he instinctively tried to scoot away.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Before he could move, Choi Taejoon grabbed his arm and yanked him back toward him.

“No gambling. No drugs. Ever.”

“I haven’t done either….”

Choi Taejoon suddenly went silent, staring at him.

Then, in a firm, unwavering tone, he said,

“You can’t die anymore.”

His words were short, direct, and carried an undeniable weight.

As if he had been waiting for the perfect moment to say it, he repeated with even more conviction,

“Live a long life.”

“Sir…”

“If I ever catch you trying to die again…”

He trailed off.

Normally, this was the part where he’d say something like, ‘If you don’t listen, I’ll kill your loved ones,’ or ‘Which do you want cut off first—your fingers or toes?’

That was how the real Choi Taejoon handled things.

But now, he seemed to struggle to say it—to threaten Woo Kyung like that.

He took a deep breath, clearly frustrated.

Killing Woo Kyung wasn’t an effective threat because Woo Kyung wanted to die. He must have realized that.

After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke.

“Then I’ll die instead.”

“Absolutely not!”

Who the hell did he think he was, stealing Woo Kyung’s role?!

If anyone was dying first, it was Woo Kyung!

Had Choi Taejoon’s injuries actually been to his head instead of his stomach?

“I’ll do it.”

“That’s not fair!”

This wasn’t the first time they had this conversation.

The last time, the situation had been too chaotic for Woo Kyung to push back properly, but now he regretted not settling it sooner.

“Stop throwing yourself into dangerous situations.”

“But you said if I worked as your bodyguard, I could die easily! That’s why I endured everything and did whatever you told me!”

“Quit that too.”

Woo Kyung couldn’t believe this.

“Come on, just kill me already. Make it quick and clean.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“I’m serious too! If you keep refusing, I’ll have no choice but to find someone else.”

Dying at Choi Taejoon’s hands would be the safest option, but if he refused, Woo Kyung would have to seek alternatives.

“Try it. I’ll make sure whoever kills you regrets it so much that they’ll wish they were dead instead.”

His voice was cold, emotionless.

It shut Woo Kyung up immediately.

He had no doubt that Choi Taejoon would follow through.

If Choi Taejoon was going to be this stubborn, the only thing Woo Kyung could do now was cling to the so-called “promise.”

“Did you forget our agreement? From the moment I first came to your house, you promised you’d kill me. That was the condition.”

“When did we ever make an agreement like that?”

…Oh.

So, there was no actual contract.

Every novel Woo Kyung had read always included a “contract cohabitation” trope when the main characters started living together. Why hadn’t they done that?

“Unfortunately, there’s no signed document, but in my heart, I stamped it, copied it, and even laminated it! I bet you have one in your heart too, sir.”

“Yeah. I do.”

That was unexpected.

“See? You do, don’t you?”

“There’s just one problem—it’s already been terminated.”

Unbelievable. Who said it was over?

Woo Kyung’s face must have shown his frustration because the firm line of Choi Taejoon’s lips started to waver.

“I’ve been waiting for that day for so long. I wanted to beg you to hurry up and kill me, but you always seemed so busy and exhausted, so I just waited patiently.”

“Do you even understand what death is?”

“Who wouldn’t?”

“Don’t talk about it like a kid counting down the days until a trip to an amusement park.”

“…….”

Had Woo Kyung really sounded that excited when he asked to die?

As much as he wanted to deny it, he could see how it must have looked from Choi Taejoon’s perspective. And honestly, it wasn’t completely wrong.

“…I have my reasons.”

It came out more like an excuse.

Choi Taejoon immediately latched onto it.

“If you’re not going to tell me what those reasons are, then stop asking me to kill you.”

The reason…

Woo Kyung didn’t want to live in this fabricated world. He wanted to return to reality—to his real family, his real friends, and the group members he had been as close as brothers with.

He didn’t know what he would do if he made it back, but one thing was certain—he didn’t want to die as a low-level employee in a gangster-run company.

“…I can’t tell you. I’m sorry.”

Choi Taejoon, who had been watching Woo Kyung’s lips carefully, let out a short breath as if he had expected that answer.

“This conversation is over. That’s final.”

So this was what it felt like to have the rug pulled out from under him.

Woo Kyung suddenly felt lost.

“People always say you can’t trust anyone… I trusted only you, sir.”

“This brat. First, you call me ‘Choi Taejoon’ like it’s nothing, and now it’s just ‘you’?”

“Ow!”

Choi Taejoon pinched his nose hard before letting go.

It hurt enough to bring tears to his eyes, and he glared at the older man while clutching his nose.

Here he was, feeling desperate, but all Choi Taejoon saw was a foolish child. The disappointment in his gaze was painfully obvious.

“You’re not asking me to save you—you’re asking me to kill you.”

“Then just save me instead!”

Frustrated, Woo Kyung abruptly stood up from the bed.

“If you won’t kill me, then I’ll pack my things and leave.”

“What?”

“I have to figure something out!”

If he threatened to leave, maybe Choi Taejoon would react.

“Leave?”

“Yes. There’s no reason for me to stay in your house anymore.”

Woo Kyung stole a glance at him as he spoke.

Surely, he wouldn’t actually kick him out, right?

That would be a disaster.

He tried to mask his anxiety and stared back at Choi Taejoon with feigned confidence.

The older man simply gazed at him, silent.

“Why?”

“Huh?”

“Why can’t you stay in my house?”

The weight behind the question made the hospital room feel eerily empty.

Woo Kyung had wanted to provoke a reaction, but now that he had, he realized he needed to answer carefully.

“Because the conditions have changed.”

“What conditions?”

“You already know.”

“Say it again.”

Choi Taejoon tilted his head slightly, waiting.

With each word Woo Kyung spoke, the man’s expression darkened, as if he were hearing something deeply unpleasant.

“Because… the reason I stayed in your house was that you promised to kill me painlessly. That’s why I did everything you told me to do.”

Was that the wrong thing to say?

As Choi Taejoon’s face grew colder, Woo Kyung hesitated, suddenly unsure if he had misspoken.

But he genuinely didn’t know what part of it was wrong.

“…That’s all.”

Choi Taejoon, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke.

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“So, the only reason you stayed in my house—the only reason you stayed by my side—was because of that ‘promise’?”

If Woo Kyung wasn’t mistaken, something flickered between Choi Taejoon’s lashes—disappointment, frustration, maybe even anger.

For the first time, Woo Kyung had no idea how to respond.

He couldn’t figure out why Choi Taejoon seemed so upset.

“…I see.”

His voice was neither loud nor quiet, but there was something unnerving about the way he lifted his gaze to meet Woo Kyung’s.

There was an icy glint in his eyes that made Woo Kyung’s stomach drop.

“Sir, what I meant was—”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

Choi Taejoon cut him off, his tone final.

“Do as you please.”

“What?”

A light cough sounded from behind them.

“…Excuse me. You weren’t responding, so I had to come in.”

It was Director Kim.

He must have finished seeing the detectives out.

Seizing the opportunity, Woo Kyung moved to step off the bed.

But just as he did, Choi Taejoon’s large hand suddenly grabbed his head.

“Ow!”

「Enough. Before I bash your skull in.」

「Ha-hyun. Park Ha-hyun. Instead of looking at me for answers, why don’t you try accepting your pathetic reality first?」

Suddenly, lines from Alcohol Swab, words Choi Taejoon had once spoken to Park Ha-hyun flashed through Woo Kyung’s mind.