Heo Gunpil Center - Chapter 129



Only Krnovel

Episode 129. Summer: Friends (8)

A wall with worn corners, two students wearing their school uniforms properly, one student wearing casual clothes, and one student who doesn’t even know where his uniform is.

They just stuck their heads out and looked around.

“Are you sure this is the right place?”

Jang Mi-mi, who crouched down at the very bottom and stuck her head out, asked Park Seung-ri, who was leaning right above her. It made sense. They were currently chasing Jeon Yeo-reum, who was being used as a drug dealer’s dropper. It would not be a mild act, since they pretended to be the guardian of a comatose patient and committed a quasi-kidnapping.

But here, SIN Plaza was visible just by raising my head slightly. It was a densely built-up area where I had to squeeze through tall buildings to get there, but it didn’t seem like something like that would happen around a shopping center with lots of people coming and going.

“I checked all the CCTV footage, from the car that came out of the hospital right after the discharge procedures to the car that came in here. There was a bit of a problem because the car switched sides in the middle, but it’s here.”

Knock, knock.

Park Seung-ri, sitting with two laptops on his desk, pointed to the electric pole with his finger.

“Look up there. Do you see that no-youth zone?”

There was a sign on the utility pole indicating that it was a 24-hour no-go zone for minors.

“Look at all the stores with their lights off at night. The kind of stores that my junior thinks you only see in the outskirts and underdeveloped areas, but that’s not the case either.”

“ah.”

Somehow, all three students except her… seemed to be well aware of this fact. Jang Mi-mi let out a sigh.

The car disappeared into an alley that was a blind spot of the CCTV. Park Han-byeol stammered as she checked the alley on her laptop screen.

“Hey, did the car go into the alley here?”

She took a step forward, her legs shaking slightly.

widely.

Jang Mi-mi immediately grabs his arm. Park Seung-ri mocks her actions.

“Is your junior in his right mind? What are you going to do there, filming Cheon Jong-won’s Alley Restaurant?”

“Hanbyeol, I’ll go.”

Jang Mi-mi, who had pushed Park Han-byeol back, opened the zipper of the bag on her shoulder.

‘Hwa, bow?’

There were bows and black clothes in a mess. The blue bow in particular was so elaborate and antique that it was on a different level from what Park Han-byeol had seen in historical dramas, and it was enough to make her exclaim in admiration even in this situation.

“Are you a student? Do you study at school?”

On the other hand, Pi Ju-hee’s perspective was a little different. After looking inside the bag, which contained not even a pencil case or notebook, he frowned and put his bag down.

“Mr. Woo. You want to pick a fight in this situation—”

“Come out. I’m going.”

Pi Joo-hee took out clothes identical to Jang Mi-mi’s from her bag, which was neatly organized with her pencil case, workbook, and notebook, and put them on. He put down the paint can he had been carrying on his shoulder and put on his mask and hat.

“Wow, you guys got the tee too? Can you tell the boss and give me one too?!”

“No, no.”

“Well, I’m not even an employee, so this is a bit exaggerated… … .”

Pi Ju-hee asked Park Seung-ri, who was taking things out of his pockets one by one.

“What should I go and do?”

“Uh… … When I looked at the map, there was a building at the end of the alley. It was surrounded by outer walls, so I guess I could go in that way.”

There isn’t enough information to jump right in…

What Seungri Park took out was a round sticker the size of a coin and a square tetrahedron.

“The round ones are external bugs, and the square ones are cameras. If you attach a bug to a wall, it won’t make any sound. You have to attach it to a window. It’s best to attach the camera between the window and the window frame.”

“Hey Pijuhee! I told you I was going.”

“I don’t trust you.”

Pi Joo-hee, who had pushed Jang Mi’s forehead back, spoke while taking out the wiretapping device and camera. Then, without Jang Mi having a chance to stop her, she ran into the alley.

“… … .”

Chul-chul.

In the dark alleyway, which was dark even during the day, Pi Ju-hee stepped on a puddle of ghostly energy. It wasn’t the same ghostly energy that had stuck to Park Han-byeol’s back. It seemed to be the ghostly energy of another ghost, but it seemed like the ghosts gathered there because it was a habit of ghosts to gather in that place.

‘or…….’

Pi Joo-hee thought as she held the earwax stuck to the outside air vent and dust.

‘There is a dead person.’

Crunch.

The ghost disappears from his grasp.

‘automobile.’

The building at the end of the alley had a red sign that was illegible due to the light. However, judging from the yellow tiles on the exterior walls that were corroded and the torn liquor advertisements from decades ago attached to them, it was clear at a glance that it was the oldest building in the area.

‘……Same.’

The door was locked. A black van was parked next to the door. The car model and license plate number matched those seen on the CCTV.

Pi Ju-hee focused her senses more keenly on the ghost.

‘Second floor…!’

There was a faint sense of movement on the second floor. It seemed like there were quite a few people moving around. If it was Heo Geon-pil, he could have overheard their conversation, but for Pi Joo-hee, this was the best she could do.

Pijuhee, who had grabbed the creaking pipe in one breath, glanced at the hazy window.

‘see.’

He could see the shadows of the people he had sensed. The mere fact that there were people in what was presumed to be an abandoned building was suspicious enough.

His heart pounded. He felt like a bad kid for doing something like this without telling Heo Geon-pil. He swallowed hard and carefully attached the wiretapping device with his nervous hands.

‘I also need to install a camera… … .’

It was a moment. Before Pi Ju-hee could activate the wiretapping device, the voices of the people could be heard from beyond the window.

“… … Didn’t I tell you to ventilate when you’re sick? Taking medicine and going into shock doesn’t cost much, but if you get lung cancer, it’ll cost you a ton of money until you die?!”

“Yes, yes.”

Thud, thud.

Inyoung is getting closer and closer.

Knock knock!

A man smoking a cigarette opened the window.

“hmm?”

Suddenly, a man poked his head out through the window. He looked around.

“What are you doing?”

“No, I just felt like I sensed someone.”

“Hey kid, you finally got a kick out of smoking. This is the second floor. Okay?”

“But that is… … .”

The man, who had been scolded by his colleague, inhaled the smoke from his cigarette.

… … Meanwhile, Pi Ju-hee, who had been hiding her body by sticking close to the pipe, exhaled.

‘good.’

It was urgent, but the income came quickly.

That man was… the dealer back then, and today!

“Ah, damn it, I didn’t know our Ssangryongpa hyungs would be in the bread.”

The man, flicking his cigarette butt, muttered as if lamenting his fate.

“This sucks, damn it. I trusted my brothers and went crazy, and this is what I’m getting, fucking shit.”

“Hey, at least we won’t have to eat rice and beans. Even so, you got beaten up by the father of the kid you were flirting with last time.”

“Ah, don’t tell me that! Fuck, I was really going to take all the kids and beat them up…!”

“I didn’t even take any medicine, but when I opened my eyes in SIN Plaza, I was in a public restroom. How did I find it?”

“… … .”

The man who had been shouting took another drag on his cigarette. The colleague behind him approached him and put his arm around his shoulder as if to comfort him.

“It’s okay, kid. When this job is over, you’re going to China. Where are you going? You know what I mean, don’t I?

“Ha… … But still, she was really damn pretty.”

china?

Pi Joo-hee, who had been vaguely hearing the words referring to herself, listened to their conversation again. It seemed to be related to this incident―

Squeak!

“… … !”

Pi Ju-hee’s eyes widened. No, maybe she didn’t even have time to widen her eyes.

That’s what I said a little while ago.

It’s a squeaky pipe.

… … How sturdy can a building that is so old that it still has flyers from decades ago be?

Squeak, squeak—

Kuuuung!!

Pi Ju-hee fell to the floor along with the bent pipe.

“… … .”

“… … .”

My eyes met with those of the men who were sticking their heads out the window.

“I, I… … .”

“… … .”

“Catch that kid aaaa …

This boringly familiar repertoire doesn’t change!

* * *

“Ta-da, ta-da.”

The three adults at the center, who had been drinking since early evening, clinked their glasses together as the students returned home later than usual.

“Oh my, is everything really okay?”

Heo Geon-pil rolled his glass as if he was uncomfortable. Madonji grumbled as she placed down the side dish.

“Huh, is it okay to worry like that normally?”

“Boss, you got the message, right? I said I went to buy some game chips for the kids. And Joo-hee went with me, so what’s there to worry about?”

I don’t know if Mimi would be okay alone… … .

Kim Min-soo muttered only the last part. However, the words that Heo Geon-pil spat out while downing his alcohol were words he did not expect.

“I’m more worried if we go together.”

“yes?”

“I raised her, but Joohee is a bit… … .”

Geonpil said, brushing his hair back for no reason.

“You don’t seem to have a very nice personality, do you?

‘I don’t know why the boss chose you. I was really pissed when I heard you were coming in. So, bro. Get out of here as fast as you can.’

“It’s not very good.”

Kim Min-soo nodded.

“Oh… I guess that’s why the kid seems to be a bit of a loner at school.”

“… … That can’t be right?”

Kim Min-soo asked, thinking of the plaques and report cards marked with the number 1 that would cover the walls, and the love letters and Valentine’s Day chocolates that would pile up to the ceiling.

“No, no. It’s normal for kids that age to steal alcohol from home and drink it with their friends, break glass at school and write a self-reflection paper, get into fights with their friends, and eventually get yelled at by their teacher to bring a guardian.”

No, that’s not it? No matter how I look at it, it seems like a compressed version of your school life?!

Kim Min-soo swallowed the words that were rising to his throat again today.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that we poured our heart and soul into making a single friend throughout our elementary and middle school years. We took her to playgrounds and kid’s cafes. It only resulted in the odd result of Donji joining the women’s club, but that’s how it was.”

“… … .”

“But in front of me, it seemed like he got along well with his peers… but behind my back, it wasn’t like that.”

Then something happened.

Madonna nodded.

“It must have been a day when Joohee was playing with her friends at the after-school care center. It started pouring rain in the afternoon, but my brother was the only one who couldn’t bring an umbrella to school.”

“But when I was leaving school, I saw a child standing in front of the school gate holding an umbrella. She had been standing there for three hours in front of the school, even though the wind and rain were blowing!”

“oh my…….”

Kim Min-soo, who was pouring the drink, let out an exclamation.

“Still, I bet you were surprised.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Are you so surprised that you’re freezing?! You try having a baby later. I’ll watch your expression when the baby holds an umbrella in front of the center for three hours and gets soaked in the rain and gets rushed to the emergency room.”

Gunpil, who was furious, complained with only one corner of his mouth down.

“Ha, anyway. Why am I saying this? Joohee, there are only a very small number of people who are put inside the fence called home. But once you put them inside the fence… … you tend to try to protect them.”

“… … Huh? Really?”

* * *

Park Seung-ri didn’t even have time to take the communicator. Pi Joo-hee, who had prepared for the unexpected situation, left her phone behind as well, so they were completely disconnected from Pi Joo-hee.

“Pi Joo-hee, why aren’t you coming out? Ugh, I told you to go…!”

But even though the scheduled time had passed, he did not return. Jang Mi-mi, who was staring intently at the alley, muttered in annoyance.

“Mimi, I’m sorry.”

Park Han-byeol, who was looking at the end of the alley with her while sweating profusely, grabbed her by the collar.

“Oh, don’t worry… … .”

“Aren’t you worried? Why are you worried? I’m angry. My colleague is coming later than he was supposed to!”

“Umm… … We’re worried about that… but the two of you… are also friends… … .”

“Hey, buddy?!”

Jang Mi-mi jumped up and down and shouted so loudly that Park Han-byeol was startled.

“Pijuhyeon―”

“I don’t have any friends.”

Her afterword was received by Park Seung-ri instead.

“Where does he have any friends?”

“… … I have a friend named Pi Ju-hee.”

Jang Mi-mi glared and objected as if she found Park Seung-ri’s words unpleasant.

“Huh? He’s destined to become a loner like me! We’ll be eliminated from society together!”

“It’s over there.”

“Where?! Who—”

Park Seung-ri muttered as he turned his head in the direction Jang Mi-mi pointed.

“… … Joohee, do you have a lot of friends?”

Dozens of young men were chasing after Pi Ju-hee, who was running while kicking up a dust storm.

* * *

“I don’t know. Anyway, Joohee and Mimi too. Of all the kids I’ve raised, they’re the most elusive.”

Gunpil finished speaking and drank his alcohol – no, he spit it out.

“Phew! What the heck is this? Which kid mixed water in his drink?!”

“Ahaha… … .”

Kim Min-soo smiles faintly and hides the water bottle behind his back.

‘hmm?’

Then suddenly he tilted his head.

‘The kids I raised’…?’