Mishimoto Yoshiaki
One gesture.
All it took was one gesture and a few innocently asked personal questions for me to form my own opinion of the boy and see right through him. Then, like pieces of a puzzle, every detail fell into place. The boy is unaware of how much he reveals about himself, when he slightly lowers his head, the corners of his mouth twitch or he averts his gaze a fraction of a second too late. All I had to do was watch. And I watched. Carefully.
He knows I met his father, but I kept our secret to myself. I'll keep this ace up my sleeve for now. He surely senses that something has been left unsaid. It's important not to let up now.
That's why I sent a couple of my men to Hyunjin to follow and confront him at the first opportunity. I didn't intend to use full force, just to cause a slight disturbance. However, it turned into a brawl in one of his bars, where I lost a couple of my men.
A loss? Acceptable.
It doesn't bother me — unlike him, I can afford to lose my pawns.
But the pressure needs to be increased. Provoke him. If you want to break a man — a man of Yoon's stature — you must first steal his peace of mind. The most effective weapon for this is fear of losing what is most precious to him.
So I assigned a few of my men to watch his sister. For starters, just to watch her. They'll follow her at night like shadows. Breathing down her neck. But I want Yoon to know, that I can step in at any time and kidnap her, for example. Or her daughter. At least he has to believe that. That I have the power.
Unfortunately, however, his sister is untouchable because her husband is a highly influential Japanese businessman, who will do whatever it takes to protect his family in an emergency. He is the director and majority owner of one of Tokyo's largest logistics and chemical corporations.
Takashi Aoyama.
Legal. Clean papers. Government contracts. International oversight.
And yet, this is a company without which I would lose more than I am willing to sacrifice. They unwittingly supply me with the legal materials that I use for illegal production.
They provide cover. They also give me access to places, that would otherwise be out of bounds. Her husband is a key player in the business, who is untouchable. If I were to touch his family, it would set off an avalanche, that I wouldn't be able to control this time. And I can't afford that. Of course, Yoon doesn't know, that I'm using material from his sister's husband's company.
That's, why I focused on that boy, Taesung. Taesung. The more we observe them, the more convinced I am, that their relationship is more than just a coincidence.
I just need direct evidence.
And then?
One decision is enough. One nod and the world, that Yoon protects will begin to shatter like glass. I want him to sense the quiet uncertainty in the air.
Nega saranghaneun janeun naui kadeuda - The one you love is my card.
The game has only just begun, but I already have a few pawns pulling the strings. All I have to do is pull gently. It all started with curiosity. A simple, non-committal question: Who is that boy by his side?
But curiosity can be dangerous. It can turn into knowledge. That's, when I realised, that this boy meant more to Yoon, than just a shadow. Once a man has something to lose, he ceases to be invincible.
Knowledge becomes a weapon. It's a weapon that I have loaded myself, and I intend to use it.
... ༺༻ ...
I am sitting in my study, breathing in the heavy air, which smells of old wood and whisky. I hold a glass of whiskey in my hand and examine its cut glass facets in the lamplight. Just as I am about to take a sip, the door quietly opens and Ishida, one of Nishimura's men, enters. He is a thin shadow, with human features and an immobile expression on his face. He's the type of man, who doesn't ask questions, when he has orders to carry out.
He bows deeply. „Oyabun, we have news from last night's reconnaissance."
I don't look at him, just nodding slightly for him to continue.
„We were on Yoona Hyunjin's property. Not too close, but close enough to see the ground floor." He speaks quietly and without emotion. Just as he has been taught for years — perhaps a little too artificially.
„And?" I encourage him with a single wave of my hand. Ishida swallows nervously. His eyes briefly shift to Nishimura, who stands motionless by the door like a perfectly carved statue. At that moment, I straight up at my chair. Ishida never hesitates, so what could he have seen to shock him so much?
„We saw Yoon..., with that boy."
I blink slowly. „Go on." Tell me what you saw. Confirm my suspicions.
„They were..., close." He spits out the word as if it burns his tongue and obstructs his speech. „Not like boss and subordinate. More like someone Yoon allows to get close to him."
„More precisely," I urge him. I want to hear every detail. I want to hear exactly, what I'm thinking. That's the proof I need.
„They were standing in the kitchen. They were talking quietly. Yoon leaned towards him. Very close. The boy...,"
„Taesung," I finish quietly for him.
„That boy, Taesung, didn't move from Yoon." So that's, what this is about. Silence spreads through the room like poisonous oil. Nishimura doesn't even breathe. Ishida turns pale in front of me as though he has said something forbidden. He's probably not in favour of homosexuality, but I smile. This information makes me extremely happy. It means one thing.
„So Yoon has finally let someone get close to him," I say. My voice vibrates with satisfaction. It's that precious feeling when, after years of searching, you discover a weakness, that had been hidden from you all along.
„Oyabun, do you think it's possible...,"
„Nothing is possible," I interrupt him sharply. „It's clear." I put my glass down on the massive table, the sound of the glass echoes through the room. „That boy means more to him, than I expected. A man like Yoon is most vulnerable, when he has something to lose." Ishida nods. I lean forward. I speak slowly. „We'll take him away from him." Nishimura doesn't bat an eyelid, but I can feel the tension in the room increase.
„But not right away," I add calmly. I look at both of them. There is only venomous coldness in my voice. „First, we'll make him feel like he can't protect him. That he's losing him. Slowly." I savour the silence that follows my words for a moment. „And when the time is right, we'll take Taesung from his arms. I want to be the one to see Yoon break for the first time in his life." Everyone in the world has to fucking die someday. This game just changed the rules.
... ༺༻ ...
BLOOD DEBT (피의 빚)