***
As soon as I hung up Do-hwa’s call, memories from before the regression suddenly surfaced.
A few years after I got married, I lived while cut off from contact with the orphanage, but then I suddenly heard the news that the orphanage had been demolished.
And I heard that a townhouse had been built in that spot. It was a location suitable for a townhouse, as it was a moderate distance from the city, had good mountain scenery, and even had a valley right next to it.
And not long after, I heard the news that the director had passed away.
Director Kim Do-gon was like a father to the Eagle Five. No, he was more than that.
He had a generous impression that reminded one of Coach An from Slam Dunk; he was kind and broad-minded, and he always just laughed heartily.
However, while doing so, he did not pass the work that needed to be done onto others and acted responsibly.
Sometimes strictly, sometimes gently, he tried to guide the Eagle Five onto the right path.
I told my wife that I would go to the funeral home, but she didn't let me go, telling me not to mention anything about the orphanage. Just like that, the orphanage was naturally forgotten from my mind little by little.
“It seems the director has been hurt.”
“What? The old man? How?”
She, who had been watching TV while drinking a beer, suddenly straightened her body and asked. Her expression became serious.
“He was attacked by some guys, they say?”
“What? How dare those bastards do that to our old man!!”
She lit up with anger and crushed the beer can.
“Judging by Do-hwa’s voice, he is on the verge of going berserk. It seems I have to go quickly.”
Woo Do-hwa was someone who didn't reveal his emotions easily, but once he exploded, he became a lunatic to the point where no one could stop him.
As expected, it is not good to bottle up emotions. They should be released as they come… wait, what am I saying right now. This is no time for that.
“Let’s go right now!”
Jo Sang-nim shouted as she jumped up.
“Are you going too?”
“Isn't that obvious? And I’m much closer to the old man than you guys are. Do I even keep in touch often? I wondered why he had been out of touch lately. Something must have definitely happened!”
“Then pack your things roughly. We’ll be sleeping there for a day or two.”
“Okay.”
She went straight into her room, and I roughly packed a change of clothes and daily necessities before getting into the car.
And with my arms crossed, I became lost in thought until she came out.
The director was assaulted by someone… the events that would happen in the future strangely interlocked with this. The orphanage demolished, a townhouse built, and then the director passes away…
Before the regression, I thought it was just something that happened naturally, but looking at it now, it seemed too unnatural.
The decisive evidence was that gangsters were frequenting the orphanage and the director was assaulted.
It was clear that someone was targeting the orphanage.
I tried to remember which company built the townhouse, but I couldn't remember up to that point. No, in truth, I had no interest before the regression.
It doesn't matter. Because I can just change the future starting from now.
Townhouse? Don't make me laugh. I won't even let you dream of it.
“Let’s go.”
At that moment, Jo Sang-nim got into the car.
Vrooom—
I stepped strongly on the accelerator and headed toward Daejeon, where the orphanage was located.
<><><>
Daejeon. Yuseong-gu.
In a certain old-fashioned nightclub office, five men were taking the ‘at ease’ posture with their heads buried in the floor.
Seeing them sweating profusely and their bodies trembling, it seemed a considerable amount of time had passed.
In front of them, a middle-aged man with yellow hair swept back was chain-smoking and glaring at the five men.
His name was Park In-seop. He operated quite a few nightclubs and prostitution establishments, and was simultaneously working as a service company. Recently, as the economy was not good and a recession had struck, he was focusing on the service company work.
Behind him, a man with a short stature and a sturdy body stood silently.
Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be from Southeast Asia.
“Five of you couldn't even take out one guy and came back running… Logically speaking, do you think this makes sense? Gyeong-u.”
“Ugh, yes. Hyung-nim.”
The man at the very front among the men who had their heads buried answered.
“Does this make sense, or not?”
“It does not make sense! Hyung-nim!”
“You know how important this work is, right?”
“Yes. Hyung-nim.”
“That is why I entrusted it to you, whom I trust the most.”
“Thank you. Hyung-nim.”
The man repeated the word ‘Hyung-nim’ like a parrot.
Park In-seop crushed his cigarette in the ashtray and put his foot on top of the man’s head.
“I’ll give you one last chance. Go and break that bastard’s legs, break his arms, or break his neck. Break at least one part of him and come back. Got it?”
“Understood. Hyung-nim!”
“Get out!”
“Yes!”
At his words, the five men jumped up from their seats, bowed deeply as if their waists would fold, and swarmed outside. Watching that sight, Park In-seop clicked his tongue and muttered.
“Tsk, I should have just killed the old man back then. Dammit.”
Beep-beep-beep— Beep-beep—
At that moment, the ringtone rang. After checking the caller, he adjusted his posture, wrinkled his face, and answered the phone.
“Ah, yes. Madam. Of course. Please do not worry. It is almost finished. I will definitely clean it up neatly beforehand so that there are no setbacks in the schedule. Yes, yes. Understood. Please go in.”
He had to try to calm his boiling insides while hanging up the phone.
“A young bitch, how dare she speak informally to whom. Shit… if it weren't for the money, it’s truly disgusting. Ptooey!”
He spat into the ashtray irritably and stuck another cigarette in his mouth.
Then, he whispered something in fluent Vietnamese to the man standing behind him.
The short man only nodded his head once.
<><><>
Vrooom— Screech!
We stopped the car in a remote place quite far from the orphanage.
“Why are we stopping here? Are we not going in?”
“I have a plan. Let’s go.”
I said as I stepped out of the car. She followed while grumbling because she had no choice, but she didn't pry any further. Because if I had a reason, I had one.
I carried her luggage bag for her.
The time was 9:30 PM.
It was almost time for the children to sleep.
However, the orphanage lights were still brightly lit, and the children’s lively voices could be heard. It seemed they didn't want to sleep at all.
At the orphanage entrance, Woo Do-hwa was sitting at an outdoor table with his arms crossed.
“Where is the director? I need to see him now.”
As Jo Sang-nim tried to go into the orphanage, Woo Do-hwa hurriedly grabbed her arm.
“Forget it. He just barely fell asleep.”
“What kind of bastards are they?”
Jo Sang-nim asked sharply.
“That is…”
“It’s probably hired thugs.”
The moment Woo Do-hwa was about to speak, I opened my mouth first. Then, Woo Do-hwa looked at me with a surprised expression, as if wondering how I knew.
“Gangsters wouldn't have any business with an orphanage in such an outskirts area. If so, it’s loan sharks or hired thugs, but judging by the director’s personality, he’s not the type to borrow money from loan sharks, right? Then the answer is out. My guess is that someone is eyeing this land. But the director must have tried to protect the orphanage. That’s why they brought in hired thugs.”
As my words ended, Jo Sang-nim looked at me with a dumbfounded expression and then asked Woo Do-hwa as if she couldn't believe it.
“Is this preposterous talk true?”
Then Woo Do-hwa slowly nodded his head. It seemed it was similar to what he had heard from the director during the day.
“Wow, you’re a genius?”
“It’s content you can infer if you think about it for a little bit.”
I answered while shrugging my shoulders.
Although I said it like this, in truth, it was possible because I knew the things that had happened before the regression. But the two of them just took it in stride.
Well, the actions I had shown recently were things incomprehensible to the two of them.
I even predict how coin prices will change, so this level is nothing.
“Then what are you planning to do moving forward?”
Jo Sang-nim asked me. Woo Do-hwa also seemed to be waiting for my answer with his arms crossed.
“What do you mean, what am I going to do? I have to crush them all. So that they can't see it ever again.”
I said it nonchalantly.
I had already planned everything while coming down to Daejeon.
The next morning.
“Haaam! I slept well. It feels like I slept at home for the first time in a while.”
Jo Sang-nim entered the orphanage cafeteria while stretching. Woo Do-hwa and I were already eating in the cafeteria, and both of us had hollow eyes. It was because we had taken turns standing guard all night long.
Since there was a possibility that the bastards could intrude secretly or commit arson at night, we couldn't let go of the string of tension.
However, last night passed quietly.
I actually wished they had come.
“Auntie Myeong-suk!!”
“Oh my! Sang-nim-ah!”
She entered the cafeteria kitchen and greeted the aunts who were working as volunteers by hugging them. Furthermore, she greeted everyone she met, including the office worker, the nutritionist, and the caretaker, with joy.
Around the time we finished our meal, one childcare worker came to find us.
“The director has woken up.”
“Ah? Is that so? Let’s go.”
We followed the childcare worker to the room where the director resided.
As the door opened and the director, who was covered in bandages and casts all over his body, became visible, Jo Sang-nim shouted loudly as if the sky were collapsing, ran to him, and hugged him.
“Old man!! What on earth happened!!”
Tears were already welling up in her eyes.
“Hehehe… In-seok-ah, it hurts. When did you come? Without letting me know in advance. I’m fine. I’m fine.”
Rather, it was the director who was comforting her.
Woo Do-hwa and I stood at the threshold and looked at the two of them nonchalantly.
However, inwardly clenching my fists secretly, I was vowing that I would never forgive them.