The shadow of the white van stretched long and angular across the asphalt, elongating in the late afternoon sun. Ming You drove at a steady pace, maintaining a distance of three or four cars, his gaze fixed on Chang Wo's orange sedan. They were moving along the banks of the Han River, where the water gleamed like lead under a low, cloudy sky. The air seeping through the slightly open window smelled of river dampness and distant smoke.
At one of the turns, smoothly merging into the traffic flow, a white Lexus LS passed in the neighboring lane. The lacquer on its body shone with a cold, soulless gleam. The cars stopped synchronously at a traffic light. In the silence of the van, Ming You heard only the steady hum of the engine and his own breathing.
The Lexus window slid down soundlessly. Behind the wheel, wearing dark sunglasses that reflected a distorted image of the van, sat Tae Sagi. His profile was calm, almost detached. He turned his head, and even through the tinted glass, Ming You felt the weight of that gaze. Tae Sagi lightly tapped the horn — two short, almost friendly beeps.
"Hey, Ming You!" his voice came through clearly, without shouting, as if they were standing next to each other in a quiet room. "How was the drive to school, alright?"
Ming You slowly turned his head. He met the gaze of Tae Sagi's reflection in the sunglasses and didn't answer. He didn't nod, didn't smile, didn't feign recognition. He simply stared, forcing his face to remain an empty, stony mask.
The light turned green. Chang Wo's orange car moved off. Ming You, without taking his eyes off the Lexus, turned the steering wheel and followed the coach. He saw Tae Sagi shake his head slightly, and the corner of his mouth twitched in a barely perceptible, understanding smirk.
"Ah, school must be wearing you out," Tae Sagi uttered, no longer addressing anyone in particular, and the white Lexus smoothly accelerated forward, dissolving into the stream of cars as if it had never been there.
Ming You exhaled. Only now did he feel how tightly he had been gripping the steering wheel. A cold sweat had broken out on his palms.
"Goddamn Tae Sagi," he hissed through his teeth, and the words hung in the stuffy air of the cab, filled with the smell of plastic.
He focused on the road. Chang Wo drove unhurriedly, changing lanes carefully. They passed through busy districts, turned into a quieter neighborhood built up with apartment blocks. After fifteen minutes, the orange sedan slowed down near the gates of a middle school with a sign by the entrance that read 'Songmyeong'. The grey brick building looked dreary and mundane.
Ming You stopped the van about a block and a half away, behind a parked truck, from where the entrance was clearly visible. He killed the engine. A girl of about twelve dashed out of the school gates. Her light brown hair was tied in a high ponytail, a pink backpack dangling from her shoulders. Seeing the car, her face lit up with a wide, carefree smile. She shouted something, waved her hand, and ran to the passenger door.
Chang Wo leaned across the seat and opened it from the inside. The girl hopped into the back seat, tossing her backpack beside her.
"Hi, Dad!" Her ringing voice, even through the van's closed windows, sounded bright and joyful.
Chang Wo turned around, and Ming You saw how his usually stern, focused face melted into a warm, soft smile.
"How was school, Su Yeong?" asked Chang Wo, starting the engine.
"Great! I got 85 on the science test!" the girl blurted out proudly, pulling a crumpled piece of paper from her jacket pocket and shoving it under her father's nose.
Chang Wo took the paper, looked carefully at the red mark, and his smile widened even further. He ruffled his daughter's hair.
"Glad to hear it, well done. I'm proud of you."
"How about your work?" asked Chang Su Yeong, settling comfortably and fastening her seatbelt. "Did you finally kick that bully off the team?"
Chang Wo sighed, and the smile faded slightly, replaced by tired seriousness.
"Yeah, he finally stopped showing up for practice. Today really is a good day."
There was no triumph in his voice. There was relief, mixed with a kind of bitterness.
"Did you beat him up?" Chang Su Yeong asked with a child's cruel curiosity.
Chang Wo sharply turned his head, his face becoming stern.
"No, what are you saying! If I beat him up, how would I be any different from the other bullies? Violence is the last resort of fools. And it never solves a problem, only creates new ones."
"But Mom said bullies don't understand anything except fights..." the girl muttered, rubbing her nose.
"This... guy isn't a regular bully," Chang Wo said, choosing his words carefully. "But I'm glad he understood me, otherwise I'd have had to call the police. And nobody needs that."
"Wow, the police..." Chang Su Yeong's eyes widened. "Why wasn't he expelled from school if he's so dangerous?"
"Because this bully is very cunning," Chang Wo replied quietly, and his gaze became detached for a moment, as if he was remembering something unpleasant. "But let's not talk about him," he smiled again, forcibly bringing cheer back into his voice. "How about celebrating your high score? I think we could all go to a restaurant as a family."
"Really? Good idea, I'm in!" the girl clapped her hands.
"But do your homework first; we should be ready to go by then."
"F-i-ne," she drawled, pretending to suffer, but her eyes were shining.
The orange sedan moved off and a couple of minutes later turned into the courtyard of a residential complex. Ming You watched as Chang Wo deftly parked in his assigned spot, as he and his daughter got out, as he took her heavy backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and she, chattering nonstop, grabbed his free hand. They headed towards the entrance of one of the high-rises, the little figure of the girl swinging her father's hand in time with her steps. An ordinary, peaceful, warm picture. A picture Ming You observed from the darkness of his van.
He also parked in a far corner of the lot, under the shade of bare trees. Then he pulled the key from the ignition. Ming You placed the keys on the dashboard and just sat there, staring at the entrance where Chang Wo and his daughter had disappeared. Windows in the apartments on the middle floors began to light up as yellow squares. Somewhere there, behind one of them, the girl named Chang Su Yeong would now be laying out her textbooks, and her father would be getting ready or helping his wife.
"Tomorrow is a day off," he thought, and the thought echoed in his head with icy clarity. "I have exactly two nights to finish the job..."
...
At that same time, but in another, far more airless world, on the dank wind of Incheon port, Tae Sagi was slamming the door of his Lexus shut. He had parked a hundred meters from the meeting point — in the shadow of a half-collapsed warehouse, which offered a perfect view of the lit-up area near pier No. 7. It smelled of salt, fuel oil, and rust. The cries of seagulls cut through the raw air.
He was dressed inconspicuously: dark jeans, a loose leather jacket over a bright, but now hidden from view, shirt. From the jacket, he pulled out a compact pair of binoculars and raised them to his eyes.
Tae Sagi watched as a long black limousine slowly drove off the port territory and disappeared into the evening twilight. On the platform, only a lone figure in rumpled expensive clothes remained — Chanrat. He stood hunched over, smoking, nervously glancing at his watch.
Tae Sagi lowered the binoculars. His face showed neither contempt nor pity. Only cold calculation. He returned to the car, opened the trunk. He took out a bundle and unwrapped it. Inside lay a black balaclava, thin leather gloves, and a heavy, duct-taped piece of metal — a 'sap'. He methodically put on the gloves, pulled the balaclava over his head, distorting his features beyond recognition. He hid the sap in a deep pocket of his jacket. Checked that his arm moved freely. Everything was perfect.