Swallow Hunting - Chapter 10.1
Hae-jun sat on the second floor of a franchise cafe across from the building, his eyes fixed outside the window.
He squinted, scanning for any corpses or suspicious bags that might be carried out. Most of the people coming and going through the main entrance looked like ordinary office workers. Occasionally, a bulky man in a suit appeared, or a luxury foreign car was swallowed by the underground parking, but nothing seemed particularly suspicious.
If he could see inside, he might have felt some relief, but from the outside, it was impossible. Time passed steadily as he nervously sipped his coffee. He desperately wanted to run, but if Han Young-hwa lied to the boss, he might at least get slapped on the cheek, if not worse. He felt stuck.
Taking a deep breath, he left the cafe and entered the building. Han Young-hwa had told him the man’s name, but it didn’t immediately come to mind, so he checked his message before approaching the reception desk.
“I have an appointment with CEO Lee Kang-ju.”
“And your name?”
“Cha Se… no. Han Young-hwa.”
Even if the man didn’t remember him, Hae-jun assumed Han Young-hwa would recognize the name. The receptionist asked him to wait and made a quick phone call. After a short conversation, the receptionist guided Hae-jun further into the building.
Han Young-hwa was not heading to the lobby. She opened the emergency exit, climbed the stairs, and took a separate elevator to a higher floor. The moment the doors opened, the reception room appeared. The receptionist greeted Hae-jun and left him to wait alone. Hae-jun almost clung to Han Young-hwa’s coat like a child, silently pleading to stay by her side even for a moment.
Unlike the luxurious hallway, the reception room was simple and neat. There was a sofa, a large potted plant, a coffee machine, and expensive tea bags. A desk that an office worker might sit at was empty, perhaps because it was around lunchtime.
The most notable feature was a large, undecorated fish tank. Inside, a massive fish swam gracefully. Hae-jun approached the tank to calm his nerves, narrowing his eyes.
It had a long, thick body, catfish-like whiskers, bright golden scales, and big, dull eyes.
Hae-jun knew what kind of fish it was. A client he had once worked with had a hobby with fish tanks, and Hae-jun had memorized several famous species to keep up.
“Arowana.”
Of course, the fish could not understand him, but it twisted its body as if responding to the sound. At the same time, someone screamed from behind. Startled like a cat frightened by thunder, Hae-jun jumped.
The faint sound came from inside the room. Hae-jun clutched the side of the fish tank, shivering, then rose onto his toes out of curiosity and moved toward the door. He pressed his ear against it, but the sound seemed muffled by the soundproofing.
Several minutes passed. His body twisted in anticipation, desperate to know what was happening inside, when the door suddenly swung open. He barely managed to stifle a scream and scrambled backward onto the sofa, sweat pouring down his face.
As the door opened fully, the interior became visible. It was a horrific scene. A man lay collapsed, twitching.
His bare torso was so evenly muscled it looked like freshly cut raw meat. His face had turned to the side, smashed and swollen. Blood ran from his nostrils and parted lips, pooling on the floor, with broken teeth soaked in blood scattered around.
Two men in suits quickly approached and handled the man who looked close to dead. Another man—the one Hae-jun absolutely did not want to meet, but whom Han Young-hwa had half-threatened him into seeing—stood upright on both feet.
The bulky men did not even glance at Hae-jun. They simply carried the collapsed man across the reception room to the elevator. Blood dripped from the man’s head, still bent as if unconscious, forming a trail to the floor.
Hae-jun, startled, turned his head straight and clenched his fists over his knees, taking a posture like a recruit ready for command.
He peeked sideways at Lee Kang-ju. Lee Kang-ju pushed his disheveled hair back, taking off his bloodstained shirt. Even without a clear view, the mottled skin showed scars from cuts and stabs that had healed and reopened. There were no tattoos; his back was clean.
A broad, muscular torso was now hidden beneath a new shirt. Hae-jun quickly turned his eyes back, afraid of being caught looking. Lee Kang-ju wiped his hands with a handkerchief and walked out of the room. A strong metallic fishy scent filled the air, either from the man or the floor.
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