Chapter 72: CCK (15)
Chapter 72: CCK (15)
Junwan was waiting at a cafe, sipping his coffee. He had been waiting for Minho for the past half an hour but it was not 3 PM yet. Knowing Hwang Minho, the kid would arrive exactly on the clock for the news he had. And he was right.
Minho arrived at exactly 3 PM, walking into the cafe. He spotted Junwan sitting by the window. He went up to the table and took a seat opposite to him.
"What's the news?" Minho demanded. "Did you see him?"
A nerve twitched on Junwan's forehead. The brat would not even greet him!
"You should greet adults formally before asking for something," Junwan reprimanded him.
"Hello," Minho said in a deadpan voice. "Now give me the details."
Junwan rolled his eyes and took out a file from his bag. Minho took and carefully examined the contents. There were pictures of a tall man in his late forties walking by the road. He was wearing a hoodie and cap but his face was visible. Hazy but Minho could make out the familiar features of his father's face. He could never forget that face anyway.
"It's him," Minho confirmed. "It's Hwang Junho. Where was this taken?"
"Around S-Town," Junwan replied. "Twenty kilometers south of here. My informer spotted him and reported to me. He tried to follow Hwang Junho but the man vanished when my informer followed him to a corner. It seems like Hwang Junho knows that place well which is why he was able to hide."
Minho stared at the picture. His blood was boiling upon the sight of the murderer who had destroyed their family. The man's daunting face after he had murdered his mother still flashed before his eyes. Not only that, he had abandoned his children instead of surrendering to the law. The man was a coward.
"Find him," Minho demanded.
"We're trying but-"
"Find him," Minho repeated. "Throw him in jail and make sure he gets the highest level of punishment."
"Minho," Junwan began. "I'm trying. But you have to remember that six years have already passed. We have only nine years left before the statute of limitation is over on your mother's case. If we can't find him by then, he will be a free man!"
"I don't care about any limitations," Minho threatened in a cold tone. He was not angry but a dangerous calmness was emitting from him which made him even more intimidating. "Find him. Whether the statute of limitations expires or not. I only want him punished."
The boy was adamant on his stance. Junwan was worried about his actions. Even though the boy and his sister were being well taken care of by Lawyer Lee and the Jangs, Minho was still stuck in the past. The memory of his mother's dead eyes were haunting him every night. The ten year old who had witnessed his mother being murdered was still hellbent on punishing his father by hook or by crook.
"Minho, focus on your life," Junwan suggested. "The man may have escaped but think about your sister. Doesn't she deserve a stable family life? Don't you think it's high time you focus on raising her away from the shadow of your past? She doesn't remember anything! Build a new life with her and let go of revenge."
Junwan may not be very fond of Hwang Minho but the boy did grow up in front of his eyes so he could not help but feel a little worried. What if something happened to Minho in his quest for revenge?
"Mina will be fine," Minho said curtly. "I will give her the best upbringing so that she can never lack anything. She will be happy in her life. All I want to do is to become a richer and more powerful man than Hwang Sr. So that one day, when we will finally meet, he can see that his actions could not destroy us. He may have snatched our mother away, but she's still with us, guiding her children. I want to show him what he had lost."
There was a fierce determination in Minho which was raging to explode. He was sure that once he became the most powerful man in the country, finding Hwang Sr. would be far easier. Minho wanted his father to see his face everywhere: on the news, magazines, billboards. Everywhere. Minho's eyes will follow him at all times to warn him that one day his father would be punished for his crimes.
Minho's obsession greatly worried Junwan who was eyeing him warily. The boy was going to end up in some kind of trouble soon and in the process, his sister would be the loser.
"Be careful of what you wish for," Junwan warned.
"I know what I want," Minho stated. "I want that man to be punished. If the law can't punish him, then I will."
His cryptic words only made Junwa worry more. What was the boy planning to do?
But before Junwan could ask him, Minho got up and left without another word. Junwan stated after him in dismay, worrying that the boy would do something rash.
Once outside, Minho headed for the back alley and leaned against the wall. He was trying to catch his breath, his heart filled with nervousness. His hands were sweaty as he tried to deal with the dilemma he was facing. Slowly, he reached for his pocket and took out a black gun.
He stared at the gun he had purchased a few days back through an agent. It was difficult but the agent managed to smuggle it for him, dodging the cops. Minho had bought it in order to protect his sister in case their father came near her. Unlike others, he would not hesitate to shoot his dad down if the situation called for it. But he knew that Junwan would not approve of this and would have confiscated the gun if he had seen it.
"Where are you, father?" he voiced out loud.
.
Mina was pouting as she waited outside the gate of the building where her art competition had just ended. She was carrying a mini backpack, looking around for her elder brother. All the other children had left with their parents and she was left behind without a chaperone. It was almost 4 PM in the afternoon and Minho was nowhere to be seen.
"I can't even call the mansion!" she whined. Aunt Soojung had left for a business conference and Uncle Jason was out of town. Kanji was probably home but he was under the impression that Minho would pick up Mina. Moreover, the payphone was across the road and it was too dangerous for her to cross it by herself.
"Are you alright?"
Startled by the voice, Mina looked up to see a pleasant looking man in his thirties smiling at her. Mina was a little apprehensive, stepping back to put a distance.
"I am fine," she said. Her brother had told her not to talk to strangers.
"Isn't your guardian here yet?" the man asked. "Do you need help crossing the road to get to the payphone?"
Mina was at a crossroads. She did not want to take help from a stranger but she needed to reach the payphone and call Kanji. Minho was not there yet and she was getting worried. Did something happen to her brother?
"Um okay," she said. "Only until the payphone."
The stranger smiled and grabbed her palm, helping her to cross the road.
.
Minho walked into the mansion, taking off his shoes. It was almost evening by the time he reached the mansion and he was really tired.
"I'm home!" he announced. Kanji looked up from the book he was reading as Minho slumped on the sofa next to his.
"You look tired," Kanji commented.
"I just had to do a lot of things," Minho groaned. "Where's Mina?"
Kanji stared at him. "You were supposed to pick her up," he said. "Mina's art competition took place today and since my parents are out, she told you to pick her up."
Minho sat up in alarm. He dimly recalled Mina had mentioned the art competition while he was talking to Junwan on the phone!
"Oh shit!" he cursed and darted out of the house with Kanji in tow.
"What happened?" Kanji demanded. "Why are you running?"
"I forgot to pick up my sister!"
THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM