The Fall of a Councilman

‘…Looking at it is making me hungry. But I can’t eat first.’

In a high-end restaurant in Seoul, someone was waiting for someone else with a feast laid out before them.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the nation’s major and minor affairs were decided in this restaurant called ‘Haemu’.
A place secretly visited by high-ranking politicians of all kinds, and right now, Oh Uiseong was there.
There was only one reason why Oh Uiseong could be sitting here, a place whose name and location were not properly known.
It was because he had been promised the position of a city councilman in this very place.

Clatter.

Oh Uiseong could not hide his anxiety.
He, who had been sitting with his legs crossed and trembling as if he had a motor in his leg, finally hit his knee against the table.
The dishes, which were holding the neat feast with a mysterious color of silver and gold, were momentarily disarranged.

“Huk.”

Oh Uiseong, who was surprised by the sound, reflexively took a breath.
They were actions that were completely out of place in the suffocatingly quiet and dazzlingly luxurious space.
His bloodshot eyes, as if he hadn’t slept for days, and the dark circles under them, represented Oh Uiseong’s condition at a glance.

‘Damn it…’

Normally, he would have spat out a curse, not just in his mind, but even that was not easy.
And his hair, which he usually arranged with wax, was not done today.
He had roughly combed it, but he had run his hands through it so much that his thin hair was all pressed down along the handprints.

‘This is all because of those bastards.’

The guy who had been diligently assisting him had now become a hot talent of the opposing party.

“I, I could no longer stand by and watch this absurdity, so I am revealing everything here with my name. Councilman Oh Uiseong…”

That bastard had dared to whistleblow and yet had transformed into an apostle of justice, receiving scout offers from here and there.
Oh Uiseong thought that it was all thanks to his aide selling him out.
Even though the situation had reached this point, Oh Uiseong did not feel a shred of guilt.
To him, Oh Uiseong himself was the sole victim.

‘Why does my son have to transfer schools, and why do we have to move and go through all that because of those bugs?’

Every time they moved, as if they knew by magic, the front of the house was full of all sorts of trash every morning.
Among them, there were also food wastes.
The only good thing was that he had avoided being arrested.

“His identity is clear, and there is no risk of him fleeing.”

Identity.
That was the only thing Oh Uiseong had left.
And that was why he had created this meeting today, with a glimmer of hope.

“This is really the last time…”

Oh Uiseong stroked the black travel bag he had placed next to him as if he were hugging it, with trembling hands.
After paying the additional taxes and fines, his cash assets were almost depleted.
The assets he had put in the names of his beloved wife and his precious son were also discovered, and his nominee accounts were confiscated.

‘Even the coins… These vicious bastards.’

Oh Uiseong continued to lay out thoughts that would make the people he had wronged scoff.

“In the end, that bastard was a fraud too.”

Oh Uiseong recalled the events of yesterday.
He had paid a considerable amount of money as a service fee for the promise that he would make it impossible for even the greatest hacker to find.
To a tax accountant who was a former high-ranking official of the National Tax Service.
But what did that bastard say?
He changed his words as easily as flipping his palm.
Very easily.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a case like this.”
“Is it enough to say it’s the first time? You have to solve it, solve it!”
“Tsk, but I looked into it for you as a last resort, and they say there’s an anonymous informant.”
“What? An anonymous informant?”
“That person directly handed over the contents of Councilman Oh’s asset tracking, so what can I do?”
“Then what am I supposed to do!”
“I don’t know anymore. Why did you do it? It seems you messed with the wrong person.”
“Hey! Is that what you say after taking so much money! Solve it!”
“I’ve done as much as I was paid, so please leave. You should protect what’s left instead of thinking of dragging someone down with you. Though I don’t know if you have anything left.”
“How dare this bastard!”

At that moment, his anger rose to the top of his head, and he lost his judgment for a moment.
But after he realized who the person the tax accountant was talking about was, his head cooled down.

‘Cha Yohan, what the hell is that guy? How can a mere lawyer find out all of that?’

If he had his way, he wanted to use all his remaining money to crush Cha Yohan.
However, Oh Uiseong already had one experience of failure.
And a perfect loss that other lawyers were reluctant to appeal.

‘But this comes first. I have to do this first. This is the priority. I have nowhere else to lean on now. If I just solve this, that guy will be nothing.’

He was denying it, making all sorts of excuses.
The fact that he was afraid of Cha Yohan.

Swoosh.

It was just as he was making that promise to himself and stroking the travel bags one more time.
The door opened smoothly, like the waves of the sea in a beautiful oriental painting.
Oh Uiseong jumped up from his seat and greeted the two men who were entering.
A man with a sharp impression and a man with a gentle impression.

“You’ve come! Prosecutor General, Councilman!”

Oh Uiseong bowed his waist politely to the men.

“……”

A few seconds passed.
It was about time they told him to get up, but neither of the two men opened their mouths.
Oh Uiseong slowly raised his waist, sweating profusely.
And he gestured to the dining table with a servile attitude.

“P-please sit here. I have ordered the food to be prepared as you always have it. They have just come out. Before they get cold…”

CRASH!

Before he could finish his words.
Oh Uiseong froze and looked at the floor, which was a mess with food.
The man with the sharp impression, who had been just staring at him with fierce eyes, had overturned the table.
Only then did he open his mouth.

“Councilman Oh, you must have been very heartbroken.”

Oh Uiseong turned his head with a clatter.
But he could not look at the man in front of him properly.

“Ah, no, Prosecutor General. Thanks to your grace, I was at least able to avoid arrest,”
“Yes. I have bestowed my grace upon you, Councilman Oh. But…”

The man who was called the Prosecutor General stopped speaking and slowly tilted his head.
Gulp.
During the intentional silence, Oh Uiseong swallowed his tension.
The fragrant smell of food from a moment ago was gone.
Now, all sorts of things were mixed together, giving off an unidentifiable smell.
Even though only the location had changed, from the plate to the floor.
A thick silence and pressure weighed down on Oh Uiseong.
The Prosecutor General, Nam Eunsuk’s words continued.

“It seems Councilman Oh is the type to repay grace with a knife.”

Nam Eunsuk’s voice was small but clear, and it also contained a knife.
Thump.
Oh Uiseong hurriedly knelt. And he waved his hands.

“No! That’s not it, Prosecutor General! I just wanted to see you one more time, but I couldn’t get in touch with you!”
“Shut that mouth.”

Nam Eunsuk revealed his anger and held out his index finger to Oh Uiseong.
There was no longer any politeness in Nam Eunsuk’s tone.

“How dare you threaten me with a few pennies? What? A bribery ledger?”

The reason Nam Eunsuk had come to this place was simple.
Because a bastard who was no different from being in the gutter had threatened him.

“Uh, Prosecutor General… Councilman Oh left a message today.”
“What did he say?”
“Uh… He said that his list has not yet been fully disclosed. He said he has the original ledger… and asked me to pass it on to you, Prosecutor General.”

Who is the bastard who didn’t take Oh Uiseong’s money?
It was a fool not to take the money that everyone else was taking.
And so, Nam Eunsuk had also received a bag or a fruit box full of money from Oh Uiseong several times.
The man who had been watching the situation without saying a word until now touched the corner of his mouth with his thumb and index finger and opened his mouth.

“Ahem, a dog that bites its owner is useless.”
“No, Councilman Do, no! How could I do such a thing!”
“Shut that mouth. Where does this bastard, who is less than a dog,!”

Councilman Do, Do Hyeongjun, shouted as if he were scolding him.
Do Hyeongjun was a four-term congressman and a senior member of the party to which Oh Uiseong belonged.
Do Hyeongjun was the one who had prepared all the groundwork for Oh Uiseong to get his city councilman badge.
Because there was nothing you couldn’t buy with money.
The moment even Do Hyeongjun, whom he had believed would prepare the groundwork for him to make a comeback this time, was kicking him out, Oh Uiseong made a dazed expression.

“How much have I done for you, Councilman Oh, and you stab me in the back like this! I’m the one who gave you that badge, and you’re threatening me by putting my position on the line?”

As soon as Oh Uiseong’s name appeared in the media, Do Hyeongjun had intentionally avoided all of his calls.
And what had brought Do Hyeongjun to this ‘Haemu’ was also the ledger that Oh Uiseong had mentioned.
Even with all this commotion, no one came.
Realizing that, Oh Uiseong’s face turned even paler.

‘This can’t be, this can’t be.’

Oh Uiseong moved as if he were crawling on the floor and gathered all the bags.
Zip.
Following his trembling hands, the bundles of cash that filled the inside were revealed.
It was most of his remaining fortune.
It was a bag that he had even borrowed from a loan shark to fill the amount he usually offered them.
Until a moment ago, there was hope that he could go back to how things were.
Until Nam Eunsuk had overturned the one-million-won table upon his arrival.

“This is my, my sincerity to you two.”
“Tsk. How dare you ask for a solution with such a pittance?”

Do Hyeongjun openly contorted his face and looked down on Oh Uiseong.
It had only been a few months ago that they had been hanging out here like equals, but now they were looking at Oh Uiseong as if he were a bug.

Thwack!

Do Hyeongjun kicked the money bag.
Regardless of whether Oh Uiseong’s hand was kicked along with it.
Money poured out of the fallen bag.

“Huk!”

Oh Uiseong hurriedly picked up the money with his reddened hands.
He wiped the bills that were stained with food with his hands, and if they couldn’t be wiped with his hands, he rubbed them on his clothes.
The two men looked at the servile sight with a click of their tongues.
The first one to speak was Do Hyeongjun.

“Hey, outside!”
“Yes, Councilman.”

The people who had not appeared despite the commotion until just now immediately appeared at Do Hyeongjun’s low call.

Swish.

Do Hyeongjun gestured to Oh Uiseong with his head.
The men in suits approached Oh Uiseong, who was still hurriedly picking up the money.

“No! What are you doing, you bastards! Let go of this!”
“He’s being loud, so get rid of him.”
“Yes.”

Oh Uiseong struggled as he was dragged away.
He grabbed the men’s arms with his food-stained hands.
But the men did not show any change in expression and just arrested Oh Uiseong.
As if they had experienced such a thing many times before.

“Y-you bastards! Do Hyeongjun! Nam Eunsuk! You bastards! You took everything you could! Just you wait, I’m not going to die alone!”

A short while later, even Oh Uiseong’s struggling was no longer heard.
Do Hyeongjun smiled with satisfaction.

“It’s finally quiet.”

As befitting a four-term politician, Do Hyeongjun quickly changed his expression.
Nam Eunsuk, who was watching him, opened his mouth.

“What are you going to do now?”
“What is there to do?”

Do Hyeongjun pursed his lips and then lowered the corners of his mouth, scanning the room that was messy with food and money.

“The Prosecutor General will probably barely remember this scene later on.”

Do Hyeongjun glanced at the floor with his eyes.
A room in a mess with food, the money scattered on top of it, and a few footprints.

“You know too, Prosecutor General. The public’s memory is not that good. They’ll forget soon enough, so we just have to lie low for a while.”

Swish.

Do Hyeongjun released his hands, which had been behind his back, and placed them on Nam Eunsuk’s shoulder.

“You shouldn’t step in such muddy water on your way to the Ministry of Justice, Prosecutor General. You have to be careful of even a single gust of wind at a time like this.”

At that moment, Nam Eunsuk recalled the bare feet of Oh Uiseong, who was being dragged away, and the shoes that were neatly placed in front of the room.
And their own feet, which were still stepping on the room with their shoes on.
He nodded and answered Do Hyeongjun’s words.

“But the fact that a situation like this has happened is in itself annoying. How dare a mere city councilman…”
“Hmm, I feel the same way. My credibility has also dropped a lot with ‘that person’ and CEO Hyeon because of this.”
“That person… are you talking about K?”
“Yes, since it’s come to this, let’s move to another place and talk.”

Nam Eunsuk nodded at Do Hyeongjun’s proposal.
And he pointed to the money mixed with the food with his eyes.

“What should we do about that?”
“Someone will be here to clean it up soon, so let’s just give it to them as pocket money.”
“That’s a good idea. Let’s go.”

And so, they left the room, each carrying a travel bag that was out of place with their suits.