When Daechul got off the plane, the airport was bustling. People rushed to their flights, met or escorted their loved ones, bought plane tickets.
Daechul stopped for a moment.
The boy looked around while others hurried. Nine months is a long period of time, especially when you are away from home, and don't feel like yourself.
Daechul loved this town. He enjoyed seeing its changes every year, new people. Everytime he drove through the streets, he recreated the most delightful moments from his childhood. Most of them were made with his father Sungwoon.
Before his father died, Daechul was living like a prince... Only sometimes people change. Life makes them cruel and insensitive.
Now Daechul comes to Busan not with the purpose to meet his family, but with the hope that his father's killer will be found and punished. Because Sungwoon supported him and loved him more than anyone else.
Daechul gripped his black luggage handle more firmly.
Everything at its own time.
Picking up the suitcase, the guy started scanning the airport to find Kimoon. When a mass of people was around, it was difficult to find a friend.
"Daechul!", he heard a yell.
The boy turned towards the sound and, after several seconds, saw Kimoon coming to him.
"Won Kimoon."
Boys greeted each other with a manly hug and a handshake.
"Don't call me like that!", complained the boy, and forced Daechul to smile. "You did not change one bit. Thank you so much for that."
Daechul smiled.
"Are you gonna tell me what happened?"
The guys came outside and Kimoon led his friend towards his parked Range Rover. As he started the car, Daechul's curious eyes explored the minor changes of his hometown. After a moment Kimoon's cheerful voice returned him to reality.
"The news is good, surprisingly, so I suggest let's talk about you first. Work can wait. How your undercover business is holding on?", he offered.
The corner of Daechul's lip rose. In Seoul he lacked a person with whom he could talk about personal matters. All this time he was working only.
"My personal life has not changed. Mother still desires to become a grandmother as soon as possible. It's driving me insane, honestly. Junghyun and my sisters do not take into account the difference in time and call me at midnight."
Kimoon chuckled. He met the Hyun family more than once, and the lively younger siblings always lightened up his mood.
"That's all, I think", the fact that his holding was robbed, he left behind, wanting to get as much peace as he could.
"And how are you? What's new in Busan? ", wondered the gang leader of half of South Korea, while staring at his town. Basically, the city has not changed: several new stores have emerged, as well as a few new homes, but Busan has remained the same, compared to Seoul, a small, gloomy city that keeps both his memories and losses.
"As you can see, Busan has not changed much. It's still a gloomy outcrop", laughed.
Daechul smirked. "Maybe it has gotten a bit more modern. Oh, my father remarried.", said the boy.
It drew Daechul's attention.
"What?"
"Her name is Song Hana. She has a son a few years younger than me, Minsoo. That boy is not some shy nerd. The first few months after the marriage, neither me nor my father were able to come near him. Well, somehow, after he was sure we are no treat, Minsoo started trusting us both. Now we are almost joined at the hip. Also, Hana is a very supportive and caring woman", Kimoon smiled sincerely, so it was clear that he loved the new members of his family.
Daechul was glad that at least one of them was doing well.
"When did it happen?"
"About three weeks after your departure. My father and Hana were secretly dating, and after a year of their friendship, I got to know about it", said the boy with a frown.
Finally, Daechul felt himself approaching the gang building.
"Well, but now everything is fine, right?"
Kimoon nodded with a small smile and killed the engine.
As the guys got out, they were approached by Eunsang, the person in charge of drug conveyance, and Daechul's buddy.
"Daechul, how livid it is that you're here.", he grinned. After the hugs and handshakes, all three decided to go inside.
"I'm also glad to be back. Time to see what you guys did while I was in Seoul."
/\/\/\
The gang building was a five-story gray brick house with armored doors, an alarm around the fence and large windows. It proudly stood in a remote forest a few kilometers away from Busan. Once again, this gang and this building belonged to Hyun Sungwoon, the honorable gang leader and Daechul's father. His unexpected death deeply saddened not only the family but also the gang, which had even stopped its activities for several months. It was hard to get back to the old track when the boss was buried a few feet in the ground. Even Daechul did not get in so easily and had to earn the gang's trust, which was a huge job, even if he was the firstborn of Sungwoon: it says that in order to be a good leader, you need to earn the trust of the people you work with. Daechul soon proved that such a young guy was able to lead and have authority. He was not afraid to show what will happen if he was disobeyed.
As soon as he entered the building, Daechul was met with dozens of congratulations on his return and a cup of good coffee. Kimoon was a good substitute for the boss, and Daechul trusted him, but probably the guys were loyal to Daechul.
"Let's go to the office. We need to talk", Kimoon told Daechul in such a tone that it was clear that the guys would not really talk about the city slap.
Daechul only nodded and the two soon reached the lifts.
While pressing the call button, Daechul gulped his hot coffee that he received from the staff. The lift doors opened, guys went in, and Daechul pressed button 5.
Daechul wondered what his mother was going to say to him when he called her (although Maya did not interfere in her son's affairs, she knew about everything, and disapprovingly tried to stop his illegal activities. That's what killed her husband, after all. A shrewd woman she was, so she probably asked Eunsang to inform her about Daechul's whereabouts in Busan). How will his siblings react when they see him? What flowers to buy for Sungwoon's grave. How to deal with the theft of the holding.
Daechul was pondering how to go about this. He briefly closed his eyes, and when he opened them, the elevator announced its destination by silently beeping.
He confidently stepped out and and into the corridor. The man was determined to clean this mess as soon as possible.
/\/\/\