Deception
By Izzu
o
o
"I'm not the only one!"
"There were more sympathizers … in the Police Department."
He had to hand it to Woo Hyun, he had him fooled really badly. Even near the last moments of his life, he never left any opening. Even if it had only been a brief moment, Woo Hyun managed to cast a shadow of doubt in his heart to question his integrity as an officer of the law.
"Go. Get out of the country and lie low for a while. That's the only way you can live..."
Back then he thought that Woo Hyun was just being a coward and urged him to leave in order to protect the true killer. Because the opponent was too strong for him. That his plea and promise to 'take care' of the situation meant that he's planning to just cover up the murder. Something... since then, he was struggling to believe that it wasn't true. That Woo Hyun wouldn't have fallen so low, to abandon his own honest aspirations to being a good cop.
"From the very beginning... I messed up. I'm going to make this right."
He thought that Woo Hyun was referring to his bad decision of choosing the right side. But now that he thought about it, it might as well be about the many other things that both of them had left unresolved between them. Or... Woo Hyun was admitting that he was wrong to think that he could do this alone. Or that Woo Hyun did a make a mistake in the investigation that he needed to set things right. While being so vague in his wording because he had to be cautious to not break his cover; in case they have been followed.
Perhaps, that time... if he agreed to do what Woo Hyun asked from him and if that explosion never happened, Woo Hyun might have continued investigating Jo Hyeon Min on his own. While leaving him thinking that his best friend had become a corrupt cop. Because that's the kind of thing Woo Hyun would have done. Getting him out of the danger... since Woo Hyun knew how formidable Jo Hyeon Min was as an enemy. If he had stayed and become an officer like Woo Hyun, perhaps Woo Hyun would've told him the truth much earlier. Woo Hyun would have asked for his help.
"Ki Young..."
"I have to turn it around...!"
But because he was a civilian—no matter if he was also Hades the hacker—Woo Hyun chose to take the responsibility by himself. Even if it meant lying to him. Even if it meant facing the danger alone. Because Woo Hyun was not sure if Jo Hyeon Min hadn't sent someone to check if he really did killed him as he said he would. But in the end...
"I'm sorry..."
That time... he wondered what was it that Woo Hyun meant.
Was it sorry that he lied to him? Sorry that he allowed both of them to be in danger? Sorry that he wasn't able to continue pursuing Jo Hyeon Min? Sorry...
...that he had to leave this world a bit too soon? To say his goodbye like that?
To think for a moment he thought that Woo Hyun was asking for his apologies for not being able to become a good cop. That because he did something wrong... that he regretted it.
When instead...
"Woo Hyun wanted to reveal everything."
"You have to believe in Woo Hyun..."
He tried to laugh it off... but ended up choking. Hastily, he looked away towards the outside of the car before anything else could break.
"Oi? Park Ki Young... you okay?" asked Detective Kwon as Ki Young brushed away a stray tear from his cheeks.
"Wha—I'm okay," he sniffled. "It's nothing. I'm just... frustrated."
He bit his lips. There were no words that could capture every emotion that he was feeling at this very moment. Anger, sorrow, regret, guilt, frustration, grief...
"Kim Woo Hyun! You stupid rascal!" he spat suddenly as he stared at his own reflection on the windscreen. He continued staring at his own reflection as if doing that alone could make that old friend come back from the dead.
If only...
He sighed.
"Definitely..." he turned his head towards Detective Kwon and Kang Mi. "I have to make sure Jo Hyeon Min gets what he deserved."
Because that's the only way he could make sure that Woo Hyun did not die in vain.