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Chapter 14
Ding. Dong. Daeng. Dong—
The lunch bell rang, and the classroom erupted with children rushing out in excitement.
But one girl, Chaerin, sitting by the window, didn’t move a muscle. She just stared outside.
“Chaerin, aren’t you going to eat?”
At the familiar voice, Chaerin instinctively turned her head.
The only person in this school who ever called her name so warmly was Seunghyun.
“I’m not really hungry. You go ahead alone.”
“You didn’t check today’s lunch menu, did you? It’s amazing today. Come on, hurry—if you’re late, it’ll all be gone!”
Seunghyun held up the lunch menu that had been posted at the back of the classroom, his excitement palpable.
“I said go by yourself.”
Chaerin, annoyed, turned her head back toward the window.
“A student refusing lunch is never acceptable. Come on!”
Seunghyun grinned and grabbed Chaerin’s wrist, pulling her to her feet.
“I said I’ll go alone.”
“Come on, hurry.”
“Ugh—so annoying.”
Despite her protest, a faint smile slowly spread across Chaerin’s face as she let herself be dragged along.
The cafeteria buzzed with the laughter and chatter of children.
“By the way… I saw a man in a car outside the school last time. Was he your father?”
Seunghyun asked casually as he scooped up some food, but Chaerin’s expression stiffened. She set down her chopsticks without a word.
“Why’d you stop eating? Are you dieting? Eat more. Eating delicious food is zero calories, you know?”
Seunghyun handed the chopsticks back to Chaerin with an awkward smile, silently scolding himself: Did I just say something unnecessary?
Chaerin never spoke about her family, so he worried that his offhand comment might have hurt her.
“And you don’t need to diet. Eat quickly. Didn’t you say you wanted to go to that tteokbokki place near the school? Want to go after this? My treat.”
Seunghyun wanted to cheer her up, no matter what.
“It’s not my father,” Chaerin said flatly.
“Oh… then who is it? Never mind if you don’t want to say.”
Seunghyun knew he shouldn’t press further, but curiosity got the better of him.
“Someone… annoying,” Chaerin muttered quietly, returning to her rice.
“Who’s talking about me? My ears are itching… Kim Seung-beom is coming today, right?”
Chief Choi, rummaging through messy papers on his desk, picked at his ear as he stood up and spoke to Seong-jin.
“He’s supposed to be here by 2. Where are you off to?”
“Meeting someone.”
At that moment, Seung-beom entered the office.
“Ah, Mr. Kim Seung-beom, you’re early.”
“Did I come too quickly? I came straight from work.”
“No problem. Please, have a seat.”
Seong-jin guided Seung-beom to a chair. Their eyes met briefly, and Seung-beom nodded politely. Chief Choi returned the gesture and left the office.
“The eyes are peculiar,” Chief Choi muttered in the hallway, tilting his head.
“A trial? I have to go to trial?”
Seung-beom sat across from Seong-jin, looking tense and grim.
“Yes. Since your fiancée passed away, you’ll face a trial for involuntary manslaughter related to the traffic accident. It’s not a summary trial, but you will have to appear in court.”
“I can’t understand this. Why am I treated like the one who killed Seung-hee?”
Seung-beom’s voice rose, frustrated.
“It’s not like that. It’s simply because there was a fatality. Please try to stay calm.”
“Hah… the law is truly cruel.”
He bowed his head, letting out a deep sigh.
“The law can be harsh. I hope this comforts you somewhat: usually, such cases end with no charges or suspended sentences, so don’t worry too much.”
“No matter what, what meaning does no charges or suspended sentence have when Seung-hee is gone?”
Seung-beom buried his head in his hands, overwhelmed with grief.
“There’s nothing much to say. Still, regarding this insurance fraud accusation, you won’t need to worry—like the previous complaints, it’s likely to be dismissed.”
Seong-jin tried to offer some comfort, tapping the pile of documents related to the fraud case.
“Ah… yes,” Seung-beom replied, lifting his head slightly.
“Just think of it as the downside of fame. Nowadays, people file complaints first and ask questions later. I never believed those rumors in the first place.”
“Thank you.”
“Alright. Let’s finish here for today. You’ve done well. You may leave now.”
Seong-jin rose with a gentle smile.
“Thank you, detective. And I apologize for getting agitated earlier. It’s been hard lately… I didn’t mean to.”
“I understand. You don’t have to apologize for everything.”
Seong-jin helped Seung-beom to his feet.
“Thank you for understanding. Then, take care.”
As Seung-beom turned to leave, Seong-jin called out suddenly.
“Wait a moment…”
Seung-beom swallowed nervously.
“Could you… sign this?”
Seong-jin had already approached, holding out Seung-beom’s book with a gentle smile.
Weeks later, on a TV program set, Seung-beom sat on the stage, still looking weary.
The audience looked at him with sympathy; some held banners supporting him. The camera lights turned on, and the female MC, elegant and poised, began the show.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Kim Yoon-jin, host of Books and People. Today, we have national bestselling author Kim Seung-beom. Welcome, sir.”
“Hello. Thank you for inviting me. I’m honored.”
Seung-beom smiled faintly and nodded.
“First, I’d like to express my condolences for the recent tragic accident. Have you been able to come to terms with it?”
“Come to terms? I just live day by day,” Seung-beom replied quietly.
His tired, sorrowful face filled the large screen next to the stage. The atmosphere in the studio grew heavy.
“Many people are rooting for you. Stay strong.”
“Thank you.”
“You’ve endured unexpected tragedies before. How have you been able to heal through writing?”
Seung-beom took a deep breath, adjusted his posture, and spoke slowly to the camera:
“Those days were despair. I thought about dying every day… I even tried. But that wasn’t what the people I loved would have wanted. That’s when I picked up the pen.”
“Your writing always carries deep emotion. So that’s why…”
“I write from the depths of grief, seeking a sliver of hope. I suppose I’ll have to write another book like that now.”
The camera zoomed in on his wet eyes. The audience quietly sobbed, empathizing with his pain.
“Now, let’s shift gears and take some questions from the audience. Is that okay?”
“Yes. Ask anything,” Seung-beom said, dabbing his tears with a handkerchief.
“One last question. Please introduce yourself and ask your question,” the MC said.
“I’m Han Somi from Focus Daily. Thank you for writing such moving books despite your hardships.”
“Thank you,” Seung-beom replied, smiling faintly.
“I’m curious if you know about the rumors surrounding you.”
The word “rumor” sent a chill through the studio.
“I’m not sure what you mean. Could you clarify?”
“Do you know nothing about the deaths surrounding you—your parents, ex-fiancée, and the recent accident?”
All eyes turned to Seung-beom.
“Rumors? Are you referring to that absurd story?”
Seung-beom regained composure and smiled lightly, sitting confidently.
“Sudden fire at my parents’ house, receiving insurance money for my ex-fiancée instead of my parents, and now this accident… Even if they’re rumors, there are suspicious aspects, right?”
“Since you call them rumors, what explanation do you have? They’re just rumors,” Seung-beom countered.
The tension froze the studio for a moment.
“Thank you. That concludes the questions. Let’s give the author a big round of applause.”
The MC quickly wrapped up, and the show ended.
Seung-beom left the studio, smiling at those who apologized, though his expression briefly darkened once the door closed.
“Seeing it in person… how was it? Was it interesting?”
Outside, Chief Choi turned to Chaerin.
“Yeah… but why did you bring me here?”
“Remember the person I mentioned before? The one I’m keeping an eye on?”
“No way… is it Kim Seung-beom?”
Just knowing it was Seung-beom was surprising.
“You heard the rumors earlier. They’re just rumors for now, but something feels off. What do you think? Any impressions?”
“I’ll have to see for myself,” Chaerin said, rising and following closely behind Seung-beom.
