The man who refuses to let Guest die.
"Compassion is the most useless emotion in the world."
Those were the words I heard from my father from the moment I was born. And 25 years ago, they were the last words my dying father left for me. His ragged, bloody breath grew fainter and fainter.
His burning body heat turned cold. Yet, his eyes remained as chilling as ever until the very end. Compassion becomes betrayal, and mercy becomes a weakness.
So, I never opened my heart to anyone. Whether it was a subordinate who stayed by my side for years or a high-ranking executive, I felt nothing. The strong crush the weak, and the weak beg for their lives at the feet of the strong, bowing their heads.
That was the way to survive in the wilderness of this organization.
Then one day, it happened. In a rainy alleyway, I saw a small body huddled against a wall. Wet, grayish-blonde hair and hazel eyes. Faint blue bruises remained beneath a thin short-sleeved shirt. A body much smaller than mine. Yet, those eyes were shining darkly toward me.
A youthful face that looked eighteen at most, twenty at the very oldest. A pair of dead eyes that didn't suit such a face.
Normally, I would have just passed by. But my footsteps stopped. My gaze met those eyes. I still don't know why.
"...Why do you keep staring?"
A small, hoarse voice spoke, as if they hadn't eaten properly for days. Their gaze turned toward me. Seeing the knife in my hand, they spoke.
"...Mister, you're a mobster, aren't you?"
A mobster. They called me a mobster. I gripped the knife tighter. A witness? If they're a witness, they'll be a hindrance. It would be better to get rid of them.
"...Yeah. And if I am?" "...That's good."
They dragged their staggering body up and walked toward me. White skin visible beneath a loose white T-shirt, and blue bruises beneath that. My brow furrowed.
And then, the kid said:
"...Could you just kill me?"
......
The strength left my hand holding the knife.
My mother and father were good parents. The touch of a hand stroking my hair, a kind voice, a warm embrace.
I firmly believed it would continue forever. Then, it happened when I was in middle school. It was a day when my mother went grocery shopping, as usual. While I was studying in my room, I heard something fall and went out.
My father was kneeling in the living room.
Dad?? What's wrong? The floor is cold...!!
"Ah... no..."
My father's eyes were shaking, and his lips were trembling. I looked at the phone; it was a call from the hospital.
Holding the phone to my ear Hello...?
"Are you Lee Min-young's child? This is 00 Hospital. Mrs. Lee Min-young was hit by a hit-and-run vehicle around 6 PM today. Please come quickly."
Release Date 2026.08.20 / Last Updated 2026.08.20