In the heart of downtown Seoul, at a busy intersection,
the 9 o'clock news displayed on a large screen nestled between high-rise buildings.
Breaking News Alert: The identity of the notorious scammer who deceived the entire nation has finally been discovered. The swindler, exposed through an anonymous tip, has been confirmed as an unregistered 35-year-old male. Currently, the police are swiftly conducting an investigation.
A man with disheveled hair partially covering his face was prominently displayed on the screen.
In the bustling crowd, Han Junwoo, his hat pulled low, slowly lifted his head.
"Why does it have to be that picture?"
Junwoo blankly stared at the screen. He clicked his tongue in clear annoyance.
"I never expected to become a national sensation like this.
'I'm exhausted. I think I'll go home and relax.'"
In the distance, the police station came into sight. Junwoo stretched, casually slid his hand into his pocket, and effortlessly blended into the crowd.
***
30 years ago.
"Hey, kid, did something shiny just roll over here?"
It was Go Ilnam, a member of the most notorious scam ring in Korea known as Boogeymen.
He's in big trouble right now.
It was a parent event held at a daycare famous for enrolling only children from chaebol families.
Go Ilnam sneaked in with a plan. He managed to swap a real diamond ring with a fake one at the event where a specific parent was present.
However, a problem arose at that moment.
The ring accidentally dropped and rolled toward a child.
"Spill it. Did you pick it up?"
However, the child in front remained tight-lipped, wearing a face that seemed oblivious.
Under continued questioning, the child huddled further, lowering his head with an expression of fear.
Already irritated by the fact that this little kid had been staring at him intently since earlier, Ilnam couldn't shake off the suspicion.
"I don't know... I didn't see anything."
The kid had this totally unfair expression of innocence on his face.
Shortly after, as if expressing confusion about why this was happening to him, the kid started squirming.
It wasn't just a typical child's lie; it went beyond a mere attempt to avoid trouble.
It seemed like this kid genuinely didn't know anything.
It wasn't as if he was caught red-handed with the ring, and it was pretty perplexing.
"Where on earth did it go..."
Ilnam scratched his head. He meticulously continued searching the surroundings again.
The commotion grew louder nearby.
People were gradually gathering one by one.
Among them, some parents might be hurrying over to comfort the teary-eyed kids from afar.
Ilnam had to make a swift exit; it could cause trouble if this kid spilled the beans that he was searching for something.
At that moment, Ilnam turned his body towards the door.
The teacher who was approaching, having found a child sobbing in the distance, tilted his head.
"Who are you to be crying here? You're not my student..."
This kid is not a student here.
Ilnam, who had momentarily stopped walking, turned around.
"Dad..?"
The teacher, who perceived him as the child's father, blinked as if asking him to explain the situation.
That was the moment.
"Dad!"
Huh? Dad? Me?
"I was wrong. Please don't abandon me."
The child was clearly speaking to Ilnam.
Am I abandoning you? Ilnam's mind came to a standstill.
Parents' attention began to focus on the pitiful scene.
The child suddenly began to cry even louder.
"I'm sorry, take me with you. I'll listen to Dad now. I won't ask for toys anymore, I promise."
The child didn't divert his pitiful gaze from Ilnam.
If this continued, he'd end up tagged as a heartless father who left his young son just because he couldn't buy him a toy.
Ilnam quickly backtracked and lifted the child into his arms.
"Hehe. When did Dad say he was leaving you? If my son wants a toy, I'll get it for him. Let's go."
Striding away from the scene, Ilnam wondered what he was doing now. Playing the role of a father wasn't part of the plan. Nevertheless, it could have been really risky if he had waited any longer.
As he reached a spot far from the daycare, Ilnam set the child down.
"Who are you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why am I your Dad?"
"You did the same, Mister."
"I did? What did I do?"
"You were lying. Back there, I saw everything."
Ilnam was baffled. Just a moment ago, the child had acted as if he knew nothing. But this little one had been reading him from the start.
"Is the game over now?"
"Game?"
"The one we were playing, Mister. It was fun. Everyone fell for it, didn't they?"
"That's it? After making me work so hard, he just wants to play? Is he trying to make a fool of me?" Ilnam was astonished.
"Alright, the game is over. So, go."
Ilnam's mind was still preoccupied with the whereabouts of the ring. How was he going to get back in there?
The child made a sullen face as Ilnam waved his hand away as if to say he was annoyed.
"Darn it. I wanted to play more. But at least I won."
The child opened his fist in front of him. There, lying in his palm, was the diamond ring that Ilnam had been searching for so long.
"You..."
Ilnam took the ring in his hand, feeling dazed. What was this? He felt something was off, just as the child had said.
"Where's your home?"
"I don't have one."
"What? Then, where's your mom?"
"I don't have one either."
The child pursed his lips and looked up at Ilnam with an innocent face. His tone was as if to say, "Do I really need those?" Ilnam was starting to get curious about this child.
"So, where have you been staying all this time?"
"Oh, that? I'm living just like you, Mister. I don't have a place to call home."
"He's living the same way I do?"
That meant he had been living every day, hiding in such a place.
Was that possible? But it also made sense, considering what Ilnam saw today.
Besides, is he treating this as a game? Ilnam was suddenly scared of the child in front of him. What would happen to this child when he grows up?
"Are you scared of me too, Mister?"
The child looked a little downcast.
What expression was I making just now?
Ilnam felt like he had done something wrong.
Does he always attract this kind of attention wherever he goes? If he leaves now, this kid will just end up going through the same stuff in some other place.
Did he pity the kid, or was his head just all scrambled from dealing with weird stuff before? Ilnam blurted out on the spur of the moment.
"Will you come with me?"
It was the day when Junwoo gained four scammer fathers.
***
Comments (0)
See all