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Jang Han Seo couldn’t remember when the relationship between him and his brother started to go downhill.
Then again… could it ever have been considered a good relationship?
Maybe at the beginning?
Possibly?
Unable to find the answer (and not entirely sure that he wanted to), Han-Seo moved over to the chair closest to the window. Knowing that he had no plans until the afternoon, he opted to stay in his comfortable sweater, wearing his glasses to give his eyes the chance to recover from wearing contacts all the time. Outside, he vaguely heard the birds chirping, making him smile.
He used to like listening to the birds before all this began.
“Why are you wearing that?!”
Han-Seo flinched, turning his gaze away from the window to see his brother standing the doorway, “I-I was just- “
“What if someone else had come in to see you dressed like this?!” Jun--Woo hissed, “You think this is the look of a Chairman?”
“C-chairmen have days off, right?”
“NO!”
Han-Seo flinched back at his brother’s sharp yell, watching as the older man took a calming breath, his ‘smile’ replacing the look of fury.
“Come on, get dressed!” Jun--Woo yanked him to his feet, “We’ll have something to eat and then we have that meeting and then the press conference, remember?”
“Yes, but- “
“But?”
Recognising the dangerous tone for what it was, Han-Seo shook his head and headed to his room to get changed, knowing that his brother would be following on behind.
“You remember what to say, right?”
“Yes Hyungnim.”
“Hyungnim?” Jun- Woo chuckled, “You can call me Hyung when it’s just us you know.”
“Yes… Hyung.”
“You’re getting smarter every day. Repeat the speech back to me.”
As his brother took his seat on the bed, not even bothering to give Han Seo a hint of privacy as the younger man rushed to get changed.
“Babel is proud to announce…” Han Seo was thankful that his voice didn’t shake, “… the arrival of a brand-new drug- “
“- Change brand new to innovative. It makes you sounds less of a child.”
“… Innovative drug, known as RDU-90, which is 95% effective against curing- “
“- NOT curing.” Jun- Woo snapped, “Treating! How many times do I have to tell you?!”
“S-Sorry Hyungnim.”
“You can’t make mistakes like that! Not with the media snapping at our heels!”
“I know, I know!”
He fought not to look at his brother, feeling vulnerable in just his boxers as Jun- Woo something unflattering in English.
He heard the word whore… which might be referring to Han Seo or his mother, Han Seo was never quite sure.
He’d used the word to refer to both of them before after all.
“Make sure it’s perfect before the meeting.” Jun- Woo rose to his feet, watching as Han Seo fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, moving over to help him. He buttoned it right to the top, before grabbing Han Seo’s throat and pulling him close, “Understand?”
“I-I understand!”
“Remember…” Jun- Woo let go of his throat and patted him on the cheek, “… You’re only here because of me.”
“I know. I’m sorry… Hyung.”
“As long as you learn.” In an instant, the goofy smile was back on Jun- Woo’s face, “Come on, hurry up!”
Jun- Woo left the room, and Han Seo finally felt like he could relax, practically collapsing onto the bed and burying his face in his hands.
Was this all really worth it?
…………………………………………………………..
Jun- Woo waited for his brother in the living room.
He hated his Father for having an affair with his secretary, but the product of that affair was something quite… wonderful.
Aside from his eyes, Han Seo took after his mother, and it was a little confusing for Jun- Woo.
BZZT BZZT
Pulling out his phone, he smirked at the text he’d received from Mrs Hong, firing off a quick reply, before going back to thinking about Han Seo.
Mrs Hong was lovely… but there was no ounce of submission in her, not that he liked.
Not like he saw in his brother’s eyes.
BZZT BZZT
He read the next text from Hong Cha-Young, rolling his eyes at what he read.
Why was this Vincenzo getting in the way of everything?! Buzzing around and being a general pest!
Jun- Woo glanced down at the side table by the sofa, sneering at the sight of a fly skittering across the table.
Slowly, he squished it with his thumb, taking a little too much delight in grinding it into the wood.
“Come on Han Seo!” He called out impatiently, trying not to smirk when he heard his brother practically jump to his feet, “Don’t keep me waiting!”
“Coming!”
………………………………………………………..
“… And we are delighted to have you share our excitement in this medical victory today.” Han Seo tried not to focus on his brother staring out at him from the crowd, playing the role of the fool again, “I know that this is only the beginning.”
He forced himself to smile and clap along with the crowd, trying not the look at his brother too much, just in case he saw something that he wouldn’t like.
He hadn’t made any mistakes during the speech.
He was safe for one more day…. Surely?
Surely, he’d made Jun- Woo proud, even just a little bit.
……………………………………………..
“You’re staring at him.”
Jun- Woo flinched at Hong Cha-Young’s voice so close to his ear, spinning around to face her as she gave him a knowing smirk.
“W-what?” He didn’t even have to fake the stutter, wondering if he’d been caught.
“You! You keep staring at Chairman Jang.” She nudged him in the side, “Attracted to power, are we?”
“You think- “
“- To be fair, he is cute.” She remarked, and why did that make his fists tighten around his bag strap.
Jealousy probably.
But of who?
“If you like the stuck-up rich guy thing.” Cha-Young finished.
Jun- Woo just hummed, too lost in thought to keep up his idiot routine.
Did he… did he really look at Han Seo like that? Did he really betray his innermost feelings like that?
So easily?
At that moment, Han Seo’s eyes met his. Whatever his brother saw, made his smile fall ever so slightly, before it was back to normal.
And like sharks circling in the water, someone sensed a moment of weakness, their voice rising high above the crowd.
“Chairman Jang! What’s your response to the evidence that the new chemical BLSD, that is used in this RDU-90 drug, has been linked to causing leukaemia in its’ test subjects?”
Han Seo froze, eyes scanning the crowd to see who’d said that. When there was no clue as to where the question came from, he cleared his throat. “I… have yet to see any such evidence.” He stated, crowd silent as they stared at him, waiting for more.
But there was no more incoming.
Han Seo glanced back at the researchers behind him, who all refused to look him in the eyes. Thankfully, he had the good sense not to look at Jun- Woo for help.
“However, … I promise that Babel Pharmaceuticals will look into these claims as soon as possible in order to see if they’re true or not.”
Jun- Woo tried not to groan as the media went mad.
Idiot.
………………………………………..
“So, I get the feeling the Chairman doesn’t get told a lot of things.” Cha-Young commented, as she waited for Jun- Woo to return with the coffees for her and Vincenzo, “Did you see how panicked he looked at that question?”
“Hmm… almost like he’s just the mouthpiece.” Vincenzo commented, “A… puppet, so to speak.”
“… you suspect something?”
Vincenzo said nothing, narrowed his eyes at something in the distance… before he was suddenly walking away.
“Ah, hey!” Cha-Young protested, rushing after him, “What are you- “
“-Ssh.”
“Don’t tell me to- “
“-SSSSH!”
The harsh tone made her metaphorical hackles rise, but she did as he said anyway, following him until they were directly by a pair of open windows, hearing a familiar voice inside.
“… speech was perfect! How was I supposed to know that they’d ask- “Chairman Jang’s voice cut off, followed by silence.
The next time he spoke, his voice was a lot more subdued.
“I’m sorry… I-I ‘ll send out a press statement saying that there’s no such evidence and- “He cut himself off again with a sharp hiss, “- I-Immediately, yes…. Yes, I’ll see you later.”
The last words were said with such dread, that Cha-Young found herself feeling sorry for the Chairman. She allowed Vincenzo to pull her away, until they were no longer in earshot.
“So… a puppet chairman.” She sighed, “What do we do?”
Vincenzo had an odd look on his face though… almost like pity.
“We turn the puppet against the master.” He eventually whispered, “Are you busy tomorrow?”
“Not anymore.”
“Perfect.”
“Mrs Hong!”
They both turned to see Jun- Woo racing towards them, three coffees in his hands. The smile faded slightly at the look on their faces. “Is something wrong?”
“Nope.” Cha-Young gratefully accepted the coffee, “Mister Cassano and I are going to be busy tomorrow, so you’ll need to man the desks, okay?”
Jun- Woo pouted, “Busy doing what? Can’t I come?”
“It’s nothing interesting.” Cha-Young waved him off, “Besides, you need some experience answering client phone calls, right?”
Something unknown flashed across Jun- Woo’s face, before he nodded, still looking a little disappointed.
“Okay.” He agreed, “I’ll see you later?”
“Yep!”
…………………………………..
Jun- Woo watched the pair leaving, unable to stop himself from gritting his teeth together.
What were they up to?
No matter…. He had bigger concerns at the moment.
As if on cue, his brother’s car drove past him. The windows were tinted, meaning that Jun- Woo couldn’t see inside… but he knew his brother was looking out at him.
And he hoped he was scared of what was to come.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Han Seo couldn’t stop the yelp of pain breaking free as his brother grabbed his arm, twisting it harshly behind his back, pushing it up until he was sure that it was mere moments away from snapping. At the same time, his brother had pushed him up against the wall, grinding his cheek into the solid surface.
“I wasn’t told anything.” Jun- Woo imitated, voice high, squeaky and whiny, “I didn’t see any evidence! But it might be true, who knows?”
“H-Hyungnim, I- “He was cut off as Jun- Woo yanked him away from the wall, the older man’s free hand moved to encircle his throat, grip tightening ever so slightly, making Han Seo’s breath catch in his throat.
“Deny, deny, deny.” Jun- Woo hissed into his ear, lips mere millimetres away, “How many times do I have to tell you?” He then paused, turning his head slightly until his nose was brushing against Han Seo’s hair, feeling his brother shake against him as he slowly let go of Han Seo’s throat.
“H-Hyungnim, what are you doing?!”
Jun- Woo tried not to flinch at the words, slowly pulling away, “I was just thinking about how STUPID you are.” His grip on Han Seo’s throat once again.
From the way Han Seo shuddered, it was possible that the younger man knew that that wasn’t what his half-brother was thinking, but Jun- Woo honestly couldn’t care less. When the struggles started to lessen, a sure sign that Han Seo was running out of oxygen, Jun- Woo let him go, pushing him to the ground.
“You had better hope nothing too drastic comes of this, and that media relations can fix it.” He hissed down at him, “I don’t want you leaving this house until I know you’re not going to screw things up further!”
Han Seo clutched at his arm, eyes on the ground, “Yes Hyungnim.”
And so, Jun- Woo left, knowing that his brother wouldn’t dare disobey him.
………………………………………………….
“Abuse?!” Cha-Young exclaimed, as they sped down the road, “Are you sure?”
“I know the signs.”
Cha-Young didn’t want to pry, sensing this was just another one of those subjects that would make the newcomer shut up like a clam, “So…” She tried to change the subject, “…. You think that because he’s being abused by someone, Chairman Jang will be more willing to work with us?”
“Probably not, but it’s worth a shot.”
“Probably not?”
“…. Victims often try to see the good in their abusers over everything else.”
They pulled up near an expensive looking condo, as Cha-Young frowned in confusion. “Where are- “
Vincenzo was already getting out, eyeing the building suspiciously.
“Where are we?” Cha-Young tried again.
“Chairman Jang’s house.”
“… What?”
He repeated himself, heading up to the front door, as Cha-Young started to panic behind him.
“We can’t just walk in and expect to see him!” She protested, “What about security cameras? Security guards?!”
“Just trust me.”
And then he was knocking on the door, watching as a doorman opened it up.
“Can I help you?”
“We have a meeting with Chairman Jang. I believe he’s expecting us?”
The doorman frowned, “Chairman Jang mentioned no meeting to me- “The man stopped as Vincenzo pulled a wad of money out of his inside pocket, “- Ah yes… that meeting. First floor sir.”
“Thank you.”
They headed towards the lift. Once inside, Cha-Young shook her head, “We could be murderers, and he just let us in like that?!”
“That amount of money was to make sure we could get in and out without him saying anything… not to get away with murder, and he knows it.” He then smirked, “He probably thinks we’re… entertainment.”
“Entertain- oh.”
They left the lift, heading towards the door of the apartment and knocking on.
It opened up, to reveal Chairman Jang, who looked stunned to see them. “You- “He stopped, moving to shut the door in their faces, only for Vincenzo to stop it with his foot.
“We just want to talk Chairman Jang.” Vincenzo’s voice was low and soothing, as though calming a wild animal.
“How did you… how did you even find out where I lived?”
“I have my ways.” Vincenzo tilted his head to the side, “May we come in?”
Cha-Young eyed the Chairman. Without the imposing suits that made him look bigger than he actually was, the younger man looked almost… vulnerable.
No man rumoured to be as crazy as this Chairman had any right to look soft in a big jumper, hair all floppy and not gelled back.
And he was wearing glasses as well, wide eyes staring out at them.
This wasn’t fair.
She wasn’t meant to feel sorry for him.
“I-I have work to do. Some other time!”
Vincenzo didn’t remove his foot, scanning the younger man from head to toe. “Who did that to you?” He eventually asked.
“What are you- “
“- You’re holding your arm funny.” Vincenzo tilted his head to the side, “Like someone took it and wrenched it up behind your back.”
This seemed like it was another one of those things that Vincenzo had experience with, as Cha-Young fought not to comment.
“There’s also some light bruising on your throat.” Vincenzo continued, “You usually hide them behind the high collars, right?”
Oh yes, now that Vincenzo had pointed them out, Cha-Young could see the light splattering of purple on the younger man’s neck, making her heart pang in sympathy.
“… What do you want?” Chairman Jang was clearly shaken by Vincenzo’s words, but was still determined to be in control.
“Like I said, I just want to talk.”
“What about?”
“Jang Han Seok.”
Both Chairman Jang and Cha-Young froze, both of them staring at Vincenzo, who looked completely non-plussed by the attention he was getting.
“Jang Han Seok?” Cha-Young whispered, “I thought that- “
Vincenzo nudged her in the side, eyes still on the Chairman, who’d gone pale at the name.
“May we come in?”
Chairman Jang didn’t let them in, but he did open the door a little further, stepping out into the hallway.
“You see Mrs Hong…” Vincenzo spoke up, almost seeming to preen under the attentive audience, “…Chairman Jang had two sons. Jang Han Seok and Jang Han Seo…” He gestured at the Chairman. “Jang Han Seo was… well, putting it politely, not born from Mrs Jang, correct?”
The question was aimed at Jang Han Seo, who nodded, eyes now on the ground.
“Jang Han Seok, the legitimate heir…” Vincenzo continued, ignoring Cha-Young’s mutter about ‘why are the names so similar’, “… was sent to study in America, and as far as everyone knows, stayed there as an artist with no intentions of coming back.” He looked up at Han Seo, “But that’s not true, is it?”
Silence.
“No… it isn’t.” Vincenzo already knew the answer, “What I don’t know, is the name he’s using to hide in the shadows… whilst his little brother takes all the blame.”
“He wouldn’t do that to me.” Han Seo hissed, before clamping his lips shut, turning away from the pair, “You should leave. There’s a back entrance if you don’t want to talk to Kang-Dae.”
They assumed he meant the doorman here.
It was nice to hear that he knew the man’s name…. most rich people probably wouldn’t make note of that.
“We can help you.” Vincenzo whispered, “Think about it, okay?”
Han Seo didn’t make a sound, heading back into his apartment without giving them a second glance.
“What exactly was that supposed to achieve?” Cha-Young hissed as they left, “I thought we were working against Babel, no trying to help them.”
“We’re not helping them.” Vincenzo’s voice was firm, “We’re helping him… which might then help us in the long run.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s time we provoke the puppet master.”
…………………………………………………………………..
Han Seo examined himself in the mirror, wincing at the sight of the bruises on his skin.
Maybe his brother had a point about him wearing high-collar shirts at home.
‘What if he told you that, to hide what he does to you’ a low voice whispered in the back of mind, prompting him to turn his face away from the mirror and take a deep breath.
He couldn’t focus on that.
It was about being a Chairman… nothing more.
……………………………………………………………
// “Attracted to power, are we?” \\
The words ran over and over again in Jun--Woo’s mind.
He did love power…. But did he like it when it was attached to his bastard half-brother?
He groaned, burying his face in his hands.
No, he didn’t like Han Seo having power… but he did like him wearing suits. He liked those wide eyes staring up at him, even when they were slightly tinged in anger.
Han Seo was his half-brother, he shouldn’t be having these thoughts…. but at the same time, he was HIS. Han Seo belonged to him.
BZZZ! BZZZ!
Still mostly lost in his thoughts, he picked up his phone to read the incoming breaking news article only to shoot to his feet.
“FUCK!” He cursed viciously in English, throwing the phone to the ground, “FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!”
The phone lay face up, screen slightly cracked.
‘Babel Warehouse Catches Fire.’
………………………………………………………………………..
“Well then find OUT!” Han Seo yelled down the phone, hearing frantic apologies on the other end, “I want to know HOW, WHY and WHO!”
He hung up, staring off at a fixed point for a bit, before collapsing onto the sofa.
He needed to find out who did this.
He needed to find out before his brother decided to take it out on him.
……………………………………………………………………
Mrs Hong.
Jun--Woo removed his earbuds, glaring down at them as though the woman was still on the phone.
So, she was responsible for his warehouse being burnt to the ground.
He wasn’t going to continue going easy on her… but he didn’t want to hurt her either.
That mafia bastard though.
Now he was free pickings.
………………………………………………………………….
“We need to go to the hospital!” Cha-Young snarled at Vincenzo, as Mister Nam panicked in the driver’s seat of the car, “What do you mean you want to go and see Chairman Jang now?”
Vincenzo pressed at the bullet graze on his arm, silently cursing that this was yet another ruined suit since coming to Korea.
He never ruined his suits like this in Italy.
“We need to try and pressure him into selling out his brother.” He hissed, “Before people die.” He winced, amending his previous statement. “Before MORE people die.”
“Including him?”
Vincenzo glanced over at her, a little caught off guard by the seriousness in her eyes.
“Yes…” He finally relented, “…including him.”
They pulled up a distance from the condo, choosing to take the back entrance into the property an avoid the doorman’s attention.
There was no amount of money that could stop him from blabbing about the bloodied stranger that went up to see Chairman Jang.
With effort, they managed to sneak to the elevator and up to Han Seo’s floor, knocking on the door with urgency.
“What if he’s not- “
The door swung open,
“-In.” Cha-Young was relieved when Han Seo opened the door, not giving the man a chance to say anything before she and Mr Nam were shouldering their way inside, Vincenzo hanging limply between them.
“W-wait!” Han Seo shut the door behind him, “What are you doing, you can’t just- is he bleeding?!”
“Yes, no thanks to your brother, I’m sure!”
Han Seo took a step back at Cha-Young’s tone, recovering quickly and straightening up, “Maybe you shouldn’t be fighting against us at every turn!”
“Maybe Babel should start treating people like actual people instead of PUPPETS!”
Silence fell throughout the room as the pair glared at each other, before Vincenzo cautiously raised a hand, “I hate to break this up, but I’m still bleeding.”
“I have a first aid kit in the bathroom.” Han Seo muttered, rushing to go and grab it, handing it over to Cha-Young, before moving away, eyes on them at all times as Cha-Young and Mr Nam tended to the injured lawyer.
“Gentle! Gentle!”
“Hey, if you wanted gentle, then we should have gone to the hospital!”
“Ow!”
“Big baby!”
Had Jun--Woo ever volunteered to take care of him like this?
… No.
Never.
“Right, that should be better now.” Cha-Young sighed, turning to Han Seo, “Can we- “
They heard the elevator ding loudly, followed by footsteps heading up to the door as Han Seo shook.
“I-I need to get you out of here, or- “He paused, looking towards the bedroom, gesturing furiously at it, until Vincenzo got the hint. Despite being slightly woozy, Vincenzo managed to drag them over to the room in question, door closing, leaving only a small gap as the front door opened.
“H-Hyung!” Han Seo, who had practically jumped onto the sofa in an attempt to act natural, “I-I didn’t think you’d- “
“- Come to see you? I’m never too busy to spend time with my darling little brother.”
………………………………..
It was only Mr Nam and Vincenzo’s firm grip that kept Cha-Young from falling to her knees at the familiar voice.
Jun- Woo.
Jun- Woo was Jang Han Seok.
…………………………………………………………………..
Jun- Woo scanned his brother from head to toe.
The younger man was clearly flustered about something… but was it the current situation? The fear that Jun- Woo would take it out on him… or was it something else?
“Something wrong?” He asked Han Seo.
“No! No!”
“Oh, but there is…” Jun- Woo moved closer, until he was standing above the man sitting on the sofa, making Han Seo have to crane his neck to look up at him, “… I know there is.” He leaned over, until their faces were mere centimetres about, “I think… you’re hiding something from me little brother.”
“N-No Hyungnim! I’m not- “
“- Look how badly you’re shaking!” Jun- Woo couldn’t stop the slightly demented giggle from breaking free as he pulled Han Seo to his feet, hands gripping the younger man’s arms tightly as he glanced around the room.
And then he saw it.
“Is that… blood on the carpet?”
“I-I- “
“I know it’s not from you.” Jun- Woo continued, as though Han Seo had never spoken, “It’s been a long time since I’ve made you bleed like that, so- “His hand darted up, grabbing Han Seo’s hair and forcing him to his knees, “- Who’s. Blood. Is. It?!”
…………………………………………………….
“We can’t do anything.” Vincenzo whispered, low enough so that only Cha-Young and Mr Nam could hear him, “He won’t kill him.”
Cha-Young refused to look at him, shaking silently as they all watched through the gap.
………………………………………………………………
“N-Nobody! It’s nobody’s!” Han Seo pleaded, hissing as his brother’s grip on his hair tightened, “A-a bird! It-it got hurt so I-I tried to help it and- “
“- LIAR!”
Jun- Woo threw him to the ground, right beside the blood drops, before putting his foot on top of Han Seo’s hand, pressing down until the other man yelped in pain, sounding not unlike a kicked dog.
“Tell me the truth Han Seo.” He whispered, voice deceivingly gentle, “And I’ll be kind to you.”
“I-I- “Han Seo was shaking violently underneath him, to the point where he was unable to get the words out.
“Ugh, forget it.” Jun- Woo hissed, “You’re just like your Mother. Not a single brain cell in your head to know when you’re being tricked.” He removed his foot from Han Seo’s hand and headed towards the door, “I’ll deal with Geumga Plaza MYSELF!” He turned slightly, sneering at the sight of his brother still crumpled on the ground, “And you can tell your…. Friends that.”
The door slammed shut, followed by the ding of the elevator.
Vincenzo and the other two emerged from the bedroom, with Mr Nam helping Han Seo to his feet.
“We have to end this…. Mister Jang, will you testify against your brother?”
Han Seo stared at him in shock, before looking down and shaking his head.
“What?!” Cha-Young hissed, “After what he just did to you? After everything that he’s done to you?! Was I the only one who noticed that he said, ‘I haven’t made you bleed like that in a while’?!”
Silence.
“He abused you! Jun- Woo- “She cut herself off, tears springing to her eyes as the words caught in the back of her throat, unable to fully comprehend that the intern that she’d had such a soft spot for was capable of such cruelty.
And then she remembered the look in his eyes at the press conference.
“And you don’t know how he was looking at- “
“- I think you should all leave.” Han Seo’s voice was quiet, but firm, “You have to get to the plaza before he does whatever he has planned.”
“You- “
“- He’ll kill me.” This time, there was a slight tremble in Han Seo’s voice, “Call me weak, but I want to survive!”
“So, you’ll let him keep killing innocent people?!”
Han Seo looked away, clutching his hand to his chest.
“Fine!”
He listened as they all left, remaining where he was until he was sure that they were gone.
“What am I supposed to do?” He whispered to himself, “I can’t go against him, he’s got a backup plan for everything! Anything that I think of, he’s probably already guessed would happen!” He looked up, catching his reflection in the mirror.
The first thing he noticed was the red rimmed look around his eyes, which only just drew attention away from the dark bags underneath them. His hand was already starting to bruise, but that would just add to the number of bruises that were already over his body.
All thanks to his brother.
“I must be out of my mind.” He sighed, grabbing a coat, and rushing out of the door, quickly catching up with the group.
“You- “
“- I’ll give you a lift back to the Plaza.” He interrupted, “But… I really can’t… “
“Deal.” Vincenzo’s calm voice cut into Han Seo’s babbling, “I think I have something that might help you anyway.”
“Is it a plane ticket out of Korea?” Han Seo muttered sulkily, “Because that’s the only thing that’s going to save me at the moment.”
“Better. Just follow my lead.”
………………………………………………………………………………..
They pulled up near the Plaza, and headed inside, Han Seo trying not to panic as he was led further and further into the basement.
Was this where he was going to be killed?
Would Jun- Woo be upset? Or would he be disappointed that it wasn’t at his hands?
“Wait here.” Vincenzo ordered him, entering the small room, only to emerge moments later with a gold bar, which Han Seo perked up at.
“Oh yeah, I could use that to- “He stopped, eyes widening when the lawyer split the bar in half like it was nothing, pulling out a largish USB.
“Here.”
Han Seo took it cautiously, like it was a bomb. “Umm, what is it?”
“This… has all the evidence you will ever need to put your brother away for life. Him and a few others.”
“And everyone wants it.” Cha-Young beamed, “Aren’t you lucky?”
“E-everyone?”
“Yes, including Babel.” Vincenzo sighed, “I know we’re taking a great risk by giving you this, but it’s the last thing he’ll expect. Which means that it’s up to you to keep this safe until we can bring him to trial.”
“I- “
“- Police!” There was a cry from upstairs, “There’s police upstairs!”
Everyone’s eyes turned to the doorway, rushing upstairs, only to hear heavy footsteps marching through the building. Vincenzo turned to Han Seo, an indescribable look in his eyes.
“Hide it well.” He whispered, “Take the back entrance out. Hopefully, they’ve not surrounded the building yet.”
“What about you and- “
“- We’ll be fine. Now go!”
And so, Han Seo ran, USB still clenched tightly in his hands. As he neared the door, he shoved it into his inside jacket pocket. Straightening up, he walked the rest of the way out, hoping that he would be able to sneak back to the car with no issues.
The hand on his shoulder shattered those hopes.
“Well, well, well…”
Han Seo felt a shiver run down his spine at the familiar voice.
“… What’s the quote?” Jun- Woo leaned in closer, “Et Tu Brute?”
“I-I- “He was cut off as Jun- Woo’s grip tightened steering him away from the building and towards another car that had clearly been parked with the intention of remaining out of sight. Waiting by it were the lawyers Han and Choi.
“Can we make the charges stick on these scumbags?” Jun- Woo asked them, grinding his teeth when the pair shook their heads.
“And it’s likely that Mister Cassano will use this as a reason to file charges against Babel… and you.” Mrs Choi frowned, “It’s clear that he no longer believes your brother is the Chairman.”
Jun- Woo turned to Han Seo, giving him a rough shake.
“Did you tell him?! Who I was?!”
“He-he figured it out!”
Jun- Woo scoffed, “Of course he did. One talk with you, and anyone could tell how stupid you are! Let me guess, he said that he’d protect you from your ‘meanie big brother?’” His voice was high and mocking, before a sneer appeared on his face and he moved his grip to the back of Han Seo’s head, pushing him forwards and slamming his head against the back passenger window of the car.
Pain exploded through Han Seo’s head, unable to properly articulate it as he felt blood trickle from a wound. His brother let go of him, watching as he crumpled to the ground, black dots swimming around his vision.
“Prepare for the trial.” The older man ordered the two lawyers, “I want it over and done with in less than a day! Understand!”
“That may not be possible Sir.” Mrs Choi carefully spoke up, “If your brother has told them some of the company secrets, then they- “
“- What does it matter?!” Jun- woo hissed in English, “All they have is their word! Hearsay! He won’t be testifying for them and that is that!”
“… The jury may wonder why the man they believe to be the Chairman of Babel isn’t there.”
“Let them wonder.” Jun- Woo reached down, yanking Han Seo to his feet and pulling him towards the boot of the car, opening it up and shoving him inside, “He won’t be making it to the trial and that’s that.”
The lid was slammed shut and everything went black… in more ways than one.
…………………………………………………
“How do the defendants plead in this case?”
Mrs Choi rose to her feet, trying not to look over at Vincenzo and Cha-Young. “Not guilty Your Honour.”
Cha-Young looked around the room, leaning over to hiss in Vincenzo’s ear, “Where’s Han Seo?”
“I don’t know…but I don’t like it.”
…………………………………7 hours earlier………………………………………….
“Strip.”
Han Seo swayed on his feet, wrapping his arms around himself and shaking his head.
“No?” Jun- Woo’s voice was low and dangerous, “Now you’ve decided to grow a backbone?!”
The blood was still trickling down Han Seo’s face, mouth opening and closing uselessly.
“I said… STRIP!”
Nothing.
“Fine, I’ll do it myself.” Jun- Woo was in front of him in seconds, wrenching his jacket from his shoulders and throwing it to the ground.
He was too angry to realise that there was something in it.
The shirt was ripped off, followed by pants as Han Seo was pushed to the ground, dressed only in his underwear and socks.
He looked ridiculous, and yet Jun- Woo couldn’t stop from staring at him.
“It’s times like this… that I understand why Dad chose to sleep with your Mum.” Jun- Woo squatted down, running a deceivingly gentle hand down Han Seo’s cheek, collecting the blood there and bringing it up to his mouth to lick at it, making Han Seo shudder, “You look… like you belong like this. Maybe I should have had you be my whore instead of my puppet.”
Han Seo had always known there was something off about his brother, but to actually hear it said out loud made his skin crawl. He shied away, curling up as much as he could, pulling away from his brother’s touch.
This was the last straw for Jun- Woo, who got to his feet, heading how to the umbrella stand, where Han Seo kept his hockey stick, picking it up.
“Ah little brother…” That mocking tone was back, “… this is going to hurt me, more than you, you know.”
Han Seo remained curled up, one arm wrapping around his to protect that, knees drawn up close to his chest, the other arm wrapped around them to try and protect the vital organs at the front.
He’d been through this before.
Jun- Woo would stop… right?
It only took three strikes for him to lose consciousness.
……………………………2 hours before the start of the trial…………………………………………
Han Seo had regained consciousness almost half an hour earlier, and honestly, he wished he hadn’t.
Every inch of his body hurt, from the tips of his fingers to the tips of his toes.
His lip was split; his entire torso and back ached, indicating heavy bruising with possible cracked ribs; his right hand was definitely broken judging by the odd angle of his fingers and there was a ringing in his ears that indicated that he hadn’t done a brilliant job of protecting his head.
Behind him, the TV blared as reporters talked about the trial that was due to start against Babel.
Obviously, Jun- Woo wanted him to watch his victory.
Without using his right hand, he managed to get himself to his knees, taking several deep breaths as his ribs ached.
“Come on Han Seo.” He whispered to himself, “Come on Han Seo!”
Slowly (very slowly), he managed to make it too his room, slip on an old, baggy jumper that he hoped wouldn’t aggravate his wounds (judging by the way the fabric clung and made his skin sting in several places, he had some open wounds that he hadn’t noticed previously). This was followed by a lose pair of sweatpants as well (the same thing happening with them) and his glasses, contacts having been knocked out during the meeting.
Almost another 30 minutes had passed since he woke up.
Adrenaline and endorphins rushing through his veins, his journey into the living room was slightly quicker as he grabbed the discarded jacket, sighing in relief when he found the USB.
Vincenzo was right… His brother hadn’t even bothered to check him, probably because he thought that someone like Vincenzo Cassano would even think about entrusting something like this to someone like Han Seo.
“Jokes’ on you.” He muttered to himself, putting it in his pocket, along with some cash he kept for emergencies.
Of course, that emergency used to be getting the hell out of the country.
With everything that he needed, he slowly headed for the back exit, each step feeling like someone was stabbing a thousand knives into him.
‘Et Tu Brute?’
He remembered his brother telling him that story… about a great man who was betrayed by those he was closest to.
Ironic really.
……………………Presently……………………….
“We’d like to ask why a major witness in these proceedings is not present?” Cha-Young addressed Mrs Choi, “Chairman Jang?”
“The accusations are not true.” Mrs Choi answered, a smug little smile on her face, “The Chairman trusts us with these matters, and should anything come up that needs further questioning… well, I’m sure he will be more than happy to come.”
Vincenzo kept his eyes on the judge, frowning when the man let it slide.
He hated corrupt judges.
……………………………30 minutes before the trial………………………………….
“You get all of this if you get me to the Babel trial in less than twenty minutes.”
The taxi driver looked back at him from the rear-view mirror, gasping sharply at the sight of him. “S-Sir! You-you need to go to the hospital!”
“I’m not paying you to go to the hospital! I’m paying you to take me to the Court House!” Han Seo shifted, groaning in pain, wincing at the light bloodstains he left behind, “And to get this taxi completely refurbished.”
“Right…. If, you’re sure.”
In the end, the taxi driver pulled through, pulling up twenty minutes later, parking a short distance away from the crowds of reporters.
“Sir… people are going to ask questions if they see you.” The driver whispered.
Han Seo couldn’t deny that. He could barely deal with the media on a good day, let alone after being beaten half to death.
“Look…” The driver sighed, “… There should be a hoodie next to you. Wear that to get inside safely.”
Han Seo looked over, slowly grabbing the hoodie, and putting it on over the top of his jumper. It swamped him slightly, but it would do the job.
“Here.” Han Seo leaned forwards painfully, shoving all the money into the man’s hands, “I can never thank you enough.”
“… This is too much, I- “
Han Seo was already getting out of the car though, putting the hood up and making his slow way up the steps.
He didn’t know how he looked to the gathered crowd, but hopefully, they saw him as just some drunk.
With the way he was swaying from side to side, he certainly felt drunk… just without the fun drinking time.
“Sir?” Guards stopped him at the door, “Sir, what are you doing here?”
Han Seo pulled his hood back slightly. His hair hung limp in his face, and he was wearing glasses that had never been seen on his face before, plus all the injuries that were probably on show… he wasn’t really expecting them to recognise him.
And yet, they did.
Which was probably an indication of how many times Babel had been taken to court.
“Chairman Jang?” One of the guards leaned forwards to support him, “Do you need us to call you an ambulance?!”
“No, I-I… I need to get to the trial.”
“But- “
“- Please.” The word came out weaker than Han Seo intended, but it seemed to get through to them all the same.
“It’s down that corridor to the right, but- “
“- Thank you.” Han Seo set off moving again. The pain was so much worse now as he headed in that direction, taking a deep breath, and pushing the door open.
………………………………………………………….
All eyes turned to the doors and they were thrown open, to reveal a hooded figure, who limped slowly inside.
Everyone was on their feet, but Cha-Young got there first.
“Han Seo?” She gasped sharply as he looked up at her, before yelping as she suddenly had to support most of his weight, “Han Seo!”
The entire courtroom was up in arms, the majority shooting to their feet as the judge tried to call for order.
Vincenzo moved to help Cha-Young, lightly slapping Han Seo’s face to try and bring him back to reality. “Do you, have it?”
“Hey!” Cha-Young protested, “Can’t you see he’s- “She stopped, watching as Han Seo slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out the data stick, handing it over to them, “- Oh my God, you brought it.”
“Y-Yeah.” Han Seo whispered, feeling the blackness encroaching in on him again, as he looked over to the defence side, shuddering at the look in his brother’s eyes, “Go team.”
“Han Seo! Han Seo!”
Feeling his legs crumpling out from underneath him, Han Seo was grateful when he passed out again.
…………………………………..
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
Han Seo forced himself to wake, hoping that he wouldn’t open his eyes to see Jun-Woo’s demented face hovering over him, as the Doctor delivered that lethal injection.
Thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case.
“He’s awake!” A familiar voice called, out, followed by Cha-Young’s face suddenly hovering above him, “Don’t move!” She ordered him, “We have to get the Doctor to check you over.”
Han Seo nodded sleepily, eyes always slipping shut again as exhaustion took over.
……………………………………………………………………….
When he next woke up, he felt like he could breathe a little easier. The room was darker, and when he turned to look at either side of him, he could see Mister Cassano and Mrs Hong sitting there, along with Mr Nam.
Mr Nam was the only one who was still awake, looking up almost instinctively, to see Han Seo staring at him.
“Hey…” The paralegal whispered, “… How are you feeling?”
“S-sore.” Han Seo groaned, “What happened?”
“You got one over on your brother.”
They looked over at Vincenzo, who was stretching out his limbs, before he moved his chair a little closer.
“That USB I gave you, is known as the Guillotine Files. There is information on that that could take down the top 1% in the country, including your brother.” Vincenzo paused, waiting for that information to sink in, “After your collapse, the trial was adjourned so that we could take you to the hospital and have a good look at what those files actually contain.”
Here, Han Seo could swear that a look of pity flashed across the Mafia man’s face.
“How old were you when you were moved into the Jang household?”
“Thirteen.” He could remember it like it was yesterday.
“…. And that’s when Han-Seok’s abuse started.” Vincenzo’s voice was soft, “What he did to you, could be constituted as torture, so it was no surprise when you turned to drugs.”
Han Seo winced.
“You’ve been seeing a therapist since you were that age.” Vincenzo continued, “Your Father didn’t want you blabbing about it to anyone else, so he paid a licensed professional for you to talk to… that way, it could all get back to him.”
Han Seo had always suspected that to be the case, but to hear that his Dad was spying on his private sessions was a little disturbing.
That was probably how his brother always seemed to know his weaknesses.
“Your Father also covered up the murders of Han Seok’s classmates, right?”
Han Seo nodded.
He could still remember being terrified when his brother gave him his watch, knowing that that was Jun Woo’s preferred trophy.
“You leaved in fear until your brother was sent to America.”
“I-I still had to live with Dad.” Han Seo whispered, “But at least he just ignored me.”
“… And then Han Seok came back and killed him after a routine surgery, which is where Doctor Gil Jong-Moon comes into the picture. You were then set up as the puppet Chairman of Babel and- “Vincenzo gestured vaguely all around them, “- here we are.”
Han Seo turned his gaze to the ceiling.
“He can’t hurt you anymore.” This time it was Cha-Young who spoke up, “With all the evidence against him and his little team of lawyers, they were arrested on the spot. Life in prison for you brother has practically been guaranteed.”
“You don’t know him.” Han Seo, feeling tears building up in his eyes, prompting him to squeeze them shut, “Not like I do. Prison won’t stop him. He’ll come after me and- “He cut himself off, not willing to say the words.
“Which is why he believes you’re dead.”
Han Seo’s eyes flew back open, as he moved to sit up, only to yelp in pain and collapse back down onto the mattress. “W-what?”
Vincenzo shrugged, “We made him believe that you were dead… to be honest, you weren’t far off.”
“But Babel- “
“- Has been completely and totally ruined.” Vincenzo didn’t sound the least bit sorry about this, “So unfortunately, you’re out of a job.”
“Oh.”
“It’s lucky that Mr Nam, Mrs Hong and I are looking for an intern.”
Han Seo frowned in confusion, as Vincenzo leaned forwards.
“And it’s lucky that Geumga Plaza has a spare space for you that can be your new home?” Vincenzo held out a hand, one eyebrow raised, “Sound good?”
Han Seo thought about it for a time.
It wasn’t the life he’d grown used to since the age of thirteen… but maybe it was for the best?
All the last decade and a bit had taught him, was that rich people were crazy.
“Deal.”