I sliced into the steak and brought a piece to my mouth.
The moment I bit into the perfectly grilled meat, its juices burst forth like an explosion. The steak was incredibly tender, and the sauce complemented it perfectly.
"As expected! A 100,000-won steak! It melts in your mouth the instant you taste it."
Throughout my life, I hadn't been particularly interested in food. While I enjoyed delicious meals, I always prioritized quantity over quality. But now that I had plenty of money, I was pursuing both quantity and quality.
"It's truly delicious!" I exclaimed, slicing another piece of steak.
Glancing at Moon Ji-Hyeok, I saw him cutting his steak with a somewhat awkward expression. For someone earning his salary, spending 100,000 won on a single meal must be quite a burden.
"...I'm glad you find it delicious."
"So, Detective Moon of the Red Light Task Force, what brings you here? Do you suspect I'm Jeokgwang?"
"To be fair, Sung Yujin, your build does resemble Jeokgwang's. But to accuse you of being him based solely on that would be a stretch."
I inwardly flinched, but quickly composed myself.
There are plenty of people with similar builds to mine, especially when fully clothed. Distinguishing individuals by physique alone, when they're dressed, is impossible.
"Then... what is it you wanted to ask me?"
"K-Plex. You're familiar with it, right?"
"...Yes. It's... a place I occasionally visit for entertainment."
I answered casually, chewing on a piece of steak. My mind raced, trying to figure out why K-Plex had suddenly come up. The answer came almost immediately.
"K-Plex. That's where those gangster bastards used to work."
Moon Ji-Hyeok's gaze shifted to my face. I tensed up. Having watched the original drama, I knew he had a knack for observing people.
If I slipped up even slightly with my expression, he'd immediately sense something was off.
"Sung Yujin's bloodstains were found in an alley near there that day. Can you tell me what happened?"
"...Since I agreed to tell you, I will."
I knew Moon Ji-Hyeok's personality well.
He was incredibly persistent. Once he latched onto something, he'd investigate it relentlessly, no matter what it was. Of course, he sometimes came up empty-handed. But occasionally, this trait shone through, leading to breakthroughs.
Above all, Moon Ji-Hyeok was the protagonist of the drama, blessed with the absurd protagonist buff of "intuition."
If I tried to avoid him for no good reason, he'd only become more fixated. It was better to meet him once and shake off his tenacity. That was my intention.
Having watched the original drama, I was confident in my deep understanding of Moon Ji-Hyeok.
However, he proved to be a far more difficult opponent than I'd anticipated.
"Ms. Sung Yu-jin's bloodstains were discovered in an alley nearby. Can you tell me what happened that day?"
The question made my appetite vanish instantly.
No. Stay calm. Bloodstains alone can't identify a person. If they could, they wouldn't have come to meet me like this; they'd have arrested me or issued a summons.
DNA analysis is one of the latest investigative methods, but it's not foolproof. Just because my blood was found there doesn't prove I'm Jeokgwang.
Should I deny it? No. Moon Ji-Hyeok likely already knows something and contacted me for a reason.
"It wasn't a pleasant experience. Gangsters attacked me, and I fled. The blood was spilled during the escape."
"There were no signs of you fleeing."
"I'm exceptionally good at escaping."
"Didn't you consider reporting this to the police?"
"I don't trust the police much. Besides, gang retaliation can be quite severe."
"...Are you aware that Ma Bongcheon's gang was found dead?"
"I heard they'd disappeared... but I'm only learning about their deaths from you now, Detective."
Those bastards were too lazy to even dispose of the bodies properly, just taking the money and dumping them... Maybe I should have gone through the trouble of throwing them into the sea after all.
No. It's fine. Moon Ji-Hyeok doesn't know I'm Jeokgwang.
I pretended to be calm, cutting into my steak with deliberate motions.
"You're taking this remarkably well," he said.
I froze. That was a mistake. An ordinary person wouldn't be so composed in this situation.
"Their deaths don't concern me. In fact, I think it's for the best. Nothing good ever came from those guys."
"I understand. There was even a knife fight in the alleyway. Where were you injured? You seem perfectly fine now."
"My wrist. I lost a lot of blood, but it wasn't a deep wound. It's fully healed now."
"May I see the scar?"
I extended my right arm. At that moment, the sashimi blade sliced across my forearm. But thanks to my complete recovery, there wasn't a single scar left.
"You see? My forearm was cut, but it's completely fine now."
"...Does it always heal so cleanly, without leaving any scars?"
"I know a skilled doctor. Plus, my healing ability has been exceptional since childhood. Wounds tend to heal quickly."
"If you don't mind, may I touch your arm?"
Under normal circumstances, I would have immediately refused, perhaps even snapped, "Why would a man want to touch another man's arm?"
But I sensed Moon Ji-Hyeok's true intentions. He wanted to check the wound on my arm while also gauging my body temperature to definitively determine whether I was a vampire or a human.
"Pale skin can be concealed with makeup, and fangs are rarely noticeable if you move your lips carefully. But body temperature can't be hidden. That must be what he was aiming for."
I nodded coolly.
"It doesn't matter."
He touched my arm a few more times before letting go.
"Thank you."
"What's the big deal? By the way, Detective, your hands are awfully cold."
"...I have acrocyanosis."
"Ah, I see."
I finished the last piece of steak without hesitation and raised my wine glass.
"Are we done with the questions?"
"Not quite. A few more. Are you a university student?"
"No, I'm unemployed right now. Just lazing around with nothing to do."
"Are you aware of the nickname 'Holy Cock'?"
"It's my nickname."
Of course I know it. And I rather like the nickname.
Holy Cock! Sung Yu-jin's cock! The sacred cock!
"Holy Cock" is a term of praise for me.
"I've heard you frequent Gangnam's private rooms almost daily."
"Private rooms are great. They're fun places. Detective, why don't you come with me sometime? It's really entertaining."
"I'll pass. Besides, private rooms are incredibly expensive. Where does your money come from? May I ask about your parents?"
He suspects the source of my funds.
That's understandable. If I were him, I'd also be curious about how a young guy like me could afford to frequent private rooms daily and spend money so lavishly.
"My parents? They live in the countryside, in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province."
I'm talking about my own parents. I don't know who Kang Yujin's parents are. I've never bothered to look them up because I don't care.
"Do you run a business or something?"
"Not exactly a business. The two of them run a beauty salon together. The money they earn in the rooms isn't allowance from their parents."
"Then what is it? Did you win the lottery or something?"
"I've never even bought a lottery ticket before... Maybe I should try it sometime."
As I obediently answered Moon Ji-Hyeok's questions, I suddenly felt a surge of irritation.
It's true that I'm Jeokgwang and need to keep that hidden. But do I really need to be so submissive? Does Moon Ji-Hyeok always have to control the conversation?
What could someone like Moon Ji-Hyeok possibly do to me?
"In short, Detective Moon, you suspect my money... is that what you're saying?"
"...Yes. It's suspicious. It doesn't make sense that you'd have such a large sum of money."
"Well, I admit it's not exactly clean money. But did you know? Some of the money I'm spending is actually the money Detective Moon used to have."
"...What did you say?"
"Taker."
Moon Ji-Hyeok's eyes widened dramatically. He stared at me with disbelief, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly.
"No... no way... you?!"
He blurted out informal speech, but I didn't mind.
"That's right. I'm Taker, Detective Moon."
Because I knew how to speak informally too.
"No... you're really... Taker? But you're too..."
"Too young? Well, too bad. I am Taker. The Republic of Korea's greatest genius hacker! Taker is me."
I grinned and drained my wine glass, the sweet wine sliding smoothly across my tongue.
"You sold information about vampires just recently. Still don't believe me?"
"..."
"Do I have to show you the messenger app to convince you?"
I pulled out my smartphone and showed him the messenger app Taker had created.
Moon Ji-Hyeok regained his composure instantly. His gaze sharpened as he looked at me.
"Taker, let's cut to the chase. What's your connection to Jeokgwang?"
"None whatsoever."
"Jeokgwang's movements suggest he either has hacking skills himself or is being assisted by a hacker."
"Well, I've investigated Jeokgwang myself. He's quite famous, after all. But do you really think a hacker could hack a bus? That's impossible. Not just for me, but for any hacker."
"...You're really not connected to Jeokgwang?"
"I told you, I have nothing to do with them. If I were involved, would I be out here openly enjoying myself?"
"..."
Moon Ji-Hyeok crossed his arms and lowered his gaze to the empty plate where his steak had been. He seemed deep in thought.
He's probably thinking about me.
My denial of any connection to Jeokgwang wouldn't dispel Moon Ji-Hyeok's suspicions. He clearly didn't fully trust me.
He's probably wondering what to do with me.
He couldn't detain me, but letting me go would be too risky. And I was a Taker a genius hacker. Though I was currently cooperating with Moon Ji-Hyeok, I was ultimately a criminal.
I can control Moon Ji-Hyeok. Maybe not anyone else, but I can.
I knew the original story well. I understood Moon Ji-Hyeok's personality, and even though the plot had diverged somewhat, the fundamental events from the original narrative were bound to resurface.
Before Moon Ji-Hyeok's thoughts could deepen, I interrupted him.
"Looks like you've become a vampire?"
"...You noticed when I touched your arm earlier?"
"I won't go blabbing about it. You're one of my clients, after all."
"I trust you'll keep your mouth shut, Taker."
"Don't worry. You know my secret too, right? We're even."
The easiest way to control Moon Ji-Hyeok?
What else could move a detective more than a case?
"The steak was delicious. As thanks for the meal, I'll give you some information."
"Information?"
Moon Ji-Hyeok showed interest. He knew how exceptional my intelligence network was.
"There's a rumor of a terrorist attack planned in Korea."
"A terrorist attack?!"
Moon Ji-Hyeok shot to his feet, stunned by the unexpected news. It was fortunate they were in a private dining room, isolated from the rest of the restaurant.
"It's just a rumor. But a pretty credible one."
"...What's the source of the rumor?"
"A broker. Apparently, he heard it from an arms dealer. But the rumor's pretty solid. They say a retired special forces soldier with a grudge against Korea is planning the attack."
This wasn't a lie. This episode was real, and judging by the timeline, a bomb would soon detonate at the Dawn Group's headquarters, a major conglomerate.
"What's the retired soldier's identity?"
"No idea. I just heard the rumor, didn't investigate. Not really interested."
"Not interested?! This is a terrorist attack on the Republic of Korea! Aren't you a citizen of this country?!"
"Don't get worked up. You know I'm not the only one like this. I'm telling you this because it's me. If it were someone else, they wouldn't even bother."
He clamped his mouth shut and sat back down.
"Can you find out who that retired soldier is?"
"It'll be tough. I'm not some kind of miracle worker."
"When and where will the terrorist attack happen?"
"How am I supposed to know that? I understand you want answers, but think rationally. I told you, I only heard rumors."
"..."
Moon Ji-Hyeok fell into deep thought. By now, Jeokgwang and the Taker were likely secondary concerns in his mind.
After all, Moon Ji-Hyeok was a good man. He couldn't possibly ignore something that could cost dozens, or even thousands, of lives.
"Taker, I need your help."
"I'm busy. And I don't want to get involved in anything dangerous. I prefer just getting information and living my life. Why don't you report this to your superiors instead?"
"Do you think the higher-ups would act on just a rumor of a terrorist attack?"
"Hmm. No."
A terrorist attack. And it's just a rumor. The police higher-ups would never believe it.
"But do you actually believe this rumor? It's just a rumor, after all."
"If it were just a rumor, you wouldn't have told me."
"...You trust me?"
"At least until now, your information has never been wrong. And you also believe a terrorist attack is coming, don't you? Am I wrong?"
"Wow~. I'm flattered you trust me so much, client. But I'm not getting involved. Do you think I'm crazy enough to risk my neck in something like that?"
"If you refuse to help, I'll arrest you."
I chuckled.
"You're a vampire, aren't you? Should I expose you?"
"..."
We glared at each other. Moon Ji-Hyeok showed no sign of backing down.
"Taker, just help me this once. I need your abilities."
Moon Ji-Hyeok rose from his seat and slowly bowed his upper body to me, a perfect 90-degree bow. He looked like he might even kneel. That's the kind of guy Moon Ji-Hyeok was.
"...Ten million won. I'll help you for ten million won as a special service. But this special service is only for this one time."
"...Thank you."
"I'll investigate separately. But I have my limits too. You should also look into the retired soldiers. There must be other informants besides me."
"I will. Fortunately, I have connections in the military. And if they're planning a terrorist attack... there must be a motive to match."
I swallowed the urge to say that my motive was surprisingly trivial.
"But you're part of the Red Light Task Force, right? Do you have time?"
"Time isn't a problem."
"Then let's have a meeting."
While pretending to plan our next steps with Moon Ji-Hyeok, I activated my hacking program.
[Hacking successful.]
[You have 24 minutes to hack Moon Ji-Hyeok's smartphone.]
I was burning with curiosity to find out who these Red Light Task Force bastards chasing me were.
As I scrolled through Moon Ji-Hyeok's contacts, messenger apps, and message history, a smirk crept across my face.
He's not dating the female lead yet. Judging by their conversations, they're practically on the verge of becoming a couple. Fucking hell. I'm suddenly horny. I need to fuck her.
The female lead wasn't exactly my type, but it felt like a waste to just leave her alone.
Since I was already trapped in this drama, shouldn't I at least fuck the female lead once?
Heh heh heh.