Used to the Darkness || DoTae

Chapter Nine

Sunday, April 10th 2158, 15:39.

Cheongnam, South Korea.

"I've already told you a thousand times, Agent Kim. I told you that I have nothing to do with any of the crimes which you're attempting to associate me with!" Park Byeongho spat, throwing himself back in his chair like a child having a tantrum. "I can't believe you'd trust a criminal over my word. Even your Chief, too? It's clear that this Korean Central Intelligence Agency branch needs a good reformation."

Doyoung let out an exasperated sigh in his seat, his eyes averting to the pane of one-way glass beside him. It had been a long day. All of his energy was coming solely from a subpar sandwich from Headquarters' cafeteria, which had long since begun depleting, leaving him cranky and irritable. At least his disposition mirrored Park Byeongho—a circumstance which usually helped during the interrogation period.

It was not, however, effective with a Mayor who believed it more important to defend his honour than make sense in the slightest.

"If you have no relation in the slightest to Mrs Lee Yujin, then why would a poor woman have given birth to her son in a private hospital which is more for a simple consultation than she could afford on her own?" asked Doyoung with a raised brow, waiting for Park Byeongho to slip up further.

"I don't know!" Park Byeongho yelled. "Maybe she used her pregnancy as leverage on the father, and had him pay her enough money for the birth care. I'm not aware of everything that goes down in Cheongnam, Agent. I don't have the spare time to consider trivialities."

Park Byeongho was beginning to show his true colours. He may not have been confessing to his involvement in the killings that he had been connected to, but he was most certainly proving himself to be a bigot—despite his public persona being an all-loving, accepting man—which left Doyoung unsurprised. He didn't care much for politics. As long as his daughter, Jiyeon, had a bright future ahead of her, he didn't care who was leading the city.

"Are you married, Mayor Park? I don't recall that being public knowledge," asked Doyoung, trying to offset the bitter atmosphere that they were being suffocated by.

"I lost my wife seven years ago, Agent, and I've spent those years raising her teenage son while trying to maintain Cheongnam's relative peace. My wife's son is the closest I have to a real son. However, I don't see what this has to do with your investigation. What's next? Are you going to turn my house upside down in search of incriminating evidence?"

"If you have nothing to hide, getting a warrant to search your home shouldn't be a problem. We're not going to turn your property upside down, all we need to do is find evidence to either confirm or deny your claim to not be involved in our case," said Doyoung. "It's the standard procedure for any criminal investigation. I assure you that you're not being singled out due to your status."

Park Byeongho let out an exasperated sigh, glancing down at the table beneath his hands. A knock echoed off of the four blank walls, catching both men's attention and making their gazes shift over to the door. Not long after, the doorknob turned and the door opened, revealing Chief Kwon and an unfamiliar man on the other side. Doyoung promptly deduced that he was Park Byeongho's lawyer of choice, given that not only were no visitors allowed, but the man's custom-tailored deep navy blue suit gave the impression of a wealthy man. A man fit for being a Mayor's lawyer.

"Special Agent Kim, I think you should take a break from the interrogation for the moment. I believe somebody is here to see you," said Chief Kwon. "Mayor Park is entitled to time to speak to his lawyer privately, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave for now."