You Promised Me, Mr. Lee San-ha - Chapter 119



Only Noblemtl

Episode 119: The Boy Behind the Door (4)

Ahn Hee-chan’s crying could be heard over the phone.

[Ugh, ugh… …! Sister, sister-! I’m so scared! I’m hungry and cold… … Ugh! Ugh!]

“Don’t touch Heechan!”

An Hee-yeon shouted in a voice full of anger.

An irritated voice came back on the other end of the phone.

[How can you just leave the kid alone when he keeps screaming like this? I don’t have any interest in putting a muzzle on a kid either.]

“Okay, okay. Okay, so this time I’ll give you the money right away without telling the police. Please just spare Hee-chan… … .”

[You should’ve done that a long time ago. What is this, making it so hard for both of us? The kid is starving, and I’m having a hard time hiding the kid. And the kid’s mom did something crazy again? Hehehe.]

The veins on the back of Ahn Hee-yeon’s hand stand out as she holds the cell phone.

It’s a reaction that makes you feel like you’re going to break your cell phone at any moment.

But even during that time, the kidnapper’s taunts continued.

[Hey kid. Do you know that? Your mom said~ take this much sleeping pills―.]

“Stop it! Stop it. I told you I’d give you money. Hee-chan, stop bothering me… … .”

[Okay, I’ll add some more conditions instead.]

An Hee-yeon looked at me with nervous eyes.

I nodded with my mouth tightly shut.

Now we must follow the kidnapper’s intentions.

An Hee-yeon read my gaze and nodded.

“Okay. What are the conditions?”

[I should increase the amount to reflect your hard work. To 1.5 billion.]

A brief silence follows.

Ahn Hee-yeon asked with a voice full of despair.

“Money… How should I give you this? If I prepare it in cash right away, it will take some more time.”

No matter how financially comfortable a household is, they do not live by hoarding cash.

In addition, most withdrawal methods have limits.

There is no way to withdraw an additional 500 million won since even the bank is closed at this time.

An Hee-yeon’s conversation style just now was one of the effective negotiation strategies.

Because the kidnapper has no choice but to keep the hostage alive ‘at least until the victim’s family prepares the cash.’

What if we can’t continue to prove that the hostage is alive right up until the very end of the deal?

The transaction fails because there is no need to hand over cash.

In addition, there is an advantage for the victim’s family in that they can devise a response method while buying as much time as possible.

… … That should have been the case.

[Oh, don’t worry about that. I plan to receive it in virtual currency.]

If the kidnapper’s whim had not occurred.

In just one word, all the advantages of cash transactions disappeared in an instant.

It also takes time to prepare cash.

Hostage safety is guaranteed during preparation time.

There is also a way to identify the location of the perpetrator at the time of the transaction.

The structure has been turned upside down so that everyone disappears and only the criminal benefits.

“I, I’ve never done a transaction like that before. I don’t even have an account… .”

[If you don’t know, you should learn. I heard from what the kid said that your older sister is really good at studying? And she goes to a really good school?]

The voice-modulated voice continued its grumbling tone.

[He’s a smart guy, so he’ll learn quickly. The coin to trade is Rishicoin. The virtual currency wallet address will be sent to you via text message. The time limit is 12 o’clock. If you miss even 1 second from that… … .]

A speaking style that deliberately drags out the conversation to make the other person nervous.

This is the most commonly used method to threaten someone.

Because from the listener’s perspective, all they can imagine is horrible things.

He said in a firm voice.

[I’ll send you a picture. It shows the little guy here cut into pieces and scattered everywhere.]

“… … !”

An Hee-yeon closed her eyes tightly.

I could tell how much strength I was putting into the hand holding the receiver, and my already pale hands had turned even whiter.

“Okay, I’ll prepare it and send it. But let me hear Heechan’s voice one more time.”

[You’re asking for a lot. No more calls―.]

“There’s no guarantee that the conversation we had earlier wasn’t a recording file, right?! If you can’t prove that Hee-chan is alive right now, we can’t give you the money!”

An Hee-yeon took out Kang-soo and pressured the kidnapper.

[You seem suspicious. Let me keep the conversation short.]

After a while, Ahn Hee-chan’s voice was heard again.

[Sister! Sister… … ! Huuuing, I, I’m so scared… … . Huaah!]

“Heechan. Heechan, calm down. What time is it now? Read the time on your phone.”

[Oh, ten o’clock… …. Twelve minutes past ten. Oh, no. It’s thirteen now.]

“The time is right… … What did Heechan get for his birthday this year?”

[Huh? I, I don’t know, I don’t remember… … .]

An Hee-yeon, who was becoming anxious, asked urgently.

“You have to remember, Heechan! With the answer you gave me now, I can’t be sure it’s you. That human could be committing fraud with a voice that’s been transformed into AI or something—”

[Skates! White and black inline skates with wings!]

That was information that only my younger brother would know.

Only then did Ahn Hee-yeon regain her expression of relief.

Soon the kidnapper’s voice was heard.

[Is that enough confirmation?]

“Yes. Then… … .”

The call shouldn’t end yet.

I displayed a sentence on my phone and showed it to Ahn Hee-yeon.

[I received a firm promise that ‘if I pay you with virtual currency, I will return your little brother safely!’]

An Hee-yeon read the sentence I wrote with a puzzled look.

“… … Then, if we pay you in cryptocurrency, you promise to return my brother safely?”

Laughter came from the other end of the phone.

[Send me the money quickly.]

At that moment, the phone is disconnected.

An Hee-yeon grabbed her cell phone and tried to resume the call.

In the meantime, I opened the status window and checked Ahn Hee-yeon’s appointment list.

To Lee San-ha: Lee San-ha promised to write an article about this incident.

… … .

The most recently registered appointment is the appointment I made.

‘The promise… didn’t come true?’

That means there’s nothing I can do.

An Hee-yeon tried to reconnect with an anxious heart.

But all I can hear is an annoying guidance voice.

[We are unable to answer your call right now. Please call again later.]

It’s over.

As of now, there is no way to contact him again.

Of course, there is no way to get another promise or bend the terms.

Even in the midst of all this, the kidnapper’s text message flew in with precision.

[→Rishi Coin. At the current price, 150,000 will suffice. The wallet address is HIyohZwfQD… … .]

The clock hands are running towards the time limit of 12 o’clock.

Without stopping or looking back.

… … It is time to make a decision.

While looking down at her ‘face’ with her head bowed weakly.

“!”

An idea flashed through my head.

‘No, wait. Don’t you have another appointment?’

There was another promise made.

A person who looks very similar to Ahn Hee-yeon.

* * *

I left the hospital holding Ahn Hee-yeon’s hand.

A dark alleyway that appears after passing the downtown area.

Even down that shady alley, Ahn Hee-yeon followed me without any resistance.

I said as I walked past a street full of bars.

“Heeyeon. Do you trust me?”

“always.”

The unexpected answer stopped me in my tracks.

I looked back at Ahn Hee-yeon.

This time she wasn’t avoiding my gaze.

“It’s always been like that. It’s still like that now.”

I had no idea how to express this feeling right now.

The feeling of being trusted absolutely by someone was both exciting and burdensome.

But that was it.

That’s enough for now.

“Thank you. Then… … please trust me this time too.”

This time there was no particular answer.

She just lowered her long eyelashes once, then slowly raised them again and nodded her head once.

After hearing the positive answer, I took her hand again… … .

I went into a motel building.

An Hee-yeon’s eyes filled with bewilderment as she said, “I have always believed.”

It was a situation that could have easily been misunderstood, but she still said nothing.

It seems there was no lie in saying that you trust me.

After reserving a room, Ahn Hee-yeon and I moved to the motel room.

I said, closing the double doors perfectly.

“Your brother will be coming to your house soon.”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“I’ll make it happen, so when you see your brother, take him to the hospital right away. And call the police in advance.”

“Wait a minute, Sanha. I don’t understand a single word you’re saying. Can you explain it to me in a way that I can understand a little bit?”

The current time is 11:20.

There wasn’t enough time to craft a story that was understandable.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to explain. I’ll just tell you what to do. Go home and wait. And when you see your brother there, call me right away. If I don’t answer… … .”

I gave Ahn Hee-yeon the card key for the current room.

“Then come find me yourself.”

As soon as I pulled out the card key, the room became dark.

In the darkness, only Ahn Hee-yeon’s tense voice could be heard.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do… … but I’m so worried about you right now. What should I do?”

She groped around and took my hand.

“I believe you when you say you’ll bring my brother back. You’ve always been a man who keeps his promises. But, but strangely, I’m so worried right now. When I turn on the light in my room and come back… … you, you… … .”

Her tightly clenched hands conveyed a more earnest wish than ever.

What should I say to answer this wind?

It seemed like a few words wouldn’t be enough to calm her down.

I hugged her head, bringing it to my chest.

Position her ear slightly to the left of the center of her chest.

So that she can clearly hear my heartbeat in her ear.

And he said in a calm voice.

“Not as much as your maternal side, but most humans have a higher heart rate when they’re nervous. But listen. I’m beating at a normal tempo right now, right? That means I already know I’m not in danger. So… … don’t worry. I was just saying in case.”

“… … .”

She didn’t say anything.

Finally, I released my arm.

“Go now. See you later.”

An Hee-yeon slowly walked away.

The warmth of the person who was stuck to my body is slowly dissipating.

From the front door, her final greetings could be heard.

“Be careful. And… … .”

“and?”

“… … No. I’ll talk about that when we meet later.”

The front door opens once, and Ahn Hee-yeon’s silhouette is finally revealed in the hallway light.

Squeak-

A small and pitiful silhouette.

thud!

Disappears beyond the closed front door.

As if melting into the darkness.

If you think about it, it’s actually me who’s melting into the darkness.

I opened the status window in the darkness where my vision seemed to have been taken away.

… … : Promise to return Ahn Hee-chan home safely upon confirmation of deposit.

The tension that had been suppressed for so long begins to run wild like an internal combustion engine.

I feel so nervous that I feel like I can hear my heart beating right in my ears.

I put my finger on the appointment window.

In the promise window of a great actor who has monopolized the love of the entire nation for over a decade.