★★★Chapter 13 : We’ll Take Care Of It★★★
“What’s going on?”
“I’m not exactly sure, but there are rumors of strange people roaming around this area lately. That’s why we’ve seen a significant decrease in volunteers coming to help.”
Strange people, huh?
It’s already an underdeveloped area with no streetlights or CCTV, making it inconvenient to navigate. If the security is also poor, it will be difficult for anyone to approach.
“Have you personally seen anything?”
“Not yet. But it seems like the children have encountered them a few times.”
“The children?”
“Kids who go to school are sensitive to rumors. I heard about it through the kids.”
It seems there are people who stand still and stare at the sky for a long time or stagger around like they’re drunk, even during broad daylight.
Fortunately, they haven’t approached or threatened anyone. But we don’t know how long that will last.
Everyone’s faces turned serious, especially Kang Bada and the director, whose expressions noticeably hardened.
“Do you happen to know something about this?”
“Well…”
Judging by the reaction, they clearly know something about the situation. However, they show no intention of speaking up first.
“For now, let’s contact the district office and request more CCTV cameras and streetlights in the area.”
“I’ll also ask the police to patrol during the children’s school commute times.”
“Yes, please do.”
Kang Bada also offered a plan of action. But there was no sign of her bringing up the cause of the issue.
…What could be the reason?
People staring at the sky or staggering around during daylight. It’s a common sight among those whose lives have been consumed by alcohol.
But if that’s the only reason, it wouldn’t have spread as rumors like this.
Human instincts are more astute than one might think. If the person simply appeared to be “drunk,” they wouldn’t be referred to as “strange people.”
As they pondered the cause, a documentary they had recently watched suddenly came to mind. It was about “Kensington” Street in Philadelphia, where thousands of drug addicts overflowed, and those under the influence of drugs exhibited peculiar behavior.
…Drugs?
On the streets of Kensington, there are thousands of people addicted to drugs, and when they’re under the influence, they all behave strangely. They might stare at the sky or hold onto lampposts and spin around. It’s like they’re zombies. That’s why it’s called ZombieLand.
But it doesn’t mean that Korea is a safe place.
The person who was thinking about this had researched information about the police before. They had thought of Korea as a relatively drug-free zone, but now it wasn’t so certain anymore.
In the past few years, there have been consistent incidents related to drugs. Over 20,000 drug-related crimes are reported each year, and the actual number is estimated to be ten times higher.
“One of the main places where drugs are distributed is…”
Clubs.
The loud and chaotic environment and the culture of drinking naturally make it easy to get addicted and facilitate drug transactions.
And Kang Taeyang runs a club.
Drugs, clubs, and Kang Bada’s reaction. Looking at these clues, it can be inferred that Kang Taeyang is somehow involved in drug trafficking.
Well, maybe it could involve the entire organization.
The reactions of Kang Bada and the security chief wouldn’t be like this if it wasn’t the case. Both of them definitely know something about it.
“Director, can you take Yena?”
“Sure… I understand.”
Perhaps sensing that something was different, the director took the envelope from Kang Bada and went into the room. The security chief also discreetly left the room.
“Is it something related to Hyung-nim?”
“Well… It’s just Ha-neul-ssi has a keen sense for strange things happening in unusual places. Well, it’s not certain yet. But there have been strange rumors going around recently.”
“Rumors?”
“Yes, it’s said that a famous overseas drug designer has entered the country.”
Drug designers.
They are people who enhance the hallucinogenic effects of drugs while also changing the composition to avoid detection in drug tests.
These “synthetic drugs” that are produced like this are cheap enough to be purchased for less than 10,000 won. That’s why even homeless people or students from poor backgrounds can relatively easily get hold of them.
“Don’t misunderstand. Hyung-nim really hates drugs. He’s actively working to prevent their distribution even within the club.”
“But now a new type of drug has been discovered.”
“Yes, it seems like their influence has grown rapidly. The police are having a hard time dealing with it.”
We can’t completely trust what Kang Bada says. If we think about it simply, it’s much easier for the person who manages the club to distribute drugs.
Maybe she doesn’t know the real side of Kang Taeyang, who hides behind the label of being a family member. But all I hope for is that Kang Bada is telling the truth.
Anyway, this isn’t a problem I can solve.
I’m just a regular person.
I don’t have the luxury to worry about things happening in another world. I don’t have a reason to get involved in unnecessary justice.
But when it comes to people around me, it’s a different story. Whether it’s a drug designer or a drug addict, if they cross the line, I have to drive them away.
I should take some time to find out.
I need to find out who the source of the rumors is for the safety of the children. Dealing with it directly might be difficult, but someone might be packaging it nicely for consumption.
“Don’t worry too much. My oppa is working hard to solve the problem. Many people will come and go while the orphanage is being remodeled.”
“Thank you, Bada-ssi.”
“Well, that’s the least I can do. You know, my time is really valuable.”
I lightly smiled at Kang Bada’s joke.
* * *
I found him.
After visiting the orphanage with Kang Bada, a few more days passed. I was worried about the children, so I periodically patrolled around the orphanage.
And finally, I saw the person rumored to be “strange.” The person was a young man who looked cleaner than I expected.
He’s younger than I thought.
He had a black hat on his head.
A gray hoodie with a padded vest.
And even ripped jeans.
When you think of a drug addict, a certain image comes to mind, so naturally, I assumed he would be in his 30s or 40s. But he was much younger than expected, and he had a furrowed brow.
I’ve heard that even high school students are doing drugs these days.
I heard that drug deals are happening a lot through social media. It’s even more heartbreaking to see someone who seems to be around my age.
I watched him from a distance, discreetly observing. It didn’t look like he was in a good condition, constantly leaning against the telephone pole.
I wonder where he gets the drugs from.
Thinking about the fact that he hadn’t been seen in the neighborhood for a few days, it was likely that he had found a separate place to stay. Despite being a wanderer, his clothes were surprisingly neat.
Given his current state, it wouldn’t be easy for him to go far, and it seemed unlikely that he would order drugs for delivery. It was more probable that he obtained them around this area.
Whether he used drugs or not, it wasn’t anyone’s concern, but if he ran out of money and couldn’t get drugs, there was a possibility he would pretend to be insane and start roaming the neighborhood, which would pose a greater threat to the children.
In the worst case scenario, there was a chance that the children would come into contact with drugs. It would be better to preemptively eliminate that possibility.
The police won’t take action first.
Simple drug addicts don’t really have a significant record, and even if they were caught, it would be difficult to impose a convincing punishment. The risks, on the other hand, were higher.
Drug addicts were practically invisible, let alone the distributors. If something went wrong, it could put their families in danger.
Without clear evidence, everyone would likely turn a blind eye, knowing well enough. The best course of action for me would be to package them nicely and hand them over to the police.
Hmm?
How long had he been waiting like this?
After about an hour, a man wearing a low-brimmed hat approached the drug addict. I instinctively knew that he was the distributor.
Sure enough, without a word, the guy rummaged through his inner pocket and pulled out a black envelope. The addict took out a wad of bills.
The transaction took place in a brief moment of less than five seconds, and the distributor immediately left.
Should I follow him slowly…!?
Just as I was about to chase after the distributor. I quickly turned my body in response to a sense of danger coming from behind.
Simultaneously, I blocked the hand reaching towards me and aimed a punch at the person’s chin.
“Oh, your hand is quite fast.”
“Chief?”
The head of the security team, who blocked my punch, let out a wry smile. He seemed surprised and lowered his head in embarrassment, as if he didn’t expect me to strike back.
“I apologize for startling you. I had to intervene because it seemed like you were getting involved in something dangerous.”
“That guy…?”
“Don’t worry about him.”
The security team leader subtly gestured with his gaze.
When I turned my head to follow his gaze, I noticed the distributor being held by a group of burly men. They weren’t the same agents from the security team that I had seen before.
“They’re people from Kang Taeyang’s organization.”
“I see.”
At least it meant that the person who spread drugs around this area wasn’t Kang Taeyang. Of course, it was still too early to consider him clean.
They might be trying to get rid of their competition.
When new drugs come into the market, the existing drug dealers get worried. They usually try to eliminate their rivals to stay on top.
In the end, we can’t know who Kang Taeyang is without meeting him in person. While I was calmly thinking about this, someone approached me.
“Are you Kim Ha-neul?”
“Are you looking for the boss?”
“…”
The person’s eyebrows twitched, showing more curiosity than annoyance. They glanced at the security team leader and then lowered their head towards me.
“I’ll accompany you.”
Since I couldn’t avoid meeting Kang Taeyang’s family, it was better to meet them individually when there was a chance.
“Let’s go.”
After finishing my calculations, I obediently followed him, walking behind him.
