Mouse - Rewind

Chapter 22

When Ba Reum was doing his patrols the day after he had helped Bong Yi on the bridge, he encountered halmoni. And just like last time, she had hurt her ankle the day before while searching for Bong Yi. When he saw her, he turned the other way, even if she was struggling. Taking care of her would bring back too many memories. It were these moments he wanted to avoid, to make sure this time is truly different.

He knew not a lot of people would take care of her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it right now. He walked away, pretending to never seen her struggle, trying to contain the roiling of his stomach.

Ba Reum didn't really know what set it off with Chi Kook, but he had been calling him more often, inviting him out to eat. It was a normal occurrence for them to contact each other, but never this much. He guessed that it had to do with the fact that Chi Kook felt guilty about bringing up Yo Han's supposed parentage and then discovering it had been Ba Reum.

"I can't come now Chi Kook, but I'll see you at the church group." Ba Reum had kept him at bay each time. He had been tired lately and his appetite hadn't been great. He didn't want to worry his friends, hoping that they were fooled by him pretending nothing is wrong.

During one of his patrols, he walked straight into Moo Chi, who was also busy in the area. The bumped into each other and when they recognized each other, both men took a step back and apologized.

"Well, I gotta go." Moo Chi said, after a short awkward silence.

"Wait," Ba Reum said, looking at the man, "I just wanted to say something."

"Yeah, well, I don't have all day," the man said gruffly. Ba Reum suddenly missed their easy companionship that they had once shared in a time that never would be again.

"I just wanted to say," he started hesitantly. He saw Moo Chi raise an impatient eyebrow at him, Ba Reum took a shuddering breath.

"I just wanted you to say that you are letting the Head Hunter win." He said and before he could continue speaking Moo Chi had grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pressed him to the nearest wall.

"What did you say?" he says, his eyes wide and face close to Ba Reum's, but he doesn't let himself be intimidated by this show.

"I said, you are letting him win. You know how important family is, and he almost destroyed yours completely. Are you going to let it be completely wiped out, just because you feel guilty?" Ba Reum looked in the surprised eyes of Moo Chi, who stood frozen.

"What?"

"You feel guilty for what happened to your brother, and being near him just reminds you that he did it to protect you. You have to understand that protecting you was the only thing your brother could do, and he would do it again and again if he had too. If you keep away from him out of guilt and shame, it's just letting the Head Hunter win." Ba Reum pulled himself loose from the other man.

"I'm sorry for interfering, but I thought you should now." He said, bowing and walked away on the patrol, rubbing the bruise on his neck. Moo Chi had a tight grip.

Yo Han just ran out of his mother's house, going to his car, breathing harshly. He left her crying, but he didn't care.

She had called him, to ask him to come over, wanting to mend bridges between them. He had accepted the offer, once again asking the complete story.

To his surprise she had agreed to tell him all.

To hear her saying that he and Ba Reum had been tested for the psychopath gene was already unbelievable, but to hear her coldly declare that she and his real mother had swapped babies because they thought they might have to kill one of them in cold blood had chilled him.