The New Devil [The Devil Judge]

Should Have Known Yesterday

Gaon walked into his office to find Jung Sunah sitting at his desk.

"Come in," he said taking off his jacket. "Sit down at my desk and make yourself at home, why don't you?"

He hooked his jacket on the rack and proceeded to pour himself a cup of water.

"Why didn't you tell me he was alive?"

Ah, he thought to himself. No wonder Yohan called Gaon a few days ago in a frenzy, asking if Gaon was okay and if he noticed anyone following him. He'd asked why but Yohan wouldn't say.

"You went to Switzerland."

"Why didn't you tell me he was alive?"

"We had a deal."

"Our deal," she said stumping her fist on his desk. "Did not include a Kang Yohan who is still very much alive."

"That was none of your business."

"None of my..." she frowned, tilting her head as betrayal washed over her features. "I'm sorry, but if Yohan survived the bomb-"

"What? You wanted to follow him to Switzerland? Pursue him again like a lovesick puppy?"

"Don't you dare."

"He didn't want you to know."

"Oh and he wanted you to know?" she pulled a sheet of paper from his desk and read. " A flight in on May 23rd, and a flight out on May 25th."

"Sunah-"

"Oh and here's another one two months later where he spent a week in Korea." She laughed. "I guess we both know what he was doing here."

"He has nothing to do with you and I."

"I should never have trusted you."

More than it should have, hearing those words stung Gaon. A whole year, and she just...

"I should have gotten what I wanted and left you in the dust," she said as she got up from the seat and walked around, heading for the door.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance," Gaon said, taking a sip of water.

Sunah paused to a stop, her hand pausing on the door.

"You've used me. You've lied to me. You even killed my best friend." He couldn't help the wetness in his eyes. "And you want to talk about trust?"

"We already worked through that?"

"Did we? Because as far as I know, Soohyun's not coming back."

"I didn't mean-"

"I DRAGGED YOU OUT OF THERE!" he yelled. "Me. When your plan almost failed because your woman didn't show up."

"You got your pound of flesh when you tortured me for weeks, Gaon."

"I'll get my pound of flesh when you're dead."

He dropped the cup and went to his desk, very aware if the fact that Sunah was still in the room. Keeping her hands on the doorknob behind her, she leaned back.

"I'm sorry."

Gaon didn't reply.

"I said what I said to hurt you. I trust you. I went to Switzerland and he didn't even know I was alive. You've been seeing him and working with me for months and you never told him." She walked back to his desk. "I know I can trust you."

"I don't care if you do."

"That's a lie," she scoffed at him and walked to the couch. "Either way, I'm sorry I said it."
Gaon looked at her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him."

"There." She clapped her hands and threw them up. "Handled that like adults. Now, what is this I hear about you taking the job as chief judge of the live show? Won't it affect what we're doing here?"

"It won't."

"That job is jinxed, Gaon. Every chief judge was put away in shame when his dirty laundry was aired."

"I'm clean."

She laughed.

"Maybe a year ago. Not today." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Today your hands are filty."

She was right. A lot had changed in the past year. You couldn't clean up a country without digging into filth and Gaon had put his hands into a lot of it.

"Well then it's a good thing you and I are on the same team."

"Urgh," she said, rolling her eyes. "You're going to more insufferable."

"Don't pretend you don't like it."