[Morning – Safe House, Seoul]
The morning sun crept through the window, nudging Jahm awake. It was his second day of driving for the Minister. He got out of bed and headed straight to the bathroom for a shower. After getting dressed in a crisp white long-sleeved polo from Suit It Up Manila while Justice was still fast asleep Jahm decided to make breakfast.
Opening the refrigerator, he found a surprisingly large number of eggs. He grabbed six and planned to make an omelet.
Spotting leftover rice in the rice cooker, he figured he might as well fry that too. As the rich aroma of breakfast spread through the apartment, Justice slowly stirred awake. At first, he thought it was a dream. But as the smell intensified, he shot up, stepped out of his room, and blinked at the sight of Jahm cooking in the kitchen.
He pinched his cheek to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
"You can cook,bro?" Justice said, grinning in disbelief. "I thought you were just muscles and a cute face."
Jahm smiled. "You're up early. That's new."
"I smelled what you were cooking, so I thought I was dreaming because it smells delicious."
"My dish is almost done cooking."
Justice went to the bathroom to freshen up, and by the time he returned, Jahm was already setting the table. Justice's eyes widened at the sight of the perfectly made omelet.
Justice said to thank the cook."Jalmeokgesseumnida (Thank you for the meal)"
"You actually made this?" Justice asked, impressed.
Jahm nodded as he took a bite. "Is it bad?" he asked playfully.
Justice took a bite and chewed thoughtfully before replying with a grin, "Nope. Still just muscles and a cute face."
Jahm raised an eyebrow. "So it's bad?"
"Just kidding,bro" Justice said, laughing. "It's amazing! Where'd you learn to cook like this?"
"My mom and dad. Both great cooks back home in the Philippines."
Justice nodded, genuinely impressed. "That explains it."
After eating, Jahm returned to his room, grabbed his blazer, and glanced at his drawer filled with watches all Rolex. He chose the Oyster Perpetual Air-King, strapped it on, and checked the mirror. Satisfied, he walked out, grabbed the keys to the Mustang, and headed for the garage.
Meanwhile, Justice stayed in his room, already immersed in online games.
As Jahm was about to leave, Justice called out, "Be carefulout there,bro. Especially with the ladies."
Jahm chuckled. "Don't worry. Not really into that stuff."
[Minister Kang's Private Estate.]
Driving the Mustang, he returned to the large private estate of the Minister. At the entrance, the Minister's assistant approached him.
"They say to call the minister "sir."she said.
Jahm nodded. When Minister Kang stepped out, all the guards bowed, and so did Jahm. The Minister smiled, tapping Jahm's shoulder.
"You're really so elegant with that Rolex on your wrist, it's beautiful. That's the kind of driver I like, but I hope you're not just all looks."
Jahm smiled "Thank you, sir."
[Seoul Government Complex.]
Inside the car, the assistant leaned slightly toward Jahm and whispered, "Minister will be heading home early today. He's got a drinking session with the other ministers."
Jahm simply nodded, then parked when they arrived at the Seoul Government Complex.
Early that morning, Han Hanni and her cameraman Jun-wo left The Seoul Eye headquarters with a clear mission in mind. Their target: Attorney Yang Soo-hyun of Ko & Shin Law Firm a man rumored to be shielding the corrupt mayor of Incheon Mayor Choi Sung-ho from prosecution. The air was brisk, but Hanni's focus was sharper. Today, she wasn't chasing headlines she was chasing the truth.
Upon arriving at the firm, they approached the front desk.
"Is Attorney Yang Soo-hyun here?" Hanni asked.
The receptionist looked up. "Do you have an appointment?"
Hanni's expression hardened. "We need to speak to him. Now."
Seeing her determination, the receptionist hesitantly picked up the phone and called the attorney. The voice that answered was irritated. "What is it?"
"Some reporters from The Seoul Eye are here asking for you."
There was silence.
"What's the woman's name?" the attorney asked.
The receptionist turned to Hanni.
"Han Hanni," she said confidently.
There was a pause, and then the attorney's voice returned, softer. "Send them up."
Moments later, Hanni and Jun-wo entered Attorney Yang Soo-hyun's office. He stood up with a smirk when he saw her.
"You're even more beautiful in person," he said. "They were right."
He gestured for them to sit. "So, what brings you here?"
Hanni didn't waste time. "What's your connection to Mayor Choi Sung-ho?"
Yang chuckled. "Straight to the point. I like that." He leaned back. "You're investigating me, huh?"
"I'm just interested," Hanni replied coolly. "In you and him."
Yang nodded. "Fair enough. Since you're a talented journalist, and I've followed your work for a while, I'll tell you. Mayor Choi Sung-ho… he's like a father to me. Without him, I wouldn't be where I am today."
Hanni raised an eyebrow. "Just like a father? Or are you his shield catching bullets so he won't get hit?"
Yang smirked, leaning in slightly. "You've got fire. I like that in a woman makes things more exciting."
Jun-wo slammed his hand on the table. "You're an attorney. Show some respect. That's a woman journalist you're talking to not someone you can flirt with."
Yang stood, amused. "Relax, cameraman. Don't act like you're somebody."
Jun-wo, fists clenched, was about to swing when Hanni grabbed his arm.
"Let's go,Jun-wo" she said sharply.
As they left, Yang called out, "Come back next time, Miss Beautiful Journalist. Just the two of us."
Hanni walked out, her eyes burning with both anger and disgust.
Later that afternoon, Jahm was already waiting outside the Seoul Government Complex for the minister. He remembered the assistant's words earlier that the minister would be drinking tonight with other officials. As the sky darkened and night rolled in, Jahm stood by the Rolls Royce, alert and calm, observing every car and pedestrian that passed by.
When the minister finally exited the building, it was already nighttime. Jahm immediately noticed the minister chatting and laughing with six other men in formal suits clearly other high-ranking officials. His assistant was with him, walking closely and whispering something into the minister's ear.
Before the group could reach the car, the assistant stepped ahead and approached Jahm.
"The minister's drinking session will be at Charles H. Bar tonight," she informed him quietly.
Jahm nodded silently, eyeing the officials once more. There was something strange about them—the way they moved, the way they laughed too loudly, as if drunk on power more than alcohol.
Once the minister wrapped up his chat with the others, he approached Jahm with a grin. "You've been waiting long, haven't you?"
Jahm replied politely, "Not at all, sir."
The minister chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder. "You know, don't call me 'minister' all the time. Sounds too arrogant. Just call me 'sir.' It suits me better." He laughed again, clearly in a good mood.
As they drove off, Jahm stole glances at the minister through the rearview mirror, trying to read him. Something about tonight felt off.
When they arrived at Charles H. Bar a sleek, upscale establishment glowing with soft, amber lights Jahm noticed the six ministers from earlier were already there, gathered at the entrance like a group of predators waiting for their leader.
They all greeted Minister Kang with familiar handshakes and smiles, but to Jahm's trained eyes, something darker loomed behind their faces. The tension in the air felt too heavy for just a casual night out.
Lost in thought, Jahm didn't notice the assistant tapping his arm.
"Lance,Lance, are you okay?"
He snapped out of it. "Yes, ma'am. I'm alright."
The assistant smiled kindly. "Go ahead and eat first. I'll text you when they're almost done."
"Thank You, ma'am"Jahm replied with a slight bow before heading to his car. As he sat behind the wheel, his mind lingered behind still tangled in questions he couldn't shake.
"Who were those ministers? Why did it feel like a secret meeting rather than a drinking session?"
He drove through the neon-lit streets of Seoul in the Rolls-Royce, one hand on the wheel, the other resting calmly but in his mind, he was racing ahead, already anticipating a mission that seemed to be deepening by the hour.