The suspicion that I killed my father didn’t stem from any solid evidence.
It was simply because, aside from me, no one had come into contact with him around the estimated time of his death. Just for that reason alone, I became the murderer who killed my own father.
“Didn’t you kill your father because of your late brother Seo Yuseong’s inheritance? I saw a recent article saying you often had conflicts with your father over money.”
“I have no interest in my my younger brother’s money. I don’t even know how much Yuseong had, and even if I were to receive it, I intend to donate all of it to society … That money is not something I can use.”
“That’s what everyone says. But it’s all lies. In this line of work, I’ve seen people get killed over just 50,000 won. And we’re not talking about a few pennies here. We’re talking about assets worth several buildings. So how could I possibly believe that claim?”
“That amount of money is something I can easily earn with my own abilities. Why would I covet it at the cost of destroying my career and family?”
“…….”
“If you’ve read the article, then you should know. I was the one cleaning up my father’s debts all this time. I’ve never once wanted anything from him, nor have I ever been greedy.”
“I heard from a colleague that when Seo Yuseong-ssi passed away, you were completely out of it, like you had lost all sense of yourself. But this time, you’re almost too calm. Like someone who’d been waiting for his father to die.”
“If you weren’t after the inheritance, then weren’t you simply fed up with your father, who had been exploiting you for years, Seo Yutae-ssi? And when that same father tried to take even the assets of Seo Yuseong-ssi, whom you practically raised like your own child, you became so angry you tried to kill him.”
“…No. It’s true we had a conflict over that issue, but we parted ways and I came back.”
“Can you prove your alibi? Since the body was badly decomposed by seawater, it’s impossible to determine the exact time of death. So unless there’s someone who was with you the entire time after you parted ways with your father, or CCTV footage, it will be difficult to eliminate you as a suspect.”
“That … I can’t say for certain.”
“Seo Yutae-ssi has a striking appearance, so if there were any witnesses, most would likely remember seeing you. Were you intentionally avoiding places with people?”
“…Yes.”
“Why?”
“My thoughts were all over the place, so I needed some time alone to sort things out. I also didn’t want any eyewitness accounts to be made.”
As I listened to those questions and was treated like a murderer who had killed his own father, I just sat there in a daze, numb the whole time. I kept wondering: if the details of the investigation were distorted and leaked to the press, would I end up causing trouble for the members of Prism again?And why is it that, even though I’ve lost my father, it doesn’t feel nearly as devastating as when I lost Seo Yuseong?
“Father … at this point, wouldn’t it be better to just die?”
Why did I have to utter such a curse as the last thing I said to my father? And why, in spite of the terrible guilt I felt because of it, was there still a void somewhere in my heart? Was that emotion truly the sorrow of loss, or was it relief?
What would the fans, Prism’s members, Seo Yuseong, and my mother think of me now?
My mind was clouded with countless tangled questions, but I didn’t want to find the answers. Deep down, I knew that in the end, those answers would only hurt me.
And yet, even as I faced public condemnation and was treated as a suspect, even if it felt unfair, I didn’t think the situation was unjust.
All investigations are built on a foundation of thoroughness, ensuring that not even the smallest possibility is overlooked. Given that, how could they not suspect the last known person to see the victim alive; someone whose messy family affairs involving the victim had been exposed nationwide? I only wished the media, who were chasing their own interests and spreading sensational articles, had shown a more mature attitude. That was the only thing I regretted.
In the end, with the help of local residents and investigators, I barely managed to partially prove my alibi. Given the lack of direct evidence of murder, the absence of any particularly suspects besides me, and the fact that my father was drunk at the time, the case was ultimately ruled as a simple death by accidental fall.
[I heard he walked in with a big-name law firm from the start, already coached on exactly how to answer everything. Money really makes things easy.]
[I mean, he said he didn’t have an alibi, but then out of nowhere, a witness shows up. Yeah, that’s a dead giveaway lolololol]
There were even people claiming that my alibi had been fabricated because Lee Saehwa was involved in the incident, but honestly, I didn’t want to entertain that thought. Whatever the case, one thing was certain: I was innocent. And by then, I was already exhausted beyond belief.
But now that I think back on it, there was something about it that bothered me.
“Hmm, what was your father’s condition at the time?”
“…He was drunk.”
“Do you know how drunk he was?”
“I believe he had a little over two bottles.”
‘Did Father really die by accident?’
Even right before his death, my father was perfectly coherent as he argued with me. He went on about how much money Seo Yuseong had and how much authority he held over it as a parent. He was so lucid, it was hard to believe he’d been drinking at all.
“At that level, he must have been quite drunk. Understood.”
“…….”
When a person’s body was regularly exposed to a particular substance, it built up a tolerance. Drinking worked in much the same way. The more they drank, the more they needed to get drunk.
And ever since my mother passed away, my father had practically lived with a drink in his hand every day. By the time I reached adulthood, even two bottles hardly had any effect on him anymore.
That father of mine, falling into the sea because he was drunk?
Even though he treated his body like it was made of gold, always looking after himself no matter how much he drank?
Even as those thoughts lingered, I chose to bury the matter of my father’s death.
Because, in the end, when it came to my father, I…….
“It was ruled an accidental death only because there wasn’t a suitable suspect, right?”
“…….”
“If it was something done by someone who’s already dead and gone … don’t you think it would’ve all been resolved more easily?”
But why would Seo Yuseong say something like this to me?
It felt like I’d been struck in the back of the head. I stood there blankly, staring at him, before finally managing to open my mouth.
“Are you telling me right now that … you’re the one who killed our father?”
I hoped Seo Yuseong would quickly shake his head, but he simply looked down at me in silence.
Seeing him wear such a chillingly indifferent expression, even after confessing to killing someone, made my vision darken, as if everything was being swallowed in black.
I’d known that Seo Yuseong hadn’t gotten along with our father ever since he was young, especially after our mother passed away. I couldn’t possibly pretend not to notice the disgust in his eyes whenever he saw our father passed out drunk or causing a scene because he needed money.
‘That’s why I tried so hard to keep him from going down the wrong path…….’
Was this outcome unavoidable after all?
While I was absently lost in that thought, a meaningless question slipped out of me before I even realized it, “Why?”
In response, Seo Yuseong simply continued to meet my gaze without the slightest flicker.
As if to say he had done it for me.
“…….”
I should’ve scolded him right away. I should’ve told him what a ridiculous thought that was, that killing our father wasn’t something he did for me. But no words came out. The strange relief I’d felt back then was still clinging to me, like it had its grip on one of my legs and wouldn’t let go.
‘…It happened again.’
The guilt of Seo Yuseong becoming a murderer because of me outweighed even the guilt of my father’s death being my fault. I couldn’t believe how shameless I was.
“Why, of all people, you…….”
In the end, that was the first thing to come out of my mouth. I could no longer even think of scolding him, of asking, ‘Why did you commit such a terrible act?‘. Why, of all people, did it have to be you? Why did you do something like that just for me? I truly wished his death had just been an accident. Or at the very least, I wish it had been the work of someone else. I grabbed my head with my hands, bowed my head low, and spoke with a broken voice.
Then Seo Yuseong silently approached and slowly supported my body.
“You don’t need to feel guilty. He was someone who deserved to die anyway. It’s no different from when you killed Kang Hyukwoo.”
“…….”
“If I had just left him alone, something bad would have eventually happened to you, hyung. Besides, I wouldn’t have been there for you at that time.”
“…I could’ve given him money, however much he needed. I could’ve endured it without you having to go that far!”
“No, it wouldn’t have ended with just that. Father wasn’t that kind of person.”
His tone was far too certain. It wouldn’t have ended with just taking the money? What did he mean by that? Something worse? Was he suggesting that our father might have even tried to kill me? Just as I was about to snap at him and tell him he was overreacting, I heard Seo Yuseong mutter under his breath, “I saw it with my own eyes.”. It felt as if we were living in completely different worlds. Our conversation kept missing each other, leaving me confused. What exactly did he see? I wanted to ask him directly, to get a clear answer, but before I could, Seo Yuseong spoke first, almost as if he were deliberately dodging the question.
“I saw it. When Mom suddenly collapsed from shock, Father was right there beside her.”
“…Father was there?”
“He just stood there and did nothing. Mom was begging him, clutching at his ankle, asking him to save her … but he just stood there and watched.”
“…….”
“Hyung, you think Father became that way because he was devastated after losing Mom. But that’s not it. He just needed an excuse. A justification to spend his whole life doing nothing, leeching off his capable son, and still be seen with sympathy and understanding by society.”
Hearing one shocking revelation after another, my mind, overwhelmed and overloaded, felt like it was going completely blank.
Come to think of it, there were a few things that didn’t quite add up.
My father said he was managing my mother’s life insurance payout, but even after I became an adult, no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find a trace of that money.
Maybe, what Seo Yuseong said when he went into our father’s room was…….
“Don’t pretend to be sad.”
“It’s disgusting.”
As I fell into a panic, recalling that memory, Seo Yuseong, in stark contrast to me, wore an expressionless face. He casually tapped his own head with the tip of his index finger, like he was handling an inanimate object, and said, “Did you know? Defects in brain function are often said to be hereditary.”
Then he briefly glanced to the side and muttered, “Oh, I guess that’s not really relevant right now”, before brushing off the slip with an artificial smile.
While I was too shaken to respond and stood frozen in confusion, Seo Yuseong bent down to meet my eye level, looked up at me, and whispered in a tone that sounded almost like a child trying to get his way.
“I can do anything if it’s to save you, hyung. Whether that means killing Father or killing Han Seungbeom. So let’s just quietly go to my house. And then everything can go back to where it belongs.”
His gaze was one that, seen from one angle, looked completely gentle, but at the same time, it appeared dangerously obsessive. Even as I felt my chest stir at the sight, I still couldn’t bring myself to nod in the end. At that, Seo Yuseong stopped dead in his tracks and lowered his gaze to the floor.
“I’ve waited far longer than you think, hyung. I can’t wait any longer. We have to go back right now.”
“…….”
“Did it never cross your mind that trying to bring Han Seungbeom back might cause unexpected variables? You’ve experienced firsthand just how hostile this system is toward us.”
Even in the midst of the confusion, I knew I couldn’t let myself be swayed by Seo Yuseong’s words. When I shook my head again, he froze in place. Then, staring blankly into space with unfocused eyes, he kept muttering the same words over and over, “What should I do?”
Then, all of a sudden, Seo Yuseong’s eyes lit up as if he’d just realized something. He reached out his hand toward me and began approaching slowly, one step at a time.
“Ah, right. Then I’ll just do it this way.”
“….Please, just stop this nonsense…….”
“I’ll erase all your memories of Han Seungbeom. Wouldn’t that help ease your mind a little, hyung? You might feel a bit dazed for a while after I tamper with your memories, but it’ll still be better than how things are now, right?”
…Damn it.
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Translator’s Corner:
Tbh I remember reading a comment in KKP saying if only Yutae would just cleanly let Han Seungbeom go, we would already get a happy ending at this point. But well, if Yutae has the kind of personality to just let someone go, we wouldn’t get this story at all…..
Anyway, someone commented about how could Prism still continue after losing their main vocalist … but honestly guys, real life kpop groups are supposed to be able to do that too. The current active generation of kpop is pretty weak in vocal terms, but originally, a group usually has more than one strong vocalist. SHINee still did high notes after high notes in their comeback, and they sang their old songs just fine. Same with other groups. Like, if Taeyeon missing from SNSD’s schedule, there would still be Seohyun or Tifanny to cover her main vocal part. If Wendy missing from Red Velvet, there’s still Seulgi and Joy. Idk how many members EXO next comeback would have, but even if Baekhyun and Chen were missing, there would still be a member capable of taking the main vocalist part. (Mentioning SM groups as the best example tbh it’s not exactly because they have the best talent in the first place, I think it’s more because their vocal training system is the best in kpop? You remember how Yutae, back when training Zen, explaining how important it is to get a proper training. SM is good in vocal department because they taught people the correct way. Like, if you on stantwt, you’d see Ahyeon Babymonsters got dragged often, but that’s 100% just because there’s something wrong with YG vocal training. If we’re talking about talent alone, she easily cleared most main vocalists in the 5th gen. Same case with, if you just listening with untrained ears, GFRIEND in their rookie era sounded pretty impressive with their high notes, but their vocal technique was actually weak because Source Music is shit at vocal training) (I lowkey recommend trainees to just try training at SM. Even if you don’t debut there, or even if you have no singing talent, you’d at least get the singing basic right. And the big three didn’t do trainee debt thing)
Okay back to Prism. When talking about Prism, the correct way is to imagine a group full of talented guys. The only one with no natural talent for singing and dancing is only Jay. Cha Woon is what usually described as “all rounder”, and Inchan is great at singing too. If you don’t read the story properly, you’d think Inchan is “lacking” like Danbi, but Inchan is actually pretty talented. I don’t know much about male idols, but in comparison to female idols hm … Tsuki from Billie? Joy from Red Velvet? Winter from aespa? The kind of idols that was really captivating when you watch their fancam.
It’s just that in Prism, Yutae was too good of a dancer that everyone looked inferior standing next to him. And Inchan was the one that unfortunately got targeted because he didn’t have the main position in another area (Yuseong main vocalist, Chise main rapper, Yihwon main visual, Jay youngest). To be fair, people probably tried to drag Cha Woon too except Cha Woon was the type that happy enough to be with Prism no matter what anyone said about him. Honestly, if Inchan was in another group, he would be the main vocalist…..
So, yeah, it’s actually not that hard to resume a group activities without the main vocalist. It’s just that sadly a lot of idols from new generations can’t sing without depending on corrector and autotune …. even the rookies from SM don’t have that ground-breaking, absolute-best vocal ability anymore. They probably would get better with years, but seriously … these companies need to be stopped from debuting minors.
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