Knife Dance

EP 26 The Diary of Park Jung-min. 

Was it Bernard Werther. 

A novel written by that man. 

I remember reading Bernard Werther's last letter in the past. 

It was a novel about his unsuccessful love affair with a married woman. 

I thought it was pathetic. 

He wrote so hesitantly because he couldn't get over a woman. 

But nowadays, I can understand his feelings a bit. 

The more days I spend with Dahae, the more I feel something nudging at me. 

In a way, I'm in a better situation than Bernard Werther. 

He loved what he couldn't have, and I'm in the position of having to choose between goals and love. 

'If only I didn't plan this bombing, so many things would be better.

'No, I've already gotten revenge on a few people, so maybe I can count that as a success.

Then a text comes in.

Byung-taek Jeon passed away today. Funeral location: Seoul General Hospital.

A colleague who worked as a courier with me picked him up and died. 

A fellow driver who always shouted fighting words at the centre before moving the parcel. 

An uncle with erectile dysfunction. Strangely enough, I've been receiving texts from my colleagues lately about their deaths. 

I am deeply disgusted by the inequality and discrimination that makes it difficult for people to escape poverty, even if they live hard and work hard, just because they are lucky enough to be born into wealth. 

Even if we can't help but feel sorry for poor or weak people like us, we should treat them warmly. 

This time, my colleague was crushed to death in a struggle during negotiations with the labour union, and last week, a serving colleague who died committed suicide due to living conditions.

I want to tell people who hate me just because of my 'luck' that some days you are not lucky. 

Maybe then people will respect and love you a little more. 

Laws are developed by crimes, and institutions are improved by errors. 

Maybe this is the best way to blow out the candle. 

The underdog is cramped and suffocated everywhere. 

Paradoxically, they should be the most cared for and respected, but human nature often fails them. 

When the strong see the weak, they take, steal, and bully. 

And it is 'human' that wants to make its presence felt in the midst of it. 

I just want to point out their contradictions. 

Everything has a plan and an end, and the more precise it is, the more beautiful it is. 

Listen, why do so many countries want to go nuclear, build stronger weapons and armies, and sign agreements? 

Isn't it because for the true peace they talk about so much in politics to take off, there has to be a state of equilibrium where the weak and the strong are equal and don't invade each other even without weapons? 

We all know. 

We all know that there is no paradise in flight and that the word peace is only for the strong. 

It's unfortunate but true. 

For the weak, the word peace does not exist. 

It's more like caring and sympathy. 

'I'm sorry for your death and thank you for everything.

I left 70,000 won in condolences. 

The yukgaejang tastes dirty. 

And tears like chicken shit fall on the table. 

My role becomes clearer. 

ep26.5

I go to the gym and practice meat for the first time in a long time. 

Everything is the same, from Cheolwoo, to Woojin, to the kids I'm holding the mitt for. 

'Even though I'm here, I'll miss them terribly later. 

Nostalgic memories come to mind. 

I remember the days when neither Chulwoo nor I had money, so we slept in the gym and worked ourselves to death to get better. 

I even got a cold sore. 

I couldn't help it because I was exercising at a high intensity every day and my immunity was low. 

If it wasn't for Chul Woo-hyung. 

What would have happened if he hadn't reached out to me when I was lying on the ground at the station? 

Luckily, his business went viral and now he runs a kickboxing gym that pays the rent and gives him an income. But he said he has bigger dreams. 

He said he wanted to go to the UFC. 

It's a shame I won't live to see that dream come true. 

I don't think Myung-heon told Chul-woo about all my plans and things. 

I wonder if he doesn't know. 

I feel a little sorry for Cheol Woo. 

I could have had a healthier and better life, and he saved me. 

My life was too twisted to get back on track like that. 

Suddenly, he called me. 

He's been using drugs regularly lately, and there's something about him that makes him seem full of energy. 

"Jung-min, I need you to spar with Woo-jin for two rounds."

"Woojin?"

"He's been improving a lot lately."

"Okay, let's do it. Woo-jin, you haven't been threatened since then, have you?"

"Do you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I'm studying for my GED. I'm going to college."

"Really? Can we spar here now?"

"Sure. I just wanted to say thank you so much."

"What do you say, creep."

"Go ahead and put on your gloves, mate."

"Yeah, thanks."

"Thanks, have a good life, and don't forget me."

"Sure thing, bro, you sound like you're going somewhere."

"That's it, mate."

"If those bastards threaten you or tell you they want their money back, tell them."

"Don't get too caught up in revenge. You're going to have a hell of a life ahead of you, you know that, right?"

Fortunately, Woo Jin-yi must have liked the revenge punishment I gave him. 

He seems to be sleeping well and eating well. 

I wonder how he felt. 

Like a decade-old traffic jam being lifted. 

His kicks were sharper today. 

Woojin looked blurry and stupid, 

this one was sharp and explosive, like he was declaring himself a real man now. 

After sparring and strength training with Cheol Woo-hyung, he came to Pocha for a drink of soju. 

I was ready to go home early, but Chul Woo-hyung had something to tell me.

 Two bottles of soju and grilled squid. I order kimchi udon noodles and struggle to get the words out. 

"Jung-min, what's been going on with you lately?"

"I understand your desire for revenge, but you're not doing it to the point of no return, are you?"

He furrows his brow and says in a pained tone. 

"The reason I introduced you to Myung Heon was really to support you, from the first day I saw you, but how sad would I be if you changed so much that you never came back?"

"Remember, we've been together for almost five years, and I'd be so sad to see you go."

"I'm asking you to do me a favour, but I've only heard the bare bones of what you're planning to do, and it's too dangerous. You're going to destroy everyone, even the people next to you."

"Look me in the face and think of something else. It's too dangerous."

His arguments were unmistakable and clear, but I had to disagree. Letting go of the string of revenge would be social death for me. 

"That's nice of you to say, but I'm not so sure."

"I've already done a lot of illegal things, and I've done a lot of bad things."

"I don't know how much you know, but even if I don't go through with this plan, I'm already beyond forgiveness."

"I'm sure you're disappointed, but there hasn't been a day since I met you that I haven't thought about revenge."

"I feel like there's no point in living if someone stops me from doing it right here and right now. You know how Spider-Man, or whatever character you are, has a belief?"

"That's my revenge. I've never thought about anything else, and when I've served my purpose, I'll leave."

"I heard Myung Heon ask you to give him the recipe for the bomb."

"That's right, Dean. I love you too, but you don't tell me anything about your drug use and workouts."

"Like I said, we each have our own responsibilities and destiny to endure."

"You can't tell someone who has to go to war to run away because you're worried about them."

"You and I are both just people following our dreams to fulfil our purpose. Thanks, but I can't follow you."

"Well, what if someone gets hurt or killed because of your behaviour?"

"You can't control that?"

"I'm sure a lot of people would actually like it if you became anarchic."

"I've been bullied, poor and dominated by someone my whole life."

"When you tell that story, there are a lot of people who just watch and run away."

"Everyone tells me that I'm unlucky, that I'm the victim of violence, that the social system is unjust, and that it's because you were born an underdog."

"I just want you to know that there are days when you're not so lucky, when you're always so lucky. Most of the reasons for crime and hateful harassment and terrorism in this world are just that, and you can't escape them."

"I told you, I really don't want to lose my brother, so if you think about it and you're still right, I won't try to talk you out of it."

"Thanks, Dean."

"I've been thanking you every day since the day you saved my life. Thank you for your kind words."

"I have somewhere to go, so I'll leave a little early today, hyung."

Cheolwoo looks quite surprised. 

I can see tears in his eyes. I head straight to Gyuri. 

She's been afraid to go to work for days after the investigation. 

She's been getting texts blah, blah, blah about being followed. 

I go out of my way to ease her pain. Gyuri's pain

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)