Snake Venom Ch 32

Chapter 32

Then the coroner, saying he had meant to show it anyway, handed over a sheet of paper. Upon checking the list of detected substances, Cheon Wooshin’s expression hardened slightly.

‘This person smells like Hephace.’

Lee Yeonwoo had been right. It was the most prevalent compound.

Should he be relieved by that, or feel like he’d been blindsided again? The same fragments that had fallen from the same lump were scattered here too. Even this murder case, which was supposed to be unrelated, was mocking Cheon Wooshin by wagging its tail.

Was the victim an addict? Did the killer render him helpless with Hephace before murdering him? Either way, the fact that the killer was someone the victim knew remained unchanged.

The clues scattered about like this still offered no clear shape of the whole. To Cheon Wooshin, who was chasing every case linked to snake venom, these kinds of clues felt more like poison than help.

But time was running short by the day, and the stagnant progress in developing the antidote only heightened the anxiety of the addicts. Even if it was poison, he had to swallow it.

Cheon Wooshin checked the time on his wristwatch and gave the coroner a slight bow.

As is often the case with those wielding power and wealth, the more they hoard beyond their means, the more secret space they require—something beyond what an upright vessel can hold.

Money, with enough zeroes on a monitor to create illusion, could be siphoned off through sly document manipulation or illegal digital networks, but what Cheon Wooshin was after were drugs that caused physical effects on the human body. There had to be a production plant. No matter how sharp the fangs, without venom glands to produce poison, they’re no more than teeth.

Im Sehan and Jung Suho were currently searching hidden areas within the main estate of Tessa Group. Since there hadn’t been any updates, they probably hadn’t found any meaningful clues yet. Still, he put aside the thought of widening the investigative net. Lee Yeonwoo had picked up their trail from the scent. Even Hephace, which they were already chasing. There was definitely a connection.

Suddenly, a sharp discomfort grazed his temple. The curse that had been swirling inside his mouth all along surged up with the unpleasant pain. He masked it with his usual expressionless face.

“……”

They would need to search the victim’s residence soon. He planned to bring Lee Yeonwoo along then. Cheon Wooshin swept his tongue along the inside of his molars. The headache seemed to be spreading even there.

He stepped out of the morgue and waited for Lee Yeonwoo. Standing motionless, he stared at the wall dotted with splatters of paint. If not for the eyes that flickered emptily before settling into ashen gray, he could have passed for a statue.

“I’m ready. You can give it to me now.”

Lee Yeonwoo had approached unnoticed and held out his hand. His eyes, which had held nothing before, now tilted downwards. The deathly pale face had vanished, replaced with a slightly damp one as he looked up with shining eyes. Cheon Wooshin couldn’t understand.

“You got recharged just by washing your face?”

He found himself growing curious. How could someone like Lee Yeonwoo, with a résumé that wouldn’t even fill an A4 page, be so resilient?

Was it due to his inherent disposition? Or was it the time between the lines that never got recorded? Whatever the reason, this side of him was still to Cheon Wooshin’s advantage.

“Give you a proper bath and you’d probably light up.”

Cheon Wooshin lifted the corner of his mouth as he spoke. The cold, cynical face eased into a relaxed expression with just that slight smile.

He handed the cylinder to Lee Yeonwoo. The boy, who had question marks floating all over his face, looked down. The moment he saw the cylinder, he shifted into a serious expression as if all that had just happened was a lie.

“Just a moment.”

With his chin slightly raised, Cheon Wooshin looked down coolly at Lee Yeonwoo, who was focused entirely on identifying the scent. His gaze meticulously traced from the neatly parted crown of the boy’s head, along the curves of his ears, over his dainty nose, and to the delicately shaped upper lip.

That was when Lee Yeonwoo suddenly lifted his head.

“This one’s closer!”

Hearing confirmation of what he’d suspected somehow made him calmer. It wasn’t the original poisoner, but it was closer. The chairman of Tessa Group had died three years before the snake venom incident, but had Lee Yeonwoo detected his venom back then, he probably would’ve responded similarly. As Cheon Wooshin fell silent, Lee Yeonwoo, having thought through it himself, cautiously asked,

“Could he have a son… maybe?”

Cheon Wooshin lifted the corner of his lips slightly. It was endearing that Lee Yeonwoo had reached the same conclusion.

“He’s young.”

The victim had an elementary-school-aged son. It would still take about ten more years before his venom fangs matured at the age of twenty.

“Let’s dig a little deeper into the people around him.”

He glanced at his watch. It was already well past midnight. As Lee Yeonwoo yawned and made eye contact, he quickly covered his mouth in embarrassment.

Now that he thought of it, when was the last time he had slept? It felt like forever ago. A sharp pain stabbed behind one of his eyes this time.

“Shall we get some rest too?”

Cheon Wooshin took the lead, and Lee Yeonwoo followed.

The night sky shimmered like water-soaked scales. The clear, refined color, so different from the bleak city, amazed Lee Yeonwoo. He stared up at the sky for a long while. A plane crossed far above. He had never flown before, which made the sight all the more picturesque.

‘I’m definitely going to ride one someday.’

The future Lee Yeonwoo envisioned still sparkled.

Stopped at a red light, Cheon Wooshin said, “I’m opening the window for a bit,” and pressed the button without further explanation.

Lee Yeonwoo thought to himself that it was just as well. The air in the car had felt stifling.

Cheon Wooshin’s scent seemed stronger than before. Could the scent of a pureblood’s rut affect him like this? It was only a person’s body odor, yet it was enough to consume his attention. The more he focused on it, the stronger it felt. His heart was racing. As his fingers twitched restlessly, Cheon Wooshin opened the window just in time.

Cold wind swept through the interior of the car. His ears and the tip of his nose went numb, but it felt much better. Lee Yeonwoo tilted his head back and took in the fresh air deeply.

Cheon Wooshin, resting his elbow on the window, exhaled and pressed his temple.

“The upper office provided a place to stay. Of course, you’ll probably spend more time working with me than being there.”

“Yes.”

Just then, his stomach growled. Lee Yeonwoo flinched and looked down. Now that he thought about it, he’d only had a roll of kimbap in the early evening. This was already the second time his hunger had exposed itself noisily. Embarrassed, he turned his gaze out the window. Then Cheon Wooshin’s voice came through quietly.

“Let’s pick up something to eat on the way. Is a simple lunchbox okay?”

“I’m not picky. I eat anything.”

Cheon Wooshin, rubbing his head, entered his line of sight. He had been doing that for a while now. It wasn’t just his imagination—he really was doing it more often as time passed.

“Do you have a bad headache?”

“Do I look like I do?”

He tried to brush it off, but only then did Cheon Wooshin seem to realize how often he’d been doing it and slowly furrowed his brow.

“If it’s that bad, why don’t you take some medicine? Or should we stop by a pharmacy?”

Cheon Wooshin replied,

“If I take any more, I’ll exceed the limit.”

Ah, so he’d already taken some. That was good to know.

“Actually, I have a sports massage certification.”

“Really?”

When Cheon Wooshin responded lightly, Lee Yeonwoo gained a bit more confidence and raised his voice.

“My grandmother was unwell, so I started studying it to help her feel more comfortable. I ended up getting certified.”

Encouraged by Cheon Wooshin’s silence, Lee Yeonwoo chirped on like a sparrow.

“She liked it, maybe because I studied hard.”

Memories flowed, indifferent to whether they were good or bad. The smile on Lee Yeonwoo’s face slowly faded.

“Even when her mind wasn’t clear, she always said it felt good…”

Trailing off, he rubbed the back of his neck and said,

“Anyway, I’m really good. If I loosen the muscles around your neck—”

Just then, the navigation system announced in a composed voice, “You have arrived at your destination.” Cheon Wooshin turned off the engine.

“Let’s get out.”

“Ah, yes.”

Lee Yeonwoo quickly unbuckled his seatbelt. Had he overstepped? Was he being too familiar? The abrupt end to the conversation flooded him with such thoughts. Just as he reached for the handle to follow him out, a quiet voice reached his ears.

“Not today.”

Cheon Wooshin had gotten out first, resting his hand on the car frame, then leaned in slightly to look inside.

“I’ll ask you another time.”

Lee Yeonwoo beamed. His heart, which had shrunk a little, swelled right back up.

“Sure! Just let me know anytime.”

“……”

Cheon Wooshin gave a small scoff and shut the door. As Lee Yeonwoo stepped out, he locked the car and walked around the hood toward the store. The winter wind blew just then, rustling the hem of his jacket and his hair.

Under the dawn sky, simply walking, Cheon Wooshin looked like a painting. Lee Yeonwoo, who had been staring at him as if spellbound, turned his gaze away awkwardly.

He didn’t know if it was pride, excitement, or something else entirely. Pressing down on his heart, which kept sending strange tremors, Lee Yeonwoo followed him.