Street Kids (1)
They followed me toward the convenience store. The pedestrian signal flashed green, urging people across. In that instant, I bolted full speed over the crosswalk. Curses and frantic stomping erupted behind my ear.
“Hey, you bastard! Stop right there? What kind of asshole is this!”
“What adult shakes down high school kids for cigarette money!”
Standing at the opposite signal amid the stream of passing cars, I waved the ten-thousand-won bill like a flag. Whoosh, whoosh. As they yelled and hollered, a patrol car from the local precinct pulled up in front of them.
“What’s going on here?”
“That bastard at the signal up there—he took our money!”
“Huh? What money?”
“We asked him to buy us cigarettes…!”
The brown-haired girl clamped her hand over the yellow-haired kid’s mouth and dragged him away.
“N-no, it’s nothing. Just messing around between us.”
She shot me a venomous glare over her shoulder. I’d scored an easy ten grand. Time for an iced Americano.
Our footsteps lightened as we headed our separate ways.
* * *
“Here’s the case assigned to Detective Kang for today. As you’ll see, it’s a missing person. Looks like a simple runaway to me, but the father’s adamant.”
Hwang shook his head with a sigh and handed over the file.
“If it’s a simple runaway, shouldn’t Youth Affairs handle it? Why’d it get kicked to Violent Crimes?”
“Victim’s dad is a city councilor. Buddy-buddy with the chief, too. They don’t want eyes on it if it goes to Missing Persons or Youth—too much scrutiny. They want Violent Crimes to handle it quietly.”
Hwang grimaced and rubbed his neck. I got the picture right away.
“Got it.”
I flipped open the file. My eyes widened at the missing person’s photo. It was her—one of the kids who’d hit me up for smokes earlier. The quiet one hanging back.
“We’ll head out now. Let’s go, Gwang-il.”
* * *
We scoured the convenience store area by car, but they’d already scattered. Made sense—patrol cars cruising the beat would cramp their style.
“…Wonder if they even bought the smokes.”
“Smokes? What’re you talking about?”
I filled him in on the morning fiasco.
“Puhaha! So they made you their cigarette shuttle? Wow! Haven’t seen kids this ballsy in ages. Did you buy ’em?”
“You nuts?”
“The money then? What about the cash you took?”
“Bought this iced Americano with it.” I held up the cup in my hand.
“Oh, this Americano…! Wait, so you shook them down? A cop extorting punks—for cigarette money!”
“Quit looking at me like I’m some hero. It’s weirding me out.”
“…Uh, yeah.”
I ignored a faint mutter of “looks like a thug” from somewhere. Kim Gwang-il’s Sonata pulled into the upscale Cheongun-dong neighborhood. Towering walls at least ten feet high, CCTVs everywhere.
“Whoa! What kinda people live in a place like this?”
Kim’s eyes bugged out in front of the stately three-story house.
“Let’s believe they’re honest, hardworking folks who pay their taxes.”
I led the way, muttering under my breath.
“Otherwise, life ain’t worth living.”
* * *
“What the hell do you cops even do? My daughter’s been gone three days, and you’re just now poking around? Do you even want to find her or not!”
“Yes, Councilor. But based on what we have, it leans more toward runaway than missing. Just look at Ha Yeon’s laptop diary: ‘Home feels suffocating,’ ‘I’m not Park Ha Yeon, I’m Councilor Park Man-cheol’s daughter,’ ‘I don’t wanna live like this.’ Stuff like that, over and over.”
Kim Gwang-il hesitated, showing the screen to Councilor Park Man-cheol. No way a kid that age leaves their diary that exposed. It was a message to her parents.
“Ha! So you’re saying I raised her wrong? It’s all my fault?”
“N-no, that’s not what I….”
Kim averted his eyes, waving his hands frantically.
“You cops wouldn’t get it, but folks in politics have tight networks. Even a whisper of the girl fooling around could tank this man’s career.”
Councilor Park’s wife spat the words coldly over her tea, served by the housekeeper.
“Yes, we’ll do our best…!”
“I think I know why she ran.”
I cut off Kim and rose slowly.
“I promise: I’ll find Ha Yeon. But I can’t promise bringing her back home. That’s not a cop’s job—it’s the parents’.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to…!”
“One hour!”
I spat each word like chewing gravel.
“We’ve been here an hour, and neither of you mentioned worrying about Ha Yeon once. Just your political careers.”
My eyes narrowed sharply at Park Man-cheol.
“And your reputations.”
My gaze shifted to his wife.
“We’re leaving. No time to waste if we’re actually finding this kid.”
Park Man-cheol’s clenched fist trembled. He glared like he wanted to kill me but finally bowed his head.
“Just… just find her first. We’ll talk the rest later. But I won’t forget today.”
* * *
“Hyungnim, felt good inside, but wasn’t that too harsh?”
“It’s fine. A thug like me can handle it.”
“Aish! When’d you even hear that? You hold grudges sneaky like.”
“Ha Yeon took 500,000 won with her, right?”
“Yeah.”
I closed my eyes in the passenger seat. The four kids from this morning who’d demanded smokes. She’d hung back silently, so Ha Yeon wasn’t the boss of their little crew.
How long could four teens last on half a mil? Day three of the runaway—today was the crunch.
Kids had their own communities, territorial as hell at that age. So Ha Yeon was still in Gangcheon-gu.
I pulled out my phone.
“Hwang Banjang. Look for a Kim Hoon-seok, late twenties, Gangcheon-gu resident. Did a stint in the clink—pull his health insurance for a job lead.”
“Who’s this guy? Suspect? Isn’t it just a runaway?”
Kim Gwang-il’s eyes went wide beside me.
“He’s no suspect, but he knows where Ha Yeon might be. Gangcheon-gu Papa. He’s about to get famous.”
“Famous how?!”
Ding.
A text buzzed in.
“Let’s go. 306 Youngcheon Detective Agency, Unjeong-dong 14th Street.”
Once a kid breaks, they give up everything too damn easy. Gotta hurry.
* * *
“You saw the photo? You wait out front—if he bolts, tail him. We need his statement, so don’t go too hard.”
“Got it.”
The rickety stairs were cracked; food smells from stacked delivery containers assaulted my nose. Inside the agency, a black-suited guy in his twenties was cozying up to a young woman. Handsome face, but upturned eyes screamed temper.
“Oh, customers. What can I do for you?”
“Looking for someone. Kim Hoon-seok.”
“You know me…!”
“Or should I call you Gangcheon-gu Papa?”
His eyes flickered, then he shoved the girl at me and bolted for the door. A piercing scream ripped out as she crashed into my arms.
“…Should’ve just let me catch you.”
I shook my head. Then—crash of breaking glass and a sharp yelp from inside.
* * *
“I don’t know anything.”
“Haven’t even asked yet.”
Kim Hoon-seok, eyes black and blue, bowed repeatedly, glancing nervously.
“Find this girl.”
I shoved my phone photo in his face.
“She’s in Gangcheon-gu right now. With three other girls her age. Last sighted this morning at Sanjeong Middle School crosswalk.”
“…How am I supposed to find her from one photo?”
“Kim Hoon-seok, 28. Aka Gangcheon-gu Papa. Abducting minors, illegal prostitution brokering, forging docs. Shadow head of Gangcheon-gu runaway packs. Want me to keep going?”
His face drained white, head drooping.
“Straight talk: not arresting you now. Here for the kid today. But if anything happens to her…”
I leaned into his ear.
“You’ll regret this choice forever.”
“…Y-yes, sir.”
He dialed someone in a groveling whisper.
“…Yeah, it’s me. Who’s running the packs near Sanjeong Middle? All-girl group. Name’s Park Ha Yeon. Yeah… With Mi-ju? …What, really?!”
He hung up, exhaling sharply.
“Th-think I found her. But you gotta go quick. The kids right now…”
His voice dropped.
“…Yeah. Good work. Gwang-il, hand this punk to the local precinct. Pile on everything but murder—make it ugly.”
“Wait! You said you’d let me go if I talked!”
I ignored his shrill scream and stood. The sun was dipping low. My gut tightened.
* * *
“Mi-ju, but is this okay? Ha Yeon followed us good, y’know.”
“Followed? She just tagged along ’cause she had nowhere else. You know who her old man is? City councilor! Total different league from street rats like us.”
“No way! Figures she had that rich-kid vibe. Still, handing her to that perv Park Dong-pal first thing was too much.”
“Gotta learn proper the first time or it bites back. I’ll hit up all the old pervs I know. Let’s work her hard tonight. Tons of guys go nuts for young stuff.”
Mi-ju’s eyes narrowed, lost in dark thoughts. Unexplained rage boiled up. Her stepdad’s endless drunken rages had driven Mom away early. She’d been just ten. Begging her not to abandon her, but Mom turned away cold. All that fury poured onto Mi-ju alone. Couldn’t take the abuse, so she ran. No real adults out there. Just leering, lust-filled eyes raking over her. The streets had been brutal to a kid like her. And this Ha Yeon bitch! Runs away just ’cause her parents don’t pay attention?
Twisted hate wrapped around Mi-ju. Ha Yeon’s pampered innocence made her sick.
I’ll show you how cruel the streets are.
She bit her lip hard. Then Yeong-ran’s sharp voice cut through.
“Hey! Ain’t that the asshole from this morning?”
A car pulled up to the Paradise Motel where they huddled. The slick young guy stepping from the passenger seat looked familiar. A hulking brute climbed out of the driver’s side after him.
“Ha! Run into you here? Hey, you bastard!”
Mi-ju’s bellow exploded from her mouth.