Street Children (4)
‘…Just do it now?’
He shook his head. Rage boiled up inside him, but he still needed to play it safe for the time being. A guy who loved booze and people—a capable, well-regarded manager at a major corporation. That was the public image everyone knew. The trial had only wrapped up recently. He had to lay low.
He forced himself to turn away. As he unlocked the door lock, an unfamiliar voice came from behind him.
“What’s wrong? Can’t hold back?”
“Wh-who’s there!”
No warning, no threat—the shadow lunged. A single hand clamped around his throat and dragged him inside.
“Fuck! What the hell are you doing, you bastard?”
He felt himself shrinking back instinctively and screamed in a desperate frenzy. To shake off the fear, he charged at the intruder. He’d never trained in any martial arts, but he trusted the strength he’d built up from sporadic weight training.
But the moment he lunged, the ceiling spun—or so it felt—and suddenly he was crashing to the living room floor. Hitting back-first made his vision go yellow. Gasping for breath, he turned to glare at the guy.
Tall stature, solid build. Black mask and hat hid his face.
“You… what the fuck are you doing, asshole?”
“Let’s see. Gotta be something useful around here.”
Ignoring him completely, the guy started rummaging through the apartment like he was visiting a buddy’s place.
A burglar!
Jo Du-seong’s eyes filled with terror as he tracked the man’s movements. The guy opened a drawer. Women’s underwear, still damp, spilled out. His stolen collection was laid bare under the bright fluorescent lights.
“Th-that’s…!”
A rugged combat boot stomped down on Jo Du-seong’s mouth as he tried to make excuses.
“Full-on pervert starter pack, huh. It’s gotta be around here somewhere. Ah! This’ll do.”
The man pulled a hammer from the toolbox.
“Wh-who are you? Please, spare me!”
The black hat tied him up with a belt and towel. He couldn’t move his limbs, like a frog about to be dissected.
The eyes behind the black mask narrowed slyly.
“I looked into castration. Turns out it’s more complicated than I thought.”
“Why the hell are you doing this to me?!”
Ignoring Jo Du-seong’s desperate scream, the hammer-wielding hand in the black mask swung toward his crotch.
“Chemical castration means injecting drugs every three months or whatever. I’m no doctor—how the hell am I supposed to do that? And physical castration’s easy, takes like thirty minutes. But I don’t have those skills either. Just cutting it off risks massive bleeding… could even kill you. So, I figured this instead. Won’t kill you. But it’ll hurt like hell.”
With calm words, the man’s right hand rose high. The hammer gleamed at its end.
No, don’t!
Jo Du-seong squeezed his eyes shut.
BAM!
“……!”
Jo Du-seong’s tightly shut eyes slowly opened. The hammer was embedded in the floorboards right in front of his crotch. His pants turned yellow, and the stench of urine stung his nose. A puddle spread across the floor.
“Wh-what do you want… from me?”
His breath hitched like someone had clamped his mouth shut; his whole body went rigid. Trembling violently, Jo Du-seong forced himself to look up at the man.
The guy grabbed him by the hair.
“Head to the police station at sunrise and turn yourself in. Crime: the rape of Mi-ju. You know that case from a month ago where you got off scot-free? Confess everything. Got it?”
Like a straw doll on strings, Jo Du-seong’s head nodded frantically.
The black mask wasn’t done.
“…And at trial, make an additional request. Say you can’t control your urges on your own, so even after your sentence, do chemical castration on me. It’s the only way I can live like a human.”
Jo Du-seong’s eyes glazed over, losing focus. He shook his head slowly at first, then more violently.
The black mask smirked as if he’d expected it, then stood up. He snapped photos of Jo Du-seong with his phone—tied up amid the stolen panties, soaked in his own piss, from every angle.
“Not saying it twice. If you skip even one thing I told you, these pics go everywhere—your company, the whole country. You’ll be a celebrity overnight. Headline: ‘The Secret Life of That Man’ or something.”
The black mask chuckled.
“And no matter where you hide, I’ll find you…”
His eyes crinkled as if imagining it.
“And come back to give you that physical castration. My way.”
Jo Du-seong bowed his head. The hammer in the floor looked sharper than ever today.
This bastard’s dead serious!
His head drooped limply.
“We’re not done.”
His head snapped back up like a spring.
The black mask scanned the apartment. Top-of-the-line appliances, modern interior. Easily over 1,300 square feet of luxury.
The masked head nodded.
“This place yours? Transfer the deed to Mi-ju.”
“N-no, I can’t…!”
Turning himself in meant losing his job, obviously. A criminal record would kill any normal employment. The apartment was his last stronghold.
BAM!
The hammer was suddenly back in the black mask’s hand. A dull thud—and Jo Du-seong’s pinky finger twisted at an unnatural angle. He’d never imagined seeing his own bone with his own eyes.
As pain made him shake uncontrollably, a calm voice reached his ears.
“Why are you trying to talk to me? You’re being threatened right now.”
Unable even to scream, Jo Du-seong backed away, lips twitching.
“I-I’ll do it. Anything you want!”
* * *
At that moment, in a Japanese restaurant in Hyeonjeong-dong, a suited man was chugging water nonstop.
Gangcheon Police Station Chief Kim Dong-sik.
Fresh seasonal seafood piled high in front of Chief Kim.
Thirty minutes late…
He swallowed dryly, checking the time again, when the sliding door opened quietly.
“You’re here!”
“Just sit. Don’t embarrass me. Ha ha.”
Waving off Chief Kim, who’d shot to his feet, Seoul Police Agency Commissioner Gwak Jae-gyu took his seat.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Something came up suddenly.”
“No, sir. It’s an honor just to see you.”
Gwak Jae-gyu offered a drink to the bowing Chief Kim.
“Wet your whistle first.”
“Yes, sir.”
Even as he downed the glass, Chief Kim’s mind raced.
Gwak Jae-gyu, Chief Security Commissioner. What does that fox want with me? He had a guess, but he couldn’t tip his hand early. He steeled himself, over and over.
“So, I’ve heard you’ve been a big help to Chief Park lately. You even nabbed that Yoo Hyeong-cheol in the end, even if he ended up dead. Public opinion swung in your favor anyway—no harm done.”
“You flatter me, sir. It’s all thanks to my team.”
“Your team… you mean that Kang Cheol-gu?”
Chief Kim’s eyes narrowed. Coming out swinging like that meant a decision had already been made.
“Yes. He pulled a lot of weight.”
“Right. What do you make of Kang Cheol-gu? I’ve heard some bad rumors floating around.”
“…I’m not sure what you mean, sir. I don’t…”
Was the line Gwak offered a sturdy rope or a frayed one? Maybe just a test. Chief Kim played dumb, blinking innocently.
Gwak Jae-gyu’s lips twitched upward as he watched. Then he burst into laughter.
“Haha! Slyer than you look. Good. Very good. Gotta have brains to pull off something big together.”
The laughter cut off abruptly.
“Straight talk: I plan to take down Kang Cheol-gu’s father, Kang Hyeok. Join me?”
Gulp!
Chief Kim swallowed hard without thinking.
“You know your Taehwa connection dried up after Kang Cheol-gu showed. Can’t check him directly with Kang Hyeok watching. How about this: I handle Kang Hyeok, you handle Kang Cheol-gu. Win-win, right?”
“…Is there a specific reason you need to make that choice, Commissioner?”
“Reasons? Plenty. With promotions coming, internal evals matter a lot—and Kang Hyeok keeps blocking me.”
Gwak’s eyes darkened.
“His holier-than-thou justice bullshit makes me sick. Thinks he’s the only pure cop around. Been enemies since police academy days. Past aside, to climb higher, it’s gotta happen eventually!”
Gwak slammed down his glass.
“Any plan in mind, sir?”
Chief Kim refilled the glass, probing subtly.
“You know police ranks split into position and status. Kang Hyeok’s rank is Chief Security Commissioner, but his status is dean of the Korean National Police University—an educator. This country holds educators to strict moral standards.”
“And?”
“What’s an educator’s biggest scandal? Screwing up with their kids. Fail there, and they lose all legitimacy. No legitimacy, no power. I’m planning to ruin Kang Cheol-gu. That’s why I need your help.”
Rid Kang Cheol-gu, solidify position. Ride Gwak’s coattails higher? Tempting.
“Give me a little time to think.”
“Sure. But don’t drag it out. Overthinkers end up with nothing.”
Gwak’s gaze sliced like a blade toward Chief Kim.
The night deepened.
* * *
“Ah! Bro! Why’re you so late?”
The moment I stepped into Violent Crimes Team 3, Detective Kim Gwang-il grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the corner.
“What? Something up?”
“Councilor Park Man-cheol says he’s coming to see us.”
“Park Man-cheol? Ha Yeon’s dad? Why? Thanking me for finding his daughter?”
“You’re too optimistic, bro! Remember what you did to him that day? Cursed him and his wife out! He was shaking with rage, said he wouldn’t forget. Now the kid’s found, he’s coming guns blazing, right?”
As Kim hunched his shoulders to add more, Park Man-cheol burst in like an angry bull, Ha Yeon at his side.
“Ah, Councilor, you’re h—!”
Shoving aside Chief Kim Dong-sik, who’d been waiting, Park stormed toward me. Chief Kim bit his lip, eyes flicking between us.
Park Man-cheol loomed in front of me. His piercing glare bored in.