Criminal Boy (5)
The sun was dipping low, casting long shadows. The van struggled up the hillside road in Jungnae-dong, a neighborhood slated entirely for redevelopment.
[Residents Dying from Redevelopment Without Compensation!] [Cancel the Redevelopment That's Driving Out Original Inhabitants!]
Placards scrawled in bold red letters fluttered like flags from the utility poles. No pedestrians were in sight on the empty streets, only the eerie cries of stray cats echoing through the alleys. Streetlights were few and far between, but the van slowed not at all, as if the narrow backstreets were familiar territory.
"Alright, tie that fucker up here."
"Park Hyeong-jun, this bastard seems to have come to his senses now?"
A low groan leaked from Park Hyeong-jun amid the snickering kids. His head, hands bound behind his back, slowly lifted. The moment his eyes met Jin Woo-cheol's, the corner of his mouth curled up.
Wha—he's smiling?!
"Why'd you take so long? I thought my skull was gonna split open."
"……!"
The bastard's gaze went past his face. A voice that sounded familiar rang out from behind.
"Why the hell are you hitting some poor kid in the back of the head when you can't even fight properly?"
A kid who can't even fight!
Park Hyeong-jun's face twisted. There, where Jin Woo-cheol slowly turned his head, stood the cop he'd met in the Gangcheon Station interrogation room, smirking.
"Ki-kill that fucker too! I'll pay extra if you do!"
"Was planning to anyway. Fuck! Who the hell does he think he is, coming here?"
The runaway pack leader spat out ragged breaths and gripped his motorcycle chain at Jin Woo-cheol's frantic shout. Jin Woo-cheol's eyes darted quickly. The runaways still didn't know that guy was a cop. While they blocked the pig, he'd take out Park Hyeong-jun. If not today, no other chance!
The runaways' shoulders jerked violently. It was absurd enough that a stranger had invaded their hideout, but to feel a flash of fear toward the intruder? They spewed curses even louder to hide their emotions.
Their interests aligned perfectly. The moment the kids' movements split into two in the cramped shack—
Bang!
A thunderous roar like something out of a movie slammed into everyone's eardrums. Smoke rose from the pistol in Kang Cheol-gu's hand.
"I'm a detective in Gangcheon's Violent Crimes Unit, for fuck's sake. Can't waste time brawling with you little shits. Stop what you're doing and stay quiet. You there, blondie—keep those eyes wide open."
A cop!
The runaways froze for an instant. As iron pipes slipped from their hands, the leader's lip twitched.
"Fuck it! Just rush him!"
The kids' eyes locked on him.
"Cops in this country don't shoot real bullets at civilians! That's all blanks!"
Eye signals passed between them, and the kid with the motorcycle chain nodded faintly. Veins bulged on the back of his hand. Another kid reached for the dropped pipe, eyes gleaming red.
"Die, you fucker!"
The chain sliced through the air first, followed by a dozen runaways charging at Kang Cheol-gu.
A tidal wave. People often described scenes like this as a tidal wave. In the dimly lit shack of Jungnae-dong, the kids' roars and assault were exactly that—a surging tide.
And then...
Jin Woo-cheol's jaw dropped at the sight of it. The wave that seemed ready to swallow everything shattered against the rock that was Kang Cheol-gu.
A diagonal advancing step, basic to stand-up fighting. The chain missed by a mere 10 centimeters, grazing past Kang Cheol-gu's ear. A short uppercut crashed into the chin of the guy stumbling forward from momentum. A jackknife flailed pathetically in the air. The teen's wrist that had gripped it twisted at an unnatural angle.
The pistol that had fired the blank was now a hammer, smashing knees. Inapt as the term was, a civilian massacre was unfolding before their eyes.
"Our bro's action style is a bit brutal, huh? I went down in one hit too. Anyway, don't you and I have some shit to talk about?"
A familiar voice struck Jin Woo-cheol's ear. Park Hyeong-jun, bonds somehow undone, rubbed his wrists and approached Woo-cheol.
"...A trap from the start?"
"Obviously. That wild bro over there had some brains."
"Dragging cops into a kids' fight? Not the kind of thing for Jungcheon District's legend, is it?"
"Bullshit. You're the one who kidnapped someone with money and tried to cover it up with daddy's pull. Don't talk out your ass."
Park Hyeong-jun stepped lightly as Jin Woo-cheol fell silent. Ironically, the sight cleared Woo-cheol's head.
Right. This fucker started it all. Just take him down.
Park Hyeong-jun danced in and out with crisp steps. Classic out-boxer. Memories of last year's National Athletic Championships flashed back. Back then, those steps had kept him from even touching the guy. But now was different. He was a swarmer, natural counter to out-boxers.
Biting his lip, he lunged—the moment a shadow loomed from between the faint streetlights.
An out-boxer closing distance first?!
As shock flooded Jin Woo-cheol's eyes, Park Hyeong-jun's knee smashed his chin. The world spun.
"One thing you're wrong about: I'm a fighter before I'm a boxer. The guy you saw at Nationals was Park Hyeong-jun, Seoul Physical High rep."
He took a step closer.
"Right now, I'm Jungcheon District's legend, Park Hyeong-jun."
You can never beat me—the words hammered into Woo-cheol's skull like a judge's verdict, heavy and final. His knees trembled reflexively, ignoring his brain.
"Argh!"
With a roar, Woo-cheol staggered to his feet. Pride overrode instinct.
I'll kill him. Kill him!
If he didn't kill this bastard today, it'd haunt him forever. A nail-studded two-by-four entered Woo-cheol's sight. He grabbed it. Nails pierced his palm, dark red blood trickling down his arm, but no pain registered. Only Park Hyeong-jun ahead.
Whoosh!
The board cleaved air, but his hands grasped nothing. A mocking smile curled on Park Hyeong-jun's lips as he swayed aside.
Can't land it! Can't catch him!
The life drained from Woo-cheol's eyes in that instant.
Thud!
Park Hyeong-jun collapsed. Behind him, one runaway grinned, clutching a blood-smeared brick.
Now! Woo-cheol advanced on him. The fallen head was right there. As his shoulder rose for the swing—
Bang!
A acrid gunpowder stench mixed with the metallic tang of blood. Jin Woo-cheol's leg buckled limply.
The second shot. Everyone knew the first from a cop was a blank. But the second rang out, and Jin Woo-cheol crumpled.
"H-he shot for real!"
Someone muttered dazedly, and that was the signal—weapons clattered from the runaways' hands.
Then.
"Everyone freeze! I'll shoot if you move!"
A police siren's wail, out of place in the redevelopment zone, pierced their ears. Heavy boot steps followed as cops swarmed and surrounded the shack.
"Lieutenant Kang Cheol-gu, you finally fucked up."
A middle-aged man pushed through the cops into the scene, lips curling as if delighted by the mess. Jungcheon Police Station's Violent Crimes Team 1 Leader, Gwak Du-sik.
* * *
"...Kang Cheol-gu, that damn bastard fired on teens during an arrest?"
"Yes, Chief. It's a done deal now. He's been a thorn in our side every time— this is our chance to send him straight to hell. Even his dad can't block this."
Late night in Jungcheon Police Station's chief's office. Na Sang-yeon, arms crossed and nodding, watched Gwak Du-sik team leader rub his hands eagerly.
"Alright. What's the overall damage?"
"All the kids on scene have injuries over four weeks' treatment. But the problem is the one who got shot..."
"The one who got shot—who?"
"Well... it's Jin Woo-cheol, son of Chairman Jin Hwi-jae."
"What?!"
Na Sang-yeon shot up with a sharp cry. The teacup on the desk rattled violently.
"Say that again. Why'd Jin Woo-cheol get shot? Why was he even there? Is he dead?"
"It was a teen turf war. No threat to his life."
"Hmph!"
Na Sang-yeon clutched his neck and slumped deep into his chair. His eyes flicked rapidly. On the surface, it was all on Kang Cheol-gu. An on-duty cop jumped into a teen brawl, fired on a minor—and the victim was a student at prestigious Yusung Foreign Language High School. Media would scream police brutality, and in Korea's pedigree-obsessed society, public opinion would turn against him. Discipline for sure, maybe even dismissal if played right.
That was the ideal script. But!
Na Sang-yeon snapped his eyes open. Dig even a little, and it got messy. That elite student had paid to kidnap and assault another teen with a weapon. If this blew up, dragging up Jungcheon's past juvenile crimes, his career was over.
"Isn't that reporter from Satsu Mari in the station right now?"
"Yes. But why?"
"Set up an interview now. No time—hurry!"
* * *
[I stand here with a heavy heart, as if cutting my own flesh. Last night, a second-year student from Yusung Foreign Language High School—one of our district's proud elite schools—was shot by a police officer and hospitalized. Thankfully, no life threat, but he's suffering severe PTSD from the trauma.]
"Chief Na, that fucker. What the hell's he spouting on TV now?"
"Ah, shit! Shut up and listen."
Detectives Kim Gwang-il and Hwang Woo-sik perked up their ears in the office. Behind them, grim-faced Lee Gyu-cheol stood arms crossed, staring silently at the monitor.
[As a fellow cop, I should support active-duty officers and back their actions—no matter the precinct, district, or rank. But! As a resident of Jungcheon District before a cop, I know full well what Yusung Foreign High means to our community.]
Na Sang-yeon rubbed his eyes with a somber expression.
[Everyone makes little mistakes in their youth. The fact that a police gun—the symbol of public authority—was pointed at a teen under the excuse of correcting one shakes me to my core. Even as a cop, I'm terrified of the arrogance this breeds in Korea. Citizens! Punish the police. I'll gladly take my share of the punishment.]
Na Sang-yeon bowed 90 degrees. The broadcast camera captured the tears streaming from his eyes perfectly.
"Damn~ That guy's better off as an actor. Anyway, he'll be out of uniform soon—begging for joint punishment?"
"Quiet. It's all twisted now. Not just discipline for Lt. Kang on excessive force—calls to revisit police firearms laws are rising. Public sentiment's no joke!"
Hwang Woo-sik shook his head with a deep sigh.
That was when it hit.
"Murder cop, step down!"
"Kang Cheol-gu, explain yourself!"
Fierce chants erupted from Gangcheon Station's main gate. A megaphone's piercing screech blanketed the entire station.