Thugs (7)
“……!”
Goo Yong-hyeon whipped around to face Go Cheon-su, his expression a mask of shock.
“You fucking...!”
He grasped the situation in an instant.
“You got bought off to come after me?”
“Kinda self-important, but sure, we'll go with that.”
Go Cheon-su hoisted his axe high.
“Here I come. You might not keep all your limbs intact—keep that in mind.”
“Shut your damn mouth!”
Goo Yong-hyeon leveled his sharp steel pipe with a fierce glare and bellowed.
“You dare attack me? You're all dead meat today!”
Clang!
Go Cheon-su parried the immediate swing of the pipe with his axe blade, tilting his head quizzically.
“Blocked it.”
“You, you son of a bitch!”
Clang! Clang!
Enraged, Goo Yong-hyeon swung the pipe wildly like a madman.
“Die! Die!”
The attacks were fierce enough. If Go Cheon-su's reactions had been any slower, he'd have been sliced open somewhere by now.
“What the hell.”
Of course, that wasn't happening.
“This your best shot?”
As Go Cheon-su kept batting the pipe away effortlessly, Goo Yong-hyeon stared in disbelief.
“Wh-what the fuck are you?”
His physique didn't match his ridiculous physical prowess at all. Go Cheon-su could practically read the thought on his face and let out a hollow chuckle.
“What else? The guy Yang Min-cheol hired. You said it yourself.”
Clang!
Go Cheon-su's axe slammed into the base of the pipe, nearly severing Goo Yong-hyeon's wrist. The pipe flew from his grip, clattering loudly across the floor.
“W-wait a sec!”
Goo Yong-hyeon stumbled back, hands raised.
“D-don't come closer!”
“Same crap your underling spouted.”
Go Cheon-su sneered with a mocking grin.
“You must be the type who trains 'em real well, huh?”
“H-hey, guys! Guys!”
Goo Yong-hyeon belatedly scanned around for help, then froze.
“Huh...?”
It was already over. No joke.
Most of his men were sprawled on the ground, trembling. The one guy still standing was, astonishingly, pinned by Oh Young-jun.
“Gaaah! Graaaah!”
Watching his man scream as Oh Young-jun tore into his throat, Goo Yong-hyeon let out a guttural yell.
“Fuuuuck!”
All his men down, Oh Young-jun turned zombie. Anyone who didn't run now would be insane.
“Waaaah!”
But for a gang leader, Goo Yong-hyeon bolted pathetically, screaming like a maniac as he fled alone.
“......What a letdown.”
Go Cheon-su clicked his tongue and turned to Oh Young-jun.
Grrrraaaah!
Shaking his head at the sight of Oh Young-jun ripping into another gang member and tossing him aside like trash, Go Cheon-su pondered.
Right on cue, Go Cheon-su raised his axe and approached Oh Young-jun.
“Oh Young-jun, thanks for everything.”
“Grur?”
“Time to say goodbye.”
Just as Go Cheon-su swung the axe—
“Hold up!”
Kim Ha-ryeong came running, shouting.
“Chun-su! Look closely!”
Go Cheon-su paused mid-motion and stared at Oh Young-jun. Oh Young-jun stared back.
A brief silence hung heavy with meaning.
“Not fully turned yet?”
He didn't seem completely infected. No immediate lunge.
“Gr... ur.”
Oh Young-jun shook his head slightly. He couldn't speak, but his awareness was still there.
Agreed. Go Cheon-su sighed and lowered his axe.
“Can't be helped.”
Still, ending it now felt off. He turned to the group.
“We'll decide later. The trucks are here—they can't have gone far.”
He headed to the refrigerated truck and yanked open the driver's door.
“Oh Young-jun, wanna do one last job?”
Inside the ruins near the Black Tattoo hideout.
The fleeing Goo Yong-hyeon huddled in a corner of the first floor, teeth chattering.
“Damn it! Damn it...!”
He'd lost all his men in a flash. Whoever those bastards were, they'd wiped out Black Tattoo.
“Yang Min-cheol, you fucker...!”
One of the punks he'd toyed with before. He'd let him go because of clingy friends, but he'd been itching to crush him if they met again. With the world gone to hell, tormenting him should've been easier.
But to end up like this?
“Sis, check over there.”
“That side first.”
“I'll go this way!”
Voices from outside filtered through the thin window. Goo Yong-hyeon panicked, glancing around.
“Wh-where to...”
He had to escape. Those three chatting outside were one thing, but that guy hired by Yang Min-cheol was on another level. He'd led the charge with insane axe work, dropping his men like flies.
Need a truck.
Running or walking had limits. He needed wheels—his beloved refrigerated truck.
With that, I can start over.
The mobile fridge was crucial. Fresh food made recruiting easy. He even targeted minors for that reason. Freshness breathed life into the gang. At least, that's what Goo Yong-hyeon believed, screw what anyone said.
I'm taking it...!
Obsession or not, he couldn't hand over his prized possession after losing everything. He sure as hell wouldn't let Yang Min-cheol and that guy use it to build a new crew.
“Over there?”
“Yeah, haven't checked there yet.”
“Together, together!”
Peeking out, he saw Yang Min-cheol and two women heading his way. No sign of the man.
What to do?
Could he take those three? But Yang Min-cheol wasn't the pushover he remembered—clearly at ease with his new group. Add two crazy women, and it was risky.
Tap tap tap.
Goo Yong-hyeon hurried to the stairs. Perfect for outnumbered fights—high ground advantage 101.
“Score a weapon too.”
He snagged a bent rebar on the way. More than enough for those three.
“Hoo.”
On the landing between the second and third floors, Goo Yong-hyeon caught his breath, waiting.
Creeeak.
It didn't take long. Yang Min-cheol pushed open the second-floor door—and their eyes met.
“Yang Min-cheol...!”
Goo Yong-hyeon scowled instantly.
“You betrayed me?”
“......”
Yang Min-cheol's initial surprise hardened into a cold tone.
“Betrayed? That's your greeting?”
“Yeah, betrayal! You coward!”
Goo Yong-hyeon brandished the rebar, yelling.
“After all I've done for you!”
“Ruining my chance to graduate—that was doing me favors?”
He sounded incredulous.
“Do it twice more, and you'd have stolen my uniform too.”
“What?”
Goo Yong-hyeon raised the rebar like he might charge and smash him.
“Know your place, Yang Min-cheol!”
“The arrogant one's you.”
Yang Min-cheol's voice was low.
“Who the hell are you to meddle in my life and fuck it up?”
“You...!”
“And here you were tormenting people again—driving them to gruesome deaths.”
“You little shit!”
Goo Yong-hyeon jabbed the rebar at him accusingly.
“Playing the good guy? Huh? You were in our gang too!”
“I learned to smoke, not kill. Got it?”
“So what! You're different? You're nothing—keep barking!”
“If you think that, come down here.”
Yang Min-cheol stood at the second-floor stair door, glaring up.
“Come on down and face me.”
“You...!”
Rage boiled, but Goo Yong-hyeon couldn't descend. Who knew what lurked inside that door?
“D-don't fuck with me!”
He pointed at the door.
“You hid your bought-off guys in there, right?”
“Bought-off?”
“Yeah! Think I don't know? Where are those bitches! Where...”
Mid-mutter, Goo Yong-hyeon froze.
“Where...”
His gaze lifted—and saw what he shouldn't.
“Gah!”
The two women were above, emerging from the third-floor door.
“Waaah!”
Surrounded. They'd circled via the outer stairs to this side. Perfectly trapped.
Drowning in despair, Goo Yong-hyeon flailed the rebar wildly up and down, screaming.
“Stay back! Stay back, you fucks!”
But the women were already descending.
Goo Yong-hyeon glanced below.
“......Must've spooked you good.”
Yang Min-cheol taunted.
“I knew exactly how you'd react.”
“You...!”
“Why not climb higher while you're at it?”
Goo Yong-hyeon was speechless. He swallowed dryly.
Women above, Yang Min-cheol below. They'd have been easy pickings before—but not now. The vibe alone crushed him.
“Yang Min-cheol!”
No way he'd go down like this. He made his choice.
“I'm taking you with me!”
Yang Min-cheol had to pay. Goo Yong-hyeon charged with rebar raised.
“Die...”
But before he could swing, Yang Min-cheol slipped inside and—
Click.
Locked the door.
Goo Yong-hyeon blinked in confusion.
“Wh-what.”
Didn't make sense. But footsteps from behind snapped his head around.
The women descended steadily. No time.
Fight or flee?
“What the...!”
Whatever the play, he bolted downward. Even against two women, he wanted no clash—not with unknown tricks lurking.
“Hah, hah...”
Tension shortened his breaths. Fighting dizziness, he reached the first floor.
No sign!
The man was elsewhere, scouting. Relieved, Goo Yong-hyeon sprinted for the trucks.
Slowing near them, he scanned—no man.
I'm safe!
He beelined for the refrigerated truck. No other destination.
“Where you headed?”
A voice that shouldn't be there rang out.
“......”
Face hardening mid-stride, Goo Yong-hyeon turned—and saw him.
“Waaaah! You crazy fuck!”
“Not crazy—Go Cheon-su.”
Go Cheon-su jogged after the screaming man.
“Remember the name. Gets annoying when you keep cursing.”
“Stay away! Stay back!”
Goo Yong-hyeon poured power into his thighs. Almost there—reach the truck, and it was over.
“Waaaah!”
He tripped once, dropping the rebar, but finally yanked open the passenger door.
No time to circle to driver—he'd climb over.
Click.
Inside, he faced the unthinkable.
“Huh?”
Someone was already in the driver's seat.
“You...!”
A green-masked figure.
“You survived... Gurk?”
Shock at his underling's survival cut short—a blow to the nape dropped him cold.