Huge Buzz? Huge Blaze? (1)
Director Hwang In-jun was a fan of Yoo Jeong-ah.
More than just a fan—he'd harbored personal feelings for her.
He'd never mustered the courage to confess, and she'd drawn a clear line anyway, but his affection remained unchanged.
Her aloof demeanor, as if she'd never give her heart to anyone, only deepened his feelings. Now, it had settled into nearly pure fandom.
When the scandal article broke, he refused to believe it.
He even saw the photos but just snorted and shook his head.
"Those damn paparazzi are pros at faking shit. Probably just caught her as she was stumbling and grabbed her, then spun it into some 'close contact' bullshit. Suckers who fall for crap like that... tch."
Of course, not believing the scandal and feeling jealous were two different things.
Curious about her scandal partner, he looked him up.
The guy was a rookie actor with nothing but a name and body measurements to his credit. No agency even.
"Mask looks decent enough, at least."
What started as casual curiosity triggered his occupational hazard.
"Shall I take a peek?"
The finale was airing soon anyway.
Hwang In-jun turned on the TV lightly, but before he knew it, he was glued right up to the screen.
***
Kim Sang-hee was watching the finale of Illegal at her own bar in Cheongdam-dong.
Her laptop beside her displayed three real-time ratings feeds.
The numbers had spiked way past episode 11, confirming that Yoo Jeong-ah's fandom had been properly hooked.
"27%! 28%! 29%! Come on, come on! Just a little more!"
And finally, in the scene where Lee Jin-uk grinned at the camera like he might leap out and hunt the viewers themselves...
—Chairman, it's quite delicious. More than I expected.
"29.8%! Please! Just 0.2% more! Please!"
"It's only mid-episode, so it'll climb more by the end. Calm down, Writer."
"It's the finale—we have to break 30% today! Aaaah!"
"Have a drink first."
Kim Sang-hee downed the cocktail the bartender offered and caught her breath.
"Whew, my heart's pounding from these ratings every time. At this rate, it'll be the death of me."
"The viewers are feeling it way worse. You can't afford to, Writer. Already prepping a new project?"
"Something I wrote ages ago finally found a home."
"Ooh, who's producing this time?"
"Haven't decided. Taking it to whoever coughs up 30 billion won."
"But you never write more than 12 episodes. That's, what, 2.5 billion per?"
"Exactly. Giving it to whoever pays that without blinking. This script."
Bartender and manager Kim Min-seok figured even with Kim Sang-hee's name value, lining up production wouldn't be easy.
One more kill (2)
Lee Jin-uk murdered Hwang Hak-jin right in front of the prosecutor and lawyer, as if to say "take that," and the drama raced past its climax toward the end.
Hwang Hak-jin's gang, which ruled Gangnam's nights, clashed with rivals hungry for the emperor's throne, ending in mutual destruction. Gangnam's nights drowned in chaos.
The metro squad's net showed no signs of loosening, while police pulled all-nighters to curb turf wars among petty crime groups.
The rift between Hwang Sun-hye and Koo Je-man reaches a breaking point.
—Prosecutor Hwang, are you insane? You want to let him slide?
—Lee Jin-uk is a pleasure killer. But he's channeling that pleasure usefully for society. He's only picking off the ones who deserve to die.
—Is that what a law guardian like you should say?!
—The biggest frustration in my career as a prosecutor has been the reality that I can't touch the bastards who lord over the law and toy with it like a plaything.
—...
—I'd rather spend my time locking up the scum listed in this ledger than chasing Lee Jin-uk.
Meanwhile, a heavyweight politician learns of the missing entertainment ledger from Hwang Hak-jin and pressures the prosecutors to hunt Lee Jin-uk.
Lee Jin-uk slips away like an eel, but eventually, the rules he set become his undoing.
The rule he made to avoid sinking into pleasure's abyss: only kill those who truly deserve death.
He spared the detectives chasing him, letting them live—a contradiction that piles up and corners him.
SWAT surrounds the warehouse outskirts where he's holed up with a detective hostage. Koo Je-man gets police clearance for a final negotiation and steps out.
In the dank warehouse, with the bound hostage between them, the two have their last reunion.
—Lee Jin-uk, it's over.
—What is?
—Your crimes.
—You sure about that?
Even backed into a corner, his smile holds no desperation.
Having snuffed out so many lives and absorbed them, he almost seems transcendent.
—Don't get any funny ideas. You're not escaping here today.
—The seeds I planted are already sprouting. As long as those shoots live, I'm never truly caught.
Koo Je-man involuntarily thinks of Hwang Sun-hye at those cryptic words.
She'd never become a killer like Lee Jin-uk.
But now, to sever evil's breath, she'll wield the tool of law mercilessly.
—That shoot might one day take root in your heart too, Lawyer.
—...It won't.
—Lawyer, I've got a question. Were you chasing me for my sake, or for that ten-million-won suicide case?
—...
—Still think the defendant's poverty is the root of sin? Then you're no different from the lawbreakers I've killed.
—No. It wasn't the defendant's poverty—it was my foolishness and the law's indifference.
Lee Jin-uk stands, sheathes the knife at the hostage detective's throat, then kicks him forward with a thud.
In that instant, the sniper's muzzle flashes, blood spurting from Lee Jin-uk's leg.
He crumples, grinning up at Koo Je-man.
Then he draws the knife across his own throat without hesitation.
—No!
The blade slices the carotid clean; blood fountains out.
The sniper panics and holds fire; Koo Je-man rushes forward in horror.
He presses his palm to the wound, but soon his wrist is soaked red.
—You can't die like this! I'm your lawyer! You need a fair trial, reform, and reintegration into society!
—Told you... I'd kill... as many as possible... until my last breath... max out...
Lee Jin-uk's bloodshot eyes gleam with insatiable hunger to the end.
—Heh, heehee... one more bad guy down. Hahaha, ha ha ha!
Lee Jin-uk's final prey: himself.
Even in fulfilling his forbidden desires within his self-imposed rules to the last, a tiny droplet forms at the corner of his wide-staring eyes.
It looks less like final remorse and more like regret for pleasures left unfulfilled.
The quiet lawyer's sobs scatter over it.
His choking voice endlessly mouths apologies to no one in particular.
—I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...
***
SWAT swarms in to confirm the body, fade to black, scene shift.
Only then do Oh So-hee and Kim Da-hye exhale the breaths they'd held.
"Insane."
"Fucking legendary."
"That's a rookie? Dude needs to go Hollywood. He'd sweep everything."
"Yoo Jeong-ah's got an eye—zeroed in and stamped her approval. No countering that."
"What do you think, oppa?"
Oh Tae-woo, whose pupils had been quivering nonstop, finally snapped to and turned.
"Huh? What? Say that again?"
"Seo-hoon's acting. You've seen tons of criminals. Looked real?"
"Man, felt like he'd actually killed a bunch and was drawing from that. Those eyes were real. Gave me chills."
"So you went to the set? To check if he'd really killed someone?"
"Crazy? I can tell acting from reality. Just wanted to see what punk dared hit on our Jeong-ah... Ah! Jeong-ah's on. Shh."
The two women stifled laughs at the bearish man's face melting into gooey adoration for Yoo Jeong-ah.
***
The climax-exploding drama now wrapped its final breaths.
Lee Jin-uk's death closes the case, but Seoul's chaos heralds a new beginning.
New night lords settle in, flattering chaebols and power brokers, while Hwang Sun-hye sharpens the blade of justice to hunt them.
Koo Je-man shutters his divorce practice, reborn as a lawyer for the innocent weak.
They're still on bad terms, but they clasp hands peacefully over their shared goal: shielding society from evil.
—Koo Je-man, help with this case. I want to, but as a prosecutor, my hands are tied.
—What's the case?
—Trainee idol raped on drugs. Too scared to talk. Just get her testimony, and I'll bury those bastards forever. Help me out, Lawyer.
—Let me see.
And so, the two begin finding their own answers to the doubts and chaos from chasing Lee Jin-uk.
Scene shift.
Two nameless flowers bloom over twin shoots sprouting from Lee Jin-uk's grave, wistful music swells softly.
Thank you for watching Illegal: Lawbreakers
***
Kim Sang-hee was passed out drunk over the bar, bawling her eyes out.
Bartender Kim Min-seok clucked his tongue and slid a cool cup of honey water her way.
"Writer, honey water first, then cry."
"Sob, hic... hngh... Why! Why couldn't we break 30%! Whyyy! I poured my soul and lifespan into it! Whyyy!"
"29.9% is still killer, no?"
"Not 30%! I was so sure! We could've hit it! Is Yoo Jeong-ah's aggro power really that weak? Pure top star my ass. She's done for too."
Kim Sang-hee sniffled but chugged the honey water.
Then stuck out her hand again.
"Vodka. Something strong."
"You'll wreck your stomach."
He said that but filled a shot of vodka anyway.
"My 30%... We were so close this time..."
"You broke it before."
"That was broadcast. Wanted to hit it on cable too. 0.1% short—it's so unfair."
Then her phone buzzed.
"It's Seo-hoon. Feel so bad. Should've made his debut hit 30%. Then he could've charged thousands per episode next."
"How much is Actor Jeong Seo-hoon getting now?"
"90 per. Stingy, right? Who sticks that up their nose?"
"Still, the drama killed it and his acting was top-notch. His price'll skyrocket soon. I'm looking forward to it. Not coming tonight?"
"Debut, so watching with family."
***
The finale ended, but Mom said nothing.
Jeong Su-ryeon glanced nervously; Jeong Seo-hoon wondered why.
Mom sighed deeply, rose silently, and headed to the master bedroom.
Jeong Su-ryeon whispered low.
"Dude, think Mom's really shocked?"
"Seems like it."
"You were too real as the killer. Probably didn't even recognize her own son. Seeing a psycho slashing his own throat on her baby's face to the end? Brutal."
"Gotta watch myself around her for a bit."
"Yeah. No midnight emotion-wrangling in the dark living room on the first floor. She comes down for water, sees that, keel over."
"Why do pointless shit like that? With this talent."
"Jinx."
She was the one moping dramatically in the living room at midnight for "emotions."
"But you acted great. You've got talent, in my eyes."
"Science high reject said something similar—felt ridiculous. Who's judging who?"
"Bitch. I quit leads 'cause camera hates my face, not 'cause acting sucked."
Jeong Su-ryeon kept checking the production group chat nonstop.
"Setting up agency meetings, so prep. Picked three solid ones. Time to snag a pricey deal."
"You jumping ship too?"
"Yup. Drama's done—no more hiding. Agency won't even know who I am anyway. AD life."
"Shoot for drama chief. Might make it. If you do, 10% debut discount as inauguration gift."
"Asshole. Discount? Abuse that chief power—bump it 150%."
Then Jeong Seo-hoon's phone buzzed.
He startled at the caller ID.
"Dad? Why at this hour...?"
"Yeah. Isn't it dawn there? Sounds bad—pick up."
Jeong Su-ryeon set her phone down worriedly; Jeong Seo-hoon answered on speaker.
Come to think of it, last call with Dad was... four years in his timeline?
He steadied his breath to play proud son naturally.
A frantic voice poured out.
—Jeong Seo-hoon. What's up with Mom?
"What do you mean?"
—She just called bawling. Something about someone dying today? Who's Lee Jin-uk? Why's she crying like that? Do I need to pay respects?
"..."
"..."
Silence hung; Jeong Su-ryeon giggled mischievously.
"Dad, Lee Jin-uk's Mom's third son you don't know about. We just found out too."
—What?!
"So come pay respects. Skip it, she'll resent you forever."
—Third son?! What the hell! Wait, dog name? Right?
"Wanna know? Come. Mom misses you bad. I do too."
—Booking tickets now. Wait.
"Birkin bag when you come."
—Tell her to inherit one! Hanging up!