Gangnam S Hospital, VIP Private Room
Gangnam S Hospital, VIP single room. Jo Min-hyuk was on the verge of losing his mind.
"Ah, fuck! Why isn't he picking up?!"
He slammed his latest-model smartphone onto the floor. The screen cracked, but he had no time to care. Mom. That goddamn woman hadn't been in touch for three days straight.
"Lawyer... ugh... my lawyer..."
Jo Min-hyuk clutched his bandaged jaw with trembling hands. Every time he spoke, throbbing pain surged from his shattered jawbone and the gaps where his teeth had been yanked out. His reflection in the mirror was pathetic. His front teeth were smashed out, his nose bridge collapsed, his cheekbones caved in and reinforced with metal pins. The face of the young master who once ruled Gangnam was gone, replaced by some Frankenstein monster staring back.
But the physical agony wasn't what was driving him insane. It was something else.
"Fuck, that retarded old bastard... If you're gonna die, just die quietly by yourself. Why'd you set the factory on fire and pull that suicide stunt..."
Sadness over his dad's death? Not a chance. If anything, he resented him. The old man had torched the factory and staged a suicide just to cover his own ass, which only made public opinion worse and the shit splash back on him.
"We're fucked... totally fucked..."
He muttered those words several times a day. Cops were stationed right outside his room door. He'd barely stalled the arrest warrant with excuses about fractures and such, but the moment he was discharged, handcuffs and a perp walk awaited. Attempted rape of a minor, drug use, aggravated assault... He needed a lawyer to swing some suspended sentence, but the one person who could help—his mom—had gone dark.
"Did that bitch grab the cash and bail too? Fuck, this family's falling apart like cornmeal..."
Jo Min-hyuk wanted to tear his hair out. Prison was the last place he'd ever go. It stank, it was filthy... no place for a golden boy like him.
Knock knock.
A knock echoed from the door.
"Nurse? Hey! I told you to bring more painkillers!"
Jo Min-hyuk barked irritably. But the voice that replied wasn't a nurse.
"Um... is this Jo Min-hyuk's room?"
A cautious, soft voice. The door cracked open, and a woman stepped in.
"Huh...?"
Jo Min-hyuk narrowed his eyes. Big horn-rimmed glasses, neat bobbed hair. A plain face without makeup, an oversized navy coat, and dowdy suit. She carried a fruit juice set for a hospital visit—total newbie vibe, fresh out of society, awkward as hell.
"Who the fuck are you? Reporter? Get out! No interviews, fuck off!"
Jo Min-hyuk grabbed a pillow to hurl at her. She flinched and bowed her head.
"N-no! Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you..."
She fumbled to adjust her glasses and handed over a business card.
"Um... your mother asked me to come. I'm Kang Min-hee, lawyer from Law Firm A&B."
"Mom...?"
Jo Min-hyuk froze. He snatched the card suspiciously.
[Lawyer Kang Min-hee].
"Mom sent you? Where the hell is she now?"
"Ah, well... she's overseas right now, so she couldn't come herself. She urgently commissioned our firm. Said to give her son the absolute best defense."
"Ha... figures."
Jo Min-hyuk sighed in relief. Blood is thicker than water, after all. He'd thought she'd ditched him to save her own skin, but she'd at least remembered her son.
"Come in. Close the door."
He jerked his chin. Min-hee shuffled in with a "Yes, okay!" closed the door, and sat. Every move screamed rookie lawyer.
Tch, if you're sending someone, send a grizzled vet with experience. Not some chick...
But maybe it was for the best. Lawyers worked firm-wide anyway, and this one? Looked easy to manipulate.
"Hey. You know the situation, right? I'm fucking innocent here."
Jo Min-hyuk leaned back against the bed and started.
"Yes, I've seen the rough indictment... but I want to hear your side, Min-hyuk."
Min-hee pulled out a notepad, her face serious.
"What exactly happened that day?"
"Ha, don't even ask."
Jo Min-hyuk pounded his chest like he was wronged.
"Rape? Give me a break. Those bitches came on to me first."
"Pardon...?"
"Come on, you can tell just by looking. Girls squeezing into tiny uniforms, caked in makeup, hitting a club? They're not right in the head. Gold-diggers spotting cash."
He spun lies without batting an eye.
"They begged for drugs, got all sloppy, and I was just looking out for them when shit got misunderstood. Then that thug bastard bursts in and beats me to hell... Ah, my teeth..."
He brazenly rationalized. Min-hee listened intently, blinking big eyes behind her glasses and nodding.
"Ah... I see. So Min-hyuk, you're the victim."
"Exactly! I'm the victim here! Look at this face. Who does this to a person?"
"Oh no... you really got hurt bad. Must've been tough mentally too."
Her sympathetic expression thrilled him. Yeah, my story's landing. She's a pushover.
"So, how're you getting me out? Suspended sentence possible?"
"Hmm..."
Min-hee tapped her pen against her lips thoughtfully.
"To be honest, public opinion's brutal right now. Cops have strong evidence too. If we go to trial like this, real jail time's hard to avoid."
"What? Hey! Then why the fuck are you here? You took the money, so do your job!"
Jo Min-hyuk exploded. Min-hee flinched and waved her hands.
"C-calm down! It's not hopeless."
"Hope? What's the plan?"
Min-hee glanced around, then whispered conspiratorially, lowering her voice.
"First... you need to get out of here."
"Out? With cops camped outside?"
"Transfer."
Her eyes gleamed.
"We have a partner hospital. A nursing home up in Gangwon Province... facilities way better than here, and top-notch security."
"And?"
"The director's tight with us. He'll issue a 'mental evaluation' and 'diminished capacity' report. Depression, panic disorder, PTSD... Solid diagnosis means no pretrial detention, and it's gold in court."
"Oh..."
Jo Min-hyuk perked up. Diminished capacity—the ace up the sleeve for the elite to dodge prison.
"Plus, it's noisy here with all the reporters. That place is in the woods—fresh air, and the nurses... super pretty and sweet."
She added meaningfully.
"And... the 'meds' you like? Way easier to get there."
Bingo. Jo Min-hyuk grinned. Drugs. That thirst painkillers couldn't touch. Paradise.
"Sounds good. I'm in."
He dropped his suspicions. Mom's lawyer, firm collusion—standard stuff.
"When do we go?"
"The sooner, the better. Before reporters sniff it out."
Min-hee stood.
"Ambulance tonight. Cops won't bat an eye at a medical transfer."
"Got it. I'll be ready."
"See you tonight, Min-hyuk."
She bowed and left. Door shut, Jo Min-hyuk whistled and chugged the fruit juice.
"Kuh... money fixes everything. Laws? Bullshit."
— That night, 11 PM. Lights out in the hospital halls.
Jo Min-hyuk yanked out his IV roughly, jammed on a cap. Heart pounding like mad.
Alright. Let's go. Jo Min-hyuk, you got this.
Cracked the door, scanned. Cop on hallway chair, head slumped, snoring drool everywhere.
"Dumb fuck... wasting taxes."
Sneering, he crawled low across the floor. Felt like a stealth game hero. Dodged CCTV blind spots, nurse station, emergency exit. Holding breath, desperate.
His effort was pointless, really. VIP ward was dead quiet at night anyway; cop just zonked from days of waiting. Crawl or tap-dance, no one cared. But the thief was spooked by his own shadow.
Hah... hah... escape success.
Down stairs to basement parking. Dark lot, ambulance blinking in the corner.
"There."
As he approached—
"Min-hyuk!!"
Rear door flew open. Min-hee beamed, waving wildly.
"Here! Over here!"
"Eek!?"
Jo Min-hyuk freaked. Psycho bitch? Sneaking out, and she's yelling it?
"Shut up! You nuts!?"
He dashed over, shushing frantically.
"Calling my name? Someone sees! Quiet, fuck!"
"Ah, oops! Sorry! Just so excited..."
Min-hee stuck out her tongue, scratching her head. Dimwit to idiot levels. Unsettling for a lawyer, but no time to picky.
"Move! Let me in!"
She did; he dove in. Male nurse inside with her. Masked, but harsh eyes rang familiar.
"Go! Floor it!"
No time to dwell.
Vroom! Ambulance roared out.
...30 minutes later. Left Seoul, cruising quiet highway. Neon gone, pure black outside.
"Whew..."
Tension eased; Jo Min-hyuk sank into the seat. Success. Ditched cops, press. Now luxury Gangwon rest home, drugs and chill.
"Haha, feels alive out here. Hey, Lawyer Kim. You handle shit quick."
"It's Kang..."
"Kim, Kang—same diff. Good work. I'll tell your boss for a bonus."
Jo Min-hyuk crossed legs smugly. Min-hee grinned beside him.
"Thanks. Glad you're safe. Your mom was worried sick."
"Hmph, her? Busy saving her own ass."
Snorted, glanced out. Something off.
Gangwon way?
Sign whizzed: [Pyeongtaek]. Distant marker pointed Chungcheong.
"Hey. Gangwon, right? Why south?"
"Huh? Oh..."
Min-hee looked caught.
"Road's blocked... driver's detouring."
"Blocked at this hour? Detour fine, but Chungcheong?"
Voice sharpened. Suspicions bloomed. Airhead lawyer, glaring nurse, wrong direction.
"Hey, stop the car. Gotta piss."
"Hold it. Almost there."
"There where? Gangwon!"
Min-hee reached to soothe.
"Calm down, Min-hyuk. Executive Jang really prepped big for Yu-na."
"...What?"
Jo Min-hyuk froze.
"Yu-na? Who's that?"
"Ah... the girl from the club you tried to hurt. Don't remember?"
Memory flashed. Yu-na. That thug's daughter in coma.
Why name-drop her? Her dad prepped?
"You... what the fuck are you."
Chills. Grabbed for her collar instinctively.
"Stop the car!! Who the hell are you? Who sent you!"
"Sigh... tried to keep it quiet."
Min-hee sighed, head down. Looked up—innocent rookie face gone.
Creak. Grin split ear-to-ear, eerie. Eyes behind glasses glowed gold.
"You're too slow on the uptake."
"Th-this...!"
Jo Min-hyuk swung for her cheek.
Crack!
"Gaaah!!"
Scream. Arm halted mid-air. Thick black tail from Min-woo's back coiled his wrist like iron.
"T-tail...!? Aaaagh! Bones, my bones!!"
Crunch.
Min-woo unleashed Kkkomul from the loose coat, still beaming.
Whispered in his ear:
"Told you. Taking you somewhere nice."
"You monster fuck...!! Let go! Help!!"
"Don't worry. No reporters, no cops."
Voice dropped low.
"But... the people you ruined are waiting. Your turn to suffer the same. No whining. We'll even give you all the 'drugs' you love."
"H-heek...!"
Terror; Jo Min-hyuk thrashed. Trap. Not Mom's lawyer. Kidnapping to kill!
"Executive. Noisy—knock him out?"
Min-woo giggled. The glaring nurse moved. Thick syringe in hand.
"N-no! Stay back! Mmph...!"
Poke. Needle in neck. Drug surged veins.
"Uh... ugh..."
Vision blurred. Last sight: nurse unmasked, cold eyes—the thug who wrecked him, Jang Hyun-soo.
"Sleep tight. Last break of your life."
"Night night, criminal~"
Jo Min-hyuk's head lolled. Ambulance sped through dark toward the abandoned factory.