Cruelty
“Something’s wrong.”
Shin Jin-pae muttered from his hospital bed. Having shown remarkable improvement over the past week, his daily routine now consisted of listening to radio transmissions or reading status reports on the smartphone his father, Shin Jin-seung, had given him.
Most of the reports were mundane—claims of spotting Yeodre here or there.
But since yesterday, the updates from each branch had ceased. The only new information was that they had arrived at a location presumed to be Yeodre’s hideout, only to find it completely empty. Furthermore, for some reason, his father had stopped reaching out.
He couldn’t help but wonder. Could it be?
‘Could it be that Father, Kang Gu-jin, and the masked men... have been taken out?’
Shin Jin-pae immediately shook his head, dismissing the thought as impossible. But then, a new wave of anxiety washed over him. What if the location of this hospital had been leaked while Yeodre was busy clashing with his father’s forces? What if, while the situation was at a stalemate and Shin Jin-seung’s forces were off-guard, Yeodre had come here?
Just imagining it made his body tremble. In this dark room, he felt as if Yeodre might suddenly pop out from the side or from beneath his bed.
“......”
Shin Jin-pae agonized over the situation. Finally, he made a decision.
“...Hello? It’s me. I’ll pay you well, so bring all the guys you can.”
His connections. In other words, thugs. Normally, a bunch of street punks would never be a match for Yeodre. Even seasoned adults were being slaughtered like cattle; there was no way these posers, most of whom had never even been in a life-or-death fight, could stand a chance.
But he considered Yeodre’s nature. The guy didn’t rest. It was as if he were a machine—he didn’t sleep, he didn’t stop moving. If, by some terrible chance, the hospital’s location had been compromised, the guy would come straight here.
He was here. Shin Jin-pae was here. Su-ryeon was here. And though Yeodre might not know it, Kang Gu-han was here too. There was no reason for him not to target this place. He would come straight here.
‘If he’s infiltrating secretly to avoid my father’s eyes, he won’t have enough weapons and he’ll be exhausted.’
If he was exhausted to the point of collapse, even thugs could handle him. No matter how much of a monster he was, there was no way he could defeat a hundred fighters with his bare hands while drained.
‘But why do I feel like we’re going to lose? Damn it...!’
Honestly, he wanted to run away alone. He wanted to leave Korea and hide in a foreign country. But running away wasn’t an option.
‘Because Su-ryeon is here.’
He thought of his half-sister’s corpse-like appearance.
“Hoo.”
After a deep breath, Shin Jin-pae contacted all his other connections. Just in case, he tried calling his father and his father’s subordinates, but none of them picked up. They were either busy, or they had really been taken out.
‘Father must just be busy.’
That man was a ruler from birth; he wasn’t someone who could be taken down easily. Besides, Shin Jin-seung had often ignored Shin Jin-pae’s calls in the past, so he tried to brush it off.
Regardless, the only force he could scrape together right now were the thugs. It was unsettling, but he had no choice. Of course, his worries might be excessive. Even without his connections, the security personnel stationed at the hospital were incredibly strong. The thugs were just an insurance policy.
A little later, when the guys arrived at the hospital, he ordered them to stay at the adjacent campsite rather than entering the hospital itself. Of course, being idiots who thought they were the best, they threatened to enter the hospital despite his prior warnings. And, true to their nature as thugs, after a few exchanges with the security guards, they tucked their tails between their legs. Shin Jin-pae felt a sense of skepticism about whether he should really be relying on such people.
And so, several hours passed. Only then did reports start coming in from the branches, claiming they were chasing Yeodre here and there.
‘Was I just being paranoid?’
Shin Jin-pae felt somewhat relieved and drifted off to sleep.
He was awakened by someone shaking him. Shin Jin-pae opened his eyes and was startled. A mummy-like figure with bandages wrapped tightly around his face was standing before him. Judging by the build, it was Kang Gu-han from the next room. What was he doing here, when he’d been lying in bed whining about how he couldn’t live without painkillers?
While the guy was prone to exaggeration, he was indeed in a condition that required rest, so Shin Jin-pae looked at him with concern.
“What? Why?”
“Hey. Hey. Get up...!”
“Why.”
“So-something’s wrong.”
“What is?”
The atmosphere was ominous. Cold sweat trickling down his back, Shin Jin-pae quickly sat up.
“The hospital is chaotic. I think I hear gunshots from somewhere...”
“Gunshots...?”
Shin Jin-pae’s face stiffened.
“Kang Gu-han. You go get Su-ryeon. I’ll check if there are any security personnel at the entrance.”
“I-I don’t want to! You want me to move alone?!”
Shin Jin-pae clicked his tongue.
‘You cowardly bastard.’
Kang Gu-han. This idiot had been broken ever since he was beaten by Yeodre. He was about to curse him out, but realizing that he himself was terrified of Yeodre, Shin Jin-pae spoke soothingly.
“Alright. Then let’s move together. You can move, right?”
If he couldn’t move, he would be left behind. Fortunately, Kang Gu-han nodded.
Pop-pop-pop-pop...
The faint sound of gunfire echoed from afar. Shin Jin-pae froze. It was clear now. Yeodre had come.
Those incompetent branch managers. What exactly have they been chasing? He glared at the smartphone in his hand before letting out a deep sigh. It was better to move than to vent his anger on an innocent phone.
“Let’s go.”
This hospital was twenty stories high, and each floor had significant height. He didn’t know if Yeodre was the one firing, but only one set of gunshots could be heard. It seemed like a skirmish was underway, and their location shouldn’t be discovered easily. He considered the elevator, but figured if he were the intruder, he’d be waiting in front of it, so he took the stairs instead.
“Ugh, it hurts. It hurts...”
Kang Gu-han’s whining as they descended was annoying. The hospital entrance they arrived at... was wide open. Fortunately, it wasn’t tied shut with wire or chains as Shin Jin-pae had feared while coming down the stairs. After examining the entrance, Shin Jin-pae contacted the thugs via smartphone.
“Hey. Come into the hospital main entrance.”
A hundred thugs who had been fast asleep at the campsite came in, yawning.
‘Meat shields who don’t matter if they get shot and die.’
He had called them to use as meat shields, but they didn’t even seem to sense anything strange about the situation, wandering in with sleepy faces.
“Damn it, you made such a fuss about not letting us in, what’s with this now? And why is it so damn dark inside?”
“That’s just how it’s designed. And damn it, if you took the money, do the work you were paid for instead of complaining!”
“What? Complaining?”
“What? Damn it?? Are you angry at me right now?”
“.....”
They knew well that Shin Jin-pae was their source of money and a predator far above them. The thug who had tried to save face in front of his underlings smacked his lips and asked.
“So, what do you want us to do?”
“A rat has gotten inside. Here. A photo.”
Shin Jin-pae uploaded Yeodre’s photo to the group chat.
“I’ll deposit ten million won immediately to whoever catches this guy. Go.”
“Ten mill...!”
Blinded by greed, the thugs scattered in unison.
“Ye-Yeodre. Did that guy really come, Jin-pae?”
“...Probably.”
He said probably, but the probability was high. This hospital was built like a secret base, carved into a mountain to hide it, which was why it wasn’t visible from the outside despite its height. The thugs had made a fuss about wanting to come in because they were curious about what kind of suspicious hospital was built in such a remote place. In such a secret location, the only intruder who would be carrying a gun, or who would have to face guns, was him.
“Hey. But is this okay? If your father finds out you let these guys into the hospital...”
“We have to save our own skins first. Let’s wait until those guys spread out enough, then go get Su-ryeon.”
At the mention of Su-ryeon, Kang Gu-han went quiet. A considerable amount of time had passed since the thugs went up.
“Let’s go get Su-ryeon.”
Since there had been no issues so far, Shin Jin-pae decided to take the elevator this time.
Press.
He pushed the button. Nothing happened.
“......”
He looked up blankly; the elevator display wasn’t showing any numbers. The thugs had been riding it just fine a moment ago... Anxiety bubbled up.
“Hey, hey. Why is this like this?”
“...Let’s go.”
He had to get Su-ryeon out as soon as possible. Where on earth were the hospital staff? Security guards were busy blocking the intruder, but what about the doctors and nurses?
In the end, they had no choice but to take the stairs. Su-ryeon’s room was hidden deep within the hospital, located exactly in the center on the 10th floor. That meant they had to walk up to the 10th floor.
The stairs were surprisingly high and numerous, so the two men were quickly exhausted. And when they reached around the 7th floor, they saw a corpse. The corpse of a thug they had been talking to just a moment ago.
“H-Hii...!”
Shin Jin-pae hurriedly covered Kang Gu-han’s mouth. He felt like screaming too, but this wasn’t the time.
‘Damn it. He was already inside the hospital...!’
Yeodre might be on this floor.
Chii-jik-.
A sudden loud noise made the two men freeze.
Chijijik-.
It was the intercom.
‘Are they finally saying there’s an intruder? Too late.’
Just as he was frowning at their incompetence, a voice came through.
[...Ah-ah. Mic test.]
“......”
Goosebumps erupted across his skin. This voice... why was this voice coming over the intercom? The broadcast room was an important location in the hospital, guarded by countless security personnel...
[Ah. Ah. Is there anyone still alive in the hospital?]
“......”
[If you are, hide well. We’re starting a game now. It’s hide-and-seek. I’m the seeker. If you get caught, well, it’ll be like what you’ve seen so far, so hide well.]
Chijijik.
The noise distorted the voice, making it sound grotesque. It was truly the voice of a devil. Just as he had that thought:
[Gu-han. Jin-pae.]
Both their names were called. In a playful tone, as if he couldn’t help but laugh at his own voice. That kind of voice.
[Let’s plaaay.]
Click.
The speaker cut off.
“H-Haa! Haaaaaaaack!”
Kang Gu-han had a panic attack. Thud-thud. He didn’t know where he found the strength in that body, but he started running down the stairs like a madman.
“That idiot bastard...”
He needed the guy’s help because it would be hard to carry Su-ryeon out alone. Shin Jin-pae gritted his teeth and chased after him. Back to the hospital entrance. And... unlike before, a black man was standing there, blocking Kang Gu-han’s path. He was holding a terrifying shotgun in his hands.
“Back.”
At the word, pointing behind him, Kang Gu-han shouted while panting.
“Don’t make me laugh, you nigger bastard! I won’t...”
Bang!
A warning shot. The gunshot to the ceiling shattered the lights, making the already dark interior even darker. Kang Gu-han shut his mouth.
“Back.”
At the firm word, Shin Jin-pae had no choice but to let out a sigh. Even if there were many people, they needed guns to make this a fair fight.
“......Gu-han. Let’s go.”
“H-Hiik...”
“Hurry! Follow me, you idiot!”
Shin Jin-pae dragged Kang Gu-han away by force and started contacting people via smartphone. He had to gather the scattered thugs and break through that black man.
“Damn it. These guys... none of them are picking up.”
It hadn’t even been ten minutes since they went in. Had they already been wiped out? Meanwhile, his heart was pounding terrifyingly, which was incredibly annoying.
“Hey Gu-han. You try calling.”
“I-I don’t want to.”
“Damn it, I’ll watch the front, so just make the calls! Or do you want to watch for Yeodre yourself?”
Kang Gu-han reluctantly took the smartphone. Even while this was happening, reports from each branch claiming they were chasing Yeodre continued to arrive.
‘Yeodre is right here, so what the hell are they talking about?’
Kang Gu-han looked at Shin Jin-pae, who was scratching his head in frustration, with a terrified expression, then opened his mouth quietly.
“...Jin-pae.”
“Why now.”
They were only on the 9th floor. He was exhausted, so what kind of nonsense was he going to spout now? When Shin Jin-pae asked fiercely, Kang Gu-han flinched slightly and spoke cautiously.
“The messages, they’re weird.”
“What? What’s weird? Speak clearly.”
“I mean. The reports are coming in from each branch, right?”
He wondered what he meant by messages—daily reports? Text messages? Incompetent fools. Yeodre is right here, so what are they still sending? Did they finally realize he was in the hospital? If so, that meant reinforcements were coming, which would be a relief. But Kang Gu-han’s expression was serious.
“So what.”
“The content is all, the same.”
“What?”
He wondered what kind of bullshit he was talking about. Then, the hair on his arms stood up. He quickly snatched the smartphone and looked at the messages.
[Branch A, 9:10 AM: Yeodre spotted at the ferry terminal. In pursuit.]
[Branch B, 9:30 AM: Yeodre spotted at Hain Hospital. Requesting encirclement.]
[Branch F, 1:10 PM: Yeodre is wounded. In pursuit.]
.
.
.
Shin Jin-pae looked at all those messages, then searched for Branch A. And then.
[Branch A, 9:10 AM: Yeodre spotted at the ferry terminal. In pursuit.]
[Branch A, 9:50 AM: Yeodre spotted at the ferry terminal. In pursuit.]
[Branch A, 10:30 AM: Yeodre spotted at the ferry terminal. In pursuit.]
[Branch A, 2:14 PM: Yeodre spotted at the ferry terminal. In pursuit.]
[Branch A, 4:50 PM: Yeodre spotted at the ferry terminal. In pursuit.]
[Branch A, 6:30 PM: Yeodre spotted at the ferry terminal. In pursuit.]
[Branch A, 10:35 PM: Yeodre spotted at the ferry terminal. In pursuit.]
[Branch A, 12:27 AM: Yeodre spotted at the ferry terminal. In pursuit.]
[Branch A, 2:56 AM: Yeodre spotted at the ferry terminal. In pursuit.]
[Branch A, 3:50 AM: Yeodre spotted at the ferry terminal. In pursuit.]
“......”
All the same content.
Why. Why didn’t he notice this? Why. Why couldn’t he pay attention? If these reports were fake, what happened to the people at the original branches? Who was sending these messages?
Zing.
A message came in. Wondering if it was another dummy message, they checked it, and both men’s jaws dropped.
[Jin-pae]
[Let’s plaaay.]
“......”
“......”
Both men were speechless. Shin Jin-pae started walking upstairs without a word. He would take Su-ryeon and leave this insane place right now. Somehow, he would leave... and never get involved with that guy again.
They reached the 10th floor. The sound of Kang Gu-han’s footsteps, who had followed in a hurry, was noisy. They gasped for air. And then...
Shin Jin-pae finally spotted someone sitting on the stairs leading to the 11th floor.
“......”
Flash.
In the pitch-black darkness, the light of a smartphone illuminated a face with terrifying clarity. The man who had been tapping away at messages grinned.
“Jin-pae. Shin Jin-pae.”
“.......Ah.”
“I told you not to stand out.”
“Aaaa...!”
Slash.
“Kuaaack...”
He couldn’t even scream properly. When he came to his senses, a part of his arm had been torn off.
“Huk. Huk?”
Kang Gu-han, who had followed late, saw Yeodre. With his mouth agape, he immediately turned and ran downstairs.
Bang!
“Hiiik!”
When a bullet hole appeared in the floor right in front of his feet, he fell backward, landing on his butt. Yeodre, who had descended to the trembling man, slash. He sliced off a part of his arm, just as he had done to Shin Jin-pae.
“Gaaack! Gaaack! Ugh!”
Crunch!
Kang Gu-han, who had been screaming continuously, had his mouth grabbed and burst into tears.
“If you keep whining, I’ll pull out your intestines first.”
“......”
“Got it? Gu-han.”
The boy of the same age, whom he had thought of as trash or at best an equal until just a few days ago, now appeared as nothing but a monster. Kang Gu-han nodded frantically.
Nod. Nod.
Only then did Yeodre let go, looking satisfied. Looking closely, his whole body was a mess. Covered in blood and bruises. It was a wonder he was even standing. But paradoxically, he looked perfectly fine and powerful. He was wearing a large backpack; perhaps it contained weapons?
“Alright. Let’s play hide-and-seek.”
“......”
“......”
“Hide. Until morning. You can hide separately if you want. Ah. I don’t recommend going outside. I gathered up the people who held a grudge against you and gave them guns. The doctors and security guards have probably all been killed by them, right?”
It was terrifying how calmly he talked about people dying. It didn’t matter that they had experience with murder too. From the moment they became targets of murder, their own experience with killing meant nothing. They were just afraid. Both men were terrified, acting their age.
“......”
“......”
Yeodre raised the corners of his mouth, mocking the two silent men.
“So hide. Try running away until morning. If you survive.”
Yeodre laughed.
“I’ll let you live.”
“Hyaaaaaack!”
Kang Gu-han ran downstairs. Shin Jin-pae knelt and said,
“Ye-Yeodre.”
“Yeah?”
“...I, I was, wrong.”
“Huh?”
“I...”
“Hey.”
Yeodre’s voice turned fierce.
“Don’t ruin the mood and do as I say. Do you want me to kill you and your brother right now?”
Shin Jin-pae was speechless. Did he want to die with his brother right now...?
‘He knows Su-ryeon is on the 10th floor.’
How? Only he and Shin Jin-seung knew that.
......
“Huh?”
“What do you mean, ‘huh’? Then die right now.”
Shing.
A sharp blade approached. Shin Jin-pae’s thoughts stopped, and fear filled the place of reason.
“Uaaaaaaa!”
He let out a pathetic scream, no different from Kang Gu-han’s, and bolted. He had to run. He had to survive until morning and get out with Su-ryeon...
“I’ll count to ten and come for you~”
A carefree voice echoed from afar. Shin Jin-pae wondered where to hide, then headed for the place where people would least likely look for physiological reasons: the morgue. It was eerie and terrifying, but it seemed like the best place to hide. He lay under a bed where a corpse was laid out, covering his mouth with his hand to stifle his ragged breathing. Why. How. Did this make any sense?
‘Think about it logically...!’
How could a mere high schooler single-handedly crush a force capable of moving a country? How many hundreds of people had that guy killed so far? Just counting the ones he killed directly, it had to be hundreds, maybe close to a thousand.
He was terrified. The fact that a great evil who had killed that many people was targeting him was unbearably frightening...
Chijik-.
Noise rang out. What was this? The broadcast room?
[Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaack!]
[Save meeeeeeeeeeeee!]
[Gu-han! No, that bastard Kang Gu-han! I’ll kill him with my own hands! I will! I will! Yes! That bastard is the one who did everything wrong. I did wrong too! I’ll pay for my sins. So stop... Hya! Hyaaaaaaack! Don’t do ittttttttttttt!!]
At first, he couldn’t tell whose voice it was. Because he would never scream so pathetically. But as he kept listening, he couldn’t help but know. That was Kang Gu-jin. He was denouncing the son he cherished so dearly, begging for his life. Hearing that voice, the thought he had earlier played back in his head. Yeodre knew where Su-ryeon was. Only he and his father knew the location of Su-ryeon’s hospital room. Did Shin Jin-seung tell Yeodre the location of the room...?
...Then what about his father? What happened to him?
At that moment.
[No! No! Don’t put it in! Don’t put it innnnnnn!]
[Save me! Save me, please! I was wrong. I, I won’t act up again. I won’t be arrogant. Stop. Please. A, no. Noooooooo!!]
[Aack! Gyaack! Guack. Guack... Ugh...]
[I, I’ll eat it all. I’ll eat all the shit I took. Please don’t hit me....]
[No! Th, that’s right! Shin Su-ryeon! Shin Jin-pae! It happened because of those bastards! I’ll tell you where they all are. So... A, gaaaaaaack!]
“.......”
Tremble.
Tremble-tremble.
Tremble-tremble-tremble.
The trembling wouldn’t stop. No matter how much he told himself that he would die if he trembled, his damn body wouldn’t listen.
Why on earth. Shin Jin-seung, that man was a king. A king. Not self-proclaimed, but a true king who actually controlled South Korea from the shadows. A man whose single word made lawmakers and politicians of different factions gather to discuss Yeodre seriously, and made even the prosecutors, who acted like they were the only ones in the world, crawl on their bellies.
That man was begging. Shin Jin-pae begged in a pathetic voice he couldn’t even imagine. If that man was like that, what about someone like him...?
No. No. That wasn’t it. That wasn’t it. That man had just lived comfortably; his true nature was like that all along. He had just been suppressed by that man due to learned fear, like an elephant tied to a stake. At this very moment, Shin Jin-pae wiped away all fear regarding Shin Jin-seung. Only feelings of pity remained for the man who had been his father. And his heart was filled with resolve. The resolve to survive until morning and save Su-ryeon at all costs.
“Wow. Impressive.”
“......”
“You stopped trembling. Our Jin-pae.”
Two pure white eyes looked down at him from the side, head resting on a hand, lying on his side. At this moment, Shin Jin-pae lost his resolve and his heart was filled only with fear of Yeodre.
“H, Haa...!”
As Shin Jin-pae tried to pull away, Yeodre grabbed his hand and snip.
“Gaack! Gaaaaaack!”
A finger was severed. Shin Jin-pae rolled on the floor in unimaginable pain.
“Alright. One for Gu-han, one for Jin-pae.”
Plop.
Two fingers fell to the floor.
“Should I cut off another...”
“Hyaack!”
He bolted. He ran through the hallway, the stairs. Downstairs? Upstairs?
‘Upstairs!’
He ran and ran upstairs, and this time he hid in a cleaning supply closet. He covered his mouth with both hands and held his breath... yet the sobbing wouldn’t stop. Footsteps could be heard from far away...
That couldn’t be. It must have been a coincidence earlier. Of course. How big was this Shin Jin Hospital...
Step.
He was right in front of him.
“......”
No. Why did he come all the way here? That made no sense. Yeah, it was a coincidence. He’d just pass by. Even as he thought that, Shin Jin-pae couldn’t overcome his curiosity and peeked outside through a hole in the cleaning closet. And. Their eyes met.
Grin.
Yeodre was wearing a ghost-like smile.
Stab.
“Gaaaaaaaaaack!”
His eye was stabbed. It was maddeningly painful.
Click. Creak. The cleaning closet door opened.
“Oh my, Jin-pae.”
“Huk. Huk. Hyaack. Hic... Hyaack...!”
“If you sob like that, even if I don’t want to. Your location... Oh.”
Shin Jin-pae bolted out again. Yeodre chased him, laughing happily.
How many times had he run away like that? Caught. Caught. Caught. How many fingers had been severed? When he didn’t know how many hours had passed, he finally collapsed. He no longer had the strength to move. Shin Jin-pae was sprawled in the hallway, only letting out groans.
Drag, drag, drag.
[Hyaaaaaa....]
[Save me, please! I’ll give you everything, so please. Save me. Save meeeeeeeeeeeee! I, I was even close with your father, ‘ ’! Really... Gyaaaaaaaaaaack!]
Kang Gu-han’s voice was dying out, and Shin Jin-seung was still energetic. Now, almost only Shin Jin-seung’s voice could be heard.
‘This is because the time they were tortured was different.’
Shin Jin-seung had been tortured longer. Shin Jin-pae stared blankly at that terrible fact. He felt no emotion about this situation. He just wanted to go home and drink a soda.
Drag, drag, drag.
What was that sound? Turning only his eyes with difficulty, he saw Kang Gu-han being dragged along. Like Shin Jin-pae, he was covered in blood here and there.
“Time over.”
A cheerful voice. It was a voice truly as if he were playing a game with friends.
Chatter, chatter.
Shin Jin-pae’s teeth chattered on their own. Until a moment ago, he was just exhausted and felt nothing, but now he was just terrified. Shin Jin-pae’s neck was grabbed.
Ding.
The elevator started operating again. The floor Yeodre pressed was... the 20th.
Getting off on the 20th floor, Yeodre carried the two men and climbed the stairs, wondering where he had such strength. He could guess what he was going to do.
“Wow, you guys need to eat more. You’re so light.”
“......”
“......”
“Well, I guess you won’t be able to eat for the rest of your lives now.”
The two men trembled.
“...Ye-Yeodre.”
“Yeah?”
“I, I was, wrong.”
“I wa...s wroooong.”
Kang Gu-han also begged like Jin-pae. His pronunciation was slurred, as if his mouth had been dealt with.
“I, I won’t do it agaiiiin.”
“Yeah. Fuck you.”
“Ye-Yeodre. Please. Pleaase... If, if you... save me. If you let me go, I’ll live, I’ll live nicely.”
“Uh-huh?”
“Really, please...”
Shin Jin-pae sobbed. The door opened. The red sun was rising little by little.
“Whoa. It’s cool. Isn’t it?”
As he said, the sun was cool. Facing the brink of death, he felt like he would piss himself at the thought that he wouldn’t be able to see that beautiful natural scenery anymore.
“You guys could have lived if you held out a little longer, it’s such a pity. Ah... was it if you survived until morning? Hmm... Ummm... You guys. You lived, but since I’ve been keeping you alive on purpose, let’s just say that. Okay?”
Shin Jin-pae cried in fear at the flat tone, as if asking what was for breakfast, and the words that he would kill them.
“Ye-Yeodre... Please. Save me....”
Drag, drag, drag.
Yeodre, who had dragged the two men to the edge of the rooftop, lifted Kang Gu-han up.
“Gu-han.”
“U, Uaaaa...”
“Goodbye. Or see you in a bit.”
“Sa-save meee. Plea... Plea. I was wroooong...”
Crunch!
A punch to the face. Kang Gu-han, who had been trembling, went limp. He was still breathing.
“I think I beat him enough for Si-hyeon... Oh right. All the kids you brought, Jin-pae, are dead. They all begged to be saved, to be spared. They said they would turn over a new leaf... that’s how they talked.”
Yeodre, who had put Kang Gu-han down and crouched, said in a flat tone.
“How about you?”
“...I’ll live nicely.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ll live nicely. I’ll change myself. Please. Please save me. Please... I can’t pay for all my sins, but I’ll change. I’ll live for the sake of people. I’m serious...!”
Their eyes met. Shin Jin-pae was serious. And Yeodre laughed.
“You know what?”
“......”
“Everyone said they were serious when they were about to die. But if I say I’ll let them live? Then they seem to forget their vows as soon as they turn their heads.”
His neck was grabbed. He was lifted up at the same time as Kang Gu-han. Before he could be shocked by the incomprehensible grip strength, the distant ground was beneath his feet. And now, he was dangling from the rooftop, neck grabbed, past the railing.
“How about you, Jin-pae. I’m really curious.”
“N, No...! Save, me...! Save me! I’ll do anything!”
“Yeah? Anything? Then... will you kill Su-ryeon?”
Shin Jin-pae froze.
“How about it?”
“......Th, that.”
“I. I’ll kill her! I’ll kill her! So...”
Kang Gu-han, who had come to his senses, blurted out. But he was immediately suppressed just by Yeodre pressing down on the hand holding his neck.
And Jin-pae answered.
“..I, can’t.”
Even in this situation. Shin Jin-pae couldn’t say he would kill her. If he had been told to just look away, he would have done that. But he couldn’t kill that girl with his own hands. And Yeodre... wore an unpleasant expression at that answer. As if he were truly unpleasant.
“Jin-pae.”
“......”
“Shin Jin-pae.”
“......”
“Really, you’re an interesting bastard.”
“.....”
“Alright, Jin-pae. If you survive here, I won’t touch you at all unless you act like a piece of shit later. I want to let you live even now, but... you’ve done things, haven’t you?”
“U, Uuu...!”
“Good for good, evil for evil. That’s only natural, right?”
“...W, Wai...!”
“So try to survive.”
Plop.
The hand was heartlessly released. The two fell.
“Uaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
Even if he flailed his hands in the air, there was no one to catch him. Why was it? Looking at Yeodre’s expressionless face, Shin Jin-pae didn’t think of a devil, but another word...