Chapter 56
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: To Suwon
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"A crisis. What was the plan in such a situation?"
"If I could go myself, I would, but if not, we'd contact the police. Jihoon's phone GPS keeps sending his location to mine."
Kangyul nodded.
Then, as if he'd finally made up his mind, he stood up from his seat.
"I'll go myself."
"...You too, President? I can handle it alone."
"No. I'm coming with you."
Jang Deokcheol tried to dissuade him several times, but he couldn't break Kangyul's stubbornness.
If something happened and someone got hurt like this, he wouldn't be able to bear it.
Kangyul still felt disappointed in himself for not dealing with Oh Yangchun while he was in the car.
"It's not even lunchtime yet, so we can make it back well before dinner."
Bae Jihoon spent his mornings surveilling from the alleyway convenience store and afternoons holed up in his car parked down the alley.
To prepare for any contingency, he'd leave the surveillance camera on, catch a quick nap, then check it upon waking.
That way, even if the target slipped away while he slept, he could still review the footage.
'What the hell is this guy doing in there?'
If he were boozing it up and staggering around like he did in Seoul, Jihoon might've risked checking the house, but not now.
All he'd done was briefly step out to grab his delivery order.
"Hey, kid, don't you have a job? Why're you hanging around here every day?"
The old lady at the store, now familiar with his face, suddenly asked.
Jihoon munched on his dried squid and replied.
"I'm working. Too hard, actually—it's killing me."
"Tsk tsk. A young guy like you can't just laze around all day."
"I told you, I'm working."
"Whatever. Get outta here today! I gotta head to my daughter's place in Seoul."
The grandma promptly chased him out.
Jihoon trudged out, still clutching his squid in one hand.
'Ugh. Stuck in the car again?'
Just then, the door to the house at the end of the alley swung open, and Oh Yangchun emerged.
He was dressed for going out, hat pulled low over his eyes.
Oh Yangchun glanced at Jihoon before slipping out of the alley toward somewhere.
'...Hmm. What to do? Follow him? Or...'
Jihoon's gaze shifted to the house.
"What, you still here?! I told you to go home!"
The grandma, locking up the store, yelled at him.
"Argh, Grandma, you've got some energy. Fine, I'm going!"
Instead of tailing Oh Yangchun, Jihoon decided to investigate the mysterious house.
'First, set up the camera...'
Heading to his car, he adjusted the angle for a clear view of the front gate.
Since it linked to his phone, he could monitor if Oh Yangchun returned.
After double- and triple-checking, Jihoon approached the house.
'...Creepy vibe.'
He'd only stepped a mere 30 meters inside, but the sunlight barely penetrated, leaving it dim and shadowy.
Oh Yangchun's place was structured so everything was visible right after crossing the rundown front gate.
Peeking inside, Jihoon vaulted the fence in one go.
Thud.
'Phew. Good.'
The windows were boarded up tight with plywood, and the door was an old iron slab.
He pulled out his lockpick set to jimmy it, but the lock wasn't even engaged.
Creeeak—
Jihoon cautiously entered the house.
A musty dampness hit him immediately, followed by the stench of mold slamming into his face.
'Damn. Crack a window or something.'
One wall was piled haphazardly with half-eaten delivery food, cockroaches scurrying everywhere.
The only light came from the bathroom.
Drip—
The sound of falling water droplets echoed ominously.
Jihoon edged toward the bathroom carefully.
The place was clearly empty, but he couldn't risk leaving traces.
'...A padlock on the bathroom door?'
He hadn't noticed from afar, but up close, a heavy padlock gleamed.
No reason for that unless you were locking someone in.
'What the hell is this guy's deal?'
Fortunately, the padlock was unlocked.
Click—
Opening the bathroom door, Jihoon's eyes widened in horror.
'W-what the hell?'
A massive meat hook dangled over the bathtub, like something out of a slaughterhouse.
But that wasn't all.
Long strands of hair and red clumps clogged the drain—clearly blood and flesh.
'...Crazy! A serial killer?'
Jihoon clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle a gag.
He bolted for the exit, but his phone screen showed Oh Yangchun returning from his outing.
'Shit. If I go now, we might cross paths.'
Scanning the room frantically, Jihoon spotted a door under the sink and yanked it open.
'Urk!'
Inside, black mold bloomed thickly, reeking foully.
No time to hesitate—Jihoon crammed himself in.
Crunch—
His foot squished several cockroaches, spurting yellow ichor.
Click!
Moments later, the front door flew open violently as Oh Yangchun stormed in.
He carried a heavy bag, stuffed full of purchases.
"Hoo. Tired as hell."
Clang!
Oh Yangchun dumped the bag in front of the bathroom like trash.
'What's that?'
Peeking through a crack, Jihoon watched.
Rattle—
Oh Yangchun unpacked an assortment of knives and saws.
Jihoon didn't want to imagine their purpose.
'...Fuck, I'm screwed.'
He didn't dare pull out his phone.
Worried even a sliver of light might leak through.
Luckily, the guy stepped out again soon after.
'Phew. Time to bail.'
Emerging from under the sink, Jihoon hurried to the door.
But before he could turn the knob, a dull thud echoed.
Thwack!
The door burst open, revealing Oh Yangchun.
"What's this now?"
In one hand, a sledgehammer; in the other, an unconscious woman.
"...Ah. That was just..."
Whoosh!
Thwack!
Without hearing him out, Oh Yangchun swung the hammer.
Struck in the head, Jihoon crumpled unconscious.
Jihoon came to not long after.
Icy water dumped over his head jolted him awake.
'Ugh!'
A pounding pain throbbed from his skull.
"Hey. Who the hell are you?"
Oh Yangchun dangled Jihoon's phone in one hand.
He'd clearly gone through all the texts with Jang Deokcheol.
'Damn. Shouldn't have used fingerprint lock.'
"Why're you stalking me? Who sent you? Huh?"
"Ugh... Th-that's..."
Jihoon played dizzy to buy time.
His hands and feet were bound tight; an unknown woman lay trussed up beside him.
"Answer straight, or you're done."
"...I don't know much either. Just told to watch you..."
"Bullshit!"
Thwack!
Oh Yangchun's kick snapped Jihoon's nose, blood gushing.
"Haa. Fuck. This is getting messy. Head to China?"
Oh Yangchun scratched his head, pondering.
Then he shoved the phone at Jihoon.
"Hey. Text your boss everything's fine first. More show up, it gets complicated. Try anything funny, and off with your head."
"...Yes. Got it."
Oh Yangchun glared, knife in hand.
He wanted to send it himself but barely knew Hangul.
A botched message could spell trouble.
[All clear so far]
"...Sent."
"Gimme!"
Snatching it back, Oh Yangchun read the text slowly.
Looked legit.
He dropped the phone and smashed it with the hammer.
Crack!
Jihoon's face hardened as it shattered.
'...He's gonna kill me.'
No other reason to destroy it.
"Things went sideways, but one more won't hurt."
'...Bastard's got a mouth on him.'
Jihoon muttered it in his head only.
—The phone's off...
Kangyul had called Bae Jihoon repeatedly, but it went straight to voicemail.
"Phone's shut off."
"...Something's definitely wrong."
Kangyul and Jang Deokcheol were racing toward Suwon as fast as possible.
But as they neared, anxiety mounted.
'Just the two of us is too risky.'
Kangyul scrolled his contacts.
Then remembered someone.
'If it's him...'
He fired off a text and waited.
Bzzz—
[I'm in Suwon right now too. Heading to that address.]
The unease eased a bit.
With this guy coming, Oh Yangchun was nothing to fear.
"We're here. Nav says it's this address."
Kangyul nodded grimly.
'...Yeah, this is it.'
Definitely the street from the news.