Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Hostage at Golden Axe Karaoke
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Lee Jae-hyun rummaged through the burly man's pockets and quickly found a smartphone.
Seeing the screen labeled "Big Bro," Lee Jae-hyun furrowed his brow.
“Hello?”
―...What the hell. That’s not our Sun-woong. Who the fuck are you?
As soon as Lee Jae-hyun answered, a rough voice exploded from the other end of the phone.
“I’m A-ram’s uncle.”
―A-ram’s uncle? Wait, I’m Hyun-jin’s uncle.
Park Hyun-jin’s uncle...
Lee Jae-hyun’s mind raced.
These weren’t just some construction company employees—they were full-on gangsters.
Connected to PMC and the Axe Gang, apparently.
That explained why Park Man-seok had gone to a club owned by the Axe Gang.
―Nephew, who’s A-ram? Oh, that cute little niece who got us sued? Hey, drop the lawsuit first.
While Lee Jae-hyun paused to think, he overheard the self-proclaimed Park Hyun-jin’s uncle having a brief conversation on the other end.
He even caught a faint snippet of Park Hyun-jin’s voice.
Lee Jae-hyun let out an irritated sigh before speaking.
“No plans to drop it, and you’d better prepare to get sued yourself. Aggravated assault, business interference, property damage, intimidation... You’ve got a lot coming.”
―You don’t seem to grasp your situation. Keep this up, and you’re really gonna die.
The man replied in a cold tone.
This was the Axe Gang—not some half-assed thugs, but real mobsters. His threat carried real weight.
But Lee Jae-hyun responded in a flat voice, as if fear was beneath him.
“Kill me, and you’re all finished.”
―Oh? Got some solid backing, do you? What makes you so cocky?
What did he have to rely on?
Himself. The Korean police.
And the demon.
“What are you relying on, then?”
―Pfft. I trust my brothers. But seriously, what the hell did you do to our Sun-woong?
“Five guys here—I don’t know which one’s who. ...The one with the axe doodle on his hand—is that Sun-woong?”
Lee Jae-hyun stood and walked among the gangsters he’d taken down.
His eyes landed on an axe-shaped tattoo.
The one who seemed like the leader—this had to be the Sun-woong the guy on the phone meant.
―Yeah, probably.
“He’s out cold right next to me now. At least the one with the gold bracelet’s using his arm as a pillow.”
―This fucker’s hilarious. You see that axe tattoo and still mouthing off? You from out of town?
“Yeah. Hell.”
Not exactly a lie.
He’d died once and come back.
Revived through the demon.
The man let out an incredulous laugh.
―This guy’s impossible to reason with... Whatever. Where are you?
“Where do you think?”
―Crazy bastard. I’ll text the address—come here. Golden Axe Karaoke. Hurry up.
“Why the hell would I go...”
―Cut the cliché bullshit about not coming. Wait... Wanna see a text?
Sensing something off, Lee Jae-hyun pulled the phone from his ear and checked his messages.
A notification for a new text message popped up—god knows when it arrived.
He tapped it, and his face hardened instantly.
‘Choi Su-jin?’
The photo showed a female student.
Blindfolded, hands and arms bound with rope, mouth wrapped in duct tape.
Her face was hard to make out, but Lee Jae-hyun recognized her immediately.
It was Choi Su-jin.
“Hey.”
―Feeling motivated to come now?
“Stick your neck out and wait. I’ll kill you.”
Lee Jae-hyun’s voice dropped low.
Choi Su-jin was precious to Song A-ram.
If her one true friend suffered because of her, Song A-ram would surely drop the charges.
And if that happened, it’d be like the school bullying all over again.
No—potentially a deeper hell for both of them.
―Yeah, come on over. Oh, right—you gotta come alone. Cops show up, she’s really dead.
Amused by Lee Jae-hyun’s reaction, the man chuckled as he replied.
Then the call ended.
Lee Jae-hyun stared at the phone for a moment before letting out a small breath.
‘Calm down.’
Maybe because the image of bound Choi Su-jin overlapped with Choi Dae-hyeon’s from not long ago.
His hand gripping the phone trembled with rage—he hadn’t even noticed when it started.
He forced deep breaths and pocketed the phone.
Part of him wanted to smash it to vent his fury...
But this was crucial evidence.
‘Think rationally now.’
Choi Su-jin was a hostage.
He couldn’t let anger ruin everything.
Finally suppressing his rage and clearing his head, Lee Jae-hyun assessed the situation logically.
Things had gotten messy—very messy.
* * *
He wanted to charge in right away, but Lee Jae-hyun judged the situation coldly.
Rushing out wasn’t smart.
Too obvious.
If he left and Axe Gang reinforcements showed up meanwhile, Song A-ram and the gukbap shop owner had no way to handle them.
He needed to move them to the safest place first.
And the safest spot nearby was, naturally, the police station.
In the end, Lee Jae-hyun requested patrol car support and waited.
“Mister...”
“Yeah. A-ram, why’re you out here? Go inside.”
He turned to see Song A-ram scurrying over to stand beside him.
Not a sight for a kid, so he suggested she go in.
“But the door’s smashed. Inside or out—what’s the difference?”
“...True.”
Song A-ram just stared blankly at the disaster before them.
Lost for words, Lee Jae-hyun scratched his head with an awkward smile.
“You’re really going alone?”
“No.”
Lee Jae-hyun wasn’t an idiot.
Why would he go solo against who-knows-how-many gangsters?
He’d called for backup—already done.
He was a Korean cop, and he trusted Korean police the most.
He’d relayed the kidnapping fast: a patrol car en route, four detectives coming.
Probably four from the team searching Park Man-seok’s place.
“What’s the plan? If you bring cops, they’ll... kill Su-jin.”
She’d overheard despite his quiet call—Song A-ram had pieced it together.
Her voice trembled, though she tried to sound calm.
Lee Jae-hyun met her eyes.
“I go in alone. If it gets dicey, call in backup right away. Ask the others to wait nearby.”
“But then you’ll be in danger.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t die.”
“...”
His firm tone didn’t ease her anxiety.
She’d never imagined things escalating this far.
Honestly, neither had he.
A high schooler staying calm in this? Unrealistic.
Still, to reassure her, he cautiously patted Song A-ram’s shoulder.
“Seriously, don’t worry. Even if I die, I won’t.”
“What does that even mean?”
“It’s a thing.”
She wouldn’t believe him anyway.
That this was his second life—even now.
Lee Jae-hyun gave a slight smirk and looked toward the gukbap shop’s front.
Just then, flashing lights from a patrol car blinked in the distance, heading their way.
* * *
En route to Golden Axe Karaoke, Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun drove.
Inspector Seo Yoo-jun rode along.
Two other detectives, plus Lee Jae-hyun—five total.
“You’re really going in alone?”
Inspector Seo Yoo-jun broke the silence first.
Lee Jae-hyun nodded, catching the worried glance in the rearview.
“Yes. When I signal, rush in as fast as you can.”
He emphasized it again.
Sergeant Oh Seo-hyun had tried talking him out of it, but he insisted on solo entry.
Going in together could endanger Choi Su-jin for real.
They had to play it by ear.
If they had a knife to her throat from the start, options were nil.
Secure her safety first, then move in.
“Yeah, obvious. You sure you’re okay?”
“Yes. I’m good.”
Lee Jae-hyun replied firmly once more and inserted an earpiece.
Smaller than the last one he’d used.
Shorter range was the downside, but less visible.
As he fitted it, radio chatter came through.
―Testing—one-two. Everyone hear me?
“Reception good. You hear me?”
Lee Jae-hyun replied. Inspector Seo Yoo-jun touched his ear and spoke.
“Loud and clear. Skipping titles for quick briefings from here on.”
“Roger.”
Overlapping from the earpiece and right in front, Lee Jae-hyun nodded.
Once they breached, he wouldn’t need to radio much anyway.
Confirming the earpiece worked, he took deep breaths to steady himself.
Truth was, it wasn’t easy.
“Incheon’s demon realm” wasn’t hype—violent crime rates ranked top three nationwide...
But there were limits.
‘Even so. Kidnapping? A minor?’
Lee Jae-hyun clenched and unclenched his fists, grinding his teeth.
How could anyone be this insane?
Did the Axe Gang even know how bad this looked?
Incheon Western Station was in chaos.
Park Man-seok caught red-handed trying to drug and rape a cop.
Then the gukbap shop run by the victim’s dad—Song A-ram’s father—gets raided.
Worse, the Choi Dae-hyeon kidnapping heat hadn’t even faded, and now another minor snatched.
Even if resolved perfectly, the station’s security cred was shot.
‘Screw that... These bastards are unforgivable.’
They’d atone a thousand times for what they did to Song A-ram and beg forgiveness.
Instead, to cover it up, they tormented her friend, threatened to drop charges.
When that failed, they grabbed someone close.
Unforgivable.
Lee Jae-hyun balled his fists tight, eyes fixed on the approaching four-story karaoke sign.
Golden Axe Karaoke.
They’d arrived where the bastard waited.