The Raid on Burning Island (1)
A few hours later, the police car driven by Officer Choi pulled up in front of the apartment where Jaehyuk and his family lived. Jaehyuk and Jeonghan had stopped by his place with the officer’s help, changed out of their blood-stained clothes, and were now wearing fresh ones he had lent them.
“Uh… Detective Min’s little brother? Your name was Jaehyuk, right?”
“Yes. Park Jaehyuk.”
“What the hell happened to you? There’s so much blood… But you’re really not hurt anywhere? You sure?”
“Uh… Yes. I’m sure.”
“What about your little sister? Is she okay?”
“Uh… Yes… She was a bit shaken, but thanks to you she’s fine now.”
Dahyun smiled softly at Officer Choi, who had kept the mood light and reassuring on the drive home, and answered that she was all right. He turned to Jeonghan next.
“And you?”
“I’m fine too.”
“You were limping a little earlier… Really okay?”
Jeonghan remembered the blow he had taken to the leg while fighting the gangsters to save Dahyun. The dull throb he felt now was probably from that. Still, it was bearable, so he answered casually.
“I’m really fine.”
“Whew… Don’t go wrecking your body just because you’re young. Take care of yourself while you can. I regret not doing that when I was your age.”
Jaehyuk thought of Taeseok, who always complained about his eyes, back, and legs hurting despite being far from old, and smiled inwardly.
‘Just like one of Detective Taeseok’s men… Birds of a feather. Hearing that from someone who looks barely in his mid-twenties…’
Jeonghan got out first and thanked the officer.
“Thank you for the ride.”
“Sure. I’ll let Detective Min know all three of you got home safe.”
As Jaehyuk reached for the door, he felt two phones in his pocket and suddenly remembered he had forgotten to hand over the evidence phone to Taeseok.
‘Crap… The phone!!!’
He considered giving the blue iPhone XR to Officer Choi, but unease crept in. Was this man as clean as Min Taeseok? Going back to the scene felt wrong, and meeting later seemed risky too. After a moment’s thought, he decided.
‘Yeah. I can’t trust him completely. Better to give it to Taeseok hyung myself later.’
“Hm? What’s wrong? Forget something?”
Officer Choi asked. Jaehyuk shook his head.
“No, nothing. I was just spacing out for a second…”
“All right. Go get some rest.”
“Yes. Goodbye.”
Once the three had exited, the patrol car drove off. Jaehyuk, Dahyun, and Jeonghan took the elevator up. At the front door, however, Jaehyuk hesitated with his hand over the keypad.
“Oppa…? What’s wrong…?”
He turned to Dahyun with a resolute expression.
“Dahyun, go inside first. Tell Mom I’m staying over at Jeonghan’s tonight.”
“Suddenly…? Is something wrong?”
“Why our place all of a sudden…?”
Jeonghan looked puzzled too, but one glance at Jaehyuk’s hardened face told him everything he needed to know.
“Just go in. Tell her we were hanging out at Jeonghan’s and lost track of time.”
“……Fine. I’ll let Jaehyuk crash at our place.”
Jeonghan nodded, and Dahyun followed suit.
“Okay. Be careful coming back.”
“Got it.”
Jaehyuk and Jeonghan rode the elevator back down. As they left the building, Jeonghan asked,
“What are we doing now?”
“……We can’t just leave it like this.”
Jaehyuk pulled out the blue iPhone XR and scrolled through its contents again. Jeonghan blinked.
“Huh? When did you switch phones?”
“This belonged to one of the guys at the scene. I took it.”
“Then why bring it…?”
Jaehyuk showed him the screen.
“It’s the dirty truth about Giant Bomb’s Victory and every celebrity tied to him.”
The group chat Jaehyuk revealed contained Lee Seunghun, Jung Jinyong, Choi Junghoon, and dozens of others. Photos of women filled the chat, accompanied by vulgar comments. One photo showed Lee Suyeon unconscious. Jeonghan’s face went rigid with shock.
“Wait… Isn’t that Suyeon…? Why is she in there…?”
“……Remember when Suyeon was rushed to the hospital last week?”
Jaehyuk fell silent for a moment, teeth clenched at the memory, then continued.
“The men who tried to take her were working for Burning Island. They kidnapped schoolgirls, drugged them, and delivered them to those bastards.”
Jeonghan felt as though he had been struck over the head. His vision flashed white.
“Then Suyeon too… If you hadn’t saved her… she would’ve ended up like those women we just saw…”
Jaehyuk couldn’t answer. In his previous life, even if Suyeon hadn’t died from the propofol overdose, she would have suffered exactly that fate.
Jeonghan stood frozen, the shock slowly curdling into fury. The thought of what had almost happened to his beloved little sister ignited a murderous rage.
“Those fucking bastards… I’ll never… I’ll never forgive them… I’m going to kill every last one of them…”
His eyes blazed with killing intent as he ground his teeth. Jaehyuk nodded.
“I feel the same. So let’s go catch them.”
The two walked to the main road, flagged down a taxi, and climbed into the back seat.
“Driver, Burning Island, please.”
While the taxi headed toward the club, Jeonghan watched Jaehyuk take out his phone.
“Think the two of us will be enough?”
Even if they were good fighters, two nineteen-year-old high schoolers taking on Burning Island’s gangsters was no small task.
“Of course not. That’s why I’m calling one more person.”
“Who…?”
Jaehyuk held the phone to his ear.
“Kang Jihun. With him, we’ll be fine.”
Meanwhile, Jihun, riding in another car, answered his vibrating phone.
“Hey, Park Jaehyuk. Where are you?”
“Where are you?”
“Heading home after dropping Suyeon off with some uncles.”
“Suyeon okay?”
“Don’t worry. I made sure she got inside safely.”
“Then do me a favor.”
“What is it?”
Jaehyuk paused before answering.
“……Remember the incident where Suyeon almost got into serious trouble?”
“Of course.”
“I’m on my way to grab the bastard who ordered it, with Jeonghan.”
Jihun frowned.
“Why not call the police?”
“I checked. Quite a few high-ranking officers are in bed with those guys. Reporting it would probably just get swept under the rug. We might even end up giving them an escape route.”
“So this is vigilante justice.”
Jihun’s expression hardened.
“I’m heading there now too.”
He hung up and spoke to the two men in the front seats, voice cold.
“Uncles. Take me to Burning Island.”
The driver glanced back.
“Burning Island? Why the club all of a sudden?”
The passenger seat man turned as well.
“What kind of bastards? Just say the word. We’ll handle them.”
Jihun recalled the first time he met Suyeon—drugged, unconscious, then later acting cute and affectionate toward him.
‘How dare they… How dare they do that to the girl I like… Those bastards who hurt Suyeon are at Burning Island?’
His eyes burned with rage.
“No. I’ll take care of them myself.”
At that same moment, inside Burning Island, Lee Seunghun, Jung Jinyong, Choi Junghoon, and various high-ranking police officers and prosecutors were enjoying a lewd, glittering party.
“Drink up, everyone!! Tonight, this hyung Victory is paying for it all!!”
Seunghun hurled bundles of 50,000-won bills into the air. The crowd, young and old alike, cheered and scrambled for the fluttering money. Seunghun laughed, completely unaware of the storm about to hit him.
Meanwhile, near Burning Island, a twelve-seater Starex and five motorcycles came to a stop. Im Kanghun removed his helmet and stored it in the rear trunk. He spoke quietly to the men gathering around him.
“Let’s move in.”
His subordinates approached the club’s back entrance. The guards on duty tensed at the sight of them.
“Huh? Who the hell are you…!!”
Before the guard could finish, an axe swung by one of Kanghun’s men buried itself in his skull. The remaining guards panicked and reached for their phones, but Kanghun’s subordinates rushed them, slashing throats, chests, and stomachs without mercy. Once the guards were down, the attackers finished them off with sashimi knives to the neck. Kanghun, still clean, gripped a machete and led his men inside.
Only VIPs and guards remained in the club, deep in their drug-fueled party. At first the VIPs thought the blood-soaked intruders were hallucinations.
“Huh…? Those guys… Why are they so red…?”
“Uh… Why are they getting redder…?”
The guards drew hidden knives and axes. Kanghun pointed his machete at them.
“Leave the guests. Kill everyone else.”
His men charged with bloodthirsty roars. The club guards fought desperately, but they were no match for Kanghun’s battle-hardened elites. Bodies fell under axes and blades. One guard lunged at Kanghun with a sashimi knife. Kanghun deflected the strike, sidestepped, and cleaved the man’s neck. Blood sprayed across his face, but he didn’t flinch. He yanked the blade free and struck again until the head separated from the body.
Another guard swung an axe in panic. Kanghun dodged and severed the man’s right arm in one swing. The guard stumbled back, only to have his throat split by the machete. Less-intoxicated guests screamed and fled. The massacre continued.
“Stop killing and find the safe first!! That’s priority!!”
Following orders, Kanghun’s men kicked open every door they found. Any guard who resisted was cut down. While the slaughter raged inside, a taxi stopped at the main entrance. Jaehyuk and Jeonghan stepped out.
“Sounds pretty noisy in there.”
“Good. We can use the chaos to find Lee Seunghun and Jung Jinyong and beat them up.”
A luxury Benz pulled up beside them. Jihun, Suhyuk, and Kangwook got out.
“What are you waiting for?”
Jihun asked. Jaehyuk answered,
“We just got here too.”
Jihun cracked his knuckles. Jaehyuk’s eyes blazed with murderous intent.
“Let’s go in.”
The three friends stepped into the blood-soaked hell of Burning Island Club to exact vengeance on those who had dared to harm the people they loved.