The Fall of Victory

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The moment Seunghun tried to shout “What the—!” and push himself up, Jeonghan and Jihun lunged at him. Jeonghan’s right foot whipped through the air and slammed straight into his face.

“Guhhhk—!!”

The kick landed with brutal precision. Seunghun’s nose shattered, spraying blood as he staggered. Before he could recover, Jihun stomped down on his face, driving the back of his head into the floor with a sickening bang.

In the rapidly blurring vision caused by the impact, Seunghun saw Jeonghan and Jihun staring down at him. Their eyes burned with murderous intent. To him, they looked like grim reapers come to drag him straight to hell.

What followed was a completely one-sided beating.

Jeonghan and Jihun showed no mercy, pummeling every inch of Seunghun’s body as he slipped in and out of consciousness. The punishment was savage.

Watching from the side, Jaehyuk scanned the room and spotted the Glock 17 that Seunghun had been wildly firing. A spent casing was jammed in the ejection port.

Is that Seunghun’s? I could fix the jam and put a bullet in him… but honestly, leaving him like this might be enough.

For a second he considered picking up the pistol, clearing the malfunction, and ending it. But when he saw Jeonghan and Jihun still savagely beating the man, he decided there was no need to kill him himself and dropped the idea.

Some time later, the two finally stopped. Breathing hard, they looked down at the ruined mess that had once been Lee Seunghun.

His face was swollen beyond recognition, covered in purple bruises and blood. Every cough brought up more crimson from his mouth.

Jihun, still catching his breath, stared between Seunghun’s legs for a long moment. Then he crouched down and grabbed what was there.

“What are you doing?” Jeonghan asked.

“Finishing the job properly.”

Jihun squeezed with every ounce of strength he had. A wet, sickening pop echoed.

Seunghun, already exhausted from the beating, could only let out a broken, agonized moan.

“Huuuuurgh… guuuuuurghhh…”

“……Wow. You’re a cruel bastard.”

“So? Got a problem with it?”

“Nah. You did a damn good job.”

Jaehyuk walked over to the pair and looked down at the blood-soaked Seunghun with ice-cold eyes. He picked up some of the documents Seunghun had desperately tried to take with him.

“For now, let’s grab every document here.”

“What are they?” Jihun asked.

“Records proving that Burning Island, corrupt officials, the Taiwanese triads, and the Japanese yakuza were all tied together in illegal businesses.”

Jaehyuk showed the papers to Jihun and added, “This is the real finishing touch.”

“Yeah, once evidence this airtight gets out, they’ll sink in an instant.”

Not necessarily. In my last life, that son of a bitch ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠only got five or six years thanks to his disgusting connections.

Jaehyuk remembered how, despite the horrific crimes Seunghun and his crew had committed, the sentences had been laughably light. Now he stared at the bloodied man who had finally received a measure of real justice.

Still… seeing him like this feels a lot more satisfying.

Just then, Suhyeok and Kanguk burst into the office with several armed Gangryonghoe members right behind them.

“Jihun!!! You okay?!”

“What the hell? Where were you guys?”

Kanguk rushed over and quickly checked Jihun for injuries.

“We were busy beating the guards when we heard gunshots. You good?”

“I’m fine.”

Suhyeok warned him in a low voice, “Jihun, the cops are on their way. Grab your friends and let’s get out of here fast.”

“Got it. But first we need to take these.”

“What are they?”

“Ledgers that record everything Burning Island has done. I need them to bury the bastards who ruined my mood.”

“Fine. Just hurry up and get out.”

“I know, I know.”

The three friends gathered every last document without missing a single page and left the club. They slipped out of the blood-stained Burning Island and disappeared into the night.

Shortly after, more than a dozen police cars screeched to a halt near the club. Officers poured inside and arrested every single member of the Burning Island cartel they found sprawled across the floor.

And so the Burning Island Gate exploded onto ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the national stage a full year earlier than it had in Jaehyuk’s previous life.

When Monday arrived, every media outlet in the country exploded with news of the massive drug trafficking operation and the illegal sex trade that had used those drugs— all tied to Lee Seunghun, Burning Island, and YH Entertainment. The entire nation was thrown into chaos.

Stories about the Burning Island club, the corrupt officials connected to it, and the various criminal organizations involved dominated television, newspapers, and the internet all day long.

Among the officials named was none other than the current President of South Korea.

The revelation that Victory—real name Lee Seunghun, a beloved member of the popular idol group Giant Bomb—was the mastermind behind a massive sex crime ring sent shockwaves across the country and beyond.

The public reaction was a storm of shock and fury. People had plenty to say about the corrupt officials tied to the scandal—especially the current president, Jo Namsu.

That Monday evening, Jaehyuk sat with his family in front of the television watching the news. On screen, the officials implicated in Seunghun’s cartel were sweating bullets, desperately claiming they had no connection whatsoever to Lee Seunghun or Burning Island.

“This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous,” Jaehyuk muttered without thinking.

His mother, Sejin, sighed beside him. “You’re telling me. Reality really is crazier than the movies.”

Dahyun stared at the screen where Jung Jinyong was being wheeled out in a hospital gown and wheelchair. She spoke with pure disbelief.

“Isn’t he just faking being sick? Like those chaebol chairmen in movies trying to dodge investigations. Guys like him should get chemically castrated.”

Learning that the celebrity she had adored so much was the one who had ordered her kidnapping must have left her seething with betrayal, rage, and utter disbelief.

Hearing her words, Jaehyuk watched the footage of Jinyong’s arrest and thought to himself, I already took care of the physical part.

“Oh right, I saw online that Seunghun got castrated during the fight too,” Dahyun added.

Jaehyuk pretended not to know. “Really? Did he get shot in the balls or something?”

“I don’t know the details. I heard one of the gangsters on the other side popped them.”

Then, as the news showed a photo of Seunghun while reporting on his long list of crimes, Dahyun turned to Jaehyuk.

“Wasn’t he about to enlist soon? How’s he supposed to go to the military like that?”

“He’ll get an exemption. But what’s the point? His masculinity is zero now anyway.”

Jaehyuk secretly curled the corner of his mouth in satisfaction, thinking how sweet it all felt. No one noticed.

Meanwhile, deep inside an abandoned-looking bunker hidden in a remote mountain forest.

In the underground chamber, a red-haired man sat before a large round table. Both of his arms were covered in irezumi tattoos depicting Japanese yokai—specifically Hannya masks.

Six empty chairs circled the table. Seongyun glanced at the Rolex on his left wrist and grumbled.

“Where the hell are these guys? When are they coming?”

The door behind him opened and Kanghyeok walked in.

“Hey, Director Seo!! You’re here?”

Seongyun grinned and waved. Kanghyeok took a seat in one of the empty chairs and shot back,

“You’ve been doing nothing but eating and playing around. You’ve gotten nice and plump. The boss is going to sigh when he sees you.”

“Hey, we keep calling him ‘boss’ and it makes us sound like a damn crime syndicate.”

Kanghyeok crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair, and stayed silent for a moment with a complicated expression before speaking.

“……It’s not exactly wrong. We carry out all kinds of private sanctions like it’s nothing.”

“Still, I can’t help wondering how people who used to serve the country ended up like this.”

At Seongyun’s words, Kanghyeok looked up at the ceiling and let out a long sigh. Then he asked quietly,

“If we get reinstated, are you going to keep doing this kind of work?”

“What about you? You planning to quit?”

“It’s all so fucked up I just want to quit and join some PMC as a mercenary. But that’s impossible right now. We’re all marked by the agency.”

“True. That’s why we need to solve these problems as quickly as possible.”

As the two continued talking, the rest of the group began to file in. They each took a seat and greeted one another like old friends catching up.

“How are things under Director Jang?”

“Eh… it’s alright. My computer skills can’t compare to Director Jang’s, so I’m stuck doing field work.”

“By the way, when is the boss—I mean, the team leader—supposed to arrive?”

“Can we get the titles right? We’re not agency employees anymore. It’s been a long time since they abandoned us.”

“It’s been about two years since we were cast aside. But at least here, let’s speak comfortably. We didn’t form this group to commit real crimes.”

“Exactly. Don’t forget this all started as a funding operation. Our real mission is to find every single bastard who put us in this position—those inside the agency—and tear them down so we can be reinstated.”

At that moment the door opened again. A hooded figure wearing a black mask entered. Everyone seated immediately stood up with military precision.

The masked man sat in the last remaining chair and removed his mask. His face bore a striking resemblance to Park Jaehyuk. If Jaehyuk were ten years older, he would look exactly like this.

“Everyone, sit.”

At his command, the six people sat down. Minhyeok, who had removed his hood, turned to Jang Seongyun—no, Jeong Seunggyu—and asked,

“You said Burning Island has collapsed?”

“Yes, Team Leader. The Gangryonghoe took them out all at once along with the Honglyeonbang. From the current situation, it seems their goal was to wipe out everyone connected to the Honglyeonbang in one clean sweep and uproot the entire network.”

“Current status of those involved?”

“President Jo Namsu will face trial after impeachment and is certain to be detained. He’ll likely receive around ten years in prison. The other implicated officials are expected to resign and then undergo arrest and investigation.”

“What about the situation in Taiwan?”

“The Jawolbang has destroyed the Honglyeonbang and is rapidly taking over their domestic and overseas operations. In about a month, the Jawolbang leadership will come to Korea to work with the Gangryonghoe to seize the Korean businesses as well.”

Minhyeok remained silent for a moment, slowly tapping his right index finger on the round table as if deep in complicated thought. Then he asked the group in a voice heavy with concern,

“How is Dahyun… Is she alright?”

Seunggyu answered, “Yes. I took a few of the kids and went to the place where she was kidnapped. We eliminated every single one of them.”

“Good work. What about Jaehyuk and Sejin?”

“Both are safe.”

Seunggyu considered mentioning that Jaehyuk had committed multiple murders while rescuing Dahyun. But he knew that if Minhyeok found out, the shock would be devastating, so he kept silent.

I will keep the fact that Jaehyuk killed several people while rescuing Dahyun a secret. If the team leader learns of it… he will be deeply shaken.

Upon hearing that his family was safe, Minhyeok’s eyes flashed. He looked at everyone seated and declared,

“Then let us discuss our plans going forward.”