The next day, the place Ja-kyung followed Kang Seok-ju to was a prefabricated building in the heart of Seoul. From the outside, the three-story building looked like an ordinary studio, but once inside, it wasn't much different from the place they called their hideout. The only difference was that glass partitions were installed here and there, and inside those partitions, men and women were each wearing only underwear.
I suspected it, but it really was a nude show. The incense burner and crown seen in Kang Il-hyun's basement the day before yesterday came to mind. He said they were valuable, so he kept them in glass cases. Champagne and finger foods were spread out a short distance from the glass partitions, and drugs and syringes were scattered on top.
Most people seemed completely out of it, drunk on alcohol and drugs. Kang Seok-ju, holding a glass, giggled as he passed between the partitions and stopped in front of a man. Seeing the shape of his genitals protruding through his underwear, Seok-ju bared his forearm at Ja-kyung.
"Ian. Come here. This bastard's dick is fucking huge. Shit, is he really Korean?"
It seems his tongue is twisted from drinking alcohol laced with drugs. Passing the man, Kang Seok-ju stood in front of a woman this time. The woman, as if showing off, rubbed her breasts against the glass and licked it with her tongue. Seok-ju took the cigarette from his mouth and licked the woman's breast from outside the glass.
Their long, snake-like tongues rubbed against each other with the glass between them. After licking several times, the glass became covered in saliva. The woman then put her fingers in her mouth, coated them with plenty of saliva, then inserted them into her lace panties and rubbed her vulva.
Seeing this, Kang Seok-ju seemed to have reached his limit of patience and turned to Ja-kyung with a flushed face.
"Wow, fuck. I'm so turned on right now."
"..."
"How is it? If you like her, I'll yield. Or we could do it with three."
"I'll pass."
"Then I'll be back in a bit, can you wait here?"
When Ja-kyung nodded, Kang Seok-ju immediately turned around and called someone. A man who had been a short distance away approached them. He had his head shaved on both sides with the top tied in a long ponytail, was covered in tattoos except for his face, and had piercings in his ears and nose.
When Seok-ju whispered to him, a glass door soon opened and a woman in underwear and high heels walked out and linked arms with Seok-ju. As Ja-kyung watched the two disappear upstairs, the man who had brought the woman out earlier spoke to him.
"You're Seok-ju's friend, right? No girl you like? Don't worry about the price, Seok-ju will pay."
"No thanks... I'm good."
"Or maybe a different taste?"
The man pointed to a man in the glass partition next to them with his hand. The muscular man rubbed his nipple with his thumb and licked his lower lip. Not satisfied with that, he even winked at Ja-kyung. Ja-kyung gave a bitter smile.
"No."
"Or maybe young ones?"
When he didn't answer, the man whispered secretly in Ja-kyung's ear.
"Just say the word. There's even one just over 10 years old."
Ja-kyung stared at the man. The man seemed to be expecting a positive answer. When he shook his head, the man's face changed to disappointment, and after telling him to think about it more, he moved elsewhere. Here and there, drunk people were choosing partners they liked and moving upstairs.
Passing between them, Ja-kyung went outside and looked around. The main gate was firmly locked, but there would surely be guards sent by Kang Il-hyun outside. Kang Il-hyun, perhaps uneasy about what happened the day before yesterday, had assigned someone.
All the way here, the same car had been following them, but Kang Seok-ju seemed completely unaware. Was he dull? Or was he just not paying attention? After thinking for a moment, Ja-kyung went back inside and grabbed someone's jacket and baseball cap thrown on a sofa.
Then went around the building to the back wall. He climbed over the chest-high wall in one go and surveyed the surroundings. There was a narrow alley, but no one passing by or watching. He jumped down lightly from the wall and landed.
Keeping his body low and passing through the alley, there was a surveillance vehicle a short distance away. To avoid being seen by them, he weaved between cars and made his way out. Walking down the alley, Ja-kyung bought a mask and put it on, then hailed a taxi.
He handed the taxi driver a note with an address written on it. The driver checked the note, looked back at Ja-kyung, and waved his hand dismissively.
"Hey, that's too far. No. I can't go there."
Ja-kyung took out several 50,000 won bills from his wallet. When he placed them in the driver's hand, the taxi that couldn't go immediately departed. The driver kept glancing at Ja-kyung through the rearview mirror. Perhaps it was strange that his face was completely covered and he wasn't speaking.
Despite it being night, Seoul's roads had many cars. After driving for about an hour, the car entered a narrow market area and went round and round. The neighborhood was one where many Chinese people lived, was dark because it was night, and there were people here and there who were thoroughly drunk and causing commotions.
"It seems to be around here."
As soon as the driver's words ended, a notification message arrived saying they had reached the destination area. When the car stopped, Ja-kyung got out, and the driver fled through the narrow market as if there was no time to lose.
Ja-kyung checked the location on his phone. The car with GPS that Choi Ki-tae was in first arrived here. Records showed he stayed for about 10 minutes before leaving, and though the exact location couldn't be determined due to the complex alleyways, this was definitely the vicinity.
He put a cigarette in his mouth and started walking slowly. Shabby restaurants came into view here and there. After walking through the alleys for a while, a car caught Ja-kyung's eye. A car parked in front of a mart, and a man in a tank top was walking from the mart to the car.
But the man's face was familiar. There was no need to see more. It was that bastard who had stabbed him in the side with a knife in the alleyway. As the man got into the passenger seat, the car turned right about ten meters ahead. Ja-kyung pulled his hat down low and started following it.
The car that had been driving slowly stopped in front of a two-story house. Ja-kyung hid his body in an alley a short distance away. Of the two who got out of the car, the man with the shaved head went inside the house, and the man in the tank top stayed alone, checking his phone.
After a while, the door on the second floor of the multi-family housing opened with a sound. Along with cursing, children started coming down the stairs. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. In total, counting both boys and girls, there were seventeen children.
Cursing about them being damn brats could be heard. In front of the house, one of the smaller children was sluggish, and the man in the tank top kicked the child. When the child fell from the kick, the woman behind quickly helped the child up. From the way she was dressed, it was the girl Ja-kyung had encountered in the alley yesterday.
The children went inside the car, and after a while, the door closed with a thud. The car started to move away from the house. Ja-kyung, who had been breathing shallowly behind the wall, exhaled. He had been following the road while taking out a cigarette.
The car was heading somewhere. Ja-kyung moved slightly further down the alley. After walking about a few dozen meters, the car stopped. The shaved-headed man got out and approached a house.
Ja-kyung crossed the street at a run. The car door opened and children started to come out. The man in the passenger seat swore.
"What the fuck! Hey!"
Ja-kyung had already grabbed the driver's door handle. He pulled it. When the door suddenly opened, the children were startled. Among them, the girl from yesterday recognized Ja-kyung.
"Mister!"
At her shout, the shaved-headed man who had been walking to the house turned around. Seeing Ja-kyung, he rushed back swearing.
"Fuck! Who is this bastard!"
Ja-kyung quickly got into the driver's seat and shifted gears. The children in the backseat screamed.
"What are you doing! Get out right now!"
When Ja-kyung didn't move, the man on the passenger side reached out to grab him. Ja-kyung grabbed the man's wrist and headbutted him. Blood spurted from the man's nose as he fell back dazed. Taking advantage of the gap, Ja-kyung kicked him in the face with his foot. With a scream, the man rolled out of the car.
Shit! The man on the driver's side fell out, and the shaved-headed man grabbed the door. Ja-kyung stepped on the accelerator. The car sped forward with a screech. The shaved-headed man was dragged along, unable to keep up with the speed, and fell away.
"Ah, fuck!"
The car raced down the alley. The children in the backseat were crying and screaming. Ja-kyung drove without saying a word. The car was heading toward the main road at the end of the alley.
"Fuck! Fuck! Stop! Stop!"
He heard a loud banging from behind. The shaved-headed man had gotten up and was running after them, shouting. The distance wasn't that far. Ja-kyung checked the rearview mirror. The man was running frantically with a vicious look on his face.
He checked the front too. The main road was close. When he turned his head, the children were staring at him with terrified eyes. He spoke to them gently.
"I'm not a bad person. So don't worry and sit back in your seats."
But his gently spoken words had the opposite effect. The children began to wail even louder. Ja-kyung looked at them with a bitter expression. Getting them to trust him wouldn't be easy.
"Just wait a little. I'll get you out of here safely."
He turned his head forward again and stepped on the accelerator harder. The car burst out of the alley onto the main road. Horns blared from all directions. He ignored them and sped forward.
After driving for a while, he arrived at a place where there were few people. He parked the car in a dark corner and turned to the children.
"We're here. Get out."
The children hesitated, not knowing what to do. The girl from yesterday opened the door and got out first. She then helped the other children out one by one. Ja-kyung also got out and looked around. No one was following them yet.
He took out his phone and called a number he had memorized. After a few rings, the call connected.
"It's me. I found the children."
"..."
"I'm sending the location. Come pick them up."
He sent the location and hung up. Then he approached the children. The girl looked at him with wary eyes.
"Who are you?"
"I'm someone who's going to help you. Soon, good people will come to take you somewhere safe."
"Really?"
"Yes. So wait here for a little while."
The girl seemed to be thinking, then nodded. Ja-kyung patted her head gently. She flinched at first but didn't pull away.
"You did well. You were brave."
At his words, the girl's eyes reddened. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and stood close to Ja-kyung. The other children also seemed to have calmed down a bit.
About 30 minutes later, two cars arrived. Several people got out and approached them. One of them, a woman, hugged the children and said with tears in her eyes.
"Are you all okay? You're not hurt anywhere?"
The children shook their heads. The woman then approached Ja-kyung and bowed deeply.
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
Ja-kyung shook his head.
"I just did what anyone would do."
"No, you risked your life to save these children. We'll never forget this grace."
Ja-kyung didn't respond. The woman and her companions took the children to the cars. Before getting in, the girl looked back at Ja-kyung. He gave her a small smile and wave. She got into the car with a bright expression.
After watching the cars leave, Ja-kyung let out a long breath. His hands were trembling slightly. The tension he had been holding was finally releasing.
He took out a cigarette and lit it. As he inhaled the smoke, he thought about what had happened. The men who were guarding the children were definitely connected to the organization. And they would soon report what happened to Kang Il-hyun.
He needed to be careful. Things were getting more complicated. But he had no regrets. Saving those children was the right thing to do.
He got back in the car and started the engine. He needed to return before Kang Seok-ju noticed his absence. If he played his cards right, he could continue to gather information without raising suspicion.
As he drove back to Seoul, his mind was already planning his next move. The game was far from over.