After the weird reaction SinJu had in his car, a vehicle he asked the driver to stop in an isolated place God knows where at an early morning hour, he asked his employee to take him to another location. Where exactly? To the devil’s lair. At least this crossed the driver’s mind when he stopped the car in another isolated place.
This new location was so isolated and abandoned that not even ten healthy and well-trained men would have dared to stop by there. Yet, they ventured there with only the two of them, looking for „flog dead horses” as the driver thought when he turned the engine off with a shaking hand. After that, often swallowing hard, he looked at SinJu in the inner mirror, who was in the back seat, somewhere to his right.
SinJu seemed troubled at that moment. He also looked scared, although the driver couldn’t understand what could have made him feel like that because, as far as he remembered, he hadn’t ever seen Min SinJu looking like a frightened kid about to be beaten in those two years while he’d been working for him. How did the driver realize that? Simple: while he spied on his boss through the inner mirror, he saw him frowning at one point. After that, gnashing his teeth, SinJu untied the tie as though he felt it as a rope wrapped around his throat.
None of them said anything though. They kept silent for minutes in a row, each of them looking at the object that interested him: the driver - at his boss, somehow on the sly, while SinJu looked through the window from his right at the multitude of abandoned buildings that were wet gray after the rain that stopped only a couple of hours before that. Eventually, realizing that only staying there he was wasting his time, SinJu deeply breathed in and, glancing at his employee, he told him, „Wait here! In the car and with the engine on! If I’m not back in about a quarter of an hour and I also don’t call you to inform you that I’m fine, call the cops! Did you hear me?”
„Yes, boss!” The driver answered right away, confidently, although he was still shaking inside because of the fear he felt for being there.
The driver’s answer and the fear felt in his soul didn’t seem like something SinJu cared about. All that mattered to him was the fact that his employee understood the message he tried to send and that he was there, waiting for him, although SinJu was also sure that, in case he had seen the devil, the driver would have hit the pike, taking the car with him and forgetting about his boss. Who would have judged him if this had happened? Nobody. Not even SinJu would have done that, he was sure of this because he was the only one who knew what kind of devil lived in that place, someone even Min SinJu was afraid of.
Nevertheless, SinJu had no other choice than to face the devil that morning. If not, he was sure that the one who summoned him there so urgently would have left him headless. How not to be so when he gave him a headache the night before when he took the devil out of his lair and exposed him in front of others as a monkey at the circus just because he needed someone to clean the mess he made. „A mess that was necessary though,” SinJu growled eventually, heading with lazy steps toward the entrance to the abandoned building. „If not, all our plans would have been ruined, just as the work we’ve done all these years would have been in vain.”
Yet… did the „ghost” know that? Did he know how many problems SinJu solved over the years? Did he know how many troubles SinJu avoided him to have all that time? Probably not, because, from what SinJu knew, the „ghost” never cared about this. All he cared about were his plans, wishes, and needs, and not what the others wanted.
Even so, SinJu had to admit one thing: despite the rivalry between them, despite the ghost’s cruelty and his caprices, that one had always been loyal to him. He had always been there when SinJu had needed him, particularly for the dirty work. He also took care of their dirty business, from the shadows, sheltering SinJu this way because, if SinJu had openly behaved in that story, the police would have caught them for sure, sending them where they belonged to - „To that hell with bars,” as SinJu always said.
Such a thought had always been with him, particularly after he met SolHi. The reason? SinJu wasn’t also sure of that. All he knew was that, once SolHi had stubbed her fangs into his throat and promised to tear him apart, SinJu felt everything so real. He felt that Ian SolHi was perfect to be his perdition, just as he felt all this because of DooSan all those years. Yet, in the fight with the prosecutor, SinJu felt confident while fighting with SolHi, whom he got to know that was crazy, he had all the time the feeling that she was his death. „She would have done this for sure if the other one hadn’t sent her to hell first. Even so, I’m sure she waits for me at the gates of hell just to make sure she’d take revenge on me because… damn it! I shouldn’t have touched her mother. If I had left her alone and I had continued to do what I had always done, I would have been safer now because… the Devil that waits for me now would have taken care of her in my place for sure.”
Yet, it was too late for such thoughts or regrets. SolHi was officially declared dead, and he didn’t have a reason to doubt that. Not that he hadn’t done that because he had doubted it. Why? There wasn’t a shred of clear evidence that SolHi was a ghost. Yes, he had no clue if Ian SolHi was definitely a ghost or not. Why? Because he hadn’t ever seen her body, just as he hadn’t found out where the new Chief of DOC kept her, and this made him suspect that SolHi’s assassination was just a show. Even so, SinJu was sure of one more thing, that „Kim HanSol isn’t stupid to hang herself with such a cheap show and pretend that she killed a serial killer. No, she wouldn’t ever endanger her job for someone whom she hadn’t ever met, except for the time when she blew up her brain. Yet… is all this true?”
This last question made SinJu stop eventually. He didn’t do anything in particular after that: he only closed his eyes and stood in that spot. By doing this, he made his driver attentive, who was in the car and looking at him through the window, stunned. What amazed him more than the fact that SinJu stopped was to see his boss taking his hands out of his pockets and, with lazy moves, buttoning the two buttons of the expensive dark blue suit he wore.
„He’s doing this only at important meetings,” the driver whispered when he saw that, frowning. „I saw him buttoning both buttons only when he met extremely important people. Yet, he did that now. Why? Who the hell lives here? Or… did he agree to see someone important here, trying to avoid being seen by others? If it’s so, why did he take me here? Why me? No, all this is strange because, at important and mysterious meetings, he’s always taking one of the two puppies who take care of him. Yet, now…”
Thinking about all this, the driver felt curiosity sneaking inside him. Not only curiosity made him feel nervous but also adrenaline, something that started madly flowing through his veins, making him dare to leave the car, although SinJu ordered him to stay inside the vehicle, with the engine on, and waiting for him. Orders that the man ignored, controlled by curiosity and spurred by the fact that SinJu didn’t see him - he left the car only after SinJu entered the abandoned building.
Looking around, at the abandoned place, the driver frowned again. „What kind of place is that?” He wondered. „It seems forgotten by people for millennia. Even so, my boss decided to come here to see someone. Did he come here to see the one who…”
This new thought made him swallow hard. Then, when he remembered what happened a night ago, he shuddered from top to toe, rushing to enter the car afterward. He even checked twice if the engine was on just to make sure they had a chance to leave that place immediately. Even so, seeing that the car was ready to be used as soon as he would have needed it, the poor driver didn’t calm down because „You never know who you are dealing with. Particularly, in such a place. So, Nam So Hun - the less you know, the safer you are. And, even if you saw something you shouldn’t have seen last night, keep your mouth shut and live your life! if not, be sure that the worms will taste your body first.”
Such encouragement convinced him to breathe in deeply eventually, several times, trying to calm down a little. Not only did his heartbeats calm down but also his breath, becoming slow and rhythmical, although it was heard as a kind of hissing through his nostrils before that, something that made him seem like a crazy bull in the arena. Then, when he could control himself, So Hun took his phone out of his pocket and sent an email to himself with the coordinates that were seen on the screen of the car’s computer. The reason? He tried to make sure that, in case he would have ever vanished from the earth’s surface, he would have at least given others the chance to find his body or find out what happened to him. Thus, having at least evidence of his passing through life, Son Hun felt safe.
***
Entering the building and carefully looking around, SinJu cooked his nose. The reason? The place was too dirty and „Full of rats,” as it crossed the man’s mind. Not only did this make him feel nausea but also that stinky smell of rat urine, dust, and other kinds of filth, like mold and spider webs. Yet, even if he felt the urge to get out of there and hit the pike, SinJu made an effort to stay calm, heading with sure steps toward the stairs that led to the second floor of the abandoned warehouse where he entered.
That place was new for him. Yes, he was seeing it for the first time and it was the first time he heard someone talking about it. No, wait, he remembered that the „ghost” mentioned it once. When exactly? Eight years ago after Han YuSan’s death when he told SinJu that he killed the former prosecutor in an abandoned warehouse, the same place where he turned Ian SolHi’s life into a nightmare.
When he remembered that, SinJu shuddered, although he also didn’t know why he did that. He should have enjoyed the fact that he got to see the place of torture of one of his worst enemies. Yet, this didn’t happen because he wasn’t happy to be there. On the contrary: that place made him feel nauseous, particularly the black stain that was seen on the cement pylon from the middle of the room on the first floor, the same pylon on which SolHi and Kan found blood a year ago.
The same black stain made SinJu stop eventually. The reason? It fascinated him. Not even he knew why he was doing this, but he felt the urge to approach the pylon and look at the stain from closer, something he did afterward.
Once in front of the pylon, SinJu squatted and carefully looked at the black uneven stain. And, even if he had no idea about what happened there eight years ago, he still imagined, for a moment only, how someone’s head hit the pylon hard and left that stain there for eternity. This image made SinJu smile. Then, feeling the nausea returning to his stomach, he spat in disgust to the side, growling „He’ll also kill me one day.” After that, SinJu stood up and, straightening his back, faced the stairs again.
Looking over there, SinJu saw nothing special at them: only a few old cement stairs, crumbled in places because of the cruel weather, dust, and spider web as far as his eyes could see. This view made him frown again because… „Damn place that looks like hell. Yes, this one is a good thought because, if he called me here, it’s definitely for nothing good. He wants to get revenge on me and twist my neck. Yet… dream of this, brother because… I won’t ever give you this satisfaction. If this ever happens, I swear I’ll change my name from Min SinJu to Dummy.”
Saying this, growling these words better said, SinJu squeezed his fists, allowing his nails to injure the skin of his palms. Feeling the pain, SinJu frowned again and relaxed. He even looked at his palms for a few seconds, seeing ten weird stains on them: uneven dark-red marks that he hadn’t ever seen on his body before. Then, when the stinky smell of mold and other things got to his nostrils again, SinJu spat to the side one more time and headed to the stairs.
In front of the stairs, the man stopped again. Yet, he didn’t stay there for a long time: only for a few moments. Then, crawling his legs and with his hands into his pockets, trying to hide the fact that he hurt himself, he started climbing the stairs one by one as though would have counted them.
To get to the second floor, SinJu needed about a minute and a half, although there weren’t too many stairs there. Even so, he did everything to delay the outcome, often stopping, carefully looking around, and analyzing each detail of the building. The reason? He wanted to fix these details in his mind and keep that painting there, hidden through other nightmare memories, as long as possible.
Eventually, he stepped over the last stair. Looking around, he saw nothing because of the darkness that was seen all over the second floor of that building. This happened because there weren’t windows or holes in the walls, a hint that someone took care to cover them. Why? SinJu could only imagine that. „Not to leave witnesses behind and have freedom of movement. Something he had always adored - darkness and attacking others from the shadows.” Then, weirdly grinning, SinJu decided to turn the lantern of his phone on and try to see something around him.
When he put his hand in his pocket, SinJu heard a strange sound to his right, something that involuntarily stopped his move. He stood still afterward, calmly waiting for what was coming, although fear should have sneaked inside his bones. Why did he do that? Because he knew that it was his only chance to survive: to show his enemy that he wasn’t afraid of him and that he was the master of his life. Thus, he also had the chance to decide the rules of the game between them and not only allow this to the one who headed toward him at that moment, at a slow step and dragging something that seemed to be a metallic bar after him.
The shrill caused by the metallic bar that was dragged on the cement floor made SinJu close his eyes and gnash his teeth. By doing this, staying with his eyes closed, he allowed his sixth sense to awaken. He did well deciding this because, suddenly, a strange hissing in the air made him alert and jump to the side at the last possible moment, and the metallic bar, which passed by him and hit the hard wall somewhere behind SinJu, made his ears buzz.
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Although his ears still buzzed, SinJu smiled eventually. The reason? „As welcoming as always,” he told the one hidden in the shadows. Then, he stuck his pinky into his right ear and started to shake it mockingly.
He stopped the movement of his hand when he heard someone asking, somewhere in front of him, „Did you expect me to wait for you with bread and salt?” A question that made SinJu bow his head and smile again.
„Well, not with bread and salt but also not like that. At least I expected to hear a hello from you before blowing my brains with that bar.”
The strange voice, which SolHi often heard in her memories and a night before in the former sawmill, suddenly burst into hysterical laughter. „To say hello to a demon like you?” He asked in mockery. „I would rather do that to the dogs in the street than to you.” Then, making SinJu close his eyes for a few moments, his enemy turned on a lantern right in front of him.
SinJu didn’t close his eyes for more than a few moments. Then, when he felt that his eyes got used to the contrast between darkness and light, he opened them and looked in front. He didn’t look straight in front of him where the big lantern was, a lantern that was similar to those used on the filming sets, but somewhere to its left where he felt the presence of the one he was looking for.
That man was right there and SinJu knew that very well. This happened because he suddenly saw that one’s silhouette outlining in the darkness of that place. A silhouette that became clear soon when the man stepped toward him, playfully hissing through his teeth, „Tic-tac! Tic-tac! Tic-tac!”
That hissing drove SinJu crazy eventually. Yet, he didn’t show that to his enemy. All he did was frown when he growled in his head, „He’s been a psycho and he’ll always be one! I thought that time would make him rationally think, but… yeah, right: he’s going crazy more and more with each passing day.”
The whistle of a melody, which was heard coming from the place where the silhouette was, beside the lantern, made SinJu attentive. He even winced after that because he didn’t hear it for a very long time. „Even so, you remember it, right?” That man asked SinJu. „I mean… the melody!”
„Yes,” SinJu growled. „I remember it. Yet, I won’t say that’s something that makes me happy and you know this very well. Even so, even though I want to forget it and I’ve tried hard to do that, you always remind me about it.”
„To forget it?” The stranger asked, visibly surprised. „Why?”
SinJu showed him his fangs. „Because this isn’t something that makes me proud?” He asked. „I’m sure you aren’t also proud of this. Even so, you keep bringing it between us. Why? I thought this is something we should forget because… this is a simple piece of the puzzle of the past that makes us both vulnerable.”
„Do you think so?” He asked SinJu, making him frown. Particularly, SinJu felt pissed off by the fact that the lantern was blinding him, something that made him close his eyes again. To see something, SinJu needed a few minutes to get used to the blinding light. Then, when his eyes could see something in front, SinJu squeezed his teeth, seeing YuSan grabbing a metallic chair, which he started to drag behind him, making the whole building strangely resound.
The sound made SinJu reproachfully shake his head eventually. He even, as though trying to piss off his interlocutor, covered his ears with his palms. After that, when the shrill stopped being heard, he looked in front and saw YuSan sitting on the chair and playing with a small lantern, which he took out of his pocket and started turning on and off right in front of SinJu.
YuSan’s game drove SinJu crazy again, making him yell, „Stop this! It’s not funny at all!” A yell that didn’t surprise YuSan or make him lose his temper. On the contrary, YuSan only smiled. „Why?” SinJu asked him, confused. „Are you smiling?”
„Yes,” YuSan suddenly said. „I smile because… you are comically stupid. Why? You try to seem calm, although you are aware that you aren’t more than the stupid mouse that cannot play the role of the cat. So, until I don’t lose my head and catch you in my paws, mouse, sing and tell me why you are here!”
SinJu showed him his fangs again, wondering in his head if YuSan was making fun of him or really didn’t remember because „You called me here! You remember this, right?”
„I?” YuSan asked, stunned. „When?”
This trick question made SinJu squint at him. Then, deeply breathing it to calm down, he hissed through his teeth, „Half an hour ago.” When he said that, SinJu let the air come out of his throat, something that sounded like a snake’s hiss eventually. After that, he told himself, „Besides being a psycho, he’s also forgetful.”
YuSan glared at him. „Actually, I hear you!”
„I didn’t even try to hide that,” said SinJu, trying to piss YuSan off. „Yet, this aside, tell me why I’m here. I thought this was a secret place. Or… is this from the series „The criminals always return to the crime scene?”
For that ironical question, SinJu was rewarded with a chair thrown toward him, a chair that passed by his ear eventually, falling through the hole that was in the middle of the second floor, a few meters from SinJu. At all scared or surprised by that turnabout, SinJu smiled. Then, turning his head and looking at the hole, SinJu reproachfully shook his head, murmuring, „I said you are crazy!”
YuSan managed to surprise SinJu eventually when he grabbed him by the throat. Then, squeezing as hard as he could while SinJu squeezed his wrists trying to weaken him, YuSan pushed him against the wall, although his first intention was to throw his enemy through the same hole the chair had fallen through. Then, only one step from the hole, he changed directions and pushed SinJu against the wall, against which the metallic bar had hit too.
Feeling the hard cold wall touching his back, SinJu gnashed his teeth. „Have you lost your mind?” He growled because of the lack of air. „Release me! Now, I said!” Seeing that YuSan squeezed harder and harder, and that he was about to lose consciousness because of the lack of air, a hint that YuSan didn’t intend to let him go away, at least not alive, SinJu released his enemy’s wrists and punched his stomach as hard as he could.
Gasping, YuSan took a step back, releasing his victim. Then, touching his stomach with both hands because SinJu hit the most sensitive part of his body, he looked with hatred at SinJu when this one said, „Instead of punishing me for unreal things, you should find another target! We have enough enemies to choose one from them.”
„Why choose a stranger when you are closer?” YuSan growled eventually, right before pouncing on SinJu, which he kicked down and started punching and kicking like crazy. SinJu also hit him because he knew very well who his enemy was. Thus, if he hadn’t defended himself but would have only allowed his enemy to punish him as it had always happened, he would have been history by now.
The fight between them lasted quite a long time, although SinJu hoped YuSan would give up soon, as it had always happened when they fought. This didn’t happen though, something that surprised even him. Even so, SinJu didn’t ask YuSan anything about this when they finally pulled back from each other and sheltered to lick their wounds. Only in the end when he felt that YuSan calmed down did he take the phone out of his pocket and look at the watch. „It’s been a quarter an hour since I left,” he said in a half voice.
„And? What’s this supposed to mean?” YuSan asked, spitting the blood from his mouth. „Should it be something important?”
„Yes,” replied SinJu drily. „Why? Because it’s exactly the right time for my driver to call the cops. So, keep your mouth shut while I call him.” After that, SinJu called his driver and ordered him not to do anything else but wait. Then, when So Hun told him that the order was clear to him, SinJu stuck his back to the wall and, looking in front but not at YuSan, whom he heard breathing heavily, he said, „Han DooSan is behind us again, and this isn’t something good already.”
YuSan frowned. „Can I know why?” He asked after a few moments of silence.
„Honestly? I also don’t know much. Yet, I guess that’s because he lost his mind. Otherwise, I can’t explain to myself why he’s behind us when he should mourn his girlfriend.”
YuSan squinted at him. „Girlfriend? Are you saying that our beloved brother decided that life is sweet and he can live it?”
„Yes,” said SinJu, grinning. „Of course, he lives his life because others haven’t touched his throat yet. Something you did to me, although I thought that once we were brothers we’d be forever. Nevertheless, it seems to me that you care more about Han DooSan than about me.”
„Give me a break!” Said YuSan, lying on the cold dusty floor. „Even so, tell me: who’s the unlucky one? The one who messed with Han DooSan, I mean.”
„The same girl as always,” replied SinJu calmly. Then, he was amazed to see YuSan suddenly sitting and looking at him, stunned, while waiting for his next reaction.
To his great surprise, YuSan took thoughts, something that wasn’t particular to him. Why? Because, in such cases when he heard that a Han was happy, YuSan was completely losing his mind, tearing apart everything he met in his way. At that moment though, he seemed so calm, as though he was trying to clear his mind. Something he couldn’t do eventually because the thoughts about „Ian SolHi” overwhelmed him. Hearing YuSan whispering her name, SinJu winced.
„Do you still remember her?” SinJu asked his brother, surprised, supporting his elbows from his knees and pushing his body a little in front. Thus, he saw the slight gesture made by YuSan as though saying that he remembered her. „But… why?” SinJu asked again, in amazement. „I thought she was another random victim. Or… do you remember the face of all those you got rid of?”
„Do you think I’m stupid?” YuSan asked, glaring at him. „To reveal to you my thoughts, I mean.”
„Just making conversation, dude,” mumbled SinJu drily. „I was just curious to find out whom you got rid of.”
„Including „brothers,” and you know that,” YuSan said, smiling. „You remember that I got rid of one of our „brothers” eight years ago, right?”
The last sentence made SinJu wince, looking terrified at YuSan. The reason? He suddenly remembered whom YuSan got rid of eight years ago, just as he remembered that his brother had also been about to get rid of him. „Something he can do any time because… I don’t think that he has ever stopped thinking about this.”
„You are actually right,” YuSan told him, as though reading SinJu’s mind, making this one wince again. „I can also get rid of you. Something I’ll do for sure if you surprise me again as you did last night. It won’t be at all difficult for me to do that and I’ll have no remorse after that.”
Hearing him talking like that, SinJu swallowed hard. Then, he said, „Yeah, I’m aware of that, just as I’m also aware that you have lost your skills.” His words made YuSan attentive, squinting at him because he didn’t understand what SinJu meant. „I’m talking about last night,” this one explained to him. „Particularly, I’m talking about the sawmill where someone witnessed your crime.”
„Surprise me with something else,” YuSan growled.
By saying this, he managed to surprise SinJu again. „Did you know that?” He asked YuSan after a short while.
„Of course, I knew that. I saw that bitch with my eyes. She poked her nose in my business although she shouldn’t have done that. Even so, she did that, destroying a place that I loved, a place I’ve gotten rid of because of her by putting fire to it. Not only because of her but also because of you because… you involved me in this shit last night. If you had been smarter, we wouldn’t have been here right now.”
„We wouldn’t have been here if you had done your job well eight years ago,” SinJu growled, barely controlling his anger. After that, he stood up and approached YuSan, squatting in front of him and staring at his brother, who kept using his inhaler. „Why? Because… if you hadn’t left that bitch alive then, we wouldn’t have been in problems now.”
YuSan grinned. „Now it’s my fault that you are stupid? No, bro: the one who’s always stupid and crosses our beloved little brother’s way, Han DooSan’s path, is you. Or… have you already forgotten that?”
„No, I haven’t forgotten anything, just as I won’t ever forget why I can’t swallow that idiot. A reason that’s related to you, by the way. Or… should I remind you of that reason too?”
„Not necessary,” said YuSan, standing up. „I can handle this myself. To remember things, I mean.” Then, suddenly feeling the pain sneaking into his bones, pain caused by asthma, he went and sat on another chair he had hidden there.
YuSan didn’t sit on that chair too long because SinJu suddenly approached him. And, grabbing him by the clothes, without YuSan doing something to stay against him, he forced him to stand up and, staring into his eyes, SinJu told him, „Of course, I’ll „help” you to remember this always, „brother.” The reason? If I hadn’t been there for you, you would have been dead a long time ago. I’ve taken care of this not to happen just to help you and allow you to calmly kill others. For this and many others, you should always be grateful to me, YuSan. If not, I swear that your secret will be known by everybody in this world, and you know that I have no mercy when I promise something like that.”
YuSan grinned. „Are you threatening me right now?”
„I just remind you about certain… things. Predict, better said - something that can happen to you at any time. Why? It’s a clock bomb about to explode and kill you too.”
„Something that can also happen to you, SinJu. Don’t forget that. Why? Because… we are brothers?”
„I would have preferred this not to be true. Yet, once I can’t change that, and you either, we should at least make sure we won’t lose anything from what belongs to us. We should also do everything we can to take back what’s ours. How? By killing Han DooSan! Yes, get rid of him, once and for all, or I swear I’ll get rid of you and my hand won’t shake to do that!”
Saying this and looking with hatred into YuSan’s eyes, whom he considered his worst enemy although the same blood flowed through their veins, just as YuSan was doing, SinJu turned his back and headed toward the exit door. He didn’t even look back while descending the stairs, convinced that his „advice” was heard and, as long as the monster YuSan had the order to fulfill, he wouldn’t have ever touched him. SinJu was also convinced that his „brother” would help him to get rid of problems that time too.
„Something I’ll do no matter what, SinJu,” YuSan growled eventually. „I’ll get rid of our „brother.” Yet, I’m not doing this for you. I do this for me because I deserve each drop of blood I spill. Yes, I really deserve that because… the Hans trampled me under their feet for too long. I’ll pay them back for having considered me weak and tried to subdue me. And, once I take my revenge on them and I take back what belongs to me, I swear I’ll get rid of you too, SinJu. I’ll do that just because you are nobody. Even so, you keep demanding me to do things for you, something I hate and you know. Something you’ll stop doing once I’ll be the only king in our family!”