Warning: this chapter contains bladed weapons and disturbing scenes
A few hours earlier
Despite his older brother's persistent calls, Jenyeong still hadn't left his house. He was waiting for the cake in the oven to finish baking. He had carefully prepared it for Taeyeon, the one he loved so much.
Once the cake was ready, he quickly got changed and sent a message to Taeyeon before getting in his car. After receiving a positive reply, he hit the road.
After handing over the cake, just as he was about to leave, Taeyeon had asked him to stay. But Jenyeong had business to take care of, and he had to go. A nearly hour-long drive awaited him. Deep in a vast forest filled with thick trees, there was a secret underground facility that no one could ever find.
Inside this facility, in a gray-walled room lined with various knives and sharp tools, Jenyeong's older brother, his closest friend, and a man tied to a chair with his hands and mouth bound were waiting for him.
"Where the hell have you been? We've been waiting for hours," his brother said with irritation.
"Nice to see you too, Chanyeong. I gave the cake I made for Taeyeon and came straight here."
"So basically, you're late because you were trying to please that bastard again," Wooyeong scoffed.
"Jenyeong, he doesn't like you. Just accept it and stop wasting your time."
"No, he does like me. He just doesn't realize it yet. But he will soon."
"Yeah, sure he will."
"He just asked me to stay with him a moment ago. If I didn't have to be here, I'd be with Taeyeon right now. But this is his fault too. Whenever I'm free, I go to see him, and he ignores me. But the moment I get busy, that's when he wants me around."
"Ugh, whatever. We'll talk about this later. Right now, we have a more important matter—dealing with this guy."
"Wooyeong's right, Jenyeong. Come on, take a look at him."
Jenyeong stepped closer to the man tied to the chair and removed the piece of cloth covering his eyes, locking his gaze with the man's terrified one. Fear was evident in the man's eyes. Before Jenyeong arrived, Wooyeong and Chanyeong had already beaten him badly — the bruises on his face and arms were proof of it.
There was no trace left of the gentle boy who had just delivered a cake. Now, a chilling smile curved Jenyeong's lips — the kind that made your skin crawl. He stared at the man with sheer contempt, then began speaking to his brother without breaking eye contact with their captive.
"So, what exactly is this rat guilty of?"
"He delivered a damaged organ," Chanyeong replied. "And then tried to demand more money, claiming the payment was short. It's not the first time he's pulled something like this. Wooyeong caught him last night."
"Well, well... look at this little rat," Jenyeong sneered. "Thought he could play smart, but couldn't even pull it off properly."
He reached for a scalpel-like tool from the nearby table and gently traced it across the man's cheek — just enough to cut the skin. Blood began to seep from the shallow wounds.
"Did you really think you were clever?" Jenyeong asked, his tone mocking.
The man groaned, tears streaming down his face, trying to scream, but the cloth gag in his mouth muffled every sound.
"What kind of punishment would suit you, hmm?" Jenyeong mused aloud, feigning deep thought. "Ah! I've got it. How about this?"
He bent down, pulled open a drawer beneath the table, and retrieved a small box filled with thin, gleaming needles.
"How about we drive every one of these into your eyes?"
The man's eyes widened in sheer terror, but Jenyeong only smiled more brightly as he took out the needles one by one, like a child about to start a fun little game.
Chanyeong and Wooyeong stood by, watching in silence. Neither of them reacted — they were far too used to Jenyeong's sadistic tendencies by now.
Wanting to hear the man's screams more clearly, Jenyeong finally pulled the cloth from his mouth. The room was immediately filled with the sound of begging.
"Please, for God's sake, have mercy on me! I'll do whatever you want!"
"God can't save you now. So either shut up or I'll cut out your tongue. I can't stand people who talk too much."
"I beg you, sir, please… I'll do anything you say!"
"Then shut your mouth. You're getting on my nerves."
"Please have mercy—AGGHH!"
Jenyeong had already started stabbing the man's eye with the needles in his hand.
The only sounds left in the room were the man's tortured screams and Jenyeong's delighted laughter.
He was clearly enjoying himself. He continued this gruesome act until there were no needles left. After stabbing the last one, he closed his eyes for a moment and listened to the man's cries in satisfaction.
"Alright, that's enough. Let's wrap this up," he said, stretching his hand toward his brother.
Chanyeong knew exactly what that meant. Without making him wait, he handed the gun resting on the table to Jenyeong. As always, Jenyeong pressed the barrel against the man's forehead and pulled the trigger. A single shot ended the screaming forever.
He then stepped aside, giving his brother space. It was Chanyeong's job to remove the hearts.
Chanyeong picked up a scalpel and started performing his part of the ritual.
Meanwhile, Wooyeong left the room and came back holding a jar filled with water. They always placed the hearts of their victims inside these jars. In another room, they displayed them like trophies. Once Chanyeong finished his task, it was Wooyeong's turn.
He picked up a rod that had been heated at high temperature and pressed it against the victim's neck, leaving the mafia's symbol burned into the skin. With all steps complete, only one thing remained—disposing of the body. They carried the corpse to a field a few kilometers away from the forest and left it in a spot where it could be found easily. They crossed the arms over the victim's chest and headed back to the forest.
There was blood to clean up. That part usually fell to Chanyeong, who always did it the most thoroughly.
Once Chanyeong had finished his part, they did a final check and left the forest, heading to one of the mafia's usual hangouts — a bar they frequently visited. Inside, aside from the bartender, the place was empty. The bartender was an old man who had once served the mafia for years as a hitman.
He had also mentored Chanyeong during his early years. After a while, he decided to retire and took up a quieter life behind the bar, serving drinks to the mafia members who came there to unwind. Most members valued his advice and often sought his wisdom to better themselves.
"Hey, Hyung! How are you doing?"
"Ah, Chanyeong... I'm getting too old for that 'Hyung' title now. But I'm doing fine. And you? I hear you've been pretty busy lately?"
"Ugh, don't even ask, Mr. Park! Thanks to my dear father, he's dumped a mountain of work on us this month!" Jenyeong replied.
Mr. Park chuckled lightly.
"Has Boss Kim been working you all too hard again?"
"Jenyeong's exaggerating, Hyung. Just the usual jobs. Can I get a beer?"
"Of course. And for you, Mr. Jenyeong and Mr. Wooyeong, the usual, gentlemen?"
"I'll skip drinking today, Mr. Park, but thank you," Wooyeong said.
"I'll have mine, though. Go ahead and pour it," Jenyeong added.
"As you wish, sir."
Mr. Park poured Jenyeong his favorite red wine and brought Chanyeong a beer.
"Mr. Jenyeong, may I ask you something?"
"Ah, of course."
"You're the one they're talking about on the news, aren't you? The one they call the Eclipse Killer?"
"Yes, that's me. Though I have to thank my brother and Wooyeong — they've been quite helpful."
Mr. Park paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before speaking again.
"You remind me of Boss Kim, sir."
"Me?" Jenyeong asked, pointing to himself.
"Yes. Your father was just like you. Back in the day, everyone thought he was just a kid who wouldn't amount to anything. But he proved them all wrong. He became the most ruthless killer of his time and went on to establish the mafia. He was harsh and terrifying."
"Am I terrifying too?" Jenyeong asked, tilting his head to the side and pouting.
"I wouldn't dare say, sir. What I mean is — there's a spark in you, just like he had. Maybe it's because you resemble him so much."
"I agree with you, Hyung," Chanyeong chimed in. "Jenyeong reminds me of our father too. Honestly, the reason we even joined this world was because of him. He used to go on and on about how he wanted to be like our dad. That's why we're here now."
Jenyeong simply smiled. They stayed at the bar for a while, chatting casually. But their peace was interrupted when Wooyeong received a phone call.
"Sir, we found the man you wanted us to track down."
"Where are you?"
"We brought him to the warehouse, sir."
"Alright, I'm coming."
Wooyeong hung up, grabbed his jacket, and headed for the door.
"What happened?" Chanyeong asked.
"There's a guy who pissed me off a while back."
"Can I come too? Staying here with Chanyeong is too boring, and I don't feel like going home."
"Fine, but you're just watching, alright?"
"Whatever you say, boss~"
And with that, Jenyeong and Wooyeong walked out of the bar together, while Chanyeong silently watched them from behind.
...
"If your brother saw you doing this, he'd have thrown you in jail on the spot," Jenyeong said from his chair as his friend gave the corpse one last kick.
"Don't worry. If I end up going to jail, I'll make sure to take you all with me," Wooyeong joked.
"Whatever. So what was your problem with this guy? Why'd you kill him?"
"You remember when I got shot in the leg on our way back from that ferry job?"
"Yeah?"
"He was the bastard who pulled the trigger."
"Son of a bitch."
After signaling his men to get rid of the body, Wooyeong sat next to Jenyeong and lit a cigarette.
"Don't smoke that damn thing next to me! I can't breathe."
"Sorry, I won't do it again," Wooyeong said, blowing smoke right into Jenyeong's face.
"What the hell are you doing, you idiot?!" Jenyeong gave him a light punch on the shoulder, clearly annoyed. Wooyeong enjoyed getting on his nerves.
"Hurry up and finish that thing so we can go home. It's getting late. I'm sooo tired."
"As you wish, Mr. Jenyeong~"
Riinnggg. Jenyeong's phone rang.
"Who's calling at this hour?"
"How should I know? Great timing, really…"
Jenyeong pulled the phone from his pocket, and as soon as he saw the screen, his expression changed. A smirk crept onto his face.
He turned to Wooyeong, who was watching him curiously, and showed him the screen.
"Ugh, don't answer it. I can't stand that useless bastard," Wooyeong muttered. No one hated Taeyeon more than he did.
Of course, Jenyeong didn't listen. He answered the call without hesitation.
...
"Look at him, pretending like their business isn't done yet. What a liar. As if you aren't dying to go see him," Wooyeong mocked, referring to Jenyeong's call with Taeyeon.
"What was I supposed to do? Say yes right away?"
"No, no, good job. Play hard to get."
"Exactly. Now finish that and let's go."
When Jenyeong arrived at Taeyeon's house, the first thing he noticed was how happy the beloved prosecutor looked to see him.
Even if Taeyeon tried to deny it that night, Jenyeong knew the truth—he felt something too. He was certain of it, just as certain as he was of his own name. One day, Taeyeon would realize it too.
Jenyeong already knew how to manipulate him. After their conversation that night, he'd pretended to be upset. But in truth, he wasn't hurt at all. He simply knew that, sooner or later, Taeyeon would fall for him.
Now, all he had to do was make himself even more unforgettable.
What he didn't know, however, was that Taeyeon was already thinking about him all the time.