By the time Detective Kang Jae-Min reached Choi Hyun-Soo's apartment, the sky had turned to a slate-gray dusk, with sheets of mist crawling through the streets like restless spirits.
He let himself in without knocking — a habit from years of partnership.
The old detective was sitting at his cluttered dining table, nursing a cup of bitter coffee and flipping through crime reports.
"Thought you'd be holed up in Seoul for a while longer," Hyun-Soo grunted, not looking up.
"I should be," Jae-Min said, dropping into the seat across from him. "But Busan's bleeding out again."
Hyun-Soo sighed, rubbing a hand over his weathered face. "More bodies?"
"Five last night. All Ji-Yeon's men. No witnesses. No camera feeds. Same M.O. as the others."
Hyun-Soo's brows knitted together. "And you're thinking…?"
"That it's the same ghost we've been chasing since last fall."
Jae-Min tossed a folder onto the table. Photos spilled out — crime scene shots, body bags, locations marked on a map. All connected by a pattern no one else had noticed. Or maybe no one else wanted to.
"He's methodical. No fingerprints, no DNA. Always alone. Hits fast, disappears. And whoever it is — he's making a point."
Hyun-Soo studied the photos, his jaw tightening.
"It's not gang retaliation," Jae-Min continued. "I think it's personal."
Hyun-Soo met his gaze, a silent understanding passing between them.
"Ji-Yeon's made enemies before," the older detective said. "But this feels different. Like someone's dismantling her from the inside out."
"And protecting someone while doing it," Jae-Min added quietly. "Her kid sister's being followed by ghosts too. Men watching her one day, gone the next. If this keeps up, Busan's going to implode."
Hyun-Soo cursed under his breath, leaning back in his chair.
"I've got Hana staying close," he said. "She's safer in Seoul for now. But Ji-Yeon's paranoia's rising. If we don't find this guy soon, she's going to start lashing out. Blood's going to flood the streets again."
Jae-Min rubbed his temples.
"I don't know what's worse — another war or this silent executioner picking them off one by one."
They sat in silence for a long moment, the room heavy with old cigarette smoke and unfinished worries.
Finally, Hyun-Soo spoke.
"Let's keep it off the books for now. If it's who I think it is… or what I think it is… we might not want the brass getting wind of it just yet."
Jae-Min nodded, a sick feeling in his stomach.
They both knew:
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
And the storm would break soon.