Kill Your X Chapter 68

“The signal is really unstable, huh? Maybe it’s because we’re surrounded by mountains. Hyun Jin, can you check yours too?”

“One moment.”

Hyun Jin turned on his phone, tried something, and then made the same sss sound as Detective Nam.

“It’s just cutting out a lot? The signal isn’t completely gone, but it’s annoyingly slow. This area isn’t that far from the metropolitan area, even if it’s less developed, so why is it like this?”

“This happens sometimes. That’s why when they develop new residential complexes, they install separate communication repeaters in so-called ‘forest-sphere’ areas. But there are no private houses nearby, and if it’s been left like this all this time, of course no one would have thought to step up and install one.”

“Is it so bad we can’t stream at all? That would be a huge problem.”

“Gyujin, you wait here for a moment. Hyun Jin, let’s do one more test with me.”

Detective Nam created a temporary account and did a broadcast rehearsal with Hyun Jin. It was a good plan to broadcast the scene of us discovering the evidence of the disappearance case in real-time, but the problem was that I rarely watch such broadcasts, so I had no knowledge about it. It was a huge relief that Hyun Jin was at least knowledgeable in this area.

“Hmm. Still, after trying it, I think it’ll be okay. The signal is unstable so the broadcast might cut off occasionally, but isn’t that the charm of live broadcasting?”

“The key is what it will be like when we get higher up.”

“The location where the bodies are buried is probably about halfway up the mountain, so we just have to hope the situation isn’t too different from now. If everyone’s ready, shall we start climbing now?”

With me in the lead, the three of us began to climb the mountain. There were no established trails for hikers, so it literally felt like a wilderness experience. As we were skillfully making our way up, I noticed Hyun Jin’s shoes belatedly and sighed. Of all things, they were white, and at a glance, they looked like a brand-new pair he hadn’t worn for long.

“Sorry. I should have told you beforehand to wear hiking boots or some old shoes. Your new shoes are going to get covered in dirt.”

“Sunbae. I’m really saying this with the mindset that there’s no tree that won’t fall after ten chops. After this is all over, will you officially….”

“How much are those? I’ll buy you a pair that’s at least twice as expensive. No, I’ll buy you several pairs. From now on, I’m just going to spend money like crazy and live wildly.”

As I spoke a little flippantly, the light in Hyun Jin’s eyes died. I’m sorry, but it can’t be helped. I’m a taken man right now.

After a very brief moment of silence, Hyun Jin spoke again.

“Hoo, Sunbae. Still, maybe things won’t get as bad as you think. What does collective punishment even mean in this day and age? People’s opinions might be a little divided about you keeping quiet for almost ten years, but how easy is it for a child to report their own parent?”

Hyun Jin painted a hopeful future, saying that if packaged well, I could even be portrayed as a hero.

“That would be nice, but if not, I’ll have to accept it.”

“What did you do wrong, Sunbae?”

“Honestly, I’ve had an easy life so far. I never felt any lack, at least financially, while growing up. That means I’ve been living high on the hog on top of the corruption my father committed. Do you think that sin is a light one? Ah, I think I turned here.”

Because the mountain was unmanaged, my feet sank in with every step. Piles of dry leaves crunched underfoot with an annoying sound wherever we walked. Due to the tall, long-branched trees, the forest was somewhat dark even though it was midday. It seemed that at night, it would be difficult to even notice an enemy close by.

[ NO TRESPASSING ]

Beware of Wild Animals

About halfway up the mountain, we came across a long rope with a warning sign hanging from it. The passage of time was clearly visible on the faded sign, which had bold, bright red letters. Hikers who unknowingly climbed the mountain would most likely turn back here.

“Sunbae, do we have to cross this?”

“Yeah. Detective, be careful not to tear your clothes.”

We squeezed our bodies between the wire ropes as if doing the limbo. At Detective Nam’s agile movement, Hyun Jin clapped by reflex.

“Wow, cool. You looked just like a detective from a movie just now.”

“I am still a detective. Though I won’t be for long.”

After brushing the dirt off his knees, Detective Nam looked back at me. I moved forward, trying to retrace my memories of the past as much as possible. Besides the old warning sign we had just passed, there were a few more elements that could identify the location where the bodies were buried.

“Phew, the mountain looked small before we started climbing, but now that I’m actually on it, it’s not at all?”

Before long, Hyun Jin let out a groan. When the youngest and biggest of the three of us said that, Detective Nam lightly chided him.

“A young person getting tired from just this much, how are you going to dig later? Are all those muscles on your body just for show?”

“Aish, Detective. These muscles and the muscles for shoveling have different uses. Still, to get my biceps this big, I ate so much chicken breast… Hmm? What’s that?”

We all stopped in our tracks as if on cue. Halfway up the mountain, in a rather random location, there was a small cabin. Its exterior was a dark, reddish-brown color, so we almost missed it and walked right past.

“That’s a relief. If the scene was different from my memory after coming all this way, I would have really gone to get psychiatric treatment.”

“Is that what I think it is? The kind of fort soldiers used to hide in during the war?”

“It looks more like a temporary shelter for hunters. Gyujin, are the bodies inside there?”

“The bodies are buried near here. Inside that cabin, there’s probably something my father used to lure the victims. I don’t know exactly what it is, but let’s go in and see.”

Making up our minds was the easy part. We soon hit a snag. The cabin’s only door was sealed shut with a chain.

Hyun Jin quickly circled the cabin and made a big X with his hands.

“There’s a small window on the back, but it’s blocked with a piece of wood from the inside, so we can’t see in.”

“Gyujin. Do you know where the key to this lock is?”

“I don’t know either. I think we’ll have to break it and go in for now.”

Detective Nam struck the lock repeatedly and forcefully with the shovel we had brought. There was only a jarring clang, but the multi-layered chain didn’t budge. As Detective Nam pondered, Hyun Jin offered his opinion from the side.

“The front door seems tough because of the chain. I think it would be better to target the window in the back. That’s just wood, so couldn’t we break it easily by hitting it with a shovel or ramming it with our bodies?”

“Make sense. Let’s say we break the window in the back. Who among us can fit through that tiny opening?”

As it happened, all three men gathered here were strapping lads over 180 cm tall. In terms of weight, I might be the lightest, but even so, it was impossible to squeeze through a space that was only about half the size of a normal window.

The sun, which had been directly overhead, moved to a slightly slanted position. Time flowed on, regardless of our anxious hearts.

“Detective. The chain, I think I might be able to break it.”

“It’ll be difficult. I tried it once on another case, and no matter how old they look, these iron locks have a strong hold from the inside.”

I took three steps back and pulled out the gun hidden at my back. At that, Detective Nam and Hyun Jin freaked out.

“Heok, Sun, Sunbae!”

“Hey, hey! Where did you get that?”

Detective Nam, abandoning all formalities, tried to rush at me.

“Both of you, stand back! You’ll get hurt if shrapnel flies!”

Squinting one eye, I aimed the gun at the lock. It was the first time I had held a gun since being discharged from the military, so I was trembling.

Bang! Bang!

The first shot was slightly off, but the second bullet hit the body of the lock. The shattered lock clattered onto the dirt floor. Detective Nam and Hyun Jin’s eyes were wider than I had ever seen them since I’d known them.

“Sunbae… are we… is this… really, really okay?”

“Don’t just stand there, come over here and help me undo the chain. There are no more knots, right?”

As I was unwrapping the chain, which smelled of gunpowder, Detective Nam approached. I expected to get an earful for possessing an illegal firearm, but surprisingly, he silently helped me with the chain.

“Guts must run in the family. Still, it’s a relief the son’s head is screwed on straight.”

Clang! I threw down the chain that had sealed the cabin shut for so long. After taking a deep breath, Detective Nam grabbed the doorknob firmly and pulled.