Chapter 1: Shadows of the Past
The steady hum of machinery filled the dimly lit workshop as Park Daegon tightened the final bolt on a motorcycle’s engine. The fluorescent light overhead flickered, casting shadows across his grease-streaked hands. Outside, the distant buzz of Seoul’s nightlife echoed faintly, a stark contrast to the quiet haven Daegon had built for himself.
“Another late night, huh?” muttered Choi Jisung, leaning against the doorway with a steaming cup of instant coffee. His ever-present grin and casual demeanor were a sharp contrast to Daegon’s stoic silence.
Daegon wiped his hands on a rag and glanced at the clock—11:47 PM. “People like their bikes ready by morning,” he replied, his voice low and gravelly.
“People don’t know how to sleep either,” Jisung chuckled, taking a sip. “But hey, at least you’ve got me for company. Otherwise, you’d be talking to your tools.”
Daegon didn’t respond, his mind drifting to the quiet life he’d chosen. The workshop was his sanctuary, a place where the clang of metal drowned out the memories of his past—memories he had buried deep.
But the past has a way of catching up.
As Jisung rambled on about a new ramen place he wanted to try, Daegon’s phone buzzed on the workbench. He hesitated before picking it up. The screen displayed an unknown number, and a single message:
“It wasn’t an accident. Find the truth.”
His heart skipped a beat. The words pulled him back to a night he’d tried to forget—a mission gone wrong, his brother’s voice on the radio, and then silence.
“Something wrong?” Jisung asked, noticing the change in Daegon’s expression.
“No,” Daegon muttered, slipping the phone into his pocket. “Just spam.”
Jisung didn’t press further, but Daegon’s mind was already racing. Who sent the message? And why now, after all these years?
Later that night, as Daegon locked up the shop, the sound of hurried footsteps caught his attention. He turned to see a woman sprinting down the alley, her face illuminated by the pale glow of a streetlight. She was clutching a bag tightly, her breath ragged.
Behind her, three men closed in, their faces masked by shadows. One of them shouted, “You think you can run forever, lady?”
Daegon watched, his instincts kicking in. The woman darted into the alley, but her foot caught on a loose brick, sending her sprawling to the ground. The men advanced, their laughter echoing in the narrow space.
Without thinking, Daegon stepped forward. “Hey,” he called out, his voice cold and steady. “Back off.”
The largest of the three turned, sizing him up. “Mind your own business, old man.”
Old man? Daegon raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t in his thirties yet, but the long nights and quiet solitude had aged him in ways he didn’t realize.
The men moved toward him, confident in their numbers. Daegon sighed, rolling his shoulders. “You had your chance.”
The fight was over in seconds. Daegon’s movements were precise and brutal—a knee to the stomach, an elbow to the jaw, and a swift kick that sent the last man sprawling. The three thugs groaned on the ground as Daegon turned to the woman.
“You okay?” he asked, offering her a hand.
She hesitated, her wide eyes filled with a mix of fear and gratitude. “I… yeah, I think so.”
“Good,” Daegon said, glancing at the men. “You should get out of here.”
The woman nodded, but as she stood, she suddenly recognized him. “Wait… I know you. You’re Park Daegon, right?”
Daegon froze, his name sounding foreign after years of hiding. “Who are you?”
“I’m Han Sooyeon,” she said quickly. “I’m a journalist. I’ve been looking for you.”
Daegon’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
Sooyeon glanced at the unconscious thugs before meeting his gaze. “Because you might be the only one who can help me expose the biggest story of my career—and take down the most dangerous man in Seoul.”
