(Author left this warning at the beginning of novel.)
âWe aim for national, racial, and human rights equality, but discriminatory profanity and coercive scenes may appear in the work.â
(Tr*gger Warning for the attempted r*pe, abusive language, and violence in this chapter.)
When she stood on the side of the road and waved her hand, the electronic sign that says âUnoccupied â turned off and the taxi stopped.
Although it was late, the young driver greeted the guest kindly.
Ha-na, wearing a ball cap and carrying a bag full of English textbooks, nodded, and climbed into the back seat.
âMapo, in front of Yuseong Mart.â
âYeah, Yuseong Mart. Are you a student?â
âYes, well itâs late.â
âUgh, thatâs a lot of trouble. Thereâs water and drinks, so please feel free to drink.â
She glanced at the drinks in the center console that the driver spoke of, but she didnât touch them.
The taxi was quite comfortable. A protective plate was installed to maintain the distance from the driverâs seat, and there was a subtle smell of air freshener.
That means the driver is at least not a chainsmoker.
She felt like pickled plums. So, she yawned loudly and closed her eyes for a moment while the car stopped at the signal.
She thought she was fluent in a foreign language because she lived abroad for a long time, but the foreign language she learned for her license was different.
Anyone can speak, but to understand the structure of a language properly, Some study was needed.
She had been pushing herself for several months because over-indulgence is common once she gets hooked.
Of course, thatâs not the only reason she was tired. As soon as she finished class, she stopped by a convenience store and drank three cans of beer.
Even a shot of drink plays the role. Then, an unexpected situation appeared as soon as she opened her eyes.
Her heart was beating rapidly, and confusion arose as if she had suddenly been pulled out of water. The taxi was still running, and the guests had increased.
She checked who was in the passenger seat and asked the driver.
âDriver, not there yet?â
The driver, who looked back, smiled with his eyebrows drooping as if he was apologetic.
âYeah. Iâm sorry, miss. I took the wrong road and got stuck behind the car in the middle. Are you okay?â
âIt canât be helped. Please get there quickly. The fees areâŠâ
âDo not worry. You only have to pay half the fee.â
She frowned and soon noticed a familiar landmark in the distance, her panic start to cool off and she rested her head against the window again.
The driver was kind, and the man who was part of the joint ride was busy playing games on his cell phone. Frequently, the vibrating sound of a cell phone could be heard from the seat in front of her.
She fiddled with her cell phone and loosely inserted it into the front pocket of her bag.
âIâm arriving soon, soâŠâ
She just wanted the ride to finish quickly so she could go home and reorganize her vocabulary materials.
Soon she would be twenty-nine, and shortly afterwards the age thirty will follow through. Now was the time for a stable job.
When she thought of every minute and second of her life going to waste, Ha-na, who was leaning her head against the window, suddenly opened her eyes again. She must have dozed off again.
A dark and gloomy place without a single light.
Her focus sharpened quickly and noticed there was no one in the driverâs or front passengerâs seats.
She slowly stared out of her window, which was engulfed in darkness. The moment she sensed danger, the back door where she was sitting was opened.
The man who suddenly pushed himself in was the taxi driver from the driverâs seat. Surprised, she leaned back and the door opposite of her opened.
Another man then appeared from behind, and secured her body tightly with both arms. The hat was removed, and her long hair flowed down.
âOh what do we do? you picked up a criminal, not a passenger, driver?â one man said with a smirk.
They were treating her like she was invisible, they chuckled between themselves, and the driver grabbed her leg.
âWow, what a hard face. You must have a temper.â
âHey, I didnât think she drank anything. Will it be okay?â
âShit, thatâs what Iâm saying. I was shocked because of how strong the alcohol smell was.â
âHey, arenât we going to be screwed?â
âShe can try and report it if she wants to. We can kill her.â
Then, a sharp metal tip pressed against her neck. She couldnât tell whether it was a knife or a mere tool used to threaten her because she couldnât see it.
Then the man restraining her from behind put his hand inside her shirt. Excited just by rubbing her chest, he started rubbing his erect member against her waist.
Soon the driver holding her leg started groping at the leggings she was wearing, breathing heavily with a reddened face.
Ha-na warned the men by glaring at them as if they were pathetic.
âDonât you want me to do it?â
âWow, youâre classy. Is this a new thing? Youâre talking so f**king weird. Are you scared?â
âYeah, Iâm scared. So, if you stop here, I wonât be mad. You bastard.â
âShut up, you punk. Before Iâll use your face as a mop.â
The driver, who uttered the vulgar words, lowered his pants and pulled out his member. Then he warned quite strongly.
âIf you bite, your hair will fly away.â
The metal that touched her neck pressed into the skin even harder. She was then convinced that it was a crudely made imitation knife that was pressed against her neck. But anything with a sharp tip, no matter how crude, can be a weapon.
She pursed her lips and looked up at the excited man.
âBut, sheâs so pretty. I think Iâm going to lose it. Smells good too. Fuck.â
The man sitting at her back could not contain his excitement. Her lower back was wet.
With that terrible and irritating sensation, her patience was gradually going downhill.
âHurry up and open your mouth!â
The driver tapped her lips with his erection and grabbed her hair.
With her eyes raised, her lips draw an arc. An unusually relaxed, creepy smile. The bewildered manâs eyes contorted.
âYou⊠have you ever killed anyone?â Her tone of voice was calm, as if she was speaking to a friend.
âWhat? What are you talking about, damn it?â
âItâs a habit to prepare drinks with medicine, right?â
The lips of the man turned blue. He seemed to have concluded that this was an unusual turn of events, or she was a crazy b*tch.
ââŠHey, kill this b*tch.â
If thereâs nothing to say, itâs there.
She smiled and looked up at the man. She always smiled when she had nothing to say. The driverâs eyes widened at that angel-like face.
She pointed to her own neck, where the blade touched.
âIf youâre going to kill me, not here⊠Here. Iâll show you.â
It happened in an instant.
She seized the wrist holding the knife, redirected the aim and forced the man behind her to stab the driver in the chest. There was a terrible rupture sound as the muscle separated from the bones.
The manâs wrist twisted in a strange direction. She bent forward, pulling her leg back, and with all her might, kicked the driver in the stomach.
The knife was pulled out by the recoil and blood gushed out. The driverâs eyes rolled back, and he fell out of the taxi.
She slammed her elbow into the ribs of the guy behind her, barely dodging the knife. The throbbing pain made the man bend over, unable to breathe.
As she got out of the taxi, she struck the driver, who was trembling as he attempted to crawl away, on the back of the neck. There was a cracking sound and he passed out.
Looking down at her wet, slippery clothes, she frowned and approached the taxi. The man, who had just opened the back door and was attempting to escape, began to tremble with terror.
âCome on, come on, come on, I was wrongâŠ!â
âHey, I was drunk! Spare meâŠâ
âThe law has been changed to magnify the punishment for sexual offenses in a state of mental and physical weakness⊠You donât even watch the news, do you?â
âNo, I mean⊠thatâs not it!â
Now, he was shivering and wheezing with shortness of breath. Seeing the droopy, repulsive genitalia and the pale, lifeless face reminded her of the sensation of the ejaculation on her back. She felt like swearing but decided not to let the words slip out of her mouth.
âAre you scared? Donât worry, the Korean police will save you. But I have a personal request. Please donât pull your dick out, tuck it away and go. Yes? Itâs very disgusting.â
Suddenly, a police car siren sounded from afar.
She kicked the manâs face, which had an expression of joy as if he had met a savior, like a soccer ball.
The manâs chin whips to the side with a crackle sound, and he slowly falls to the ground.
Crimes against children, the elderly and the socially disadvantaged must be eradicated.
Then, a van with its warning lights blaring, stopped loudly with the screech of tires.
âLee Ha-na, you bastard! I told you not to kill them!â Jeon Yu-cheol shouted as he jumped out of the van.
He was a very ugly-looking man today. Heâs tall and has a nice body, but thatâs just too much. Like a sample of a macho man. Jeon Yu-cheol often looked more like a gang member than a homicide detective.
She responded harshly to Jeon Yu-cheol, who was running wildly on the road.
âI didnât kill him. Donât kill me.â
âYou punk! This is what murder looks like!â
âI was drinking. This is enough defense due to mental and physical weakness. I know itâs self-defense.â
âHey, thatâs enough. Call 119. Quickly!â
The detectives, who got out of the five police cars that followed the van, laughed at the bloodied criminals.
The handcuffed criminals couldnât move, they just laid in the dirt and trembled until the ambulance arrived.
The surrounding area that quickly became a crime scene, was a construction site with a logo of the construction company. Construction has been halted for a while due to the exercise of a lien.
So, there was nobody around.
Ha-na looked at Jeon Yu-cheol and pointed to the shirt he was wearing.
âTake it off, old man.â
Jeon Yu-cheol, startled, covered his chest and looked her up and down.
âIs this sexual harassment?â
âYeah, take it off. Hurry up. Itâs uncomfortable.â
She turned around and pointed at her shirt.
âThat bastard made a mess.â
âHey, f*ck that bastardâŠ!â
âI canât go like this. Well, Iâll take a shower as soon as I get there.â
Jeon Yu-cheol took off his shirt while spewing all types of swear words. She grabbed the shirt he had taken off and grinned.
She went to the taxi and took out her cell phone from the front pocket of her bag. She then stopped the file she was still recording, and she transferred the file to Yu-cheolâs cell phone.
âItâs evidence. Recordings collected at the scene of the crime. He threatened me with a knife, attempted murder, sexual assault, he ejaculated on my body, and he threatened me with harassment and intimidation. Itâs all in there.â
âWow, did you record everything in the midst of all this?â
âItâs to make sure that thereâs no escape due to insufficient evidence. If I see them again, I will kill you.â
Yu-cheolâs colleagues, who stared blankly at her back as she headed to a corner to change her shirt, poured out questions as if they had been waiting.
âWho is that? Are you really her junior?â
âWerenât you an actor?â
âDid she come from another team? That person made this much trouble by herself? Oh my god.â
The faces of the juniors were relaxed, as if they were enjoying a drink. In the eyes of homicide detectives, who did not blink an eye despite the harsh situation, Lee Ha-na was unusual.
Itâs not unusual, itâs amazing.
Yu-cheol, who lit the cigarette he took out after taking off his clothes, gave a serious warning with a grin.
âHey. Whatever you think, itâs up to you, but donât try to get involved with her. Because none of the humans who made eye contact with Lee Han-na are alive. Donât forget.â
Then, he shook away the unsettling feeling sweeping over his arms with a motion that did not match his large frame.
âThatâs not a person. Thatâs a weapon⊠a murder weapon.â