A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 75

Jae-wook Kang and his men, who had been mocking and sneering the entire time, suddenly fell silent.

A surge of rage crashed through me, sending a sharp pain to my chest.

What happens now?

Just because Choi Taejoon did that, it’s not like Jae-wook Kang is going to say, “Alright! You did what I asked, so both of you can go home now.”

There might not be a way for either of us to make it out of this situation unscathed. No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t think of a way out.

Jae-wook clicked his tongue a few times before mumbling as if talking to himself.

“…This is boring. Dull, uninteresting.”

Then, with a look of indifference, he slowly lowered the knife he had been holding against my throat.

As if Taejoon no longer mattered, he turned to me with a bright smile, locking eyes with me.

“Woo Kyung, shall we try a fun little test?”

There was no doubt in my mind—whatever he was thinking was completely deranged. The way he looked at me, with perfectly ordinary eyes, only made it more terrifying.

“W-what test…?”

I tried to predict what he was about to do next.

“A reaction speed test for Choi Taejoon.”

This bastard.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Jae-wook tilted my chair back against the windowsill, then—

“Goodbye. See you around, Woo Kyung.”

“Wait—Wait! Hold on!”

Without hesitation, he shoved me out the window.

My legs flailed in the air, my body tipping forward, my head plunging toward the ground.

Jae-wook Kang, you lunatic—!

From the moment he woke up, Choi Taejoon felt something was off. His hospital room was quiet, yet there was an unsettling sense of disorder. It was still and silent, but somehow, it felt busy. In short, it wasn’t the usual atmosphere.

Maybe it was because Mr. Kim hadn’t shown up all morning. Or maybe it was because Woo Kyung, who had been in and out constantly, was nowhere to be seen.

A few days ago, Woo Kyung had ranted about how if Taejoon didn’t kill him soon, he would leave the house. Since then, he hadn’t shown up.

Hearing such childish nonsense hadn’t even made Taejoon angry—if anything, it left him feeling anxious. The mere thought that Woo Kyung might actually do something reckless made him realize that he, too, was probably losing his mind.

But then again, what if something really had happened to Woo Kyung?

Surely, he hadn’t actually gone looking for someone else to do the job?

A sudden unease gnawed at him. He grabbed his phone, his fingers fidgeting as he powered it on.

“…….”

There were no new messages from Woo Kyung.

Only the old texts from long ago remained.

Just as he was about to call, an unknown number flashed on the screen.

Who was it?

An ominous feeling settled over him as he hesitated before answering.

—Huff… H-huff…

The sound of ragged breathing filled the line, so uneven and heavy that for a moment, it almost sounded like sobbing.

“Who is this?”

—Hah… Hic…

Under normal circumstances, he would have hung up immediately.

—Woo Kyung… is in danger…

Woo Kyung?

—T-they… got him… Jae… wook… Kang…

The person on the other end whispered weakly, struggling to form words, barely managing to string together a coherent sentence. And then—nothing.

“Hey. What did you just say?”

The call cut off. When he tried calling back, the phone was turned off.

“Is anyone outside?”

“Yes, sir. You called?”

It was one of the men who sometimes handled driving duties for him. Yoon, was it?

“Where’s Mr. Kim?”

“He hasn’t been answering since this morning.”

“Find out who owns this number.”

He handed Yoon his phone with the unknown number displayed.

“Oh. This is Kim Min-su’s number.”

Kim Min-su. He vaguely remembered Woo Kyung mentioning that name once or twice before.

“Where is he now?”

“He took leave today. Is something wrong, sir? Why would Min-su be calling you…?”

The pieces clicked into place in Taejoon’s mind.

“Jae-wook Kang. Mr. Kim. Woo Kyung. Find out where all three of them are right now. And gather everyone who’s ready to move.”

“Is this an operation? Understood, sir.”

Taejoon pushed himself out of bed.

The moment he moved too fast, sharp pain stabbed through the still-healing wound in his abdomen, causing him to grimace.

“Are you okay, sir?”

“Get my clothes.”

“If you’re planning to go out—”

“They’re in the closet. Hurry.”

Yoon hesitated but did as he was told, retrieving the clothes. When he saw Taejoon actually getting dressed, his nervousness only grew.

“Sir, I was told you absolutely cannot leave the hospital yet. You need to rest—”

The dying voice of Kim Min-su over the phone.

The sudden disappearance of Mr. Kim.

The warning that Woo Kyung was in danger—and the name of Jae-wook Kang.

“Move faster.”

“…Understood.”

As Yoon rushed out of the room, Taejoon caught his reflection in the small mirror attached to the wardrobe.

Dark, violent thoughts coiled inside him, impossible to suppress.

He always had to keep himself in check.

In this line of work, his impassive face and quiet demeanor had been invaluable assets.

Especially when facing an enemy, showing no emotion—no fear—was already half the battle won.

But now…

“Ha…”

Choi Taejoon wiped his sweat-drenched face with the palm of his hand, taking a deep breath.

All he had done was change clothes, yet cold sweat poured down his back like rain, and his breathing came in ragged gasps.

His condition was worse than he thought—his limbs felt unbearably heavy.

For the first time, a suffocating fear settled in his chest. What if this time, things don’t go well?

Just then, Yoon, who had finished his call, spoke up.

“Executive Director Kang is at his family’s estate. However…”

His hesitant voice trailed off.

“It seems… Woo Kyung is there with him. It’s not confirmed, but someone claims to have seen him. The description matches Woo Kyung’s appearance.”

“…Ugh.”

A faint groan escaped Taejoon’s lips.

“…Get me the strongest painkillers you can find.”

The ominous premonition that had been gnawing at him all morning was solidifying into reality.

“If something’s happening, leave it to us. Just give the order, and we’ll take care of it immediately.”

“Anything fast-acting. Bring it now.”

Swallowing the bitter lump of dread rising in his throat, Taejoon gritted his teeth. His fingers trembled as he buttoned up the last of his shirt.

It’ll be fine. Everything will be fine. Nothing will happen.

Clenching his fist, he tried to steady himself. He could only pray that Woo Kyung was unharmed. Losing him due to his own failure to protect him was not an option.

And now—

Taejoon clung with all his strength to the chair that hung precariously over the windowsill, with Woo Kyung still bound to it.

“Haah… S-Sir…”

The wound on his side, long since reopened, seeped blood, soaking into his shirt. His own heartbeat pounded in his ears so loudly it made his head spin.

He wasn’t okay. His body was far from okay.

But his grip never loosened.

Summoning every last ounce of strength, Taejoon hauled Woo Kyung and the chair back inside.

His body acted on instinct—the only thing in his mind was the singular need to save him.

Little by little, he pulled until the chair finally landed safely on the floor.

Only then did he see Woo Kyung’s tear-streaked face up close.

There was no time to catch his breath. He immediately began untying the ropes binding Woo Kyung. His eyes quickly scanned him from head to toe—his head, his shoulders, his legs, his feet—making sure he wasn’t hurt.

“Haa… Ugh…! I really thought I was going to die this time. I thought I was really going to die…!”

And yet this coward kept running his mouth about wanting to die.

At the sound of Woo Kyung’s voice—panicked but alive—Taejoon finally exhaled the breath he had been holding.

At that moment, a slow, mocking applause filled the room.

“As expected of Executive Director Choi! Love gave you the strength to pull through! You passed this very difficult test.”

Jae-wook Kang’s hand landed on Woo Kyung’s shoulder with a thud.

“Woo Kyung, your executive director is really something else. I mean, isn’t he, like, your twelfth man or some—ugh—!”

Before he could finish, Taejoon’s fist connected with Jae-wook’s jaw.

The impact sent him flying, his body skidding across the floor. Without giving him a chance to recover, Taejoon stomped down on his wrist, the one still gripping the knife.

“Ha, shit… You really surprised me, Taejoon.”

Jae-wook wheezed, laughing through the pain as he looked up at him.

“Woo Kyung! The knife!”

“Wha—Oh! Right!”

Taejoon made sure Woo Kyung grabbed the fallen knife before clenching his fists again.

“Get up.”

“Ugh…”

He grabbed Jae-wook by the collar, yanking him to his feet.

Oddly enough, Jae-wook didn’t resist. Instead, he stood up willingly, still smirking, still mocking. As if daring Taejoon to go through with whatever he was thinking.

“What now?”

Before Taejoon could respond, Jae-wook’s men sprang into action, lunging toward him.

They shouted in a frenzy—

“Stop him!”
“If he lays a finger on our boss, he’s dead!”
“Just give the word, sir, and we’ll kill him!”

Taejoon froze mid-punch, his narrowed gaze shifting only slightly. Then, without looking away from Jae-wook, he spoke in a low, biting voice.

“If any of you interfere, I’ll kill you, too.”

The chilling warning made Jae-wook’s eyes gleam with excitement.

“Kwak. Tell them to stand down.”

“But, sir—”

“If Taejoon says he’ll kill them, he will. He’s not bluffing.”

Even as he gasped for air, Jae-wook never stopped talking.

“He got on his knees and begged me earlier. The least I can do is let him vent a little, don’t you think? Go ahead, Taejoon. Let’s see what you can do in that half-broken body of yours.”

His lips curled into an eerie grin, eyes drunk with excitement. The sheer disgust of it made Taejoon’s stomach churn.

“One more hit, and I’ll shut the hell up—”

Before Jae-wook could finish his sentence, Taejoon’s fist smashed into his face.

“Ha… This is fun. Now it’s getting interesting. This is the Taejoon I know!”

Thud. Thud—

The dull, brutal sounds of fists meeting flesh echoed in the room, followed by labored breathing.

“I swear… I find you so damn attractive when you’re this pissed off, Taejoon.”

There was no satisfaction, no sense of vengeance, no thrill.

Taejoon kept throwing punches like a machine.

At some point, the searing pain in his abdomen had completely faded.

His mind focused on only one thing.

He tried to kill Woo Kyung.

That bastard almost killed Woo Kyung.

Taejoon grabbed the limp Jae-wook by the collar again, lifting him.

Then, without hesitation, he slammed his bloodied fist into Jae-wook’s already bruised temple.

He was going to kill him.

So that he would never touch Woo Kyung again.

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