BENEATH THE SURFACE

act vi: Tipping Point

The hum of the engine filled the silence between them, an uneasy rhythm that did little to ease the tension pressing down on them. Jiyong’s hands gripped the wheel, knuckles white against the leather, while Sandara sat stiffly beside him, her arms folded tightly over her chest.

She had been silent since they left the town limits, but the weight of what they were about to do made the quiet unbearable. Finally, she exhaled sharply and spoke, her voice quieter than she intended.

“We’re about to kill our own commander, Jiyong,” she said, turning to face him. “Lee Soo Man. The man who put us on this mission in the first place.”

Jiyong sighed, his grip loosening slightly as he pulled the car over to the side of the road. The trees lining the empty stretch of highway swayed under the cold night air, their shadows flickering under the dim moonlight. They were far beyond Seunghyun’s reach now, outside the town where every pair of eyes belonged to him.

Jiyong turned in his seat, his gaze heavy as he looked at Dara. “Wait here,” he said firmly.

Before she could question him, the low growl of another engine reached her ears. A car pulled up behind them, its headlights cutting through the darkness.

Dara stiffened. “What the hell is this, Jiyong?” Her hand instinctively brushed against her holster.

Jiyong hesitated for a moment before meeting her eyes. For the first time in all the months they had worked together, she saw something in his expression she never had before—vulnerability.

“Do you trust me, Sergeant?” His voice was steady, but there was something desperate beneath it.

Dara’s lips parted, but no words came out. Trust. Could she trust him? The very idea felt like a noose tightening around her throat.

Jiyong’s jaw clenched, and he repeated the question, this time softer, almost a plea. “Do you trust me?”

Her resolve wavered, the tension in her shoulders slowly giving way to something she wasn’t sure she wanted to name. Instead of answering directly, she forced out the only response she could.

“I don’t have a choice.”

Jiyong gave a small nod, his expression grim, as if he had already accepted what was coming. Then, without another word, he stepped out of the car and walked towards the vehicle behind them. Dara kept her hand on her gun, her pulse quickening as she watched through the side mirror.

Jiyong bent over the driver’s side window, speaking in hushed tones. Seconds stretched into eternity before he straightened up. Then, the door opened, and a man stepped out.

The breath hitched in Dara’s throat.

Yongbae.

Jiyong’s former partner, the man she least expected.

Flashback: 10 Years Ago

Jiyong lit a cigarette and took a long drag, exhaling smoke into the cool night air. His hands were steady, but inside, the tension was gnawing at him. He turned to Yongbae, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

“We’re fuckin’ hustlin’, fool.”

Yongbae chuckled, shaking his head as he took a hit of his own. “Don’t get too excited. The Senior Detective on this case is known to be strict.”

Jiyong’s grin widened. “I know.”

Yongbae raised an eyebrow at him. “Why do you sound happy about that?”

Jiyong exhaled another puff of smoke before flicking his cigarette away. “I like feisty women.”

Yongbae groaned, running a hand over his face. “Focus, man. We’re about to meet the lead detective on our first major case, and you’re already thinking about getting your d**k wet.”

Jiyong shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets, whistling as he walked ahead. Yongbae followed, shaking his head. If Jiyong knew who Sandara Park was, he would probably ask to be reassigned.

Jiyong stepped into the control room first, his usual cocky grin in place. As Yongbae shut the door behind them, Jiyong straightened up and gave Sandara a sharp salute. She barely spared him a glance, her eyes fixed on the suspect through the one-way mirror.

Without looking at them, she spoke. "I was informed that both of you were the ones who arrested the suspect and got the lead from the scene of the crime."

Jiyong flashed a boyish grin. "Yes, Inspector Park."

Dara nodded towards the glass. "Then what are you doing here? You should be the one conducting the interrogation."

Her voice was clipped, irritation laced in every syllable. Jiyong’s smile only widened. "Yes, Ma’am." He drawled near Dara’s ear as he bent over to grab his folder from the table.

Dara’s ears tinged red, but she kept her expression neutral, refusing to react. Jiyong, took notice, spinning on his heels to face Yongbae, who was trying to stifle a laugh.

Jiyong playfully whistled and told Yongbae loudly, "I made our inspector blush. That’s like Kobe Bryant hitting a half-court three-point buzzer-beater."

He tossed the folder to Yongbae, grinning as Sandara finally turned to glare at him.

Before stepping into the interrogation room, Jiyong turned to Yongbae with a sly smirk. “Hey, let’s try the good cop, bad cop approach.”

Yongbae frowned. “f**k, No!.”

“Come on, man,” Jiyong pressed. “I saw it in the movies. It looks fun.”

Yongbae exhaled sharply. “Jiyong, the inspector is literally in the control room watching us.”

Jiyong shrugged. “So? She might like a little entertainment.”

Yongbae groaned again, rubbing his temples. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”

Jiyong grinned, undoing the first three buttons of his shirt and grabbing a piece of gum from his pocket, popping it into his mouth. He rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck, and strode in like he owned the place.

He looked more like a thug than a detective.

Yongbae sat down directly in front of the suspect, his expression hard and unreadable. The suspect gave him a lopsided grin, but before he could speak, Jiyong strolled toward the cameras in the room. With deliberate movements, he reached up and turned off all the visible ones, leaving only the hidden ones operational.

Then, as if fixing his reflection in the one-way glass, he winked, knowing full well that Sandara Park was watching from the other side.

Turning back, he grabbed a chair, dragging it beside the suspect, and sat on it backward, arms resting on the backrest. Then, without warning, he seized the suspect by the collar, his voice a low growl.

“I have no patience for playing games with a f*****g loser who decides to abuse women and kill them because he can’t get laid. Tell us where the other bodies are, and I’ll leave you unscathed.”

The suspect stiffened, but his resolve held. “This is illegal,” he spat, turning to Yongbae. “You can’t do this to me. I have my rights.”

Yongbae barely glanced at Jiyong before returning his gaze to the suspect. “Gabin-ssi, you saw what he did. He turned off the cameras. He can do whatever he wants to you and blame it on you being unstable. And me? I’m not going to snitch on my partner.”

The suspect laughed maniacally. “If you want the bodies, start searching from the northernmost part of Seoul down to the southernmost part of Jeju.”

Jiyong sighed, then, without warning, slammed the suspect’s head against the table. As the man groaned in pain, Jiyong grabbed Yongbae’s still-steaming cup of coffee and poured it over the suspect’s face.

Leaning in close, Jiyong whispered, his voice ice-cold. “You’re wasting my patience. You either talk, or I’ll hunt down your little sister, Ga-In, and f**k her repeatedly in front of you until you tell me what I want to know. Then, when I’m done with her, I’ll make sure you get a prison cell where your screams won’t be heard while the other inmates take turns in wrecking your ass hole just like the f**k doll that you are!”

He slammed the suspect’s head against the table three more times.

The man started sobbing, pleading. “Okay! I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you everything!”

Jiyong released him, feigning concern as he straightened the man’s shirt and wiped his face with a handkerchief. Then, he walked back to the cameras and turned them on again.

The suspect started talking.



And that was the first time Sandara Park realized that Kwon Jiyong was far more dangerous than she had ever anticipated.