Chapter 25: Eliminating the Threat

Late at night, Ming You was already sitting in his room, immersed in dark thoughts. His mind was spinning with thoughts of So Ho, how he had become a real threat to him.

"His suspicions could indeed be a danger to me, not to mention his rebellious attitude," Ming You thought, mentally sorting through the details of his plan. He knew he needed to act cautiously and without making a sound.

Ming You opened his laptop and began searching for information about So Ho. He knew that So Ho often spent time with his team, and he needed to find a moment when he would be alone.

In the morning, as the first rays of sunlight broke through the curtains, Ming You was already at school.

Leaving his backpack at his desk, he approached the teacher and asked:

"Can I take my chemistry assignment from the teacher's lounge? I was in a rush when I did it, and I think I need to fix it," he said, scratching the back of his head.

"Aren't you already turning everything in with flying colors?" the teacher looked up, distracted from his phone.

"I'd like to make everything flawless; that's just the kind of person I am," he said, putting on a shy tone.

"Well, since you feel the need to improve your work, I'm impressed. Here are the keys," the teacher picked up the keys from the desk and handed them to him.

Ming You nodded silently, pretending to be shy, and headed for the exit of his classroom.

Once in the teacher's lounge, amidst the clutter, he found an old directory that listed students' addresses. His heart raced as he saw the entry he needed.

"So Ho, 12 Chonggil Street," he whispered, mentally noting the address.

After classes, Ming You was already on his feet. At home, he meticulously prepared everything he needed: tools, plastic sheeting, gloves, and his personal symbol of achieving all his "victories" — a kitchen knife.

"I need to make sure nothing is left behind," he thought, gathering his things. A plan of action was already forming in his mind.

He changed into a black hoodie and khaki pants, stuffing a medical mask into his pockets.

Ming You confidently made his way to So Ho's house, trying to remain unnoticed. The basement he had chosen for his purposes was not far from the house. Ming You approached it, looked around, and made sure no one was watching him. The place was perfect — abandoned, dark, and secluded. He layered the floor with white plastic sheeting to leave no traces.

"Here, I can do everything," he pondered, feeling gambling build in his chest.

Ming You began to watch So Ho. He observed him and his sister, who often trained at a nearby field.

"This is the perfect opportunity," he thought, sitting on a bench behind the trees. He carefully monitored their movements, analyzing every action. So Ho was focused, and his sister seemed always ready to support her brother.

The training was intense. So Ho and his sister stood on the field surrounded by tall trees. The sun was beginning to set, casting its last rays on their training ground, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere. So Ho, dressed in the "Yoshido 54" sports uniform issued by his coach, held a ball with a focused expression.

"Come on, So Yeon!" he shouted, winking at his sister. "Try to get past me!"

So Yeon, with her long black hair tied back in a ponytail, smiled and confidently stepped forward.

"Don't think I'll give up that easily, brother!" she replied, winking back.

So Ho began dribbling, skillfully maneuvering the ball around himself. He knew his sister was always a step ahead, and that motivated him even more. So Yeon clenched her fists and started chasing him, trying to intercept the ball.

"Hey, aren't you running too fast?" So Ho teased, laughing as she almost tripped over a stone.

"Ha-ha, just wait!" So Yeon replied, making a sudden sideways move to try to get past him.

So Ho, anticipating her move, swiftly changed direction and dodged her attempt. He felt the adrenaline pumping through his body, giving him strength.

"Like this!" he shouted, executing a feint they had practiced in their last training session and confidently moved aside.

"How did you do that?!" So Yeon exclaimed, stopping for a moment. "You're a magician!"

"Just a lot of practice," he replied, smiling. "You can do it too if you try!"

They continued to play, while Ming You, sitting on the bench behind the trees, watched them with a cold gaze, waiting for his moment. He enjoyed how So Ho and So Yeon seemed completely absorbed in their game, unaware of anyone around them.

So Ho and So Yeon, oblivious to him, continued their training, and soon So Yeon suggested:

"Let's play streetball! I'll attack, and you defend!"

So Ho nodded, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Alright! I'm ready!" he shouted, taking his position, preparing for her attack.

So Yeon, gathering her strength, charged forward, trying to get past him from the flank. So Ho, seeing her movement, quickly switched gears, and it felt like they were playing a game of tag.

"You won't catch me!" So Yeon laughed, but there was a hint of fatigue in her voice.

"I won't give up!" So Ho shouted, chasing after her, his heart racing with tension.

At that moment, Ming You noticed how completely absorbed they were in their game.

"When they finish, I can act," he thought, counting the seconds and putting on his medical mask and black beanie.

Finally, as the sun began to set and darkness enveloped the street, So Ho and his sister decided to wrap up their training. Ming You felt adrenaline boiling in his veins. He knew the moment had come. So Ho, distracted as he put the ball away in his backpack, didn't notice Ming You sneaking up from behind.

A strong blow with a rock to the head caught So Ho off guard. He didn't even have time to turn around. His sister, who was nearby, managed to scream, but her cry was cut short by another strike. Both were knocked to the ground, losing consciousness.

Ming You, not wasting any time, quickly shoved them into his van.

"Now everything will go according to plan," he thought as he closed the van doors and headed to his prepared location.

The road was deserted, and the only sound was the engine breaking the silence of the night.

When he arrived, Ming You opened the van doors and leaned over So Ho and his sister. He knew he had the whole night ahead of him, but he needed to get them into the basement quickly.

He carefully grabbed So Ho by one arm and So Yeon by the other, trying not to hit their heads so they wouldn't wake up.

Struggling, he began to drag them toward the basement. Each step was heavy, as if his legs were rooted in the ground. Ming You felt cold sweat trickling down his back, but he couldn't allow himself to give up.

"Almost… almost…" he muttered to himself, urging himself forward.

Finally, they reached the entrance. Ming You kicked the door open with difficulty, and it creaked, revealing the path to the plastic-sheeted basement.

"Come in," he said sarcastically, slightly lifting So Ho and So Yeon as he securely tied them to the pipes wrapped in plastic.

The basement, though covered in white plastic, still seemed to stretch into endless darkness. Ming You, skillfully maneuvering in the cramped space, cautiously reached for So Ho, who lay on the floor.

In his right hand, Ming You held a basketball — the very one that So Ho loved, with bright stripes and scuffs that testified to countless games in the yard. Ming You squeezed it as if it was the only way to keep reality under control.

"Hey, wake up!" he said sarcastically, trying to rouse So Ho, but he merely stirred and groaned.

When So Ho finally opened his eyes, his gaze fell on the ball. He straightened up abruptly, his heart racing. He recognized that ball, and in that instant, panic engulfed him.

"You!" he shouted, fixing his gaze on Ming You. "What have you done to me? Where am I… Where is my sister?!"

Ming You, ignoring the cries, threw the ball into So Ho's face. He tried to dodge, but the ball hit him squarely in the head. So Ho let out a soft groan of pain.

"Calm down," Ming You said, his voice steady, as if he were talking about the weather. "Look to your right."

So Ho, still confused, turned his head. His heart sank in horror. His sister, So Yeon, lay on the floor, unconscious, her face pale, without her sweater, and cuts visible on her arm.

"So Yeon!" he shouted, trying to break free.

"Don't touch her!" he said threateningly, but with a hint of panic.

Ming You merely smirked in response: "She's safe as long as you behave."

"What have you done to her?" So Ho asked, his voice trembling with fear and anger. "Let us go, I beg you!"

Ming You looked at So Yeon, then back at So Ho. His expression remained unchanged.

"I can't. We have matters to settle," he said, as if it were something completely ordinary. "You don't understand what's happening, do you?"

"I only understand that you're a psycho!" So Ho shouted, tears filling his eyes. "Let us go, please!"

Ming You sighed and, lowering his head, said:

"As much as you want to, no one will let you go, but I just want you to understand something."

"Understand what?" So Ho asked, not breaking eye contact. "That you're a maniac who kidnapped us?"

Ming You smirked slightly, but there was no joy in his eyes.

"I'm not a maniac. I'm just a person who wants to achieve victory at any cost, and since you're here, it means you're a threat to my goal."

"What victory? What threat? What are you talking about?!" So Ho demanded angrily.

"You and your sister ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time," Ming You began, his voice turning serious. "But you need to understand: the weak have no place on the team."

"What the hell do you mean?!" So Ho asked, not comprehending what Ming You was saying. "What does So Yeon have to do with this? Why did you hurt her?"

"The cuts on her arms are a result of your weakness. She did this to herself because of you. You've never been able to protect her, and now she's suffering," Ming You said coldly, recalling how he had "protected" Sun Hi for the sake of his own victory.

So Ho felt a cold sweat run down his back. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You're lying!" he shouted, his voice trembling with rage. "Neither I nor she is to blame! You did all this!"

"Well, as you wish, I'll just help relieve her suffering," Ming You said, displaying a cunning, sinister smile as he pulled a kitchen knife from a trash bag.

"What are you… N-no… NO!" So Ho screamed with all his might as Ming You slowly approached So Yeon.

But the pleas were in vain, Ming You began to drag his knife across the cuts on So Yeon's arms, causing her to stir slightly.

When she regained consciousness, the picture was completely blurred. She moaned softly and tried to see what was happening.

"So Yeon! So Yeon!" So Ho shouted at her.

But his sister could barely hear his voice, and she was gradually dying from blood loss. She felt as if her arms were burning, and her face was turning pale.

"So Yeon!!!" Tears welled up in So Ho's eyes, but he continued to scream desperately.

His sister seemed to want to say something but couldn't, as Ming You plunged the knife into her eye and slowly pushed it into her brain.

"Aah..." So Yeon cried out sharply in pain, but she couldn't scream loudly and died.

"So Yeon!!! Bastard, you won't get away with this!!!" So Ho cursed him.

But Ming You wasn't listening; his next task was to dismember her body. He took a cleaver and began chopping at the body.

"AAAH!!!" So Ho screamed, but then he vomited.

Ming You didn't stop there; he started ripping out organs and chopping them into pieces, then began to scoop out the flesh and, taking a hammer, started crushing the bones.

So Ho was completely desperate and couldn't bear to watch such a sight; it seemed he had vomited everything possible.

"S-So... Y-Yeon..." he slowly and desperately repeated.

But Ming You had already finished dismembering the body and packed the remains into garbage bags, after which he turned to So Ho and said to him:

"Alright, my friend, I will ease your suffering."

So Ho lifted his head in his direction and looked at him with a desperate and disdainful gaze. It seemed he wanted to say something or even shout, but So Ho couldn't, as Ming You plunged a kitchen knife into his throat.

Blood spread across the plastic, but Ming You wasn't too worried, as there were enough layers of plastic. He picked up the cleaver that lay next to So Yeon's remains and began to dismember So Ho's body.

Ming You followed his standard procedure: cutting the body into ten parts, opening the abdomen and slicing the organs, scooping out the flesh and bones, and finally packing all these remains into garbage bags.

Having finished with the body, he began to pack the bloody plastics in the basement. Once done with the plastic, Ming You started shining a UV flashlight on every square meter. Ensuring he left no traces, Ming You confidently left the basement with the 'garbage' bags.