Chapter 36

“Even if Seoyul’s in HQ isolation, do you really think she’ll be okay like that?”

Jinyoung didn’t take her eyes off the steering wheel. She exhaled softly.

“For now, she’ll be fine. As long as no one provokes her…”

Beomjin’s gaze slid across the neon signs flashing past the car window, but what lingered in his mind was that day—the roar of a beast swallowing up Seoyul’s fury.

The streets were quieter than usual. Too quiet. The stillness itself felt wrong.

“…Something about this case feels off.”

Beyond the ticking of the turn signal, another ripple had already begun to form around them.

Beomjin and Jinyoung arrived at a narrow alley near Sadang Station in Seoul.

The entertainment district was packed with karaoke bars and pubs, but the alley was cordoned off by police tape. Beyond it lay a small open lot littered with trash cans, cardboard boxes, and broken bottles. A man’s body sprawled in the center.

“A murder first thing in the morning, huh. What a way to start the day.”

Following Beomjin into the scene, Jinyoung clicked her tongue.

The victim looked to be in his mid-thirties—a hulking man built like a wrestler. His short-cropped hair, thick neck, and tattoo-covered arms and torso gave him a rough look. Beneath the heavy musk of cologne was a faint, fatty scent—he was a cat Beast-Blooded.

Half his body was soaked in blood. From the neck down his left side, there were over ten stab wounds—clearly the cause of death. Judging by the number of blows, someone had hated him deeply.

Crouching beside the corpse, Beomjin examined the wounds carefully while Jinyoung’s eyes followed his hand.

“Someone killed this guy with a knife? That’s not easy unless they’re Beast-Blooded.”

Under the victim’s left hip, Beomjin noticed a knife partially trapped beneath the body. It must have fallen before he collapsed.

“So he dropped it in a struggle and fell on top of it? Or maybe he panicked after stabbing him and let it go.”

Lost in thought, Beomjin eventually stood up. The stench of blood made his stomach churn—it was only a matter of time before he’d end up sprawled beside the corpse himself.

“The victim owned this bar downstairs,” Jinyoung said, tapping the building next to them. A sign above the door read [Jumbo Hof], with a narrow backdoor leading to the alley.

“And the first witness—the one who called it in—is one of his staff.”

“Let’s go hear what they have to say.”

[Jumbo Hof] was nothing special—just another small pub like any other in the city. Warm orange lights, faux-brick walls, and a simple menu of fried chicken, egg rolls, peaches in syrup, and dried snacks.

The witness was a woman in her early thirties.

Her makeup was thick, her perfume strong, her light-brown hair perfectly styled. But her face was pale and her eyes swollen, trembling as she sat there.

Even as Jinyoung tried to calm her, she shivered and bit her lip before finally managing to speak after several deep breaths.

“What was your relationship with the victim?”

“I was… his girlfriend.”

Her name was Kang Seo-eun, twenty-seven. She’d worked as the bar’s manager, handling the counter. The bar belonged to her boyfriend, and she’d come in early the previous night to help with the day’s accounting—only to find him lying there.

“Usually, when I arrive, he calls me to go over what needs to be done for the day. But today… he didn’t call. So I tried calling him instead, and I heard the ringtone outside the bar. When I went to check…”

Tears spilled down her cheeks.

“You didn’t see anyone suspicious around?”

Beomjin asked in a flat tone, as if reciting a line from a movie. Seo-eun flinched at even his smallest movement before answering in a trembling whisper.

“…No one. When I got here, it was just him.”

Tears streamed down again. Jinyoung gently rubbed her shoulder, trying to calm her, but Beomjin decided there was nothing more to gain and stepped out the back door.

There were no security cameras in the alley—or even near its entrance.

Weird. For such a cramped spot, that’s not normal.

He scanned the open space where the murder had occurred.

The man had been stabbed over and over, yet there was no spray of blood anywhere. Not on the walls, the air conditioners stacked above, or the discarded flowerpots. Not even the smell of iron in the air.

How did someone subdue a guy that huge so quietly?

Beomjin imagined himself fighting the victim.

If he aimed for the vital points and landed a clean hit or two, maybe. But if he missed—no way it would’ve ended neatly. Maybe the murder hadn’t even happened here.

Tch. He shook his head.

As he stood there, unconsciously squaring his stance as if ready for a fight, Jinyoung approached.

“What are you doing, shadowboxing?”

Caught off guard, Beomjin quickly relaxed his posture.

“Just… trying to picture how it went down. How the killer took him down.”

“And? Think you could pull it off?”

“Of course—wait, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Beomjin shot Jinyoung a look.

“If you’re that deep in thought, I’m guessing it’s not your usual case?”

“The witness was a rat, right?”

“Yeah. Tiny, cutesy girlfriend’s a rat. Big, burly boyfriend’s a cat. Picture-perfect couple, huh?”

“If she was his girlfriend, he wouldn’t have been on guard around her. So if she struck from behind… it could’ve worked, even with a small knife.”

Beomjin pictured Seo-eun killing the victim—her tear-streaked face twisted with fear, her small hands clutching a blade against a man twice her size. The image didn’t fit. The timid, trembling woman from earlier didn’t match someone capable of stabbing that many times.

“You don’t think it was her, do you?” Jinyoung asked, testing him. “She looked too fragile to hurt anyone, let alone him.”

“Still, we can’t rule her out. Wouldn’t be the first time a witness turned out to be the killer.”

“Maybe, but not this time. She’s got an alibi. And a witness to back it up.”

“A witness? You already met them?”

“Not yet. We’re about to. Come on—some of the bar staff are waiting inside.”

Following Jinyoung, Beomjin entered the victim’s bar.

Three people were waiting.

A heavyset middle-aged man in a chef’s coat and apron, a slightly younger woman who looked like a kitchen helper, and a college-aged girl.

The chef was the first to step forward. His sagging skin and dark circles spoke of chronic fatigue. He didn’t say much—and didn’t seem all that surprised by the news of his boss’s death either. Probably would’ve looked more shocked if someone had stolen from the register.

“How long have you worked here?”

“About a year.”

“Anyone come to mind who might’ve done this? Customers, acquaintances, anything at all.”

The chef’s double chin jiggled as he shook his head.

“I don’t know anything about his personal life. Didn’t care to, honestly.”

“Not at all?”

“No. The others probably don’t either. The boss… didn’t really hang out with us.”

Beomjin and Jinyoung checked his alibi. The man showed no emotion—cold enough to be unsettling—but there was nothing they could pin on him.

Next was the kitchen assistant, a gentle-faced woman who looked badly shaken. She kept sipping water and taking deep breaths.

“I’m sorry. I’m just… so nervous. Please understand.”

“It’s fine. Take your time,” Jinyoung said.

The woman pressed her trembling hands together and spoke carefully.

“You’ll keep what I say between us, right?”

“Of course,” Jinyoung replied.

After a quick cough, the woman leaned closer.

“There’s someone who used to argue with the boss a lot.”

“And who would that be?”

“I heard the boss took out a loan when he opened the bar. The person who lent him the money used to drop by sometimes.”

“A loan? How big are we talking?”

Jinyoung’s eyes sharpened, sensing a lead.

“You should ask the manager about that,” the woman said hesitantly. “The lender’s her brother.”

Both Beomjin and Jinyoung’s eyes widened.

The woman flinched at their reaction, lowering her voice in a panic.

“Please—don’t tell the manager I said anything. I’m begging you.”

The kitchen assistant bowed several times before hurrying out.

“That’s a pretty important detail—why didn’t the manager mention it?”

“Maybe she forgot… or maybe she didn’t want to.”

Still deep in thought, Beomjin and Jinyoung called in the last employee—the part-time server.

The young woman sat with her legs crossed, her expression screaming annoyance. Before either of them could speak, she fired off her words like bullets.

“I don’t know anything, okay? I came in after the boss was already dead. And just to be clear, I didn’t do it. I was drinking with my friends from last night until four in the morning. If you don’t believe me, ask Seo-eun—she was there too. Can I go now?”

Chin lifted, she stood and walked out without waiting for a response.

Watching her storm off, Beomjin muttered, “That the alibi you mentioned earlier?”

“Seems like it. She said she drank until dawn with her friend—turns out that friend was a coworker here.”

“Then we’ll need to talk to the manager again. I want to hear more about her brother.”

They called Seo-eun back in. She’d calmed down somewhat but still looked fragile.

“I think I’ve already told you everything I know.”

“Sorry, just a few more questions,” Beomjin said, his tone low.

His voice carried weight, and Seo-eun tensed up.

“Did the owner manage the bar himself, or did you handle operations?”

“I took care of most of it.”

“There’s talk that your brother lent him money when the place opened.”

“Ah… that.”

She hesitated, faltering under Beomjin’s silent pressure before continuing.

“I didn’t think it was a big deal. Yes, my brother lent him money, but they never really fought or anything like that.”

“But debts aren’t something that disappear quietly.”

At Beomjin’s heavy tone, Seo-eun’s eyes went wide and her words came spilling out.

“Wait—are you implying my brother did it? No, absolutely not! He would never hurt anyone!”

Her desperate defense didn’t move either of them.

“Do you know how much he lent him?”

“I don’t. My boyfriend was extremely private about his money, and my brother never wanted to talk about it, so I stopped asking.”

Her voice shook again, her eyes glistening with fear and exhaustion.

“Can we have your brother’s contact number?”

“Is… that really necessary?”

“Talking to everyone close to the victim is part of the investigation,” Beomjin said evenly.

After a long hesitation, Seo-eun finally gave them the number. They thanked her and left the shop. The moment they mentioned the Special Beast Investigation Unit on the phone, her brother didn’t even ask why—they had a meeting set immediately.

As they got into the car, Jinyoung fastened her seatbelt and asked, “So, what do you make of this?”

“I’d rather not jump to conclusions yet.”

“I know, but come on—don’t give me that vague answer. What’s your gut say?”

Beomjin leaned back, thinking.

“You didn’t notice anything strange while we were talking to the staff?”

“Strange how?”

He gave her a look. “Every single one of them was Beast-Blooded. The chef’s a pig, the kitchen lady’s a chicken, the server’s a squirrel. You didn’t notice?”

“…Didn’t even cross my mind.”

“Whether by chance or not, all five people who worked here were Beast-Blooded. Doesn’t that seem odd?”

“Yeah, actually. That’s… not common.”

“Let’s meet the lender. Maybe he’ll tell us something the others didn’t.”

Jinyoung started the car. As the city rolled past the window, Beomjin’s thoughts churned.

Five Beast-Blooded employees—and yet the crime scene was spotless. No emotional outburst, no trace of ability use. Just a clean knife job, backed by oddly tidy statements.

It was too neat. Too intentional.

Like someone had scrubbed the scene clean of all Beast-Blooded-ness.

Beomjin narrowed his eyes. This wasn’t a simple murder. Someone was playing a deeper game—and he had just stepped onto the edge of the board.