THE STREET KING

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1. The Edge of Death

Jinwoo could taste blood.

His vision blurred as he lay in the rubble, the flames casting long shadows across the warehouse ruins. His body screamed in pain, but his mind was locked on one thought:

Kyung-min got away.

Ji-hoon groaned beside him, clutching a deep wound on his side. Hye-jin's voice crackled in his earpiece again.

"Jinwoo! Are you alive?!"

He forced himself up, staggering. "I'm breathing."

"Get out of there! More of Kyung-min's men are coming!"

Jinwoo wiped the blood from his lips.

Let them come.

But Ji-hoon coughed, struggling to get to his feet. He wasn't going to make it in a fight.

Jinwoo clenched his jaw. Kyung-min could wait.

Right now, he had to survive.

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2. Escape Through Fire

The sound of approaching cars filled the air.

Jinwoo threw Ji-hoon's arm over his shoulder and started moving through the wreckage. Smoke and dust swirled around them, making every breath feel like swallowing fire.

Headlights cut through the haze—three black SUVs.

Jinwoo gritted his teeth.

He pulled out his gun, but his hands were shaky. He was running on fumes.

Then—a sniper shot rang out.

The driver of the first SUV slumped over the wheel, and the car spun out of control, crashing into the others.

More shots followed, taking down enemy soldiers.

Hye-jin.

She was covering them.

"Move!" her voice shouted through the earpiece. "I'll clear a path!"

Jinwoo ran.

With Ji-hoon barely conscious beside him, he pushed through the burning wreckage. Bullets whizzed past them, but he didn't stop.

Then, a motorcycle skidded to a stop in front of him.

Hye-jin.

"Get on!" she yelled.

Jinwoo didn't hesitate.

With Ji-hoon in tow, he climbed onto the bike, and they roared into the night.

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3. Regrouping in the Underworld

They reached a safe house deep in Seoul's slums, hidden beneath an abandoned train station.

Inside, Ji-hoon collapsed onto a makeshift cot, his breathing ragged. Hye-jin grabbed a med kit, ripping his shirt open to treat his wounds.

Jinwoo sat against the wall, his head pounding. His body felt like a battlefield of broken bones and bruises.

Hye-jin looked at him. "That was reckless."

Jinwoo chuckled, wincing at the pain. "And you love me for it."

She didn't answer. Instead, she reached into her jacket and tossed him a file.

"What's this?" he muttered, flipping it open.

Inside were surveillance photos of Kyung-min.

Hye-jin crossed her arms. "I've been tracking him. After the explosion, he disappeared—but I found something."

Jinwoo stared at the last picture.

It wasn't just Kyung-min.

He was shaking hands with someone.

Someone Jinwoo thought was dead.

His breath hitched.

"…No. That's impossible."

Hye-jin's voice was grim. "It's real. He's alive."

Jinwoo felt a chill crawl down his spine.

Because in that photo, standing beside Kyung-min—

was his own brother.

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4. The Ghost of the Past

Jinwoo's brother, Joon-ho, had been dead for ten years.

Or so he thought.

The memories came rushing back—the betrayal, the blood, the night he watched his brother die in a pool of his own blood.

But now, here he was. Alive.

And standing beside his worst enemy.

Hye-jin studied Jinwoo's expression. "If he's working with Kyung-min, this war just got worse."

Jinwoo exhaled slowly. "No. This isn't war anymore."

His eyes darkened.

"This is personal."

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5. The Final War Begins

Jinwoo knew what he had to do.

He could no longer fight Kyung-min like a gangster.

He had to fight him like a monster.

"Call in every favor we have," he said. "We end this."

Hye-jin nodded, determination in her eyes. "Where do we start?"

Jinwoo's lips curled into a cold smile.

"At Kyung-min's doorstep."

The Reaper was coming.

And this time, he wasn't stopping until Kyung-min—and his brother—were dead.

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End of Chapter 30