[R]i Chul-moo's side-effect was enhanced olfactory, right?
Lee Ju-hee wobbled toward her tote bag lying a few feet away. She could feel the slight quiver in her legs, but she persisted.
After rummaging through the bag, she pulled out a can of cat food, popped open the lid, and strode towards the bickering duo.
"Can't get enough of how I whooped yo ass earlier, huh?" The brute timbre of Ri Chul-moo could be heard as he threw some more threats Min-ho's way.
With her heartbeat pulsing in the vein of her forehead, Lee Ju-hee held out the can of cat food.
"Hey, asshole" she called out, trying to distract him. "You want a snack?"
Swirling toward her, Ri Chul-moo's nose twitched as he caught the scent of the cat food. He arched a perplexed eyebrow at her. Lee Ju-hee took advantage of his momentary lapse, and with a sudden burst of energy, she lunged forward and smashed the can of cat food at his face.
The thick, pungent liquid splattered all over Ri Chul-moo's face, causing him to stagger back, his hand clamped over his nose and mouth as he gagged.
Lee Ju-hee quickly seized the opportunity, jumping forward and using a nearby wall as leverage, she spun around and landed a powerful downward-kick, sending Ri Chul-moo back to his knees.
His senses were overwhelmed by the putrid stench, making him unable to fight back or dodge.
She had thought right; something stinky would inevitably overpower him after all.
Lee Ju-hee walked over to where Min-ho stood dumbfounded by the whole situation, and asked, "Are you okay?"
Min-ho raised an eyebrow, suppressing a laugh as he asked, "Cat food? Is that your secret weapon or something?"
"What would you have me do instead?"
Together, they watched as Ri Chul-moo slowly regained his composure, looking defeated and deflated.
With a resigned sigh, Ri Chul-moo growled angrily, "Tsk! What was that for?"
Min-ho thought he was pitiful, spitting a bitter warning at him: "Give it a rest now, pal! It's over! You've lost!"
Just as Ri Chul-moo was about to come up with a nasty comeback, the sound of hurried footsteps approached their vicinity.
Help had arrived, but it spelled misfortune for both her and Min-ho as they found themselves vastly outnumbered and exhausted beyond measure to put up a fight.
In fact, they lacked the energy to even attempt a desperate dash towards the entrance. Min-ho kept his gun poised, prepared to fire a few rounds if necessary to extricate themselves from this dire situation.
"Stand back!" commanded Ri Chul-moo abruptly. The lurking shadows froze, their menacing gaze the only visible presence.
The footsteps ceased, but the intense glare remained, instilling a sense of intimidation.
"Boss... Are you okay?" a voice broke through the dense darkness.
"What?! Can't you see? Of course, I am!"
In response, a henchman brashly stepped forward, his voice quivering with malice. "Boss, we can't let those two off the hook. They've caused you great harm, and now they pose a potential threat to our operations. We should eliminate them!"
The chant of "Take them down! Take them down!" erupted from the rest of the group, the clinks of their weapons resonating through the desolate alleyway.
The atmosphere grew increasingly hostile as Min-ho's worries deepened. The dangerous path they were on had just taken a treacherous turn, and Min-ho could feel the weight of the impending danger pressing down on his shoulders.
The realization hit him hard — things had just gotten exponentially more complicated.
"Shut your mouths, you fuckers! You're giving me a damn headache!" Ri Chul-moo grumbled, his raspy voice cutting through the commotion and bringing an abrupt halt to the chaos.
The harsh reprimand silenced the group, their previous clamor subsiding.
The gang leader shifted his focus onto Lee Ju-hee, making another attempt. "This is your last chance, sweetheart. Come with me willingly, or I'll have to make you."
Min-ho and Lee Ju-hee exchanged an anxious look, their silent understanding highlighting the urgency of their situation.
But Lee Ju-hee stood her ground, her voice filled with defiance. "I won't go anywhere with you. We've had enough of your twisted games."
Lee Ju-hee managed to maintain a composed voice, concealing her underlying anxiety, but the disturbing image from earlier lingered in her mind.
The horror she had witnessed served as a chilling reminder of what could befall Min-ho. Would he suffer the same fate as the unfortunate host that had been their victim hours prior?
Questions raced through Lee Ju-hee's mind. Aware that they were trapped with limited options. They could only rely on strategic thinking and a stroke of luck to find a way out.
"We can't let them catch us. I'll find a way to get us out of here, I promise," Min-ho whispered to Lee Ju-hee, his unusual composure piqued her curiosity. Did he have a plan in mind?
She couldn't bear the thought of surviving alone, so she leaned closer to Min-ho and whispered back, her voice laced with concern, "Please tell me you're not about to do something reckless."
Min-ho met her gaze, a low cocky smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, "Oh trust me, alright! I sure as hell will get us out of this."
Enraged by Min-ho's statement, Ri Chul-moo snapped, "Bring me the girl and take care of that bastard!"
Lee Ju-hee's worst fear was being voiced, confirming the danger Min-ho was in.
Just as hope seemed to fade, the distant wail of police sirens abruptly shattered the commotion, announcing the arrival of backup.
Ri Chul-moo's gaze darted towards the entrance, a realization dawning upon him. Swiftly, he rose to his feet, prompting his gang members to retreat in a flurry of movements. The implications of the approaching police were clear, and their once-confident demeanor crumbled in the face of imminent confrontation.
Casting a hateful glance towards Min-ho and sending a quick wink at Lee Ju-hee, he quickly grabbed a silver business card from his pocket and tossed it in their direction.
"We'll meet again, sweetheart. And next time, I won't be so forgiving," he smirked at her, before swiveling around and sprinting down the alleyway, disappearing into the darkness.
Neither Min-ho, nor Lee Ju-hee could react in time. Min-ho cursed under his breath and started to give chase, but Lee Ju-hee grabbed his arm, stopping him dead in his track.
"Let him go," she said firmly. "We're lucky enough to be alive. We'll catch him up later."
Min-ho hesitated for a fleeting moment before reluctantly nodding in agreement. With a heavy heart, the rookie detective picked up the business card and examined it closely.
On it, there was only two words written in bold letters: "The Executioner".
Without an ounce of a doubt, it was clear that they had both made a powerful enemy, and that this was far from over.
Slumping down to the ground in silence, they tried to get a breather, as the sound of police sirens grew more potent and a police car screeched to a halt in front of the entrance.
The officers jumped out of the car, guns drawn, and quickly took control of the scene. They hastened to check on Min-ho and Lee Ju-hee to make sure they were okay and then took their statements.
As they were being escorted out of the alleyway by the backup, who were also attempting to track down their assailant, Lee Ju-hee's voice was laced with exhaustion as she muttered, "I can't believe this was your plan!"
Attempting to lighten the tense mood, Min-ho responded with a mischievous grin, "Hey, remember your cat-food attack, noona? It bought us some precious time, didn't it? Priceless move!"
Lee Ju-hee shot him a fierce glare, unable to comprehend Min-ho's peculiar sense of humor. With a simple yet firm reply, she retorted, "Just be quiet!"