Work Text:
“Get fucked, you sapa bastards!” Jo Geol yells, kicking the last standing guy in the face, knocking them down.
In a warehouse — one of the many Maninbang meeting spots — he looks around to see the rest of the group: Yu Iseol practically flying and checking the roof, Cheong Myeong watching them, bored and Baek Cheon, with Yun Jong, looking around for any stragglers.
With no more work to do, he puts his hands on his hips proudly, one foot on the pile of men he knocked out. Hmph. A job well done.
Suddenly, he is hit in the back — causing him to fall on the pile of men.
“You knock out five men and suddenly you think you’re on top of the world…” Cheong Myeong scoffs, rolling his shoulders.
Ignoring them, the rest of the group starts to clean up.
While moving the bodies of the men (Jo Geol was pushed back into a corner and is currently fighting for his life), Baek Cheon finds a dusty black rectangle lying on the floor, which had the design of an Apple phone. It looked as if it was on one of the tables Cheong Myeong destroyed earlier, as it had a giant crack on the screen. Suddenly, it lights up.
Dropping the guy he was holding by the armpits, Baek Cheon steps closer with a raised eyebrow.
“4am: reminder - check up on Ryeonju ❤️”
Picking up the phone, he calls for everyone.
/
Forming a circle, Baek Cheon shows the phone and the many notifications, found on the home page—included, but not limited to: texts from a messaging app (with no icon or name showing), an ‘Continue your 738 day streak…’ from multiple different puzzle apps and an update from a novel, called: ‘Return of the Blossoming Blade’—to the whole group.
“It seems we know who this phone is owned by.” Baek Cheon starts.
“Wait, who?”
“.. WAIT, I REALLY DON-”
/
“Anyway, if it is who we suspect, Ho Gamyung,” Yun Jong says with a pointed glance to a certain someone, “then wouldn’t he have a tracker on his phone?”
Baek Cheon, considering this, opens his mouth, only to be interrupted by Cheong Myeong asking: “Why is it a problem?”
“If we take it back, then he’ll know where we are currently.”
“Why is it a problem.”
“… Because Hwasan is far from here, so he could send troops while we run back..??”
“So what.”
“I-”
“If we stay here and open it, then there’ll be no change in location.”
“But-”
Baek Cheon holds his hand up, pausing the conversation, revealing that the phone is blocked by a 6 digit passcode.
Pulling out his own phone, Cheong Myeong begins to type something.
Seeing that everyone quietened, Jo Geol bravely speaks up, slowly putting his hand up, asking: “why do we even need to open his phone?”
For such bravery, he is awarded with three matching glares and one blank stare. Jo Geol deflates.
“Try 200396.”
“… No.”
“032096?”
“… No..?”
“960326?”
“… No…”
“96-“ “Cheong Myeong, are you sure this is correct-“ “-2603.”
Baek Cheon sighs.
“...”
“Uh… it unlocked.”
“.. How did you figure that out..?”
Cheong Myeong turns his phone, revealing a google search of “when did Ho Gamyung and jang Ilso meet” with the first answer from the page; “Wikipedia: Jang Ilso”, revealing the date, “20th of March, 1996.”
“… Why was it written year, day, month..?”
“No.. Why could you find that on Wikipedia..”
“Ho Gamyung made that page.”
Everyone looked at Yu Iseol.
They all started to nod.
/
Compared to his lock screen wallpaper, a black screen, his home screen wallpaper was more... Interesting. As what they could see through the apps, a collage of different pictures of Jang Ilso’s face in the shape of a heart and ‘for him’ written in a cursive font in the middle of the screen was set as the wallpaper.
“Huh... this seems to be a personal phone…”
“...? What do you mean by personal phone, sasuk?”
“Many people have two separate phones, one for work and one for themselves. It’s to separate their work life and own life.” Jo Geol answered, proudly.
“Many people...?” Yun Jong, who got his first phone only a couple years ago — a little bit after Cheong Myeong had arrived — glared at him. Yu Iseol, who could also relate, stared at him.
“Ha-ha, um…” Jo Geol began to inch backwards.
Fortunately, Baek Cheon who was looking through Ho Gamyung’s phone, interrupted them.
“Everyone, I found a group chat called ‘The Red Dogs’.” Looking at everyone nod, Baek Cheon continues, “It seems to include even Jang Ilso...”
“Who? WHO-” Cheong Myeong begins, and with no hesitation, the five swords restrain him.
“Let’s calm down. Maybe this group chat will have their future movements written, let’s hear him out...” Yun Jong, while holding Cheong Myeong down, attempts to reason with him, while Yu Iseol feeds him snacks to shut him up.
After successfully calming him down, they all crowd around Baek Cheon — who opens the group chat.
/
The Red Dogs: Ryeonju ❤️, Jeok Ho, You… +500 others
December 1, 20XX
>> Does anyone know what Ryeonju likes?
>> Why would you need to know that???
>> Christmas is coming up.
>> … So?
>> A.
>> Gift.
>> Is.
>> A.
>> Symbol.
>> Of.
>> Love.
>> Yeah sure, but if you get a bad gift, then you’ll disappoint him :(
>> Why do you think I'm asking here?
>> Because you’re an idiot?
>> … No, because I thought you guys would have an idea.
>> Ask the Commander!
>> Sure, but do you think he’ll respond?
👎x394
December 5, 20XX
>> Guys we made a heart
>> [a blurry photo of multiple dead bodies forming a heart on the ground, with a guy’s forehead seen on the bottom corner while three guys in the background, dressed in completely red, one arm pointing towards the bodies and the other towards the camera.]
>> For the lord?
>> For the lord.
❤️x172
December 13, 20XX
>> [a photo with a dog closing their eyes in a field, with golden lighting. Written across the top: when your in a military procession with The Lord ❤️ behind you and you see your homie trip over their own feet]
😭x238 😂x683
December 19, 20XX
>> Christmas Party photos!
>> [9+ photos of different people dressed with festive headwear - still in their red uniform, partying and drinking. A video shows two of the red dogs fighting for a specific christmas tree headband.]
🎄x534
Seen by 500+ people…
/
“…”
“.. Do you guys think he ever got that christmas gift for him- AUGH! I’m sorry sahyung, please..”
/
After snooping through the rest of the chats — (Ryeonju ❤️’s chat had one proper conversation from years ago where Ho Gamyung wrote “Hello, my Lord”, to which Jang Ilso responded with: ヾ(＾∇＾) – one minute later – Jang Ilso said he was “too boring to text.” - since then, Ho Gamyung was left on delivered; Cheon Myeon Susa’s chat had 99+ unread messages, where 53 messages (all found to be insults) from yesterday only. Somehow, when they opened the chat, Cheon Myeon Susa immediately started insulting him - as if he was notified when Ho Gamyung opened his texts; meanwhile, Jeok Ho’s chat was the opposite, instead including insults from both sides: “You traitor! One day, I’ll seperate you from the Lord’s grace” “You are far too ignorant and slow-witted to even think of doing such things.”) — and finding no valuable information, Baek Cheon swipes away. He looks up to the rest of them, who all seem disappointed (and a little amused?)
He clears his throat, asking, “what should we do now?”
A beat passes. Everyone, even including Cheong Myeong, seems to be unsure.
Slowly, Jo Geol extends his hand out. Baek Cheon raises an eyebrow.
“Wait, trust me.”
Baek Cheon narrows his eyes, yet still passes it. Everyone crowds around Jo Geol.
Swiping down with ease that no other person in the warehouse can have, he reveals the search bar and types in “photos”. (Wow, I didn’t even know you could do that… Cheong Myeong nods approvingly. Kids these days, huh..) Tapping on the app icon, reveals a total amount of.. 0 photos.
Everyone stared at him.
“W-wait!”
Jo Geol quickly scrolls down to utilities, tapping on ‘Hidden’. He quickly puts in the code.
The movement of the loading symbol seemed to be in slow motion. Everyone held their breaths. Would they find their big plan? Or would there be Jang Ilso’s deepest, darkest secrets? These photos, taken by the second in command of the biggest unorthodox organization could change the world.
“...”
“... What the fuck?”
“Huh?”
A small gasp could be heard from Yu Iseol. Yu Iseol.
All of the photos depicted two things — animals, plants, items — close together or matching. Tapping on one of the photos, where two cats walked together — their tails forming a heart, Jo Geol swiped down to see the notes: me and my Lord ❤️.
“...”
“Uh, maybe this isn’t all..?” Jo Geol exits the photo. Zooming out, he scrolls down, attempting to find anything that makes sense. “I mean, I don’t think he, the Poisonous Heart would only have this-”
“Stop!”
Everyone stared at Baek Cheon.
“Look!”
He points to a photo of a side perspective of two men: one in a white button up with a loosened green tie with his back to a wall, fan in hand opened, blocking the other’s face from touching his. The other, dressed in a black hoodie with a plum blossom embroidered on his left side was eerily close to the other, arms crossed. Facing each other, they looked into the other’s eyes with an indescribable emotion.
“Ahem… Poisoned by Cheong Myeong, Im Seobyeong loses himself — infected, he makes decisions he would never have considered before- ” “cough.. cough- ugh..! H-he-” “there, there..” “S-sa- cough -suk…” “-For I, intoxicated by my Lord, am the same. I will, forever and always, take any drink he gives me, as he is my Lord.” Jo Geol reads out.
Everyone stared at Cheong Myeong.
“I-”
Suddenly, loud footsteps rang out from outside the warehouse, progressively becoming louder, as if a crowd of people were running towards them. Taking this chance, Cheong Myeong runs towards the exit.
“Cheong Myeong!!!” They all run after him, Jo Geol dropping the phone in his haste.
Seriously, that guy.. How did he even take that photo??! I swear, I felt no one near us..!
/
In his getaway car, Ho Gamyung pats his pockets. He pulls out a phone. Opening it, his face seems to change by the most minuscule amount. Those closest to him would find he was shocked.
Ah, I left my personal phone in that warehouse…
He shakes his head. Even if those bastards open it, there will be no important information.
Ho Gamyung sighs, with the smallest undertone of sadness. As if he will miss something on it.