Mercy for None (2025) s01e02 Episode Script

1
[footsteps plodding]
[footsteps continue]
[dark music playing]
CONDOLENCES
[footsteps echoing]
[car door closes]
Are you all right?
[inhales deeply] Well, Gi-jun was here.
Oh, Nam Gi-jun.
Wow, haven't heard that name in a while.
So he's still alive, is he?
But he asked me a strange question.
If there's anything he should know
about Gi-seok's death.
Well, his brother
was found dead overnight.
What's so strange about that?
It seems pretty normal to me.
So I want to ask you.
Is there anything that I should know
regarding Gi-seok's death?
[inhales deeply]
That's actually what I wanted to ask you.
From what I've been hearing,
Nam Gi-seok recently talked to you
about leaving the company.
- That must've upset you quite a bit.
- [Ju-woon sighs]
Hey, you know
how nosy I can be. [chuckles]
Find out if it was actually some kids
who killed Gi-seok.
Yeah.
[car door opens]
[door closes]
[opening theme music playing]
MERCY FOR NONE
[man 1] Senior Director Nam Gi-seok.
He was second-in-command
to the Juwoon gang
and played a key role
in transforming it into a business entity.
We believe he was running a gallery
owned by the company
to facilitate money laundering.
To go back a bit further,
the Juwoon and Bongsan gangs
were formed when the Beomyeongdong gang,
which once dominated Seoul, split in two.
JUWOON
BONGSAN
The leader of the organization at the time
was Chairman Oh here.
His second-in-command,
Lee Ju-woon and Gu Bong-san,
staged a coup.
The incident that triggered the coup
was the death of his son, Oh Seung-won.
I'm seeing parallels
to the Nam Gi-seok case.
So what, now that Nam,
Lee's possible successor,
was killed like Oh's son,
they might start another war?
You're overreacting.
[man 2] Overreacting?
You know, those knife-wielding gangsters
had a massive brawl
five months
before the presidential election,
and dozens died here in the city.
Do you know how many of us
were let go because of all of that?
Nam Gi-seok was killed by a bunch of kids.
Well, that's what the police report says.
Don't just repeat the police report.
Do you know?
[inhales] Well, but, actually…
[clears throat]
[chuckles nervously]
[exhales loudly] Everyone, get outta here.
Sorry?
I said get out.
Oh…
[man 2] Nuh-uh.
I need you to stay behind.
You worked your ass off to get
into the Special Investigation Division,
but you're treated like an outsider here,
and at home,
they behave like you don't even exist.
You were turned away
at the funeral yesterday,
without even paying your respects.
Are you still following me?
Still tailing you? Don't flatter yourself.
I was there at the funeral.
[inhales] It looked like your father
isn't the same as he used to be.
Huh.
[pensive music playing]
Are you planning to quit your job here
and work as a lawyer at Juwoon
once he's ready for retirement?
- I've never considered that a possibility.
- Really?
Everyone here seems to think so.
Come on. Let's be honest with each other.
The way things are now,
you're never going to move up
any further here.
And I don't think Juwoon
will be very welcoming to you. Am I right?
What don't you tell me
what you're trying to say?
[pensive music continues]
I wanna give you an opportunity.
A chance to choose your path
and make your own way.
Take charge of the Nam Gi-seok case,
but steer it in the right direction.
[Hui-chan] Where are you?
[Yu-cheol, on phone] Hui-chan. Fuck, man.
Just do whatever the guy says, okay?
He's fine for now,
so tell me.
Who put you up to it?
[Hui-chan breathing deeply]
[handcuffs clanking]
[breathes shakily] Okay.
Fuck. Fuck.
[inhales]
You win.
Listen.
Have you heard of the Graveyard?
You old man. [scoffs]
The Graveyard's a chatroom.
They find runaways like me
to do some work under the table.
Recently,
they posted a huge job in that chatroom.
[indistinct cheering]
Had the highest payout they've offered.
GRAVEYARD
MURDER: MALE…
I swear I didn't know anything.
They just told me the location
and to kill the guy.
But why would I care who he was, right?
- [footsteps running]
- [blade ringing]
Is that all?
[Hui-chan exhales loudly, grunts]
[breathes heavily]
Those fuckers from the Graveyard
got me a lawyer.
You can bother her yourself.
I'll get her here.
STATEMEN
JEONG HUI-CHAN
[woman] It looks good. See?
I told you that it was going to be easy.
All right.
And I'm just saying this out of concern.
Don't try any stupid tricks, please.
In these situations, you need
to listen to the experts here, hm?
[Hui-chan] Wait, ma'am.
See ya.
[lawyer] Mm.
Yeah, I just got his statement.
Yeah, I don't think
there'll be any issues.
That's just how kids are, you know?
They start behaving once they're arrested.
Yeah.
Anyway,
send the remaining balance right away.
He'll be transferred
to a detention center sometime next week,
so you can finish the work then.
- Yeah.
- [closes car door]
Oh, all right, gotta go.
Yeah.
[seat belt stretching]
[car door closes]
Who are you?
I'm the brother
of the guy who was killed, Gi-seok.
[tense music playing]
[laughing]
Have you lost your mind?
[sighs] Don't you know where you are?
This is a police station,
and I'm a lawyer.
What, are you gonna blackmail me
or something?
Blackmail an actual lawyer?
Why?
Did you do something worth blackmail?
You know about the Graveyard?
[car lock clicks]
[lawyer] Okay, fine. I'll spill.
So, the Graveyard works like a…
something like a food-delivery app.
Only instead of connecting
restaurants with drivers,
it connects clients with substitutes.
[woman 2 sobbing]
Don't just stand there! Do something!
Just shut your mouth!
Look, I'm really screwed.
Find someone to go to prison
instead of me right now.
My mom's getting screened
for her nomination next month!
- Just find someone!
- Yes, I'm on it.
- Got it. All right, no problem, bye.
- [phone clatters]
Ladies, this one's urgent!
"Looking for a fall guy
for the death of a woman in her twenties."
Get it online.
[lawyer] Let me break it down for you.
Say someone commits a crime
but doesn't want to do the time,
and someone else is willing
to take the fall for anything
as long as the money's right.
Supply and demand.
That's where the Graveyard steps in.
- [cell phone chimes]
- [woman 3] Me, me! Let me do it!
[lawyer] There's always plenty of demand,
but not enough supply.
The thing is, there are a lot
of runaway kids in the Graveyard,
especially boys
who haven't finished military service.
Hey, the Graveyard!
- [boy 1] The Graveyard?
- [boy 2] Hang on!
- Stop. Here we go.
- [boy 1] Whoa.
- [keyboards clacking]
- [computer beeps]
[operator] I found a match!
[Graveyard manager] Mm, okay.
[lawyer] Do time instead of doing
their service and get paid. Great deal.
The charge is attempted sexual assault,
but it'll be changed to public indecency…
Once the groundwork is laid,
they bring in an expert like me.
Above board.
That's really everything I know.
All I do
is give some legal advice
for the people who are running the thing.
I swear to you.
If you don't believe me,
why don't you go ask them yourself?
Seriously.
NCLEAN
SIM SEONG-WON, CEO
[man 1] Remember that shaman I saw?
She was right.
[laughs] She predicted
I'd have great luck this month,
and what the fuck do you know?
I'm striking international deals.
- Pretty damn sweet. [laughing]
- [man 2] We're going global. [chuckles]
Congratulations are in order, sir.
Don't go and pop the champagne yet, idiot.
We've only just begun.
Any updates from Lawyer Yoon?
Yeah, well,
she said it's all taken care of.
How about that? Meticulous, isn't she?
She gets things done.
[tense music playing]
[employee 1] Who's that?
What's he doing here so late?
I told you we should talk to Mr. Sim
about changing the show host.
- He'll never go for it.
- I guess.
Sir, how can I help you?
We're actually closed.
Stop him.
Uh, excuse me, sir.
I'm sorry. We're closed for the day.
Uh, why are you here?
Sim Seong-won. Where is he?
Oh, you're here to see Mr. Sim.
Well, not to be rude, but you know
what a company like ours does, right?
Oh.
It looks like you do, don't you?
[employee 2] What's going on?
Show him the way out.
Get this jerk out of here.
- [bones crunching]
- [employee 3 screaming]
[employee 4] Hey you! [grunts]
[employees groaning]
And Juwoon? Still nothing to report?
[man 2] Not yet.
We're keeping an eye on them,
but it looks like they've decided
it was just some stupid kids.
Just to be extra safe,
let's shut down the Graveyard,
just for now.
All right.
[cell phone vibrating]
HEAD OFFICE RECEPTION
What is it?
[Gi-jun] Sim Seong-won.
Ugh, what stupid fucking thing is it now?
Who is this?
This is… Nam Gi-jun.
You know why I'm calling, right?
I'll be waiting.
[phone receiver clatters]
How the hell did I forget about
the most important person of all? Hm?
[inhales] Goddamn it.
Hey, how many guys
are at the office right now?
[ominous music playing]
[glass clatters on table]
[cell phone vibrating]
[glass shattering]
[music intensifies]
[glass crunching]
[employee 5 grunting, groans]
- Die!
- [blade rings]
- [bones crunching]
- [employee 6 grunting]
[wailing]
[grunts]
[employee 7] Bastard!
[glass shattering]
[both grunting]
[yells battle cry]
[blow thuds]
[employee 8 cries out]
[moaning, winces]
[employee] S-- Sir, you're here. [moaning]
[employee coughing weakly]
Oh, hey, look who it is!
Wow, Gi-jun, my man. It's been so long.
Hey.
Oh, uh… You stupid little shit.
Get up, you idiot!
[grunts] Let's go.
Let's get you out of here. Come on, now.
Well, this is a nice surprise.
Director Nam, yeah?
No, that's not right.
What should I be calling you now, huh?
Ah. "Gi-jun, sir"?
Gi-jun.
It might look like
I'm some kind of big shot now,
but nothing's changed
since you were around.
I'm still just a guy who fixes things
and covers things up when they tell me to.
You know that.
I'm just a guy who follows orders.
So you knew the target was Gi-seok.
Says who? Those pricks are assholes.
When I take the job, I do what I'm told.
Like I always do.
I had no idea.
I swear I didn't know, not at first.
Come on, I'd already been paid.
What was I supposed to do?
I…
I really didn't have another choice.
Shit, my legs.
I'm not demented. [groans]
There's no way I'd do that if I knew.
Are you finished, then?
Listen, Gi-jun.
Director Nam. Let's be rational here.
Why do you think
I would send a bunch of stupid kids?
It's Nam Gi-seok.
If I really wanted him dead,
I would've sent a pro.
Unbelievable that he actually died.
Who is it?
[suspenseful music playing]
Huh?
Who is it?
Our reputation is everything, Gi-jun.
It's all we have in this business.
If word gets out about me
selling out a client, my business will be…
If I tell you,
it'll put you in danger too.
I'll make those decisions.
[Seong-won whimpers]
[thudding]
[employee] Oh no.
[Seong-won] Gu Jun-mo.
Chairman Gu Bong-san's son.
He's the one who did it.
[Seong-won] Now what?
Are you going to take on Bongsan
all by yourself?
[Ju-woon] Really?
Jun-mo? Are you certain?
Yes, sir. I'm sure.
I'll get everyone ready.
Gu Bong-san.
I'm going to go see him first.
Okay.
[door opens, closes]
[man] We should pick a side
and stick with it now, don't you think?
I mean, Lee Ju-woon is gonna kill us.
This could be a good time
for us to cut ties with Juwoon
and finally go all in with Bongsan--
Oh, shut up. Shut up! Shut the hell up.
You think I keep you around
just to nag me?
I'm trying to think here.
Just stop talking.
Mr. Sim, it's Kim Chun-seok from Bongsan.
[Seong-won] Tell him I'm not here.
I heard Gi-jun was here last night.
Ugh, whatever.
I don't need to tell you everything, do I?
So, Gi-seok,
did Mr. Gu
hire you personally or something?
That's right, he did!
Look, I'm through caring about it.
You clean up your own mess for once,
you fucking idiot.
[Seong-won sighs]
[quietly] Get out of here.
[Chun-seok] You dumb fuck.
You don't see what's happening now?
Come on, man.
Wh-- What's with the name-calling?
How much does Gi-jun know?
Answer me straight.
No bullshit, you stupid bastard.
Does Gi-jun know
it was Gu Jun-mo who hired you?
What the hell was I supposed to do?
We're talking about Nam Gi-jun, huh?
Nam Gi-jun was here.
- What was I supposed to do?
- Are you fucking kidding me right now?
What about you?
Can you and your people even handle him?
[Chun-seok sighs]
Shit.
[groans]
That shaman is as good as dead.
I am surprised you called me first.
So what's the occasion?
[clears throat]
How long has it been
since we met up here for drinks, alone?
I take it this isn't a casual affair.
Tell me.
What were the terms
that made this possible?
Our one rule.
One we set after Chairman Oh.
Correct.
Anyone who crosses the other
will pay dearly.
You have to take responsibility
if you cause a problem,
either with your life,
or with something of equivalent value.
[Bong-san chuckles]
Come on, now.
Stop beating around the bush.
- I'm getting impatient.
- [bottle clatters]
There are no exceptions,
even if the issue
is your own son.
[pensive music playing]
Hey.
What are you trying to say?
You know the first thing that went through
my mind when I heard about Gi-seok?
"This is an accident,
not a planned attack. It's unintentional."
"Children making a grave error."
Did you not hear me?
What're you saying?
Your son, Jun-mo,
was behind
hiring Sim Seong-won for the job,
and Gi-jun wrecked NClean last night.
You realize you have
to take responsibility for your words?
You think I don't know for sure?
You see now why I brought up the rule?
I do understand.
But I hope you haven't forgotten
who that rule was made for originally.
If Nam Gi-jun,
that punk, hadn't screwed up 11 years ago,
we wouldn't have needed that damn rule.
What you just said
is going to be a problem,
whether it's true or not.
How dare you threaten me
about my son's life?
If you mess with Jun-mo,
do you think
I'll let you get away with that?
Right.
Now that you know the truth,
you're forced to do something,
to speak clearly.
You'll have no choice
but to hand over your son
or go to war with me.
But Bong-San,
I didn't ask you
to come to talk just about us.
I told you,
Gi-jun wrecked NClean in a total rampage.
Don't you understand?
You know what's happening, don't you?
- [Seong-cheol] Sir.
- [Gi-jun] They're inside?
[door slides open forcefully]
[door slides shut]
[liquid splatters]
[bottle clatters]
Let me ask you once again.
Did you have anything to do
with Gi-seok's murder?
Hey, Nam Gi-jun!
Just please answer the question.
You little shit!
[Ju-woon] Gi-jun.
This isn't just your problem.
It's all of ours.
I'll take care of it.
Does that mean
that you'll settle all of this
by the rule?
You're not part of this world.
Whether we abide by the rule or not
is up to us.
Even so, you'll stick to the rule?
That's right.
Sim Seong-won and those kids
will be dealt with.
You stay out of it.
That won't be necessary.
I already know…
who sent the order.
You weren't… involved, right?
What about you?
[glass clatters]
Well then,
you won't need to do anything.
Just watch.
[liquid pouring]
[bottle clatters on table]
[door slides closed]
[Bong-san sighs]
[breathing shakily]
Let me make up for what Jun-mo did.
Just tell me what you want.
The casino? The duty-free shop?
What else?
But you've got to do something too.
You can't just let Gi-jun
mess everything up for us.
Okay, so what do you want me to do, then,
put a hit out or something?
[glass shatters]
If Jun-mo dies…
it's over between us.
Don't forget that.
Looks like we've shared a drink
for the last time, then, haven't we?
Just take it.
Even if you start building your hotel now,
you won't even see it finished.
Why try?
Why don't you just take mine?
De'Cro Hotel.
I'll just give it to you.
[chuckles]
Sir, what--
[Jun-mo grunts]
Was it really you?
[Jun-mo] Huh?
[Bong-san] Did you do it?
Tell me right now!
How am I supposed to answer when
I don't know what you're talking about?!
Nam Gi-seok.
Did you really do it?
[Jun-mo groans]
Yeah.
Yeah, it was me.
Why do you ask?
[Bong-san exhales]
"Why"?
"Why"?!
You idiot!
[Jun-mo groaning]
Cha and now with Nam Gi-seok too?
Why'd you do that?
[Jun-mo scoffs]
That dumb bastard humiliated me
in front of my own subordinates.
That's your reason?
People have been trash-talking you
every moment of your life,
so what's one more day of humiliation?
That makes sense.
Even my own father
treats me like I'm a worthless
piece of shit he scraped off his shoe!
That's why I'm trying to prove myself!
Why do you need to prove yourself?
You think if you're no good,
that you're somehow less my son?
Jun-mo.
Do you really not get why I'm doing this?
[exhales]
[Jun-mo grunts]
[Jun-mo groans in distress]
[Jun-mo sighs]
[Bong-san] If you don't wanna get killed
by Nam Gi-jun,
you'd better ask for my permission
before doing anything.
Understand?
[coach] Hey, Ji-ho. Put your hips into it.
Bam! One, two, bam!
Try it.
Are you here to practice?
We only kids lessons this time of day.
- [man] Gi-jun.
- [baseballs smashing]
I went to the funeral.
[somber music playing]
I thought I should at least
come by and say goodbye to Gi-seok.
Oh.
[man] I didn't stay long
so I wouldn't run into any of those jerks.
He was set up, wasn't he?
And you know who it is.
He came to see me
right before everything went down.
Did he say something?
No, not really.
I could just tell
something was wrong.
[inhales] So now,
I'm gonna need a bat, like my old one.
[sighs]
[man grunts]
Yeah, all right.
It's gonna take some time to make,
so in the meantime…
Here, take this first.
[mechanism clicking]
[Seong-cheol] This isn't just anyone.
It's Gi-seok.
The others won't accept it
if you let him get away with this.
So we should start a war
with Bongsan, then?
[Ju-woon sighs]
- We will lose more than we gain.
- Sir, if you set a precedent, it means--
Hey!
I'm tired.
[humming softly]
[Seong-cheol] Hey.
What now?
What are you doing here?
I need to talk to the chairman
about something.
Yeah?
All right. What is it?
Tell me.
Talk to me instead.
[Hae-beom exhales]
I believe I explained it to you already.
It was the day
he had that run-in with Gu Jun-mo.
But he was taken out later that night.
I get it if we had to wait
until the funeral was over, but now…
Now the chairman really needs
to do something, don't you think?
He already knows that it was Gu Jun-mo.
What?
All we need
is to just follow our boss's decisions.
So he wants to do nothing?
And you're okay with that?
Hey.
Don't forget
your place in this organization.
Yes.
I'll be sure not to.
Good for you, though, huh?
You'll be taking over
Gi-seok's place soon.
[Hae-beom scoffs]
[Hae-beom grunts]
[Geum-son] Mr. Choi.
Come on, I don't wanna see that.
Well, I'm teaching him how to behave.
Still, you shouldn't hit him
like some kind of thug.
This is company business,
which doesn't concern you.
[Geum-son] Oh,
I wanted to ask what your take is.
Do you really think
you'll lose more than you gain?
[foreboding music playing]
[Gi-jun] This is my business.
You should stay out of it.
The group wants
to put this behind them, right?
You should just go along with that.
Yeah.
Someone told me the exact same thing.
That all we have to do
is follow our boss's decisions.
But I could never respect
that kind of a boss.
This isn't just your business.
It's mine too.
Oh my God, I'm fucking starving.
[sighs]
[car door opens]
[Graveyard manager] Name, Gu Jun-mo.
Managing director at BS Group
and CEO of De'Cro Hotel.
He drives a white Maserati Ghibli
with license plate number 26D 7123.
Let's post it.
GU JUN-MO
DE'CRO HOTEL CEO
[computer beeps]
[suspenseful music playing]
Let me know if you see a guest like this.
[phone beeping]
- What? Hey. Look at this.
- What's up?
He looks like him, but it's not.
Keep going.
- STOP I
- LOOKS IDENTICAL
GRAVEYARD MANAGER
LOOK FOR GU JUN-MO (26D 7123)
30 MILLION WON
CHEONGDAM, APGUJEONG AREA
Come on, the license plate is different.
Trying to negotiate the price
before they've seen him.
Yeah, he'd be somewhere like that.
26D 7123
Oh fuck.
[tires screeching]
Whoa!
Shit!
[operator] Ma'am! I found Gu Jun-mo!
Oh, my-- Hey, we got him!
Really?
[Yoon chuckles]
[Hae-beom] Gi-jun,
I've got Gu Jun-mo's location.
MERCY FOR NONE
[Yeong-do] I knew that jackass
was gonna pull this kind of shit one day.
He's always causing trouble
for his father.
[Ju-woon] Are you sure
it's Jun-mo?
[Yeong-do] Yeah, I'm sure.
Gu Jun-mo, managing director at Bongsan.
He's the one who hired NClean
to murder Nam Gi-seok.
I always knew that idiot
was going to cause trouble one day.
Does Gi-jun know?
Yeah, well, he's already messed up NClean.
[suspenseful music playing]
But sir,
this is the overture.
We're not doing the final bows.
The rule from 11 years ago
was made when Nam Gi-jun left.
But now that he's back,
it's time to set a new one.
[Ju-woon] What?
[Yeong-do] What I'm saying is,
you could stick to the old rule
and make Gu Jun-mo pay with his life,
or strike a deal with Chairman Gu
and let things slide,
no harm done to anybody,
or even
turn it upside down,
break the rule, and take it all.
Break it like 11 years ago.
Whatever you decide,
Nam Gi-jun
isn't leading the game right now,
and neither is Gu Bong-san.
It's all up to you.
So just keep this in mind.
You didn't have a choice back then,
but this time,
everything depends on what you choose.
You understand what I'm saying, right?
[music intensifies]
SEARCH AND SEIZURE WARRAN
APPLICATION
SUSPECT: GU BONG-SAN
PROSECUTOR: LEE GEUM-SON
SUSPECT: LEE JU-WOON
[dark music playing]
[music ends]