A Shop for Killers - 살인자의 쇼핑몰 강지영

Sep 14, 2026

1,012

“What’s the secret?” The question becomes much more dangerous when Dana reveals that she has been hiding the truth about her health and her life. A Shop for Killers 2 follows Ji-an as she returns to university after surviving the violent events connected to her uncle Jin-man and his mysterious shopping mall. When her close friend Dana suddenly dies after finally allowing herself to eat the food she has long been forbidden to have, Ji-an is left with disturbing questions about what really happened. The story brings together friendship, betrayal, hidden identities, survival, and the dangerous legacy surrounding Jin-man’s world. Ji-an is already struggling with her own secrets, her boxing training, and the consequences of trusting people who may not be what they seem. Dana’s confession adds another layer of tension, revealing a private conflict involving her mother, insulin, and the restrictions that have shaped her life. The contrast between an ordinary university routine and the violent world of killers makes the novel especially tense, while the relationship between Ji-an and the people around her keeps the emotional stakes close to the action. As new clues begin to connect Dana’s death with the secrets surrounding Ji-an, the story leaves an unsettling question about who can actually be trusted. Readers interested in Korean action thrillers and character-driven suspense can also explore Let's Get Divorced, another Korean novel connected with a 2026 screen adaptation. The story is available for free reading and download, making it convenient to follow the complete chapters online or continue reading across mobile, PC, and tablet. For readers looking for the novel, eBook version, updated version, or a convenient online reading experience, this resource brings the story and its key characters together in one place.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatDOCX

AccessFree to download

Chapter 1 Return

Chapter 2 Secret

Chapter 3 Betrayal

Chapter 4 Pursuit

Chapter 5 Reckoning

At 4:07 AM on Tuesday, Dana died in my bed. According to the coroner, the cause of death was hypoglycemic shock, and undigested rice cakes and glass noodles were found in her stomach. Her last meal was tteokbokki. Dana said her wish was to eat as much tteokbokki as she wanted somewhere her mom wouldn't interfere. What was so special about that?

"You said your wish is to eat tteokbokki?"

I lay face down on the bed and opened the delivery app. I ordered fish cakes and rice noodles with a "beginner" spice level, along with Coolpis and seaweed rolls. Dana was a strict vegetarian and always used to bring a packed lunch. She ate only a few vegetables, nuts, and a soy protein shake, without any spicy, sweet, or salty food. Then, Dana spoke as if making a confession.

“Actually, I’m not vegan. I have a secret, just like you. It might be insignificant compared to my uncle being a weapons trafficker in league with hitmen, but I promised my mom I would never reveal it.”

Dana approached the bed where I was lying face down and stroked my hair. Her small, soft hands caressed my eyebrows, cheeks, and chin.

“What’s the secret?”

Dana didn't reply. Her thin lips, with patches of crimson tint chipped off, touched my forehead. Beneath the rough flaky skin, I felt warm, soft skin. Perhaps because I had just been betrayed one after another by men I trusted, I didn't dislike Dana's sudden physical contact. I could feel this small, skinny woman, who posed no threat whatsoever, yearning for me. We were precariously stuck somewhere between friends and lovers.

I slowly closed my eyes. It felt like lying on the sandy beach, surrendering my body to the gently rolling waves. It felt as if the lukewarm seawater was softly sweeping away the wet sand stuck between my toes and affectionately licking my shins, thighs, pelvis, and chest. Lying there, I might slowly wear away like soap, blending into the seawater, and perhaps become a being that licks someone else's smooth body. Her lips lingered on my eyelids. It felt like the wet sand was being sucked away. I wanted to blend into her just like this.

“Ah, Jeong Ji-an. I’m hungry.”

Instead of kissing my lips, Dana lightly bit my cheek. Feeling embarrassed that I had blushed all by myself, I smiled awkwardly and sat up in bed.

So I said, what's the secret?

Dana, who had been hesitating, opened her mouth.

“I have Type 1 diabetes. I make up excuses to my classmates that I’m vegan or on a diet, but the truth is, I can’t eat carbohydrates at all without injections. If I just took insulin, I could eat and live like everyone else, but I’m stuck because of my mom.”

Dana opened the pouch and took out the insulin pen needles. She wiped the skin to the right of her navel with an alcohol swab and inserted the pen needles.

“Does Mom stop you from taking insulin? You’re nothing but bones. You need to eat more.”

“My mom is a believer in natural healing. I’ve never even had a vaccination shot, and I grew up drinking green juice made from ground plants whenever I was sick. After giving birth to me in this state, she tells me not to take chemical insulin because it’s poison. I used to think she was the truth, but I don’t anymore.”

I had heard rumors that such people existed, but I didn't expect it to be Dana's mother.

"Wasn't that insulin you just injected?"

“Right, Insulin. We can’t live on just greens forever. I’m tired of waiting for that woman to die. Today, I’m going to eat tteokbokki with you, and I want to have a latte loaded with syrup and cheesecake, too.”

Dana was extremely excited.

“What happens if Mom finds out?”

The flush on Dana's cheeks vanished at my question.

“It was probably similar to when I found out I was a lesbian. Back then, people from a natural healing group stormed in and preached to me one by one. Among them were a foreign pastor, a scientist, and even a gangster mixed in with a pastor. They each tried to persuade me with their own unique logic. Saying things like even the hormones released during love were dangerous to me, or that I was possessed by Satan. In the end, I gave in. My ears felt like they were going to scab over. I declared that I would give up being a lesbian. I decided that I would rather lie and live my own life. I was just an ordinary gay man; I didn't want to become a fighter.”

The notification that the tteokbokki delivery was complete rang. Dana looked at the delivered food with tears welling up in her eyes.

“Jian, do you think I can eat all of this?”

Dana asked as she unwrapped the package.

“Don’t worry. I’m a killer, a tteokbokki killer.”

Dana devoured the tteokbokki like a battle. I felt miserable sitting in front of her, picking at the quail eggs and fish cakes while calculating the calories and sodium content. I hadn't told her, but I was attending a boxing gym and trying to lose weight. If I went over the limit at next week's weigh-in, I might lose the flyweight division and face a skilled bantamweight instead. Losing weight was harder than dealing with new wounds and bruises that would appear just as they were healing.

It feels like I'm the only one eating.

Dana looked at me with an embarrassed expression. Her gaze, her voice, and her slumped shoulders pulled the trigger on my own gluttony.

“It’s just the beginning, what are you talking about?”

The bullets fired without any impact. As the spicy, salty, and sweet food entered, I could feel my body swelling up in an instant. I drank Coolpis, stuffed myself with fried food, and snatched the complimentary cheese balls, even taking Dana's share. I cut the last remaining tteokbokki rice cake in half to share a piece each, then mixed instant rice, sesame oil, and seasoned seaweed into the broth and emptied it out as if I were washing dishes. Even conservatively calculated, it was 3,000 calories. My mind was unsettled at the thought of the swelling and glycogen that would require me to jump rope all day just to get rid of it. Then, suddenly, I thought of my uncle's bulky physique. He had never had a slim body, yet he had effortlessly conquered the underworld. It must have been thanks to his judgment, guts, and a pistol that was stronger than a fist. Perhaps practicing RPG games or live-fire shooting would have been a better strategy than learning boxing. As I thought that, the tension released.

“Jian, let’s go for a latte and cheesecake!”

Dana's angry appetite did not stop.

As I mentioned, Dana died at 4:07 a.m. on Tuesday. The Apple Watch on my wrist recorded the moment Dana's heart stopped beating. The next day, I had to call her terrible mother to inform her of her daughter's death.

Dana's mother, whom I met at the entrance of the funeral home, was a middle-aged woman devoid of any vitality, like a tree that had been dead for a long time. That woman, with her goosefoot cane, slapped my cheek, spat out metallic saliva, and shouted that I was a murderer. Her vitriol, vowing to shove me into hell by any means necessary, struck the back of my head. The most chilling thing was the fact that Dana's mother, a believer in natural healing, had a milky white IV drip of nutrients in her arm, resembling bone broth.

From that day on, I woke up at 4 a.m. without an alarm. Whenever I felt a presence beside me that sounded like someone gasping for breath, it was invariably 4 a.m. Even after swallowing the sleeping pills prescribed by the psychiatrist and lying back down, the sleep that had left would not return. From then on, I dreamed with my eyes open. Dana and I were sunbathing on a clear beach. She was reading a book by Annie Ernaux, and I watched her as she read.

“No, Jung Ji-an. Don’t look at me.”

FAQs

What is A Shop for Killers 2 about?

A Shop for Killers 2 follows Ji-an after she returns to university and becomes involved in a dangerous mystery surrounding her friend Dana, her uncle Jin-man, and the hidden world connected to the shopping mall.

Who is Dana in A Shop for Killers 2?

Dana is Ji-an's close friend whose private struggles and sudden death become an important mystery in the story, pushing Ji-an to question what really happened.

Why does A Shop for Killers 2 focus on Ji-an and Dana's secret?

Their relationship reveals a more personal side of the story, while Dana's confession and death create new questions about trust, family pressure, betrayal, and the hidden dangers around Ji-an.

How is A Shop for Killers 2 connected to the Disney+ series?

A Shop for Killers 2 is the second novel in Kang Ji-young's story world associated with the screen adaptation, while the 2026 Disney+ second season continues the story of Ji-an and Jin-man with Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun.

Where can I download A Shop for Killers 2 for offline reading?

You can download A Shop for Killers 2 directly from this webpage for offline reading.

Sep 14, 2026

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