A few hours later, the hospital room was quiet except for the steady beeping of the machines beside Seon-woo's bed.
The medication had finally pulled him into a deep sleep.
His face looked pale beneath the soft hospital lights, and the bandage around his shoulder was visible beneath the thin blanket. For the first time in a long while, he looked vulnerable—far from the calm, controlled man who always seemed capable of carrying every burden alone.
Ha-rin sat beside him in a chair, holding his hand tightly between both of hers.
She had not moved for hours.
Her eyes were swollen from crying, but she refused to let go of him. Every time the monitor beeped, she looked toward it, as though she needed proof that he was still there.
Her voice trembled as she looked at his sleeping face.
"Why did you get involved in all of this?" she whispered. "Why?"
Her fingers tightened around his hand.
"I do not want to lose you, Seon-woo."
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"You should have told me. Why did you keep everything from me?"
The door opened quietly.
Dae-jin stepped inside, his expression tired and heavy with guilt. He stood near the entrance for a moment, watching Ha-rin beside Seon-woo's bed.
Then he slowly walked closer.
"Ha-rin," he said softly.
She did not look at him immediately.
Dae-jin glanced at Seon-woo, then back at her.
"He did all of this for you."
Ha-rin finally lifted her eyes.
Dae-jin continued, his voice low.
"But that was not the only reason."
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"At the end of the day, this was also his father's case."
Ha-rin's expression changed slightly.
Dae-jin looked toward the dark window beside the bed.
"Tae-jin destroyed everything," he said quietly. "He destroyed Seon-woo's family. He took away his home before Seon-woo even had the chance to understand what had happened."
The room felt colder after those words.
Ha-rin looked down at Seon-woo's sleeping face again.
For the first time, she understood that this was not simply revenge.
It was grief.
It was loss.
It was a son carrying the weight of a broken family for years.
Slowly, Ha-rin nodded.
She understood his pain.
But understanding it did not make her own pain disappear.
Her voice was quiet, filled with sadness.
"I know he had reasons."
She gently brushed her thumb across Seon-woo's hand.
"But I wish he had trusted me enough to carry some of it with him."
Dae-jin lowered his gaze.
Neither of them spoke after that.
The only sound left in the room was the steady rhythm of the machines—reminding them that Seon-woo was still alive, still breathing, and still fighting.
The next morning, pale sunlight filtered through the hospital curtains.
Seon-woo slowly opened his eyes.
For a few seconds, everything was blurred. The white ceiling above him, the quiet hum of the machines, the faint ache in his shoulder—everything returned to him gradually.
Then he turned his head.
Ha-rin was asleep in the chair beside his bed.
Her head rested against the edge of the mattress, and one of her hands was still wrapped around his. She looked exhausted, as though she had spent the entire night refusing to leave him alone.
Despite the pain in his body, Seon-woo smiled faintly.
"She looks so beautiful when she is asleep," he whispered.
His voice was weak, but it was enough.
Ha-rin stirred immediately.
Her eyes opened, and for one brief second, relief filled her face when she saw that he was awake.
Then her expression changed.
Anger.
Fear.
Worry.
"You should be ashamed of yourself," she said sharply, sitting up straight. "You tell me nothing, and then you do something like this?"
Seon-woo tried to smile.
"The bullet only grazed me. It was not that—"
"Stop."
Her voice cut through his sentence.
"If you say one more word like that, I am leaving."
Seon-woo fell silent.
For once, he had no clever response.
After a moment, he looked down at their joined hands.
"I am sorry," he said quietly. "I just wanted to end everything."
He looked back at her.
"So you could be safe."
The anger in Ha-rin's eyes softened, but the pain remained.
"Do you want to keep me safe," she asked softly, "or do you want to risk your life?"
Seon-woo gave her a faint smile.
"You are here," he said. "So I can do both."
Ha-rin rolled her eyes, but despite herself, a small smile appeared on her lips.
Then her expression turned serious again.
"But what if something had happened to you?"
Seon-woo's gaze became steady.
"Nothing will happen to me," he said. "I want to finish this now."
Ha-rin tightened her grip on his hand.
"But there is so much danger," she whispered. "You could lose your life."
Seon-woo remained quiet for a moment.
Then he spoke with a calmness that frightened her.
"My life does not matter as much as yours."
Ha-rin stared at him.
"If Tae-jin stays alive," Seon-woo continued, "I will never stop being afraid."
"Afraid of what?" she asked.
His eyes filled with pain.
"Of losing you."
The room fell silent.
"I already lost my parents," he said quietly. "I cannot afford to lose you too."
Ha-rin's breath caught.
She understood the grief behind his words.
But then she heard the dangerous meaning hidden beneath them.
Her voice trembled.
"So you are going to kill Tae-jin?"
Seon-woo did not look away.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
"Yes," he said.
The single word hung between them like a threat.
Ha-rin tightened her hold on his hand, her heart racing as she realized that Seon-woo was standing at the edge of something dark—and she did not know whether she could pull him back before it was too late.
At the same time, outside Seon-woo's hospital room, Dae-jin stood alone in the quiet corridor.
The fluorescent lights reflected against the polished floor, making the hallway feel colder than it should have been. He held his phone close to his ear, his voice low enough that no one passing by could hear him.
"Tae-jin has already made his first move," Dae-jin said, his expression tense. "We need to move quickly now."
He paused, listening to the person on the other end of the call.
"I will meet you tonight."
Without waiting for another response, Dae-jin ended the call.
For a moment, he stared at the dark phone screen in his hand.
Whatever was coming next, it was no longer something they could delay.
By evening, the hospital room felt less heavy.
Sooyun and Seo-jin had come to visit Seon-woo, and their presence brought a small amount of warmth into the quiet room.
Seon-woo was sitting slightly upright against the pillows, though the exhaustion in his face was impossible to hide. His shoulder was still bandaged, and every movement seemed to cause him discomfort.
Sooyun stood near the foot of the bed, her arms crossed as she looked at him with confusion and concern.
"Why did you even need to go there alone?" she asked. "Was it really necessary?"
Seon-woo gave her a faint smile.
"I felt like having an adventure."
Sooyun stared at him in disbelief.
"That is not an adventure," she replied. "That is almost getting yourself killed."
Seo-jin had been quiet until then.
He stood beside the window, his expression controlled, though the concern in his eyes was clear.
"Just take care of yourself," he said finally.
His voice was calm, but there was something emotional hidden beneath it.
"Let the rest of us deal with everything else."
Seon-woo looked at him for a long moment.
Then he gave a small, silent nod.
He understood what Seo-jin was trying to say.
He did not have to carry every danger alone.
For the first time since the shooting, Seon-woo allowed himself to believe that perhaps he was not fighting this battle by himself anymore.
Tae-jin sat alone in his secret office, surrounded by darkness and silence.
A single lamp burned on the desk, casting a harsh light across his face. His injured arm was wrapped in a thick bandage, and every small movement sent a sharp ache through his body.
But the pain in his arm was nothing compared to the rage burning inside him.
He picked up a file from the desk and threw it across the room.
It struck the wall with a loud crack before falling to the floor.
"You two will not last much longer," Tae-jin whispered bitterly.
His eyes narrowed as memories of the warehouse returned to him—Seon-woo standing in front of him without fear, Dae-jin raising his gun, the bullet tearing through his arm.
For the first time in years, Tae-jin felt something he hated.
Fear.
His phone suddenly rang.
The screen lit up with one name.
Seon-woo.
Tae-jin stared at it for a moment before answering the call.
He did not speak.
On the other end, Seon-woo's voice came through calm, cold, and almost amused.
"The third act is about to begin," Seon-woo said. "Are you ready, Uncle?"
Tae-jin's jaw tightened.
He remained silent.
Seon-woo let out a quiet breath, as if he already knew Tae-jin was listening carefully.
"I survived," Seon-woo continued. "But you will not."
The call ended.
For several seconds, Tae-jin stood completely still, the phone pressed against his ear.
Then he slowly lowered it.
The room felt colder than before.
His eyes moved toward the scattered file on the floor.
Seon-woo was no longer the frightened nephew Tae-jin had once believed he could control.
He had become something far more dangerous.
And now, the final confrontation was coming.
Tae-jin clenched his uninjured hand into a fist.
"If you want a final act," he whispered into the darkness, "then I will make sure it ends with you."
One month later, the hospital doors opened, and Seon-woo finally stepped outside.
The night air felt unfamiliar against his skin after weeks spent beneath white hospital lights and the constant sound of medical machines. His shoulder was still bandaged beneath his coat, and his body had not fully recovered, but he stood on his own feet.
Weak, but steady.
Dae-jin waited beside the car and watched him carefully.
"Slowly," Dae-jin said as Seon-woo approached. "You are discharged, not invincible."
Seon-woo gave him a tired look but said nothing. He climbed into the passenger seat, and Dae-jin started the car.
For a while, the only sound inside was the quiet hum of the engine and the city passing outside the windows.
Then Seon-woo spoke.
"Dae-jin," he said softly, "I want to go directly to Ha-rin."
Dae-jin glanced at him before returning his eyes to the road.
"Not today, Seon-woo."
Seon-woo turned toward him.
"I am stable now."
"You are not fully recovered," Dae-jin replied firmly. "You just left the hospital. If you show up at Ha-rin's place looking like this, she will be furious."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"And she might shoot both of us for making her worry for an entire month."
Seon-woo looked down at his hands.
"But I have not seen her for one month."
His voice was quiet, almost helpless.
Dae-jin's expression softened.
"You waited this long," he said. "Wait a little longer."
Seon-woo did not argue again.
He simply turned toward the window and watched the blurred city lights pass by. His face looked calm, but his eyes carried a loneliness that Dae-jin could not ignore.
Eventually, the car entered the parking area beneath their building.
Later that night, Seon-woo stood alone inside his house.
The room was quiet, dimly lit, and far too empty.
Dae-jin had left only a few minutes earlier after receiving an urgent call. Before leaving, he had reminded Seon-woo to rest and not do anything reckless.
The moment the front door closed, Seon-woo slowly stood from the sofa.
His shoulder ached as he moved, but he ignored it.
He looked toward the door.
"I have to see Ha-rin," he murmured to himself. "She is probably still angry with me."
He picked up his coat and carefully slipped it over his injured shoulder.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then he quietly opened the door and stepped outside.
No matter how weak he still felt, no matter how much pain waited for him, there was only one place he wanted to be.
With Ha-rin.
The police station was unusually quiet that night.
Ha-rin stood near a desk with several officers, discussing reports spread across the table. Her voice was calm and professional, but exhaustion showed in the slight tension around her eyes. She had spent the past month burying herself in work, refusing to let herself think too much about Seon-woo, his injury, or the dangerous promise he had made.
Then the door opened.
Ha-rin looked up.
For a second, she could not move.
Seon-woo stood at the entrance, pale but steady, holding a small bouquet of flowers in one hand. He looked thinner than before, his movements still careful from recovery, but his eyes were fixed only on her.
Ha-rin's expression shifted from shock to disbelief.
Then anger.
Seon-woo took a slow step forward and held out the flowers.
"I need to talk to you," he said quietly.
Ha-rin stared at him for a long moment. Her fingers tightened around the report in her hand.
"Not here," she replied sharply.
Without waiting for him, she turned and walked out of the station.
Seon-woo followed her immediately.
A few minutes later, they sat across from each other in a quiet café nearby. The warm lights and soft music did little to ease the tension between them. Ha-rin sat with her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed as she looked at him.
"Seon-woo," she said, her voice low but filled with frustration, "what are you doing here? You should be resting. And why did you come alone? Why do you never listen?"
Seon-woo lowered his gaze for a moment. Then he reached across the table and gently took her hand.
"Because I wanted to see you," he said softly. "I was afraid something might happen to you."
Ha-rin pulled her hand back slightly and looked at him with disbelief.
"I am a detective, Seon-woo," she said firmly. "I am not a child. I can take care of myself."
His expression softened with guilt. He slowly nodded.
"I know," he whispered. "I am sorry. I will not do this again."
For a moment, Ha-rin remained silent. Then the anger in her eyes began to fade.
"Good," she said, trying to sound strict. "That is more like it."
A small smile appeared on Seon-woo's face.
He took a sip of his coffee, watching her carefully.
"So," he said lightly, "my suspicion was right. You were angry with me."
Ha-rin raised an eyebrow.
"Why would I be angry with you?"
Seon-woo looked almost offended.
"If you were not angry, why did you not come to see me at the hospital?"
Ha-rin stared at him for a second before she suddenly began to laugh.
Seon-woo blinked, confused.
"What?" he asked.
"You look like a little child right now," she said, trying to control her laughter. "I did not come because I was busy."
"But you could have called," he said quietly.
"I did call."
"Not enough," he replied, his voice softer now. "I missed you a lot."
Ha-rin's laughter faded. She looked at him carefully, noticing the honesty in his eyes. Beneath his playful complaint was something deeper—fear, loneliness, and the pain of being away from her for so long.
Her expression softened completely.
"You should miss me," she said gently. "Maybe then you will finally learn to take care of yourself."
Seon-woo smiled.
Ha-rin reached for his hand again, this time willingly.
"Come on," she said. "Let's go home."
Seon-woo looked at her as if he had been waiting to hear those words for an entire month.
Then he stood, still holding her hand.
Together, they left the café and stepped into the quiet night, walking side by side.
Ha-rin stepped into the lobby of Seon-woo's company with calm confidence, though the sleek glass walls and polished marble floors made the building feel more formal than usual. Employees moved quickly between desks, carrying files and speaking in quiet voices.
The moment Ha-rin entered, however, a ripple of curiosity spread across the floor.
A few employees glanced at her, then at one another.
"I think Detective Ha-rin is dating the CEO," one employee whispered.
"I was thinking the same thing," another replied, unable to hide his curiosity. "Do you think it is true?"
"They look so good together," the first employee said with a small smile.
The second employee hesitated for only a moment before walking toward her.
"Miss Ha-rin," he said politely, "may I ask you something?"
Ha-rin turned toward him. "Of course."
"Are you dating Mr. Ryu Seon-woo?"
For a second, Ha-rin's cheeks warmed. She had not expected the question to be asked so directly. Still, she smiled softly instead of avoiding it.
"Yes," she answered.
The employees' faces immediately brightened.
"Really?" one of them said excitedly. "That is amazing news!"
Ha-rin gave them a small, shy smile before walking toward the elevator.
Not everyone shared their excitement.
At a nearby desk, a woman watched Ha-rin with narrowed eyes. Her fingers tightened around the papers in her hands as jealousy flickered across her face.
"Of course," she muttered under her breath. "It is always her."
Ha-rin did not hear her.
She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for Seon-woo's floor. As the doors closed, she found herself smiling. She had come only to see him for a few minutes, but after everything they had survived, even a short visit felt precious.
When the elevator doors opened, Ha-rin walked down the quiet executive hallway and stopped outside Seon-woo's office.
She knocked once before opening the door.
"Hey," she said brightly. "I came to see you."
Seon-woo looked up from behind his desk. Papers and files were spread across the surface, but the moment he saw her, his expression softened. A teasing smile appeared on his lips.
"I was just thinking about you," he said.
Ha-rin walked closer, stopping in front of his desk.
"Do you ever do any work besides thinking about me, Mr. Ryu Seon-woo?" she asked playfully.
Seon-woo stood and reached for her hands, gently pulling her closer to him.
"It is difficult," he said with a quiet laugh. "You make it impossible for me to focus."
Ha-rin laughed, her eyes sparkling.
"And yet you still try?"
"I try my best," Seon-woo replied, holding her hands a little tighter. "But I cannot promise I will succeed when you are around."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The office was quiet, filled only with the distant sound of employees working outside. Ha-rin looked at him, noticing the warmth in his eyes—the same warmth that made her feel safe even after everything that had happened.
Seon-woo leaned closer, his voice softer now.
"I missed you."
Ha-rin smiled.
"I was only gone for a few hours."
"That was still too long."
She shook her head, laughing again.
"You really are impossible."
"And you still came to see me," Seon-woo said.
Ha-rin looked down for a moment, unable to hide her smile.
"Yes," she admitted quietly. "I did."
Outside the office, the employees continued their work, unaware that behind the closed glass doors, Seon-woo and Ha-rin stood together—laughing softly, holding onto a peaceful moment neither of them wanted to end.
Evening settled over Seon-woo's office, turning the glass walls dark with reflections of the city lights outside.
The room was quiet except for the faint rustle of paper.
A large map lay open across Seon-woo's desk, surrounded by documents, photographs, and notes. Seon-woo stood over it with Dae-jin beside him, both of them studying every detail with grim focus.
"Tae-jin is leaving tonight," Seon-woo said at last. His voice was calm, but there was no hesitation in it. "This is our chance."
Dae-jin looked at him and nodded.
"Then we are ready."
Seon-woo's eyes moved across the map.
"Did you do what I asked?"
"Yes," Dae-jin replied. "I spoke to Seo-jin. He knows what needs to be done, and he will take care of everything on his side."
For a moment, Seon-woo remained silent.
Then he straightened, his expression hardening.
"Good," he said. "Then be prepared for tonight."
His gaze fell on the papers spread across the desk.
"Tonight, we end this."
Dae-jin reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two small recording devices.
"The microphones I gave you," he said. "Do you still have them?"
Seon-woo nodded.
"Yes. They are with me."
He reached into his coat and took out the devices, placing them carefully in Dae-jin's hand.
Dae-jin examined them briefly before slipping one into his pocket.
"I will give the other one to Seo-jin," he said. "If Tae-jin says anything, we will have proof."
Seon-woo gave a small nod.
The two men stood in silence for a moment, looking down at the map.
There was no fear left in Seon-woo's eyes now.
Only determination.
For years, Tae-jin had controlled everything through secrets, threats, and bloodshed. But tonight, Seon-woo was no longer going to run from the past.
He was going to face it.
And this time, he would not face it alone.
The highway was nearly empty beneath the black night sky.
Tae-jin's convoy raced toward the airport, its headlights cutting through the darkness as several vehicles moved tightly around his car. Inside the back seat, Tae-jin sat with his injured arm hidden beneath his coat, his face tense but determined.
He believed he was close to escaping.
Then the lead driver suddenly slammed on the brakes.
The convoy came to a violent stop.
Tae-jin's eyes widened.
In the middle of the road, standing beneath the cold highway lights, were Seon-woo and Dae-jin.
They did not move.
They did not step aside.
They simply stood there, calm and waiting.
Tae-jin's jaw tightened.
"Have they lost their minds?" he muttered through clenched teeth.
Before anyone could react, Seon-woo raised his weapon.
A sharp crack echoed through the night.
The windshield of Tae-jin's car shattered, sending fragments of glass across the seats. The bodyguards immediately stepped out of the convoy vehicles, returning fire as chaos erupted across the highway.
Gunshots rang through the air.
Smoke rose from the road.
Glass shattered.
Men shouted orders as they rushed for cover.
Dae-jin moved quickly beside Seon-woo, responding with controlled precision as he forced Tae-jin's guards away from the convoy.
From inside the car, Tae-jin shouted in rage.
"You think I have become weak?" he yelled. "This game is not over yet!"
Seon-woo's eyes remained fixed on the car.
He moved forward, drawing the attention of one of the guards. In that brief moment, Dae-jin came from the side and forced the guard away from the bridge barrier.
"Look out!" Dae-jin shouted, grabbing Seon-woo's arm. "He is firing!"
Seon-woo quickly lowered himself behind cover.
"I know," he said, his voice steady. "Give me cover. We move now."
Together, they advanced toward Tae-jin's car.
Panic flickered across Tae-jin's face as Seon-woo came closer. He leaned toward the open window and fired again.
The bullet passed dangerously close to Seon-woo's arm.
For a moment, Seon-woo lost his balance and stumbled toward the edge of the road.
Dae-jin caught his hand immediately and pulled him back.
"Seon-woo!" Dae-jin shouted. "Move quickly! I will cover you!"
Seon-woo regained his footing and ran toward the concrete barrier for protection.
At the same time, Tae-jin's driver forced the car forward.
The convoy began moving again.
"Tae-jin is getting away!" Dae-jin shouted.
Seon-woo pressed a hand to his earpiece.
"Seo-jin," he said urgently, "intercept him at the airport. Block every exit route."
Seo-jin's voice came through immediately.
"Understood," he replied, his tone sharp with determination. "He will not get through."
Seon-woo watched Tae-jin's car speed down the highway.
Then, without hesitation, he ran forward.
Dae-jin shouted after him, but Seon-woo did not stop.
He leapt toward the side of Tae-jin's moving car and caught hold of the door frame.
Tae-jin turned in shock.
For one brief second, their eyes met through the broken window.
Tae-jin raised his weapon.
Seon-woo ducked just as another shot rang out.
He pulled himself upward, gripping the roof of the car as the vehicle continued speeding toward the airport.
The final confrontation had begun.
And this time, Tae-jin had nowhere left to run.
The abandoned storage area stood at the edge of the city, swallowed by darkness and the sound of wind moving through broken metal doors.
Tae-jin's car skidded to a stop near the entrance.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then Seon-woo stepped forward from the shadows.
His clothes were torn, his arm bleeding from the earlier gunfire, but his eyes were clear and unshaken. He raised his weapon, keeping it aimed at Tae-jin from a distance.
"I told you," Seon-woo called out, his voice echoing through the empty space. "We would meet three times."
Tae-jin stared at him through the shattered window, panic spreading across his face.
"This is the third time," Seon-woo continued. "And it is the last."
Tae-jin tried to reverse the car, but the damaged vehicle would not move properly. Around them, the remaining guards were injured or fleeing into the darkness.
Realizing there was no safe way out, Tae-jin threw open the back door and ran.
Seon-woo followed him.
They raced through the abandoned storage area, past rusted containers and broken wooden crates. Tae-jin turned suddenly, raised his gun, and fired.
The bullet grazed Seon-woo's arm.
Pain shot through him, forcing him to stumble to the ground.
Tae-jin saw his chance and began running again.
But Seon-woo pushed himself up.
His breathing was heavy. Blood stained his sleeve. Still, he lifted his weapon and fixed his eyes on Tae-jin's retreating figure.
"This ends today!" he shouted.
Tae-jin turned around just as a gunshot rang through the storage area.
The bullet struck Tae-jin in the leg.
He cried out and collapsed onto the cold concrete floor.
Seon-woo walked toward him slowly, forcing himself to ignore the pain in his arm. When he reached Tae-jin, he lowered himself beside him.
Tae-jin looked up at him with fear in his eyes.
"I am your uncle," Tae-jin said desperately. "Please... forgive me."
Seon-woo's expression did not change.
"You were my uncle," he said quietly. "But you chose to destroy our family. You took my father from me. You took Ha-rin's father from her. You hurt everyone who trusted you."
Tae-jin's eyes filled with panic.
"I can explain—"
"No," Seon-woo interrupted. "You have had years to explain."
Seon-woo lowered his weapon but did not fire again.
Instead, he took out the recording device from inside his coat and placed it on the ground between them.
"Everything you said has been recorded," he said. "The truth will finally reach everyone."
In the distance, sirens began to grow louder.
Tae-jin looked toward the sound, his face turning pale.
"You cannot do this," he whispered.
Seon-woo stood slowly.
"I already did."
A few moments later, Dae-jin ran into the storage area.
"Hyung!" he shouted.
He rushed toward Seon-woo and caught him before he could lose his balance. Seon-woo was covered in blood and exhaustion, but he was still standing.
"Are you okay?" Dae-jin asked, breathing heavily.
Seon-woo looked toward Tae-jin, who lay injured on the ground as the sound of approaching police vehicles filled the night.
For the first time in years, Seon-woo's face softened.
"Yes," he said quietly. "Now everyone is safe."
Dae-jin placed Seon-woo's arm over his shoulder.
"Come on," he said. "We need to leave before the police arrive."
Seon-woo took one final look at Tae-jin.
The man who had controlled their lives through fear was no longer powerful.
He was only a man waiting to face the consequences of his crimes.
Seon-woo turned away.
With Dae-jin supporting him, he walked out of the abandoned storage area and into the night.
Behind them, the sirens grew louder.
The television newsroom was filled with the low hum of cameras, monitors, and urgent voices.
Across every screen, the same breaking-news banner flashed in red.
A reporter stood outside a dark, abandoned storage area, police lights flickering behind her.
"Tonight, the body of Ryu Tae-jin was discovered in an abandoned area on the outskirts of the city," the reporter announced. "Authorities have confirmed that CEO Ryu Seon-woo and his close aide, Dae-jin, are currently missing."
The report continued, but for Ha-rin, the words had already become distant and unclear.
She sat frozen on the couch in Soo-yun's living room, a coffee mug still held between her hands. The room was softly lit, warm and quiet only moments ago. Snacks and untouched drinks rested on the table in front of them.
Now, the television screen filled the room with flashing lights and frightening headlines.
"Breaking news," the anchor continued. "Following the recent attack, businessman Ryu Tae-jin has been found dead. Authorities believe the incident was carefully planned. At this time, the whereabouts of Ryu Seon-woo and Dae-jin remain unknown."
Ha-rin's eyes widened.
"Tae-jin is dead?" she whispered.
Beside her, Soo-yun leaned closer to the television, her expression turning pale.
"That is impossible," she said quietly. "How could this happen?"
The anchor's voice continued.
"Police are searching for Ryu Seon-woo and Dae-jin. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether they are safe or whether they were involved in the incident."
Ha-rin's hand loosened around the mug.
She quickly placed it on the table before it could fall.
"Seon-woo and Dae-jin are missing?" she asked, her voice shaking.
Her breathing became uneven.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "Their phones... their signals... if they are off, then that means—"
Her voice broke before she could finish.
Soo-yun immediately reached for her hand.
"Ha-rin, do not jump to conclusions," she said firmly. "We will call the police, okay?"
Ha-rin suddenly stood up, nearly losing her balance.
"No," she said. "I cannot wait. I am calling Seo-jin. He will know something."
Her hands trembled as she grabbed her phone.
Soo-yun placed a gentle hand on Ha-rin's shoulder.
"They may be safe," she said softly, though fear was visible in her own eyes. "We do not know what happened yet."
Ha-rin swallowed hard.
"What happened?" she whispered. "Why did everything become like this?"
Soo-yun moved closer.
"Listen to me," she said. "Seon-woo is strong. Dae-jin is strong too. They will come back."
Ha-rin's eyes filled with tears, but she nodded slowly.
"I know," she said in a weak voice. "But waiting for them feels impossible."
"You are not alone," Soo-yun replied, taking her hand. "I am here. And when they return, they will explain everything. Things will be okay."
Ha-rin forced a small smile, then looked back at the television.
The screen showed blurred images of police vehicles, flashing lights, and the abandoned storage area.
"Please," Ha-rin whispered. "Come back soon."
She quickly dialed Seo-jin's number.
After a few rings, he answered.
"Ha-rin?" Seo-jin said. His voice was serious and tense. "What happened?"
"Seo-jin," Ha-rin said, struggling to breathe normally. "Seon-woo and Dae-jin are missing. Tae-jin is dead. I saw it on the news."
There was silence on the other end of the call.
Then Seo-jin spoke quietly.
"I know," he said. "I am trying to understand the situation myself. I was in contact with them, but the connection suddenly ended."
Ha-rin's grip tightened around the phone.
"What do you mean?"
"Their signals disappeared three hours ago," Seo-jin said. "There has been no location update. No message. No trace."
Ha-rin's legs weakened.
She sank back onto the couch, her face turning pale.
"No trace?" she whispered. "What do you mean, no trace? Seo-jin... they are okay, right? Please tell me they are okay."
Seo-jin's voice lowered.
"I will not lie to you, Ha-rin. The situation is serious."
Her tears began to fall.
"But I am searching for them," Seo-jin continued. "The police are involved now. We will find something. We have to."
Soo-yun moved closer and wrapped an arm around Ha-rin's shoulders.
"I cannot stay calm," Ha-rin whispered into the phone. "Why have they not come back? Seon-woo promised me."
"Ha-rin," Seo-jin said gently but firmly, "I am coming to your house. We will go to the police station together."
"Okay," Ha-rin replied weakly. "Please come quickly."
She ended the call and stared at the phone in her hands.
Soo-yun gently held Ha-rin's face, making her look up.
"Listen to me," Soo-yun said. "Until we know the truth, we are not going to assume the worst. Do you understand?"
Ha-rin's tears continued to fall silently.
"He will be okay, right?" she asked, her voice almost gone.
Soo-yun nodded firmly.
"Yes," she said. "He will be okay. Both of them will be okay."
Ha-rin looked down again, her heart aching with fear.
"But you should have told me," she whispered, thinking of Seo-jin's words. "There has been no contact. No calls. No messages. Everything is silent. What happened to them?"
Soo-yun tightened her hold on Ha-rin's hand.
"We will find out," she said quietly. "We will not stop until we do."
Ha-rin took a slow, shaking breath.
"Please," she whispered. "Let them be safe."
For a few moments, the room fell silent.
Only the television continued speaking in the background.
Then the doorbell rang.
The sound was loud and sudden.
Ha-rin immediately stood up.
Hope and fear crossed her face at the same time.
She stared toward the door, her heart beating wildly.
To be continued.