The forest no longer felt like a place.
It felt like a trap.
Han Seo-yeon's heartbeat pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears. The shadows around them were no longer just shadows. They were people. Moving. Closing in. Watching.
There were too many.
Her fingers trembled slightly, but she forced them to steady. Fear was there, yes. But beneath it… something stronger was rising.
Resolve.
Ji-hoon's voice echoed in her mind.
When I say run… don't look back.
Her chest tightened.
"…What about you?" she had asked.
"I'll catch up."
But she knew.
That wasn't a promise.
That was a risk.
A dangerous one.
"Seo-yeon."
His voice pulled her back.
She looked at him.
For a moment, everything else faded—the men, the forest, the danger. It was just him. His eyes, sharp as ever, but now carrying something deeper.
Urgency.
And something else.
Something unspoken.
"You trust me?" he asked quietly.
The question caught her off guard.
But her answer came immediately.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Something flickered in his eyes at that.
"Good," he said.
Then everything happened at once.
"Run!"
His voice cut through the air like a command.
Seo-yeon didn't think.
She moved.
Her legs pushed forward, cutting through the forest as fast as they could carry her. Branches scratched against her arms, roots threatened to trip her, but she didn't stop.
She couldn't.
Behind her—
Shouting.
Footsteps.
Chaos.
Ji-hoon.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Don't look back.
She kept running.
But every instinct in her body screamed at her to stop.
To turn.
To go back.
Another gunshot rang out.
She flinched mid-step.
Her breath hitched.
Ji-hoon…
Her pace faltered.
Just for a second.
And that second almost cost her.
A hand grabbed her arm from the side.
Seo-yeon gasped, instinctively pulling back, but the grip tightened.
"Got you."
Her heart dropped.
One of them.
Without thinking, she twisted hard, using all her strength. Her bag slipped off her shoulder as she struggled, her pulse racing wildly.
"Let go!" she shouted.
The man tightened his grip, pulling her closer.
"Stop moving!"
Her breathing became uneven.
No.
She refused.
In one desperate motion, she reached into her bag, pulling out the small knife she had packed earlier.
Her hands trembled.
But she didn't hesitate.
She swung.
A sharp gasp escaped the man as he released her instantly, stumbling back.
Seo-yeon didn't wait.
She ran again.
Faster this time.
Her lungs burned.
Her legs ached.
But she didn't stop.
She couldn't stop.
The forest blurred around her, everything becoming a mix of darkness and motion. Her thoughts were chaotic, tangled, but one thing remained clear.
Survive.
Another sound echoed behind her.
Footsteps.
Still chasing.
Tears blurred her vision slightly, but she blinked them away.
"Keep going… keep going…" she whispered to herself.
Then suddenly—
The ground disappeared.
Seo-yeon barely had time to react before her foot slipped over the edge.
Her body dropped.
A sharp cry tore from her throat as she tumbled down a steep slope, branches hitting her, dirt and leaves scattering around her.
Pain shot through her side as she hit the ground hard.
For a moment—
Everything went silent.
Her vision spun.
Her breathing uneven.
"…Ah…"
She winced, trying to move.
Pain flared through her ankle.
Bad.
Not broken.
But bad.
She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to sit up.
"No… no… get up…" she muttered.
She tried to stand.
Her ankle gave slightly.
A sharp pain shot up her leg.
She gasped.
"…This is not the time…"
Her heart pounded again.
Footsteps.
Above.
They were still coming.
Panic surged.
She looked around quickly.
The slope she fell from was steep, covered in loose dirt and roots. Climbing back up quickly was almost impossible.
Her breathing became uneven again.
"Think… Seo-yeon, think…"
Then—
A hand grabbed her shoulder.
She froze.
Her entire body went cold.
Slowly…
She turned.
And her eyes widened.
"…Ji-hoon?!"
He was breathing slightly heavier than usual, his hair slightly disheveled, but his gaze was sharp as ever.
Relief hit her so suddenly it almost hurt.
"You came…" she whispered.
"I said I would," he replied.
But his voice…
Was tighter than usual.
Her eyes dropped slightly.
And that's when she saw it.
Blood.
Her heart stopped.
"Ji-hoon… you're hurt."
"It's nothing," he said quickly.
"It's not nothing!" she snapped, her voice shaking. "You're bleeding."
He didn't respond.
Instead, he crouched slightly in front of her.
"Can you walk?"
She hesitated.
"…Barely."
He didn't waste time.
"Then we don't walk."
Before she could react—
He pulled her up.
Seo-yeon gasped softly as his arm wrapped securely around her, lifting her weight slightly.
Her heart skipped.
"Ji-hoon—"
"Hold on," he said.
And she did.
Without thinking.
Her hand gripped his shirt, her body leaning into his for support as he started moving again.
Every step he took was steady, controlled, even with the injury.
"How are you still walking like this?" she asked, breathless.
"I don't stop," he replied simply.
Her chest tightened slightly at that.
Even now.
Even injured.
He was still protecting her.
Silence fell between them for a moment, broken only by their uneven breathing and distant sounds of movement in the forest.
Then she spoke again.
"…Why?"
He glanced at her briefly.
"Why what?"
"Why are you doing all this?" she asked softly. "You made a deal, yes. But this… this is more than that."
He didn't answer immediately.
For once—
Kang Ji-hoon was quiet.
Not cold.
Not distant.
Just… thinking.
"…You're right," he said finally.
Her heart skipped.
"It started as a deal," he admitted. "But somewhere along the way…"
He stopped walking.
Seo-yeon looked up at him.
Their eyes met.
And for a moment—
Everything else disappeared again.
"…It stopped being just that," he finished.
Her breath caught.
The space between them felt smaller.
Warmer.
Dangerous in a completely different way.
But before she could say anything—
A sharp voice cut through the forest.
"Well… this is interesting."
Both of them froze.
Slowly—
Ji-hoon turned.
Seo-yeon's grip on him tightened.
From the shadows—
Kim Adrian stepped out.
Alone this time.
Clapping slowly.
"I have to admit," he said, a faint smile on his face. "You two make quite the scene."
Ji-hoon's expression hardened instantly.
"Step aside," he said coldly.
Adrian chuckled.
"You're injured. She can barely walk. And you're still giving orders?" he said, amused.
Seo-yeon's heart pounded again.
"What do you want?" she asked.
Adrian's gaze shifted to her.
Something darker this time.
"Simple," he said.
Then—
He reached into his coat.
Ji-hoon's body tensed instantly.
And when Adrian pulled his hand out—
Everything changed.
Seo-yeon's breath caught.
In his hand…
Was a small object.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
Her eyes widened in shock.
"That's…"
Adrian smiled slowly.
"Yes," he said.
"Your father's last secret."