FORELSKET ( ✔)

28- Reckoning in the Shadows

The woman, engrossed in her phone conversation, continued walking through the dimly lit alleyway, her voice a stark contrast to the eerie silence of her surroundings. The alley was narrow and cloaked in darkness, with shadows stretching along the walls and no sign of any other pedestrians. Her laughter rang out, oblivious to the creeping danger around her.

"You're chasing her every day, but she's never going to come to you," the woman said into her phone, her tone dismissive and slightly mocking. Her words were directed at someone on the other end of the line, yet they carried a weight of finality. Her laughter punctuated the conversation, revealing a sense of amusement at the situation she described.

As she continued to speak, her voice remained confident and unwavering. "She won't listen to you, and you won't listen to me. I'm telling you, do as I say—leave her alone." The insistence in her tone was clear, yet her attention was entirely absorbed in the conversation, her words flowing effortlessly as if she were entirely alone.

Unbeknownst to her, a figure had been trailing her closely, blending into the shadows and keeping a steady pace. This figure moved silently, hidden in the darkness, following her every step with an unsettling persistence. The woman's laughter and conversation continued, a stark contrast to the looming threat that was inching ever closer.

The man stormed into the room with a menacing force, his presence commanding immediate attention. He seized the woman's head with a brutal grip, and before she could react, he slammed her against the wall with a vicious thud. The impact caused her to crumple to the floor, her vision blurring as she struggled to focus. Her eyes darted around, trying to make sense of the chaos, and amidst the disorientation, she recognized the man looming over her.

"Joon-seo?" she managed to whisper, her voice barely audible as the pain overwhelmed her.

Without hesitation, Joon-seo delivered a brutal punch to her head, sending her into unconsciousness. The blow was decisive, rendering her completely incapacitated.

Joon-seo's expression was a mix of rage and cold satisfaction. He rifled through his bag with a determined urgency, his movements precise and deliberate. He pulled out a black raincoat and slipped it on, the fabric rustling as it settled over his frame. The coat's dark color seemed to deepen the ominous atmosphere around him.

"You laughed at me, didn't you?" Joon-seo's voice was harsh, dripping with contempt as he spoke. His eyes glinted with a twisted sense of justice.

He continued to search through his bag, his fingers eventually retrieving a pair of surgical gloves. He donned them with meticulous care, the gloves snapping into place with a cold, clinical finality. The sound of the latex stretching was the only noise that broke the otherwise oppressive silence.

"Do you remember what you said?" Joon-seo taunted, his voice edged with malice. "You said the office xerox machine does more work than me?" His tone was mocking, as if he were savoring the words as much as the moment.

He smirked and let out a harsh, derisive laugh. "Tell your xerox machine to come and save your life," he jeered, his laughter echoing with a cruel undertone.

Joon-seo's eyes narrowed as he continued, his voice low and menacing. "Don't worry, ma'am. I won't give you a chance to complain from next time." His words were a chilling promise, laced with a sense of finality and threat.

Joon-seo continued to search through his bag with increasing frustration, his movements growing more agitated as he rifled through its contents. His fingers fumbled in the darkness, desperately seeking the item he needed, but it remained elusive. Each item he pulled out seemed to mock his efforts, and his irritation mounted.