But i wasn't a liar ✔️[ENG ver]

Part 40

Part 40

The piercing ringtone jolted him from deep sleep. Blinking against the drowsiness, he fumbled for his phone, squinting at the bright screen. The caller ID made him bolt upright instantly.

"Hello, Seungmin?" Hyunjin's voice was rough with sleep but alert. "Is something wrong?"

"Hyunjin, where are you right now?" Seungmin's tone carried unusual urgency.

"I'm in Busan. Why? What happened?"

Seungmin's next words came in a rushed whisper: "Thirteen children disappeared between midnight and six PM yesterday. You know what this means."

Hyunjin's grip tightened on the phone. "They've started again. We need to act now."

"I already tried," Seungmin said, frustration bleeding through. "I spoke with high-ranking security officials yesterday, but none of them believed me. I think... I think you were right about your father's involvement."

Hyunjin's breath hitched. "The timing matches exactly when Felix and I were taken."

"Hyunjin, try to remember anything else. What did that place look like? Any landmarks?"

"I don't know," Hyunjin admitted, running a hand through his hair. "When I escaped, I just ran through a door and found myself in the middle of nowhere - just endless forest."

Seungmin sighed. "That complicates everything."

"Wait!" Hyunjin suddenly remembered. "The person who took me to the police station - Roham, I think his name was. He must know the area around that facility."

"That's perfect!" Seungmin's voice lifted with hope. "This changes everything. I'll contact you later with updates."

"Be careful," Hyunjin warned before ending the call. The phone slipped from his fingers as the weight of memories crashed over him.

Leeknow's eyes fluttered open to morning light filtering through the curtains. He instinctively turned toward Hyunjin's bed - empty, sheets neatly folded. A faint murmur of conversation led him to the kitchen, where he found Hyunjin just ending a call.

"Good morning," Leeknow said, reaching for a glass of water. "Who was that so early?"

Hyunjin pocketed his phone. "Morning. Just my cousin - he's helping with the investigation now."

Leeknow's grip tightened slightly on his glass. "Did he find something new?"

"Worse." Hyunjin's voice dropped. "They took more children yesterday. Another thirteen."

The glass hit the counter with a sharp clink. "My God..." Leeknow's knuckles whitened. "Not again."

Hyunjin studied his friend's face before changing subjects. "Why are you up so early anyway?"

Leeknow shrugged. "Saw you weren't there. Got worried." The unspoken 'after everything' hung between them.

"Let's go to the supermarket," Hyunjin announced suddenly. "We need groceries."

Leeknow opened the fridge, revealing packed shelves. "Hyunjin, there's enough here to feed an army."

"But I want to go." Hyunjin's tone took on that stubborn edge Leeknow knew well. "Mom said I'm her son now too, right? So we're going."

A slow smile broke across Leeknow's face. He draped an arm over Hyunjin's shoulders. "Alright then, little brother. Let's go spoil Mother's kitchen."

The clock read 8:30 as they stepped into the crisp morning air, the weight of their conversation momentarily lightened by the simple promise of a grocery run.