SHADOW || JEONGCHEOL

3

JEONGHAN POV

The chaotic scene had left me rattled, and my arm throbbed painfully as I took cover behind the crumbling shelf. The sound of gunshots echoed in the small space, each one making me flinch. I could barely believe I had been caught off guard like this.

This motherfucker psycho, I cursed under my breath, clutching my injured arm. It felt like the bullet had ripped through not just flesh but my bone, leaving a searing pain as if rust was grinding against my skin.

Boom! Boom!

More shots rang out, but luck was on my side; she missed her mark again. The shelf I was hiding behind, however, was taking a beating, splintering with each impact. If she kept this up, it wouldn't be long before I was completely exposed.

But then, silence. I peeked out just in time to see Areum make a break for the door, the gun still clutched in her trembling hands. I pushed through the pain and ran after her, my heart pounding.

Two more shots.

Everything blurred into motion. The police, who had finally arrived, reacted quickly. I saw them tackle Areum to the ground, her body hitting the pavement with a dull thud. She had been shot, and it was all over in an instant.

I stopped in my tracks, gasping for breath. Relief washed over me, but it was tinged with frustration. I had let her slip through my fingers too many times. Stupid, Jeonghan. She's not even a professional! What's wrong with you? My mind replayed the earlier encounter with Commander Chae, and I knew it had thrown me off my game.

Needing medical attention, I approached the team stationed nearby, cradling my injured arm. The thought of rust poisoning or worse crept into my mind, and I wanted the wound treated as soon as possible.

As the medic worked on my arm, I glanced around and was surprised to see Mina still close by. My eyes widened in shock when I noticed her arm-a fresh gunshot wound was bleeding through her sleeve. The realization hit me hard. The two shots I heard earlier-one of them had been for her.

"How can you get this?" I asked, unable to hide the frustration in my voice. I had expected her to get out safely, and now here she was with a gunshot wound.

She shrugged slightly, wincing as the medic tended to her arm. "Just a little, thank you for saving me." Her voice was soft, almost too casual for someone who had just been shot.

I sighed and bit back the urge to knock some sense into her. Instead, I let the silence settle between us as the medics continued their work. As I glanced around, I noticed a man standing close by, his face etched with concern. Her husband, perhaps. Or maybe her boyfriend. Whoever he was, he clearly cared about her.

"Jeonghan," I blurted out suddenly, feeling the need to break the awkwardness. Mina looked at me, puzzled by the abrupt introduction.

"I'm Jeonghan," I repeated, a little more composed this time.

"Oh, I'm Mina," she replied, a small smile playing on her lips despite the situation.

We started talking, our conversation meandering to the topic of epilepsy-a condition where a person experiences sudden seizures. I explained how there were various factors that could cause it, but in many cases, the patient might have a brain tumour. As I spoke, I found myself wondering if the male suspect we were after had been driven to this desperate point by the need to cover his medical costs.

"As for Areum," I added, "I'm sure she'll be admitted to a psychiatric hospital."

Mina nodded; her expression thoughtful. "It's tragic, really."