Choi San, a revered and feared mafia boss, reigns over Seoul's underworld with an iron fist, his influence extending seamlessly across both legal and illegal domains. But his empire is shaken to its core when his beloved daughter, Eun-ji, is kidnapp...
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The next morning, the garden was still, the early sun casting a warm, golden glow that did little to chase away the chill lodged in my chest. The scent of damp earth and fresh dew filled the air, mingling with the gentle rustle of leaves as a soft breeze passed through. I sat on one of the cold, stone benches, elbows resting on my knees, eyes fixed on the horizon but not really seeing it. The weight of last night, of everything that had unraveled over the past few weeks, pressed heavily on my shoulders.
Seonghwa sat next to me, silent and solid, sipping from his mug as if it could somehow hold the answers we both needed. He hadn't said much since the confrontation the night before, but his presence was enough—a quiet reminder that not all was lost, even if it felt that way.
The back door creaked open, and I glanced up to see Hongjoong stepping out, two steaming mugs of coffee in hand. His eyes were tired, laced with concern, but a small, soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he approached. Without a word, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Seonghwa's temple before handing him the fresh cup. The gesture was simple, but in that moment, it was grounding.
"Morning," Hongjoong said, his voice light but cautious, as though testing the waters of our silence. He glanced between us, taking in the somber set of my face and Seonghwa's furrowed brow. "Any news?" His gaze settled on me, searching for any sign of hope or change.
I shook my head slightly, my eyes dropping to the untouched cup of coffee in my own hands. The silence resumed, punctuated only by the distant chirping of birds and the soft rustle of leaves overhead. Hongjoong's presence, though quiet, seemed to cut through the tension, adding a fragile thread of normalcy that felt almost foreign now.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed on the bench beside me, the sound slicing through the silence and jolting me out of my trance. My chest tightened as I glanced down at the screen. The name that appeared made my heart stutter: Wooyoung. I snatched the phone up with trembling fingers, barely daring to breathe as I unlocked it.
The message glowed back at me, and a strange mix of hope and apprehension tightened in my chest. But it wasn't from Wooyoung. It was Yeosang.
Bring Eun-Ji. Wooyoung wants to see her.
The words hit me like a shock, the emotions they stirred nearly overwhelming. Relief, confusion, fear—all of it tangled together and left me reeling. He wanted to see Eun-Ji. My mind raced, trying to understand what that meant. Was this an opening, a small crack in the wall between us? Or was it something else—an attempt to move forward without moving back toward me?
Seonghwa leaned over, reading the message as a look of realization spread across his face. His eyes flickered with something that almost looked like hope. He nodded slowly, as if confirming a silent decision. "Looks like it's time," he said, his voice low but steady, the tension in his jaw softening.
I stared at the message, my pulse pounding in my ears. My throat tightened as I tried to form a response, but the words wouldn't come. My hands shook slightly, the reality of what this could mean pressing down on me. Wooyoung had seen my messages. He wasn't ignoring me, not completely. But it was Yeosang who reached out, a protective wall between us that I hadn't expected but couldn't blame him for.
