Don't Blame Me || Jeongcheol

Chapter 48

Jeonghan’s gaze flickered to the woman, the weight of her words pressing heavily on his chest. Her voice had been sharp, almost condescending, and now the silence in the car felt unbearable. His eyes narrowed slightly, suspicion creeping in.

“Who are you really?” Jeonghan asked, his voice steady but laced with a quiet urgency. His instincts told him there was more to her than what she was letting on.

The woman didn’t respond. She didn’t even look at him, her focus seemingly fixed on something outside the window, her expression unreadable. The silence stretched, thick and suffocating, as if she were testing them in some way.

Jeonghan’s thoughts were interrupted as he turned his attention to Seungcheol. The older man was barely holding himself together, his face pale, sweat clinging to his forehead. His wound deep and bloodied were a visible testament to how hard they’d fought.

Jeonghan felt a pang in his chest. He could see the weight of the world in Seungcheol’s eyes, but he knew the others weren’t faring much better. They had survived, but just barely.

His heart twisted as he thought of his son, Haneul. The image of his son waiting for him at home flooded his mind. He’d promised Haneul that he would be back soon, that everything would be okay. His son had been eagerly counting down the hours since he last saw him, his small hands holding onto that promise as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

But as Jeonghan looked at Seungcheol again, the reality of their situation hit him harder. He couldn’t tell Haneul about this. About the close calls, the bloodshed, the fear that still lingered in his bones. The last thing he wanted was to break his son’s heart.

The car rumbled closer to the headquarters, the quiet streets now feeling like a distant memory. Jeonghan’s chest tightened as he wondered, not for the first time, if they were really going to make it out of this. If, when all was said and done, he could keep his promise to Haneul.

The woman infront of them still said nothing. Jeonghan wasn’t sure if she was waiting for something, or if she simply didn’t care anymore. Either way, he knew one thing for sure he didn’t trust her.

The heavy silence in the car pressed in on Jeonghan as the towering walls of the headquarters finally came into view. The imposing structure loomed in the distance, a grey mass against the backdrop of the evening sky. Its windows were dark, reflecting the faint glow of streetlights as if it were a watchful sentinel.

Jeonghan’s chest tightened. He had been here countless times before, but tonight felt different he wasn’t just walking through these doors as a member or some unsolicited work but as a father, burdened by the weight of promises yet to be kept.

The woman in front, still silent and unreadable, only added to his growing unease. Who was she really? And what did she know that she wasn’t saying?

His mind kept racing back to her words earlier. The quiet presence of her only deepened his suspicion. She was dangerous, Jeonghan could feel it in his gut, but right now, he had no choice but to follow her lead. They needed medical attention for Seungcheol and others, and time was running out.

Jeonghan took a sharp breath and shifted his attention to his lover. Seungcheol had barely moved during the drive, only flinching slightly whenever the car hit a bump or made a turn too sharply. His injury was grave Jeonghan had seen enough wounds in his time to know that the bloodstained bandages didn’t bode well.

But the man wasn’t one to show weakness. He wasn’t complaining. But Jeonghan could tell. The older man’s face was pale, his eyes unfocused, his breath shallow. He was barely hanging on.