It felt like the whole world stopped the moment the gun fired.
Jaehyuk watched in horror as Sanha's body slowly collapsed to the ground right in front of him.
"Hyung!!"
His voice echoed through the room as he quickly caught the older male in his arms. Sanha had taken the bullet meant for him.
"This can't be happening!" Jipyeong shouted before snatching the gun away from Woong. He pointed it toward Jaehyuk, but before he could even pull the trigger, a police officer shot his hand, forcing the weapon to fall from his grip.
"Argh!"
The older man groaned in pain before collapsing to his knees. Moments later, the deafening sound of police sirens filled the entire building as officers stormed inside.
"Arrest all the suspects," Jinyoung ordered firmly.
Some of the men tried to fight back, but it was already too late.
Jaehyuk paid no attention to the chaos around him. His entire focus was on the older brother slowly dying in his arms.
"Hyung, stay with me. I'll call for help," he said shakily.
Sanha coughed up blood before letting out a weak smile.
"Don't bother... I don't think I have much time left."
Jaehyuk immediately shook his head.
"Don't say that! You're going to survive. Look, the police are already here."
Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. Despite his weakening state, Sanha slowly lifted his trembling hand and wiped his younger brother's tears away.
"Ssh... stop crying. I'm sorry I only protected you now. I should've stopped Mom the moment she started planning everything... maybe then I could've saved Jeonghan hyung too."
Guilt consumed him alive. He blamed himself for staying blind for too long and allowing his mother to continue her crimes. He had known everything from the very beginning, which was why before coming here, he secretly handed every piece of evidence he had to the police. By now, he was certain his mother had already been arrested.
"Tell Dad... I'm sorry for lying to him. I'll understand if he can't forgive me right away."
"Hyung, please stop talking like that," Jaehyuk cried. "The ambulance is here already. Hold on a little longer so you can tell him yourself. He'll understand, I know he will."
But Sanha only smiled weakly as his eyes slowly began to close.
"Hyung!"
Panic filled Jaehyuk's voice as he desperately waved at the rescuers.
"Medic! Hurry!"
The paramedics immediately rushed over, carefully carrying Sanha into the ambulance.
At that moment, Asahi suddenly wrapped his arms around Jaehyuk. He had regained consciousness only minutes ago and witnessed everything that happened.
"Shh... it's okay. He'll survive," Asahi whispered softly while rubbing comforting circles on Jaehyuk's back.
Not long after, the others finally arrived.
"Jaehyuk hyung! Asahi hyung!"
Junghwan shouted as he ran toward them.
"Thank God... you're okay," he muttered between sobs.
Meanwhile, Byunggon thanked the police and informed everyone that they would need to go to the station to give statements regarding the human trafficking operations connected to the studio. They were also preparing to file cases against Jaehyuk's uncle and all of his accomplices.
With the help of Asahi and Junghwan, Jaehyuk slowly stood up.
This time, he was determined to lock that devil behind bars forever.
"Asahi."
Keita arrived, immediately grabbing the older male's arm.
"Thank God you're safe... but there's something you need to know."
Everyone looked at him in confusion.
"I know this will sound crazy, but your family has been waiting for you this whole time. You're not really a robot. Your relatives turned you into a test subject so they could steal your inheritance."
Shock spread across everyone's faces after Keita's revelation. Earlier, he had discovered an article regarding a missing heir in Japan alongside suspicious activities connected to the company.
"So... you're saying he's human?" Jaehyuk asked, finally regaining his composure. "Then how does the robot part even work?"
Keita pulled out a blueprint.
"They implanted a device into his brain to control him and make him act like a robot. But we can remove it without damaging his memories or body. If you agree, we should do the surgery immediately... and maybe we can help the other victims too."
Jaehyuk exchanged glances with Asahi.
He knew there were risks involved, but more than anything, he wanted Asahi to finally live a normal life.
"...Fine," he said firmly. "Let's do it."
They immediately left the abandoned building and headed straight to the hospital.
The medics examined Jaehyuk for injuries, but thankfully, he was completely fine. Only Sanha remained inside the operating room after the bullet struck his chest.
Meanwhile, Asahi was taken into another operating room to begin the procedure for removing the device implanted in his head.
The others stayed behind at the police station.
As for Jaehyuk, all he could do now was wait... praying for both his brother and Asahi to survive.
"Where's my son?!"
A woman's trembling voice echoed through the hallway as Mrs. Hamada rushed into the hospital. The moment she heard her son had finally been found, she broke down in tears.
"Ma'am, he's still inside the operating room," Jaehyuk explained gently as he approached her. "But don't worry. You'll be able to see him soon."
Byunggon had already explained everything that happened. Relief washed over Mrs. Hamada's face knowing her son had been protected, but she had no intention of forgiving the relatives who ruined his life.
Several hours later, the doctor finally stepped out of Asahi's operating room.
"How is my son, doctor?" Mrs. Hamada asked anxiously.
The doctor smiled reassuringly.
"He's fine. We'll transfer him to a private room shortly so you can visit him."
He continued explaining the precautions and recovery process while Jaehyuk quietly listened in relief. Thankfully, none of Asahi's memories had been erased.
Mrs. Hamada then turned toward the younger man with teary eyes.
"Thank you so much for helping my son, Mr. Yoon. I'll forever be indebted to you."
Jaehyuk smiled softly.
"It's nothing, Aunty... but what are you planning to do now?"
Mrs. Hamada let out a deep sigh.
"I suppose it's time for me to face my relatives and fix the mess inside the company," she answered tiredly. "We'll stay here for a while until Asahi fully recovers... then I'll take him back home to Japan."
