Ha Jun-seo couldn’t go straight home. Instead, he walked a full circle around the apartment complex. There was a slim chance that Seo Ha-yoon still hadn’t found a taxi yet. But that was just wishful thinking. Seo Ha-yoon was nowhere to be seen. After searching for quite some time, Ha Jun-seo finally gave up and headed home.
“Meow—”
As soon as he stepped inside, two cats stretched and approached him. Completely oblivious to what had happened, they rubbed their heads against his calves, acting affectionate as always. Normally, he would have at least petted their heads, but this time, Ha Jun-seo ignored them and walked past, collapsing onto the sofa.
He took out Seo Ha-yoon’s phone and fidgeted with it, staring at the empty text message thread with Seo Chang-seop. But no matter how long he stared, the deleted messages wouldn’t magically reappear. Holding onto a shred of hope, he dialed Seo Chang-seop’s phone number, but just as expected, the phone was turned off.
“Goddamn it…”
Ha Jun-seo finally tossed the phone onto the sofa and buried his face in his hands.
Where could Seo Ha-yoon be right now? He must be in a taxi by now. But where was he going? There was no doubt—he was heading to Seo Chang-seop. There was no other reason for him to ditch him and flee like that.
Seo Chang-seop was now being hunted by Choi Sang-hyuk. It was obvious he would try to track down Seo Ha-yoon, his one remaining source of money. That was exactly why Ha Jun-seo had stayed by his side—to protect him until that bastard got caught. And yet, in the brief moment he let his guard down, Seo Ha-yoon had slipped away. The fact that he had lost him like this was beyond infuriating—it was humiliating.
“Ha-yoon…”
Ha Jun-seo murmured his name under his breath, dreading the worst-case scenario.
A former cop turned junkie. That bastard wasn’t just any ordinary scumbag. He had been sexually abusing Seo Ha-yoon since he was a child, so the chances of him doing it again were high. Rape, assault, threats—he might even use him as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Choi Sang-hyuk.
The thought of Seo Ha-yoon going through that horror again made Ha Jun-seo’s blood run dry.
Please. Just come back safely…
Muttering what felt like a prayer—something he had never done before—Ha Jun-seo could do nothing but wait for news that Seo Ha-yoon had been found. His helplessness gnawed at him, deeper than ever before.
Meanwhile, Choi Sang-hyuk was seething.
Boom!
For what felt like the hundredth time, he slammed his fist onto his desk, hard enough to break it. Kim Sil-jang, knowing well how violent he could get when angry, remained standing in front of him with a calm expression. Choi Sang-hyuk ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair, his voice grinding out through clenched teeth.
“Call every taxi company in Seoul. Find the one that picked up a young man in his early twenties near -dong Apartment about ten minutes ago!”
“Got it.”
“And! Where exactly did that bastard Seo Chang-seop run off to?”
“We’re expecting him to head toward Incheon. Looks like he’s planning to take a ship to China.”
“Then send a few guys ahead to Incheon. Keep monitoring if Seo Chang-seop’s phone gets turned on.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Report everything to me in real-time. No delays.”
“Yes, Director.”
Kim Sil-jang exited the room. Choi Sang-hyuk tried to steady his thoughts and emotions. But controlling the boiling rage, the burning frustration, and the ominous scenarios running through his head was no easy task.
“Seo Ha-yoon, you idiot.”
Choi Sang-hyuk muttered under his breath, gripping the armrest of his chair so tightly it felt like he would crush it.
It would’ve been better if Seo Ha-yoon had just obediently handed money over to Seo Chang-seop. At least then, he wouldn’t be in danger. But instead, he was willingly walking into the jaws of a deranged junkie. The old, cunning Seo Ha-yoon would have never made such a reckless mistake.
The most dangerous thing in the world was a drug addict. Junkies had no bottom. Especially when high, they were unpredictable lunatics.
“Is this really the version of yourself you wanted, Seo Ha-yoon?”
Choi Sang-hyuk muttered toward the image of the Seo Ha-yoon he used to know.
An orphan without abusive parents. A body untouched, never even having experienced a proper kiss, let alone sex. A young man who, despite his poverty, never leaned on anyone and worked hard to survive on his own. And, above all, someone who had the reckless courage to stand his ground rather than bow to threats. All the things the real Seo Ha-yoon never had—Kim Min-seok had them all.
Maybe that was why Seo Ha-yoon created Kim Min-seok. Because he wanted to have what he lacked. Because he wanted to escape the wretched reality he was trapped in.
How utterly foolish. If only he had said a single word. If he had just told Choi Sang-hyuk to take care of that piece of trash Seo Chang-seop, everything would have been solved without him needing to worry about a thing. But instead, Seo Ha-yoon had an easy solution right in front of him and still refused to reach for it. He chose to hide behind the identity of Kim Min-seok instead.
Who would have thought? The same Seo Ha-yoon who acted so prideful and sharp-tempered was, in reality, such a coward.
Knock, knock—
“Director.”
Kim Sil-jang entered the room.
“Speak.”
Choi Sang-hyuk urged impatiently.
“We contacted every taxi company, but none reported picking up a passenger matching the description. There’s a chance it was a cab from another region or a private taxi, so we’ve also reached out to call services and taxi companies in the Gyeonggi-do area. We should get results soon.”
Kim Sil-jang was undeniably competent. In such a short amount of time, he had not only gathered results but also made preparations for the next steps.
Choi Sang-hyuk fought the urge to storm out and search the streets himself. Instead, he nodded heavily, forcing himself to stay in place.
Rrrrr
Kim Sil-jang was just about to turn around and leave the room when the phone in his pocket started ringing. He glanced at Choi Sang-hyuk once before answering the call right where he stood.
He remained silent for a long time, listening to the other person speak. Then, without a word, he abruptly hung up.
“What is it?”
Choi Sang-hyuk asked. Kim Sil-jang turned toward him and opened his mouth.
“They’ve found him. A private taxi driver contacted the call center, saying he thinks the passenger he picked up matches the description.”
“The situation?”
“He seems to be drunk, slumped against the backseat, asleep. The taxi is currently headed to **-dong, Incheon.”
Choi Sang-hyuk fell into brief contemplation. Two choices lay before him. One was to contact the taxi driver and have him turn around toward Seoul. The other was to let it continue its course while tailing it to catch Seo Chang-seop.
“Of course… But don’t even think about asking Ha-yoon about it. I told you, didn’t I? If he finds out what we know, he won’t want to stay by our side. I can’t stand the thought of that. So you handle the Seo Chang-seop situation yourself.”
“You talk big. But aren’t you the one who hasn’t dared to bring up even the first syllable of Seo Chang-seop’s name in front of Ha-yoon?”
“And you—aren’t you just as afraid to tell him? You’re keeping your mouth shut because you know damn well what you’d lose if you did. If you’re so confident, why don’t you call him right now? Wake him up and hand him the phone.”
Ha Jun-seo’s words rang in his ears.
He was right. Choi Sang-hyuk hadn’t mentioned Seo Chang-seop in front of Seo Ha-yoon because he couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. He had chosen the long way around instead of the easy path.
But… was that really what was best for Ha-yoon?
Would it be better to leave him trapped in a life of constant anxiety, burdened by the weight of his dark past?
Wasn’t this just his own selfishness?
Seo Ha-yoon—no, the “Kim Min-seok” created by him—was throwing himself straight into the jaws of Seo Chang-seop. He was preparing to face him head-on.
Perhaps Kim Min-seok was the weapon Seo Ha-yoon had forged to overcome his own past trauma.
“Don’t try to lock me up.”
Choi Sang-hyuk recalled Seo Ha-yoon’s words.
Yeah. Forcing someone’s eyes and ears shut in the name of protection could also be a form of imprisonment.
It hadn’t been long, but the Seo Ha-yoon of today—Kim Min-seok—might just be capable of confronting Seo Chang-seop and overcoming his trauma.
Maybe all Choi Sang-hyuk needed to do was support him in that.
“What should we do, Director?”
Kim Sil-jang asked.
“Tell the driver to take him all the way to his destination and drop him off. The guys we stationed in Incheon should tail him without losing sight of him and find out the exact location. We’ll leave right now, too.”
Choi Sang-hyuk shot to his feet, slipping on his suit jacket as he spoke.
