Go Hoon’s expression twisted in an instant.
“What are you talking about? I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying until I see Park Ki-cheol taken to the hospital.”
There was no way he could leave everything to Bae Jung-yoon. How was he supposed to handle all this on his own once Go Hoon was gone?
During the Choi Joo-won incident, Go Hoon had been unconscious from his own injuries—and besides, he’d been in cat form. He had no idea how Jung-yoon had managed to sort it all out. But this time was different. He wasn’t just a bystander—he was directly involved. This time, he had to stay. He had to see it through, standing right beside Jung-yoon to the end.
Jung-yoon must have sensed the mix of worry and doubt in his voice. A faint smile tugged at his lips before he tried another approach.
“Yeo-jin looked pretty shaken.”
Only then did it hit him—Kim Yeo-jin, still sitting alone at the bar. His mind had been in too much chaos to realize it before, but now it struck him: Jung-yoon had left her there to come here.
Go Hoon’s resolve wavered. The person who needed comfort most right now wasn’t anyone else—it was Kim Yeo-jin. He couldn’t shake the image of her walking alone toward the bar, tears in her eyes.
“Take her home for me.”
Though he’d spoken firmly before, his uncertainty was obvious—and Jung-yoon picked up on it immediately. He looked at Go Hoon with gentle eyes and said softly,
“I think it’s better if Yeo-jin goes home first. You’ve got work soon too, right? So go on.”
You’re not planning to leave her all alone, are you? That’s what Jung-yoon’s deep, dark eyes seemed to ask.
Go Hoon hesitated. He didn’t want to abandon Yeo-jin—not truly. But calling her over here didn’t feel right either. And the idea of leaving her to Jung-yoon while he stayed here… that didn’t sit well with him either.
After a long pause, Go Hoon finally let out a quiet sigh and gave in.
“I’ll go to Yeo-jin. But keep me updated—seriously. Promise.”
“Promise.”
Jung-yoon nodded without hesitation, and Go Hoon looked at him, conflicted. Then, after a brief moment of indecision, he turned his back and began to walk away. His legs felt like lead, and his still-trembling hands were clenched into tight fists.
“Ah—wait. Hoon.”
Just as he was about to step out of the alley, a quiet voice called from behind.
Go Hoon froze in place. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t turn around. He felt like Jung-yoon’s expression had changed again— That cold, indifferent look that had stared down at Park Ki-cheol… it felt like it was now pointed straight at him.
He stayed rooted, unmoving, as the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears. With each step, sweat began to bead on his palms.
Jung-yoon brushed past him and stopped just ahead. Then, he took a handkerchief from his pocket and gently dabbed Go Hoon’s face.
The soft fabric brushed across his cheek and under his eyes. A familiar scent drifted to his nose.
Go Hoon stood frozen, unable to move. That clean, composed face was focused solely on him. Those gentle eyes, that delicate touch—goosebumps prickled across his skin wherever Jung-yoon’s hand passed.
He must have seen the way Go Hoon’s skin reacted, but Jung-yoon didn’t flinch. He was fully focused, as if cleaning dirt off a child’s face—carefully wiping away Park Ki-cheol’s blood from Go Hoon’s skin.
The once-soft handkerchief was slowly stained red.
Go Hoon, breathing unevenly, met Jung-yoon’s black eyes.
“There. Now you look pretty.”
Jung-yoon took a step back and smiled gently.
“Go on, Hoon.”
***
“Sunbae… Thank you.”
A teary, nasal voice pierced through Go Hoon’s drifting thoughts.
He blinked. As his eyes refocused, he saw Kim Yeo-jin, bowing deeply at a ninety-degree angle in front of him.
After parting ways with Jung-yoon and returning to the bar, he had found Yeo-jin sitting alone, quietly crying at their table. Without a word, he helped her up and out. Then, the two of them got into a taxi and headed toward her neighborhood.
When he told her he’d take her home, she didn’t say no. Of course not—she was terrified. There was no way she wanted to be alone.
Once they arrived, Go Hoon stopped by a nearby convenience store and bought a warm bottle of soy milk from the heated shelf. He gently placed it in her hands.
Then, he sat beside her in silence, waiting patiently until her trembling heart calmed, even just a little.
It was already past 8 PM—his shift was about to start, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Yeo-jin kept crying, silent tears falling like a child who’d lost everything.
He couldn’t begin to imagine how deeply this night would haunt her. So he stayed. That was all he could offer her.
As for what happened in that alley—he couldn’t bring it up. Not what he saw, and not what happened after she walked into that bar. It wasn’t something you could just say out loud.
And if she found out about Park Ki-cheol’s injury—assuming you could even call it just an “injury”— it would only weigh her down more. She was already confused, already scared. He didn’t want to give her more to carry.
Maybe it was better to let her settle down before telling her everything. For now, all he could do was trust that Bae Jung-yoon would handle the situation cleanly.
“Actually… I already told Jung-yoon sunbae. He knew everything.”
The unexpected confession slipped from Kim Yeo-jin’s lips, her voice still thick from crying.
“He already knew?”
Go Hoon’s brow furrowed instinctively. Yeo-jin nodded and continued.
“Ki-cheol sunbae kept contacting me, asking to meet up privately… It made me really uncomfortable. Honestly, it was kind of scary. So I told Jung-yoon sunbae. I wasn’t expecting anything—I just felt like I had to tell someone. I even knew about that time Ki-cheol sunbae got called out on Eta. And I knew you fought with him over it…”
Go Hoon let her ramble, not interrupting.
In the end, it was clear: Yeo-jin had needed someone to confide in. Out of everyone she knew, she’d chosen the one person she thought she could trust—Bae Jung-yoon. She claimed she hadn’t asked for help, but by opening up to him, she had. Even if it wasn’t intentional, it was a silent plea. Most people wouldn’t be able to ignore something like that after hearing it directly.
“Do you still keep in touch with Ki-cheol sunbae? What about Yeo-jin?”
That old conversation surfaced again. The day Jung-yoon casually asked if Go Hoon had been in contact with either of them. Was that question related to all of this?
“What did Jung-yoon say after you told him?”
“…He said he’d try to bring it up carefully with Ki-cheol sunbae. I really thought things would get better. And for a while, he actually did stop reaching out. But then, suddenly, the messages started again. Still… I hadn’t exactly asked Jung-yoon sunbae for help, so it felt weird to bring it up again… and then… ugh, before I knew it, everything blew up like this…”
Go Hoon’s thoughts grew even more tangled. A lot had happened behind the scenes—more than he ever realized.
But what really mattered now was what came next. Hopefully, this wouldn’t spiral into the worst-case scenario. And at this point, worst depended entirely on Park Ki-cheol’s condition.
He realized he must’ve been frowning without knowing it.
“Sunbae… Am I making things harder for you?”
Kim Yeo-jin looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. Her voice trembled. Go Hoon responded before he could think.
“No. Not at all. Don’t worry about it.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
She wasn’t convinced. Her worried gaze clung to him, full of guilt and uncertainty. Looking into her eyes, Go Hoon’s voice became more resolute.
“Yeah. I really am okay.”
Only then did she seem to relax a little. Sniffling, she wiped her eyes with a crumpled tissue.
“I’m sorry… for dragging you and the others into this…”
“Don’t be. Let’s stop here for today. Go home and get some rest—you must be exhausted… Are your parents home?”
“No…”
She mumbled softly. Go Hoon responded carefully.
“Do you want to give them a call?”
Yeo-jin shook her head immediately.
“I don’t want to worry them.”
“…Okay. Got it.”
Go Hoon scratched his brow and nodded. It wasn’t his place to tell her how to handle her own family.
“Thanks again, really… Get home safe, sunbae.”
She bowed again, then looked back at him several times, hesitating. Go Hoon gave her a small nod, silently urging her to go on.
She bowed once more before hurrying toward the entrance of her villa.
Only after she disappeared from view did Go Hoon finally let out a heavy sigh. The image of her fragile, slumped shoulders stayed with him, refusing to fade.
Still… what about Park Ki-cheol? And Bae Jung-yoon? He pulled out his phone and called Jung-yoon.
No answer. The dial tone rang for a while, then abruptly cut off into an automated message.
7:52 PM
[What happened?]
He’d already texted earlier while riding in the taxi with Yeo-jin, but still no reply. His eyes lingered on the little unread notification—stubborn, unmoving. Then his gaze shifted to the profile picture next to it.
“…He still has my photo.”
Go Hoon stared at the screen, brows knitted. Then finally, he turned and began walking toward the bus stop.
Today had gone completely sideways. But for now, he still had a job to do.
