Chapter 104
The gaze I locked onto was the same emerald hue as the sea seen through the window.
The bright blonde hair had been tousled by the breeze from that very sea.
It was truly Angel. Wearing a loose-fitting white tee, he exuded a subtly different vibe from the one I remembered—something that felt simultaneously relieved and empty. The slight difference in those emotions was something I couldn’t quite pinpoint.
“How did you get here?”
I questioned him, my voice guarded as I stood my ground.
I knew about Angel’s brother, how and why he died, and even the situation with Yugyeom. But the fact that he had betrayed me and led me to death remained unchanged.
It seemed Angel read my thoughts, as he didn’t move any closer, instead leaning against the closed door.
“I’m not here to hurt you. It wouldn’t even be possible if I wanted to.”
“……”
“There’s no reason for me to anymore. Especially not now, with the boss guarding this den.”
The boss. I instantly recognized who Angel was referring to. Driven by urgency, I took a few steps forward and asked,
“Is the boss okay?”
“That doctor was skilled,” Angel shrugged, responding nonchalantly.
“Tell me the truth. Straight up.”
I gathered my dwindling strength and shot the question at him. Angel brushed his hair back before answering again.
“He’s fine. Cityu arrived just in time. While Kang Taejun was aiming a gun at the boss, Cityu shot Kang Taejun in the heart.”
The strength drained from my legs, and I sank to the floor in disbelief.
Angel’s eyes widened as he rushed to me.
“Are you hurt? You’ve been out for too long.”
“…For how long? How long was I asleep?”
The thought hit me suddenly, and I lowered my gaze. My sleeveless top revealed my shoulder, still healing from the grazed bullet wound.
“It’s been ten days.”
Angel draped his cardigan over my shoulders. I couldn’t believe it.
I had assumed it had only been a couple of days.
The injuries were minimal—just the grazed wound from the bullet. It had been Yugyeom and Baek Hawon who had suffered the worst.
“No way. Ten days?”
“It was strange. No serious wounds, but you just wouldn’t wake up.”
Listening to Angel, I recalled something.
Perhaps my body was overwhelmed by the sudden influx of memories I had long forgotten.
As I woke up and opened my eyes, I felt the confusion slowly dissipating, my body feeling more like my own than ever.
“How did you get out? The ceiling was collapsing everywhere.”
I clearly remembered the inferno consuming everything, and that moment when I protected Yugyeom until the end.
“Lee Chan saved you.”
The unexpected name made me blink in surprise.
Lee Chan—he was someone who would usually outsmart a situation and run for his own safety. Yet, here he was, stepping in to save me.
“If it had been just a little later, just a little further away, I wouldn’t have been able to get out at all.”
That last light—the one I saw—was probably the one Lee Chan opened the door to.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. I couldn’t even begin to fathom gathering that much luck for a lifetime.
“You look fine, except for the lack of energy.”
Angel extended his hand as if to check my temperature. I flinched, stepping back instinctively and evading his touch.
The gesture was entirely unintentional.
Angel withdrew his hand with a contemplative expression. An awkward silence settled between us. When the discomfort became unbearable, I turned my gaze away.
“Isn’t there something else you really want to ask?”
Angel’s voice broke the silence. I turned back to face him. Angel’s lips curled into a faint smile.
I knew what he was referring to. My mind had been preoccupied with that one question for a while now.
But fear of the answer stopped me from voicing it out loud.
After all, it was already strange enough that Yugyeom wasn’t by my side when I woke up. The fact that he wasn’t here at all filled me with unbearable anxiety.
“…I’m sorry.”
Unexpected words floated gently into my ears.
“Even now, if I had to atone for my sins, and do whatever you wanted me to do, you still wouldn’t be able to kill me. Because you’re not that kind of person. You’d rather point the gun at yourself than hurt me.”
Angel’s voice was strained, as if he was holding back some unbearable pain. His face twisted in anguish as he brushed his hand over it.
He locked eyes with me again after exhaling sharply.
“That’s why I always struggled. I couldn’t do what you do. Even though I know blaming you is wrong, I couldn’t stop myself. I felt powerless—cowardly.”
His unfinished words drifted away with the breeze.
Angel gave a bitter smile. Seeing it made my stomach twist.
“I’ll be leaving soon. I’ve saved the boss, so I managed to save my life for now, but I can’t stay here.”
Where are you going? Do you even have a place to go? I couldn’t bring myself to ask.
Shouldn’t I be getting angry, slapping you for betraying me, venting my fury?
That’s the natural reaction, but oddly, I couldn’t even move a finger.
“I’m sorry and grateful. It’s a cliché, but I couldn’t help saying it to you.”
Angel calmly spoke, as if rehearsed, each word weighted with meaning.
“And I want to repay this debt, even if it means death.”
Now, I felt like I was truly seeing the real Angel. His gaze, matching mine, sparkled with honesty.
He seemed sincere—not a lie in sight.
I had thought his faith was shattered into pieces, yet here he was still holding onto it.
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even know what I wanted to do with Angel right now.
My mind spun wildly in the heavy silence. After much hesitation, I finally spoke.
“…I—”
In a world where I had nothing that truly belonged to me, I always felt lonely and uneasy.
Yet, I had vowed not to trust anyone fully. I couldn’t risk the dangers of human relationships.
But feelings are fragile, aren’t they?
“I think I’ve relied on you without realizing it. Even when you betrayed me, I still wanted to believe in you.”
As the time spent with him grew longer, my initial resolve began to fade. Now, I just wanted to believe in what I saw before me.
That’s all I’ve been doing—seeing you the way I want to see you.
“I’m angry, not at you for betraying me, but at myself. At the fact that I trusted you. That’s what made it so hard.”
I swallowed the broken breaths, managing to continue. Angel watched me silently, his face frozen.
“If you’re looking for forgiveness, well… you put all of us in danger. The boss, Yugyeom, and probably many others whose names I don’t even know.”
Maybe that’s why I’ve kept my distance from you.
The thought of the traps you set, the people who got hurt or died because of me, makes it impossible to stay calm.
But I can’t be mad at you alone, because this isn’t just your fault. It’s something we both share.
“I hate the method you chose, but…”
The warmth of tears welled up in my eyes. I closed my mouth and added softly,
“…I understand.”
The breeze, heavy with moisture, continued to blow relentlessly.
I fixed my gaze firmly into Angel’s eyes, making sure my words wouldn’t be carried away by the wind.
“I know what losing someone precious feels like.”
Under the pouring sunlight, I saw Angel’s eyes turn red. I wondered if my own face mirrored his.
“I won’t forgive you right now. You’ll pay that debt with your life, not your death. Next time, we’ll meet differently.”
One thing was certain—I wished Angel no longer lived the same life as before. He had endured too much loneliness, too much pain.
“It’s a relief… that you didn’t die.”
Angel let out a laugh that sounded almost like a sob—a clear, rare laugh I had seen only once before.
“This is sincere.”
The serene smile on his face made him look lighter, freer.
* * *
The sun poured through the white stone pillars. The world was so bright it felt as if it might blind me.
It felt like a dream—the world before me, the stillness. It felt like a dream.
I ran with all my might down the corridor.
‘Yugyeom is still alive. He’s here at Baekcheon.’
My heart pounded fiercely. I struggled to breathe.
‘Even after regaining consciousness, his condition was worse, yet he still stayed by your side. He only went out during treatment, always circling the same place.’
But I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t make you wait any longer. I ran faster, desperately faster.
‘You’ll find where he is. You know where it is.’
I could know. I could find where you are.
I followed this overflowing feeling, heading towards where it led. Faster, faster. A sense of urgency, a pounding heart, filled me to the brim.
Finally, I reached the door. Without hesitation, I pushed it open.
The door creaked, and memories unfolded before me like a film reel.
The day you chased after me, despite being abandoned—coming here to find me.
The shooting range looked no different from that day, as if I had been transported back.
I moved inside, passing by the weapon display. Each step felt heavy, and my heart pounded louder with every one.
The sunlight pouring through the glass ceiling shattered my vision. I raised my hand to shield my eyes, blinking rapidly.
“…”
When I opened my eyes again, time seemed to halt, and my heart froze. Silence enveloped everything except for the gentle breeze.
The breeze stirred my hair, carrying the warmth of sunlight. The presence before me felt distinct—not like something fleeting.
I etched his silhouette into my mind, blinking slowly.
Then, he turned around.
He saw me. I saw him.
My mind, moving as slowly as the breeze, was filled only with that one truth.
“…I missed you, Miss.”
His eyes reflected me, bending with happiness.
