Chapter 120
I tried to deny it. That I had never once wanted to run away because I didn’t like you. That I could never leave you.
But Yugyeom spoke first, his voice low.
“Do you forget? From the moment you ran away from me, I went after you, completely losing my mind over you.”
The scent of blood thickened further. I recalled Yugyeom’s bloodied jacket once again in my mind.
The sleeves of the shirt wrapped around my shoulders were also stained red.
I wanted to ask what had happened, but the words felt like thorns caught in my throat and wouldn’t come out.
Instead, I noticed the many people passing by, and I spoke.
“You know. Back then, it wasn’t sincere.”
At those words, the strength in Yugyeom’s embrace loosened slightly. Seizing the opportunity, I turned my head and looked back at him.
“I’ve never left you.”
“…”
“I won’t run away again.”
Smiling faintly, Yugyeom chuckled softly.
“Really?”
A firm arm wrapped around my waist. Yugyeom didn’t look away, his steps steady as we moved forward.
It felt as if the world was moving, not us. I didn’t bother to question where we were going.
“Even if I cause trouble, will you stay by my side?”
Yugyeom asked quietly. I couldn’t answer immediately.
His voice carried a hint of amusement, but his eyes seemed darker, clouded with something deeper. It made me uneasy.
“Can you promise?”
Yugyeom blinked with wide eyes, asking once more.
A promise? I briefly considered the thought in my mind.
…That’s a bit much.
With those ominous eyes speaking of ‘trouble,’ how could I readily make such a promise?
Just as I opened my mouth to respond, my back hit a wall. I tensed, gripping Yugyeom’s arm tightly around my waist.
The thick shadows enveloped my vision. Only then did I realize that all those people who had been around us were now completely gone.
But my thoughts drifted to how we had come from a bustling street to this secluded alley. I couldn’t think much about it.
“Even if…”
Yugyeom rested his hand against the wall beside my head, lowering his head. His shadow consumed me entirely.
“Even if I do something unforgivable?”
His voice was a soft whisper, and his face loomed close enough that it felt like his lips might touch mine.
His downward gaze unsettled me. His face was undeniably dangerous. I nearly nodded.
While lost in my thoughts, Yugyeom shifted slightly away. I thought he would fully let go, but instead, he bent slightly and rested his head on my shoulder.
Despite the discomfort of his height, he didn’t move away easily.
I played with a strand of Yugyeom’s hair, one that wasn’t stained with blood.
The color of his hair had always stood out to me when I first saw him.
It seemed influenced by his mother’s side, though it appeared lighter than what I remembered from childhood.
“Don’t get too close to Doshiyu.”
Yugyeom straightened his posture, meeting my gaze once more.
“…Doshiyu? Why?”
Caught off guard by the sudden name, I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Yugyeom sighed softly, a bitter smile on his face.
“Really, you don’t know?”
I shook my head slowly, genuinely uncertain.
Earlier, I had sensed something strange. The Yugyeom who pushed Doshiyu aside looked unrecognizably different from the man who once held my hand.
Yugyeom noticed my expression and his eyes twinkled mischievously.
“Because I’m jealous.”
I involuntarily furrowed my brows. My heart was pounding quickly, making a faint creaking sound.
The dark alley offered some comfort in hiding my expression, which I was grateful for.
“Oh, I just want to keep you locked up in my embrace.”
Yugyeom casually spoke a menacing line, and I smiled bitterly, shaking my head at him.
“Do you really think I’d just stay put if you locked me up?”
I reached out toward him, running my fingers gently over his cheek, giving him a deep, knowing smile. I felt him stiffen under my touch.
“Maybe you’d prefer me to cry prettily and beg instead.”
His ever-pink eyes stood out sharply against his pale skin, making his expression all the more vivid.
The contrast between his cold hand and his warm, intense gaze was striking.
“I’ll remember that.”
Yugyeom twisted his lips into a grin, his amusement evident. I furrowed my brows again, slightly taken aback by his unexpected response.
That wasn’t what I meant… was it? A strange worry settled over me. The way he said it made it sound like he might actually use it.
Feeling the uneasy vibe, I quickly pulled my hand away from Yugyeom.
“Hey, back off a bit.”
I cleared my throat awkwardly, trying to push him away with one hand.
However, Yugyeom didn’t budge.
“It’s fine. Everyone’s so distracted they won’t even notice where we are.”
Yugyeom smiled innocently.
“They probably won’t notice anything else either.”
“…Anything else?”
The word slipped out of my mouth unconsciously. Only after asking did I realize my mistake.
Just as Yugyeom whispered softly, he lowered his head. He moved closer without hesitation, pressing his lips gently against mine.
“You’re,”
My startled words were cut short by the press of his lips. Yugyeom sealed them as if leaving a mark.
Soon, he pulled back slightly, leaving a small gap between our lips, through which his quiet laughter reached me.
“This kind?”
“Leave me alone, Yugyeom!”
I turned my head and pushed his chest away with both hands. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, but outside, there was an overwhelming sense of embarrassment and unease.
“Didn’t I tell you not to follow me!”
Just then, a familiar voice rang out from the other end of the alley. Both Yugyeom and I turned our heads in unison toward the sound.
“This voice…”
As if trying to recall, I was caught between recognizing the owner of the voice. From the end of the alley, someone stepped out abruptly.
“…”
Our eyes met. The round eyes staring at Yugyeom and me widened to their limits.
“Ivy?”
The name slipped from my lips as I blinked, still in disbelief.
The petite, sparkling blonde girl who first caught my attention appeared before me. Unlike before, her clothes were neat, and her hair was tied back into two neat braids.
She didn’t seem like someone who had wandered through the back alleys, unlike what I feared. I moved toward Ivy.
“Where have you been all this time…”
“Hey!”
Before I could finish, a voice called out behind Ivy, and someone else rushed into the alleyway. He stopped abruptly upon seeing me, his eyes wide in shock.
“Angel?”
“A Miss?”
Both Ivy and Angel simultaneously called out to each other.
I alternated my gaze between them. From their interaction, it seemed like Angel had been with Ivy this whole time.
“You were with Ivy?”
I asked, and Angel’s face betrayed his panic, though he said nothing.
Bang! Just as I prepared to ask again, a gunshot rang out from outside the alley.
“Terrorist!”
A shout followed, reverberating in the air.
“…Terrorist?”
I muttered to myself, unable to tear my eyes away from the direction where the gunshot had come from.
If it’s a terrorist, then it’s the crazy man who fired inside the club—the one who was responsible for injuring Yugyeom in the future I had seen. I had to check.
“Angel, I’ll talk to you later.”
As I threatened Angel, about to step out of the alley, I was stopped before I could even move a step. My head twisted back to look at him.
“Don’t go.”
Yugyeom smiled, locking his fingers around my wrist.
“Won’t let this one slip, either?”
His voice had an edge, one that made me hold the entwined hands tightly, staring at them.
The thought crossed my mind briefly.
“Okay.”
I lifted our joined hands and gave a small, teasing smile.
“Then we go together.”
I pulled him toward me.
Yugyeom, reluctantly dragged, lowered his head, letting out a breathless laugh.
“…When will I ever win?”
“Sorry, I don’t plan on letting you win anytime soon.”
I responded with a broader smile directed at him.
“Maybe one day, I’ll let you win.”
Adding a playful touch, I held Yugyeom’s hand tightly as we stepped out of the alley. He walked quietly by my side.
The street near the club entrance was more chaotic than before.
I scanned the area for the lunatic who had shot the gun. Come to think of it, by now, Baek Hawoon should be searching for me.
*Crash!*
Suddenly, a deafening explosion pierced the air. I stared at the fiery flames rising, as if in a daze.
Two black vans parked along the street were engulfed in flames, consuming everything inside. The bright red inferno soared into the sky. Through the flames, a car—faintly familiar—caught my eye.
“…That’s our car.”
It looked like Baekcheon’s men had brought it.
“Definitely our car.”
Yugyeom’s intense gaze remained fixed on the burning vehicle. His heart seemed to beat louder with every second.
No one could have been inside, right?
Desperately scanning the area, I searched for familiar faces. Soon, I spotted Baek Hawoon among the crowd. A deep breath escaped me—finally.
The boss stood a little apart from the crowd, with Doshiyu standing beside him. The same men from earlier were present. All of them were watching the burning car.
My legs trembled slightly, but I forced myself to move toward Baek Hawoon.
The mass of people made it impossible to move far.
“…”
In the corner of my vision, a face stood out. A tall, thin woman with long black hair.
The moment I saw her, a deep, inexplicable sense of dread spread through me.
I stopped, staring at her intensely.
The rhythmic beating of my heart filled my ears. The pounding felt almost unbearable when, finally, I understood the reason behind the sinister feeling.
“Miss. Are you okay?”
Yugyeom gently placed his hand on my shoulder, his concern evident. I spoke in a trance-like state.
“Huh?”
Yugyeom, not hearing me clearly, asked again.
My heart was racing, and I gathered my voice to respond more clearly.
“She was disguised.”
The fog cleared from my mind, and everything snapped into focus.
It was her—the one who had shot Yugyeom.
No, more accurately—a man dressed as a woman.
With the disguise, he managed to avoid the watchful eyes of Baekcheon’s men stationed at the club entrance.
I had ignored her approach, falling right into the trap.
Desperation surged through me, and I rushed forward, shouting.
“Boss! Behind her…!”
However, before I could finish, I was suddenly stopped in my tracks. Not by Yugyeom, or anyone else.
‘Stop here.’
‘….’
‘I won’t do it again.’
It was my own vow from just a few minutes ago. But in the slow-moving, tense moment, I hesitated.
If I rushed forward…
*Bang!*
And almost simultaneously, the gunshot rang out.
I couldn’t breathe as the scene unfolded before me. As expected, a man disguised as a woman held the gun.
But the barrel wasn’t aimed at just anyone.
In that moment, I recalled what I had just witnessed.
“…Doshiyu!”
As the trigger was pulled, it was Doshiyu who leaped forward, shielding Baek Hawoon.
