Chapter 24
“Huff…, huff…!”
I wanted to smack the back of my head for being so arrogant about being the perennial first place in track.
Running on a flat track was different from running through the unknown woods.
I stumbled over the rolling stones several times, nearly falling. Running at full speed through dense trees was difficult.
Above all, the pressure of not knowing where I was running to weighed on me.
“I must… not get caught, huff…!”
If I got caught, I’d become a pitiful damsel in distress.
‘Whether roasted or boiled, it’s all up to me.’
With that determined gaze in mind, it was entirely possible.
Tick-tock.
To make matters worse, raindrops started to fall from the sky.
This is truly the perfect condition for a crisis.
It’s perfect for someone destined to die like a nobody.
“No, I’ll never get caught… This is really exhausting, I might die.”
The gun in my hand was bothering me, so I put it in my pocket.
“…?”
It should have been empty, but something hit my fingertips.
“Crazy.”
In that moment of realization, I couldn’t help but stop.
Out of my pocket came my long-missed phone.
And a friendly note reminding me that there was no tracking app installed.
What a clever lunatic…
I urgently turned on my phone and kept running.
It’s not ideal, but since there’s nowhere to go back to, I’ll call Jiwoon… No, I’ll call Jiwon.
As I continued running, planning my next move, it happened.
Suddenly, a shiver ran down my spine.
Gr-grind-
I froze as the sound came from ahead.
Three large dogs, their sharp teeth exposed, were staring as if they were about to pounce.
Are those dogs or wolves?!
Grind-! Woof! Woof!
One barked, and the other two followed suit. I covered my mouth with both hands and swallowed my scream.
“Be good. Just wait a moment.”
A calm voice resonated.
Only then did I realize that the hunting dogs had leashes attached, and there was someone holding those leashes.
When I saw the soft pink hair draped over the shoulder, it clicked.
‘Sena. Call Dr. Dasu again. Ask him for some sedatives or sleeping pills for her.’
Back then, I didn’t know, but now I remembered.
In terms of loyalty, Yugyeom was far ahead of Ichang.
But then, the thought that came to mind fleetingly vanished as our eyes met.
The gaze directed at me was undeniably cold, leaving no room for interpretation.
From tightly sealed lips, it was evident that she didn’t want to mix words, didn’t want to speak.
The leash tightened.
“It would have been better if you had just left back then.”
The woman muttered as if to herself, taking a step closer.
“The phone on the table. It was mine.”
I was speechless at the unexpected revelation.
“If you had taken it with you, I could have followed and cleanly dealt with you. Such a pity.”
It wasn’t Yugyeom who left it.
If I had just left… The thought alone made me dizzy.
The leash suddenly loosened, and the hunting dogs leaped forward. I recoiled in terror.
“Wait! Just wait! Why are you doing this to me?!”
I shouted, unable to tear my gaze away from the hunting dogs, who seemed ready to pounce on me at any moment.
But the woman just looked at me with a dry expression.
I made a quick decision and turned around to run.
I distinctly heard her asking why.
I couldn’t hold back the screams that burst out every time the hunting dogs barked fiercely from behind.
I wanted to look back, but turning back felt like I’d get caught.
I ran without a moment’s pause, without even a chance to chew on the curses boiling up to my throat.
Desperately, I pulled out the gun I had kept in my pocket.
And just as I was about to change direction to the right…
“….!”
My arm was forcefully grabbed and pulled to the left.
Bang!
Simultaneously, I reflexively closed my eyes at the echoing gunshot. My face was buried in a cold embrace.
I felt the firm hand embracing my shoulder.
My senses were faster than my thoughts. A cool scent reminiscent of the deep forest enveloped me.
After just three gunshots, the surroundings fell silent as if dead.
Feeling the thumping of my racing heart, I still breathed heavily, my breath rough.
“Does Utopia also participate in hostage-taking operations?”
At the low, rumbling voice, I blinked and looked up.
The rain running down my black hair fell onto my cheeks. But the gaze that met mine was even darker and heavier.
“Or is it related to Yugyeom’s lover?”
With a crooked smile, I could do nothing but blink.
—
“Huff…! Hey! Yugyeom!”
Yugyeom, leaning against a tree with his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes at the sound of my voice.
Ichang, who had rushed over to him, grabbed Yugyeom, panting heavily, then looked around and said, “What’s up? Where’s Chaeyeon?”
Yugyeom, with his lips curled upwards as he glanced at the clock, turned away from Ichang without a word. Ichang urgently grabbed Yugyeom.
“Did you kill her?”
At Ichang’s question, Yugyeom narrowed his eyes.
“Why would I do that?”
“Then where did she go?”
“Hmm. Playing hide and seek?”
“….”
“No, maybe playing tag.”
Yugyeom chuckled at the thought of her.
‘Well, then let’s try catching her once.’
It was the expected response. No, he was even more confident than usual in surpassing what he expected.
But Yugyeom was the same.
He already knew that Yeonbyeol wasn’t as quiet and weak as a princess.
Even so, there was no way he could escape from himself, who vividly pictured this forest in his mind.
That’s why he made the suggestion.
Always peeking at opportunities to escape, but afraid that he might fly to a place where he really couldn’t reach.
“Gyeom.”
“If you really don’t want to lose me, don’t kneel under your feet.”
When their eyes met squarely, I snapped out of it.
This won’t work to catch her.
“We need to bring her back now. Otherwise, we’re in big trouble!”
“What?”
Yugyeom, who had ignored Ichang and turned away, stopped in his tracks.
“Baek Hawon.”
“….”
“Baek Cheon’s here.”
—
“Does Utopia also participate in hostage-taking operations?”
Why.
“Or is it related to Yugyeom’s lover?”
Why is Baek Hawon here?
It was a face I never expected to see, like a prince on a white horse coming to rescue me.
Two days later, at the party on the last day, Baek Hawon was supposed to come to Utopia.
No matter how twisted the development was, even if Baek Hawon and Yugyeom had already met, that scene shouldn’t have changed.
Even though the first meeting was distorted, I believed the next meeting would be different.
Is it unrealistic to hope for the story to unfold as in the original?
As my collapsing face couldn’t hide, the hunting dogs whose breaths were cut off came into view as I lowered my gaze.
Is this the protagonist’s buff?
I almost died, but the protagonist never misses with a gun.
“Why.”
With a firm voice, my face was lifted up by the hand under my chin.
As my consciousness gradually returned in the penetrating gaze, maybe this is an opportunity.
An opportunity I’ve been struggling to get.
If I return to Baek Cheon without meeting Yugyeom, there will be no chance of dying between Yugyeom and Baek Hawon.
“….Boss.”
The voice that came out was unexpectedly firm.
“You came to rescue her?”
There was no hesitation in Haewon’s face as he heard my question.
He simply stared at me with dark eyes, then glanced at the gun in my hand and chuckled.
Haewon reached out and took the gun from my hand, embracing me by the shoulders.
“Yeah.”
His answer left me feeling strange.
Haewon handed the gun back to me.
As I reached out to take it, his face seemed to distort, and he grabbed my hand, pulling me closer to him.
Bang!
Simultaneously, a gunshot rang out, and Haewon, still holding me, rolled to the ground.
“Ugh, what…?”
“Stay still.”
I tried to get up in surprise, but Haewon wrapped his arm around my head from behind.
I couldn’t move any further and just froze.
When our eyes met, his face and breath were so close that they almost touched.
*Gasp.*
I was so startled by the closeness that I held my breath.
His face, wet with rain, was strangely…
But Haewon casually glanced around and, feeling awkward for no reason, I finally started to look around.
“I guess Boss’s presence here has been noticed?”
He whispered softly, and a wrinkle formed on Haewon’s smooth forehead.
Just as I was about to ask something else and tilted my head down a bit more…
“….!”
In an instant, the world turned upside down.
When I came to my senses, Haewon was straddling me.
My widened eyes were filled with Haewon’s face.
The droplets of water running down his hair touched my cheek.
For a moment, I forgot to breathe.
“W-what are you…?!”
Haewon took off the suit jacket he was wearing.
The black shirt clinging to him due to the drizzle emitted a sexy vibe, enough to imagine the muscles underneath.
Haewon, with the opposite color of Yugyeom, was always dangerous but had a charm that drew people in even more.
Brushing his wet hair aside, Haewon finally looked up at me with widened eyes, then hesitated for a moment before twisting up one corner of his mouth.
“I didn’t know you could make such a face.”
Tilting his head slightly, Haewon reached out to me.
“I guess this side suits my taste more.”
Seeing Haewon, who looked like a nine-tailed fox, I realized why Yugyeom couldn’t even flinch in front of him.
