Chapter 97
The scene unfolded like a disjointed black-and-white image, far removed from reality. The sound in my mind screeched as it spun in circles.
The body wasn’t Yugyeom’s.
“…Yuhobum.”
Ultimately, it was Yugyeom who killed him. The boss of Utopia, his father.
At that moment, a powerful explosion struck mercilessly at my ears.
KWAANG!
The ground shook as multiple explosions followed in quick succession.
My vision wavered, and I lost my balance. Just as I was about to fall, Baek Hawon firmly gripped my arm, holding me steady.
– Aa, is this even going to work?
A familiar, crackling voice echoed across the stage, mixed with static.
Clearing his throat behind the dusty speakers, a voice came through clearly. The sound of a loud siren followed.
– Emergency!
The siren’s wail was almost drowned out by a louder voice.
– Emergency! Emergency!
The frantic shouting erased any remaining doubt.
‘…Lee Chan?’
It was definitely Lee Chan. No one else could create such a chaotic broadcast under these circumstances.
– There is an emergency situation.
The voice shifted suddenly. A woman’s rigid, emotionless voice replaced Lee Chan’s, devoid of any humanity.
Someone else had clearly taken the microphone from Lee Chan, realizing it was too much for him to handle.
– A terror incident has occurred on the 2nd floor of the casino.
KWAANG—. Another explosion followed perfectly timed with the announcement.
I quickly looked up. It seemed like the explosion had come from the balcony above. However, the thick smoke concealed everything from view.
I anxiously stared at the spot where Yugyeom had stood.
If a fire had started up there…
– The situation is being swiftly assessed internally. Due to the possibility of a second attack, all individuals at the casino are advised to evacuate immediately.
A horrifying image flashed through my mind like a spark on gasoline.
Yugyeom trapped in flames, collapsing, was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. The memory took on vivid, almost blinding colors that clouded my reason.
What the hell were you thinking? Why did you make that choice?
Everyone witnessed Yuhobum’s death, so there was no certainty he was still alive.
But for now, I had to believe Yugyeom was alive. Otherwise, I would fall apart immediately.
– I repeat. All individuals at the casino are advised to evacuate immediately.
It’s okay. It’s not over yet. Over and over, I drilled the thought into my mind as I turned around.
If Yugyeom were trapped in flames, all we had to do was get him out. If the ground beneath him shifted, I would climb up to where he was. If he was injured, an ambulance could be called to take care of him.
As long as he wasn’t dead.
As long as he was alive, everything could be fixed.
“Cha Yeonbyeol.”
A massive hand tightly gripped mine. Helplessly turned around, I took a breath as his grasp didn’t loosen.
“…Why?”
The warm hand brushed my cheek. A cracked voice.
Only then did I realize my cheek was soaked with tears.
The warmth of his hand tightened around my fingers, slipping into the gaps between them.
“You’re crying for the first time.”
Whispered softly, Baek Hawon gently wiped my cheek. It was merely an act to wipe away tears, nothing more or less.
Yet, that touch stirred overwhelming emotions.
A rush of emotion surged within me, more unsettling than the continuous stream of tears.
I rubbed my eyes with my fists to wipe away the tears.
“Let go.”
Turning my head to the side, I blinked rapidly. Another wave of tears threatened to flood my vision.
“…If I die anyway, it’s not a good thing for the boss either.”
Even as I kept my gaze turned away, I spoke.
“Why are you suddenly like this?”
“You know why.”
His grip on my hand tightened. I almost turned my head to meet his gaze.
“You’ve always wished I’d disappear.”
His eyes wandered downward, landing on Yuhobum’s body sprawled on the ground. I clenched my eyes shut.
“So why?”
The rising emotion cracked my voice.
“You’ve been wishing I disappear for a long time.”
Breathing felt difficult.
I knew how futile the assumption was—’If he hadn’t died, then….’
I didn’t need to delve deep into what had happened to the member who had killed Yuhobum according to U-Hwa’s intentions. I didn’t need to think much; it had been captured and killed in the most brutal way possible right there on the spot.
“On his 26th birthday listed in the will, faster than that… why?”
I struggled to push the thoughts away, forcing back tears, fear, and even loneliness.
Don’t think about it. Not that scene. Not now. I can’t remember it.
But it wasn’t that simple. A meaningless wish repeated in my mind.
It would have been better if I could simply forget the end where Yugyeom had died.
“Hmm.”
Baek Hawon spoke softly.
“Since the moment you barged into my space…”
As Baek Hawon trailed off, I reflected on our first meeting.
The day I first arrived in this world, in this body.
The very first gun pointed at me. The gaze that seemed ready to pull the trigger any moment.
That moment, right before I fainted.
“You’ve disappeared in front of my eyes, been shot, run away again, and now you’re trying to do it again.”
His warm fingers gently grasped my jaw. My vision, which had been fixed downward, slowly lifted to meet his gaze.
“You keep doing things you never used to do…”
His deep, matching-colored eyes reflected someone else before returning to me.
“Still.”
The dark eyes stared intently, unwavering.
It wasn’t a tight grip. His fingers merely brushed against my jaw, but I couldn’t move.
“I kind of understand, but kind of don’t.”
The same words, yet a different expression. Familiarity and strangeness mingled simultaneously.
It felt like that beginning of winter was a lifetime ago.
It seemed like Baek Hawon was reminiscing about the same moment as well.
“So this time, I won’t lose you.”
At that moment, my feet left the ground, and my vision was flipped upside down.
“…!”
A tremendous explosion roared in my ears. The sound was deafening.
The sensation was slow, but my heart reacted first.
Flames engulfed the smoky auditorium. The monstrous, vivid red fire grew rapidly.
“Ah… no. No!”
I frantically flailed my arms in the air, but my hands couldn’t reach. They continued to move away.
My head throbbed with the intensity of the burning red. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. It felt like being sucked into that inferno.
“Let go.”
I struggled to break free from the grip on my arms and legs, trying to pull away. The embrace, solid as a rock, didn’t budge.
“Let go! I need to check—”
My screams went unanswered. The more I struggled, the faster I seemed to drift away.
Baek Hawon didn’t waver, moving forward relentlessly, finally stepping off the stage.
There was no denying it. Yugyeom was there. In that fire.
Even as we moved down the dark corridor, I couldn’t stop resisting. I couldn’t. It felt like something inside me was thrashing wildly.
“Hngh… no. Boss, I can’t. I can’t leave like this.”
Darkness consumed everything—tears, screams, pain.
And something deep inside me, something long buried, began to fill the void.
Emerging from the corridor, blinding light momentarily blurred my vision.
A quiet hallway stretched ahead. It seemed like a different path from the one I had entered—another world. Still, it felt eerily serene.
I grabbed Baek Hawon’s shoulder with my trembling hand and hit him.
Through my tear-streaked vision, I saw a black silhouette over Baek Hawon’s shoulder. A man in a suit stumbled toward us, blood gushing from his shoulder, a gun raised in his other hand.
Slowly, the barrel of the gun rose, pointing directly at Baek Hawon.
I don’t know what was left of my mind. Before I could even process it, my body moved. I pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang!
Baek Hawon finally stopped. Our eyes locked.
The gun slipped from my hand and hit the floor.
“You…”
Then, I heard the sound of a body collapsing—a thud as the man fell.
Baek Hawon didn’t turn to check. He only stared at me with a hardened expression, as if gazing at something impossible.
“You… were going to shoot the boss, so I…”
My words trailed off, and my heart thumped heavily.
It was the first time I’d ever shot someone. I bit my lip hard and swallowed the surging emotion. My empty hands trembled uncontrollably, so I grabbed Baek Hawon’s shoulder tighter.
He glanced at his shoulder before letting out a soft chuckle.
The subtle curve of his lips as he looked at me was followed by him bending down. His neck welcomed my arms as I tightly hugged him.
The gun returned to my hand again.
Over Baek Hawon’s shoulder, emerald-green eyes met mine.
