Chaehun tried to recall when he had told Seunggeon he wanted to become a veterinarian, but he couldn’t remember. He probably said it in passing.
“Being a veterinarian is fine too, but being a police officer comes first.”
“Just in case, after taking the college entrance exam, try submitting a separate application to the veterinary school of the university you’re aiming for.”
“Mm, I’ll have to think about that.”
“Apply to Hanguk University. Let’s go to college together.”
“Huh?”
“We’d be in different departments, so we’d probably only take general education classes together.”
Chaehun understood Seunggeon’s words a bit late. Seunggeon had already been accepted to Hanguk University’s Business Administration department through early admission. As he said, even if Chaehun was accepted to Hanguk University, they’d be in different departments, so they could only take general education classes together. Still, the fact that he said they should go to college together was special.
Hanguk University was the best university in South Korea. If he could just get accepted, he thought he might be able to persuade his father somehow.
The probability that his stubborn father wouldn’t reverse his decision was higher, but still, he could dream.
“Yeah. That would be nice.”
While having that conversation, they reached the crosswalk. The traffic volume on the road where two lanes and four lanes intersected wasn’t much, but seeing the crosswalk light was red, they stopped.
“It’s over there.”
The place Seunggeon pointed to was a luxury villa beyond the four-lane road. Chaehun, who had been thinking of a studio apartment, was a little surprised.
“Nice place?”
Chaehun looked at Seunggeon standing on his left while smiling. Since Seunggeon was also looking this way, their eyes met. Seunggeon was a handsome man with bold features and presence. The background of the black night sky and orange streetlights suited him incredibly well.
The moment he became aware that he had fallen for Seunggeon was like this too. There was a school festival right before summer vacation. He was captivated by the sight of him smiling silently under the red lanterns.
His handsome face was the problem. His calm and steady maturity was also attractive, as was his low and clear voice. But they couldn’t compare to his appearance, which was as handsome as a world-class actor or model. The way his hair fluttered in the wind was like a pictorial.
When you like someone, even small actions come across with special meaning. It was regrettable, heart-fluttering, and ticklish.
“Chaehun-ah.”
“Hm? Why?”
Chaehun, who had been staring at Seunggeon as if entranced, quickly came to his senses and answered. He thought he might have been too obvious. He didn’t want his one-sided love to be discovered.
“You like me, don’t you?”
Chaehun, who had been slightly tense, experienced his heart being thrown to the ground in that instant. All kinds of thoughts came to his dazed mind.
Why is he suddenly asking such a question? I do like him, but was I found out? How should I answer? It’s fortunate it’s nighttime. I can’t be flustered.
One thing was certain. If he said the wrong thing here, it would be the end.
“Of course I like you. Would I be friends with you if I didn’t like you?”
Chaehun was able to answer at a timing that was neither too late nor too early. His voice trembled a little, but it wasn’t awkward. Chaehun was satisfied with his own sense. Of course he liked him because they were friends. That was natural.
But Seunggeon frowned.
“That’s—”
Just as Seunggeon was about to say something, his cell phone vibrated loudly in his jacket pocket. Seunggeon’s face hardened stiffly as he checked his phone without smoothing out his furrowed brow. Chaehun noticed this was a chance to escape.
“Take the call. I’ll go buy some mechanical pencil lead over there.”
Chaehun backed away pretending to give him space and headed toward the convenience store. He felt a gaze from behind but ignored it.
Chaehun, who entered the convenience store, pretended to be calm as he found mechanical pencil lead and grabbed it in his hand. But his heart was beating like crazy. Belatedly, heat rose to his face.
Even though he said he liked him because they were friends, Seunggeon’s expression didn’t look convinced. It seemed like he would ask again. He didn’t know whether he should brush it off or make a serious face.
If he said one wrong thing, his feelings would definitely be completely exposed. Just imagining it gave him goosebumps.
“Haah.”
Chaehun groaned and sighed. He just wanted to end it as a one-sided love. He had never once thought it would work out. Sometimes he didn’t know what to do because he liked that guy. Seunggeon had appeared in his dreams, and he’d even had dirty thoughts.
But that was all.
An unrequited love that couldn’t be fulfilled had to end without the other person knowing. That way, they could meet again with smiling faces next time.
Chaehun resisted the urge to tear at his hair. He couldn’t drag it out any longer. After paying for the mechanical pencil lead, he took a deep breath before opening the convenience store door. Looking at Seunggeon staring this way, he steeled his mind that the best course was to pretend otherwise and brush it off.
“Huh?”
It was just as he was about to open the door and go out. A van stopped abruptly behind Seunggeon. Three men who got out through the roughly opened door surrounded Seunggeon and tried to drag him away as is. Seunggeon shook off the arm that grabbed him, but he was outnumbered against three burly men.
“What the?!”
Chaehun, who thought of the word human trafficking, rushed out as is. With the momentum of running, he rammed his shoulder into the back of the man who had his arm around Seunggeon’s neck.
From that point on, it was a dogfight. Although Chaehun had learned taekwondo and hapkido for the National Police University exam preparation and had consistently trained his physical strength, all he could do was grab just one person and scuffle.
“Police! Call the police! It’s a kidnapping!! This is a kidnapping!! Report it to the police!!”
It was an area where commercial and residential districts were mixed together. There were few people passing by because it was night. Still, believing that the convenience store part-timer would at least stick their head out wondering what was going on, Chaehun shouted loudly.
“That bastard, stop him!”
The men’s shouts and Seunggeon colliding with Chaehun happened sequentially. Chaehun didn’t know exactly what had happened. However, he noticed that the jackknife held in the hand of the man in front of Seunggeon had something red on it.
When he looked to the side with an ominous premonition, sure enough, Seunggeon was clutching his stomach.
“Seunggeon-ah?”
A blunt impact was delivered to the back of Chaehun’s head as he grabbed the staggering Seunggeon. His vision flashed for a moment and his body was about to collapse. As he desperately tried to maintain his balance, his body was dragged.
Chaehun and Seunggeon being loaded into the van happened in an instant. Quick. Quick. At the kidnapper’s urging, the van shot out before the door even closed.
Chaehun, who was crumpled up messily, instinctively felt danger. While preparing for the National Police University, he had read various case records. This wasn’t ordinary human trafficking. They had made a ton of witnesses and even wielded a knife, and had kidnapped even himself who had been beside the target.
The moment he thought he would die like this, Chaehun shook off the kidnapper’s hand that was pressing down on him and stood up abruptly as is. He didn’t know where the strength came from. With the single-minded determination that he had to stop the car, he stretched his arm toward the driver’s seat and turned the steering wheel as hard as he could.
Crash—!
Without any time to do anything, the van rammed into an electric pole. With the impact of the collision, two kidnappers were flung out the door that couldn’t close.
Chaehun, who had hit his head on the driver’s seat backrest, felt dizzy as if the world was turning upside down. Still, he overcame that and dragged Seunggeon, who was collapsed, outside. He tried to get as far away as possible while supporting Seunggeon, but after walking only a few steps, he almost collapsed and sat down on the ground.
Chaehun was on guard of his surroundings while half-embracing Seunggeon. The front of the van that had rammed into the electric pole was gruesomely crumpled. People passing by were looking this way at the accident that occurred on the quiet street. A few vehicles that had been following also stopped. The kidnappers assessed the situation in an awkward posture, then disappeared while cursing.
Still, Chaehun didn’t relax his tension and looked at Seunggeon in his arms. Seunggeon’s hand, sitting slumped while clutching his stomach, was soaked wet with blood. Not only that, but his shirt was completely red too.
“Seunggeon-ah? Are you okay?”
“You’re bleeding from your head.”
Seunggeon said with a grimace on his face. Chaehun touched the head he had hit earlier. Along with a throbbing pain, a bit of blood came off on his fingertips.
“I’m fine. This doesn’t hurt much. You are… No, that’s not right. 119 first.”
Chaehun looked for his cell phone in his jacket pocket with trembling hands. He had to find and press the emergency call, but he kept fumbling. His head was dazed beyond hurting, and tinnitus rang in his ears. To make matters worse, his dizziness became severe.
He tried shaking his head to come to his senses, but his vision going dark was instantaneous.
“Chaehun-ah! Kang Chaehun!”
He heard Seunggeon’s urgent voice, but Chaehun couldn’t answer. Feeling his body collapsing forward, Chaehun lost consciousness as is.
