# Chapter 119
Maybe it was because I kept talking with Kang Jinwoo, but the tension and fear I felt initially gradually disappeared. Given the situation, I couldn’t be as relaxed as usual, but I did regain some composure.
“It’s kind of strange that nothing is happening.”
“I know. Why isn’t anything happening?”
Kang Jinwoo nodded in agreement, glancing outside. He had even stopped the acting he’d been doing periodically and was sitting on a pile of rebar.
“Still no word from Dojin?”
“Just a moment.”
Kang Jinwoo’s expression brightened like a light had been turned on as he rummaged through his pocket to retrieve his phone. Realizing that the awaited contact had finally arrived, I rushed to his side.
“Did he respond?”
“Yeah, he did. He says to wait, he’ll be here soon.”
Kang Jinwoo tilted his phone toward me so I could see the message. Thanks to that, I could comfortably read what Kwon Dojin had sent.
“Looks like we can finally escape this suffocating place.”
“Yeah. As long as everything goes smoothly—”
When I was trying hard to control my involuntarily crumbling mouth corners, Kang Jinwoo was about to say something nonsensical, so I quickly extended my arm to cover his mouth. He was about to ruin everything.
“Why, why are you doing this?”
Kang Jinwoo easily removed my hand that was desperately covering his mouth and looked at me strangely.
“Sunbae.”
“Yeah, what?”
“You know what a death flag is, right?”
“Of course I know?”
Hardening my expression, I stared straight at him, whose reaction suggested he didn’t understand why I was bringing this up now.
“What you just said was a death flag. So let’s not say things like that.”
When I spoke seriously, pressing each word with sincerity, Kang Jinwoo, overwhelmed by my intensity, reluctantly nodded despite looking disgruntled. He didn’t seem to sympathize, but that was fine. As long as he didn’t raise any flags, it was okay.
“By the way, will I be able to get my phone back?”
“Phone? Where is it?”
“How would I know? They took it when I was kidnapped. I still have more than a year left on my contract.”
Just as I was worrying about what I’d do if it was broken, there was a commotion outside. Sensing the change in situation, Kang Jinwoo jumped to his feet. He gestured with his chin for me to stay back, so I quietly moved to a corner.
“Fuck, why aren’t you stopping Kwon Dojin!”
“I can barely handle Baek Han, how am I supposed to stop Kwon Dojin!”
The commotion drew closer, and angry voices carried over. Among them, I could hear Kwon Dojin and Baek Han’s names, which brightened both Kang Jinwoo’s and my expressions.
“Ji Haecheon-nim, is there no contact from Haecheon-nim?!”
“No, there isn’t!”
All sorts of shouting and cursing went back and forth, as if they were cornered. From what I could judge based on this, unlike other fiction, this seemed to be resolving without major incident.
“I’ll go out first, you stay hidden behind the pillar and don’t come out.”
“Okay.”
Kang Jinwoo handed me a metal pipe while earnestly instructing me. Since I had no intention of interfering and potentially messing things up, I nodded vigorously. Though I doubted this metal pipe would be of any use in my hands.
Looking at Kang Jinwoo’s face, it seemed he also didn’t expect me to use it effectively. It seemed like he was giving it to me just to ease his own mind, so I obediently accepted it.
“Don’t come out under any circumstances.”
“I know my body is precious too.”
“Then why did you go out today?”
“…I saw the message late, so I couldn’t help it.”
Since I had nothing to say about that, I muttered, and Kang Jinwoo snickered. Then, carefully selecting one from among the pipes on the floor, he placed it on his shoulder and went outside.
“Kang Jinwoo? What are you doing here!”
“What do you think? I’m backstabbing you.”
After Kang Jinwoo left, it was quiet for a while, but then it became even noisier, as if filling the void. It seemed that Kang Jinwoo’s unexpected betrayal had caused confusion.
Despite my worry that I might be in danger being left alone after Kang Jinwoo went outside, no one came this way. I guessed they were too distracted. And the consecutive sounds I heard reinforced my suspicion.
Honestly, since nothing had happened after being kidnapped, by this point I was fundamentally questioning why they kidnapped me in the first place. There was no harm done, nor did they use me as a hostage to threaten Baek Han and Kwon Dojin.
Could there be some backstory that I’m unaware of? Is that why it’s resolving without major incident?
“Whatever it is, I’m glad.”
What could be better than ending this without getting hurt? I put down the metal pipe I had been tightly gripping with both hands and squatted in place.
When will they come? I rested my cheek on my knee and just blinked. Part of me wanted to go find them first. But with Kang Jinwoo’s earnest instructions and my own reluctance to go to dangerous places, I didn’t leave.
“Habin, are you here?”
When I finally heard the voice I’d been waiting for from the entrance, I quickly stood up. Peeking my head out from behind the pillar toward the entrance, I saw Kwon Dojin in a slightly disheveled state.
“What are you doing there?”
When our eyes met, he smiled faintly and gestured lightly as if telling me to come over. The moment I saw that relaxed gesture, the last bit of tension released, and tears welled up in my eyes.
This was unexpected even to me, so I was flustered and wiped my tears, but they continued to flow despite my efforts. As tears poured out nonstop like a turned-on faucet, Kwon Dojin rushed over in panic. Then, not knowing what to do but wrapping his arms around me affectionately.
“It’s all my fault.”
Although he showed signs of not understanding why I was crying, he apologized first, and I buried my face in his shoulder. After crying for a long time, my body heated up and I felt slightly dizzy.
Whether he noticed it or not, Kwon Dojin pressed a water bottle he’d gotten from somewhere against my cheek. That action made the tears I had barely held back well up again.
I headbutted Kwon Dojin’s shoulder for making me cry again when I had just stopped. Before I could headbutt him again, Kwon Dojin’s palm carefully held my forehead.
“You- you.”
“Yes, Habin.”
“Screw the, hic, ranking. Money or whatever-, hic, I don’t need any of it.”
“Okay, I’ll quit. So stop crying, alright?”
“What?!”
Since it’s not me but Kwon Dojin who receives the money, I’m not sure if I should be saying this, but I blurted it out anyway. Though my pronunciation was slurred from crying, he seemed to understand without difficulty and surprisingly nodded without hesitation.
The one who reacted to Kwon Dojin’s action was Baek Han, who had arrived without me noticing. Startled by the sudden exclamation, I forgot I was crying and hiccupped with wide eyes. In response, Kwon Dojin gently stroked my back.
“No! If Kwon Dojin quits, I’ll have to handle everything alone!”
“Then you quit too.”
Baek Han, who had been shouting in opposition, momentarily looked tempted by Kwon Dojin’s cynical remark. But then he shook his head and sighed while touching his forehead.
“Ah shit, let’s talk about that later and get out of here first.”
At Baek Han’s words, Kwon Dojin looked at me, and I nodded vigorously in agreement. I was the one who disliked staying here the most.
* * *
After leaving the construction site, Kang Jinwoo said the matter seemed resolved so he’d be on his way and left with a swagger. Baek Han also left after thoroughly messing up my hair, so I came to Kwon Dojin’s house with just him.
After washing my tear-stained face and shaking off the remnants of emotions like anxiety, what remained was awkwardness. The fact that I burst into tears as soon as I saw Kwon Dojin increased the magnitude of my embarrassment.
So, unable to even make eye contact and just keeping my head down, I heard rustling sounds from beside me. Thinking he was moving, I glanced sideways furtively, but my eyes wavered as he stopped in front of me.
“Habin. Why can’t you look at me?”
Propping himself up on the sofa with both arms, he half-kneeled. He pressed his forehead against mine and smiled with the corners of his eyes curved.
“Because I’m embarrassed—”
“What’s there to be embarrassed about?”
“I don’t know.”
I pouted my lips and turned my head away from his voice full of amusement. Then he gently grasped my chin and turned it back. It was a very careful touch, as if handling easily breakable glass.
“Habin.”
“What?”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Reflexively, I looked down at my wrists, and Kwon Dojin’s gaze followed. As I had been bound by rope for a while, the red marks were still clearly visible and hadn’t faded.
Seeing this, Kwon Dojin frowned and clicked his tongue. The anger contained in that brief action was so palpable that I swallowed dryly.
“Anywhere else?”
He ran his thumb over my reddened skin. When I flinched reflexively as his hot body temperature touched the wound, he willingly withdrew his hand. Instead, he raised his head to meet my gaze and blinked as if urging an answer.
“Other than that, not really.”
“Really?”
Seemingly skeptical of my answer, Kwon Dojin slightly detached his body that had been pressed close. Then, with sharp eyes, he examined me thoroughly before sighing and sitting on the floor.
“This won’t happen again.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yes, really.”
I widened my eyes at his confident answer. While I’d certainly be happy if things like this didn’t happen, how could he be so sure? As if reading my question, he continued.
“Ji Haecheon won’t be in Korea.”
“What?”
Tilting my head thinking I might have misheard, Kwon Dojin playfully tilted his head the same way. When I frowned at that, he smiled faintly and corrected his posture.
“He’s going to study abroad, they say.”
“Study abroad? Suddenly?”
“I only heard it secondhand, so I don’t know the details. But since it’s certain he’s leaving, everything will be fine now.”
Listening to Kwon Dojin’s explanation, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. However, I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what that was, so I nodded reluctantly.
“So you can meet me with peace of mind now, right?”
Seemingly noticing that my mind was elsewhere, he rested his cheek on my thigh and looked up at me with a bright smile. Faced with that beauty that not only captured my gaze but mesmerized people, I nodded vigorously in a daze.
I truly think this every single day without fail, but his face is insane.
