Precious Thing

“Stop it. Yeah, stop now.”Muttering to himself, he quickly left the villa complex.When Tae Woowon arrived at school, the driver was inside the car, clutching his phone and on the verge of tears. The scene must have been quite sad, as he didn’t notice Tae Woowon standing beside the door. Instead of awkwardly pretending not to notice and getting into the car, Tae Woowon turned and sat on a nearby bench.Though it was well into April, the mornings and evenings were still chilly. Tae Woowon shoved both hands into his pockets and looked up at the lit-up library building. After a while, he heard faint voices and footsteps. Since everything was quiet, the sounds became even louder as the library doors opened, and without trying, their conversation reached his ears.“Are you busy this weekend? Or are you too caught up with studying?”Surprised by the chilly weather, Kwon Heechan quickly zipped up his jacket as he asked. Lee Yesin sniffled and answered lightly.“Studying, I guess.”“Can I drop by for a bit?”“When?”“Sunday.”With a smile, Kwon Heechan bent down and whispered something into Lee Yesin’s ear, who had hesitated to answer. Lee Yesin, who had stopped in his tracks due to the whisper, rolled his eyes and nodded. Kwon Heechan gave him a couple of light pats on the waist, waved goodbye, and walked toward the dormitory. Lee Yesin, who had been staring at his feet, scratched his ear and walked toward the car. Just as he circled to open the back door, he suddenly turned around. Tae Woowon, who had been watching him the entire time, simply looked back without a word.“What are you doing there?”Lee Yesin asked as he approached Tae Woowon, removing his hand from the back door. Tae Woowon, who had hidden under a tree to avoid the streetlight, remained motionless, so Lee Yesin quietly sat down next to him.“I asked, what are you doing?”“Waiting for you.”“Well, I’m here.”Tae Woowon couldn’t help but chuckle at the cheeky, though accurate, response. Lee Yesin tilted his head as if he didn’t understand why Tae Woowon was laughing, then fished a cigarette out of his pocket.“This is a no-smoking area.”“Like I care.”With a flick, he lit his cigarette. It was hard to gauge Lee Yesin’s morality. Sometimes he seemed like a rebel causing trouble for others, while at other times, he was as obedient as a well-behaved child. Tae Woowon stopped weighing Lee Yesin on a mental scale and watched the blue smoke slowly drift by. Normally, he might have been tempted to join in, but this time, he didn’t feel like smoking. He figured he’d leave once Lee Yesin finished his cigarette. As these empty thoughts drifted through his mind, Lee Yesin, who had just tapped off some ash from his cigarette, glanced up at Tae Woowon.“How much do you get paid?”Tae Woowon, who had been staring straight ahead, tilted his head down to meet Lee Yesin’s eyes. It was a question he’d heard before, but the atmosphere was different from that day.“Why?”“…I’ll pay you double.”How was he supposed to interpret that? Unsure of the right response, Tae Woowon kept quiet. Lee Yesin, after briefly averting his eyes, turned away and took another drag of his cigarette. A stream of white smoke escaped through his reddish lips. After moistening the inside of his lips with a quick flick of his tongue, he spoke again.“If it’s a breach of contract, I’ll cover the penalty.”Tae Woowon turned his head and looked straight ahead. He started counting the floors of the library as he replied.“Don’t cross the line.”“……”The sudden comment made Lee Yesin frown and look back at Tae Woowon. Tae Woowon could feel Lee Yesin’s gaze on his cheek, but he didn’t stop counting the floors. Five floors. From the first floor to the fifth, top to bottom, bottom to top. He counted twice before continuing his interrupted sentence.“Don’t cross the line.”A gentle night breeze stirred the leaves, and the cigarette smoke from Lee Yesin’s hand drifted toward Tae Woowon’s face. Lee Yesin dropped the cigarette onto the ground and crushed the ember with his shoe. He stood up and turned his back to Tae Woowon. Slowly, step by step, he walked over to the car, opened the back door, and was about to climb in when he glanced back at Tae Woowon.“Get in the front.”Thud. The door closed. The line that Tae Woowon had drawn and that Lee Yesin had agreed upon was now clear. No further. As he murmured this to himself, Tae Woowon gave a small nod in the darkness.٠ ࣪⭑After that, Lee Yesin no longer knocked on Tae Woowon’s door. Even when he smoked in front of him, Tae Woowon didn’t scold him. Lee Yesin would come out and serve himself food without waiting for someone to call him for meals. Though he hadn’t been much of a talker before, now it was as if he’d lost his tongue altogether—he didn’t even open his mouth toward Tae Woowon. The first time his voice rang through the house again was late Sunday evening.“You’re here?”Lee Yesin stood with his arms crossed, looking down at Kwon Heechan, who was taking off his shoes at the entrance. Smiling, Kwon Heechan handed a bag of donuts to Lee Yesin and glanced around the house.“It’s always so spacious whenever I visit. Totally different from the dorm.”“Well, it’d be a problem if I paid so much and it turned out to be smaller than the dorm.”Lee Yesin smiled faintly and turned to walk ahead, and Kwon Heechan followed closely behind, grinning. Then he spotted Tae Woowon sitting on the living room sofa and bowed his head slightly.“Hello.”“Yeah.”Tae Woowon glanced at him and responded halfheartedly as he lit the cigarette hanging from his lips. Lee Yesin tugged on Kwon Heechan’s arm, whispering softly as if they were standing in front of a monster.The cigarette smoke wafted through the air. Without warning, a small, derisive laugh escaped Tae Woowon. He brushed the lingering smoke aside with his hand and lowered his gaze back to the tablet in front of him. The tablet screen displayed detailed information about Lee Yesin’s personal assets.The day the line was drawn between Tae Woowon and Lee Yesin, Tae Woowon had called Kim Yeonseong to request information on Lee Yesin’s financial movements. He wanted to find out if there was a possibility that Lee Yesin had a secret location outside. Kim Yeonseong, who was both a fence and an informant, had readily agreed and even offered a special discount. Though it was a service Tae Woowon didn’t want, it felt awkward to insist on paying more when someone was offering to take less, so he told him to do as he pleased. Kim Yeonseong then suggested meeting in person to hand over the information, as part of the conditions for the discount.Though it felt like being forced to accept something and then pay for it, there were many gaps in Lee Yesin’s routine, which had been running like a hamster wheel, so it wasn’t difficult to make time. He agreed, and they met at a hotel, where they sat with a drink each, and Kim Yeonseong handed over a USB.“I figured as much.”As Tae Woowon put the USB away, Kim Yeonseong smirked slightly, his eyes downcast. When Tae Woowon asked what he meant, Kim Yeonseong looked up, flashing a sly smile as he spoke.“I was wondering if maybe you and Lee Yesin might have gotten together.”Tae Woowon just stared at him in silence, prompting Kim Yeonseong to laugh softly.“I know you’re not into guys, but he’s not just anyone, right? Even guys who’ve never had an interest suddenly get hard just looking at him.”Kim Yeonseong deliberately used provocative language, criticizing how slowly Tae Woowon was handling things. Even if it wasn’t exactly his place to judge, Tae Woowon saw no reason to listen to such vulgar nonsense. Without a word, he reached across the table, grabbing Kim Yeonseong by the back of the head and slamming his face into the table with a resounding crash. Kim Yeonseong, his head hitting the table hard, blinked rapidly and swallowed dryly as Tae Woowon’s gaze bore into the side of his face.“If you want it so bad, beg me for it. At least then I’d have an excuse to rip you apart.”“…”“Say something like that again in front of me, and it won’t just end with a threat.”“…”“Answer me.”“…Yes.”Hearing the small reply, Tae Woowon let go of his hair and left the hotel without looking back. He hated dealing with people like that. If you’re going to talk big, at least back it up. But no, the moment a hand was raised, they’d cower and grovel. It was a mistake naive kids often made, and it always infuriated Tae Woowon—except for once.“Shit,” he cursed quietly to himself, turning off the tablet he hadn’t been paying attention to. He went to the cabinet next to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of alcohol. It belonged to Lee Yesin, but he didn’t care. Filling an on-the-rocks glass with ice, he poured in the alcohol until it overflowed. As he carried the glass and bottle towards his room, he heard laughter coming from behind Lee Yesin’s door. He wanted to throw the glass. Suppressing the urge, he entered his room instead.After finishing off the bottle, Tae Woowon stared blankly at the tablet before eventually grabbing his empty glass and heading back out. On his way to the kitchen, he noticed Lee Yesin’s door was slightly ajar. The room was dark, lit only by the flashing colors of the TV. Then, the sound of a camera shutter clicked. Tae Woowon, who had planned to pass by, stopped in his tracks and pushed the door open with the hand holding his glass.Lee Yesin was asleep, leaning on Kwon Heechan’s chest. Kwon Heechan’s arm rested on his shoulder, moving rhythmically as he scrolled through his phone. It was 10 PM, early for someone like Lee Yesin, who often struggled with insomnia. Tae Woowon leaned against the doorframe, watching Kwon Heechan for a long moment. Eventually, Kwon Heechan realized he wasn’t alone and looked up.“Shh.”Kwon Heechan raised a finger to his lips, then stretched his mouth into a smile. When it became clear Tae Woowon wasn’t planning to leave, Kwon Heechan sighed loudly, stood up, gently laid Lee Yesin on the sofa, and packed his bag as if nothing had happened.“Is there something you want to say?” Kwon Heechan asked, his firm tone irking Tae Woowon. The fact that he didn’t even lower his voice despite Lee Yesin being asleep also grated on him. Tae Woowon nodded towards the door, signaling Kwon Heechan to step outside. After closing the door quietly, Kwon Heechan chuckled.“I was just messing around earlier. Even if we made a little noise, he wouldn’t wake up. He’s on medication.”He smirked, hinting at where the meds had come from. Tae Woowon silently looked at Kwon Heechan standing too close for comfort. Kwon Heechan grinned and stepped back, bowing politely.“Goodbye.”“Did he ask for the meds?”Tae Woowon called out to his back. Kwon Heechan adjusted his bag strap and turned around.“No. I just figured he was running low, so I brought some. Didn’t think he’d actually run out.”He hadn’t. Tae Woowon still had half of Lee Yesin’s pills, but since the day they drew their line, Lee Yesin hadn’t asked for them or even approached Tae Woowon.“Are you a doctor?”“Of course not. My brother works in the field. It’s not hard to grab a few extras.”Kwon Heechan added with a soft smile. Tae Woowon slowly ran his hand through his hair.“You know that’s prescription-only medication, right?”“I do.”The fluorescent light from the hallway glinted off Kwon Heechan’s sleek eyes. Tae Woowon remained silent, and Kwon Heechan smiled warmly once more, emphasizing his words.“I know. Trust me.”Tae Woowon thought back on the relationship between Kwon Heechan and Lee Yesin. They were nothing more than ordinary friends—schoolmates who studied and drank together. So why did he feel so disgusted?“Does Lee Yesin know?”“I’m not sure. Why are you asking?”His confident question made Tae Woowon scoff. He was glad his job wasn’t that of a housekeeper or chauffeur.“Because you’re giving Lee Yesin dangerous drugs, and I’m responsible for his protection.”“No, wait. Didn’t you say you were just a monitor last time?”“Stay on topic. I don’t like dragging conversations out.”Kwon Heechan raised his eyebrows playfully, then turned and walked towards the front door. Tae Woowon placed his glass on a nearby shelf and grabbed Kwon Heechan’s arm, stopping him. Kwon Heechan spun around, his expression now neutral as he looked up at Tae Woowon.“Don’t come between us. I’m all Yesin has.”“What are you talking about?”“I’m saying don’t meddle in things you don’t understand.”Kwon Heechan, with a gleam in his eyes, spoke firmly as he gently removed Tae Woowon’s hand from his arm. After adjusting his clothes, he bowed politely once again.“Take care.”He walked to the entrance, where he tapped his shoes into place before stepping outside. Tae Woowon remained frozen until the sensor lights at the entrance turned off.It felt like he was staring at a white sheet of paper filled with countless black scribbles. The chaotic, unstructured writing made it impossible to distinguish what was important and what wasn’t, or even to make sense of what was written. He felt an urge to pour black ink over it, not to erase it and start fresh, but simply to drown it in darkness, darker than the night itself.A sharp pain throbbed in his head. Grimacing, he entered Lee Yesin’s room. He was still asleep, just as Kwon Heechan had left him. Tae Woowon wondered what it felt like to sleep so deeply, especially when the sleep was induced unnaturally. He gazed down at Lee Yesin’s peaceful face, then carefully slid his arms beneath his back and knees, lifting him up. His body, unable to support itself like a child’s, was easy to carry. Tae Woowon gently laid him on the bed, then sat beside him, quietly observing.Pursuing useless curiosity is one of the greatest wastes of time. Even if you dig deep, you usually only answer minor questions, and more often than not, you conclude that it would have been better to stay ignorant. If you’re lucky, that’s where it ends. But if you’re not, you find yourself stuck in a mire of unanswered questions.The more you learn, the more you realize how much you don’t know, and the more you search for elusive answers. Eventually, you hit your limits, forced to give up, only to feel a bittersweet relief from surrender. Then comes the longing—a regret that you ever started—and you soon find yourself trapped in memories that waste your days. Yet, you rise again, searching once more for answers. Tae Woowon had experienced this before. His mind was now screaming at him to look away. Lee Yesin had become the second useless curiosity he had encountered.“Lee Yesin.”He whispered the name of the man sleeping so deeply, without making a sound. He brushed a lock of hair from Lee Yesin’s face, his thumb gently grazing his round forehead. Then he leaned in close, his lips hovering by his ear.“Who are you, really?”Lee Yesin breathed steadily in his sleep, while Tae Woowon pressed his head beside him, silently repeating the same question. Who are you, Lee Yesin?٠ ࣪⭑Even after 1 a.m., the city lights continued to blaze. Tae Woowon walked through the bright streets, glancing occasionally at his phone. The dot marking Lee Yesin’s location hadn’t moved from the house. The sleeping pills must have worked well; even by the time Tae Woowon left, Lee Yesin hadn’t stirred.“Hyung!”A familiar voice called out, and Tae Woowon looked up. A young man in his late twenties, Rogi, was enthusiastically waving in front of a bar. Rogi was a craftsman, skilled at making replicas—especially of paintings. His girlfriend, a master at duplicating accessories, had once made a fake yellow diamond necklace for Tae Woowon before he entered the security business. But it was Rogi who had actually shown up for the job.“Where’s your goldfish tail?”“Hyung, you can’t call someone’s girlfriend a goldfish tail. That’s just rude.”Rogi grinned, wrinkling his nose as he spat playfully at the ground. Despite the words exchanged, there was no hostility; Rogi, his girlfriend, and Tae Woowon were close. In their world, surviving on skills alone wasn’t enough. They needed connections—people who could supply materials and information. For Tae Woowon, people like Kim Yeonseong, Baek Hyeyun, Rogi, and his girlfriend were vital.“Did you book a room?”“Yeah, at that motel over there.”“Two guys in a motel? You should’ve just brought your goldfish tail.”“No way. I’d rather come myself than drag my sweetheart to a place like this.”Despite being together for over five years, Rogi and his girlfriend still had the fresh energy of newlyweds. Watching them, Tae Woowon couldn’t help but smile as he lit a cigarette. Rogi, ever helpful, quickly pulled out a lighter and flicked it on.“Where’s your car, hyung?”“I took a taxi.”“Why?”“I had a drink.”Rogi seemed pleased with the answer, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets as he laughed. “Let’s get going,” he said, leading the way. Tae Woowon exhaled smoke and followed him.The motel Rogi had picked was the kind people jokingly referred to as a “hookup” spot. It featured a red circular bed, a huge mirror, and a transparent bathroom—all designed to encourage a wild night.“Was there really no other room?”“This area’s always packed, weekdays or weekends. I barely got this one. And ta-da!”Rogi proudly pulled two small packs of soju from his jacket pockets. Tae Woowon chuckled and took one, about to open it when Rogi stopped him with a playful scold and produced a straw from his jeans. Despite feeling a bit grossed out by the unsanitary straw, Tae Woowon stuck it into the pack and took a long sip.“These days, this is the highlight of my life. Goldie’s been so busy with work, she doesn’t have time for me.”Rogi sighed as he sat beside Tae Woowon, finishing half his soju in one go. Goldie, his girlfriend, seemed to be busier than ever, which explained why Rogi had come out on his own tonight.“She’s doing well, huh?”“Of course. You know how good she is. And speaking of which, here.”Rogi pulled a small velvet pouch from his jacket’s inner pocket and handed it to Tae Woowon, who emptied its contents onto the bed. Out came a perfect replica of a Sandrite necklace.“There weren’t many reference photos, so it took a while to match the color. What do you think? Looks legit?”“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never seen the real one.”“Huh? Really? It’s been over a month since you asked for this. You haven’t made any progress?”Rogi’s casual question scratched at Tae Woowon’s nerves. Without answering, he held the pale sandy-colored gem under the dim motel light, inspecting it from different angles.“It must be a tough job. I heard Woomul gave you the info for this one.”“Your mouth runs too freely.”Too many people seemed to know about this job, and it was annoying. Even though Rogi, having made the necklace, was bound to know what it was for, Tae Woowon still found it unsettling.He crumpled the empty soju pack roughly after making a remark that was hard to tell if it was a compliment or an insult. Tae Woowon put the necklace back into the velvet pouch and sipped on the remaining soju.“I didn’t know that guy [the Well] was that nice.”“If they pay well and do their job right, they’re nice.”It was a response typical of someone who had been around in this line of work for a while.“So why don’t you give him a chance? Or, you know, just sleep with him once.”“I’d need to be turned on for that to happen.”“Wow, is that what it is?”Rogi chuckled like a teenager who had just heard some juicy gossip, lying down on the bed. He patted the space next to him, urging Tae Woowon to lie down too.“Tell me more. I love this kind of talk. So, does it not work for you with men?”Tae Woowon, who was lying on his back and sucking on the nearly empty soju pack, tossed it aside. On a normal day, he would have told him to mind his own business, but maybe it was the alcohol or the ease of returning to his line of work that made him open up.“Not really. I’ve slept with a guy before, but it wasn’t great.”“Then what is it? You just don’t find the Well attractive?”“No sane person would get aroused in front of a guy as grounded as the Well.”“Oh, come on, man.”Rogi burst into mock indignation as soon as Tae Woowon finished speaking, but Tae Woowon just chuckled. He was in too good of a mood to be bothered by the childish jokes.“It’s not going to happen. Business works best between us.”“Oh, sure, now you’re drawing clear lines between business and pleasure. Then you shouldn’t have been so nice to him.”Rogi’s teasing tone didn’t bother Tae Woowon. Actually, he missed the timing to reply. A clear face unexpectedly floated into his mind, making his response come a beat late.“I wasn’t nice to him.”“That’s the cruelest thing, you know? You’re always like that. You’re either ice cold or burning hot, and once people get a taste of that heat, they can’t let you go.”Tae Woowon turned his head to look at Rogi, who was lying face down. He reached out and smacked the back of his head.“Ow! That hurt!”“So what?”Tae Woowon said indifferently as he sat up. Rogi rubbed the back of his head vigorously, still lying down. Then he quickly turned around and yelled.“You hit me because you feel guilty! Admit it! You were nice to the Well. I saw it with my own eyes more than once!”“I keep business and personal matters separate.”“What? So all that was just business?”Tae Woowon nodded as he took a cigarette from his inside pocket. He lit it with a lighter rolling around on the bedside table and took a deep drag. They say that the first puff of a freshly lit cigarette is the worst for your health. Is that a rumor or a fact?“So you just played with the Well?”“No way. I was a little kinder while being tough on him. It’s always better when both sides feel good.”There was no reason to play with Kim Yeonseong [the Well]. Tae Woowon had no interest in him whatsoever. In fact, there were times when he had to hold back his frustration because Yeonseong was so irritating. But as Rogi said, Yeonseong was good at his job, and he never ripped off Tae Woowon’s money. He didn’t want to break ties over something trivial, so he was just nice enough.“I can’t tell if you’re a good person or a bad one.”“It’s like a school trip guide.”At Tae Woowon’s sudden comment, Rogi sprang up and sat next to him, snatching the cigarette from his hand and putting it in his own mouth.“What does that mean?”Blowing out a long stream of smoke, Rogi rummaged through his pocket for another cigarette and handed it to Tae Woowon. He felt like a thug getting a new home after giving up his old one. Well, maybe it’s a little different since that guy at least asked for it first.“It depends on what you do. You could be a good person or a bad…”“What the hell!”Before Tae Woowon could finish, Rogi playfully pushed him. Tae Woowon chuckled and lit the new cigarette.“You’ll get in trouble acting like that.”Click, click. The lighter that had worked fine earlier was now faltering. Tae Woowon shook it a few times and tried again. Click, click.“Give it here. I’ll do it—”Crash! Tae Woowon threw the lighter he was holding. He even threw the cigarette in his mouth onto the floor. He slowly ran his hand through his hair. Everything was so quiet that he could hear the rustle of his hair as it shifted. Then, faint moans from the next room crept in through the thin walls. Ah, ah! More! Yes!“I’m already on the verge of getting hurt.”“…What?”Tae Woowon ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek and smirked.“If I’m not careful, I’ll get seriously hurt. A big injury.”As he spoke, Lee Yesin’s innocent face floated around in his head again. The moans from the next room were just a bonus.٠ ࣪⭑Lee Yesin didn’t have much personal wealth. Of course, compared to the average for his age, it was quite a lot, but it was below Tae Woowon’s expectations. However, it wasn’t always this little.Lee Yesin lost at least half of his assets when he was nineteen. It’s unclear what he spent the money on, but he withdrew most of his cash and sold several of his stocks. Yet despite spending a significant amount of money, nothing substantial seemed to come of it. Did he get into gambling or drugs? Tae Woowon thought of the kind of money games people with large sums would get involved in, but it didn’t quite match with the Lee Yesin he knew. He might have been suspicious had this happened before Lee Yesin moved into the house.In any case, Lee Yesin wasn’t spending money on maintaining any secret locations or securing them. In terms of real estate, he owned a few properties, but they were all buildings with tenants, and while he had a villa, there was no sign of him visiting it regularly. The only other possibility was a bank vault. However, at the beginning of last month, Lee Yesin wore that necklace to a club. And two months ago, he posted a photo on social media wearing the same necklace. It didn’t make sense that he would keep something he used once a month in a bank vault. That left only one irritating possibility: it had to be in his house.Tae Woowon had been searching every corner of the house whenever he had the time, but he was still getting nowhere. The Sandrite necklace wasn’t in the display case in Lee Yesin’s dressing room, and there was no sign of a jewelry-specific safe either. According to people close to Lee Yesin, he had a tendency to show off. His clothes and bags were all luxury items, and even his loungewear at home was expensive. But compared to his clothes, the jewelry and watches in his display case were relatively cheap. There weren’t even that many pieces, which didn’t fit with someone who had a habit of showing off. Besides, while he consistently wore a watch, he rarely wore other accessories—except for the piercing in his left ear.In other words, if Lee Yesin truly had a desire to show off or valued expensive jewelry, it meant he had a special jewelry safe. If not, there was the possibility that the necklace had ended up in someone else’s hands, which would complicate things. The latter scenario was much more difficult to deal with, as it would mean starting from scratch to figure out who had the necklace. Fortunately, or perhaps not, Lee Yesin helped resolve that concern to some extent.“…What are you staring at?”Tae Woowon had never seen the bracelet on Lee Yesin’s wrist before. He mentally recalled all the accessories he remembered Lee Yesin owning, but this one was new. It was a flat silver ring shape with a purple gem embedded in it. Even to Tae Woowon, who had a discerning eye due to his profession, the bracelet looked very expensive.“It’s pretty.”Tae Woowon stood up from the sofa in the living room. His blatant stare made Lee Yesin stop in his tracks. As he approached the frowning Lee Yesin, Tae Woowon stubbed out the half-burnt cigarette into a carelessly placed ashtray on the shelf and grabbed Lee Yesin’s arm.“Where did you get this?”“…Why?”“To buy one for my girlfriend.”“…”While Lee Yesin was speechless, Tae Woowon felt both relieved and annoyed. The appearance of this expensive bracelet significantly increased the likelihood that the Sandrite necklace was still somewhere in this house. Thanks to that, he didn’t have to worry about private assets, external treasure vaults, or any other concerns—it cleared his mind. But at the same time, it irritated him that he hadn’t yet found the jewelry safe containing the Sandrite necklace. The safe he found in the study was clearly not for jewelry. He had checked it just in case, but it had yielded nothing, and it was too late to regret wasting time. He just needed to make the most of the time he had left.“Hey.”The jewelry safe must have been in Lee Yesin’s room. Last night, around 1 a.m., Lee Yesin turned off the lights in his room. When Tae Woowon checked his room around 2 a.m. to confirm, he was deeply asleep with sleeping pills by his side. Since then, this was the first time he had left the room. He couldn’t have visited another place during the night, and the bracelet couldn’t have appeared out of nowhere, so the safe had to be in the room.“Hey, Ji Geonwoo.”Tae Woowon lifted his head, taking his gaze off the bracelet. Lee Yesin was looking up at him with a somber expression. Tae Woowon, lost in thought, hadn’t realized Lee Yesin was calling him. And once he did, the name that slipped out of Lee Yesin’s lips rendered him speechless.“Let go.”“Where did you get it?”Tae Woowon asked the question again, though he wasn’t really curious. Annoyed, Lee Yesin, who had tensed up, furrowed his brow and tried to shake off Tae Woowon’s grip. But Tae Woowon didn’t let go of his wrist.“I don’t know! Just let go!”Pushing Tae Woowon’s shoulder with his free hand, Lee Yesin finally broke free of his grip. He rubbed his slightly reddened wrist, then quickly turned around. Tae Woowon followed him at a leisurely pace as he rushed to put on his shoes at the entrance. After hurriedly shoving his feet into his shoes and opening the door, Tae Woowon slammed it shut behind him.Lee Yesin, trapped between the door and Tae Woowon, blinked a few times. His Adam’s apple moved silently. Tae Woowon tilted his head slightly and quietly observed the side of Lee Yesin’s face before speaking.“Lee Yesin.”“…”“Did you sleep well?”The grip on the door handle tightened visibly. Why did he feel the urge to follow him every time Lee Yesin turned his back?“I’m asking you.”“…The line.”“…”“Don’t cross it.”Lee Yesin pushed Tae Woowon’s arm off the door. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and left. Alone now, Tae Woowon caught the door before it could fully close and watched Lee Yesin’s retreating figure as he walked toward the car. How many weeks were left? He slowly began to move, counting the days he still had left with him.٠ ࣪⭑Grrr—The sound of a stomach growling broke the silence, drawing Tae Woowon’s attention away from his phone. He turned toward the source of the sound. The driver looked embarrassed, glancing nervously at Tae Woowon. He hadn’t eaten lunch, saying he felt unwell, and now he was clearly hungry.“I’m going out for a smoke; do you want me to bring something back?”“Oh… That would be appreciated.”The driver sheepishly took out his wallet and handed some cash to Tae Woowon. Even though Lee Yesin had never stormed out during class, the driver had to stay near the car just in case. After asking what the driver wanted, Tae Woowon stepped out of the car. He entered the building and took the elevator. The smoking area was on the rooftop. The elevator quietly ascended to the top, the 5th floor, and when the doors opened, a sudden scream and frantic shouting erupted.“Ahhh!”“Oh my God! Hurry, call someone!”“Should we call the police? No, I’ll call 119! I’m calling 119!”With a sinking feeling, Tae Woowon dashed out of the elevator and rushed toward the chaotic scene. Pushing his way through the gathering crowd of students, he made his way to the center.“Are you insane? No matter what, doing this to a person…”“What a total psycho, seriously?”