CHAPTER 27
As Chung-Hee had promised, the doorbell rang precisely at eleven. Mr. Choi and Ji-Woo stood beside Noeul when Chung-Hee entered the studio.
“You’re not alone?” Chung-Hee’s voice was calm, almost detached, as his gaze moved between Ji-Woo and Noeul.
“Mr. Choi, you may leave now. I’ll take care of Noeul from here on. Ji-Woo, will you be staying with your brother tonight?” he asked, accepting a glass of water from Mr. Choi before the caretaker reluctantly left the apartment.
“I will,” Ji-Woo replied with a nod.
“I’m glad to hear that.” A faint smile crossed Chung-Hee’s face.
Ji-Woo’s expression tightened. Chung-Hee’s smile wasn’t reassuring. If anything, it looked calculating.
“Go to the convenience store and buy a bottle of soju. The most expensive one you can find.” Chung-Hee took a card from his wallet and handed it over. “Take something for yourself and your brother as well.”
Ji-Woo hesitated, glancing at Noeul. “I think it’s better if I stay here. There’s beer in the fridge if you want a drink. Next time we can buy soju together.”
Chung-Hee slowly turned toward Noeul. Their eyes met. Noeul understood immediately. If Ji-Woo refused to leave, Chung-Hee would take it out on him.
“It’s okay, Ji-Woo,” Noeul said quietly. “You should respect his wishes. Go.”
Ji-Woo opened his mouth as if to protest. Instead, he lowered his head, took the keys, and left.
***
By the time he reached the convenience store, he was out of breath. He bought only the bottle of soju before immediately running back.
Please let him be okay.
The thought echoed through his mind with every step.
A few minutes later, he unlocked the apartment door.
Silence.
His heart dropped.
Noeul was gone. So was Chung-Hee. Broken objects lay scattered across the floor. Noeul’s phone rested on the bed, his shoes still by the entrance.
“Hyung?”
No answer.
Ji-Woo rushed into the hallway and pounded on Rei’s apartment door.
Nothing.
“Think… Think, Ji-Woo… Where would he take him?”
With trembling hands, he dialed Duri.
“They’re gone!” he shouted the moment the call connected.
“What do you mean?” Duri asked immediately.
“Chung-Hee sent me to the store… I thought… I thought hyung would be safe. It only took five minutes. Now they’re gone! Duri… what do I do?”
A brief silence followed. “Call Noeul.”
“It’s useless. His phone’s here.”
“What about Chung-Hee’s phone?”
“I don’t have his number. Maybe father does. Or Mr. Choi. Or the bodyguards next door.” Ji-Woo paused before adding quietly, “I don’t know where Mr. Choi lives, and the neighbors aren’t here. Should I ask father?”
“Yes. But make up an excuse. I’m on my way.”
Duri ended the call, grabbed his keys, and hurried toward his car. He had stayed nearby on purpose. He had met men like Chung-Hee before—powerful, controlling men who believed wanting something gave them the right to possess it.
And Duri knew exactly what Chung-Hee wanted.
Noeul.
***
Across the city, Chung-Hee drove recklessly through traffic while Noeul gripped the seat beside him.
“You’ve lost your mind, hyung! You’re going to kill us!” Noeul shouted as another car blared its horn.
“So what?”
Chung-Hee didn’t raise his voice. He simply looked at Noeul. Noeul fell silent.
“Please…” Noeul whispered. “Stop. You’ll hurt yourself.”
“Your safety should concern you more than mine,” Chung-Hee replied. “Last night will have consequences.”
“What did I do, Chung-Hee hyung? I don’t understand.”
Without answering, Chung-Hee pulled the car onto the roadside and left the engine running. For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Chung-Hee leaned across the console. One hand pinned Noeul against the seat while the other rested beside his shoulder. He stayed there, saying nothing. Only breathing.
His eyes moved slowly across Noeul’s face. He reached up and brushed a strand of hair away before letting his fingertips trace gently along his cheek.
Noeul instinctively closed his eyes.
A small smile appeared on Chung-Hee’s lips.
Without warning, he grabbed Noeul by the hair and yanked his head backward.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know.” He pulled harder. “You know exactly why I’m angry.”
Noeul winced and sucked in a breath.
“Let me go… You’re hurting me.”
“Are you really that desperate to sleep with someone?”
His hand shifted from Noeul’s hair to his throat, his fingers tightening until air caught in Noeul’s lungs. Noeul began struggling for breath. Chung-Hee released him.
Noeul coughed violently, trying to catch his breath. “What are you saying? I spent the night with my brother and his best friend. Nothing happened. There aren’t any romantic feelings between Duri and me.”
The denial should have relieved Chung-Hee. It did not. The possibility remained: Noeul might recover, choose Duri, and build a life in which he no longer needed Chung-Hee. He recognized the feeling as fear, not justice. Anger returned his sense of control, so he held on to it.
“It matters,” Chung-Hee said quietly. His breathing had already steadied. “It matters the moment you start believing you deserve happiness.”
He pulled back onto the road.
“Let’s go.” A slow smile spread across his face. “I have a surprise for you.”
“Hyung, please… We didn’t…”
“Enough.”
The single word silenced him.
The rest of the journey passed without another word.
Several minutes later, the car finally stopped.
Noeul looked through the window, and the color drained from his face. His body began to shake.
“No…” he whispered, shrinking against the passenger door. “Why here?”
Tears filled Noeul’s eyes as he stared through the window.
“Please… anywhere else. Just not here.”
He pressed himself farther into the corner of the seat.
“Please, hyung.”