*In Bumzu's main office (His house)
"FUCKING HELL!!!" Don Bumzu shouted furiously at his four men, who were now kneeling before him.
"YOU FUCKING IDIOTS! YOU COULDN'T EVEN CAPTURE ONE KID!" he yelled at his men again.
"WHAT? AREN'T YOU GOING TO EXPLAIN YOURSELVES? HOW THE HELL DID YOU LET A LITTLE KID ESCAPE?" Don Bumzu shouted angrily.
"Boss, someone interfered with us. He was so quick that he managed to escape from us," one of his men replied.
"What? You let him escape?" Bumzu suddenly stood up from his seat and began kicking the man who had answered him. Still not satisfied, he grabbed his baseball bat and proceeded to beat the other three men with it.
"There were four of you, and you still let him get away? You fucking idiots!" he shouted, continuing to beat his four men.
"Who was it? Did you recognize the bastard who interfered with you?" he demanded.
The four men were too afraid to answer, knowing that whatever they said would most likely anger the Don even more.
"ANSWER ME!" he shouted.
The four men shook their heads at the same time. Just as expected, Don Bumzu did not like their answer.
"You didn't even see what the person looked like?" he asked again.
Once again, the men nodded.
Running out of patience, the Don threw the baseball bat he was holding aside and turned toward his secretary, DK
"Feed these idiots to the crocodiles. Now!" he ordered, pointing at the four men. "Useless pieces of shit!"
DK immediately followed his order and called for several other men waiting outside the office. He covered his ears, refusing to listen to the four men's desperate cries and pleas for mercy as they were dragged away by the others.
He couldn't bring himself to look at them because deep down, he knew that he was the one who had recruited them for the job of kidnapping Seungcheol's son.
"DK! What kind of men do we have? Why are they so fucking stupid? You were the one I assigned to that mission, so why are your men like this?"
Even though he had already run out of patience, he chose to speak to his secretary calmly. DK was the only person in the entire organization whom he truly trusted.
"I didn't expect this outcome either, Don. We carefully planned everything, so I honestly didn't expect a problem like this to happen," DK replied calmly.
The Don simply looked at him before sitting back down in his swivel chair. He fell silent for a moment.
The Don trusted DK completely, so he didn't hesitate to believe what he was saying. This was also the first time DK had ever failed one of the missions he had been assigned. Although the Don hadn't expected him to fail, he decided not to question or reprimand him for what had happened—for now.
He knew exactly how his secretary worked. He had practically raised DK himself, which was why he trusted him more than his own Child. In fact, DK was the one he planned to have succeed him when he eventually decided to retire.
"Have the van burned. If the enemy manages to track it, it could cause us serious problems. Make sure there's no trace of that van left behind," he ordered his secretary.
DK simply nodded in response before leaving the office.
"Father and son, just as expected. Even your son is as slippery as an eel," he muttered to himself.
It wasn't long before DK returned to his boss's office.
"Any update on the shipment?" the Don asked DK.
"Boss, it has already arrived on Jeju Island, and it has also been transferred to our base in Jeju," DK replied, showing the Don the exact location of the cargo ship.
The Don was pleased with his answer. With a smile on his face, he gave DK a pat on the back.
"Good. The cargo should have already reached my compadre Na by now," he reminded him. DK simply nodded in response.
Anonymous POV
After the meeting, I went outside to get some fresh air and clear my head. I needed a moment to breathe, too. The longer I stayed in this job, the heavier my heart felt because of what I was doing.
I went back to the villa, to the small space I had for myself inside this enormous place. As soon as I entered, I went straight to my room and sat there, staring blankly into space for several minutes.
I figured my boss probably wouldn't call for me just yet. I made sure to lock the front door of my little house here in the villa. It was somewhat like a condominium, except that it wasn't built in multiple floors. There were several villas around the property.
The higher your position, the more likely you were to have your own house. It was a private space where we could have some peace and breathe, at least for a little while, despite the kind of work we did.
One of the rules for each villa was that no one was allowed to enter or interfere with another person's personal space without the occupant's permission. I wasn't worried about anyone entering my house without permission either, since my place had tight security.
I made it that way on purpose, so if anyone ever tried to steal from me or betray me, they wouldn't succeed so easily. Heh! Too bad for them. Let's just say I hold a high position, so my belongings and personal space aren't something just anyone can mess with.
_____________________________________
*message*
location : *************
*message sent*
Ting!
"받은(Recieved)"
______________________________________
I tossed my extra phone onto the bed and stared blankly into space again for a few minutes. I was sleepy, but with the nature of my job, I couldn't afford to let my guard down. One wrong move, and death might come knocking.
I glanced at the side table beside me. There was a picture of my younger sibling sitting there. thats the only picture of him I had, so I was extremely protective of it.
'I'll find you soon!'
*In Cheol's main office (his house)
Cheol stood in front of the window of his office, looking out at Dino as he played in their spacious backyard. He enjoyed watching his son have fun and simply be himself.
It reminded him of something his father had once told him when he was a child: "A kid should enjoy being a kid."
And now, he was doing the same for his own son.
Although Cheol struggled to make up for the things missing from Dino's life—things he knew he could never fully replace—he chose to make up for them by being the best father he could be. At the very least, he wanted to make sure that Dino never felt like something was missing from his life.
*knock
"Come in," he said, still watching his son.
"Boss, I brought Wonu with me," Gyu said.
"Boss, this is Wonu, at your service," Wonu said with a salute.
He turned to look at the two of them and said, "I've noticed something. Is this your new thing now? Calling me 'Boss' while saluting and everything?" he said with a laugh.
He had noticed that they had been doing that to him for the past few days.
"No, Boss. We really are just showing you respect," Wonu said, standing perfectly straight and still saluting, putting extra emphasis on the word Boss.
He couldn't help but laugh. "Respect? You idiots! Hahahaha. Cut it out already. You guys are such a pain in the ass."
The three of them laughed together before finally taking their seats.
He remembered how these two had always loved messing with people, even when they were still kids. Just recently, Hoshi had been their latest victim. They had invited him out for drinks, and this little Tiger never mentioned that he had such a low alcohol tolerance. So, of course, he ended up getting completely wasted, and soon enough, meme-worthy pictures of him were spreading all over the mansion.
It's surprising that we can still be like this despite how dark the work we do is. I guess there's always a part of a person that never grows up, no matter what or who you become. No matter what kind of person you are, there will always be a little part of you that remains a child at heart.
A brief silence followed, and they all became serious. That was what he liked most about them. When it was time to joke around, they knew how to have fun. But when it came to work, they immediately became serious.
"Wonu, track down the plate number of the vehicle that attempted to kidnap my son," Cheol said, placing a picture of the vehicle on the table.
Wonu immediately picked it up.
"I'm expecting to hear some good news from you soon," he added.
"Of course. I'll hurry up with the search," Wonu assured Cheol.
"Cheol, what are you planning to do once you find out who was behind the attempt to kidnap Dino?" Gyu asked.
"Yeah, Cheol. What's your plan?" Wonu added.
I thought about their question for a moment. What would be the best thing to do to the idiot who tried to kidnap my son?
"Just be ready. Revenge will be grander this time." Evil laugh.
The two of them simply looked at me and nodded. Knowing them, they would do whatever I asked them to do anyway. Once I found out who was behind it, that person was really going to regret it. You can mess with anything you want, but don't you dare touch my son.
I stood up again and returned to where I had been standing before the two of them came in. Dino was still there, and I could still see him playing with some of the household staff.
It was a good thing that even at such a young age, you could already see how intelligent Dino was. He had clearly inherited it, so I wasn't surprised.
I'm often busy, but whenever I get the chance, I give all the time I have to my son. The problem is, I'm more often unable to spend time with him, but he understands. That's what he told me once when we were able to spend some quality time together.
"Hyung, no offense, okay? Has your little one ever asked you about his mother?" Gyu asked me while watching Dino, just like I was.
I thought about it for a moment, trying to remember if there had ever been a time when my son had asked me something like that.
"Never. And if possible, I hope he never does. Because if that happens, I honestly wouldn't know what to say to him," I told him at length.
It was true. This was one of the things my son was missing—something I could never fill no matter how hard I tried. He had everything he needed. He had me, his uncles who acted like older brothers to him, and his grandparents. But he didn't have a Mommy who could take care of him and give him the kind of love only a mother could.
"Then just find someone who can be his mommy," Wonu casually suggested.
Gyu and I both turned to look at him, staring at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head.
What the hell kind of suggestion was that? As if a mother could just be picked up off the side of the road.
"Boy! What do you think, that it's that easy to find someone? The last time he found someone, she only took him for two million," Gyu said nonstop.
This time, I turned to look at Gyu. Seriously? Did he really have to bring that up?
"One, two, thr—"
Before I could even finish counting, the two of them immediately took off running out of my office. Those damn idiots.
I could only shake my head at their antics. Honestly, the two of them were such a weird combination. They didn't seem like they should work well together at all, but somehow, they did.
I turned my attention back to my son, who was now being comforted by some of the household staff.
"I only looked away for a second… damn it!"
I decided to have Dino brought up to my office instead. He hadn't even been outside for that long, and the little troublemaker already had another scrape.
"Dada, look! I have wounds again!" he immediately complained as soon as he entered my office.
He came running toward me in tears, rubbing his eyes as he tried to wipe them away.
"Wait, son! No, don't rub your eyes. Your hands are dirty," I stopped him, showing him his hands.
This kid was really something. He was definitely going to end up like Hoshi's little brother. Or maybe I should start limiting how much time he spends around that Tiger. Dino already loves him so much. Hays…
I picked him up and sat him on my desk. I grabbed some baby wipes and the first-aid kit to clean and treat the wound on his knee.
My son simply watched me as I tended to his injury. That was one thing I knew he had gotten from me.
My Dad once told me that I had always been fond of watching and observing the people around me. That was how I learned and eventually became good at it. And now, I can see the same thing in Dino.
'Keep it up, son.'
_____________________________________________________________________
Hannie's POV
I woke up to the sound of keys jingling. But I remained still, keeping my eyes closed. I had already lost count of how many hours I'd been here. Ever since I got home from the errand Mom had sent me to do, I came straight here.
"Hyung!" Kwannie called out to me softly.
One by one, he removed the handcuffs from both my wrists and ankles before helping me sit up properly.
I noticed that he was crying as he unlocked the cuffs.
"Kwannie," I called out softly.
He immediately looked at me, and I could clearly see the worry in his eyes.
'Please don't look at me like that,' I said to myself, but I couldn't bring myself to say it out loud.
"Hyung, where does it hurt? Tell me! I brought some food. Eat something so you can regain your strength."
I just watched him as he frantically tried to figure out what he should do first.
Damn it. Why couldn't I stop myself from getting involved in that kidnapping that day? If I had, I wouldn't be here in this basement right now. This was my punishment.
When I got home from that building, I found Mom already waiting for me in her office, waiting for me to come back.
Flashback
"Damn it, did you really have to start rebelling now?" she said mockingly.
When I stepped out of the elevator, it wasn't the taxi that came to pick me up. It was Mom's personal driver.
I thought they had somewhere to go. I'm so fucking dead.
I looked around, and there she was—the devil in human form. And that smug grin on her face? It made me want to wipe it right off.
"What is it, Jeonghan? Didn't I clearly tell you that your only job was to deliver the envelope to that office and nothing else? Didn't I?" she asked me one question after another.
All I could do was nod. To be honest, I was scared of what might happen to me now. The last time I was punished, I deeply regretted what I had done. That was why I was afraid of the punishment I was about to face.
"I'm sure you know that what you did comes with a punishment, you damn brat?"
"Yes, Mom."
My whole body was trembling with fear. God, I didn't even know how I was going to face this now. The last time, I had almost wished I were dead. What about this time?
"Consider yourself lucky that I have an important client today. I'll let this one slide, Hannie, but if you ever do this again, this won't be the only punishment you'll receive. Do you understand? Surely you haven't forgotten what happened the last time you were punished, have you? Do you want me to do it again?"
I immediately shook my head at her last question. No, please, anything but that! I didn't know what else to do. The whole time, all I could give Mom in response were quiet "yeses," nods, and shakes of my head.
I secretly glanced at my three siblings. They all looked downcast over what was happening to me, but there was nothing they could do either. I simply gave them a small smile, reassuring them that I was okay.
I knew they were worried about me.
"Take him to the basement. Handcuff him and don't give him any food for the entire night and all day tomorrow," she ordered.
Her men immediately followed her orders. As soon as we reached the basement, they handcuffed both my wrists and ankles.
Just imagine it—I looked like a starfish, tied up and standing there.
End of Flashback
"Hyung," Kwannie called me again.
I realized I had been staring blankly for a few minutes. I hadn't even noticed how completely drained my body was. I was exhausted. I hadn't eaten anything since I left yesterday, and I hadn't even had a drop of water.
"Hyung, what's wrong with you? You're making me nervous just staring off like that," Kwannie said, sounding worried but slightly annoyed.
I gave him a small laugh. My body was just completely worn out.
"Sorry for making the three of you worry."
He simply stared at me after I said that.
"Worry? Hyung, you're going to give us a heart attack!" he said, trying to hold back his irritation.
Kwannie could be pretty naggy, to be honest. Even in the short time we'd been around him, I had already noticed that about him. I just chuckled softly at him, which only made him even more annoyed with me.
"Hyung, this isn't funny. Don't laugh. Look, both of your wrists are already swollen," he said, pointing at my wrists as tears welled up in his eyes.
I gently caressed his cheek, wiping away the tears that had gathered there.
"I'm okay. I chose to do this," I said softly, looking at him. "By the way, how long am I going to stay here? Did Mom say anything?"
"Until tomorrow. Mom also had me bring you some food and water. I'm not going to tie you up again because she said her client will be arriving tomorrow night," he explained at length.
I immediately took the food he had brought me. I was already starving. What else could you expect after going without food for a day and a half?
"Slow down, Hyung. You might have trouble digesting it," he reminded me.
I listened to him and slowed down.
"Hyung, why didn't you follow Mom's orders?" he asked curiously.
I thought about his question for a moment. Honestly, I didn't really know why either.
"There was a kid involved. I just felt sorry for him," I answered, keeping it simple so the conversation wouldn't get too complicated.
"But why did you take so long? Mom wouldn't have known if you had left right away, according to the people who were watching you. But you took so long to come out of the mall."
"He didn't want to let go of me. His father even asked me to just leave once the kid had fallen asleep," I explained at length, and he simply nodded along.
"Honestly, I don't regret what I did," I began, which clearly surprised him. I had no regrets about what happened. In fact, I didn't want to let go of the kid either at the time.
"It felt so good knowing he didn't want to let go of me. Do you know how that made me feel? It was like I was the only person he felt comfortable with, like he didn't care about anyone else. As long as I was there, he was okay," I continued with a smile.
"His tiny arms wrapped around me, and the way he adorably pouted because he didn't want me to leave… it felt so good, Kwannie," I continued. "I've been here all this time, but I still can't get that kid out of my head."
I really hope I get to see him again. I just hope that when that happens, I won't be in this kind of situation anymore.
I noticed Kwannie was just staring at me, so I gave him a little tap to snap him out of it. I had already finished eating anyway, so he needed to leave.
"I'm done eating. Go back there now. You might get yourself in trouble if you stay here any longer. Go, Kwannie," I said, giving him a little push toward the door.
"Hyung, I hope I always get to see that sparkle in your eyes," Kwannie said.
I looked at him in confusion.
"Your eyes and your whole expression come alive whenever you talk about the child you saved. See? There's still hope left in your heart," he added before standing up and heading back upstairs. He hugged me first before finally leaving.
"Maybe you're right, Kwannie. Maybe you are. Because right now, the only thing my heart wants is to see the child I saved again."
________________________________________________________________
Side Story
Somewhere
I was drying my hair while checking my phone to see if anyone had called or messaged me while I was taking a shower. I noticed that ever since I blocked Kuliglig, I'd finally gotten at least a little peace and quiet. My phone wasn't constantly ringing or vibrating anymore.
Haysss, I guess I wasn't the only one stressed out because of him. Even my phone was stressed too. Why did I only think of doing that now? smiles
Robot sound
I looked toward the source of the sound and saw a little robot with a plant growing from the top of its head. It was placed beside my main monitor. It had a round body and a round face, and it was making really cute facial expressions on its screen while making adorable little sounds. confused
I walked over to inspect it. Could it have come from Yaya? She was the only one who liked decorating things around the house.
When I lifted the robot, I noticed a folded piece of paper taped underneath it. curious
I took the letter and read what was written on it. And I think the saying "Curiosity killed the cat" is true.
"Jagi, Cheol sent me to Jeju as punishment. I'm only telling you so you won't worry about me. I'm leaving our son, SoonHoon, with you. Take good care of him. He'll be my substitute in case you miss me. Try to come out of your room when you have the time. You're so pale, you could pass for a corpse already. Make sure you eat on time. Unblock me, please. Saranghae."
I immediately crumpled the paper after reading it and looked at the robot.
"What do you mean, I look like a corpse? Damn your master. He leaves and still has the nerve to piss me off," I said to it.
My blood was seriously boiling because of him. I held the robot again and tickled its side. I couldn't help but smile when it reacted happily. My anger melted away almost instantly when it made that cute face again, like this: >_<
"Be thankful you're cute, or I would've thrown you away." Weakness: plants and cute stuff.
"Hi, I'm Ji. You're my deskmate from now on, Duri." smiles