Chapter 19
The dull hum of the airport terminal buzzed beneath the steady flow of footsteps and rolling suitcases. Overhead, the PA crackled to life with a calm, monotone voice:
"Flight KE907 from Los Angeles has landed at Gate 12. Passengers may disembark. Please proceed to immigration and baggage claim."
Ryu Chan's boots hit the polished floor with quiet purpose as he stepped off the jet bridge. His sharp eyes swept over the sea of faces beyond the glass wall, none familiar, all belonging to the same restless city he'd come back to.
He adjusted the collar of his dark jacket and kept his head low, blending into the background like a shadow slipping through the crowd. Near the exit, a sleek black sedan waited, its windows tinted. A man in a tailored suit leaned casually against the doorframe, checking his watch.
Hae Won spotted him first and straightened with a slight nod. "Sir Kim's long-time best friend," he murmured.
Ryu Chan approached without ceremony. "You look different than I imagined."
"You must be tired after the long flight." Hae Won opened the door. "It'll be quite a distance. You can rest meanwhile."
Ryu Chan tilted his head, studying Hae Won for a beat before sliding in wordlessly. The ride through Seoul's waking streets was smooth, the city lighting up around them with the first hints of morning gold.
Hae Won broke the silence. "Sir Kim's been… anxious since your call."
Ryu Chan smirked, fingers drumming lightly on the leather door panel. "That's the understatement of the century."
He leaned back, watching the blur of streetlights and storefronts flick past the window.
Gyu In's voice echoed in his mind…
"So," he had said casually, "whose ass are we saving this time?"
"Will you, perhaps, have some free time on your hands?"
"Right on time," Ryu Chan had teased. "Just closed a client's case. Currently enjoying my break."
He'd heard that faint exhale of relief from Gyu In—too subtle for most, but not for him.
"That's… good. Come back to Korea. I need your help."
"For?"
"Come back first. I'll tell you more then."
There was a beat. Then—
"Am I getting paid?"
A pause. Ryu Chan could practically picture Gyu In's face twisting in disbelief.
"Didn't know our friendship was built on monetary terms."
"You bet it is," Ryu Chan had laughed. "I don't save asses for free."
*
"Wow. How long has it been since I last stepped into this place?" Ryu Chan muttered as the building came into view. He scanned it, noting nothing much had changed. Probably the same structure, just with a different security guard.
"I thought you were sending me to the company," he said, side-eyeing Hae Won.
Hae Won kept his eyes on the road. "Sir Kim thought it'd be better to talk here. Privately."
Ryu Chan leaned back, making himself comfortable. "Do you know what this is about?"
"Maybe."
"'Maybe' means yes." He gave a short laugh. "But I guess you're not too thrilled about it, huh."
"I just wish Sir Kim would stop digging into trouble."
The car slowed to a stop.
"You've arrived. I assume you know the floor and unit."
Ryu Chan nodded and stepped out without another word. Soon, he stood before the familiar door, suitcase in tow and judgment in his eyes. He tapped in the numbers.
"Still the same code after all these years," he muttered, unimpressed. "You'd think the Vice President of Strategy would at least update his damn lock."
The keypad beeped, unlocked with a soft click. He pushed the door open and stopped dead.
"What in lavender-infused, anxiety-reducing hell is this?"
The air hit him like a scented slap. The entire place smelled like it belonged to a lifestyle influencer going through a healing era.
Neat rows of potpourri bowls lined the hallway console. Jasmine sachets filled glass jars. A hint of sandalwood floated through the air like a ghost with spa experience.
Ryu Chan kicked off his shoes and walked in slowly, suspiciously. His eyes landed on a decorative tray labelled:
[BREATHE. FEEL. LET GO.]
"I—" he blinked, "—am in the wrong dimension."
He picked up one of the bowls and sniffed it with a grimace.
"I knew Gyu In was unwell, but this is a cry for help."
Footsteps shuffled down the hall. Gyu In appeared, dressed casually in black sweats, towel slung over his shoulder like he'd just stepped out of the shower.
He paused mid-step when he saw Ryu Chan.
"…You let yourself in again."
"You? Same pin? Emotional growth or just lazy security?"
Gyu In sighed. "You really flew across countries just to bully me in my own home?"
"Correction. I flew across countries to save my best friend from whatever trouble he's stuck himself in. And bantering with you is just self-care."
He gestured to the potpourri. "Though clearly, you've started without me."
"They help me sleep," Gyu In said flatly.
"So would a brick to the head. Cheaper too."
A beat. They stared at each other.
"So," Ryu Chan said, his voice a little lower now, "who are we saving this time?"
Gyu In nodded toward the documents on his dining table.
"Why don't you take a seat and read these through first?"
He went into the kitchen and started pouring two cups of tea. "Oh, I prepared jasmine."
"And I told you before, I hate tea," Ryu Chan complained, dragging the chair noisily as he sat down.
"Well, I guess I don't care enough for you."
"Wow," Ryu Chan scoffed, flipping the first page of the file. "Remind me why I left a perfectly good life in LA for this emotional neglect."
"Because no one else tolerates your sarcasm and chronic nosiness."
"Touché." He skimmed the documents, brows knitting together. "You do realise these are way too clean, right?"
"I dusted them. Wanted to impress you," Gyu In said, setting the tea down.
"I swear, your moral compass is a fidget spinner." He sniffed the tea suspiciously. Then shoved it away like it was poison. There was a beat of silence as Ryu Chan kept flipping through the pages.
"So, we're diving into shady entertainment history now? Eun Wol and Eun Bin?"
"Eun Bin."
Gyu In's tone dropped. Serious, controlled. He sat down opposite him, finally meeting his gaze.
"I need to know what's happening with her."
Ryu Chan raised a brow. "Okay… but why?"
"I'm dating her brother."
Ryu Chan choked on his tea. "You're dating her brother? Don't you think that's the kind of thing you lead with?"
"It started as a contract boyfriend thing but…"
The words trailed off, but Ryu Chan caught it. The quiet shift in Gyu In's eyes.
Worried. Tired. Guarded. But something else too. Real.
"Contract boyfriend," Ryu Chan repeated, dragging out the words. "God, that sounds like a C-list drama. Let me guess… turns out he's not just a contract anymore?"
Gyu In didn't answer. He didn't need to. Ryu Chan leaned back with a sigh, the potpourri scent rising again like a reminder of how weird his life had become.
"Alright," he said finally, tapping the folder. "Give me two days. I'll find something."
Gyu In nodded, though his thoughts were already elsewhere. He picked up his phone, thumb hovering over a name he knew too well.
Ryu Chan raised an eyebrow. "You're gonna tell him?"
"He deserves to know. I'm not going to do this behind his back."
"Sure, you do you." Ryu Chan stood, collecting the documents. "Anyway, I didn't book any hotels so spare me your guest room for the time being."
Before Gyu In could complain, Ryu Chan had already pulled his suitcase toward the nearest room. Gyu In didn't bother to stop him.
*
The hairdryer hummed softly in Eun Wol's hand.
He wasn't even using it anymore—just holding it mid-air, eyes fixed on the screen.
[Gyu In]
Received: I asked someone to look into Eun Bin.
He read it once. Twice. A third time. His stomach turned. The hairdryer clicked off as his thumb slipped over the switch. A hollow silence replaced the hum, louder than before.
Look into.
Not help.
Not protect.
Just look into, as if she were a file, a case, a problem to solve. Eun Wol felt his throat was tightening. Still half-dripping, he grabbed a towel and walked out of the bathroom. The floor caught his cold, wet footprints as he moved on instinct, his head buzzing.
"What the hell are you doing," he muttered under his breath, not sure if it was directed at Gyu In or himself.
His phone buzzed again. Another message.
[Gyu In]
Received: He's someone I trust. He won't say anything.
He.
Eun Wol's jaw tightened.
How many people knew now? How many had their eyes on my sister, on us like we were just another secret to take apart?
He sank onto the edge of his bed, the towel still hanging loosely around his shoulders, fingers gripping the phone so tightly it hurt.
Was this what Gyu In meant by helping me? Dragging strangers in? Opening wounds I wasn't ready to face?
He wanted to scream. But instead, he typed.
[Gyu In]
Sent: You had no right.
His thumb hovered for a moment before he added another line.
Sent: I didn't share a part of me for you to flaunt around.
The message went out, and silence filled the room again. Not for long. The phone rang. And it didn't stop until he answered.
"You promised me," Eun Wol said quietly.
"I'm keeping that promise," Gyu In replied, his voice steady but low.
"By dragging someone else in?"
"I didn't drag him in. I chose him. There's a difference."
"To you, maybe."
The silence that followed was heavy, sharp enough to hurt.
"I wasn't going to sit back and let you do this alone," Gyu In said.
"Then ask me. Before making decisions for me."
There was a long exhale on the other end, a sound too close to frustration.
"If I asked," Gyu In said slowly, "would you have said yes?"
Eun Wol hesitated. "No."
"Exactly."
"That doesn't make it okay."
"There's something obviously going on," Gyu In said, his tone slipping into that calm efficiency that always made Eun Wol's chest ache. "If money could help, I could fix it. Easily. Efficiently."
The line went quiet. Too quiet.
Before Gyu In could say another word, Eun Wol hung up.
He stared at the dark screen, his chest tightening. He hadn't hung up because he was angry. He hung up because he didn't know what to stay.
And somewhere across the city, Gyu In stared at his own phone, the silence stretching between them. He hadn't meant for it to turn into a fight. But he always pushed because standing still felt worse.