* * *
Yeo Woohee blinked his eyes innocently.
Looking at his younger brother, who was clueless about so many things, Yeo Jinwoo answered simply, “Love.”
To soothe Yeo Woohee, who was whining about how difficult everything was for him, Jinwoo took a box of chocolates from the display case.
Jinwoo, who didn’t even like sweet food, had intentionally displayed the box of chocolates in his room.
It was a trap he set, hoping Yeo Woohee would be lured into visiting his room more often.
As Yeo Woohee rolled around on Jinwoo’s bed, which was drenched in his pheromones, he opened the chocolate box.
“Wow! These look so good. I really love hazelnut chocolates!”
Fearing someone might steal them, Yeo Woohee hurriedly unwrapped the chocolates and popped them into his mouth.
After eating five in a row, he finally seemed to remember Jinwoo, glancing at him with a shy smile.
“Hyung, do you want some?”
“No, eat as much as you like, Woohee.”
“Okay. Hehe.”
Embarrassed by his own enthusiasm, Woohee’s cheeks flushed a soft peach-pink.
Jinwoo quickly snapped a photo of his chocolate-distracted younger brother with his phone.
Yeo Woohee, now accustomed to being photographed, didn’t even react.
Humming a tune, he continued eating chocolates and hugged the box tightly to his chest.
“You like it that much?”
“Yes. Being scolded by you is scary and tough, but afterward, you always dote on me a lot. I love that.”
Yeo Woohee had grown accustomed to Jinwoo’s disciplinary actions because of the sweet rewards that followed.
Looking at his younger brother, whose cheeks were soft with downy fuzz, Jinwoo mused.
‘My lovely peach.
When will you ripen enough for me to take a bite and taste all the sweetness you’re holding?
Time is moving too slowly.
But patience is bitter, and its fruit will be sweet.’
Dressed in a restraining suit, Yeo Jinwoo chuckled softly.
“Doctor, do you know something?”
“What is it you’re trying to say?”
“You’re going to die in five minutes.”
Dr. Yoon opened his mouth to protest, but the sound of screeching car tires interrupted him.
Confused and alarmed, he glanced out the window.
Burly men in black suits holding baseball bats were storming toward the psychiatric hospital.
“What is this? How…?”
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have trusted someone like me with your phone. Did you really think I was just using it to look at pictures?”
“Executive Director! Please! Spare me! I was wrong! Please don’t kill me!”
Dr. Yoon dropped to his knees before Yeo Jinwoo, begging desperately.
The fact that Jinwoo was his patient no longer mattered in their relationship.
The screams of nurses being attacked by the intruders echoed into the office.
Paralyzed by the terror of imminent death, Dr. Yoon couldn’t stop his tears.
“It’s fine. Those men are professionals; they’ll finish you off quickly. Doctor, you’ve worked hard putting up with a madman like me.”
Dr. Yoon bolted for the door, fumbling to lock it.
But the men shattered the doorknob and forced their way in.
“Ahh! No! Please, no!”
Dr. Yoon was quickly surrounded by the men, while one of them freed Yeo Jinwoo from his restraints.
Ignoring the screams behind him, Jinwoo calmly exited the office.
He had been waiting so long for this moment.
Fourteen years of pent-up frustration melted away, leaving him exhilarated.
Walking down the hallway, Jinwoo kicked aside a body blocking his path.
“What should we do with the place?”
“Burn it. Leave no trace.”
“Understood.”
The man relayed the orders to his team via radio.
The men in black suits retrieved cans of gasoline from a car trunk and began dousing the psychiatric hospital.
As Yeo Jinwoo walked away, flames erupted behind him, consuming the building in a fierce blaze.
The heat of the roaring fire could be felt on his back as it devoured every piece of evidence in seconds.
Tracking Yeo Jinwoo’s phone led them to Gapyeong.
Kang Dohee and Kim Doohyeop set off together in a car.
As they neared their destination, Kim Doohyeop noticed flames visible even from a distance and turned off the car’s headlights.
Realizing something was amiss, he maneuvered the car behind a nearby sturdy tree.
The location on the GPS was ablaze.
Yeo Jinwoo emerged from the burning building, his gaze lingering on the flames with quiet satisfaction before shifting his focus.
Smiling in this situation?
He didn’t seem like someone panicked and fleeing from a sudden fire.
Instead, his face held the relaxed confidence of an artist admiring their masterpiece.
Several black cars were parked ahead.
Yeo Jinwoo was speaking to men in suits before getting into the backseat of one.
Kang Dohee quickly took out his phone and recorded the scene.
While he didn’t yet know why Yeo Jinwoo had set the place on fire, he now had leverage.
Finally, he could rescue Woohee.
The black cars drove off in a cluster, unaware of the unfamiliar vehicle hidden in the darkness.
Thankfully, there was nothing flammable nearby, so the fire consumed only the building before dying down.
Kang Dohee retrieved Chairman Yeo’s phone number and sent the recorded video as an attachment.
A call came in immediately.
“Who are you? How dare you threaten me using my son?”
“Hello, Chairman. I didn’t do this with bad intentions, so please don’t get angry.”
The chairman clicked his tongue in disbelief at the calm, low voice on the other end.
Threatening him, yet asking not to take it personally?
Absurd.
“Do you realize your eldest son has completely lost it?”
“What do you want?”
“All I ask is for you to guarantee Yeo Woohee’s safety.”
“…How do you even know our Woohee?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected request, the chairman’s tone softened.
“Yeo Jinwoo just made a move in Gapyeong. He’ll be there in two hours.”
“Who are you, really?”
“…I’m Woohee’s friend. Please, Chairman, protect Woohee. Fourteen years ago, you sent him to the Haesal Orphanage, didn’t you? Was it all because of Yeo Jinwoo?”
“You’re Kang Dohee. You’re the one Woohee begged to transfer schools for, saying he wanted to go to the same school.”
Through the chairman’s words, Kang Dohee finally understood why Woohee had come to a school like Cheongha University, which felt like a place hidden underground.
Overwhelmed, he clenched his fists tightly on his lap.
Woohee hadn’t forgotten him and had come to honor a promise. Yet, he hadn’t even recognized him.
He recalled what Woohee had said when he’d helped the ostracized student to the infirmary.
“Do you… remember me?”
“Have we met before?”
Ah, damn it.
Regret contorted Kang Dohee’s face as he raked his hair in frustration.
After a deep sigh, he resolved to formally reintroduce himself to Woohee at school the next day.
He would apologize for not recognizing him and explain that he thought he was dead.
Then, he’d…
“I’ll handle my son. Stay out of it. And hand over the original video.”
“No. If anything happens to Woohee, I’ll use this video to tighten Yeo Jinwoo’s leash. Do your utmost to protect Woohee. Only then will your eldest son stay out of prison.”
Kang Dohee delivered his ultimatum and ended the call. T
he chairman didn’t call back.
Kim Doohyeop glanced at Kang Dohee worriedly through the rearview mirror before starting the car.
* * *
