* * *
“Hah……”
A breath of exhaustion escaped Junhee’s lips.
Just then, the in-flight announcement began.
[Dear passengers, our aircraft will be taking off shortly. For your safety, please check that your seatbelt is securely fastened……]
Without even getting a chance to rest his eyes, they arrived in no time.
Since he had no checked luggage, he went straight for the exit.
If he loitered and looked around again, another staff member might approach him, so he deliberately blended into the crowd, moving like a ripple in a larger wave.
Even though he tried to walk as slowly as possible, his legs trembled violently.
Maybe that was why people kept glancing at him, making him feel self-conscious.
‘Damn these legs.’
No—damn that Alpha.
Cursing alternately at himself and Ki Taeryu, he found himself near the airport exit.
[WELCOME to JEJU]
A large stone Dolhareubang stood before him in greeting.
Muttering the words “Honjeo-opsyeo” written beneath it, the reality of it finally sank in.
He was really here.
He had run away.
Yet, surprisingly, he didn’t feel particularly relieved or dejected.
If only his body weren’t in such a wretched state, he might have enjoyed the trip a little more.
But other than that, he didn’t feel much of anything.
Junhee fished his phone out of his pocket.
[Mobile number not recognized.
Please reinsert your USIM card.]
It wasn’t his usual phone.
A dull, gray device, without even a SIM card—nothing he could use to make calls or send messages.
Yet, for some reason, he felt the need to hold onto it.
Maybe it was just habit.
For the past five years, he had cherished it like a treasure, and now, he couldn’t simply ignore it.
‘Yeah. It’s like a totem.’
A reminder of the moment he had decided to live again.
And in this world, wasn’t a phone practically a necessity?
‘At the very least, I need it for Wi-Fi.’
He had managed to book his flight in a hurry, but he hadn’t secured a place to stay yet.
“……First, I need to find a hotel.”
After struggling with the public Wi-Fi, he finally installed a booking app.
But the real problem came next.
[‘HotelHere’ would like to access your device’s location.]
The notification popped up, and he immediately pressed “Deny” several times in succession.
The app automatically closed, stating that location access was required to proceed.
‘Absolutely not.’
It wasn’t paranoia.
Knowing Ki Taeryu, he was probably wide-eyed and searching for him even now.
The man had spent five years hunting down his brother across borders—Junhee had every reason to be cautious.
‘……And I ruined that man’s engagement.’
Ki Taeryu had already been struggling to secure a match within the chaebol circles, and now, thanks to this, he would undoubtedly be blacklisted by the elite matchmaking agencies.
‘Not that I’m any different.’
The only difference was that Junhee had realized their downfall was inevitable a little earlier.
He had considered writing a resignation letter in advance, but then thought, ‘I’ll get fired anyway. I might as well use up my unused vacation days.’
Whether he got fired before or after his leave ended, it didn’t really matter.
He had nowhere to return to.
‘A resignation letter, huh…….’
‘Huh?’
‘You submit it like it’s some kind of vacation request, Yoon Junhee.’
Cha Junwoo’s amused smile lingered like an unpleasant aftertaste.
From the beginning, this wasn’t what Hong Yeonggyeong had asked of him.
After the engagement ceremony, when Hong Yeonggyeong had detained Na Nayoung for a moment, all Junhee had needed to do was press his lips against Ki Taeryu’s.
‘It should have ended there.’
If only that damned heat cycle hadn’t kicked in.
Then again, even if he had been in his right mind, Ki Taeryu had already been out of his.
That bastard had waited, as if expecting Junhee to come to him—then devoured him whole.
Junhee let out a long, weary sigh.
Just then, someone approached.
“Need some help?”
“……What?”
“You seem to be in a bit of trouble. Thought I’d check if I could lend a hand.”
Junhee lifted his head, eyes sharp with suspicion.
The man flushed slightly and fumbled with an explanation.
“Ah…… I’m not some weirdo, I swear. I’m just on vacation too. Oh! And I’m actually from Jeju, so I know my way around.”
Even so, Junhee didn’t bother to hide his unimpressed expression—an unmistakable ‘So what?’ written all over his face.
Maybe it was because of the Cha brothers, but he found himself unable to trust anyone.
“If you don’t have anyone to show you around, I could be your guide. What do you think?”
“No, thanks.”
“Ah…… Okay.”
Junhee flatly refused, but the man didn’t leave right away.
Instead, he lingered nearby.
Since Ki Taeryu probably didn’t know where he was yet, Junhee wondered if this man was a spy sent by Hong Yeonggyeong.
Then again, he hadn’t even told her that he was leaving.
“I don’t have any money.”
“…What?”
“I’m broke.”
Thinking the man was trying to rob him, Junhee made his refusal clear.
At that, the man let out a short laugh before saying something completely unexpected.
“Oh, it’s not that… I just really like you. If I came off too forward, I’m sorry. I have no intention of stealing your money, but… I wouldn’t mind stealing your number.”
Junhee stared blankly for a moment before hurriedly slinging his bag over his shoulder.
“Have a nice trip.”
As he stepped out of the airport and hailed a taxi, he couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes following him.
It felt like everyone around him was a watchdog sent to capture him.
Like at any moment, someone would grab him by the back of the neck and demand, “Why did you do it?”
‘Is this what happens when you live like a fugitive?’
For the rest of his life…?
Junhee, now unintentionally on the run, felt like an endless road stretched out before him.
“The rooms are fully booked. I’m really sorry.”
“…I see. Thank you.”
This was the fourth rejection.
He had expected high-end hotels to require ID, making them off-limits, but he hadn’t anticipated that even rundown motels would be completely booked.
Feeling dejected, Junhee slumped onto a bench.
His head was spinning, his legs ached, and his entire body throbbed with exhaustion.
He was so sore he thought he might come down with a fever.
He’d already wasted tens of thousands of won on taxi fares.
That stung, too.
“God, nothing’s working out.”
If it were up to him, he’d just stretch out on this bench and sleep.
A vast sandy beach stretched out before him.
At least the weather wasn’t cold enough to freeze.
Maybe he could just bury himself in the sand and sleep there.
From staying at a luxury hotel to becoming practically homeless in just half a day.
‘…I have money. So why the hell can’t I find a place to stay?’
Junhee pressed a hand over his sunken eyes.
His vision swam, and a miniature universe exploded behind his eyelids.
Bzzzt—Bzzzt—
His body trembled.
Had he completely lost feeling in his limbs?
Only after rubbing his thigh, trying to calm himself, did he realize—it wasn’t just his nerves acting up.
His phone was actually vibrating.
“…Oh.”
Junhee pulled out his gray phone and frowned.
His reception was too weak to receive calls or messages, so how…?
[Snow Papa: Junhee, are you busy?]
It was a message from Vincent.
Somehow, a free Wi-Fi signal must have connected, delivering the message on its own.
[Snow Papa: Photo]
[Snow Papa: Photo]
With tired eyes, Junhee tapped to open the images.
Snow had a cone collar around his neck.
His little paws, wrapped in socks, had an IV needle stuck in them.
[Me: What happened? Is Snow sick?]
[Me: Is it serious?]
Worried, he replied immediately, and Vincent responded just as quickly.
[Snow Papa: Had a lump, so they removed it.]
[Snow Papa: Snow the Lump King.]
Junhee let out a long sigh of relief.
If Vincent had the energy to joke around and send pictures, it couldn’t have been too bad.
[Me: That’s a relief.]
[Snow Papa: No, it’s not.]
[Me: Why not?]
[Snow Papa: My wallet is not relieved.]
Junhee was still thinking of a way to console him when another grumbling message arrived.
[Snow Papa: Lost my ticket and my hotel stay.]
[Snow Papa: Damn cat robbed me blind.]
Junhee had expected him to be upset about the vet bill, but… he was talking about his trip instead.
‘…Oh yeah, he did say he was coming to Korea.’
It was unfortunate, but there wasn’t much Vincent could do.
Still, if it had been Junhee, he would’ve been frustrated too.
Hadn’t he just been lamenting over a few wasted taxi fares?
While Junhee had money but no place to stay, Vincent had a place but couldn’t use it.
[Snow Papa: Junhee, don’t you have a friend?]
[Me: Why?]
[Snow Papa: My hotel is going to waste.]
[Me: I don’t know…]
Junhee wasn’t in a position to call anyone right now, let alone ask for a favor.
Not that he had anyone to call, anyway.
The thought hit him harder than expected.
What kind of life had he even been living until now?
[Snow Papa: Photo]
[Snow Papa: Looks nice, right?]
It was a picture of the hotel.
The next photo showed the surrounding scenery.
‘The ocean?’
Junhee blankly stared at the towering cliffs in the image.
Then he lowered his phone and looked up.
The view before him was eerily similar.
‘…Am I imagining things?’
He glanced back down at his screen, then at reality.
Again and again.
His eyes widened.
[Me: Wait… is this Jeju Island?]
[Snow Papa: How did you know?]
So the universe hadn’t completely abandoned him.
For the first time, Junhee felt a flicker of gratitude toward whatever unseen force had been throwing misfortunes his way.
* * *
