* * *
“That thing you said at the pool… What did you mean by it?”
“⋯⋯.”
“You said you still had feelings.”
It had been on my mind ever since that day.
Back then, I didn’t get the chance to ask properly because Woo Jaehyun showed up, but today, I needed an answer.
Cha Rui, however, remained facing away, giving no response.
He simply stood there, staring silently at the door.
“Were we… really close before?”
Even without any memories, it wasn’t hard to figure that much out just from how he usually talked to me and acted around me.
He pretended not to care, but it was obvious he looked out for me more than anyone else.
His actions screamed unresolved feelings—bittersweet and complicated.
Why?
Why did he look relieved when I told him I’d lost my memory?
He used to treat me like I was nothing, to the point of choking me once… but ever since I said I couldn’t remember anything, his entire attitude had changed.
Despite clearly resenting “Seo Inho” for something in the past, the fact that he still cared this much said everything.
I could only assume Seo Inho had been the one to cut things off.
“Did I do something terrible to you?”
This time, I wasn’t planning to back off. I took a step forward.
Knowing what kind of person “Seo Inho” was supposed to be, I doubted it was something minor.
If he hurt Cha Rui, he probably rubbed salt in the wound afterward.
And if that was the case… I was ready to sincerely apologize, even if I wasn’t really him.
I wasn’t trying to justify Seo Inho, but if it could ease the tension in Cha Rui’s heart, I’d take the blame.
“Well… Can we even call it your fault?”
But then came a response I never expected.
Cha Rui had turned to face me, expression unreadable as always.
“I’ve always blamed you, but maybe this happened because of me.”
“What do you mean?”
I frowned, confused.
Cha Rui’s lips pressed into a hard line, and when he lifted his gaze to meet mine, there was something different in his eyes—something heavier.
“If I tell you… you might regret it.”
Regret? What the hell happened between us?
I tried to act calm, but hearing the word “regret” made my chest tighten with unease.
Still, I had no intention of backing down now.
I lifted my chin slightly, signaling him to go on.
That’s when Cha Rui finally began walking toward me.
With every step he took, the space between us shrank, and I felt like I was being swallowed by the sheer weight of his presence.
It was a mix of instinctive fear and crushing tension.
A dark shadow fell over me, and I gulped involuntarily.
I took an unconscious step back, only to bump into the edge of the bed, my body wobbling.
“I… I—”
Just as his raised hand was about to touch my cheek, Cha Rui abruptly stopped mid-sentence and pulled back.
His face twisted in frustration, jaw clenching so tightly I could see the muscles twitch.
Click!
“Hyung, are you dressed?”
Out of nowhere, Woo Jaehyun burst into the room.
I’d wondered why Cha Rui had suddenly backed off—it turns out he had sensed Jaehyun’s approach all along.
This was the perfect moment to finally learn the truth between me and Cha Rui, but once again, Jaehyun’s interruption shattered the mood.
Judging by the now icy look in Cha Rui’s eyes, there might not be another chance like this again.
“Seriously? Ever heard of knocking?”
Unable to contain my frustration, I sighed heavily and rubbed my forehead.
Just moments ago, emotions had run high and I’d felt… something.
I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was clear that Seo Inho’s body was affecting my mind.
That feeling—it had been an almost uncontrollable urge.
“Do I really need to knock?”
“⋯⋯.”
What the hell kind of nonsense was that?
Completely dumbfounded, I looked up at Jaehyun with dead eyes.
He, on the other hand, just smiled and grabbed my wrist like nothing happened.
“Anyway, I want to take a picture with you too, hyung.”
“A picture?”
“Dad showed me one on his phone.”
He was probably talking about the photo we took together at my father’s birthday—when he was showing off his ring, and somehow that led to looking at old pictures.
“You’re okay with it, right?”
Before I could answer, Jaehyun pressed his cheek against mine.
Startled by the sudden skinship, I flinched—this kind of touch was new to me.
His soft skin brushing mine sent a weird jolt through my shoulder.
“W-Wait. Like this?”
Sure, we were practically glued together at the pool, but that had been under the influence of alcohol.
This… This felt way too intimate.
I awkwardly tried to push away the arm wrapping around my waist, but he didn’t budge.
And it’s not like I could outright refuse to take a photo.
In the end, I had no choice but to go along, practically locked in his embrace.
It was the kind of thing only couples did, and the embarrassment hit me hard—but by then, it was already too late.
There was no graceful way out of this.
I knew Jaehyun’s tenacity too well, so the best I could do was pretend it didn’t bother me.
Not that it helped, especially with Cha Rui silently watching with a glare sharp enough to cut.
“Hyung, smile!”
Once I stopped resisting, Jaehyun finally started taking selfies like he’d won the lottery.
He tried all kinds of poses—pressing our cheeks together, even sneaking in a kiss on the cheek without hesitation.
Okay, this was too much.
Everything else I could tolerate, but the ticklish feeling of his lips was too much to bear.
I instinctively rubbed the spot where he kissed me, and Jaehyun stared at me wide-eyed, full of mischief.
“Hyung, are you blushing?”
“N-No, I’m not!”
I waved my hands in panic, but there was no denying the heat crawling up my face.
I couldn’t help but think of that comment I overheard in the store—and now, Cha Rui’s gaze felt even heavier.
No way… That rumor couldn’t be true… right?
‘Later, as the sky turned a shade of orange…’
In front of an abandoned warehouse, a soft smile spread across someone’s face as they looked at their phone.
The photo now set as the background showed a shocked Seo Inho being kissed on the cheek.
He usually looked sharp and cold, but in that moment, he seemed so… innocent.
For someone who used to party hard and even bring women home, it was strange how he could look this pure.
“Came out nice.”
After rolling around in Seo Inho’s bed for as long as he could, Woo Jaehyun was finally kicked out.
He’d tried to linger, saying he’d just stay for dinner, but Cha Rui’s cold demeanor shut him down quickly.
Jaehyun sulked as he was ushered out, and the moment the front door closed, all signs of emotion vanished from his face.
Unlike earlier, his expression was now completely unreadable.
Cha Rui clicked his tongue at the sudden shift but didn’t seem surprised.
Then he vanished somewhere without a word.
Not that it mattered—Jaehyun was already too busy texting.
Despite their recent breakup, he and Seo Inho were still in constant contact.
And before he knew it, he’d arrived on the outskirts of the city.
‘Woo Jaehyun stood there for a long while, a faint smile on his lips, quietly admiring the photo.’
With his fingertips, he gently traced over Seo Inho’s eyes, nose, and lips, as if memorizing the contours of his face through touch.
Only after the sun had fully disappeared behind the horizon did he finally reach toward the warehouse door.
Even in that moment, his gaze remained fixed on his phone’s lock screen.
Clack—
With a lazy wave of his hand, the heavy iron door creaked open, revealing the run-down interior.
The warehouse, long untouched by people, was the very place where Seo Inho had once been kidnapped.
Stepping inside, Woo Jaehyun slowly lifted his head.
“Why so lifeless?”
At the end of his cold, expressionless gaze hung a middle-aged man, covered in blood.
It was none other than Jang Sucheol, the president of the Hunter Association.
He was strung up, arms bound above his head, suspended in midair.
Both of his legs were completely gone, as if they’d never existed.
One eye was gouged out, a hollow black hole in its place.
His skin, bruised beyond recognition, had long lost any trace of its original color.
“Ugh…”
His groans were raspy, his voice ruined—no surprise, given how much he must’ve screamed.
Even at the grotesque sight, Woo Jaehyun walked forward calmly.
Anyone else would’ve given up by now, but even ten days later, it seemed the man hadn’t yet let go of hope.
‘Every time he came here, Woo Jaehyun wondered:’
‘How the hell did someone like this manage to serve as president of the Hunter Association for over five years?’
Dragging Jang Sucheol here hadn’t been difficult.
All it took was leaking a hint—under a false identity—that he had sensitive information about Seo Inho.
The man bit down on the bait immediately.
And this far outside the city? He really should’ve been more cautious.
But no—he’d shown up with only three A-rank bodyguards, thinking that was sufficient.
To Woo Jaehyun, the whole thing was laughable.
“The weather’s getting cold. Hope you haven’t caught a cold.”
He looked down at the man’s lower half, now soaked and reeking.
After being left like that for so long, it was no surprise things were in a pretty bad state.
At first, Jang Sucheol had seemed ashamed, but now he didn’t even try to hide it.
One could say he’d long since discarded what little human dignity he had left.
* * *
