Hanyeol's POV
I glanced at my watch again. It had been almost an hour since Seoyul went to the
bathroom, and my stomach was twisting into tighter knots with every passing
minute. His absence was starting to cast a shadow over the room, and I could see
the worried expressions on our friends' faces.
Unable to sit still any longer, I stood
up and decided to go look for him.
The hallways were empty, and the bathroom door creaked eerily as I pushed it
open. The room was vacant. Panic began to claw at my chest. Where could he be?
I retraced our steps, checked every corner of the building, but there was no sign
of Seoyul. Desperation was setting in when I heard a voice behind me.
"Hanyeol?"
I turned to see Choi Suyeon, a girl from our class. She looked hesitant, almost
scared. "I saw Seoyul," she said softly. "He got into a really expensive white SUV
with a middle-aged man driving."
Her words hit me like a punch in the gut. Only one person came to mind—Kim
Johan, Seoyul's birth father. The same monster who had sexually and physically
abused him all his life. Rage and fear surged through me simultaneously. Why
would Seoyul leave with him? And why didn't he come back?
Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I knew I couldn't face this alone. I hurried
back to Jangmi, Seungjun, and Woojin, who were huddled together, their faces
etched with worry.
"I couldn't find him," I said, my voice shaking. "But Suyeon saw him getting into a
white SUV with a middle-aged man. It has to be Kim Johan, his biological father and before you ask, he's a bad guy who's always abused Yul and his mother. If he made it hard for his mom to get a divorce, then his showing up can't be good"
Taking in my explanation, their expressions shifted from worry to horror. Jangmi gasped,
Seungjun clenched his fists, and Woojin looked like he was about to be sick.
"We have to find him," Seungjun said, his voice resolute, moving to take action.
"Wait," I interjected. "Seungjun, Jangmi, I need you to stay here and cover for us.
Woojin and I will go get Seoyul. This way, we won't raise any more suspicion."
They nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation and the need for a strategic approach. Woojin pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Hey, it's Woojin. We need intel on Kim Johan, and we need it fast," he said,
speaking to the tech guy from the gang he and Seoyul had joined for no concrete reason.
As Woojin gathered the necessary information, I felt a surge of determination. We would find Seoyul, and we would bring him back safely. Together, we wouldn't let
Kim Johan hurt him ever again.
As Woojin and I were about to head out, Seungjun called out to us. "Be safe, okay?
And hey... take care, Woojinie."
Woojin's cheeks flushed a deep red at the unexpected nickname, and he gave a
nervous smile. "Yeah, we will. Thanks, Seungjun."
With one last look at our friends, Woojin and I rushed out, fueled by urgency and
the promise to protect Seoyul at all costs.
Once we were outside, Woojin filled me in on the intel he got from Kylian, the tech
guy. "Kim Johan is the heir to a lot of properties under the Hashimoto name and
that is the name of the notorious Japanese mafia. " he explained, his voice tense.
"He's known by his Japanese name, Hashimoto Aida."
The revelation hit me hard. If Kim Johan was the secret leader of such a powerful
mafia, rescuing Seoyul could trigger a serious mafia clash. The stakes were higher
than ever, but I couldn't back down now. Seoyul's life was on the line.
"We have to be careful," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "If this
goes wrong, it could be disastrous."
Woojin nodded, determination mirrored in his eyes. "We'll save him, Hanyeol. No
matter what it takes."
With that, we set off on our mission, knowing the risks but driven by our
unyielding resolve to protect Seoyul from the man who had tormented him for so long.
In no time we arrived at the location given to us after tracking Seoyul's phone.
I burst through the door alongside Woojin, my heart racing with anticipation and fear. Kylian's cryptic message had prepared us for a fight, but nothing could have readied me for the sight before us. Seoyul, my friend, my brother, my love, lay battered and bruised on the floor. Johan, the man responsible, sneered at us from across the room.
A primal roar erupted from my throat as I charged at Johan, Woojin right beside me. Our fists flew, a flurry of punches and kicks that sent Johan crashing against the walls. But he refused to go down, his eyes blazing with a ferocity that belied his age.
Woojin and I exchanged a glance, our anger and adrenaline fueling our movements. We fought in perfect sync, our youthful energy pitted against Johan's seasoned strength. The older man was a force to be reckoned with, but we would not be defeated.
As the fight raged on, Woojin shouted, "Hanyeol, get Seoyul out of here! I'll handle this!"
I hesitated for a moment, my fists still clenched, before dashing to Seoyul's side. I scooped him up, cradling him in my arms as I watched Woojin deliver a devastating kick that sent Johan crashing to the ground.
I took Seoyul to Woojin's car and contacted him through the earcom we had on.
"Woojin, let's go back, I think someone called the police. We'd make a report but he needs medical help" I looked at Seoyul and suddenly tears began to roll down my cheeks.
How could a father do this to his son? How could he hurt him this much?
I was questioning myself nonstop. The more I think about it, the angrier I get so I made a promise to myself and Seoyul.
"Hanyeol? Get in let's go" I was so buried in my rage that I didn't notice Woojin had returned. "I know it's hard but you really should be strong, okay?"
"Jin" I called out to Woojin, venom dripping out of my voice and I think Woojin noticed it.
"No, Yeol. Don't do shit." Woojin shook his head giving me quick glances as her was driving.
"Just listen to me, Jin. I know will burn in hell but not before I take Kim Johan with me"