It was a quiet Saturday morning, the air still and heavy with the anticipation of an uneventful day. Hyunwoo's family was gathered in the living room, sharing breakfast, when the unexpected sound of the doorbell shattered the calm.
Hyunwoo opened the door to find Seo Yura standing there, clutching her baby tightly. Her eyes were puffy, and her cheeks streaked with dried tears. She hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.
"What's wrong?" Hyunwoo asked, his voice filled with concern.
Seo Yura didn't answer immediately. Instead, she handed her baby to Hyunwoo's mother, who instinctively took the child into her arms.
"Why are you here?" Hyunwoo's father asked gently. "Did you… run away from home?"
Seo Yura looked down, avoiding everyone's eyes. "I'm tired," she said softly. "Tired of doing this alone. Taking care of this baby, with no father who cares… It's too much."
Her words were sharp, and her gaze briefly flickered to Hyunwoo. He flinched, guilt washing over him. He cared deeply for Seo Yura and their child, but the constraints of her family's expectations and their cruel, controlling behavior had driven a wedge between them.
Hyunwoo's mother tried to console her. "You don't have to do this alone. Stay here, and we'll help you."
But Seo Yura shook her head. "I can't. I just needed to know my baby would be safe here. That's all."
As soon as she said this, she turned abruptly, walking quickly toward the gate.
Minhyuk had just returned from a quick trip to buy drinks when he saw Seo Yura rushing out. Her distraught expression caught his attention. Without hesitation, he decided to follow her.
He found her sitting on a bench at a small park not far from the house, her face buried in her hands. She was trembling as muffled sobs escaped her lips.
Minhyuk approached slowly, standing a respectful distance away.
"Are you okay?" he asked gently.
Seo Yura looked up, startled. Her tear-streaked face was filled with a mix of surprise and despair. "What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to wipe her tears away.
"I saw you leave like that. I couldn't just ignore it," Minhyuk replied, holding out one of the drinks he had bought.
Seo Yura hesitated before taking it. She stared at the ground, her voice trembling as she spoke. "I'm a failure. A burden. My stepmother told me I should have gotten rid of this baby. She said I should… kill him. But I couldn't. I'd rather die myself."
Minhyuk's jaw tightened as anger flared within him. "Don't say that," he said firmly. "You're not a failure, and you're definitely not a burden. You did the right thing keeping your child safe. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Seo Yura looked at him, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Minhyuk sat down beside her, keeping his tone calm but determined. "Listen, you're stronger than you think. You've been through so much, but you're still here. That means something. If you need to take a step back to breathe, that's okay. Hyunwoo's family will take care of the baby for now. But you need to keep going. For yourself and for your child."
Seo Yura stared at him for a long moment, her tears finally slowing. "Why do you care so much? You don't even know me."
Minhyuk smiled faintly. "Maybe it's because I see a lot of myself in your situation. Or maybe I just hate seeing someone give up when they have so much to fight for."
They sat in silence for a while, the tension gradually easing as Seo Yura sipped her drink. Minhyuk cracked a few lighthearted jokes, eventually coaxing a small smile from her.
When it was time to leave, Minhyuk walked her back to Hyunwoo's house. Before they reached the gate, Seo Yura stopped and turned to him.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "I don't know why, but talking to you… it helped."
Minhyuk gave her a reassuring nod. "Anytime. Just don't give up, okay? You're stronger than you realize."
Seo Yura took a deep breath and nodded. With a newfound sense of determination, she stepped through the gate and greeted Hyunwoo's parents with a composed expression.
That evening, Seo Yura sat with Hyunwoo's mother, discussing plans to arrange for the baby's care while she took some time to focus on herself. Hyunwoo watched from a distance, his heart heavy with a mix of emotions.
Meanwhile, Minhyuk leaned against the doorway, watching the scene unfold. He felt a sense of accomplishment, knowing he had played a small part in helping Seo Yura find her strength again.
As he turned to leave, Hyunwoo approached him. "Hey," he said. "Thanks for helping her today."
Minhyuk shrugged. "I just did what anyone else would have done."
Hyunwoo shook his head. "No, you did more than that. I owe you one."
Minhyuk grinned. "You can start by not complaining the next time I embarrass you in public."
Hyunwoo rolled his eyes but couldn't hide a small smile. "Deal."
As the night settled in, the house felt a little warmer, a little brighter. And for the first time in a long while, Seo Yura felt like she wasn't entirely alone.
The next day started like any other, but things quickly took a turn. Unknown to Hyunwoo and Minhyuk, someone had been watching them, waiting for the right moment to strike.
After finishing his last lecture, Hyunwoo packed his things and left the campus. He walked toward the bus stop, his mind occupied with thoughts of Seo Yura and their child.
As he turned a corner onto a quieter street, a black van screeched to a halt in front of him. Four men jumped out, their faces partially hidden under caps and masks.
"Hyunwoo?" one of them said.
Hyunwoo froze, assessing the situation. "Who's asking?"
"We don't need your name," another man replied, cracking his knuckles. "We're just here to deliver a message."
Before Hyunwoo could respond, they lunged at him. He dodged the first punch, his instincts kicking in as he tried to defend himself. But he was outnumbered. Blow after blow landed, and though he fought back fiercely, he was soon overwhelmed.
As he fell to the ground, he heard one of them say, "This is just a warning. Stay away from Seo Yura, or next time, we won't be so nice."
They left him lying on the pavement, groaning in pain. A passerby noticed him and called an ambulance.
Meanwhile, Minhyuk was out exploring the town, enjoying the scenery and taking pictures with a borrowed camera. His curiosity led him to a picturesque park near a lake.
As he strolled along a path, he noticed a group of men following him. Pretending not to notice, he quickened his pace and took a detour through a wooded area.
The men eventually surrounded him. "You're a hard guy to track down," one of them sneered.
Minhyuk raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. "Oh, you must be fans of mine. Autographs are free today."
"Cut the jokes," another growled. "Stay out of Seo Yura's business. You're making things complicated for someone who doesn't want to be bothered."
Minhyuk smirked. "Who sent you? Let me guess—it's that witch of a stepmother."
One of the men lunged at him, but Minhyuk sidestepped easily. He grabbed a nearby branch and swung it with surprising force, knocking the man to the ground.
"Wow, I should take up baseball," Minhyuk quipped.
The other men attacked, but Minhyuk used his quick reflexes and unpredictable movements to evade and counter. At one point, he tripped one of them into the lake and tied another to a tree using the man's own belt.
When the dust settled, Minhyuk stood over the last conscious man, his face serious. "Talk. Who sent you?"
The man hesitated but eventually blurted out, "It was Seo Yura's stepmother. She wanted us to scare you off."
Minhyuk rolled his eyes. "Of course it was her. Classic villain move."
He fished out the man's phone and used it to call the police, reporting the attempted assault. When the police arrived, Minhyuk handed over the tied-up men, grinning through his cuts and bruises.
Back at Seo Yura's home, her father had just returned from a business trip. As he stepped inside, he was greeted by chaos. Police officers were escorting his wife out of the house in handcuffs.
"What's going on here?" he demanded.
One of the officers explained the situation, including her involvement in hiring thugs to threaten Seo Yura, Hyunwoo, and Minhyuk.
Seo Yura's father was furious. "How dare you bring this kind of shame to our family?" he snapped at his wife.
She glared at him. "I did what I had to. That girl and her choices are ruining everything!"
Ignoring her protests, the officers led her away.
At the Hospital
Hyunwoo was taken to the hospital, where doctors treated his minor injuries. While he was being examined, Seo Yura and Hyunwoo's father arrived.
"Are you okay?" Seo Yura asked, her voice trembling with worry.
Hyunwoo gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll live. It's just a few scratches."
As they spoke, the door burst open, and Minhyuk stumbled in. His shirt was torn, his face bruised and bloodied, and he clutched his side where a deep gash was visible.
"Minhyuk!" Seo Yura and Hyunwoo's father exclaimed simultaneously.
"Relax," Minhyuk said weakly, managing a grin. "You should see the other guys."
He collapsed onto a nearby chair as nurses rushed to tend to him.
"You're a mess!" Seo Yura scolded, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Yeah, but I'm a heroic mess," Minhyuk replied, wincing as a nurse dabbed at his wounds.
Hyunwoo watched them, a mixture of gratitude and guilt on his face. "Thank you, Minhyuk," he said quietly.
Minhyuk waved him off. "Don't mention it. Just promise me you'll handle things better next time."
Seo Yura sat down beside Minhyuk, her expression softening. "You didn't have to do all this."
Minhyuk looked at her, his voice unusually serious. "Yes, I did. Because you and that baby deserve better. And I'll keep fighting until you both get it."
The room fell silent, the weight of his words sinking in. Despite the pain and chaos, there was a renewed sense of hope—a promise of better days ahead.
That night, as Minhyuk lay in the hospital bed, his body exhausted from the day's ordeal, he drifted into an uneasy sleep. The pain from his wounds subsided as his mind wandered, but the dreams that followed were far from peaceful.
In his dream, he found himself in a dimly lit room, its walls closing in like the weight of his thoughts. A figure stood before him, cloaked in shadows, their face hidden, yet their presence unmistakable.
"You have unfinished business, Minhyuk," the voice spoke, deep and resonant, reverberating in his mind. "The situation with Seo Yura is nearly over. There is just one last step—you must convince her father to accept her and Hyunwoo. But that task will not be easy."
Minhyuk's heart raced. "What do you mean? Isn't that all we need? Once he accepts them, everything should fall into place."
The figure's voice softened, tinged with a warning. "It's not that simple. There is another layer to this, something you haven't yet seen."
Minhyuk frowned. "What do you mean? What is it?"
Before the figure could answer, a name echoed in his mind, clear and sharp—Chae Min.
"Chae Min?" Minhyuk asked aloud in the dream, the name unfamiliar yet filled with an ominous weight.
The figure's form shifted, an expression of warning flickering in the darkness. "Yes. Chae Min is connected to this. His role is pivotal, but you cannot yet understand why. Trust in your instincts, Minhyuk. The path will become clearer, but only if you are prepared to face everything, including the truth you might not be ready for."
Minhyuk tried to speak, but before he could form another word, the figure began to fade, as if slipping through his fingers. He reached out, desperate to hold onto the conversation, but it was too late.
With a jolt, Minhyuk woke up, his breath quick and shallow. The hospital room was still dark, and the quiet hum of machines filled the air. His heart was pounding in his chest, the remnants of the dream clinging to his thoughts.
Chae Min. The name echoed in his mind, pulling his thoughts in a thousand directions. Who was this person? And how was he connected to everything that had been happening with Seo Yura, Hyunwoo, and the mess they had all found themselves in?
Minhyuk closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing. The figure in the dream had been clear: he needed to keep moving, to keep pushing forward. There was more to this story, and he would need to be ready to face whatever came next. The problems with Seo Yura's father would be the first step, but Chae Min—that was a mystery he would need to solve.
As he lay back in the hospital bed, Minhyuk couldn't shake the feeling that the real battle was only just beginning.