The Runaways wives
Time, as it always does, moved on.
Months turned to seasons, and eventually, a year passed.
There was no word from Tae or Sechan.
But Kwon and Jungwon stayed close, focused on their studies, building a quiet, stable world of their own. They learned how to live with the ghosts of yesterday — or at least, how to keep them in the background.
Jungwon decided it was time to move. His apartment — too full of memories and silence — had started to suffocate him. His father had sent some money from abroad, and he thought it was the perfect time for a change.
Kwon didn't know Jungwon lived alone. He had always assumed he stayed with relatives. That illusion shattered the day he visited and saw how empty and quiet the place truly was.
"You live alone?" Kwon had asked, shocked.
"Yeah," Jungwon admitted simply.
Kwon didn't like it. It didn't sit well with him at all.
When Jungwon mentioned wanting to move, Kwon's shoulders eased in relief.
"What if we shared the new place?" he asked carefully.
"That's fine with me… but what about your grandma?" Jungwon asked.
"What if we move in with her? Into a bigger apartment?" Jungwon suggested.
Kwon smiled. "If that's okay with you…"
"It is," Jungwon replied with a gentle smile.
It took weeks of searching, planning, and saving — but they eventually found the perfect apartment. A quiet corner of the city, peaceful and just far enough from the noise of their past.
They moved in together. Life felt lighter.
Jungwon smiled as he arranged his things. They were finally free. No one knew where they lived now — not even his father, and certainly not Tae or Sechan.
They had left those haunted homes behind — and the people they once waited for.
Two Years Later
Graduation came, and with it, a peaceful end to that phase of life.
Jungwon and Kwon had grown stronger, steadier, grounded in the world they built together.
But the past, as always, had its own plans.
Back in Korea, Sechan stood on the balcony of his new house. He was no longer a student — he was now the CEO of Light Corps.
Tae, too, had returned from the U.S., inheriting his father's company, Yosan Industries.
They had both tried — countless times — to reach out.
But the numbers no longer worked.
In desperation, they visited Jungwon and Kwon's old apartment buildings, only to hear the same thing from neighbors:
"They moved out… almost two years ago."
The guards reported the news to them.
Tae sat in his office late into the night, staring at an old photo of Kwon. A candid shot from school — Kwon laughing with his hair caught in the wind.
"Did you do this on purpose?" he whispered. "Running away from me…"
He touched the image, eyes misty.
"I told you I'd come back. And here I am. But since you ran away… I'll find you again. No matter what it takes."
Miles away, Sechan stood alone in his quiet home, the same report ringing in his ears.
He gave a soft, broken smile.
"I knew I was late. But you didn't have to hide like this… Guess he's happy he'll never have to see me again."
He looked out the window, the city lights blurring in his vision.
"But I'm not giving up."
And somewhere, in a quiet apartment full of warmth and books and shared laughter, Kwon and Jungwon continued living — unaware of the footsteps drawing closer.
The room was dim, cloaked in soft shadows. The only sound was the quiet hum of the night breeze brushing against the slightly open window. Kwon lay on his side, curled beneath the blanket, eyes wide open even though his body begged for sleep.
But sleep wouldn't come — not tonight.
As he stared at the ceiling, Tae's face drifted into his mind like a ghost refusing to fade. His eyes. That quiet confidence. The warmth that once made Kwon's chest flutter.
He shut his eyes tightly.
"I just hope you're okay… and that you've moved on," Kwon whispered silently in his heart, too afraid to say the words aloud.
"It was just a crush, right? Just high school foolishness…" he told himself. "It's be
