Three years ago...
The crowd hummed with excitement, their voices blending into a cacophony of congratulations and curious chatter. Andrew and Youn-Jae were the center of attention, pulled in every direction as people clamored for their attention, eager to ask questions and shower them with praise. But Andrew's mind was elsewhere. He couldn't focus on the well-meaning guests. All he could think about was finding Ji-Won.
His heart hammered in his chest, and the urgency was mirrored in Youn-Jae's eyes as they exchanged a brief, wordless glance. The need to escape the crowd—to get out of this suffocating scene—was becoming unbearable.
Then, his phone rang. It was James. A wave of relief washed over Andrew. Finally, an excuse to break free from the chaos. "I'll take this," he said, his voice strained but polite, stepping away from Youn-Jae to find a quieter corner.
He swiped to answer the call, pressing the phone to his ear. "James? What's—"
A sharp crack cut through the air.
Andrew froze, the sound of the gunshot like a strike of lightning. Every head in the room snapped toward the noise, the buzz of excitement immediately replaced by a deafening silence, and then a wave of panic as people started to look around frantically. The shot had come from somewhere close.
His heart leaped into his throat as his eyes swept the room. The panic had already begun to ripple through the crowd. Then, through the phone, he heard something that made his blood run cold: James, groaning in agony.
"James! James, what the hell is going on?!" Andrew's voice cracked, panic seizing him. His eyes darted across the room, searching frantically for any sign of danger or understanding. Guests were beginning to scatter, some already running toward the exits, while others cowered in fear. His gaze locked on Youn-Jae and his father, who were hurriedly ushering the Chairman to safety, using their bodies as shields.
Chaos exploded around them.
Another couple of shots rang out, thickening the air with fear. Andrew's mind raced, his grip tightening around his phone as he struggled to stay focused. 'James! Answer me! Where are you?!
No response. Only the ragged sound of James's labored breathing.
On the other hand, James lay on the ground, his body trembling with shock and pain. Blood soaked his shirt where the bullet had torn through his shoulder, staining the fabric in a sickening spread of crimson. His fingers pressed against the wound, but it was no use—the bleeding wouldn't stop. The pain in his shoulder burned like fire, overwhelming his thoughts and blurring his focus.
Andrew's voice, frantic and desperate, echoed through the phone, but James's consciousness was slipping. He couldn't think clearly. Every time he tried to move, the pain flared, and he was forced to lie still, desperate for any sign of help.
Youn-Jae, his face a mask of grim determination, continued to pull their father toward safety, pushing through the crowd. But Andrew remained standing, fixated on his phone and not following Youn-Jae and his father. All he could think about was where James and Ji-Won were in this chaotic moment and whether they were safe.
"James…" Andrew whispered, his voice cracking with a depth of fear he couldn't suppress. His knuckles were white around the phone, eyes wide as he listened for any sign of a response, straining to hear through the heavy static of panic.
Finally, James's strained voice broke through. "Andrew…" he gasped, his breath shallow. "I've been shot."
Time seemed to slow. The words hit Andrew like a punch to the gut. His breath caught in his chest, and the world around him seemed to shatter. His pulse raced, his thoughts scattered as he forced himself to speak. "What the hell? Where exactly are you?" His voice was tight with urgency, panic, and rising dread.
"I'm in the woods…" James rasped, his voice barely audible. The pain in his words was unmistakable, but there was something else—a flicker of fear that made Andrew's heart tighten. "But hurry… Ji-Won… he was shot too. He… he fell off the cliff."
The words hit Andrew like a physical blow. His legs faltered for a moment, but his mind raced. Ji-Won. Shot. Fallen. The terror flooded every inch of him, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. His chest tightened painfully as his feet carried him forward, and his legs broke into a run. There was no time to think, no time to feel. He had to get to James. He had to get to Ji-Won.
No… this can't be happening…" Andrew muttered under his breath, the words barely a whisper, more to himself than anyone else. His gaze frantically scanned the guests and the growing chaos around him, heart pounding as he moved almost on instinct, darting toward the woods.
The tree line. He saw it—finally—a trail through the woods. Andrew didn't think. He just ran. His heart pounded in his chest, his breath coming in jagged gasps as his feet pounded against the ground.
"James, hold on! I'm coming! Just hang in there!" His voice was raw with panic, his hand trembling as it gripped the phone. The thought of Ji-Won lying at the bottom of that cliff, broken and lost, twisted his gut into knots.
Minutes later—though it felt like an eternity—Andrew finally saw the cliff. He could clearly hear the waves crashing violently against the shore, his stomach churning with dread as he drew nearer. His eyes darted around, and then he spotted James, who was staggering toward him, a blood-soaked hand pressed against his shoulder.
"James!" Andrew cried, rushing to his side.
James stumbled, the effort of walking nearly too much to bear. His voice was weak but urgent. "Ji-Won… you have to hurry…" His hand pointed shakily toward the cliff. "He... he fell..."
Without a second thought, Andrew rushed to the cliff's edge, his heart in his throat as he looked down into the abyss below. The waves slammed mercilessly against the rocks, the sight making his stomach turn. He strained his eyes, hoping—praying—for any sign of Ji-Won. But nothing. Just darkness.
Before he could act, James grabbed his arm, weak but desperate. "Andrew…" he croaked. "Don't... Think."
Andrew's mind was spiraling. His body was on the brink of collapse, but the urge to save Ji-Won, to do something, was stronger. He tugged at his hair, trying to ground himself. "I can't just stand here! Ji-Won's down there!" His voice was tight with desperation, and his feet began to pace along the cliff's edge. His heart was screaming to jump, to do anything, but his body couldn't make the leap yet.
And then—there it was. A narrow, treacherous trail down the side of the cliff, barely visible against the rugged rocks. In his frantic search for any sign of help, James spotted the path and quickly pointed it out to Andrew. One wrong step, and Andrew could tumble to his death. But none of that mattered.
Without a second thought, Andrew moved, positioning himself at the edge and beginning the descent. Every step was careful, calculated, but his body was fueled by a single thought—"I must save Ji-Won."
"Andrew! Be careful!" James's voice was faint, but Andrew could hear the underlying fear. "God, I'm going to die from stress before I die from blood loss at this rate…" he muttered nervously, watching Andrew's reckless attempts to reach Ji-Won.
"Shut up!" Andrew snapped, his voice rough with both fear and determination. "Don't waste your energy. Call Secretary Choi and get yourself treated! I'm going after Ji-Won."
James tried to chuckle, but it came out as a tortured groan. "Just... be careful you stupid."
Ignoring him, Andrew focused solely on the treacherous path ahead. Each step felt like an eternity. His mind, his heart, his entire being was consumed with one single thought: "I must save Ji-Won."
***
Meanwhile, in the mansion, the Vice Chairman and Chairman sat huddled in the study, their faces etched with worry. Youn-Jae stood beside them, his body tense, his gaze darting repeatedly toward the door as the chaos outside intensified. Mr. Kim was busy giving orders to the security team, his voice steady but urgent. Secretary Choi and Min, equally focused, were helping to coordinate with the other personnel, directing them to secure the guests and maintain order. The air in the room was thick with tension and uncertainty, the weight of the situation pressing down on them all as the sounds of panic echoed from beyond the walls.
Then, the sharp buzz of Secretary Choi's phone sliced through the heavy stillness. He glanced down, his eyes widening as he saw the caller ID: James. Without a moment's hesitation, he slid the phone open, his heart pounding in his chest.
"James? Where are you and Andrew?" Secretary Choi's voice remained steady, but there was an unmistakable tremor beneath the surface, a trace of the fear that had begun to rise.
James's voice crackled through the phone, strained and punctuated by shallow, labored breaths. Each word seemed to cost him more effort. "The... gunman..." He faltered, his voice trembling, as if each syllable brought more agony. "Ji-Won... he was shot... and fell off the cliff. Andrew's... trying to get to him..." His words were broken, filled with panic and pain, as though the very act of speaking threatened to unravel him completely.
The blood drained from Secretary Choi's face, his pulse thundering in his ears as he struggled to comprehend the words. The shock hit him like a physical blow, rendering him momentarily paralyzed. "Ji-Won?!" His voice cracked, raw with disbelief and terror, the words slipping from him unbidden. His hand trembled as it tightened around the phone, and before he could stop himself, he shouted the name again, his breath ragged, his mind consumed by panic.
Youn-Jae, who had been attending to his father in the same room, snapped his head toward Secretary Choi at the mention of Ji-Won's name. The room, the conversation—everything he had been focused on just moments before—evaporated in an instant. Panic surged in his chest, tightening like a vice. A sharp, gnawing feeling of dread sank deep into his ribs, and he could almost taste the bitterness of it. Ji-Won—he had been here, in the mansion, just a short time ago—and now, everything had gone wrong. The memory of Ji-Won running away earlier flooded his mind, and the unease that had gripped him then now seemed like a mere hint of what was to come. His heart pounded violently against his ribs, and his thoughts spiraled in a desperate, frantic race.
"What happened?!" Youn-Jae's voice was fierce and demanding, cutting through the heavy air like a whip. He didn't wait for an answer before he rushed forward, grabbing Secretary Choi by the collar, pulling him close, his eyes wild with fear and desperation. "Tell me what happened to Ji-Won!" His voice was low, almost a growl, but raw with emotion, the weight of his fear and panic seeping through every syllable.
Secretary Choi, still clutching the phone to his ear, could feel the grip tighten painfully, but he didn't break his focus. James's faint voice was still audible on the line, but all else was drowned out by the tension in the room. He swallowed hard, trying to steady his breathing. His voice shook as he relayed the information, his gaze never leaving Youn-Jae.
"Ji-Won... he was shot and fell off the cliff. Andrew's already there, trying to save him."
The room seemed to freeze in that moment. Time stretched out, the words hanging in the air like a suffocating fog. And then, chaos erupted.
The Vice Chairman's eyes went wide with horror. "Andrew? He's on the cliff?" His voice cracked, filled with disbelief and rising panic. His normally composed features were now contorted with fear. He turned to the Chairman, whose face had gone pale, his usually stoic demeanor crumbling.
Youn-Jae didn't wait for further details. His mind was already consumed by the thought of Ji-Won, the urgency clouding all reason. Without a second thought, he released Secretary Choi and bolted from the room, his feet pounding hard against the floor, a blur of frantic movement. His chest heaved, and his breath came in shallow gasps as he ran, his body moving on sheer instinct, pushing himself beyond his limits. Every muscle screamed in protest, but it didn't matter. He couldn't stop. He had to get to Ji-Won.
Outside, the night was thick with fear. Guests were still scattering in every direction, their screams and cries barely registering in Youn-Jae's ears. He didn't notice them. He couldn't. His focus was solely on the cliff. He stumbled as his legs threatened to give out, nearly tripping over his own feet, but he forced himself back up and pushed forward. His heart raced, the pounding of his pulse deafening, each step sending a shockwave of fear through him. His lungs burned with exertion, but the fear of losing Ji-Won—of arriving too late—kept him moving, kept him fighting through the pain.
The closer he got to the edge, the more frantic he became. His mind screamed at him to hurry, to make it in time, but his legs felt as if they were moving through quicksand. Every step was agony, each one stretching out like an eternity, the weight of what he might find at the cliff edge crushing him.
***
"Shit!" James cursed through gritted teeth, feeling the bullet dig deeper into his shoulder. The pain flared, sharp and unrelenting, but his eyes never left the distant figures: Youn-Jae and the others, racing toward the cliff, their frantic movements clear even from a distance. Sweat trickled down his face, his breath shallow as Secretary Choi skidded to a halt beside him.
"You're bleeding too much!" Secretary Choi's voice cracked with concern as he placed a steadying hand on James's uninjured shoulder, his eyes scanning the blood-soaked fabric of his shirt. Worry etched deeply across his face.
James grimaced, pressing his hand tighter to his shoulder, the pain searing through him. "How's my father?" His voice was ragged, each word tinged with a mixture of pain and anxiety.
"They're safe," Secretary Choi reassured quickly, his eyes darting toward the mansion. "Everyone's secured in the safe room. You don't need to worry about them. We need to get you to the hospital."
James's gaze shifted, his heart pounding faster, now filled with dread. "What about Andrew?" His voice cracked with fear, his stomach tightening at the thought of Andrew, out there alone on the cliff. "it's dangerous there"
Secretary Choi glanced toward the distant woods; his jaw set in determination. "Youn-Jae, the Vice Chairman, and the security team are on their way to help, but you need medical attention, James. You've lost too much blood. We can't wait any longer."
James's eyes lingered on the path to the woods, the gut-wrenching fear gnawing at him. His body screamed for rest, but his heart refused to let him stop. "Damn it..." he muttered, frustrated and powerless, as his hands clumsily ripped his shirt to tie a makeshift bandage around his shoulder, the blood soaking through almost immediately. His grip on the phone tightened as he clung to the faint hope that Andrew would call.
"Come on," Secretary Choi urged, his tone firm and urgent as he supported James toward the car's direction. James staggered, his vision blurring with each step, but his eyes were locked on the distant cliff. He couldn't let go—not while Andrew was out there, risking everything.
With a final, painful glance over his shoulder, James whispered hoarsely, "Andrew... please be careful don't die"
And with that, Secretary Choi helped him into the car as they reach it, praying that somehow, Andrew would return, and that Ji-Won would survive.
***
The wind was vicious, a biting cold that sank deep into Andrew's bones, but sweat soaked his body as his heart raced with adrenaline. His every muscle was taut with the urgency of the moment. He could feel time slipping away, each passing second pushing him closer to the edge of despair. The air tasted salty, the waves crashing violently against the cliffs below. His breath came in quick, shallow bursts as he carefully inched forward, the sharp rocks beneath him slick with seawater.
"Shit!" Andrew cursed under his breath as his foot slipped, sending his body lurching forward. His hands scrabbled desperately for purchase, but the jagged rocks tore at his skin. Pain shot through him, but he bit back a scream, his mind screaming at him to hold on. The wind howled, pushing against him as if the earth itself wanted him to fall.
With a grunt of effort, Andrew finally managed to steady himself, trembling not from fear, but from the raw drive to save Ji-Won. He couldn't—he wouldn't let him die here, not like this.
His feet finally found some purchase, but the rock was slick and unyielding. He kicked off his shoes without thinking, eyes scanning frantically for any sign of Ji-Won.
"Where are you?" he murmured to himself, his panic growing. The silence that followed seemed to mock him, and his chest tightened with dread.
Without a moment's hesitation, Andrew dove into the freezing water below. The shock of the cold was immediate, stealing his breath as the current pulled at him. He fought against it with every ounce of strength, swimming deeper, his eyes stinging from the saltwater, but all that mattered was finding Ji-Won.
His muscles screamed, but he pressed on, moving through the murky depths. Then—there. A shadow in the distance, unmistakable despite the darkness.
It was Ji-Won.
Andrew's heart froze. He pushed through the icy grip of fear, reaching out with numb fingers, feeling the coldness of Ji-Won's limp hand. Blood stained the water, and panic surged through Andrew's chest. For a moment, he feared it was too late—but he refused to let that thought take root.
Come on... come on," Andrew thought, screaming inwardly.
He hauled Ji-Won toward him, clinging to the lifeless form. The struggle to swim back to the surface was brutal. His lungs burned, but the weight of Ji-Won's body only spurred him on. With every stroke, he fought for both of them, refusing to stop.
Finally, breaking the surface, Andrew gasped for air, but there was no time for relief. He swam with everything he had left, pushing himself toward the rocks.
Exhausted, he managed to pull Ji-Won onto a flat ledge, collapsing beside him, his body shaking uncontrollably. "Ji-Won," he rasped, his voice breaking, shaking Ji-Won gently. "Don't do this... wake up." His hands were covered in cuts and blood, but he didn't care. He needed Ji-Won to wake up, to fight.
The story doesn't end here...
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