Chapter 24
Ryu Chan was tapping impatiently on the steering wheel.
He was this close to storming into that shady bar himself. A sharp sigh slipped past his lips as he rolled down the window, letting the night air in. The breeze was cool against his skin, but it couldn't quite soothe the pounding in his chest.
His eyes flicked to the sky - starless, blank, oppressive.
"You better be safe," he muttered.
A sudden stench wafted in, sharp and sour. He recoiled with a wince, reaching to wind the window back up, only to freeze when a hand shot through the opening.
"Stop."
Ryu Chan's eyes widened. "Shim Eun Wol?!"
The man outside didn't even blink. He rolled his eyes, face tight with nerves, and rapped his knuckles against the door. "Open up. Now."
Ryu Chan opened his mouth to argue but shut it again.
There was something brittle in Eun Wol's tone. Something that made even sarcasm feel too heavy.
Eun Wol climbed in fast, yanking the door shut like he was trying to keep the whole damn world out. His chest rose and fell too quickly, breath sharp and uneven.
Ryu Chan stared for exactly three seconds. Then, because silence made him itch.
"Did you take a shower in a trash bin?"
Eun Wol didn't look at him. "Shut up."
"Just saying. If you're trying to go undercover as literal garbage, it's working. Proud of you."
That earned him a glare. Eun Wol's jaw was tight, eyes dull with exhaustion but there was still a flicker of sharpness there. It was enough to ease the knot in Ryu Chan's chest. Just a little.
"Do you want to explain why the hell you're here?" Ryu Chan asked, his voice edged with impatience.
"I, uh…" Eun Wol turned to the window. "There wasn't much update from him. So I decided to go."
"I'm guessing you found Gyu In?"
A stiff nod. Enough said.
"And why are you here, but not with him?"
Eun Wol's grip tightened on his pants. "There was a party. I told him to leave with me, but… he didn't want to."
Ryu Chan glanced sideways.
Eun Wol wasn't looking at him. Jaw tight, expression unreadable. But his shoulders slumped just enough to show it: guilt.
Ryu Chan sighed and leaned back. "If he actually came out with you… he wouldn't be the Gyu In I know."
Eun Wol looked at him then.
"When he sets his mind to something," Ryu Chan continued, voice low, "he doesn't stop halfway. Even if he's bleeding. So what did you manage to find?"
"There were a lot of rooms, but most were locked. Too few people moving around."
"Not even guards?"
"No, but too many cameras. It was hard finding a blind spot."
"Other than Gyu In, who else did you see?" Ryu Chan's tone sharpened, somehow he knew Eun Wol was still holding back.
"My sister."
"You saw your sister?!" Ryu Chan whipped his head around, then immediately grimaced as the smell hit him again. "What the hell is she doing there?"
"I don't know." Eun Wol rubbed the bridge of his nose, eyes closed. "She was drinking, talking to some people. I tried to follow her, but got blocked. By the time I broke free, she was gone. The second time I saw her was when Gyu In tried to follow."
"So Gyu In saw her too?" Ryu Chan said, almost in awe. "Guess it was fated. Hopefully he'll come out soon. Because you seriously need a shower."
"One more question."
"You're really noisy."
"How did you get in?"
Eun Wol flinched at the memory.
The fall into the trash bin, the tunnel pipe, the moldy storage room's toilet.
"Trash tunnel pipe," he said flatly, lifting his head as if daring Ryu Chan to mock him.
Ryu Chan turned back to face the front, nose wrinkling.
"If the car rental place asks for compensation for the smell, I'm charging it to you."
*
Yoo In Hwa's heels clicked softly against the concrete floor as she guided him past the back door, her perfume trailing faintly behind. The hallway narrowed, dim and unadorned, the muffled thump of bass growing louder with each step.
"This way," she said, glancing over her shoulder with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
They stopped before a heavy metal door at the end of the corridor. A faint tremor in the floorboards carried through his shoes, basslines so deep they felt like a second heartbeat. Yoo In Hwa pressed her palm against the door, leaning close as if she were about to share a secret, then pushed it open.
The sound hit first. A sudden swell of music and voices, layered with the sharp tang of alcohol and smoke. Lights in deep crimson and electric blue pulsed against the walls, throwing the room into a slow, dizzy rhythm.
It was nothing like the polished opulence of the front bar. This was a world beneath it coiled and alive. An underground current where rules bent and dissolved. The crowd was tight, fluid, laughing too loud, speaking too close.
Yoo In Hwa stepped inside with practiced ease, slipping between bodies like she belonged there. Gyu In followed, gaze sweeping over the chaos. The scent of sweat and spilt liquor clung to the air, but underneath it was something sharper.
He'd seen enough places like this to know the danger wasn't in the noise. But the quiet corners where eyes lingered too long. And tonight, he had no earpiece. No voice in his ear telling him when to pull back.
Only himself.
"I didn't know there was a hidden gem like this," Gyu In said casually, eyes scanning the room. "Feels like a whole new world. Why keep it so well-hidden?"
Yoo In Hwa smiled, a hint of amusement threading her voice. "This is reserved for our most valuable VIPs. And you, Mr. Kim Gyu In, is honored to be one of them."
Gyu In gave a charming wink. "You really know how to flatter a guy. I appreciate it." His gaze wandered, sharp and restless. "So, just the usual party then? Mingling, making connections? I think I spot a few familiar faces already."
"Oh! I think I spotted him." Yoo In Hwa excused herself lightly. "Let me get him. Do wait for me, wouldn't want you to get lost again."
As soon as she left, Gyu In's smile remained but his eyes shifted, razor-focused. He moved through the crowd like a shadow cutting through current, expression easy but every sense alert. A cluster of suited men lingered near the bar, their laughter sharp and brittle, eyes darting nervously. Important, but uneasy. Someone had stirred the pot recently.
Then he saw another man.
Do Yoon Su. Leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching him like a hawk waiting to strike.
They're watching me.
Gyu In's jaw tightened, though his face stayed relaxed. No reason to give them the satisfaction of seeing the hunt.
He drifted closer to the center, letting his ear catch fragments of conversation.
"…shipment next week. Big one."
"L.D.Y's been caught slipping through the cracks."
"He was removed. What about those few flowers we had?"
"As popular as they can be."
Gyu In frowned slightly, piecing it together.
"We need to be careful of one, though."
"Who?"
"Eun Bin. Someone's been seen around her… more often than we like. We can't have her slipping."
His heart clenched at the name, but he forced it down. Not yet. Not here.
Yoo In Hwa's eyes flicked toward him again, sharp and unreadable. He raised an eyebrow, sending her a slow, deliberate smile.
A silent challenge.
Gyu In stepped forward, closing the distance with deliberate calm.
"Hello," he greeted, offering a hand. His gaze flicked briefly to Yoo In Hwa. "Is this the one you wanted to introduce me to? I'm Kim Gyu In, vice president of VALHEN."
The man raised a brow, clearly taken aback by Gyu In's forwardness. Then a slow smile curved his lips.
"So bold," Do Yoon Su said smoothly, shaking his hand. "I'm Do Yoon Su. Pleasure to finally meet the renowned Kim Gyu In in person."
His smirk deepened, eyes narrowing as they held Gyu In's. "So, Mr Kim, what brings you to our little corner of the city? Looking to play nice or shake things up?"
Gyu In's tone stayed even, calm, measured. "Depends on what game you're running here. I'm not interested in playing by someone else's rules."
Yoo In Hwa stepped forward, her tone smooth but edged with steel. "Do Yoon Su, don't scare off our guest so soon. We're just trying to see if he fits, if he's worth the invitation."
Do Yoon Su chuckled, though his gaze never wavered. "One question. Just how far are you willing to go to protect what matters most to you?"
Gyu In's lips curved into a faint, confident smile. His voice came quiet, deliberate. "As far as it takes. And I don't need reminders."
Her eyes glinted with a mix of amusement and warning as she stepped closer, her perfume sharp and sweet between them.
Do Yoon Su folded his arms, smirk never fading. "But I have to admit," he said, leaning in slightly, "there's something intriguing about you. Not many walk into the lion's den with such confidence."
"Confidence comes from knowing what's worth fighting for," Gyu In replied. "And I intend to win."
Yoo In Hwa's eyes gleamed, a flicker of approval in them. "Then maybe you're exactly the kind of player we need."
A silence stretched, thick with unspoken challenges.
"Welcome to the real game, Mr Kim," Do Yoon Su said finally. "Let's see if you're as unstoppable as they say."
Invitation or trap? The question lingered as their words sank in. Gyu In could feel them measuring him, deciding whether to draw him in or cut him loose.
He met Do Yoon Su's gaze. I'm not theirs—not yet. Maybe never.
Yoo In Hwa smiled faintly. "We don't give second chances. You're either in, or you're out."
Do Yoon Su leaned in, voice low. "Your choice, Kim Gyu In. But once you step inside, the game changes."
"I'm no one's pawn," Gyu In said. "But I'm listening. Entertain me."
"That's the thing," Yoo In Hwa replied, her tone like silk over steel. "You'll only know the game when you're fully in. We don't force. Come back when you know what you want."
Her smile didn't waver as Do Yoon Su gestured toward the exit. "We'll have someone escort you out. It's been… enlightening."
Gyu In nodded, eyes still sharp as he followed the guide out, mind already churning through the implications.
But the moment he stepped out of the bar, he broke into a run.
Eun Wol. Did he find Ryu Chan? Is he safe?
His chest eased when he spotted the car parked where it was supposed to be. Through the window, he saw Eun Wol slumped in the back seat, exhaustion written all over his face.
He opened the door and gagged immediately. "What the hell happened to the car? It reeks like someone threw up in here."
"Your darling here climbed through a trash tunnel," Ryu Chan said dryly. "What a majestic move."
Gyu In blinked at Eun Wol, who looked too tired to even react.
"Ah."