“I kept calling, but couldn’t get through.”

Entering the house, Jeho apologized. Yuri smiled brightly, as if to say everything was fine.

“Stop calling. We have a guest.”

Ending the call with Minwoo, Yuri rushed to Jeho and hugged him tightly. Jeho wore a puzzled expression at the enthusiastic welcome. He thought he might say something about entering without calling first.

“This welcome feels unfamiliar. Did you miss me so much after just one day?”

“Yes, a day felt like a year.”

Yuri wrapped her arms around Jeho’s neck and kissed him, rare for her to initiate a kiss. Jeho seemed a bit surprised at first but soon deepened the kiss by cupping her face with both hands.

“Yuri…”

After a while, he parted their lips and softly called her name.

“Let’s go to the bedroom.”

Yuri shyly smiled and buried her face in Jeho’s chest.

That’s when it happened.

Bang!

A loud noise echoed from somewhere. Bang, bang, bang! Followed by consecutive sounds, as if something was breaking. It sounded as if it were right next door. Then, not long after, beep, beep, beep—the sound of pressing the password—accompanied the opening of the front door.

“What are you doing?”

Shouting, Jeho put Yuri down and turned around. Minwoo, with bloodshot eyes, was rushing towards them, swinging his fists. However, before he could lay a hand on them, Jeho grabbed his arm and forced him to the ground.

“Let go! Don’t let go of this! Hey, what are you guys doing? Don’t just stand there, beat the bastard!”

Minwoo yelled towards the entrance while his face was pressed against the floor. Then, the front door opened, and two unfamiliar men entered.

The men with short hair were dressed in black suits and wore sunglasses. Jeho let go of Minwoo, hiding Yuri behind him. In the current situation, protecting Yuri took precedence over dealing with Minwoo.

“Who are you people?”

Jeho glared at the men in black suits. Minwoo, who had risen from the floor, sneered and casually brushed off his jacket’s shoulders.

“What’s up? The grim reapers who’ll take you away. How dare you mess with my woman? Hey, what are you waiting for? Beat the bastard.”

“Yes.”

The men in black suits quickly approached Jeho. However, before taking a few steps, the front door opened again, and Chief Secretary Kim and a group of bodyguards entered.

“What’s going on again?”

Minwoo’s face contorted unexpectedly at the unforeseen situation. The men in black suits also looked confused and stopped their actions, glancing at Minwoo.

“Director Kwon Minwoo.”

Approaching Minwoo, Chief Secretary Kim bowed his head with a flushed face.

“Come with me. Representative Chae is requesting a meeting.”
Behind Chief Secretary Kim were five bodyguards, and when glancing down the corridor, there were about three people waiting outside. As the numerical disadvantage became apparent, the men in black suits subtly began to retreat towards the entrance.

“Hey! Where are you guys going again? Hey!”

When Minwoo called them, the men quickly walked out of the apartment. Left alone, Chief Secretary Kim signaled to the bodyguards. They approached Minwoo from both sides, holding his arms under their armpits, preventing any resistance.

“Are these people crazy? You’re not letting me go? Hey!”

Minwoo struggled with all his might, but it was insufficient to break free from the firmly held arms. Chief Secretary Kim lowered his head towards Yuri and Jeho, signaling the bodyguards to take Minwoo out of the apartment.

“They’re all dead. What are you doing now, kidnapping a perfectly fine person?”

Even after the door closed, Minwoo’s shouting continued. As everything quieted down, Yuri, who had her face buried in Jeho’s back, cautiously looked around.

In just a short moment, the house was in chaos. Footprints imprinted on the floor, especially, caught her attention and furrowed her brows.

“I’m sorry for not telling you sooner…”

Yuri spoke as she headed to the utility room to get a mop.

“I wasn’t sure of anything. I thought Jeho might worry for no reason.”

But before she could take a few steps, Jeho grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms.

“Later. Just stay still for now.”

Unaware, whether it was due to the tension releasing or not, Yuri’s body trembled like a bamboo in the wind. In Jeho’s eyes, her appearance might have seemed precarious. Yuri took a deep breath.

“How could I not expect Minwoo to do this?”

“…I wasn’t sure. But it seems like my father found out something.”

Yuri whispered with a trembling voice. Jeho, still holding her, led her to the sofa. After making her sit down, he went to the kitchen, prepared hot cocoa, and returned.

“Drink this and calm down.”

Handing Yuri a mug, Jeho said. Yuri slowly sipped the hot cocoa and continued.

“About a year ago, something similar happened.”

Starting from when Minwoo first visited the apartment, Yuri explained in detail, including the feeling of someone entering her house yesterday, which led her to seek help from Chief Secretary Kim.

“In truth, my father came recently, and he seemed to sense something.”