Chapter 169 - Surrounded
"Are we really allowed to be this peaceful...?"
I asked Seoyoung, who had her hand on my shoulder with a worried look, completely unable to grasp the situation outside.
After showering with Seoyoung, I was now watching TV in Hayoung-nim's room, clean and refreshed.
Since I couldn't hear a single sound... anxiety kept washing over me...
"Ssh- The order I received from Hayoung-unni was to protect you. I'm currently carrying out that order—"
Seoyoung stroked my hair, her expression telling me not to worry.
"Uhh... I understand..."
Seeing the unwavering look in Seoyoung's eyes, telling me to just trust her, I managed to ease my worries, even if just a little.
"That aside... our Minseo, once this is all over and things calm down a bit... is there anything you want to do?"
Seoyoung glanced at me with a playful smile.
"Something I want to do...?"
I was a bit flustered by her sudden question, but... I soon started thinking about it carefully.
She probably brought this up to change the subject and calm me down.
Considering I couldn't even enjoy a proper hobby while playing the role of a police spy...
I couldn't really think of anything I wanted to do...
"What, you don't know?"
Seoyoung asked again as I was lost in thought.
"Yeah... I guess not..."
"Then, how about I recommend something?"
Seeing Seoyoung grinning mischievously... I knew she was definitely going to suggest something weird...
"...What is it?"
"An adult toy shop. Hehehe-"
Seoyoung burst out laughing, as if even she found her own suggestion hilarious.
"What...? Why would I...?"
"You've used plenty of them. I'm just recommending based on your extensive experience-"
Seoyoung teased me, looking like she was dying of laughter...
"Hey, damn it-"
I couldn't control my face, flushed with shame, and weakly pushed Seoyoung.
This woman... she really loves teasing me.
"Oh my- Pushing an executive? Come here-"
Seoyoung made a face like "that won't do" and started squeezing my chest-
"Ugh- I'm sorry-!! I'm sorry-!"
I was pinned under Seoyoung, struggling pathetically and blurting out apologies.
While Seoyoung and I were messing around like that...
Time slipped away, helplessly...
Yawn... when I wake up, it'll all be over, right...
I felt my eyelids growing heavy...
Before I knew it, Seoyoung and I had fallen asleep, heads resting together.
BANG-!!
What woke Seoyoung and me up was...
The sound of the door being kicked open violently, followed by the frantic shout of a security guard.
"Seoyoung-nim-!!! We have a huge problem-!!"
At the security guard's urgent words-
Seoyoung and I both snapped our eyes open automatically...
While I was still in a daze, unable to grasp the situation-
"What's going on..."
Seoyoung asked the guard, her expression now deadly serious.
"Right now... right now... the police are swarming the mansion like crazy. Please evacuate quickly-!"
At the guard's words, the scene outside the door was...
Absolute chaos.
Several police cars were driving into the mansion's garden, sirens blaring...
And the security guards were gritting their teeth, trying to hold them off.
Damn it... what the hell is going on...
How... do they know about Hayoung-nim's mansion...??
My mind went blank in the chaos... I couldn't do anything, just trembling with fear...
"Kang Minseo-!!!"
I snapped back to reality at Seoyoung's shout, which nearly tore my eardrums.
"Huu.. haa.."
"Get a grip. Just stay behind me. Understand?!"
Even in this chaos, Seoyoung remained calm and gently grabbed my arm.
"Yes..!"
I shook my head, slapped both cheeks hard, and steadied my breathing.
I was extremely flustered by the sudden turn of events.
I had been sleeping soundly with Minseo just moments ago...
At the guard's urgent shout-
My mind snapped awake...
And from that moment on, I started organizing the situation in my head.
Hwayeon and the police have joined forces.
But the police's target wasn't the meeting place where the appointment with Hwayeon was set...
It was this... mansion where Minseo and I are.
Setting aside how the mansion was exposed...
Why---??
Just to catch the two of us and use us as hostages...?
Would they really bring this many officers for that...?
It doesn't make sense.
Then what on earth...
I suddenly had an unsettling thought and turned to look at Minseo.
What if the target was never the Baekhwa organization from the start, but Kang Minseo...?
Like Seo Jiyu... if the target is simply Kang Minseo...
Then it makes sense.
And the action I need to take was also decided.
Protect Kang Minseo at all costs.
I shouted at Minseo, who was trembling in shock.
To get a grip.
This is no time for that. We have to get out of here quickly.
Minseo came to his senses at my words and started following me.
BANG-!
THUD-!!!
THUD- THUD-!
With deafening roars and noise, smoke billowed out, turning the mansion into a scene of chaos...
When we stepped out of the room, the security guards had already been pushed back by countless police officers...
And the entrance to the mansion... had been breached with ease.
"Hey- There they are-!! Catch them-!!"
The police were quickly coming up the stairs, trying to grab us...
Phew- I composed myself-
Protect Kang Minseo.
With that one thought, I grabbed the stair railing and delivered a fierce flying kick to the officer coming up.
WHOOSH-
THWACK-!!
My leg sliced through the air and hit the officer's neck precisely... the officer rolled down the stairs and collapsed.
"You damn bitches-! Come at me, all of you. I'll kill every last one of you-!"
I roared and started beating the officers one by one.
I watched them swing their batons, dodging each one and immediately counterattacking.
Every straight punch I threw sent officers vomiting blood and tumbling down...
The top of the stairs I was guarding was truly... an impregnable fortress.
THWACK-!!
"Ugh-!"
THUMP-
"Argh-!"
THUD-
"Aaaah-!!"
I used my fists and feet to single-handedly hold off the officers who kept coming like madmen.
"Huff- huff-"
But I'm human too.
I couldn't handle the officers swarming in like a tsunami forever...
And my stamina was reaching its limit...
So... run.
Run, Minseo-ya.
"Minseo-ya- huff- huff- listen carefully-"
"Seoyoung-niim...!"
Minseo was standing next to me, teary-eyed, stomping his feet, looking lost...
"There's a secret exit in the closet... in the room at the far right on the third floor. Escape through there."
"What about you, Seoyoung-nim..."
THWACK-!!
I continued, struggling to throw another punch.
"I'll follow you... go first-!!"
That was when it happened.
CLAP-!
CLAP- CLAP-CLAP-!
"You could be filming a movie, couldn't you?"
A thunderous round of applause echoed as the police chief, wearing a neat uniform with the corner of her mouth curled up, walked over leisurely.
Yoon Seol.
At her appearance, everyone stopped what they were doing...
I too glared at her, as if I wanted to kill her.
Damn it- haa- haa- so you were the mastermind behind all this...
"Nice to meet you? Seoyoung-ssi?"
Yoon Seol looked back and forth between me and Minseo at the top of the stairs and smirked-
"Damn it- tell everyone to get the hell out of here-"
I spat out profanities and threatened her...
But would that even work...
Drenched in sweat and panting, there was no way my words would have any effect.
Naturally, Yoon Seol-
"Why would I? I'm about to catch Seoyoung-ssi and Minseo-ssi now."
Yoon Seol shrugged and smiled brightly.
Haa... I really want to kill her.
Seeing Yoon Seol smiling so brightly in this situation... I really felt like I wanted to crush her face.
This is fucked up. Seriously.
"You seem tired already... let's end this."
Yoon Seol's smiling face suddenly hardened-
And in the blink of an eye, she started charging up the stairs.
Seeing Yoon Seol's insanely fast speed... I realized it.
This bitch... she's no ordinary person.
She knows how to fight.
With police behind her and Yoon Seol charging without hesitation, the only judgment I could make was...
"Run-!!! Minseo-ya-!!"
To run upward together.
"Huff- huff-"
I went up to the end of the right hallway with Minseo...
Now, there were only rooms there, with no visible escape path.
Except for the secret route.
"Seoyoung-nim.. if we run away together now..."
"No. If we run away together, we'll get caught. Someone has to buy time."
I steadied my breathing and called Hayoung.
Please... I hope she knows this is an emergency.
The signal went through...
Click-
[Seoyoung-ah-!!! Are you okay-?]
Along with Hayoung's urgent voice-
"Oh my- You're fast."
Yoon Seol, who had already approached right in front of me, was warming up her neck as she walked over.
"Haa.. while I buy time.. you take the phone and run away to call for help, okay."
"Please.. let's go together-!"
Leaving Minseo's tearful voice behind-
I charged at Yoon Seol with all my might.
WHOOSH-!!
My fist, slicing through the air fiercely,
Yoon Seol easily ducked to avoid it...
THUMP-
In the blink of an eye-
She struck my chin hard.
Ugh-
I, already drained of strength, fell backward...
But... damn it, I have to buy more time..
I struggled to raise my guard and stood back up.
Bleeding.
"You're working hard."
Yoon Seol made a face like I was struggling in vain and started coming closer.
Protect Minseo. That's the order Hayoung gave me.
I'm just carrying out my superior's orders.
Looking only at Yoon Seol-
I threw my fist fiercely.
Face-
Abdomen-
I threw sharp punches several times, but...
Yoon Seol was also... specialized in fighting.
SWOOSH-
DUCK-
DUCK-
She easily avoided my insanely fast punches, and then-
Just like that-
She drove a powerful punch into my abdomen.
"Ugh..."
I vomited blood and fell to my knees...
Haa.. haa.. my consciousness was fading now.
Please.. Minseo-ya.. run.. far.. far away..
"Don't worry. Minseo will be caught soon."
Yoon Seol, who had grabbed me by the hair, took a stance to throw the final punch...
Ha... this is fucking tiring.. I want to rest now.. I really do..
With that thought as my last, in my fading consciousness...
"HAAAAAA-!!!! Get the hell out of here-!!!"
It sounded like it would tear my ears apart... a thunderous, familiar roar.
Wha.. what.. I told you.. to run away..
I looked back...
That man, Minseo, flew through the air and drove his knee precisely into Yoon Seol's face.
THWACK-!!!
In a situation no one expected...
When everyone was frozen in place-
"Seoyoung-nim, please take care of things this time too. You're stronger than me, Seoyoung-nim. Run away quickly."
Around Minseo, who was smiling brightly, a smoke bomb that had fallen from somewhere started hissing and spewing smoke...
HISSSSSS-!!!
The gas spread rapidly... and Minseo's bright smile... began to fade into the smoke.
"Argh-!"
"Catch Kang Minseo first-!!"
Watching the officers come running through the smoke...
"Kang-Min-Seo-!!"
I screamed desperately.
HISSS-!!
HISSS-!!!!
How many more smoke bombs did he set off.
The insanely thick smoke covered the entire hallway...
"The one they're after is me!!! If you don't want both of us to get caught, hurry-! Run away-!!"
At Minseo's urgent shout, I had no choice but to bite my lip hard and start running like crazy.
I cannot let Minseo's sacrifice be in vain.
Yes.. because that thing is there... it'll be okay.. please..
You damn bitches... Yoon Seol, I will definitely kill you.
Covered in blood... I entered the secret passage and ran, and ran again.
Until I lost consciousness..
Until... my legs wouldn't move anymore..
And so.. Seoyoung collapsed in a certain alleyway.