Chapter 98.

It was mentioned that Woojin returned to the workplace after having lunch with Eejun. Shin additionally bought a textual content message from Woojin that day about assembly up after work. However when the workhour was over, Woojin was nowhere to be seen. Shin waited within the basement parking zone, and when Woojin didn’t present up, he went again as much as Woojin’s division.

The workplace was empty and Shin nonetheless couldn’t get ahold of Woojin. That evening, Woojin by no means returned house. Shin didn’t get any sleep in any respect, ready of their house.

Shin believed Woojin would return, and he saved calling, however there was no reply from Woojin. Shin despatched a textual content each hour, however all of them remained unread. It was a residing hell for Shin.

Woojin had disappeared. He didn’t go to work. He didn’t return house. It was as if he by no means existed.

Shin requested Siwoo, “How are you?”

“…”

“Did you hear from Jihoon Kang but?”

That day when Woojin disappeared, Jihoon had enterprise conferences all afternoon outdoors of the workplace. The following morning, Shin obtained a name from Siwoo. Siwoo’s voice was trembling when he mentioned to Shin, “Jihoon Kang hasn’t returned house. He isn’t answering my calls both.”

Shin inhaled deeply. Each Woojin and Jihoon disappeared out of the blue. One thing was clearly happening.

Siwoo replied, “No.”

“Did you eat something?”

“No.”

“Await me. I shall be there.”

Siwoo didn’t know a lot about Jihoon. All he knew had been that he was Woojin’s cousin and that his mom had been sick for a very long time. So when Jihoon disappeared, Siwoo panicked, and Shin realized one thing.

“Siwoo, are you relationship Jihoon Kang?”

When Siwoo didn’t reply, Shin didn’t prod. Their precedence now was to seek out Woojin and Jihoon. After they had been discovered, Shin knew Siwoo would clarify every part to him.

Shin instructed Siwoo a abstract of what he knew about Woojin and his state of affairs.

How Woojin’s father was murdered. The way it was initially suspected that Jihoon’s mom was the one behind this crime. How Joowan Kim was related on this sophisticated household state of affairs.

Siwoo didn’t say a lot. Shin requested, “Did Jihoon Kang actually not inform you something?”

“He didn’t.”

“…”

“That fool by no means talked about Joowan Kim’s identify in entrance of me.”

Siwoo didn’t even know that Joowan was one of many heirs to Hana Prescription drugs. His voice trembled as he requested Shin, “If… they had been kidnapped…”

“… Siwoo…”

“Then what ought to we do, Shin?”

Shin didn’t wish to give it some thought. Proper now, what he wanted to do was concentrate on discovering the place Woojin was. Shin swiftly picked up his coat on the mattress and appeared across the room. Apart from lacking Woojin, it appeared the identical. It appeared regular, however for some purpose, every part appeared dimmer.

He whispered, “The place are you Woojin…”

Shin thought maybe his dream was telling him one thing. Woojin Choi waited for Shin for a very long time, and now, it was Shin’s flip to attend. Love appeared in disguise typically. At first, it could seem like a coincidence, however in time, it usually turned clear that it was destiny.

***

Woojin felt like his head was going to blow up. He lifted his hand to the touch it, then out of the blue seen the outdated scar on his wrist. It was an unsightly damage, and though it was sutured nicely, the cuts had been deep and the scars had been ugly. The unusual factor was that Woojin didn’t thoughts the scars as a lot as he used to.

Woojin questioned the place his bracelet was. He sat up, attempting to search for it when he realized that he was in a wierd room. The odor of lavender was overwhelming.

“…”

Woojin sighed and appeared round. He was sure he had by no means been right here earlier than. The place did Eejun carry him? Woojin felt weak and when he tried to face up, his toes harm. His physique felt disconnected from his mind. This was the second time he felt this unusual sensation.

The primary time was when he was present in that swimming pool in highschool. He remembered that point like he was watching an outdated film.

The day he returned house… He remembered Jihoon’s white canine. His aunt was there too. Then out of the blue from behind, somebody gently touched his neck.

It was a chilly large hand, and…. a knife? This was the primary time Woojin remembered this a part of his previous. He was deep in his ideas, attempting to recollect extra when somebody mentioned to him from behind, “Are you lastly awake?”

It was Eejun Bae. In contrast to his typical mild outfits, Eejun was sporting a pair of black denims and a pullover. He appeared so unfamiliar to Woojin that it gave him goosebumps. The room was heat, however Woojin felt chilly.

Eejun walked in with a small bottle of water. Woojin requested, “How lengthy was I unconscious?”

“Two days. I miscalculated the dosage. You virtually died.”

“Nicely, you intend on killing me anyway, aren’t you?”

“Bingo.”

Eejun shook the bottle in entrance of Woojin teasingly. Woojin felt a sudden thirst, however when he tried to swallow, his mouth was so dry that it felt painful. Woojin tasted blood in his mouth.

Eejun introduced, “A big well-known firm’s inheritor died from overdosing on his prescription drugs.”

“… And when will this headline be launched?”

“About two days from now?”

Eejun opened the bottle, and as he did it, Woojin seen the faint pulse on his wrist. Was Eejun nervous?

However Woojin had no time to fret about Eejun. He wanted to determine methods to get out of this example. Though this was the second time he was going by means of a kidnapping, it nonetheless felt devastating and unfamiliar.

S… second time?

A forgotten reminiscence out of the blue popped in his head, making Woojin frown.

Ignoring Woojin’s expression, Eejun mentioned to him, “You bear in mind the coaching we bought collectively, proper? The three of us.”

“…”

“If and after we get kidnapped, what’s an important factor we have to bear in mind?”

“… Don’t take any meals the kidnapper affords you.”

Woojin reached out for the bottle that now sat on the aspect desk. His palms felt weak, and it was apparent they didn’t even give him any IVs when he was unconscious.

Bastards.

Eejun requested, “You should be hungry.”

“No.”

“… You’re mendacity.”

“I don’t get hungry that simply.”

“What?”

“The final time after I was kidnapped, I believe I used to be imprisoned for per week.”

“…”

“I needed to starve for the entire time.”

Woojin was remembering slowly and Eejun’s eyes widened.

“…What?”

“I needed to survive on simply water.”

Woojin’s father tried to cease the abductors, however he ended up being stabbed. Woojin didn’t bear in mind seeing Jihoon or his aunt within the room on the time. His father was bleeding, and the boys dragged Woojin away. Woojin was crying and preventing again, however it was ineffective.

Woojin remembered the tattoos now. On the boys’s wrists, there have been tattoos that appeared the identical because the one on Joowan’s wrist. Woojin might lastly bear in mind every part.

He continued, “On the time, the abductors made positive I drank their water 3 times a day.”

“…”

“And surprisingly, each time I drank it, it could make me overlook what occurred. It erased my recollections.”

“…”

“And sooner or later, I couldn’t inform the place I used to be and what was occurring.”

One factor Woojin might bear in mind clearly was how he ran to his college along with his wrist reduce and bleeding. He remembered the ache as his wrist throbbed. He ended up falling on the bottom. He remembered the painful thirst and the way exhausting it was to breathe.

And when he managed to leap into the swimming pool… He remembered the boy who jumped after him. That single reminiscence was one of many few issues that by no means left Woojin.

Eejun gave him an unsightly grin and whispered, “It might’ve been excellent when you had simply died that point.”