The morning after the rooftop promise, the air hung heavier than usual—as if the city itself sensed the storm approaching.
Ra-hee awoke before Jae-hyun, the dim light of dawn filtering through the slatted blinds of their temporary safehouse. She sat on the edge of the bed, quietly staring at her trembling hands. No blood. No blade. But still, they remembered the weight of life and death from the night before.
She heard the rustle of movement. Jae-hyun stirred, then sat up, shirtless and bruised. The sight of him—so powerful and yet so vulnerable—made her heart ache.
"You didn't sleep," he said, voice hoarse.
She shook her head. "Too many thoughts. Too many shadows."
He reached over and gently touched her back, his fingers warm. "We've done what needed to be done. And we survived it together."
She leaned into his touch, but her mind was already racing with the next mission. Seoul's criminal web was unraveling—and they were at the center of it.
By midday, they received intel from one of Jae-hyun's old contacts—a man named Kyung-ho, who ran an underground network of spies and informants. The message was simple: "The Crimson Dawn leader will be exposed. Come alone. Bring proof."
Ra-hee frowned. "Sounds too convenient."
Jae-hyun didn't disagree. "Kyung-ho used to be loyal. But loyalty shifts when fear enters the room."
Still, they needed answers. And fast.
"I'm going with you," she said.
"No. If it's a trap—"
"Then we'll face it together." Her voice was firm.
They disguised themselves, wearing casual clothes and walking among the crowd in Hongdae, where the meeting was supposed to take place—at a music studio supposedly abandoned since the pandemic. Surveillance cameras had already been taken out. That meant someone was watching them without being watched.
Jae-hyun's eyes scanned every alley, every rooftop.
Inside, the studio was dusty, thick with the scent of mildew and disuse. The moment they stepped into the main recording room, the steel door slammed shut behind them.
Click.
Locked.
Jae-hyun pulled Ra-hee behind him. "Stay alert."
A voice echoed from the overhead speakers—distorted and smug. "Welcome back, Black Tiger. Or should I say… Jae-hyun."
Ra-hee's blood ran cold.
"I've been waiting for this moment," the voice continued. "You took Jin from us. Now I'll take something from you."
The screen on the far wall blinked to life. A video played.
A live feed.
Ra-hee gasped.
Her father was shown, tied to a chair in an unknown location, blood dripping from his lip. His eyes fluttered weakly, his breaths shallow.
"Dad…" she whispered, heart crumbling.
"You recognize him, I see," the voice mocked. "You think you're safe hiding behind Jae-hyun? You're not. None of your past can be buried. We dug it up."
Jae-hyun's fists clenched. "Where is he?"
"You have two hours," the voice said. "Bring Ra-hee. Alone. If you try to play hero again, he dies."
The feed cut off.
Ra-hee stood frozen, every nerve screaming.
"Why him?" she choked. "He was just a doctor. He had nothing to do with your world!"
Jae-hyun looked furious—cold with guilt and rage. "Because of me. Because they know what you mean to me. And because they want me to break."
She turned to him, eyes wild. "We have to save him. Now."
"No. You're not going to walk into their hands."
"I have to, Jae-hyun. He's my father. My only family. I can't let them kill him just because I'm connected to you!"
"And what if they kill you instead?"
"Then at least I tried."
The argument crackled like lightning between them. But in her eyes, he saw the same fire he fell for—the woman who'd rather die than be a pawn.
So he did the one thing he swore never to do.
He gave her a vial. A clear liquid. "Take this. Under your tongue. It'll slow your heartbeat if they inject you with anything. It might buy you time. Only if things go wrong."
Her fingers curled around it tightly. "I'm coming back to you. No matter what happens."
His voice was barely a whisper. "I'll find you."
They kissed. Brief. Urgent. Tasted like promises and fear.
An hour later, Ra-hee entered the industrial warehouse at the address provided, hidden on the outskirts of the city near the river docks.
It was cold inside. Echoes bounced off steel beams and stacked cargo crates. The Crimson Dawn leader waited in the center—a woman in a red coat, dark hair tied in a braid, a scar slicing through her eyebrow.
"So you're the girl," she said, circling Ra-hee like a predator. "The doctor who became his weakness."
Ra-hee stayed silent.
The woman snapped her fingers. Two guards dragged her father into view. He groaned, barely conscious.
"Let him go," Ra-hee demanded. "This is between you and me."
The woman tilted her head. "No. This is between Jae-hyun and his sins. You're just collateral. But I admire your courage."
Another snap of her fingers—and two men grabbed Ra-hee by the arms.
"Hold her," the woman said. "We'll see how loyal she really is."
A needle was produced.
Ra-hee's eyes widened.
"This," the woman said, holding the syringe up, "is a toxin that targets the nervous system. We'll inject just enough to test if your precious gangster comes for you. If he does… well, we'll welcome him with bullets."
Ra-hee struggled—but the grip was tight. The needle plunged into her neck.
Pain exploded.
But she remembered the vial. With shaking fingers, she slipped it under her tongue and bit down.
Her vision blurred. Limbs numb. But not unconscious. Not dead.
The toxin was slowed. Just enough.
The woman watched her carefully. "Strange. Most scream. But you… you're not like the others."
Ra-hee gasped, "Because I'm not yours to break."
And just then—
Gunfire erupted.
The warehouse doors exploded open as Jae-hyun charged in like a storm, bullets flying, his men behind him. The Crimson Dawn soldiers returned fire.
Chaos.
Ra-hee collapsed behind a crate, her limbs too weak to move. Her father lay motionless nearby.
Jae-hyun found her seconds later, blood on his hands, fury in his eyes. He scooped her up without a word and fired over his shoulder as he moved.
One bullet grazed his leg. Another hit his shoulder—but he didn't stop.
"Don't you dare die on me," he growled. "Not you. Not now."
They escaped through the back tunnel. He carried her the whole way, adrenaline shielding him from pain. Sirens wailed in the distance—someone had tipped off the police.
In the aftermath, Ra-hee was placed on oxygen and fluids, recovering in a new safehouse under heavy security.
Jae-hyun never left her side.
She woke hours later, her throat dry, her body weak. But she was alive. So was her father—rescued, unconscious but stable.
Jae-hyun sat beside her, his face pale with exhaustion and anguish.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his head in his hands. "I thought I could keep you away from this… but I dragged you deeper."
She reached for his hand. "We made choices. Together. And I'd do it again."
His eyes met hers. "Even if it means becoming someone else?"
She nodded slowly. "Because in this war, love isn't weakness. It's the reason we survive."
He kissed her forehead, held her close, and for a moment, they found peace in the eye of the storm.
But outside the room, a message came in on a burner phone.
From an unknown number.
"The girl lives. Phase two begins. She'll betray him soon. Whether she wants to or not."
To Be Continued...