I read the message aloud, struggling to connect it to what I already knew, but I couldn't make sense of it. Frustrated, I pressed the small button on the side of my phone to turn off the screen. Looking up, I searched for Seoho, but he had already disappeared into the crowd. All that remained was the vast racetrack illuminated by bright floodlights, casting long shadows across the pavement. The excited chatter of thousands filled the air, drowning out my thoughts.
“Hey, Hyung, is everything okay?” I heard Young-Ji’s voice approaching, growing louder as he drew near. I lifted my gaze and locked eyes with him, searching for reassurance.
I forced a smile and nodded, but my heart raced as I checked my phone. It was 8:57 PM on Saturday. I had to act quickly to gather as much information as I could to protect Young-'Ji. Time was slipping away.
“I need to take care of something before warm-ups. Go ahead; I’ll catch up,” I said to Ji before sprinting down the steps toward the exit. My mind raced with anxiety as I navigated the bustling arena.
It didn’t take long to reach the designated meeting spot. Just in time, I spotted a sleek black car parked at the curb, two men in dark clothing leaning against it, their faces obscured in shadow. One man flicked a lighter to ignite his cigarette, while the other remained still, like a statue guarding ancient treasures. I approached them cautiously, my legs trembling as I reached a safe distance. The smoker spoke first, breaking the silence.
“Mr. Hyun, I’m glad you could make it,” the man with the cigarette said, gesturing for me to come closer. I hesitated, the weight of the moment pressing down on me.
“Of course. We’ve trained hard for this. But let’s focus on Young-'Ji—that’s why I’m here.” I tried to sound confident, even though my stomach churned with dread.
“Of course, Mr. Hyun, we won’t overlook that.” The man reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out an envelope and handing it to me. I took it with trembling hands, my heart racing.
“This is part of the payment we agreed upon,” he said, taking a drag from his cigarette. He paused, letting the smoke curl in the air before continuing. “You’ll receive the rest based on the outcome. If Young-'Ji wins, I’ll hand over the remaining money. We’ll both profit from this deal.”
“But if he loses and can’t repay me after the race, you’ll have to fulfill your end of the contract to get your money.” He spoke calmly, punctuating his words with slow, deliberate exhales of smoke.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I understand. What exactly is my part of the deal?” I asked, my voice trembling as I noticed the man exchange glances with his partner, a sinister smile creeping across his face.
“Mr. Hyun, you might have hit your head and forgotten, but I’m in a generous mood. If Young-'Ji loses, you won’t see your money unless you kill him.”
“What?! Why? Why would I kill him? That’s just horrific!” I exclaimed, stepping back in disbelief as fear and panic surged within me.
“Calm down, take it easy! What are you doing?!” one of the men shouted as he noticed me retreating. Panic surged through me, and without thinking, I turned and ran toward the exit.
“Now’s not the time to run! You made your choice!” the other man shouted after me, but I was already sprinting away, feeling trapped as I lost track of where I was going.
I managed to escape, only to find myself back at the square where I had just been. Everything felt like a loop, and I was trapped, surrounded by the two men who still watched me. "Keith, look at me! You can’t run away!” Seoho’s voice broke through the fog of panic, pulling me back to reality.
“I told you nothing would be the same; I warned you!” he shouted, urgency lacing his words. Seoho wrapped his arms around me, and I felt his steady presence grounding me. I looked into his eyes, searching for calm, but panic washed over me again.
“Some things aren’t what they seem. Now is not the time to give up,” he said firmly, igniting a flicker of hope within me.
“You’ll miss this moment, but I promise you’ll have a second chance. Just not now.” I was ready to find my calm, but the fear of what lay ahead loomed over me.
“Hyung, are you okay?” Ji asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Yes...I-I’m fine,” I replied, lifting my head to meet his gaze. The moment had shifted; they called our names, and as the countdown began, silence enveloped us.
When they announced Ji’s name, my heart raced, and everything spun in my mind as the countdown began. Ji’s terrified expression mirrored my deepest fears, and as the shot rang out, time stood still, all sinking into darkness.
The whisper of Ji echoed in the distance, and the closer I got, the more I could focus on his body. The tears in his eyes and the fear in his cries were a heartbreaking sight.
“Be brave; the outcome is what matters.” I could hear Ong Seoho’s voice; I couldn’t see him, but it felt as if he were beside me, guiding me forward.
“Here you are, Mr. Hyun. We were just wondering if we would have to come looking for you.” The man with the cigarette in his mouth said.
He moved behind Ji’s body, which was tied to a chair, and pulled back his hair to expose his tear-streaked face.
“It’s time for you to fulfill your role in the contract,” the man said, and I froze in place, unable to move. I looked at Ji, and he locked his gaze onto mine.
“Hey, Hyung, what’s going on?” he asked, and I didn’t know how to respond. Just as I steeled myself to say something, I was interrupted by the man in black’s laughter.
“What’s going on? Are you going to explain it, Mr. Hyun, or should I reveal your plan to the boy? After all, he has a right to know whose fault it is that he’s here.” The man smiled, and I turned my attention toward him.
“What are you talking about?” I asked through my teary eyes as he pulled out a piece of paper from the same pocket where he had taken out the money hours ago and tossed it onto the lap of the tied-up boy.
“Young-'Ji, you are here because of Mr.Hyun. The plan was his. Some time ago, he came to me asking for money. He had devised a wonderful scheme that I decided to take advantage of. He would supply goods to a group of rookies, kids who wanted to gain a bit of popularity among the older ones and make some money. Just before they delivered the goods, he would take them and dispose of them himself. This way, he makes money, and we have people falling into debt. Both parties win... but this time, unfortunately, he failed to assess the situation. All your pathetic friends at the party turned out to be smarter than you, Mr. Young. Call it fear; it’s better for them in this case. By backing out, they left the task to you. Thus, Young- Ji, you found yourself between a rock and a hard place. You failed to repay your debt on time, and your family didn’t help you either, which means it’s time to deal with you and take the money from somewhere else.” The man explained the situation, and I listened in disbelief.
I felt like a criminal. I couldn’t bear to look at the boy who was crying out in front of me. The man in black handed me a gun, and the first thing that caught my eye were the initials on the weapon: S.H.
“Go ahead, Mr. Hyun.” He pointed at the bound Young-'Ji, and at that moment, I was ready to run in the opposite direction, but I felt an internal sense of obligation.
I wasn’t alone. Ong Seoho was with me, even though I couldn’t see him. I could feel his hand holding mine, slowly guiding the gun toward Young-'Ji’s tied body.
“Everything is okay, Keith.” Seoho’s voice pierced through my consciousness.
“Everything is okay,” I repeated, closing my eyes for a moment.
“We’re in this together and in everything.” He said, and I opened my eyes.
“I will get you out of here, I promise, Ji,” I whispered to myself as I pulled the trigger. The shot pushed my body back; for a moment, I felt as if the tension and pressure of the air had killed me, but after the brief pain, the blue sky pierced my eyes.
At that moment, I didn’t know if I was in reality or semi-reality. I could only guess.
I slowly raised my body, the pain in my chest stronger than ever.
“Keith? Are you okay? You started crying, and I got scared. I didn’t know what to do, so I called some friends to come and pick us up.” I recognized Sana’s voice as I focused on her, the trails of tears on my cheeks trying to dry.
“I couldn’t save him…” I looked down at my feet as Sana wrapped her arms around my shoulders.
“Everything is okay, Keith. I’m sure there’s some explanation, right? Tell me what happened,” she pleaded, and I closed my eyes, rubbing my temples with the pads of my fingers and took a deep breath before recounting everything from the beginning to the end.
My voice trembled as I spoke each word. The events I had experienced felt like a heavy burden I couldn’t leave behind. But Sana was there, gently holding me up, and for the first time in a long time, I felt hope.
“Now it’s important to stick together and support each other,” she said, squeezing my hand. “I won’t leave you alone in this. It doesn’t matter what happened. Together, we’ll find a way.”
As I listened to her words, a sense of determination rose within me. Seoho and Ji weren’t just characters in my drama; they were a part of me. And I had to do everything I could to save them.
Finally, I was ready to face my demons. I needed to act.
•Story completed; 25% from 100%•
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