#5. Don't Come Near Me!

"I couldn't see his face clearly because of the mask..."

Though it had been a mere flash of a gaze, the hollow despair pooled inside those eyes still occupied Gye-yeong’s mind. He could not just brush Gang-mu’s words aside. Staring at the news screen, he sank deep into thought. The boy’s physique had been slender enough to scatter in the wind, and his voice had been a sweet melody that tickled the ears.

Recalling those eyes, which were beautiful enough to feel cold, Gye-yeong figured the face hidden behind the mask would be quite spectacular. Watching the broadcast, he precisely mapped out how the brat had infiltrated the very heart of the hospital to carve out its massive corruption. A creature who chose to slip stealthily into the abyss of others rather than overpowering them with brute force. Gye-yeong suddenly felt a strong urge to check the actual CCTV footage to see the brat's lingering image. Right then—

"Gye-yeong? Hey! Gye-yeong!"

At Gang-mu’s sharp call, Gye-yeong finally snapped back to reality and turned his head.

"What?"

"Why aren't you answering? What's so urgent that you're completely spacing out?"

To think he would pour this much focus onto a single human being. Gye-yeong found it strange himself.

"Gye-yeong, we need to push this redevelopment through quickly and cross over to Hong Kong."

"Exactly. You read a book and even check the news because waiting for me is a waste of time, yet you're personally taking care of the redevelopment zone? Are you really a workaholic?"

Gye-yeong casually brushed off his friends' words, keeping his eyes locked onto the television screen.

"Just cooperate. I don't want to waste my time meaningfully."

Listening to Gye-yeong, Gang-mu furrowed his brows deeply and let out a long sigh.

"One has too much time and runs wild out of sheer boredom, while the other splits his life by the minute to torture himself... Why can't my friends ever find a middle ground?"

At those words, Gyoo-ryeon burst into a delighted laugh, entirely agreeing with the sentiment. He then turned to Gye-yeong, adding a slick, private remark.

"Gang-mu, I've been like this since birth, but I feel like Gye-yeong is going to suddenly get hyper-fixated on something strange if he keeps this up."

At that, Gang-mu also let out a soft laugh with his arms crossed, nodding his head.

"True. After obsessing over work like a maniac, a moment will come when he gets completely hooked on some woman. When that happens, his eyes will flip 180 degrees, and he'll do nothing but chase after her skirt tail."

Instantly, Gyoo-ryeon threw an arm around Gang-mu’s shoulder, shooting a mischievous glance at Gye-yeong. Gang-mu locked eyes directly with Gye-yeong, delivering a heavy piece of advice.

"Gye-yeong, you better watch yourself."

"Watch what?"

"I just mean I hope you have a normal romance like everyone else."

"Shut up."

Gyoo-ryeon privately nudged his fingers against Gang-mu’s shoulder, whispering with a playful glint in his eyes.

"Haha, anyway, the world is vast and women are everywhere."

Deeming it unworthy of a response, Gye-yeong averted his gaze, still staring intently at the broadcast regarding the medical corruption. Dismissing his friends' jokes as trivial noise, he checked his watch and turned around without hesitation.

"Stop wasting precious time and move."

"Haha, alright, alright. Let's go."

Gyoo-ryeon and Gang-mu continued their conversation while chasing after Gye-yeong’s retreating figure.

"By the way, Gye-yeong. The owner of that burned-down orphanage holding out in the redevelopment zone—I heard it's a woman?"

"That's what I heard."

"Let's scan the property first. I heard she's completely unreachable, so maybe we'll find a clue."

Listening intently to Gyoo-ryeon with an intrigued expression, Gang-mu pulled out his phone to search for something.

"Yeah, sounds good. Ah, I actually planted a security CCTV at the house across from the orphanage, and the mail has been piling up quite a bit. I think someone will show up soon."

"Oho, meticulous as always. Detective Kim Gang-mu. Come on, let's hurry. I'm incredibly curious about that place too."

Standing beside him, Gyoo-ryeon quickened his pace in excitement. Keeping his mouth firmly shut, Gye-yeong led the way out of the hospital lobby.

= = =

Once they departed, the nurses who had been hiding in the corners of the lobby slowly gathered toward the center. Only after the backs of Gye-yeong, Gyoo-ryeon, and Gang-mu completely vanished did they let out their bated breath, breaking into hushed chatter.

"Our Dr. Kim Gang-mu is seriously so handsome. I wonder who will take a man like him?"

"Don't even dream of it. I heard Dr. Kim's parents are both directors of major hospitals and immensely wealthy. You can't even show your face unless you're from a chaebol family."

"The guys next to him have completely fantastic looks too. They're a year or two younger than Dr. Kim, but their bond is said to be tighter than family."

The nurses stared infatuatedly at the space the men had just occupied, continuing their gossip.

"The blonde one is Han Gyoo-ryeon, the third-generation chaebol of HH Group, right? I think I've seen him on TV!"

"They say that black-haired handsome man is only twenty-six or seven, but his wealth is in the trillions."

"He's a massive tycoon who owns security firms, construction companies, and even overseas hotels."

"Right! I heard if a building or hotel has 'Kenz' in the name, it all belongs to him..."

Chasing the lingering afterimages of Gye-yeong, Gyoo-ryeon, and Gang-mu, the nurses' intense, sticky gazes lingered in the lobby for a long time. Their imaginations swelled endlessly, wondering what kind of woman those perfect men would eventually entangle themselves with.

= = =

Late in the afternoon, as the sun dipped sharply and stretched the shadows long.

Above the courtyard of the ruined orphanage in Seoul's old downtown, the raw roar of a motorcycle engine left a sharp echo.

Where should she lay her body tonight? Lately, the sorrow of being homeless seemed to penetrate deep into Hyeon-sin's very bones. The small flathouse area where she had recently stayed had been cleared out by the fierce storm of redevelopment. On top of that, whenever she returned from visiting Choi Ju-hyeon—a product of this very orphanage who was currently admitted to a care hospital—her mind became uncontrollably distressed.

Whenever her heart felt this heavily burdened, there was one place Hyeon-sin always sought. The place where the pure dreams of her childhood resided, harboring the brilliant memories she shared with her parents.

*I wonder if any mail arrived.*

Standing precariously at the very edge of a worn-out alley in downtown Seoul, touching the base of the mountain, this orphanage was the sole inheritance left by Hyeon-sin's parents. Though now, it had become a two-story building enveloped in an eerie silence, showing nothing but a bare skeleton clawed by fire. The moment she drove her motorcycle up to the orphanage entrance, Hyeon-sin's instincts sounded an alarm. Her dark premonitions never missed the mark.

"Ah..."

Three black sedans and massive, heavy vans occupied the alley entrance. The fact that the noses of the cars were facing toward the exit rather than the dead end was clear proof that someone had driven straight into the orphanage property like they owned it to turn their vehicles around.

"Damn it...!"

Sure enough, unfamiliar male voices were drifting out from inside the orphanage, which should have been dead silent.

"Who are you?"

The man who appeared to be the leader of the bodyguards noticed Hyeon-sin and strode forward aggressively.

To step onto my land and take such a high-handed attitude. Hyeon-sin found it absurd, but she fought to keep her composure.

"Why are you doing this? You don't even own this place."

"Stepping in here without a shred of fear, are you a kid from this neighborhood? It's dangerous, so go back immediately!"

Deeming Hyeon-sin a stray, rebellious teenager, he waved his hand dismissively, trying to shove her out of the orphanage.

"Chief Ma, don't yell so much. Why are boys these days as pretty as idols?"

"Han Gyoo-ryeon, that constitutes sexual harassment. Restrain yourself."

Who on earth were these people? Suppressing her mounting fury, Hyeon-sin glared at the man who had first called her out. She wanted to scream at them to get off her land right this instant, but things would get complicated if they were the ones rumored to be pushing for the buyout of the redevelopment zone.

Cold sweat poured down Hyeon-sin's spine like rain. The names that followed hit her like a tidal wave, completely paralyzing her thoughts.

"Gang-mu, this is a pure compliment. I mean that brat looks like he's going to make a lot of girls his age cry."

As Gyoo-ryeon’s piercing eyes flashed through his blonde hair, staring straight through Hyeon-sin, a visceral chill ran down her spine. Then, the man named Kim Gang-mu also slowly turned his body toward heightening her panic.

"Come to think of it, he really is a beautiful boy. Hey kid, we won't eat you alive."

Contrary to his words about not eating her alive, his searching gaze was extremely threatening. Right then—

"What kind of brat are you? Why did you come here? What is your identity?"

Gye-yeong's voice pierced her eardrums like a cold shard of glass. Taking one step, then two, closing in like a predator cornering its prey, he hurled his questions at Hyeon-sin.

A pleasing mid-to-low bass voice carrying absolutely zero emotion—bored and arrogant. An overwhelming physique, an immaculate face, and a dominant aura that suffocated the opponent.

The moment Hyeon-sin connected this man's voice to the image he exuded, she tasted a terror that made every hair on her body stand on end.

Surely, it couldn't be. The man stepped in so close that his nose almost touched hers.

A cool, luxurious scent of musk pierced her nose, and this man radiated an intense gravity that made it impossible to look away. The absolute reality of the heavy dissonance Hyeon-sin felt was exactly that.

'Damn it! 40,000 dollars! It's that man!'

In an instant, a severe vertigo washed over Hyeon-sin, making her feel as if the ground beneath her feet had vanished completely.