Chapter 103
“A surveillance-style setup…”
If the only way out of the complex is the door in that wall, then there’s no avoiding passing through the space between the buildings.
And if we do that, we’ll definitely be seen by the residents living in those three buildings.
Apartment residents watching each other?
With an uneasy feeling, I frowned, then returned to my original spot and sat down.
I was facing the man.
“Did you happen to see anyone else?” I asked.
“No.”
When he added that he hadn’t gone outside the room, I nodded. Leaving me—someone who had passed out—in an unfamiliar place and moving around recklessly would’ve been hard to do.
“He seems like a good person, at least… Wait, don’t tell me Dan Seohyuk and Cho Hae were also kidnapped and locked up in another room?”
I searched my pockets for my phone, intending to contact them. But there was nothing inside. I checked the other pocket, then felt around elsewhere—same result.
My phone…!
“I don’t have mine either. It seems the people who dragged us here confiscated them,” the man said, having grasped the situation just from my frantic movements.
“Who on earth…? Right before coming here, we were definitely at a café. And the café building didn’t collapse, did it? In a situation like that, how could they kidnap us?”
“As far as I remember, that’s true as well… This is bewildering.”
Well, even if I asked someone who couldn’t see ghosts, they wouldn’t know.
Waking up in an unfamiliar place with an unconscious person beside you would be shocking enough, yet he’d calmly gotten up first and assessed the surroundings. That alone was impressive.
“Was this Red’s doing?”
It was a reasonable suspicion, considering that ominous comment right before the building collapsed.
“But then where is he?”
I looked around. Neither Red nor Millie was anywhere to be seen. Just in case, I even glanced on top of the wardrobe, but there was nothing there.
“…Why are you looking on top of the wardrobe?” he asked.
“Ah.”
Yeah, that must’ve looked really strange.
Feeling embarrassed, I just cleared my throat. Fortunately, he didn’t press the issue and smoothly changed the subject.
“May I ask your name? It doesn’t seem like we’ll be getting out of here anytime soon, so we should at least know how to address each other.”
That made sense.
It felt kind of ridiculous to calmly exchange introductions while facing each other in a situation like this, but still—
“My name is Ma Choyeon. I’m a high school student.”
“I’m Hong Dageum. Please call me whatever’s comfortable. I’m twenty-five.”
So he really was an adult, even if he did look young.
“Hong Dageum? I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere.”
With such an unusual name and a man with a physique like that, it wasn’t something I’d easily forget.
“Am I just imagining it?”
I stared at Hong Dageum, thinking hard, and ended up locking eyes with him. He was staring at me just as intently. I blinked slowly, wondering what was up, and then he spoke.
“Do you… happen to have an older sister? Or maybe a female relative who looks very similar to you?”
“Me? No, I only have a younger brother. I do have an older and a younger cousin, but they live in a different area.”
“I see.”
What was that about?
Hong Dageum looked like he had something he wanted to say, but in the end, he didn’t open his mouth.
Since he wasn’t bringing it up himself, I couldn’t exactly press him. Pretending not to notice, I asked a different question.
“I think I need to find my friends. What about you, Hong Dageum… sir?”
“You can call me something more casual.”
“Then I’ll call you oppa. You can speak comfortably too.”
“Alright.”
He nodded more easily than I expected. Taking off his cap, he swept his rumpled bangs back and said,
“You’re looking for the friends who were with you at the café, right? Then let’s move together.”
“I appreciate that, but… this place might be dangerous to wander around.”
“That’s exactly why,” Hong Dageum said firmly.
“I’m a firefighter. I became one to help people—how could I leave a kid who needs help alone in a situation like this?”
So he was a firefighter. No wonder his build was no joke.
I bowed my head and thanked him sincerely. Even if I kept insisting that it was fine, it didn’t seem like his resolve would waver—and this wasn’t a situation where I could refuse help anyway.
“Thank you.”
Only then did Hong Dageum smile, looking satisfied. He stood up, stretched deeply, and said,
“I’ll go out first.”
“Right now? Uh—where to? Through the window?”
“Of course not. The window would be hard for you to follow.”
So it was possible for him, then.
“I’ll go out through the door. You stay here and open it just a crack to keep an eye on things.”
“I’m just supposed to watch? Does that really help?”
“We have no proper equipment and zero information about this place. The most helpful thing you can do is stay safe.”
“But…”
Wasn’t that just dumping all the hard work on him? Feeling bad, I trailed off. Hong Dageum smiled as if he understood.
“If someone appears somewhere outside my line of sight, tell me right away. Your eyes will be the quickest here.”
He was deliberately giving me a role to reassure me. He really was a good person.
Reliable—and kind.
“…Oppa, how can you stay so calm?” I asked.
“Hm?”
“I want to help people too, like you do, but maybe I’m too impatient. Things don’t always go well. I end up getting scolded by my friend a lot. I know it’s because he worries about me, but…”
Why was Dan Seohyuk’s face coming to mind at a time like this? I continued in a deflated voice.
“Even now, I want to help, but there’s nothing I can do.”
I just end up being a burden… like I’m useless.
“What are you talking about, Choyeon?”
My last words were barely more than a whisper, but he must have heard them. Hong Dageum met my eyes and spoke gently.
“Wanting to help someone is an incredibly precious feeling. There are people who gain hope from your intentions and actions.”
“But—”
“Before that, there’s something you need to remember. Helping isn’t something you can do with courage alone.”
Hong Dageum bent his knees slightly so he was at eye level with me.
“You need to be safe, and so does the person you’re helping.”
His voice was kind, as if telling me not to be discouraged, but his gaze was clear and steady.
“Before you rush in blindly, assess the situation accurately and understand your role. That’s what ‘helping’ really is.”
My role?
Advice from a professional helper—a firefighter. It was a way of thinking I’d never considered before. I stared at him, speechless, and he smiled.
“No matter how good your intentions are, if you get hurt in the process, the people who care about you will be heartbroken. Like that friend who scolds you.”
“…That’s true. If my friends did the same, I’d worry and get angry too. But when I think someone’s in danger and needs help right away, my body just moves before my head does…”
“Three seconds. Let’s think for just three seconds before acting.”
He held up three fingers.
“In that short time, you’ll be able to find a much safer and more efficient way.”
“…Am I stupid?”
It was a worry I’d been trying hard to ignore.
I’d only done good things—so wasn’t it unfair to be scolded just because people were worried?
“Why would you be stupid? You just had too much drive and goodwill and couldn’t find the right balance.”
At the same time, there was the frustration of not being someone others could rely on and ask for help.
“You’re still growing. Of course you’ll go through trial and error. Even that process will help you grow—but it all started from that 마음, that heart.”
“……”
“You’re not foolish. You’re admirable.”
The tightly knotted worries I’d been carrying alone for so long felt like they were finally melting away at his words.
“Thank you.”
“Yeah. If this were the café earlier, we could’ve talked calmly over a drink or something. This place really isn’t suitable for giving advice or counseling a growing teenager.”
He wrapped things up with a joking tone, and I nodded. As he said, it was a bit embarrassing that I’d been having a heart-to-heart in a situation like this.
Feeling like we should get moving now, I asked carefully,
“But if it seems dangerous, how should I let you know? If I make a loud noise, other people might notice.”
“Let’s use this.”
Hong Dageum handed me a uniquely shaped watch he’d been wearing on his wrist.
“Can you hold out your wrist?”
“What is this?”
“A wristwatch with a flashlight function. Press this button to activate it.”
I held out the arm without a bracelet. He kindly adjusted the strap and fastened it onto my wrist, then continued explaining.
“Aim the flashlight at a wall where I can see it and keep it fixed. Then cover the light with your hand.”
As if demonstrating, he aimed the watch at the wall and pressed the button twice.
“Press once for a wide beam, twice for a narrower beam that reaches farther.”
He pressed the button twice again, then covered the light source with his palm.
“Two short flashes.”
The light on the wall blinked quickly twice.
“Give the signal like that and turn it off immediately. We don’t want your position exposed.”
“What if you don’t see it? Should I signal again?”
“Don’t.”
He released my wrist.
“It’s better if I deal with things directly. If you become the target, it’ll be harder for me to move.”
The words were cool-headed, but I could feel the concern hidden inside them. I nodded to show I understood.
Hong Dageum approached the door and pressed his ear against it. His hand on the doorknob turned slowly.
If it was locked, we’d have to find another way.
Click.
The door opened.
He cracked it open just enough to check outside. From where I stood, I could only see his back, so I had no idea what the hallway looked like.
Hong Dageum stepped out through the door. I moved right up to the doorway after him—
[You should’ve just stayed still.]
A familiar voice sounded behind me.
I whipped my head around and saw Red sitting on the windowsill that had been empty moments ago. He was swinging his short legs, looking at me with a calm expression.
