Chapter 28
It had only been a few days, yet Gyu In already felt the pressure mounting. It sat under his skin like an itch, pushing him to slip back into MUTE and dig deeper. He was on edge, more than usual, tension crawling from a place he could not quite name.
"Probably just your survival instincts screaming at you," Ryu Chan had said earlier as he stretched his legs out before heading out. "But do not forget. You are not some undercover agent. You are an office worker who drinks tea like it is oxygen and fends off idiots with polite smiles."
He tilted his head at him then, eyes narrowing. "Honestly, I do not get it. Why are you putting so much effort into this? Do you really like him?"
Only the sound of the door closing answered him.
Like him. The words sank deep, heavy, twisting around something Gyu In had been ignoring.
He exhaled slowly, a cool breath disappearing into the quiet dawn air. The sky was still muted, the city barely awake, and there he stood across from MUTE.
Again.
Coat collar raised, eyes sharp, scanning every shadow and alley like a predator calculating the next move.
His jaw tightened as he traced possible routes. Footsteps. Exits. Surveillance cameras. The angles of the streets surrounding the bar. Every detail mattered. He did not know if the man in the cap would show up tonight, but this might be his chance to catch him. And Gyu In needed to get inside first or at least close enough to study the layout without drawing attention.
Fire escape. Too obvious.
Service door. Locked.
Ventilation shafts. Absolutely not.
He was still debating the options when a low voice slid through the silence behind him.
"Trash tunnel. Safest bet. Stinky, but safest."
Gyu In jolted, spinning around with his hand halfway to the pocket knife hidden in his coat, only to see a very familiar face. Eun Wol stood there with his mask pulled down to his chin, eyes glinting with defiance and something sharper.
"Yah." Gyu In grabbed his shirt and tugged him deeper into the alley, voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Do you want to die sneaking up on people like that?"
Eun Wol tilted his head, completely unfazed. "I was following you."
"You…" Gyu In's jaw hung slightly open. "You what?"
"I knew you would do something stupid alone, so I followed." Eun Wol's tone was so calm it nearly made Gyu In combust on the spot. "Not to mention, you did let him go previously."
"And who let that happen," Gyu In shot back, nerves prickling across his fingers as he clenched and loosened his fists. "You cannot just tag along. I already said it is not safe."
"No. It is not." Eun Wol stepped closer, voice sharpening. His stare locked onto Gyu In's, unwavering. "That is why I am here. I hate how you keep doing everything by yourself. You think you are protecting me, but you are shutting me out. You do not get to do that. Not when it is my sister on the line. Not when it is my fight too."
Gyu In opened his mouth, but nothing came out. The tightness in his chest was not anger. It was the way Eun Wol's voice cracked on the word sister. He had never meant to shut him out. He only wanted him safe.
For a moment, he almost said okay. He almost let Eun Wol stand beside him. He almost admitted that he did not want to be alone in this.
"You are in because of me. And you expect me to stand on the sideline," Eun Wol said, exhaling tiredly. "I am coming either way."
He stepped forward, taking the lead by a single step. "So. Trash tunnel. Tested and proven."
Gyu In stared at him for a beat, caught between disbelief and something strangely fond. A helpless laugh escaped him.
"You are infuriating." He moved to stand beside him. "Let us go."
*
The trash tunnel smelled exactly like its name suggested.
Rotten food. Sour liquid dripping from bags. Rust clinging to the walls. It was the kind of place that made most people gag.
Eun Wol moved first, a shadow threading through the trash-strewn tunnel. Damp cardboard and soggy newspaper brushed his elbows, the sour tang of rot clinging to the air. He marched forward with the calm confidence of someone who had done this before because he had no choice.
Gyu In, however, lagged a step behind. The deeper they went, the tighter his throat felt. The walls pressed closer with every movement, shadows leaning in like a coffin lid slowly lowering. His breath stuttered. His palms prickled. He told himself it was only the smell. Only the filth. Only discomfort.
But his mind betrayed him anyway.
The stench warped into the mildew of a basement. The drip of water echoed like a clock counting down. For a split second, he saw himself small again, knees pressed to a rough surface, locked in the dark.
"Keep up," Eun Wol whispered over his shoulder, steady and quiet.
Gyu In did not mean to stop crawling.
"I am moving," he muttered, though his voice came out rougher and tighter than he intended.
He pushed forward, elbows digging into slick piles of trash. The space narrowed around him. A sharp corner scraped his knuckle and he flinched. Then something jerked. A rusty wire hooked the hem of his pants, pulling him forward. A cold drip struck the back of his neck, sliding down his spine. His breath hitched before he could hide it.
Too vivid.
The torn sky-blue backpack.
The cupboard door.
The sound of a child's voice screaming until it dissolved.
He exhaled, shallow and unsteady.
Not now.
Not here.
He fixed his gaze on Eun Wol's back in front of him.
Steady steps.
Easy breaths.
Calm.
Unbroken.
"You okay?" Eun Wol asked quietly, still facing forward.
"Legs caught?" His tone was casual, but the brief glance he threw over his shoulder was not. It lingered. It searched.
Gyu In met his eyes for half a heartbeat before looking down again. "Minor inconvenience."
"Slide it back slowly, then lift it. One move at a time," Eun Wol instructed, eyes still on him. Gyu In twisted carefully, easing the fabric free.
"Ready now?"
"Yeah."
The tunnel tightened even more, forcing him to shift sideways. Damp trash pressed into his gloves, jagged edges scraping against his coat sleeves. A rat skittered past. Gyu In flinched before he could stop himself.
"You are twitching," Eun Wol teased, attempting to lighten the tension. "What, afraid of rats now?"
"I am not twitching," Gyu In replied, voice tight. The corner of his mouth, however, betrayed a faint smirk. "I am just… highly aware of potential hazards."
"Uh-huh. Whatever you say."
They kept crawling, step by step, inch by inch. The walls breathed dampness, brushing too close, but Eun Wol's steady presence ahead grounded Gyu In. Every time panic tried to slip under his skin, Eun Wol's silhouette pulled him back to focus.
"Keep moving," Eun Wol whispered again.
"I am moving," Gyu In muttered sharply, eyes locked on the fabric of Eun Wol's jacket.
A narrow stretch snagged his sleeve and he froze. The pressure of the walls narrowed around him, just enough to trigger old memories. He swallowed hard, pressing forward through sheer force of will, following Eun Wol's pace and voice.
"You sure this is the best route?" Gyu In whispered, half-joking out of desperation.
"Best route? It is the only route," Eun Wol said, smirk almost audible in the dark. "Unless you feel like flying over the trash."
"Funny," Gyu In grumbled, scraping his knees against wet boxes. "Absolutely hilarious."
They reached a vent grate looking into one of MUTE's unused dark rooms. A faint glow seeped in from the early morning light, brushing the floor in muted silver. Footsteps echoed faintly from somewhere deeper inside the bar.
Eun Wol pushed the grate gently, careful not to make noise, then slipped through and landed with a soft thud. Gyu In followed, sliding out of the cramped tunnel and into blessed open air.
"See?" Eun Wol dusted off his hands, grinning. "Not impossible. Just messy."
Gyu In's rigid muscles finally loosened, his heartbeat slowing back to a steadier pace. The cracked window nearby let in a thin draft of crisp air, easing the tightness in his chest.
"A little messy? You mean near-leg amputation messy," he complained under his breath.
Eun Wol stifled a laugh. "Nice to see you being dramatic again."
"Having fun teasing me huh?" Gyu In's tense muscles unwound as his heart slowly returned to its usual rate. His breathing eased slightly, the crisp air seeping in through the cracked window making his lungs feel lighter.
Eun Wol shuffled his feet, leaning low to avoid the thin strip of light spilling from the window on the door. "Do you even know what you're looking for?"
Gyu In's eyes swept across the dim, vacant room. Dust motes drifted through weak beams of light, the silence pressing down like a heavy curtain. "Probably that man," he murmured. "But mainly… anything they didn't hide properly. A slip. A trace. Something real." His gaze lingered on a shadowed corner. "We need to know exactly what they're doing. Not guess."
Eun Wol nodded, crouching to peer through the window. "Outside looks clear. Move now."
The corridor stretched ahead. Long, muted, and heavy with the kinds of sounds a building makes when people aren't paying attention. It reminded Eun Wol of before: hidden rooms, secret corridors, and the danger coiling just beyond reach. His pulse ticked faster no matter how calm his face stayed.
Gyu In tested the first door. A gentle push, quiet twist. Locked.
Second door. Locked.
Third. Locked again.
A muscle in his jaw tensed, frustration flickering briefly across his features. "Typical," he muttered. "They don't make it easy for intruders."
Eun Wol raised a brow. "You think they expect someone to break in?"
Gyu In smirked, though the humor dimmed before it reached his eyes. "Someone like us? Definitely."
He crouched, studying the locks. Scratches, small dents, wear patterns. "If we're lucky, someone got careless. Misplaced something. Left a pattern behind."
Eun Wol followed, fingertips grazing the wall for balance as they crept down the hall. "Patterns?" he whispered. "You mean… people like him?"
"Yes," Gyu In murmured, scanning the baseboards, the corners, the faint discolorations along the floor. "Patterns in how they move. Where they leave things. What they assume is hidden. You can learn everything from that."
Eun Wol's stomach tightened. "And if we get caught?"
Gyu In shot him a sharp look, warning hidden beneath the calm. "We don't get caught." He paused, sweeping the corridor with a long, controlled breath. "Move carefully. Watch. Wait. Don't act until I say."
Eun Wol pressed his lips into a thin line. "Fine. But I'm not staying behind. You're not letting me anyway."
Gyu In tilted his head, studying him for a beat. "Exactly. So stay alert. And don't touch anything unless I say. Understand?"
"Understand," Eun Wol said, though his heartbeat was sprinting. He could feel the tension rolling off Gyu In. The way he moved with quiet precision, every sense sharpened, muscles tight like he was ready to spring at the slightest sound.
They moved forward, deliberate and silent. The low hum of the building, a distant clink of metal, the stale whiff of recycled air, every detail sharpened around them.
At the far end of the corridor, Gyu In suddenly lifted a hand. Eun Wol froze instantly.
"Listen," Gyu In whispered. "Footsteps. Two… maybe three. Next section. They're not facing this way, but they're close."
Eun Wol's chest tightened, adrenaline spiking. "What do we do?"
"Wait," Gyu In hissed, pressing himself against the wall, body sinking into the shadows. "We move only when they're gone. Don't make noise."
Seconds stretched thin and taut, each one heavy with possibility. Eun Wol could hear his own pulse in his ears, every instinct telling him to be still.
A sharp crack sounded, followed by a soft thud. Someone closing a door.
Gyu In swallowed hard and lowered himself into a crouch behind the corner. Eun Wol pressed flat against the wall beside him, breath shallow.
"Did you hear that?" Gyu In whispered, nodding toward a half-open office door ahead.
From inside, faint voices drifted out.
*
"Honestly, Yoon Su, can you believe Kim Gyu In actually got involved? I never expected him to even visit us."
The voice was smooth, measured, unmistakably Yoon In Hwa. Amusement curled through her words, laced with something almost taunting.
Eun Wol's stomach dropped.
They know.
Or they suspect.
And if they saw him -
No. He shut the thought down, forcing his breathing steady.
Not now. Not here.
Yoon Su's reply was smooth and sly. "I know. He will definitely join us. That man always acts as if he is calm and composed. He is probably just measuring the whole situation. After all, his old man will come after him if he ever screws up."
A soft laugh bounced around the quiet space. "He will either make it entertaining or ruin everything. I am placing my bets on entertaining. I cannot wait for him to join us. Do you think he will be interested in the girls or the drugs? Maybe both. Men like him are all devils in disguise."
Eun Wol pressed a hand against his chest. They are mocking him. And mocking me by extension. Stay calm. Do not move. Do not let them know we are here.
"It does not matter which one he chooses, or none. It will not affect us," Yoon Su commented. "The most important thing is the man in the cap. Did the guys manage to find out anything about him?"
"No. Could not really see him. It was only a back view."
That was our target too. Gyu In's jaw tightened. His fingers curled at his side. He did not move or react, but the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Strengthen the security. Probably add more cameras. We cannot have a rat running around. You saw how Lee Dong Yeo was removed. He lost everything in one night."
"Blame himself then. He could not even look after a girl. What else can he do?" Yoon In Hwa taunted. "But honestly, that girl has been far too obedient recently. It is making me feel strange."
"Shim Eun Bin, right?"
Eun Bin. The name jolted through Eun Wol like electricity. They are talking about her. They are watching her. She could be in danger right now. I cannot let this happen.
His grip tightened on the wall, knuckles scraping against the paint. Gyu In did not turn around, but he reached back to catch Eun Wol's shaking hand. He tightened his hold and smoothed the man's knuckles with his thumb.
"Yes. She was seen trying to enter a room she was not supposed to go. She said she made a mistake. Sounds normal to me, but I saw how she argued with Dong Yeo previously."
"Continue to keep her under observation. Let us send her out for our upcoming party."
"Oh?"
"We need more clients. No one can reject a sweet and obedient girl."
A low snarl rose behind Gyu In's ear. He turned and pulled Eun Wol into his embrace, arms firm around him.
"We cannot act now. We cannot get caught. Not now."
These bastards. How dare they talk about her like that. Eun Wol's stomach churned. His hands curled into fists. We will expose them. We will. Somehow.
Gyu In's hand continued to stroke his back, steadying the tremor in his spine. "Focus," he whispered. "Focus on what is useful, not their tone."
Eun Wol strained his ears, catching every remaining detail. There were murmurs about rotations, backroom operations, subtle shifts in security protocol.
The last words drifted from the half-open door, the sound barely carrying through the dim corridor. Eun Wol's chest tightened. Every breath felt shallow. He could feel the pulse in his neck, in his temples, in the tips of his fingers gripping the wall.
Gyu In placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Wait," he whispered. "They are distracted."
Distracted. Eun Wol did not like that word. His instincts screamed at him to bolt, but he stayed pressed to the wall, the cold tiles chilling his toes through his shoes.
A soft giggle floated from inside. "Check the rotation for tomorrow," one voice said. Papers rustled. Footsteps shifted. "I will handle the guests later," another replied as their conversation began to fade.
Gyu In narrowed his eyes, reading the rhythm of their movements. "Move on my count. Quiet. Every step matters."
Eun Wol nodded, though his chest heaved and his hands trembled.
"Three. Two. One."
Gyu In slid forward first, his body merging with the faint light in the hall. Eun Wol followed. Each step was careful. Every scrape of his shoe sounded too loud in his own ears. He imagined the voices inside suddenly pausing. He imagined the door snapping open. He imagined them caught.
His heart pounded like a drum.
Halfway down the hall, Gyu In glanced back with a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Steady," he whispered.
Eun Wol swallowed hard. He looked at the nearest side door, the locked rooms, the dim reflection of light on the polished floor. Just breathe. Just breathe. Stay silent.
By the time they reached the stairwell, the distant chatter behind them had faded into nothing. Only their own careful movements echoed faintly now. Eun Wol let out a long, unsteady breath, the tension in his muscles easing only slightly. Never fully. Just enough to feel something loosen inside him.
Gyu In nodded. "Good. We are clear for now. Keep moving."
Eun Wol's chest rose and fell in a jagged rhythm.
A door led toward the service alley outside. Gyu In eased it open, peering out as if every shifting shadow could hold danger. Eun Wol's shoulders sagged once he saw the empty alley. A breath escaped him, shallow and shaky, tension unraveling bit by bit.
"You alright?" Gyu In asked softly, scanning the street before stepping out.
Eun Wol nodded, swallowing the tight knot in his throat. "Yes. I am fine." His voice was thin but steady. He glanced at Gyu In, eyes damp with relief and something close to awe. That calm. That control. How does he hold it so easily?
Gyu In allowed the faintest smirk. "Good. Keep it that way. We are not done."
Eun Wol followed him into the shadows of the alley. The city hummed in the distance, neon lights splashing faint colors along the wet pavement. He forced his pulse down and clung to the present, to the movement, to the sight of Gyu In leading the way.
Fear and adrenaline tangled within him, but one thing stood clear above everything else.
They survived.
For now.