VDN Ch 171

The large man who was watching him with his eyes wide open took a step back without realizing it at Hae-geon’s strange expression. ‘I’m going to be beaten to death by Kwon Seo-oh today, I shouldn’t have gotten involved in this…’ While regretting his actions, the grip on him suddenly loosened. Startled, he looked up to see the face of a handsome, pure-blooded, dominant Alpha smiling, revealing his neat teeth. 

“Seriously? You should have told me sooner.”

“W-what…?”

“Take me.”

“Huh?”

“Take me to where the fiancé is. Before I smash your face in.”

Words like knife blades spilled from those sweet lips. The man, panting heavily, momentarily wore a dazed expression and lowered his gaze. He saw two hands held out neatly before him.

***

A moment later, four men came lumbering down the alley. The tallest man, wearing a navy blue hat, was being quietly dragged along by the thugs, his hands tied. What was strange was that even though he was clearly being dragged away, the thugs were nervously watching the man in the hat.

As they reached the entrance of the alley, a parked van came into view. One of the thugs was opening the van door. Hae-geon suddenly felt a gaze and turned his head. He saw his driver looking at him with wide eyes at the end of the alley. He looked ready to run towards them at any moment as his eyes met Hae-geon’s.

“……”

Hae-geon shook his head slightly and smiled quietly. The driver’s footsteps stopped abruptly.

And so, without any interference, Hae-geon was led by the large men and safely got into the car. Soon, the black van left the alley with a loud sound.

***

Nam-woon suddenly opened his eyes. It was very dark. Where am I? For a moment, he forgot where he was, but then the slight tremors he felt beneath the seat reminded him that he was still in Yong-deuk’s car.

His body felt heavy, as if he had slept for two straight days. He straightened up from his half-lying position and looked outside. All he could see through the window was a dim road and thick, overgrown grass.

We haven’t arrived yet? It’s already dark.

He glanced down to check the location, but the navigation screen was pitch black. Nam-woon tilted his head and reached into his pocket to take out his phone. Strangely, he felt nothing at his fingertips. He frowned and spoke up.

“What time is it right now?”

“……”

There was no response. Nam-woon turned his gaze to Yong-deuk, who was focused on driving.

“Yong-deuk, what time is it?”

Yong-deuk, shoulders flinched when he raised his voice, he slowly parted his lips.

“Uh…..it’s a little past six-thirty.”

“Really?”

Nam-woon looked out the window with a puzzled expression. It was strange. Judging from the darkness around him, it must have been around eight o’clock. The weather had been chilly lately, so the sun was setting earlier than usual.

As he gazed outside, Nam-woon suddenly thought of the two people who must be anxiously waiting for him. He moved his body again. I’m sure I put it here, but where did it go? He shook his hips and ran his palm over the seat.

“Yong-deuk, have you seen my phone?”

“I… haven’t seen it. Did you leave it somewhere before getting into the car?”

“No, I touched it in the car earlier.”

I sent a text, so it’ll be okay. Even without me, you two must have eaten well, right? Nam-woon, whose mind was anxious with all sorts of thoughts, bent down and looked down at the floor. Then, suddenly, he heard a loud vibration nearby. Thinking it might be his, he turned his head and saw the unfamiliar device in Yong-deuk’s hand. Nam-woon let out a shallow sigh and buried his back in the seat again.

“Yes… I’m on my way.”

Yong-deuk’s voice echoed softly in the car.

“No. There wasn’t anything difficult……yes.” 

Nam-woon glanced at Yong-deuk, who appeared more tense than usual. Who was he talking to that made him look like that? His polite demeanor seemed to carry an underlying discomfort.

Yong-deuk doesn’t usually behave so formally with anyone, except for me… and Chairman Seok. 

“Yes, don’t worry. I’ll handle it well.” 

As the call ended, an eerie silence enveloped the car. Nam-woon’s throat moved up and down nervously. Something felt off. Yong-deuk seemed different from his usual self. Despite the chilly air, he was sweating profusely, even in the dark, the beads of sweat on his forehead were clearly visible.

Why is he sweating so much? And why are his hands shaking? 

Why…

Is Yong-deuk holding my cell phone?

A yellow sticker was slightly sticking out of Yong-deuk’s pants pocket. It was a sticker Se-han had given him to put on his phone. Nam-woon, worried that his gaze might be noticed, straightened his posture and asked nonchalantly.

“Who were you on the phone with?”

“… It was the repair shop owner. I left the car there last time after Deok-chil’s accident.”

“You said no one was hurt. Is the car damaged?”

“No, that’s not it… but just in case. I thought I’d ask for a checkup while I was at it.” 

Nam-woon clenched his fist at Yong-deuk’s answer. Despite his calm voice, it was obvious that it was a hastily made excuse. The contents of his call didn’t match his claim of talking to a repair shop owner at all.

A loud warning bell rang in his head. His instincts were telling him that he needed to get out of here.

Nam-woon opened and closed his hand as he quickly scanned the inside of the car. Fortunately, he didn’t see any tools or anything suspicious. They might be in the trunk, but first, he had to get out of this car…

But how do I get out of here?

There were no other cars on the road except for theirs. Still, Yong-deuk was accelerating as if he were being chased. No matter how bold Nam-woon was, he couldn’t just jump out of a moving vehicle. After a brief moment of contemplation, he furrowed his brows and groaned.

“Ah, I really need to use the bathroom.”

“What?” 

“I think I drank too much coffee earlier. I really have to pee.”

“Please hold on a little longer. There aren’t any rest stops around here…”

“Rest stop? I can just go anywhere. Pull over the car.”

Yong-deuk wore a troubled expression at Nam-woon’s nonchalant tone. He glanced outside the window but did not slow down. Nam-woon began to throw a tantrum like a three-year-old. It didn’t have to be a bathroom. I think I’m going to pee my pants. He would even be fine with being ticketed for public urination. He yelled and complained, but the car still wouldn’t stop.

“I can’t do that right now. I’ll take you later.” 

“Seriously, I can’t hold it!”

“No, I can’t! How many times do I have to tell you!”

“…..”

Nam-woon shut his mouth tightly at the unfamiliar figure of Yong-deuk yelling loudly. The car was filled with the sound of his breathing. Yong-deuk’s pupils were shaking wildly as if he was surprised by the sound of his voice.

His grip on the steering wheel was devoid of color, and the sweat dripping from his forehead fell to the floor in droplets. Nam-woon tried to ignore it and waited for the right moment to speak again. 

But then something dark suddenly leaped out from the bushes onto the road.

“……!”

Screech—! 

There was a loud screech because the brakes were stepped on too hastily. Fortunately, after hitting the brakes, the car came to a stop in front of something unidentifiable. In front of the strong headlights, a deer was standing tall and looking at them. While Yong-deuk was flustered by the sudden situation, Nam-woon quickly unlocked the lock. Then, he ran quickly without anyone having time to catch him.

“Young master!”

The dark grassland in front of him was as dark as the mouth of a beast with its mouth wide open. Nam-woon ran into it without a moment of hesitation. His long legs quickly passed the sparsely grown trees. The mountain breeze whipped through his hair, tickling his cheeks. Even in this chaotic situation, Nam-woon’s eyes were sharp, searching for a place to hide.

Huff, huff… He could hear heavy breathing behind him and the sound of someone urgently chasing after him. Was it just his imagination? Its footsteps seemed faster than his own. 

Don’t get caught.

Nam-woon summoned every ounce of strength he had and ran like a madman, more desperately than when he had been chased by loan sharks in the past. Even when his foot slipped on the dirt path, he quickly regained his balance, ignoring the scratches on his cheeks and arms from the branches.

After running for a while, he ran like that for a long time until his foot got caught on a root sticking out of the dirt.

Thud.

“……!”

Nam-woon barely had time to groan as he sprang back to his feet. He felt a metallic taste rising in his throat and a pain as if his lungs were being torn apart. Breathing in ragged gasps, he suddenly realized that he could no longer hear the footsteps behind him. Huff... he clutched his stomach, he breathed unsteadily and cautiously turned his head.

In the dark grass, there was no sign of Yong-deuk’s hair, no, his shiny bald head. It felt as if he was the only one left in the world. Still, he couldn’t allow himself to feel relief.

Nam-woon kept looking around with his eyes, stepping back. He was sure Yong-deuk was still around. He needed to get far away from him. But… from Yong-deuk? Since when? His mind was swirling with countless thoughts.

After standing still for a while, he confirmed that there were no signs of movement. Thinking that now was the time, he cautiously took a step forward.

At that moment, a large hand shot out from behind him, suddenly covering his mouth and nose.

“Mmph!”

He felt the soft fabric of a cloth beneath the calloused, hard palm. Nam-woon, instinctively, held his breath. He sensed that if he inhaled now, he would lose consciousness again.