TBM Vol 1 Part 12

He scanned the set and noticed that Park Jae-ho was deep in conversation with Director Chae, not Lee Il-seo.

‘Where did Lee Il-seo go?’ he thought.

He wished they could talk before the shoot began, just to clear the air. If he could tell him he enjoyed the song and admit he was a bit harsh yesterday, the awkwardness between them might disappear.

Seung-yeon stood up, but as he made his way across the room, he heard a familiar voice from inside the bathroom.

“… Yo!”

His eyes narrowed. It was unmistakably Lee Il-seo’s voice. But it sounded like a shout, followed by a loud thud. Moments later, a man wearing a hat rushed out of the bathroom, bumping into his shoulder. Seung-yeon stood there startled when Lee Il-seo suddenly burst out behind him.

“Catch that guy!”

Without hesitation, Seung-yeon sprinted after the man. His quick reflexes and speed allowed him to catch up just as he was about to descend the stairs. He grabbed the back of his neck and yanked him backwards, causing him to fall. His phone slipped from his hand, still recording.

“What the hell?” 

Seung-yeon muttered under his breath, pinning the man down with his knee and holding his arms in a firm grip. He was small and thin, so subduing him wasn’t difficult.

As more staff and the manager ran towards them, a panicked voice called from behind him.

“There’s blood—what should we do?”

Seung-yeon instinctively turned his head, alarmed by the commotion. A crowd had gathered around Il-seo, who was now on his knees, clutching his leg. One of the actors who had rushed to his side covered his mouth in shock. Managers and the director were now tending to the man Seung-yeon had restrained.

Hwan approached, his voice filled with urgency.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Seung-yeon got up as soon as others took over holding the man, allowing him to assess the situation with Il-seo. The words “ambulance” and “police” floated through the air, increasing his sense of alarm. He bit his lip and pushed through the crowd until he reached Il-seo.

One of the staff members was pressing a thick towel against his thigh, and blood had already begun to seep through.

“Are you okay?” Seung-yeon asked, his voice tight with worry.

“I’m fine,” Il-seo replied, grimacing. Though in pain, his voice was steady enough to be reassuring.

Il-seo’s manager, Kyung-hyun, arrived looking pale and anxious.

“Did you call an ambulance?” Seung-yeon asked.

“Yes, they’re on their way. Il-seo, what happened?”

The set was in chaos, but the crowd began to disperse as people made way for the incoming emergency team. Kyung-hyun and Seung-yeon knelt beside Il-seo, and Director Chae and Park Jae-ho rushed over.

“What’s going on?”

“Il-seo, are you hurt?”

“I think he got cut by something sharp,” Seung-yeon answered, though he still wasn’t sure what had caused the injury. He desperately wanted to know what had happened in the bathroom, but this wasn’t the moment for questions.

One of the staff members who was holding the towel to stop the bleeding spoke in a shaky voice.

“The cut looks pretty deep… There’s a lot of blood.”

Seung-yeon immediately took off his jacket.

“Let me see.”

The towel was already soaked with red. When the panicked staff member hesitated, Seung-yeon pulled his hand away. A deep, finger-length cut was visible through the tear in Il-seo’s pants. Blood gushed out as soon as the towel was removed. Seung-yeon quickly wrapped his jacket around the wound, while pressing firmly.

“Just hang in there a little longer.” 

“How did this happen?” Director Chae asked, his face grim.

Il-seo gave a faint nod but still didn’t speak. His complexion was growing paler by the minute, sweat trickling down the back of his neck. He had been silent for too long, and Seung-yeon could tell he was in worse shape than he let on.

“Mr. Il-seo?” he asked again, his voice firmer than usual.

“… Yes,” he finally muttered, but his words were faint.

“Are you feeling unwell? You’re so pale.”

Il-seo lowered his head, clearly struggling. Seung-yeon felt the warmth of blood seeping under his hand. Kyung-hyun glanced frantically toward the entrance, hoping the ambulance would arrive soon. Il-seo’s breathing became laboured, and he spoke haltingly.

“I’m… sorry… I’m feeling dizzy…”

Before he could finish, his head drooped further, and his body collapsed. Seung-yeon caught him just in time, supporting him with his arms. Kyung-hyun knelt beside him, gently patting his cheek and calling his name in desperation.

At that moment, a voice shouted from across the set.

“Over here! The paramedics are here!”

Kyung-hyun’s voice cracked with relief. 

“Il-seo, hold on, they’re here.”

Il-seo’s eyes fluttered open briefly. In a weak voice, he whispered,

“Hyung… that guy… was recording with a hidden camera… in the bathroom.”

“What? A hidden camera?” 

Kyung-hyun’s face twisted with disbelief, but Il-seo nodded weakly before letting out a shaky breath.

The police and paramedics arrived at the same time. Il-seo was quickly bandaged and placed on a stretcher. He kept trying to keep his eyes open, fighting to stay conscious.

Kyung-hyun climbed into the ambulance with him. Meanwhile, Seung-yeon approached the police, holding the criminal’s phone, which had been knocked to the ground earlier. He wrapped it in a handkerchief, mindful of the blood on his hands.

“He was filming in the bathroom,” he explained, handing it to the officer. 

“This is the phone he was using. He must have been hurt while struggling.”

The officer blinked in surprise at Seung-yeon’s calm demeanour, though his eyes widened as he noticed the blood-stained fabric. Another officer soon emerged from the bathroom, holding a folding knife wrapped in plastic, its blade soaked in blood.

“It was on the bathroom floor,” the officer said grimly.

The reality of the situation hit Seung-yeon hard as he stood there, the blood, the knife, and Il-seo’s pale, pained face all too vivid in his mind.

With the criminal now in police custody, all filming was halted. Director Chae and his assistant were busy dealing with the aftermath of the incident.

Hwan approached Seung-yeon. “You should probably head home and clean up first.”

He looked down at his clothes, now stained with Il-seo’s blood. His hands were still trembling slightly, but he shook his head.

“Which hospital did they take Il-seo to?”

“Probably the emergency room at Hospital A. It’s the closest.”

“I’ll just wash my hands and then we’ll go.”

As Hwan went to get the car, Seung-yeon walked back to the bathroom. The sight of blood droplets on the floor made him pause. He turned on the cold water, watching as the blood washed away, leaving only faint traces behind. Even after scrubbing his hands twice, the weight of everything that had happened lingered.

Leaning against the sink, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. The memory of Il-seo collapsing in his arms, his body cold and limp, replayed over and over in his mind.

Seung-yeon quietly watched over Il-seo, whose pale face was still as he lay hooked to an IV. His manager, Kyung-hyun, had left earlier to call the company and had yet to return to the hospital room.

Suddenly, a familiar voice grew louder from the hallway, and the door opened. Director Chae walked in, spotting Seung-yeon, and raised his hand in greeting.

“You’re still here.”

“Oh, you didn’t go home?”

Seung-yeon raised his head, puzzled by the assumption that he would leave. Director Chae pulled out a chair and sat beside him while shaking his head.

“I just got back from the police station. You almost found yourself in serious trouble.”

He lowered his voice, speaking so only Seung-yeon could hear.

“That guy was your stalker. His phone’s album was full of pictures of you.”

Seung-yeon’s brow furrowed as he processed the information. The man with the hidden camera had been after him, and Il-seo had gotten hurt trying to stop him. A sharp knife had been involved in the confrontation, and the scene had quickly turned chaotic in the emergency room. The situation had attracted a lot of attention, but luckily, they had managed to keep the media out for now.

Director Chae continued in a tired voice, leaning back on his chair.

“Il-seo’s injury could’ve been worse. But you’ve been in and out of that bathroom so often that I almost…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, pressing his hand to his forehead. At that moment, Kyung-hyun returned with a soft knock. Kyung-hyun didn’t seem to fully catch the tension in the room and greeted Director Chae awkwardly.

“Director, you’re here.”

Director Chae stood up.

“Yes. I’m really sorry about everything. I didn’t expect someone to steal a staff badge and sneak in.”

“Oh, yes… Please contact the company regarding the filming schedule. We’ll adjust it as soon as Il-seo recovers.”

“Let’s focus on recovery for now. Thanks to Il-seo, we avoided something far worse. Don’t worry about the filming or the hospital bills—just take care of him.”

Kyung-hyun nodded gratefully, though he was well aware of the pressures of the drama’s filming schedule. As the two men spoke, Seung-yeon, who had been quietly listening, turned to Kyung-hyun.

“Did you contact his family?”

Kyung-hyun hesitated slightly before responding.

“Oh, yes.”

“Are they coming? Should we leave then?” 

Director Chae asked, but Kyung-hyun shook his head with an awkward frown. He glanced at Il-seo, who was still unconscious and spoke softly.

“They won’t be able to come in person. The CEO will be arriving instead.”

Director Chae, reading the situation, nodded quickly, realizing another misstep could come off as rude.

“Right. I see. I’m sorry again.”

“It’s not your fault, Director.”

“I’ve got a lot to handle, so I’ll head out. Let me know when Il-seo wakes up,” 

Director Chae said, turning to Seung-yeon. Now that Kyung-hyun was back and someone from the company was on their way, it seemed logical for him to leave, but Seung-yeon didn’t move.

“Sa Seung-yeon, are you staying?”

Seung-yeon nodded, his eyes never leaving Il-seo’s face. He couldn’t stop thinking about their last conversation—their exchange from two days ago, overlapping with his pale features. His eyes had widened in shock at his harsh words, and his fingers had trembled slightly. It was the last time they had spoken.

In a hoarse voice, he muttered, “I didn’t get to say what I wanted to say.”

Director Chae sighed, patting his shoulder gently.

“Is that really so important right now?”

When Seung-yeon didn’t respond, he pressed his lips together and looked concerned.

“You’ve been through a lot too. Take care of yourself.”

But Seung-yeon’s gaze remained fixed on Il-seo’s tightly shut eyelids, unmoved by anything else.

Il-seo woke up twenty minutes later. As he blinked and took in the unfamiliar hospital room with groggy eyes, his gaze fell on Kyung-hyun, who was sitting beside him. Seeing a familiar face calmed the rapid beating of his heart.

Slowly, Il-seo’s eyes drifted to the side and his lips parted slightly when he noticed Seung-yeon sitting next to Kyung-hyun. He blinked, wondering if he was imagining things, but his heart began to race again at the sight of him.

“Are you okay?” 

Kyung-hyun’s voice broke the silence, pulling Il-seo’s attention back to him. Il-seo glanced down at his injured thigh, only to hear Kyung-hyun’s explanation.

“You got stitches. You’ll need to stay in the hospital for three days.”

Il-seo remained quiet.

“Don’t worry about the hospital bill,” Kyung-hyun quickly added when he noticed the anxiety creeping into Il-seo’s eyes as he glanced around the large private room. Only then did relief start to show in Il-seo’s tired expression.

Kyung-hyun, watching Il-seo slowly nod, wiped his face with his hand and sighed deeply. When he lowered his hand, a mix of emotions filled his gaze.

“What were you thinking?” he suddenly blurted, his tone sharp. Il-seo’s eyes widened at Kyung-hyun’s uncharacteristically stern voice.

“Are you a police officer? Do you think you’re some kind of fighter? What made you rush in headfirst like that…!”

“…”

“Even if you don’t think, at least try not to act recklessly. Did you understand?”

At that moment, Seung-yeon gently grabbed Kyung-hyun’s forearm, not forcefully but firmly enough to calm him. Though Kyung-hyun’s words weren’t entirely wrong, it was clear that Il-seo, still dazed from just waking up, was overwhelmed by the sudden scolding. There was no point in dwelling on what had already happened.

“Calm down,” Seung-yeon said quietly.

“…”

“Let’s call the doctor first.”

Kyung-hyun sighed again and left the room to find the doctor. As the door slowly closed, Seung-yeon and Il-seo were left alone in the quiet hospital room. Il-seo stared at the ceiling with a slightly uneasy expression. Seung-yeon broke the silence.

“The man who attacked you was taken to the police. Turns out he is my stalker. He had a lot of footage already and was setting up a camera in the bathroom. Did you run into him there?”

“… Yeah.”