twenty nine

The precinct reeked of antiseptic and stale coffee. Seong-je sat stiffly in the plastic chair outside the interrogation room, knuckles bloodied, heart still pounding with rage that hadn't subsided since he'd kicked that rusted door open.

Y/N was safe now, as safe as anyone could be after what she'd been through. But the bruises on her wrists, the tear-streaked silence in her eyes, the way her voice broke when she said his name

He gritted his teeth, head dropping into his hands.

Minjae hadn't gone quietly.

It took three officers to restrain him. He had shouted all the way to the station, swearing that Y/N had "misled" him, that it had "only been a game." When they searched the warehouse, they found chains. A mattress. A camera.

And a knife.

The evidence was enough to bury him.

But it wasn't enough for Seong-je.

"Mr. Nam."

He looked up. Detective Han stood beside him, file in hand. Her face was grim.

"She gave her statement. It's solid. We're filing charges. Kidnapping. Unlawful confinement. Attempted assault."

Seong-je nodded slowly. "What happens now?"

"We process him. He'll be transferred tomorrow. Bail's off the table."

Good.

Still, it didn't feel like enough.

Back in the hospital, Y/N sat beneath too-white sheets, clutching a warm cup of ginger tea that Jisoo had smuggled in. Her hands were steadier now, though her body still ached from being slammed into that concrete floor.

Jisoo sat beside her, trying not to let her rage show.

"He kept saying you owed him. Like some delusional ex-boyfriend."

Y/N stared out the window. "He said he'd hurt Seong-je if I didn't pretend to be with him. I thought... if I stalled long enough..."

"You bought us time."

She shook her head. "I was so scared."

Jisoo placed her hand over Y/N's. "You're here. That's what matters."

Seong-je entered the hospital room like a storm barely contained.

Y/N looked up at the sound of the door, and for a moment, the walls between them broke.

He crossed the room and wrapped her gently in his arms, burying his face in her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

She clung to him. "You found me."

"I should've known sooner. I should've protected you."

"You did."

He pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes. "What he did to you..."

"He didn't win."

Seong-je's voice cracked. "But he touched you. Threatened you."

"And now he's gone."

He kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then held her tight again. "He's going to rot for what he did. I swear it."

A week later, the campus was buzzing with whispers. Everyone had heard something, that Minjae had been arrested, that he was dangerous, that Y/N had been taken. Some got it wrong. Some didn't.

But Seong-je didn't care.

He walked her to class, hand gently at her back, and dared anyone to speak.

Minjae had a preliminary hearing that Friday. Seong-je showed up in a black hoodie and sat silently in the back of the courtroom.

When Minjae was brought in, cuffed and glassy-eyed, their eyes met.

Minjae flinched.

Seong-je didn't move.

But his stare said everything.

You picked the wrong girl.

You won't get another chance.

Later that night, Y/N sat curled in Seong-je's bed, wearing one of his hoodies. She was quiet, reading, but her foot rested against his leg. A subtle tether.

He leaned back on his elbows, watching her.

"You okay?"

She met his eyes. "Getting there."

He reached for her hand.

"I won't let anyone hurt you again. Not even myself."

Y/N closed her book. Moved closer. Kissed his shoulder.

"We're not broken, Seong-je. Just bruised."

And that night, for the first time in a long time, she slept without fear.

And so did he.