Yeonwoo had considered going to the police more times than he could count. But if the police could solve this kind of problem, those men wouldn’t be in the loan shark business in the first place.
Since getting the call from his mother the day before, he hadn’t managed a proper meal. He’d spent all his energy running between banks and real estate offices.
From what he’d managed to find out, the group pressing his father for debt repayment had a notorious reputation. They weren’t a legitimate financial institution—they were infamous across coin, stock, and gambling communities for brutal and illegal debt collection practices.
Even if his mother was hiding out at his aunt’s, they’d find her eventually. It was only a matter of time before they came for him too.
And it went without saying that their methods wouldn’t be anything close to civilized.
Even if they found his runaway father, it wasn’t like the man had the means to repay ten billion won. In the end, it would fall on Yeonwoo and his mother again.
He’d already used the cash he managed to scrape together to make an emergency payment, but beyond that, he had no clear solution. Everything felt hopeless.
Between trying to sell his car, meetings at the bank, and managing the café, Yeonwoo had no time to rest. On top of that, after closing the café, he’d been squeezing in time to look for part-time jobs he could take on, even temporarily.
He hadn’t gotten any real sleep since his mother’s call. His mind felt foggy. Even when he did go home early, there was no peace of mind—he was restless no matter what he did.
“Um, are you still open?”
Yeonwoo was in the middle of closing up the café when a customer suddenly walked in. He looked up and shook his head.
“Sorry, we’re closed for today.”
“Ah, okay…”
“Have a good night.”
He gave a polite farewell and returned to the sink to finish washing the disassembled machine. As he worked, he thought again of Chahyun, who still hadn’t shown up.
If he was staying away this long, maybe something had actually happened.
The worry flickered in his mind, but he scolded himself for thinking such things.
Maybe this was just Chahyun’s way of breaking up. Making the decision, cutting everything off—no farewells, no messages, no trace. From lovers to strangers in a single stroke.
Yeonwoo glanced toward the empty chair where Chahyun used to lounge with his usual relaxed posture. Then, silently, he exited the building.
Living out of the officetel again, Yeonwoo realized just how many things he was missing.
He barely had enough clothes. Not just clothes—he needed daily necessities, supplements, shoes, his laptop, books… everything had been left behind in the apartment he shared with Chahyun.
When he first decided to leave, he’d told himself he didn’t care about the stuff. But now, every penny counted. Even a single pair of socks was worth retrieving.
Even if he sold the officetel and moved into a tiny studio, he’d still need basic supplies. And he couldn’t afford to rebuy everything, not even the smallest things. If he had to, he’d drag every last item out of that apartment himself.
After some thought, Yeonwoo called Chahyun.
—The number you’ve dialed is unavailable. Please leave a message after the tone…
No answer. Just the dial tone looping endlessly.
It was embarrassing to be the one reaching out first after he’d made such a scene about breaking up.
He tried drafting a message, deleting and rewriting it several times.
[Can I stop by to pick up my things from the apartment?] [Let me know what time works for you.]
Then, with hesitation, he added a softer line:
[Are you okay? You're not sick, right? Just leave a message when you can. I’ll wait.]
“…He wouldn’t block me, would he?”
Yeonwoo stared at his silent phone with growing unease. Chahyun used to reply instantly. Now, not even a word.
“Whatever. He’ll respond eventually.”
He sighed and tossed the phone onto the bed.
***
Even the next morning, Chahyun didn’t answer.
So in the end, Yeonwoo headed to the apartment early, without permission. He wasn’t due at the café until later that afternoon, so he planned to collect his things and drop them off at the officetel before work.
Carrying a large empty bag and a few boxes, Yeonwoo rang the apartment buzzer.
“Baek Chahyun. It’s me.”
No response.
“I came to pick up my stuff. I called and texted you.”
Still nothing.
After standing at the door for a few minutes, Yeonwoo tried entering the code. He’d worried Chahyun might’ve changed the number—but luckily, it was still the same. Judging by the empty shoe rack, Chahyun hadn’t come home. Either that or he’d already left for work.
The apartment hadn’t changed. It was just as he remembered. So Yeonwoo stepped in with his boxes and began packing.
“Has he not been coming back at all…?”
The longer he stayed, the stranger it felt. The fridge that used to always be stocked with side dishes was now empty. Not a single piece of trash in the bin. His belongings were still here, but the place felt untouched.
Was he not living here anymore? Had he moved back in with his parents? Rented a new place?
Pushing those questions aside, Yeonwoo packed quickly. Since he wasn’t taking furniture or anything large, it didn’t take long to gather just his own belongings.
An hour passed. When he finished, Yeonwoo stood in the quiet living room, now stripped of everything that was his.
It felt… wrong. This was where they’d shared meals, watched TV, talked, and slept side by side. But now, that warmth was gone. It was no longer a space for two. Only the cold remained.
For the first time, the breakup felt real.
Suppressing the wave of emotion that surged in his throat, Yeonwoo turned and walked out quickly. If he stayed a moment longer, he felt like he might start regretting everything.
***
He practically fled the apartment and flagged down a taxi. After arriving at the officetel, he began unloading the boxes from the elevator.
That was when he saw the silhouette of a man in a suit standing in the hallway—right in front of his door.
Yeonwoo forgot the luggage entirely and ran toward him.
“Baek Chahyun! Where the hell have you—huh?”
It wasn’t him.
As Yeonwoo got closer, he realized it was someone he didn’t know. In fact, there were two men. One had been hidden behind a stack of packages beside the neighbor’s door.
“Are you Mr. Hong Yeonwoo?”
“…Who are you?”
The man smoking a cigarette grinned as he twisted his neck side to side.
“Who do you think? We’re here to collect a debt.”
“……”
They were the ones his mother had warned him about. He’d braced for this, but now that they were actually here, he didn’t know what to do.
Yeonwoo swallowed dryly. The hallway felt too narrow. He instinctively stepped back, but the man advanced slowly, like a predator savoring the cornered prey. He seemed familiar with this reaction.
“You’re gonna pay up, right? Your dad’s long past the deadline.”
“…I know. But I already sent part of the interest payment yesterday.”
“Yeah? And? You still owe us way more than that. You even know how many zeroes we’re talking about?”
The man’s words were muffled around the cigarette between his lips. Yeonwoo’s gaze dropped to the floral tattoo curling around his arm.
Swallowing hard again, Yeonwoo kept his face calm and gave a slight nod.
“Please give me a little more time. It’s not even my debt. It was my father’s—we’re estranged. I haven’t seen him in years.”
He tried to reason with them, keeping his tone polite and steady.
“No one just happens to have ten billion won lying around. I’ve already listed the officetel for sale. Once it sells, I’ll pay you. Please, just take the circumstances into account and give me some time—”
“Oh? So the pretty little boss is an omega?”
At that, the skinny man who had been standing behind the packages stepped forward, eyeing Yeonwoo up and down. The lingering pheromones made it clear he was an alpha.
“Didn’t know Kim Sunyoung’s only son turned out this fine.”
“Ohh, an omega?”
“Fuck, he’s gorgeous. Bet you could clear the debt real fast just selling that tight little hole a few times. If you’re broke, just say the word—we’ll hook you up with work.”
“…Watch your mouth. I said I don’t have anything to give you right now. Please just leave.”
Yeonwoo swallowed again, struggling to stay composed.
“Why so proud for someone with nothing, huh?”
“Must think he can get by on that face.”
The two men laughed among themselves, right in front of him.