"Have you found him yet?"
The question came out sharp and breathless as one of the men rounded the corner at a near sprint. His shoes skidded slightly against the polished hotel floor before he caught himself, chest heaving hard from exertion. He spotted his coworker at the far end of the corridor and rushed toward him, grabbing his shoulder with a firm tap to snap him out of his frantic scanning.
The other man turned quickly, tension already etched across his face. A faint sheen of sweat clung to his temple despite the cool air-conditioning humming through the hallway.
He shook his head. "Got nothing," he replied tersely, jaw clenched. "You?"
"Me too." The first man ran a hand through his hair in frustration, glancing down both ends of the corridor as if expecting Soo-hyun to magically appear. "We should split up and check the rooms. Every single one of them."
The younger man gave a tight nod, without any arguments nor hesitation. They moved at once.
Their footsteps echoed loudly as they broke into a run, dividing at the intersection of the hallway. The carpet muted some of the sound, but urgency still clung to every stride. One of them reached the first door on his side, sliding the access key card out from his pocket with shaking fingers. The red light blinked once.
Beep.
The lock clicked open.
He shoved the door inward without ceremony, sweeping his gaze across the suite—bathroom, balcony, closet, even under the bed. But it was empty.
"Damn it!"
He stepped back out, already moving to the next door.
Beep.
He searched every corner of the rooms. Yet, he found nothing.
"Shit! Why did you let him fool you anyway?!" He muttered under his breath as he entered another suite, frustration boiling over. He wasn't speaking to anyone, but arguing with himself while replaying the moment in his mind. The distraction that happened when the second he'd thought everything was under control.
And now the Omega has gone missing.
He kicked the bathroom door open and checked inside. Empty again.
His tongue clicked sharply against his teeth. "Unbelievable..."
[A few minutes earlier]
The heavy door to the VIP suite swung open with a sharp creak, the sound swallowed quickly by the plush interior. Two men entered, each gripping one of Soo-hyun's arms. He struggled fiercely between them, feet dragging against the carpet as he twisted and jerked in their hold.
"Let go of me!" Soo-hyun snapped, voice strained but defiant. He tried to wrench his arm free, but the men's grips tightened painfully around his wrists.
"Stop moving!" One of them growled.
Soo-hyun retaliated by throwing his weight to one side, nearly pulling all three of them off balance. The sudden resistance irritated one of the men enough that he lost his patience. With a rough shove, he released his hold.
Without support, Soo-hyun stumbled forward and fell hard into the bed, the mattress dipping beneath his weight. He barely had time to brace himself before rolling onto his side, attempting to push himself back up. The second man released him more carelessly, letting his arm drop as if he were discarding an object rather than a person.
"Stay put," the taller one warned coldly, adjusting his jacket as though the entire ordeal had been a minor inconvenience.
Soo-hyun glared up at them from the bed, breathing uneven but eyes blazing with resistance. Even thrown onto unfamiliar sheets inside a locked VIP room, he looked undefeated, rather calculating.
And that was exactly what they underestimated.
Soo-hyun slowly lifted himself from the bed, his posture outwardly calm despite the situation he had been forced into. His sharp eyes moved quietly across the room, scanning every corner with careful precision. From left to right, he observed everything; the walls, the ceiling, the windows, the furniture placement. The room itself was spacious and clearly expensive, yet oddly sterile.
The interior design leaned toward a minimalistic aethetic, smooth marble surfaces, muted tones of black and gray, with a large king-sized bed draped in pristine white sheets.
The lighting was soft and dim, casting gentle shadows across the polished floor. It had all features of luxury and discreet technology embedded in the walls, yet it lacked warmth.
Across the room, one of the men remained planted near the foot of the bed, his eyes never straying far from Soo-hyun. His stance was rigid, shoulders squared, every movement cautious. The way he watched Soo-hyun made it clear that he viewed him not as a person but as something else entirely. To guard something valuable.
The tension in the room stretched thin as seconds passed.
Sooner than either of the men expected, the very situation they had been silently wary of unfolded.
"..."
Soo-hyun's lips moved faintly, barely producing sound.
The man frowned.
[??]
He tilted his head slightly, confusion flickering across his expression as he leaned a little closer. The murmuring was too soft to make out.
"Hey," he said, irritation creeping into his voice. "What're you mumbling there about?"
For a moment, Soo-hyun didn't answer. His gaze remained lowered, his expression unreadable as if weighing something carefully in his mind.
"..."
Then slowly he spoke again, this time just loud enough to be heard.
"... I need... the bathroom."
The guard blinked. "Bathroom?"
His hesitation was immediate. His eyes narrowed as suspicion crept into his face. Letting Soo-hyun move, even a few steps away from the bed felt like a risk he didn't want to take.
Before the tension could escalate, the other man in the room casually stepped forward. He moved toward the door and leaned against the wall beside it, crossing his arms as if he had already decided the matter.
"Just let him go," he said with a tired exhale, clearly annoyed by his partner's overly cautious attitude.
The first man turned sharply toward him. "And what are you gonna do if he tries to run away?" He shot back. "He might just be lying right now."
His colleague reached over and tapped his shoulder, a silent gesture telling him to calm down.
"Just drop it, okay?" He replied, brows knitting slightly in mild irritation. "You really wanna make him leak right here?" He gestured toward the bed with a lazy motion. "On the sheets?"
The room fell quiet for a second.
The guard stared at him with a flat, unimpressed expression, clearly unhappy about being pressured into it. His lips pressed together into a thin line before he finally relented.
"... Fine."
He stepped forward and grabbed Soo-hyun by the arm firmly enough to make it clear that he was still in control. Guiding him across the room, he led him toward the bathroom door. The lights inside flicked on automatically as they entered, revealing a sleek, marble-lined space with a large mirror and glasses shower.
But the guard didn't step out. Instead, he positioned himself in the doorway, deliberately leaving the door wide open.
"Do your business," he said flatly. "I'll be right here keeping watch."
Soo-hyun paused just inside the bathroom. He slowly turned his head, watching as the man shifted his stance and faced outward toward the bedroom again, his back partially turned but still close enough to react if Soo-hyun tried anything.
For a brief moment, an unreadable look crossed Soo-hyun's face. No fear, nor anger.
"Just make it quick," the man added without looking at him. "We don't have much time."
Soo-hyun's gaze drifted quietly around the bathroom, careful not to make any sudden movements that might draw suspicion from the guard lingering at the doorway. His eyes slid toward the thick pillar near the sink first. It partially concealed the glass shower enclosure and the wide soaking tub behind it, creating a small blind corner within the otherwise open space. Beside the shower area sat the toilet, pristine and untouched beneath the sterile lighting.
But he had no intention of using it. Not really.
His attention sharpened.
The man stationed at the door still had his back turned, just slightly. But enough to create a silver of opportunity. Soo-hyun's mind worked quickly and calmly.
He lifted his gaze higher, scanning the bathroom once more, this time more carefully.
Then his eyes stopped.
Near the ceiling, positioned above the toilet area was a small square panel, barely noticeable unless someone was specifically looking for it. A maintenance hatch—the kind that could be opened with screwdriver to access pipers or electrical wiring.
But for Soo-hyun it was an exit. Still, using it would require time.
If he tried climbing up there while the guard stood right at the doorway, the man would notice instantly. The movement alone would give him away before he could even lift the panel.
He needed something else first. Something to create a moment.
Soo-hyun's gaze continued sweeping across the room until something on the marble counter caught his eye. A glass vase.
Its decorative simple but heavy, filled with artificial white flowers contrasted against the dark countertop. Even at a glance, the thickness of the glass made its weight obvious.
Soo-hyun stared at it for a brief second.
The idea formed instantly. This could work.
Without hesitating any further, he reached forward and silently lifted the vase from the counter. The cool weight settled firmly in his hands, heavier than it looked but manageable.
Slowly he began moving.
Each step was placed carefully against the tile floor, his body angled so the pillar partially concealed him from the guard's peripheral vision. He moved on his feet, controlling even the sound of his breathing.
The guard remained at the doorway, impatient and unaware, staring out toward the bedroom while waiting for Soo-hyun to finish.
In one swift motion, he raised the vase above his shoulder and swung.
WHACK!
The heavy glass slammed against the back of the man's head with a dull, violent crack. The guard staggered forward instantly, his body lurching as pain shot through his skull. His knees buckled, but he didn't collapse completely.
"What the—?!" He gasped, one hand flying to the back of his head.
Blood immediately began seeping between his fingers. Soo-hyun didn't stop. Before the man could even turn around fully, he swung the vase again.
WHACK!
The second strike landed harder, smashing against the side of his head. The guard let out a choked grunt, stumbling sideways as his balance gave out. But he still wasn't down.
Teeth clenched, Soo-hyun lifted the vase one last time and brought it down with everything he had. Just as he did, a voice echoed from the other room.
"Hey! What was that sound?"
[!!]
The words sent a jolt of urgency through Soo-hyun's body. The guard in front of him was barely holding himself upright now, blood dripping down the side of his face as he struggled to stay conscious.
Soo-hyun tightened his grip on the vase. There was no more time.
He swung again.
This time the glass connected squarely against the man's temple with a sharp crack. The vase shattered upon impact, fragments scattering across the bathroom floor as the guard's body finally gave out.
He collapsed heavily onto the tiles.
Without wasting another second, Soo-hyun dropped the broken remains of the vase and rushed back toward the hidden area of the bathroom. He stepped onto the toilet seat, using it as foothold to reach the ceiling panel he had spotted earlier. His fingers gripped the edge of the hatch.
Luckily, the latch wasn't locked. With a quick pull, the small door swung open with a faint creak. Cool and dusty air from the maintenance crawlspace above brushed against his face.
Soo-hyun hoisted himself upward quickly, bracing one knee against the ceiling frame before pulling the rest of his body inside.
Once inside the cramped space, he reached down and carefully slid the panel closed again.
*****
Moments later, hurried footsteps pounded down the hallway and into the room. The second guard burst through the bathroom entrance and froze. His partner was sprawled across the tile floor, completely unconscious. Blood stained the marble beneath him, and shattered shards of glass from the destroyed vase were scattered around his body.
"Shit!" The man cursed loudly, running forward. "He escaped!"
His eyes darted around the bathroom in panic. He checked behind the shower glass, pulled open cabinet doors, even glanced behind the pillar. It was empty.
"Damn it!" He snarled.
Realization hit him a second later.
He spun around and sprinted back toward the suite's entrance. Bursting into the hallway, he grabbed the radio clipped to his belt and slammed the transmit button.
"The product is missing!" He barked urgently into the device. "Do you copy? He's missing!"
His voice echoed down the corridor as tension surged through the floor. "Patrol the rooms! He could be anywhere!"
Several minutes had passed since the alarm had been raised, yet the search seemed to be going nowhere. The hallways of the hotel stretched long and identical in every direction, doors lined neatly along the walls like silent witnesses to the chaos unfolding within them. The guard ran down the corridor at full speed, his footsteps pounding heavily against the carpeted floor as frustration mounted with every passing second. His breathing was uneven and sharply as he scanned each corner with growing irritation.
Just as he was about to turn left at the intersection ahead, his feet suddenly slammed to a halt. A familiar face emerged.
Wukyeong had just stepped into view from the adjoining hallway, turning his head at the same moment the guard noticed him. He looked slightly out of breath himself as he had also been moving quickly through the building in search of someone.
"Oh, it's you," the guard said, exhaling deeply as if both relieved and annoyed at the same time.
"Yeah..." Wukyeong replied casually, though his sharp eyes immediately picked up on the tension in the other man's posture. Something was clearly wrong. His gaze flicked briefly down the corridor before returning to the guard's face.
"You seem to be in a rush," he added, tilting his head slightly with curious interest. "Did something happen?"
The guard hesitated for a moment, his jaw tightening as he shifted his weight. His eyes darted briefly down the hallway as though confirming no one else was around before he answered.
"He ran away again," he said finally, irritation heavy in his voice.
"He?" Wukyeong blinked slowly, feigning confusion. "You mean... Director Je?" His brows lifted slightly in surprise. "He escaped again?"
"Yeah," the guard snapped, clearly unhappy about the situation. "That guy even smashed my partner's head before ditching."
The annoyance in his tone was unmistakable, almost bitter.
"Gosh..." Wukyeong muttered under his breath, scratching lightly at the back of his neck. "He's really something."
For a brief moment, silence hung between them.
"Want me to find him?" Wukyeong offered suddenly, his voice light as if volunteering for something trivial.
But the guard immediately pursed his lips, shaking his head firmly.
"There's no need," he said. "I already sent some guys after him."
Wukyeong simply shrugged his shoulders in an easy motion. "Suit yourself, boss."
With that, he casually walked past the guard and continued down the opposite hallway, his hands slipping lazily into his pockets as if the conversation had meant nothing.
For a few seconds, his expression remained perfectly neutral. Then the moment he was far enough away, it cracked. Fear flashed across his face.... concern followed immediately after.
His fists clenched tightly at his sides as his steps slowed.
Shit, shit...! This is bad.
His thoughts screamed in panic, a cold wave of dread rising inside him.This was exactly the situation he had been afraid of.
"She'll definitely chew me up," he muttered quietly under his breath, running a hand through his hair in agitation. "I just know it."
The thought alone made his stomach twist.