Chapter 93
Haemin's POV
Warm water poured down from the showerhead, running over my hair and down my face.
I stood there quietly, letting the water wash over me as my hands rested against the tiled wall.
For a long moment, I simply breathed.
There were too many thoughts running through my mind right now, all tangled together until I could not sort any of them out. I tried to focus, but it only made my head feel worse. Honestly… how did things turn out like this? Just thinking about what tomorrow might bring was enough to make me feel dizzy.
My face was already everywhere by now, and I could already imagine the kind of looks waiting for me from here on out.
This kind of thing will take time to calm down, but can I hold on until then?
"Ouch…"
My body felt heavy ever since earlier.
There was a dull soreness lingering in my lower body that made me shift slightly under the water. Seriously, was it truly necessary for her to be so forceful?
A quiet sigh escaped me as I tilted my head forward, letting the water run over the back of my neck.
After I was done, I reached for a towel and dried myself before putting on some clothes. My hair was still damp when I stepped out of the bathroom and walked toward the small table beside my bed.
My phone was lying there.
The screen lit up the moment I picked it up, and my eyes widened.
There were ten missed calls.
All from Sera.
I frowned slightly.
I hadn't checked my phone at all after returning home and had gone straight to the shower.
My thumb hovered over her name.
Well, I had meant to call her tomorrow anyway, but since she already called me…
Just as I was about to press the call button—
My phone rang.
An unknown number appeared on the screen.
"Hm?"
Who could possibly be calling at this hour?
After a brief hesitation, I answered.
"…Hello?"
"Mr. Kim?"
The voice on the other end was familiar. My eyes widened in surprise.
"…Attorney Park?"
"Yes. It's me."
I straightened slightly without realizing it.
"I apologize for calling at this hour, but are you at home, Mr. Kim?"
"…Yes," I replied, still confused. "I just got back not long ago."
"Good. I'm actually downstairs at your apartment building right now. Would it be possible for us to talk for a moment?"
I blinked.
"…You're downstairs?"
"Yes."
I was too surprised to question it further.
"Ah—yes, of course," I said quickly. "Just… give me a minute. I'll come down."
"Thank you, Mr. Kim."
The call ended.
I stared at the phone for a second, still puzzled.
What was he doing here at this hour?
I grabbed a jacket from the chair and headed for the door.
_____
When the elevator doors opened, I stepped out into the lobby and walked toward the entrance.
Through the glass doors, I could already see him outside, standing beside his car near the curb.
He was dressed neatly as always, one hand in the pocket of his coat as he waited calmly under the streetlight.
I pushed the door open and stepped outside.
"Attorney Park."
He turned when he heard my voice.
"Mr. Kim."
We exchanged a small nod before shaking hands briefly.
The night air was cool after the rain. The street had grown quiet, with only a few distant cars passing by.
"I apologize again for coming this late."
"It's alright. I don't mind at all. If you'd like, we can go upstairs to my place."
Attorney Park shook his head gently.
"That won't be necessary. I won't take much of your time."
"I see."
His eyes studied my face for a moment, as if trying to read something from my expression.
"How are you today, Mr. Kim?"
The question caught me a little off guard.
"Well… I'm alright, you could say."
His brow furrowed slightly.
"Is Ms. Seo giving you a hard time at the office today?"
"N—No, she's not," I replied quickly. "It's just that… things have become a little awkward at the office after what happened between us."
I tried to keep my tone casual, hiding the truth about what happened to me just a few hours ago.
Attorney Park nodded slowly.
"Well… that's to be expected, isn't it, Mr. Kim? After all, you insisted on following through with her demand."
I could only give him an awkward smile.
He returned the smile briefly before speaking again.
"Anyway, regarding the news about you and Ms. Hwang, she told me she will handle it personally. So you don't have to worry too much about it, alright?"
"So you've seen the news too!?"
"It would be weird if someone like me didn't know about it, wouldn't it?"
"Yeah… that makes sense." *Sigh* "Honestly… I don't even know where to hide my face anymore. I have no idea what's going to happen to me after this."
Attorney Park let out a light chuckle.
"No need to overthink it, Mr. Kim. When Ms. Hwang is the one handling it, things will settle down faster than you expect. This kind of situation is nothing new to someone like her. And besides, the media cycle moves quickly. Give it a little time, and people will move on."
I nodded slowly.
"If you said so… alright."
There was a brief pause between us.
Then he spoke again.
"Actually… the reason I came here tonight was to say goodbye to you."
"…Goodbye?"
He nodded.
"Yes. I'll be returning to Switzerland tonight. My flight leaves in about two hours, so I thought I should come and see you before I go."
I stared at him in surprise.
"…That suddenly?"
He gave a faint smile.
"My work here is already finished. So there's nothing left for me to do in Korea."
"I see… but wait, doesn't that mean you won't be here when everything is finalized next month?"
Attorney Park let out a soft chuckle.
"You don't need to worry about that, Mr. Kim. In your case, there's no court verdict involved. Since both parties have already agreed, it's simply a matter of waiting for the cooling period to end."
"Once that period is over, you and Ms. Seo just need to appear together at the registry office to finalize the divorce. My presence isn't required for that. And if there are any complications, Ms. Hwang will handle them on your behalf."
"I see…"
I hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
"…It's… unfortunate that I didn't get the chance to properly repay you for everything you've done for me, Attorney Park. Please contact me again when you return to Korea!"
He shook his head lightly.
"As I mentioned, Mr. Kim, there's no need for that. I simply carried out Ms. Hwang's instructions. That's all."
"Even so…" I looking at him sincerely, "you're still the one who helped me in the end. You were willing to take the risk and come to my aid, even knowing who Yuna is. It's not easy to stand against someone like her."
Attorney Park let out a quiet breath.
"To be honest, Mr. Kim, she is indeed difficult to deal with. I was actually quite surprised that you managed to endure someone like her for so long."
"Well…"
I gave a small, awkward laugh.
He simply watched me with a smile before glancing down at his watch.
"Alright, Mr. Kim. I think it's time for me to go."
I straightened slightly.
"…I understand."
We shook hands.
He looked at me for a moment before speaking again.
"It's been a pleasure getting to know you, Mr. Kim. I wish you nothing but the best. I hope you can move forward and live well after this. Just keep going, and don't look back, alright?"
I felt a small warmth in my chest.
"…Thank you. Truly."
I took a small breath before continuing,
"I truly appreciate everything you've done for me. From the bottom of my heart. You gave me advice when I didn't know what to do, and you gave me the courage to finally make a decision. I won't forget that."
I paused briefly.
"You're a really good person, Attorney Park."
For a moment, he didn't respond.
His hand was still loosely holding mine, but his expression had gone still.
Something in his eyes shifted, just slightly.
"A good person, huh…?"
He let out a quiet chuckle under his breath, like he didn't quite know how to react to those words.
He slowly released my hand.
Then he gave a small nod.
"…Thank you, Mr. Kim."
I just smile softly.
He lingered for a moment before getting into his car and driving away. I stood there, watching his car disappear. The red taillights grew smaller… and smaller… until they were gone.
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
I wasn't sure why.
"…Take care, Attorney Park."
The words slipped out quietly under my breath, even though he was already gone.
I turned and slowly walked back into the building.
*
*
*
At that time, I didn't know.
That would be the last time I would ever see him.
_____
*The Next Morning*
The hallway was quiet when I stepped out of my apartment.
For a moment, I just stood there, lost in thought.
Then, I pulled my phone from my pocket as I walked toward the elevator. My thumb hovering for a moment before I opened the news.
Just like I expected.
It had already gotten out of control.
My chest felt heavy the moment the headlines filled the screen.
Photos of Sera and me were everywhere. The crazy part was that everything about those pictures made it look like we were far more intimate than we actually were.
I kept scrolling.
The comments were running wild, and the speculation about us went far beyond the truth.
It was already turning into something much bigger than I thought.
"…Of course it would end up like this."
A quiet breath left my lips.
For a moment, I felt the urge to turn around and go back to my house.
But I kept walking toward the elevator and stepped inside.
As the doors closed, I leaned lightly against the wall, my eyes dropping back to my phone.
The article shifted to another segment.
A new headline appeared.
[Breaking news.]
[Authorities have confirmed that a homicide occurred late last night in the southern area of Seoul, along a roadside route leading toward Incheon International Airport.]
*The screen showed flashing police lights cutting through the darkness, the area sealed off with yellow tape*
[A man was found collapsed near a parked vehicle with visible signs of a gunshot wound. Emergency services responded shortly after receiving the report, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.]
I sighed quietly under my breath.
"…What is wrong with the world these days…"
It felt like everywhere I looked, there was always something happening.
*The footage on the screen shifted*
*Footage of a car appeared*
I barely paid attention to it before locking my phone and slipping it back into my pocket.
Leaning my head gently against the elevator wall again, I closed my eyes and waited for it to reach the ground floor.
"Wait…"
My eyes snapped open.
Something felt off.
Without thinking, I quickly pulled my phone back out and turned the screen on again. The same news segment was still playing, and the image of the car was still displayed clearly.
"No way…"
A chill ran down my spine.
[According to witnesses at the scene, the victim was seen arguing with another man along a roadside area late last night. Moments later, the suspect reportedly fired multiple gunshots before fleeing the scene.]
My eyes narrowed slightly as I stared at the screen.
That car…
Why does it look so familiar?
And the plate…
Isn't that—
I instinctively raised the phone a little closer, my gaze fixed on the screen as if trying to confirm something I wasn't ready to admit.
The anchor's voice continued.
[The victim, Park Jun-ho, 37, a Korean national currently residing in Switzerland. Authorities confirmed that he sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene before he could receive further medical treatment.]
*A photo appeared*
My breath stopped.
"Attorney Park…?"
"No… no. What in the world is this…?"
*The screen changed*
[The police have not yet disclosed the exact motive behind the killing. However, early findings suggest that the incident may have been targeted rather than random.]
"No, is that really him?"
[Meanwhile, a suspect, believed to be a male in his late forties, has been apprehended and is currently in custody. Investigations are ongoing.]
No.
I refused to believe this.
Just yesterday..
But why…?
This has to be a mistake.
The elevator doors opened, but I didn't move immediately.
[Further updates will be provided as the investigation develops. Authorities are requesting that anyone with relevant information to contact the police.]
For a second, I just stood there, staring at the screen, as if my mind was refusing to accept what I was seeing.
"…This really doesn't make any sense…"
Who in the world would do something like this to him?
Slowly, I stepped out.
The report continued, but I couldn't hear it properly anymore.
I quickly scrolled through my call history and pressed the number he had used to contact me last night.
But the line didn't connect.
"…Is this… really happening…?"
My grip on the phone tightened as I walked toward the building exit, my steps slower than before.
Just last night…
We talked just fine.
"…Why…?"
*The lobby doors slid open*
The moment I stepped outside—
I stopped.
Because Sera was already there, standing beside her car, waiting.
I could only stand there, staring at her, unable to say a single word.