By Zephyria Yu-jin, who hurriedly got out of the car, was stunned by the rising flames. Even though he was stopped at a distance, the acrid smell stung his nose and throat.
Winston.
Yu-jin hurriedly took out his cell phone and made a call. He didn’t answer this time either. Anxious, Yu-jin sent a text message instead.
Where are you? I’m in front of Delights. The mansion is on fire, you’re not inside, are you?
As he waited anxiously for a response, he was surprised to receive an answer a moment later. Yu-jin’s brow furrowed as he quickly checked the message.
It’s dangerous, get out of here.
Yu-jin couldn’t believe it and checked it again and again. What does this even mean?
He called again, but he still didn’t answer. Now, his anxiety was slowly turning into anger.
“Daddy…”
“Stay in the car, Angie.”
When he sternly told his daughter, who had poked her head out, Angela was startled and quickly went back inside. It was rare for Yu-jin to take such a firm stance. Angela couldn’t help but think that something was up. She had no idea what that something was, though.
Look at this.
Yu-jin glared at his cell phone, his anger rising. If that’s how you want to play it, I have my own ways. He typed a message faster than ever before.
Come out right now. Or I’m going in.
He decided to give him exactly 10 seconds. The fire was gradually intensifying and would soon make it impossible to enter. He waited anxiously for an answer, and soon a message came. Yu-jin’s face slowly contorted as he immediately checked it.
Think of the child.
Anger surged as the words entered his head. What does this even mean? Are you threatening me now? I think about Angela a hundred, a thousand times more than you do!He tried calling again, but the power was completely off. Frustration surged, followed by regret. *I shouldn’t have waited. I should have just gone in from the start, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him out. I didn’t know Winston Campbell was such an unreasonable idiot.*
“Angie.”
“Yes!”
Calling out to his child through the open car window, Angela immediately approached and answered. Yu-jin continued with a determined look.
“Daddy’s going inside now. Papa’s in there.”
“Winnie? Why? He shouldn’t go to dangerous places!”
“I don’t know either.”
Yu-jin answered honestly to his horrified child.
“Anyway, I have to go help him. Angie, wait here for me, can you do that?”
“But…”
Angela fidgeted, drawing out her words, agitated by the rising flames. Yu-jin stroked his daughter’s cheek as if to comfort her and said,
“The fire truck will be here soon. I’ll be back by then.”
At her daddy’s words, Angela bravely nodded her head.
“Make sure you bring Winnie back.”
“Of course, I’m going to give him a big scolding.”
He was so sincere. His daughter seemed to feel the same way, clenching her fist and saying,
“Don’t give him dinner and make him reflect. He shouldn’t do dangerous things again.”
“Okay, let’s do that.”
Did she think Winston had been playing with fire? It didn’t matter. Yu-jin kissed his admirable daughter, straightened his back, and looked back at the mansion. Half of the mansion hadn’t caught fire yet. *I can use the stairs,* he thought, and immediately ran towards the mansion. The thought that he had wasted 10 seconds and the thought that he seemed to be crazy came to him at the same time.
Along with the determination to not let Winston off the hook if he caught him.
The fire was considerably larger than it looked from the outside. Loud and small explosions were occasionally heard, as if something was exploding. *What on earth is he thinking?* Yu-jin covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve because of the acrid smoke and hurried up the stairs. The fact that Delights was a huge mansion with 11 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms was a fatal flaw in times like these.
“Winston, Winston!”
He shouted as loud as he could, but it wasn’t very effective. Yu-jin, who was opening and checking each room on the second floor, soon changed his mind. *Let’s think from Winston’s perspective. Where would he be in a situation like this?*
*The place he’s most attached to in the mansion.*
There was only one answer. Yu-jin hurriedly turned around and ran back up the stairs.
* * *
“Cough, cough.”
Mrs. Campbell staggered, supporting herself against the wall. Where on earth was Winston? She had to take him out of here. All her children were precious, but Winston was special among them. Mrs. Campbell couldn’t live without him. *My treasure, my angel, my everything.* Winston was her only support, her hope, and more than just a son. Mrs. Campbell had never loved her husband, Harold. But Winston was different. He was the only man in her life and filled all the empty spaces in her heart. So she wouldn’t have regretted giving him everything, even her whole life.
But Winston was going to die.
The thought alone was terrifying. She couldn’t go through such a nightmare again. She had to find Winston and get out of here. If that was impossible…
Just as she was about to recall her last words, she saw a vision in the smoke. No, it wasn’t a hallucination. It was definitely Yu-jin. The evil vixen she had hated to death, who had taken everything from her.
“Yu-jin…”
Mrs. Campbell gritted her teeth and muttered that cursed name. If it hadn’t been for that thing, this wouldn’t have happened. She should have killed it a long time ago, if she had, this wouldn’t have happened.
*It’s not too late now.*
At that moment, something came into her view as if it were a revelation. Harold’s hunting rifle, which he used to hunt deer, was hanging on the wall.
* * *
The surroundings were quiet. Apart from the occasional noise, no human sound could be heard at all. In the silence, as if he were the only one left in the world, Winston felt peace for the first time.
*What a peaceful world.*
The only regret was that he couldn’t see Yu-jin and his child’s pictures because he had turned off his phone. He fiddled with the black screen of his phone, soon gave up his lingering feelings, and looked up. The scent of his child remained intact in the room. Yu-jin playing house with Angela, the two of them sleeping side by side in bed, and the two of their gazes directed at him when he opened the door after work.
*How happy he had been.*
Suddenly, his eyes felt hot, so he looked up at the ceiling. Happy moments always ended too quickly, and longing remained for a lifetime, tormenting his heart.
Perhaps it was fortunate. His remaining lifetime was not long now, so his longing would not be long either.
Yu-jin would also know that this was the best he could do. He might remember him just a little bit. Wouldn’t that be enough?
It was when he gave a bitter smile. An unfamiliar sound was suddenly mixed in with the familiar silence. The strange sound, which seemed regular but occasionally out of sync, was definitely someone’s running.
…No way, could it be?
Winston turned his head in surprise. The sound of footsteps gradually approached beyond the closed door. His heart fluttered uneasily at the approaching sound, like an impending fire.
*No way, it can’t be.*
He awkwardly got up from the sofa. The sound of footsteps was now right in front of him. Soon the door would open. And now he would know. The person beyond the door was…
“Found you.”
Yu-jin whispered, his shoulders shaking. He coughed several times, his face pale and gasping for breath. But Winston was surprised and couldn’t move. He just stared blankly at Yu-jin.
“What… are you crazy?”
Belatedly, he shouted and rushed to Yu-jin. He hurriedly hugged him and groped all over to see if he was hurt, then immediately looked back at Yu-jin’s face and pressed him.
“What are you doing? What about Angie? You didn’t leave the child and come all the way here?”
“I told you, cough, if you, didn’t come out… I’d come in to get you.”
Yu-jin said between ragged breaths. At the gaze that looked down at him as if he were dumbfounded, he confidently added.
“See, I found you in one go. I knew you’d be here.”
“Yu-jin…”
Winston could only repeat his name as if he were speechless. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back as if he had a headache for a moment, then soon stared at Yu-jin again. This time, he opened his mouth with a firm look.
“No, go back quickly. Are you going to make Angie an orphan?”
“Then why do such a stupid thing in the first place?”
Yu-jin retorted without backing down.
“I wouldn’t have come in at all if I was going to go alone. Don’t be stubborn and let’s go, quickly! Angie’s waiting.”
“Yu-jin.”
He grabbed his arm and pulled, but he didn’t budge. Winston looked down at Yu-jin, who was pulling with all his might, and opened his mouth.
“I can’t go.”
“Why can’t you go?”
When Yu-jin shouted roughly, Winston said in a quiet voice.
“My mother won’t give up until I die. So this is the only way.”
Winston gently touched Yu-jin’s cheek and gave a bitter smile.
“Now that I’m gone, she won’t be able to harass you and Angie anymore.”
His will was firm. Yu-jin tried to change his mind somehow, but it seemed impossible. No matter what he said, Winston wouldn’t listen. What to do, what to do.
“I’m pregnant.”
Winston was stunned as if he had been hit by something. If Yu-jin had slapped him hard on the cheek, he wouldn’t have been so dazed. Yu-jin, who had been just looking at him for a while, gasped and said again.
“I’m pregnant, with your child.”
His eyes hurt from the approaching fire and smoke. But that wouldn’t be the only reason his eyes were stinging. Yu-jin sighed and asked.
“You don’t believe me this time either?”
“No, no. It’s not that.”
Winston denied it immediately, his face resigned as if he had already expected it. But even so, he couldn’t speak easily.
“You have a child, you have my child?”
“Yes.”
Yu-jin nodded.
“I checked with a tester several times. I haven’t been to the hospital yet… but the results were the same, so I think it’s certain.”
At the firm words, Winston still had a blank expression. Was he going to deny it this time too? When the buried memories made a corner of his heart throb, Winston opened his mouth.
“Oh my god, that’s… how.”
His eyes slowly welled up. His gaze, which had been looking down at Yu-jin’s stomach, returned to his face.
“Really? You have my baby? Really?”
“Yeah, I can’t believe it either…”
Before he could finish speaking, Winston hugged him first. He couldn’t hold back his intense emotions, and the arms that had hugged him tightly soon lost their strength, and before Yu-jin could hug him back, he stepped back.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
His face, which had quickly turned pale, seemed to reveal his confused mind as it was. This time, Yu-jin reached out to Winston first. He tried to hug him, but Winston stepped back again. Winston said sorry again to Yu-jin, who was about to distort his face.
Yu-jin opened his mouth, but Winston spoke first.
“Then you shouldn’t be here even more. Get out of here, quickly.”
“What about you?”
Yu-jin urged quickly, feeling impatient.
“What about you? I told you, let’s go together.”
“I can’t. Why did you come in? I told you not to come, it’s dangerous!””If you hadn’t done such a stupid thing in the first place, I wouldn’t have done anything so dangerous!”
Yu-jin finally snapped at Winston, who was stubbornly insisting. Winston’s face contorted at the sound of his voice, which was louder than usual.
“I ended the lives of my own flesh and blood with my own hands. Now it’s my turn.”
He continued, his voice somewhat agitated.
“If I’m gone, no one will be able to torment you anymore.”
Winston’s will was firm. It seemed that no one could break it. Yu-jin stared at his face for a moment, then bit his lip. When he lowered his head, Winston felt sorry for him, but at the same time, he felt relieved. Just as he was thinking that Yu-jin must have understood and was getting anxious to get him out safely, Yu-jin suddenly raised his head. The expression on his face was completely different from what he had expected. Winston hesitated for a moment at the sight of Yu-jin glaring at him.
“You’re the most selfish idiot in the world, Winston Campbell.”
“What?”
Winston was taken aback and could only blink as Yu-jin spat out the words, his voice filled with suppressed anger. But Yu-jin didn’t give him a chance to say anything and continued to press him.
“So you’re going to die like this? You think dying is the only way? Don’t talk nonsense. I may have lived rummaging through trash cans, but I’ve never once thought about dying!”
Winston paled and stared down at Yu-jin. With the sound of the flames crackling and spreading between them, he opened his mouth.
“This is the only way I can atone for what I’ve done to you.”
“You’re not only selfish, but you’re also a coward.”
Yu-jin criticized him mercilessly, his voice trembling slightly.
“You should be thinking about how to atone to me while you’re alive. The way you’ve chosen now is to run away. Do you really think this will solve everything? Really?”
“But.”
“If Mrs. Campbell is a threat to me, you can do anything! I’m not saying you should do anything to your mother, think of another way! Persuade Mrs. Campbell, or something.”
Winston sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“There’s no way that’s possible.”
“Then come up with another possible way!”
Yu-jin blocked his escape route once again.
“If you really feel even a little bit sorry for me and if you truly care about Angie, you can’t run away like this. This is the most hurtful thing you can do to me and Angie! Is that what you want? For me to resent you and be heartbroken for the rest of my life?”
His voice gradually rose, but Yu-jin didn’t bother to hold back. Instead, he shouted as loud as he could.
“You have to give me a chance to forgive you!”
Haa, haa, Winston could only watch as Yu-jin gasped for breath, overwhelmed by intense emotion. His face was full of anguish. He was still stubbornly resisting, but Yu-jin could tell that he was wavering.
“Winston.”
Yu-jin squeezed his stinging throat and called his name. Looking up at Winston with pleading eyes, Yu-jin added desperately.
“The baby needs a papa, and so does Angie.”
His heart ached as he thought of the children. Yu-jin asked in a trembling voice.
“You weren’t there when Angie was born, were you? Are you going to do that to this child too?”
Winston still didn’t say anything. But it seemed that his will had already been completely broken. Yu-jin delivered the final blow.
“Don’t you want to hold your newborn baby?”
It was like a counterpunch. Winston buried his face in his hands and let out a deep sigh.
“How can I be by your side…?”
“I’ll decide that.”
Yu-jin cut him off firmly as he mumbled in a trembling voice.
“It’s okay because I’m telling you to be there. But don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not forgiving you.”
Yu-jin quickly added.
“I’m just giving you a chance. If you’re really sorry to me, don’t run away and take this chance. If you die without permission, I’ll never forgive you for the rest of my life.”
And he held out his hand as he would to Angela. As if to say, let’s get out of here. If it were Angela, she would have grabbed Yu-jin’s hand without hesitation, but Winston was not a child. As if he had noticed the meaning, Winston frowned and opened his mouth in a quiet voice.
“Okay, stop now.”
Having said that, he finally moved. Winston, who readily went out into the hallway ahead of Yu-jin, soon contorted his face. The hallway was already filled with smoke. It felt like he would suffocate from the smoke before the flames.
“Wait a minute.”
Winston pulled Yu-jin back into the room and then headed for the bathroom. He turned on the faucet, but the water only came out for a moment before stopping. Winston, who gave Yu-jin a towel that was barely wet, said.
“Cover your nose and mouth.”
As he did as he was told, he turned his gaze to Winston, but Winston went out into the hallway without paying any attention. The only way was to find the stairs and go down through the smoke.
But that soon became impossible. When he had passed halfway down the hallway, Winston decided that it was no longer possible to move forward. Should he go back? If he tore the curtains and tied them together, he could go down through the window…
“Winston.”
Just as he was about to change his plan, Yu-jin suddenly grabbed his arm. When he reflexively turned around, Yu-jin said.
“There’s an emergency staircase.”
Winston frowned. As if it were nonsense. There was no way there was a space in the mansion that he didn’t know about. But Yu-jin was sure.
“This way, quickly.”
Yu-jin grabbed Winston’s arm and quickly turned around. He walked as if running, looking around at the walls, and suddenly stopped.
“Here it is.”
When he pushed hard on the place that only looked like part of the wall, the wall surprisingly moved and a space appeared. It was the staircase used by the servants that Mrs. Campbell had made him use to treat him coldly when he first came. Yu-jin said to the surprised Winston.
“We should thank Mrs. Campbell this time.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s a long story.”
There was no time to explain. Yu-jin immediately grabbed the bewildered Winston and headed for the stairs.
* * *
When Mrs. Campbell saw them, her son had disappeared as if he had been sucked into the wall. But she had clearly seen it. The cause of all this, with her precious son.
So you were here.
She coughed between ragged breaths and ran heavily to the door. She held a loaded rifle in her hand. Now there was only one thing left in her mind.
You vulgar harlot, I will kill you.