RB 105

After finishing the press conference, Yeorok headed for Incheon Airport. About eight hours had passed since Eunho had left first. He went through departure procedures and boarded his flight. After a full fourteen hours of travel, he arrived at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

While crossing the jet bridge, Yeorok immediately called Eunho. He had told Eunho to contact him when he arrived, but their flight times overlapped, and they missed each other. Eunho would understand the situation, but even then, calling right away would have been the reassuring thing to do.

For some reason, Eunho’s phone was turned off. Yeorok stared at the screen with a confused expression.

He was receiving many messages. Most were arrival notices from the mobile carrier and the foreign ministry, but in between them, there were messages that stood out.

[Hello. Has there been any change? The flight you informed us about has arrived, but the guest has not appeared.]

[I am still waiting at the arrival hall. I will stay here until you contact me.]

[ㅠㅠ Please contact me.]

The local guide had sent a message just an hour ago. Yeorok walked faster as he tried calling the guide. His steps as he exited the gate were uncharacteristically hurried.

“It is me. Has Choi Yoonho not come out?”

-I have been waiting since yesterday, but he did not arrive. And his luggage did not arrive either.

He met the guide who had been waiting desperately behind the arrival hall fence. The guide had not washed for two days and looked haggard enough to show how exhausting the wait had been.

Something had gone wrong. The moment Yeorok realized it, he called Secretary Hong and ordered him to check Eunho’s departure record immediately.

-It seems that Sim Eunho did not leave the country.

“What is that supposed to mean. Then where did he go.”

-… I am sorry. I will immediately issue an alert.

Even Secretary Hong’s voice was trembling. He himself could not believe the situation.

Yeorok hung up and called Seo Taehwa. His phone was also turned off.

“……”

His mind went blank. His palms were damp with sweat.

Sim Eunho had disappeared.

Did he run away? No, he did not have the nerve for that.

More than that, he was someone who wanted to stay by his side. Yeorok knew better than anyone how eagerly Eunho had been waiting for their time alone.

He immediately turned back and bought a ticket to Korea. While going through the counters again, he ran through every possible scenario. The most likely one came to mind, but he hoped desperately that it was not that.

While he waited to board, Secretary Hong reported back quickly. As Yeorok listened silently, he covered his face. The expression behind his palm was contorted with despair.

“… Pull him out of there immediately.”

-They say you must come in person.

Yeorok bit down on his lip. The smooth skin split and left teeth marks.

“I will go right. Namyeong, you go and… no. I will speak myself. Just get ready for the discharge procedure.”

When the call ended, Yeorok tugged at his tie. Even after unbuttoning his shirt collar, his throat still felt constricted. He could not breathe.

How long had Sim Eunho been trapped in that hospital? What had he gone through? He did not even want to imagine it.

The fact that he had to waste another day was maddening. Every minute and every second burned through him. The unfamiliar emotion was terrifying.

***

He had no idea how he managed to drive. On his way to Inje in Gangwon Province, he must have been caught by speed cameras multiple times.

Acting this recklessly right before his inauguration ceremony was unthinkable for someone as perfectionistic as Choi Yeorok, but this was no time to weigh consequences. Yeorok was out of his mind.

He arrived at the hospital and met Hong Namyeong. It was such a difficult situation that his expression was equally grim. He greeted Yeorok politely and relayed what he had not yet been able to report.

Everything had been planned by Seo Taehwa. He had used every bit of wealth he had received into this scheme. He was serious.

Within a short time, Secretary Hong had pieced together the situation. He traced Eunho’s path using the GPS logs from the car Eunho had taken, and learned that the car had stopped on a quiet rural road. After searching the nearby CCTV footage, he found a black van marked Eunjeong Hospital. Most importantly, there was clear footage of Eunho being dragged away by several men.

But the hospital adamantly denied everything. Even with circumstantial evidence and despite Secretary Hong repeatedly requesting confirmation as Choi Yeorok’s representative, they refused to admit anything.

There was no written documentation, so the administrative system couldn’t confirm Eunho’s admission history. Secretary Hong, frustrated, went down to Gangwon Province himself and compared facts with the hospital director. Only then did he discover that Seo Taehwa had bribed them and staged the whole scheme.

“For now… all treatment has been completely halted. But they said that to take him out, an immediate family member has to retrieve him in person.”

“Did they treat him at all?”

Yeorok cut him off. His face was set cold as he walked quickly.

Matching his pace, Secretary Hong glanced at him. Choi Yeorok looked like he was seconds away from exploding.

Hong Namyeong had seen a similar expression once. The day Choi Yoonho died. He seemed even angrier than back then. This was a very bad situation.

Now that Yeorok’s mood was tense, Secretary Hong answered more cautiously than ever.

“They found him before intensive treatment began, so he didn’t receive anything else. But they said he was given a sedative twice. He showed severe anxiety from the moment he arrived, and after he was admitted, he started self harming, so they said they had no choice but to use sedatives.”

Yeoroks feet, which had been walking tirelessly, planted themselves firmly on the ground. He stared at Secretary Hong with a chilling gaze.

“…they said he hit his head against the wall hard enough that his forehead split open.”

Secretary Hong finished with his head lowered. From that angle, he could see Yeorok’s clenched fist. The veins standing out on his smooth hand made it obvious how much anger he was holding back.

“How is he now?”

“……”

Secretary Hong swallowed. He had already checked Eunho’s condition the moment he arrived. The forehead injury wasn’t even the real problem. Secretary Hong was uncharacteristically anxious.

“Namyeong.”

“Yes.”

“If there’s something I need to know, tell me everything now.”

“……”

“Is there something even worse?”

Secretary Hong hesitated before he finally spoke. “It is…,” he began, his voice shaking more than before.

“…Sim Eunho’s mental state isn’t good.”

“In what way exactly?”

“You’ll understand when you see him.”

He said only that much and stopped.

Yeorok’s expression turned even colder. If he himself felt out of his mind, there was no chance Sim Eunho would be fine. He’d expected this much. He didn’t pry further and began walking again.

Once they stepped inside the hospital, they met the director who had come out to greet them. The elderly man bowed, but Yeorok didn’t spare him a single glance.

The hallway leading to the waiting room felt unusually long. The sound of Yeorok’s footsteps echoed ominously through the empty space. His steps stopped at a long horizontal window. He stood still and looked out beyond the glass.

“……”

Eunho had been changed into clothes Yeorok had never seen. He was alone in the empty waiting room.

All that entered Yeorok’s view was the relaxed body leaning against the chair and his profile. Even that was partly hidden by a large piece of gauze on his forehead, making it hard to see his eyes.

Thump.
Thump.

Each time Eunho pushed off the wall with both feet, the front legs of the chair lifted slightly off the ground. It looked dangerous but could have been passed as play. More than that, Eunho didn’t seem to be in a bad mood. He even looked a little amused.

But this wasn’t something Eunho would do.

He shouldn’t be in the mood for it. The feeling that was something was wrong overwhelmed him.

Yeorok turned the doorknob. At the sound of the door opening, Eunho’s repeated movement stopped instantly. In the quiet room, Eunho shifted, draping his arms over the chair’s backrest and leaning sideways.

Their eyes met. Eunho’s lips curved gently. His unnaturally bright brown eyes were staring at Yeorok without a single blink.

“Uncle, you’re here?”