The moment Jinhyeok opened his eyes, a painful stiffness pulled at his neck.
He realized he had been tied completely to a chair. His arms were bound behind his back, and he could not move his body.
For a few moments, he was too dazed to understand what had happened. Then the memories slowly came flooding back, and he began piecing the situation together.
The black-gloved hand closing around his throat when he opened the door…
And then a blank stretch of time, followed by this.
It had definitely not been a dream.
“Looks like you’re awake.”
An unfamiliar man’s voice came from behind him.
Jinhyeok’s entire body went rigid. It was the same voice he had heard just before losing consciousness.
He tried to shout, but his mouth would not move properly. A thick strip of tape had been pressed over his lips.
“Who are you?”
The man asked again.
Despite the situation, Jinhyeok almost laughed. It was the exact question he himself wanted to ask the man standing behind him.
The moment he tried to turn his head, a blunt impact struck the back of his skull. His vision flashed white, and tears sprang to his eyes.
“Stay still.”
The voice was calm, yet edged like a blade.
Jinhyeok stopped moving.
A moment later, the man reached over his shoulder and roughly tore the tape from his mouth.
“You should be able to talk now.”
Jinhyeok sucked in a deep breath. Air rushed through his constricted throat.
“Who are you?”
His voice came out far louder than he intended, almost as a shout.
The man said nothing for a long moment.
“Keep your voice down.”
His tone was low and firm.
Jinhyeok closed his mouth and instinctively held his breath.
“You’re… not with Israel, are you?”
The air seemed to grow heavier.
“Where did you get that thing?”
Jinhyeok’s mind went blank.
Israel? What thing?
The unfamiliar words collided inside his head. He had no idea where to begin or how to answer. One wrong response, and another fist would probably land on the back of his skull.
Trying to remain as calm as possible, he carefully opened his mouth.
“I’m not sure what thing you’re talking about… but I’m just… Korean.”
The man cut him off.
“Wait. You really don’t know anything?”
Thoughts raced through Jinhyeok’s mind.
Anything? What exactly does ‘anything’ include? For now, saying I know nothing is probably… the right answer.
He slowly nodded.
“No. I really don’t know anything.”
He deliberately lowered his voice, trying to sound as innocent and pitiful as possible.
The silence stretched on.
Then the man standing behind him slowly stepped into view.
Jinhyeok instinctively lowered his head and averted his eyes, but the man crouched in front of him, leaving him no choice but to look.
Only then did Jinhyeok see him properly.
A sharply defined jaw. Deep, dark eyes without double eyelids. Unusually pale skin. Hair neatly arranged without a strand out of place.
The black case was in his hand.
Jinhyeok’s heart dropped.
That, at least, was something he recognized.
“Then perhaps you can explain something.”
The man stared directly into Jinhyeok’s eyes.
“Why was this in your house?”
Jinhyeok was momentarily lost for words.
His eyes darted from side to side as his mind raced. Should he lie, or tell the truth?
After a brief struggle, he answered cautiously.
“You probably won’t believe me, but… I found it under the pedestrian overpass near my house this morning.”
Silence followed.
Jinhyeok felt an unbearable pressure to say something more.
“Anyway… I’m sorry.”
Even to his own ears, it sounded like a lie.
The man looked down at the case and fell into thought.
“Hmm.”
He made a sound like a short sigh, then looked at Jinhyeok again.
“All right. For now, I’ll believe you.”
Jinhyeok’s shoulders had barely begun to relax when the man continued.
“But in return, I need you to do me a favor.”
Jinhyeok tried to hide his unease.
“Before that… could you untie me?”
He cautiously nodded toward the arms bound behind his back.
The man studied him for a moment, then stood. He moved behind the chair and began untying the rope.
A few seconds later, the pressure around Jinhyeok’s wrists disappeared.
He slowly brought his arms forward and rubbed his hands. A prickling numbness spread all the way to his fingertips.
Then he gave the man standing before him a quick once-over.
Part of him wanted to drive an uppercut into the man’s jaw. But one look at his solid build was enough to cool the impulse. One punch from him would probably put Jinhyeok on the floor first.
Instead, Jinhyeok rolled his shoulders and tilted his head from side to side.
The man extended his hand.
“Ju Gaon.”
He spoke the name curtly.
Jinhyeok’s face twisted in disbelief.
The man had knocked him unconscious, tied him to a chair, and even hit him—and now he was offering a handshake.
There was no possible way this man was normal.
Nevertheless, Jinhyeok reached out and took his hand.
“Jinhyeok.”
The handshake was brief and dry.
Breaking through the awkward silence, Jinhyeok cautiously asked,
“Before we talk about that favor… could you explain what’s going on?”
It was, in its own way, the greatest act of defiance he could manage.
Gaon watched him for a moment, then slowly nodded.
“Yeah. That’s fair.”
He glanced around the room before sitting in the chair to which Jinhyeok had just been tied.
Interlacing his fingers, he asked,
“What do you want to know first?”
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