Chapter 25: Ryu Taesan

Sera sat across from me, her hands resting on her lap, but I could tell—she wasn't calm.

She was trying to act fine. Trying to convince herself that she could handle this.

But I saw the way she kept stealing glances at her phone, the way her fingers twitched slightly every time a notification popped up.

She was scared.

And that alone was enough to make my blood boil.

I leaned back, gripping my phone tightly. Jihoon hyung needed to call soon. Every passing second without answers was pushing me closer to the edge.

And then—

RING.

I picked up immediately.

"Hyung."

Sera looked up, her body tensing.

"I found the user," Jihoon hyung said, his voice calm but firm. "The account was created under a fake identity, but I traced the IP history."

I sat up straighter. "And?"

There was a pause. Then—

"It's Yoon Seok."

My entire body went still.

"...What?"

"The account is linked to Sera's father," Jihoon hyung continued. "He must have someone helping him, but the messages were sent from a known location he used in the past."

My grip on the phone tightened.

Yoon Seok.

The man who should have never been a father.

A sharp, cold rage settled in my chest.

He had already done enough.

And yet, even now—he was still trying to reach her.

I turned slightly, glancing at Sera. She was watching me, her expression unreadable, but her eyes—they were searching mine.

She knew. She could tell.

I inhaled slowly, forcing my voice to stay even. "Do you have his exact location?"

"Not yet. But I will." Jihoon hyung's voice was certain. "He's moving carefully, but he slipped up using this account. He's not as hidden as he thinks he is."

I clenched my jaw. "Find him, hyung. And when you do—"

"I'll call you first."

The call ended.

I lowered my phone, exhaling sharply. My fists were still clenched.

Sera swallowed. "It's him, isn't it?"

I looked at her.

And nodded.

Her face paled slightly, but she didn't look away.

I could see it—the fear, the pain, the memories she tried to bury.

I moved closer, my fingers gently touching her hand.

"He's not going to touch you, Sera."

Her breath hitched slightly, but she didn't pull away.

I squeezed her hand, my voice firm. "Not now. Not ever."

And I meant it.

Because if Yoon Seok thought he could come anywhere near her again—

He was going to regret it.

I barely slept last night.

Even after Jihoon hyung's call, even after making sure Sera had fallen asleep on the couch, my mind wouldn't rest. Yoon Seok was still out there.

And now, I knew for sure—he wasn't alone.

By morning, I was already up before the alarm. The air felt heavy, like something was coming.

Just as I finished getting dressed, my phone rang.

Jihoon hyung.

I picked up immediately. "Hyung?"

His voice was sharp. "Come to my office. Now. I found something."

I didn't hesitate.

Jihoon Hyung's Office

The moment I stepped inside, I could tell—this wasn't just another small lead.

Jihoon hyung was at his desk, a serious expression on his face. His laptop was open, multiple CCTV screens paused at different moments.

He didn't bother with greetings. He just gestured for me to sit.

I did.

And then he spoke.

"We reviewed the CCTV footage again."

I frowned. "What did you find?"

Jihoon hyung clicked something, and a paused frame appeared on the screen.

A pair of white sneakers with red shadows.

My stomach dropped.

"This was from the night of the attack," he said, tapping the screen. "And this—" he clicked again, showing a different location, "was from yesterday. Same shoes. Same person."

I leaned forward, my eyes narrowing.

"Where was this taken?"

Jihoon hyung exhaled. "Near your apartment."

A slow, sharp anger curled in my chest.

That bastard had been nearby.

Watching.

Waiting.

I clenched my jaw. "So it's not just Yoon Seok. Someone else is helping him."

Jihoon hyung nodded. "And we're going to find out who."

I exhaled, leaning back. "Do you have any leads?"

He tapped his fingers against the desk. "Not much yet. But I sent a request to check nearby security footage. If this person has been following Sera, they've probably slipped up somewhere."

I nodded. "When you find something—"

"You'll be the first to know."

I stood up, fury burning under my skin.

Because now, it wasn't just about protecting Sera.

It was about ending this.

I sat still for a moment, staring at the screen.

The same white sneakers with red shadows.

The same shoes the attacker had worn that night.

And now, they had been seen near my apartment.

Near Sera.

A sharp, cold rage crawled up my spine. My fingers curled into fists, my jaw clenched so tightly that it hurt.

This wasn't a coincidence.

Someone was watching her.

Someone was waiting.

And I wasn't going to let them get the chance.

I took a slow breath, trying to keep my voice steady. "Hyung, show me all the locations this person appeared in."

Jihoon hyung clicked again, and more frames filled the screen.

Different dates. Different locations.

But all close to Sera.

One near her apartment.

One near the café she visited last week.

One right outside our apartment building.

My fingers dug into the armrests of my chair. "How long has this been going on?"

Jihoon hyung exhaled. "At least a few weeks, from what we can confirm. But there could be more we haven't found yet."

A few weeks.

That meant while I was with her—while I thought she was safe—someone had been lurking in the background, unseen.

I clenched my jaw harder. I should have noticed.

I should have known.

Jihoon hyung studied me carefully. "Taesan."

I forced myself to breathe, looking at him.

His voice was calm, but there was a weight behind his words. "I know what you're thinking. Don't do anything reckless."

I swallowed the sharp response rising in my throat.

Reckless?

If he thought I was just going to sit back and wait while someone threatened Sera—he didn't know me at all.

Jihoon hyung sighed, as if he could already tell what I was thinking. "I'm telling you because you need to be aware. But don't act without a plan."

I leaned forward, my voice low. "Give me something to act on, then."

He hesitated for a moment, then turned back to the screen.

Click.

A new frame popped up.

A CCTV capture from last night.

I stiffened.

Because this time—the person wasn't just a blur in the background.

He was standing still. Watching.

The figure was dressed in black, hood pulled low, face barely visible.

But those damn shoes stood out like a signature.

And then I saw the timestamp.

2:48 AM.

Right outside our apartment.

Right outside our door.

The realization hit like ice in my veins.

They had been here. While we were sleeping.

I shot to my feet. "Enough. I'm not waiting anymore."

Jihoon hyung sighed, rubbing his temple. "Taesan—"

"No. They're getting bolder. They're getting closer. I'm not sitting around until they make their next move."

Jihoon hyung exhaled. "What are you planning?"

I clenched my jaw. "First, I need to talk to Sera."

Because after this—there was no way in hell I was letting her out of my sight.

The drive back to my apartment felt longer than usual.

Jihoon hyung had warned me to be careful, to think before acting, but how could I?

Someone had been outside our door at 2:48 AM.

They weren't just following Sera anymore. They were getting closer.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white.

I needed to tell her.

But how?

She had already been through enough. She was already terrified, even if she pretended not to be.

Would telling her make her feel safer? Or would it break whatever sense of security she had left?

I clenched my jaw, forcing my thoughts to quiet as I parked the car.

When I stepped inside the apartment, I found Sera sitting on the couch, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

She looked up immediately, her eyes searching mine. She knew something was wrong.

I took a deep breath. "We need to talk."

She frowned, setting down her phone. "What happened?"

I hesitated for a second before walking over and sitting beside her.

"The attacker." I met her gaze, watching as her fingers tightened around the fabric of the blanket. "He was here last night."

Her face paled. "…What?"

"2:48 AM." My voice was steady, but inside, I was furious. "Jihoon hyung found him on CCTV. He was standing right outside this door."

Sera's lips parted slightly, but no words came out. She lowered her gaze, her breathing uneven.

I reached out, gently taking her hand. "I'm telling you this because I don't want you to be caught off guard. We don't know who he is yet, but we will. And until then—" I squeezed her fingers. "You're not going anywhere alone."

She swallowed, looking up at me. "Taesan… I can't just stop living my life."

I exhaled sharply. "I'm not asking you to stop living. I'm asking you to be careful."

Her brows furrowed. "So what? You're going to follow me everywhere?"

I didn't hesitate. "Yes."

She blinked. "…Are you serious?"

I gave her a flat look. "Dead serious."

She let out a breath, shaking her head. "You can't do that. You have work, you have your own life—"

"You are my life, Sera."

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

A stunned silence settled between us.

Her lips parted slightly, and for a second, I thought she was going to argue again. But instead—her shoulders sagged slightly.

Like she was relieved.

I took another breath, calming myself. "I know you don't want to feel like a burden. But this isn't about that. This is about keeping you safe."

She nodded slowly, then whispered, "Okay."

I exhaled.

She wasn't fighting me on this anymore.

That was all I needed.

I pulled her into a hug, feeling the way her body melted slightly against mine.

I closed my eyes.

No matter what happens next—

I wasn't letting her out of my sight.