Chapter 10: The Disappearance
888 Words
The house was unusually warm that night.
After the lively evening at Yevin’s home, everything had slowly shifted into a calmer rhythm. The laughter, the teasing at the dining table, the soft conversations between her parents and So-jung—it all blended into a peaceful memory that lingered even after it ended.
They had eaten together, shared small jokes, and stayed longer than expected. Yevin’s mother kept talking nonstop, her father occasionally adding quiet comments while watching So-jung with growing approval. Yevin, on the other hand, spent most of the time either embarrassed or pretending not to care, even though she secretly enjoyed how naturally he fit into the atmosphere.
By the time the night grew deeper, So-jung finally stood up.
“I should go now,” he said calmly.
Yevin looked up immediately. “Already?”
“It’s late.”
Her mother frowned slightly. “You can stay longer if you want.”
So-jung smiled politely. “Thank you, but I’ll come another time.”
Her father nodded in approval again. “Drive safely.”
Yevin walked him to the door this time.
Outside, the night air was quiet and soft.
She stood there for a moment, not saying much, just watching him as if trying to decide something.
“You really came,” she said quietly.
“You told me to,” he replied.
“I didn’t think you would actually come.”
So-jung smirked slightly. “You underestimate me.”
Yevin rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile on her lips. “Goodnight then.”
He nodded once. “Goodnight, Yevin.”
And then he left.
---
When he arrived back home, the mansion was silent.
Min-jae was not around.
Only the faint glow of a desk lamp in one of the rooms showed that someone was still awake somewhere in the house.
So-jung loosened his jacket and walked inside without rushing. The atmosphere was familiar, but tonight something felt different. Not peaceful—just quiet in a way that made him think too much.
He entered his room, placed his phone on the table, and sat down in front of his laptop.
For a while, he didn’t move.
Just stared.
Then his phone rang.
---
The sound broke the silence instantly.
So-jung glanced at the screen.
Unknown number.
His expression changed slightly.
He picked up immediately.
“Yes?”
On the other end, a voice spoke quickly, low and serious.
“Sir… we have a problem.”
So-jung’s eyes narrowed.
“What happened?”
There was a pause.
Then the voice continued.
“It’s the system. One of the secured company branches… it’s been compromised.”
Silence.
So-jung slowly leaned forward.
“Which branch?”
Another pause.
“…The overseas one.”
His fingers stopped moving.
That was enough.
---
Without wasting another second, he ended the call and immediately opened his laptop.
His entire expression changed.
The relaxed version of him disappeared completely.
What remained was sharp.
Focused.
Controlled.
His fingers moved across the keyboard rapidly, opening encrypted files, checking live data streams, tracing activity logs. Every movement was precise, almost mechanical.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.
This was not the playful So-jung people saw outside.
This was something else entirely.
A person who built an empire in silence.
A person no one could identify.
A person who never showed his face publicly.
And now—
Something had gone wrong.
---
After several minutes of scanning data, his eyes darkened slightly.
“…So they finally moved.”
He closed the laptop halfway and stood up.
No hesitation.
No delay.
He grabbed his coat, phone, and passport in one quick motion.
---
A call came again.
This time from Min-jae.
So-jung answered while already walking.
“What?”
Min-jae’s voice was calm, unaware of what had happened.
“Where are you?”
So-jung paused briefly.
Then replied.
“I left.”
There was silence on the other side.
“…Left where?”
“To handle something.”
Min-jae frowned slightly. “You didn’t say anything.”
“I didn’t need to.”
Before Min-jae could ask further questions, So-jung ended the call.
---
Within an hour, everything was arranged.
A private jet was prepared.
No questions asked.
No delays.
No attention.
Just movement.
---
The next morning came quickly.
Min-jae returned home briefly, expecting to find his younger brother sleeping or wasting time as usual.
But the house was quiet.
Too quiet.
He walked into the living room.
Nothing.
Checked the kitchen.
Empty.
Then his assistant called.
“Sir… So-jung already left the country.”
Min-jae paused.
“…What?”
“He took a private flight early this morning.”
Silence.
Min-jae slowly lowered the phone.
And for the first time in a while—
He frowned.
Not because So-jung traveled.
But because he did it without saying anything.
---
Meanwhile, somewhere far away, So-jung stepped out of the aircraft.
The cold air of another country hit his face immediately.
He adjusted his coat slightly and looked ahead.
No expression.
No hesitation.
Only focus.
Whatever was happening—
He had already arrived.
And now, he was going to find out exactly who dared to move against him.
---
And back home, Min-jae still believed his brother was somewhere resting.
Not knowing—
So-jung had already entered a different world entirely.
- Writer
