42: Incheon (17)
•••
The air in the room was thick, heavy with the smell of cigarette smoke and blood. The floor creaked slightly as someone shifted their weight. A faint hum from a broken ceiling light filled the silence that followed the previous chaos. The atmosphere carried exhaustion — that kind of silence that comes only after surviving something far too close.
Jaegyeon Na and the rest slowly turned toward Vasco. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were pale, trembling faintly. His chest heaved, shoulders tensed — the kind of stance that carried both rage and desperation. His eyes, wide and unblinking, were filled with fire, filled with determination. The kind that burns quietly before an explosion.
But before Vasco could speak again, a dry chuckle broke the silence.
"Huh…"
It was Samuel Seo.
The ember at the tip of his cigarette glowed orange as he exhaled slowly, the smoke curling upward like a ghostly ribbon. He didn't even bother to look at Vasco directly at first; his gaze hung somewhere low, his tone edged with mockery.
"Strike them?" Samuel muttered, letting the smoke escape through his nose. "Whom? Kitae Kim and Joongoo? Pacheon Jo?"
The name Pacheon Jo lingered in the air like a curse. His voice carried a tone that wasn't quite amusement — more like disbelief laced with venom.
Vasco's head turned sharply. His jaw flexed. His glare locked on Samuel, eyes burning sharp as knives.
"What?" Vasco's voice was cold, stripped of emotion.
But before Samuel could even respond, another voice cut through, heavy and impatient.
"Why? You don't want to?"
Zack Lee's tone carried fury behind restraint. He took a step forward, his fists clenched so hard that veins bulged along his arms. His glare matched Vasco's.
"Are you enjoying this?" Zack barked. His voice cracked slightly, the weight of betrayal buried in it. "You don't want to get revenge!?"
Samuel's eyes flicked open slowly. He inhaled deeply, then crunched the cigarette between his fingers — ashes scattering on the floor. The sound of the cigarette snapping echoed faintly through the tense room.
The air shifted.
Samuel's expression darkened. He looked at Zack with eyes that were no longer calm — they were alive with a feral glint of crimson. The faint light caught his face in half-shadow. His voice dropped — deep, raw, dangerous.
"Revenge?" he muttered. Then louder, "Oh, I sure do."
The words rolled out like a growl. His lips curled slightly, but it wasn't a smile. It was rage. His pupils seemed to dilate; his fingers flexed, trembling with restrained violence.
He stepped forward, slow and deliberate.
"And also…" Samuel said, his voice now a low rumble, "Aren't you talking like we're close to each other?"
The air in the room felt like it could break.
Zack gritted his teeth, jaw tightening until it almost trembled. His eyes locked with Samuel's, and for a split second, it seemed like he would throw a punch.
Every muscle in Zack's body tensed.
Then Jaegyeon moved.
He stepped between them, his motion quiet but heavy enough to break the tension. His hand rose slightly, palm outward, not in peace — but in command.
"You boys talk too much," Jaegyeon said. His tone was calm, but something behind it was sharp, cutting. "Revenge? What would you know about it?"
His eyes turned to Zack — not cruel, but heavy with something else. It was Experience.
Zack's jaw clenched tighter. His fists relaxed just slightly, and he muttered under his breath, almost inaudible — "In the name of fucking Buddha…"
Jaegyeon's expression didn't change. He continued, voice steady now.
"Even if we wanted to strike them, we can't."
He gestured with his hand toward the Speed faction — Yeowool and the others — all resting, some sitting with bloodied bandages, others leaning against walls. The exhaustion on their faces was unmistakable.
"We are injured," Jaegyeon said. "Except me, everyone else is deeply injured. Not to mention Lineman — he's gravely worse than us."
The room fell silent again.
Zack's glare softened. His eyes flicked from one wounded fighter to another — the pale faces, trembling fingers, and faint groans of pain. The air reeked of medicine and blood.
He sighed softly and lowered his eyelids.
But then, after a moment of thought, Zack's voice rose again — quieter this time, more curious than angry.
"I get it that they're heavily injured," he said, looking around the room, "but who treated them?"
The question hung in the air.
Samuel's head tilted slightly, and Daniel turned his gaze to Zack. Then Samuel exhaled through his nose, shutting his eyes like he didn't want to bother answering.
Jaegyeon spoke instead.
"I'm pretty sure," he said slowly, "you've already met her."
He lifted one hand and pointed toward the door.
For a moment, nothing happened — only the faint creak of footsteps echoing softly from the hallway beyond. Then, a shadow moved through the light.
A figure appeared — small, slow, deliberate. As she stepped into the dim light, her features became visible: short curly hair, a wrinkled face lined with fatigue, small scars scattered across her skin. She carried herself with the kind of calmness only years of hardship could give.
Her hands were folded neatly behind her back. Despite her age, her presence was firm — unshaken. She smiled gently as she stepped in.
"You took long to introduce me, Jaegyeon," she said warmly. Her tone was casual, kind — though her eyes carried a quiet strength. "My legs started to ache standing outside."
Jaegyeon gave a faint nod. "She's the one who treated us," he said. "Ms. Yuha Kim."
Zack's eyes followed her, scanning her from head to toe. For a brief moment, the frustration drained from his face. He exhaled slowly, his mind steadying. His expression softened — a rare moment of calm.
He opened his mouth to say something — perhaps gratitude — but Samuel's voice cut across the air before he could speak.
"If your introductions are over," Samuel said sharply, "shall we tell them how we have planned to move?"
His tone was cold, pragmatic. It had no warmth nor patience.
Zack frowned, a little annoyed by the interruption. "Planned to move?" he asked. "Have you all already made a plan?"
Jaegyeon's eyes dropped to the floor. His jaw clenched tight, words trapped somewhere behind his teeth. He wanted to speak — but something in his throat stopped him.
And then — a voice interrupted again.
"They need to run."
The voice came from Daniel Park.
Zack turned his head toward him, frowning. "Need to run?" he asked, tone cautious.
Daniel's expression was still — calm but heavy. "Speed is planning to move toward Busan," he said, "from the yacht you all came from."
His words echoed softly.
Zack blinked once, taken aback. "Busan? Why?"
Daniel stood up and took a step forward, then another, the floor creaking faintly beneath his boots. He stopped in front of Zack and met his eyes. His voice carried both authority and guilt.
"If the injured don't get proper medical attention," Daniel said quietly, "they might die."
Zack froze.
His lips parted slightly — not in disbelief, but in realization. His voice came out barely above a whisper. "Daniel, what are you—"
"Sorry, Zack."
Daniel's voice trembled slightly as he spoke again. "I… tricked you."
The air in the room seemed to shift again — not tense this time, but heavy with emotion.
"You mean…" Zack began, his tone cracking faintly, "the real reason you called us here was to—"
"Yes." Daniel's words came quickly. "One of the main reasons is what you're thinking about. But…" His gaze fell downward, voice softening, "…there was another reason too."
He paused. The silence that followed was deep — only the faint hum of a flickering light filled it.
"I need a few friends to rely on," Daniel said quietly, his voice breaking mid-sentence. His eyes shimmered, a thin line of tears welling up. "I believe…"
His voice trailed off as the tears finally escaped, streaking down his cheek.
Samuel watched him in silence. His jaw tightened, eyes flicking from Daniel to Jake — Jake, who sat broken, lost in thought, his expression empty.
Samuel's teeth clenched. His head turned away and moved towards the far corner of the room.
Daniel's shoulders trembled faintly. He bowed his head, tears dripping to the floor. Then, he felt something — a hand resting firmly on his shoulder.
He looked up.
It was Zack Lee.
Zack smiled faintly, his eyes closed — calm, warm, steady.
"Looks like all of this is a little tough for a man who was fat as a pig a few months ago," Zack said, his tone light, teasing.
Daniel let out a weak laugh, wiping a tear away with the back of his hand. "Yeah," he whispered, smiling faintly.
Then — slap!
A solid hit on his back nearly made him stumble forward.
He turned, startled — and saw Vasco grinning wide, his sharp teeth visible in a rare, boyish yet mature smile.
"Come on," Vasco said, laughter spilling out of him, "a few minutes ago this room was filled with tension."
He smirked, eyes bright with energy. "Don't you worry, you got us, man. You got your friends."
Daniel smiled — genuinely this time — the kind that made the exhaustion on his face fade away for a moment.
Then — slap!
Another one, this time from his right.
He turned — and saw Jay Hong, quiet as ever, his calm eyes holding warmth. He didn't speak; he only smiled and nodded once.
Daniel returned the nod, smiling softly.
At the far end of the room, Samuel leaned against the wall. His head tilted slightly as he looked at the ceiling, a faint smirk on his lips.
"Friends, huh?" hethought. "How many do I have, huh?"
He chuckled quietly to himself, the sound lost under the room's quiet hum. Then he closed his eyes.
And for the first time in a long while — the air in the room didn't feel suffocating. It felt human , more like stillness before the storm.