The cool night air offered no comfort as I walked away from the scene. My heart was pounding, a frantic drum against my ribs that echoed the words I'd just exchanged.
I paused at an old-fashioned payphone booth, the metallic echo of the outside world a sudden, harsh contrast to the silence of the alley. I picked up the receiver and held it to my ear.
"911. What's your emergency?" a calm voice answered.
"There's a man passed out in an alley behind Nojung Apartment," I said, my voice trying to remain steady, my eyes wide as I glanced at the reflection in the glass. "Yes, it's the alley behind 13th street. He's still breathing, but it looks like someone beat him up. There's a lot of blood."
"Someone will be there very soon. Can I get your name, sir?"
"Yes, please hurry," I replied, ignoring the second question and gently hanging up the phone. I took one last, deep breath before walking away again.
The Price of Silence
I found myself back at the mouth of the alley. He was still there, a bloodied mess against the cold, damp concrete, dragging himself slightly, trying to reach me.
"Please. H-help… Don't leave me here…" he rasped, his voice raw.
I looked down at the pathetic sight. "You did this to yourself," I said, my voice low and cold. "Do you hear me? You attacked her first."
He pleaded, his hand outstretched, stained with his own blood. "P-please…!"
I saw the fear and desperation in his eyes, but it was too late for pity. I had to protect myself.
"If you want to live, you had better not breathe a word of what happened tonight to anyone," I told him, stepping closer. "I'll call you an ambulance… if you promise to keep your mouth shut."
He swallowed hard, his face a mask of pain and defeat. "I-I won't t-tell...! I p-promise!"
The promise felt fragile, but it was all I could get. I looked at his face one last time, an image of pale, shaken resolve reflected back at me. I turned my back on the alley, the silence of the night wrapping around me as I walked away, the dark secret safe for now.
After the tense encounter, he walked away from the alley, his shoulders hunched, his mind reeling. The bloodied brick, the weapon used to defend the girl, was still in his hands. He knew he couldn't keep it.
He found a secluded spot near the river. With a heavy sigh, he looked at the object—a simple, dirty red brick now horrifyingly stained with dark red. The memory of the sound it made when it connected, the man's gasp, and the immediate splatter of blood flashed in his mind.
He tossed the brick into the dark water. It sank instantly with a quiet 'SPLASH,' the ripples quickly disappearing. He stood for a moment, watching the water, as if hoping the river could wash away not just the evidence but the entire night's terrifying events.
Morning Interruption
The faint light of morning did little to ease his troubled sleep. The silence was violently broken by the insistent RIIIIING of his phone. He groaned, rolling over in bed and fumbling for the device on his nightstand. The screen lit up with a familiar name: CAFE MANAGER YUSIK JO.
"Hey, Yusik…" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
"HEY BOSS!!!" Yusik's voice was frantic, crackling over the line. "Someone is trying to POACH AJIN!"
He sighed, pushing himself up on one elbow. "Mmm, yeah, that happens in business. Why are you—"
"P-POACHED?! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Yusik's voice rose in pitch. "HE'S HERE! IN OUR CAFE!"
Suddenly wide awake, the man JOLTED upright in bed. "HE'S HERE! IN OUR CAFE!" Yusik repeated, his panic palpable. "THE OWNER OF THE CAFE AJIN USED TO WORK AT!!"
A Tense Meeting
He rushed to the café. There, sitting at a small table, were Ajin—the young woman who worked for him, wearing her uniform apron—and a middle-aged man in a suit. The atmosphere was immediately cold and uncomfortable.
Ajin spoke first, her expression flat. "If you have something to say, please just say it. I have to get back to work soon."
The suited man—her former employer—forced a strained smile. "Oh, yes… um… I'm sorry I texted you out of the blue last night. I really needed to speak to you…"
As the man watched the interaction from a distance, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of protectiveness and suspicion. What did this man want with Ajin, and why now? He recalled the terrifying scene in the alley and the lengths he went to protect her. He wouldn't let this new threat, whatever it was, put her—or himself—in danger.
The man, still reeling from the frantic call, rushed into the café. The JINGLE of the bell announced his dramatic entry.
"THERE YOU ARE, BOSS!!!" Yusik, the cafe manager, exclaimed, pointing a shaky finger.
The man, still catching his breath, panted out, "W-WHERE'S AJIN?!"
"O-over there! Whoa, you look like a mess!" Yusik replied, gesturing to a table.
The man, slightly disheveled and wearing casual clothes and sandals, spotted Ajin sitting across from her former employer.
The Offer
Ajin kept the conversation with her former boss curt. "I'm still on shift. Could you please get to the point?"
He shifted nervously. "... Alright." He finally leaned forward and got to the core of his visit. "Will you please come work at my cafe again?"
Ajin simply looked at him, waiting.
The former employer, growing desperate, continued. "I'll pay you double. I'll give you whatever else you want. Our sales have tanked since you left, and--"
Ajin cut him off, her expression unreadable. "Do you mean it?"
A sharp, cynical thought ran through her mind: "That's rich. He tried to use me because he thought I was young and inexperienced..."
The Rejection
The cafe owner watched the conversation from a distance, muttering under his breath. "DOES HE HAVE NO SHAME...? How dare he try to poach my employee in my cafe?! I should kick him out--"
Meanwhile, Ajin delivered her final answer to her former employer.
"I'll have to decline your offer."
The former boss looked stunned.
"I love working here," Ajin continued, as the current owner walked up, listening intently. "I like my coworkers. Plus, I get paid enough, thank you."
With her rejection delivered, Ajin stood up, leaving the flustered former employer alone at the table. The cafe owner, relieved and proud, watched her walk back toward the counter. The immediate crisis of the poaching attempt was over, but the sudden appearance of this man, and his knowledge of Ajin, left the owner feeling deeply uneasy.
I stood up from the table, my decision firm, and spoke my final words to the former employer. "Sorry. I've made up my mind. I don't want to work for you no matter how much money you offer… So please don't contact me again."
He was clearly stunned by my outright rejection. "Please take some time to consider my offer--" he pleaded.
I cut him off one last time, looking toward my current boss as he stood nearby. "Above all else, my new boss is a really great person." I emphasized the last part before turning and walking back to the counter.
The former employer was defeated. He stood up from the table and made his way out the door, the bell jingling with his exit. The owner watched him leave, then called out, "Thank you for visiting Café Xanadu!"
I picked up a cloth and began to WIPE down the table where we had just been sitting, scrubbing away the remnants of the tense meeting.
The Aftermath
The café owner, still wearing his look of concern, approached me.
"Why didn't you say you'd consider his offer?" he asked, looking surprised. "It sounded like he was willing to pay anything to have you back. I heard him say he'd pay you double…"
"Oh… you heard him say that…?" I replied, continuing to clean the table.
He leaned in closer, his voice dropping slightly. "From what Yusik told me… this wasn't the first time either."
I looked up at him, meeting his eyes. He still didn't understand. I had dismissed the offer not because of the money or the coworkers—though I meant what I said—but because of my terrible past experience with that man.
He tried to use me because he thought I was young and inexperienced… The bitterness of the memory fueled my immediate and decisive refusal. I wouldn't let him back into my life, no matter the price. I already found a safe harbor here.
I continued to wipe down the table, a slight tension in my shoulders.
"Why didn't you say you'd consider his offer?" the owner asked, still sounding genuinely puzzled. "It sounded like he was willing to pay anything to have you back. I heard him say he'd pay you double…"
"Oh… you heard him say that…?" I replied. I saw him nod, his expression earnest as he added, "From what Yusik told me… this wasn't the first time either."
I put the cloth down. "He just called me a few times. I never picked up." I gave him a small smile. "I'm not interrogating you, haha. I just wanted to say thank you."
He was quiet for a moment, then sighed. "We had a few big changes in staff before you got here. A lot of people would say they'd be able to work for at least a year when I interviewed them, but they'd quit soon after I'd hire them. I'd teach them the ropes and they'd quit… And it happened over and over again."
He looked me straight in the eye, his voice softening. "To be honest, I thought you'd do the same. But after hearing what you said to that guy… I'm sorry I thought you'd quit on me."
"That's okay, Mr. Choi," I said. "To be honest with you, I didn't want to work there anymore because… of a stalker."
The owner's eyes widened. "A… stalker?!"
The Attack
"There was a man who would follow me when I used to work there. Yusik saw him the other day."
"You mean the guy who wears a beanie…?" he asked, his voice now serious.
"Yeah. I only recently found out that he was my stalker all along." My tone was flat as I revealed the truth. "I ran into him last night on my way home."
I gently touched the side of my forehead, where a white bandage was clearly visible, a stark contrast to my skin. "He smashed my head with a brick."
The owner gasped, his hand flying up to cover his mouth in shock. "WHAT?! Did you report the incident to the police?!"
"Oh… I did," I said, looking down and then up again, smoothing my hair with my hand. "But they seem to be having a hard time catching him."
The owner stood speechless, staring at the bandage and the serious expression on my face. The conversation had instantly gone from a workplace issue to a matter of my personal safety and a violent crime. The owner's name, Jeongho Choi, echoed in my mind. He was right. Jeongho Choi is a good person. And he had no idea what happened last night—or the dark secret he was now involved in because of me.
The owner, Jeongho Choi, was still staring at the bandage on my head, his shock plain on his face. He stepped closer, his expression shifting from horror to deep concern.
"Yes," he said gently, "I'm here for you. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help you. I'm here for you."
The warmth in his voice and the genuine kindness in his eyes were almost overwhelming. I looked at the man who, just hours ago, had left another man bleeding in an alley after a violent altercation to protect me. I knew the truth about him, but I also knew what he represented to me.
I looked at the ground, then back at him. My voice was quiet but steady. "With that said, Mr. Choi…"
I saw the memory of the past few months flash through my mind. The owner wasn't just my employer; he was a lifeline. He was the one who had intervened during the attack on the street, even if he didn't realize who I truly was.
"He's a real adult, and he's the kind of person I need in my life right now. He has a sense of justice and is willing to help others." I thought this to myself, seeing his genuine worry.
I took a deep breath. "I'm moving soon, but… until then, would you mind walking me home after work?"
I saw a look of relief wash over his face. He didn't hesitate. "I've been waiting for a moment like this." He didn't mean it in a strange way, but as an opportunity to genuinely step up and offer protection.
I will not fail.
I nodded, feeling a small knot in my chest loosen. Now, at least, I wouldn't have to face the dark streets alone.

I stood waiting at the agreed-upon spot, a small, dimly lit bench outside a building. I was reading a book of poetry to pass the time. A few minutes later, the owner approached.
"Have you been waiting long?" Ajin asked.
"No. I was reading so I didn't even notice the time pass," I replied, closing the book. It was a volume of poems by Baudelaire.
"Why did you want to meet here? I could have come picked you up near the cafe," she said, looking around the deserted area.
I hesitated for a moment. This felt like the right time to establish the boundaries of our new arrangement, though my request was strange.
"Don't worry. I'm not in any danger, because…" I reached out and gently slid the beanie off her head, exposing her short hair. I looked her directly in the eye, my voice quiet but firm. "…you're going to be my stalker from now on."
SHe looked confused, but before she could speak, I continued, clarifying the terms. "You don't have to come pick me up starting tomorrow."
He frowned. "What do you mean? You could still be in danger, especially after what happened last night…"
I simply smiled, knowing the truth. The danger I faced was not from the man he assaulted; the real danger was the man he thought he left in the alley, the man who had stalked me and attacked me with a brick. He, my self-appointed protector, was actually the one responsible for the violence I had suffered. He was my shield, but in a way he didn't comprehend, he had also become my burden—a secret he was now chained to.
The last words of the poem I had just been reading came back to me, an eerie echo of my new reality: "Of my dejected soul have made your bed, your lodging, and domain: To whom I'm linked (unseemly jade!) as is a convict to his chain…"