"The neighbor filed a noise complaint about this house. Can you explain what happened?"
The police officer looked around the apartment seriously.
Seo Yuna quickly lowered her head and spoke with a trembling voice.
"O-Officer... my husband keeps abusing my daughter and me. Please save us."
The officer's expression became serious.
"Where is your husband now?"
Seo Yuna turned around quickly.
But Fang was gone.
"H-He was just here a moment ago!"
She panicked.
"Officer, please search the house! Please save my daughter!"
She immediately ran toward Noah's room.
"Noah... Noah!"
She opened the door in fear.
But Noah was sleeping peacefully on the bed.
Seo Yuna froze.
"He was standing there just now... where did he go?"
"Don't worry, ma'am," the officer said calmly. "We'll search the apartment first."
After searching the entire house for nearly thirty minutes, the police found nothing.
"It looks like he escaped somehow," the officer said.
"But this is the fifth floor..." Seo Yuna whispered blankly.
The officer looked at her bruises carefully.
His expression softened slightly.
"Why didn't you file a complaint earlier?"
Seo Yuna lowered her eyes.
"I was scared."
The officer stayed silent for a moment.
"If he troubles you again, contact us immediately."
She nodded slowly.
"I... I'll come to the station tomorrow to file the report."
"Alright. I'll help you there."
After the officers left, Seo Yuna locked the door.
The moment the lock clicked
Her legs gave out.
She collapsed onto the floor and burst into tears.
"Finally..."
Her voice trembled badly.
"No more beatings... no more fear..."
Tears rolled down her cheeks endlessly.
"Noah can finally live peacefully now..."
But then confusion appeared in her eyes.
"...Then where did that demon go?"
At that moment, Fang slowly crawled out from under the wooden sofa.
He had hidden there the entire time.
He quietly looked toward Seo Yuna.
She looked exhausted.
Broken.
After crying for several minutes, Seo Yuna finally stood up and returned to Noah's room.
She lay beside her daughter and slowly closed her eyes.
Fang silently walked over and locked their room from the outside.
Then he sat on the sofa and rubbed his forehead.
"How am I supposed to fix this mess...?"
He searched through Chung Soo's memories quietly.
After a while, he stood up slowly.
His whole body ached badly.
"This body feels worse than getting shot."
Fang looked around the apartment.
Then he quietly started preparing something.
A few hours later
Seo Yuna slowly opened her eyes.
"Hm...?"
For the first time in years, she had slept peacefully.
Then she looked at the clock.
Her eyes widened.
"10 PM?!"
She quickly stood up.
"I have to go to the police station tomorrow morning."
She looked toward sleeping, Noah.
The little girl's bruised face made her heart ache again.
"I'll end everything this time..."
Seo Yuna carefully walked toward the door.
But the moment she stepped outside
She slipped due to the slippery liquid.
"Ahhh!"
Her ankle twisted badly.
Pain shot through her leg instantly.
At the same moment, Fang rushed out.
"Are you okay?"
Seo Yuna's face instantly turned pale after seeing him.
"You...?!"
Her breathing became unstable.
"Stay away from me!"
Fang stopped immediately.
"I'm not going to hurt you."
But Seo Yuna's fear only became worse.
Her body trembled uncontrollably.
A few seconds later
She fainted from panic and pain.
Fang sighed quietly.
"...Troublesome."
He carefully carried her to the bed in another room.
Then he checked her swollen ankle.
"It's not broken."
Using simple materials, Fang wrapped her ankle tightly to reduce the swelling.
After finishing, he returned to the kitchen.
He searched Chung Soo's fridge for a while.
Only enough food for two more days.
Fang frowned.
Meanwhile, Noah slowly woke up.
"M-Mom...?"
She looked around nervously.
Then she heard sounds from the kitchen.
Her small body trembled.
She slowly walked toward the sound.
The moment Fang turned around
Noah froze.
Tears quickly filled her eyes.
Fang sighed internally.
Another difficult problem.
He slowly sat down on the floor to make himself look less threatening.
"Your mother is sleeping," he said calmly.
"Don't cry too loudly or she'll wake up."
Noah looked at him fearfully.
Fang pointed toward the food.
"Are you hungry?"
The little girl stayed silent.
"You can help me prepare dinner."
After a few seconds, Noah slowly nodded.
She quietly started arranging the plates.
Fang took out a small chocolate from the cabinet and handed it to her.
"Eat it after dinner."
Noah carefully accepted it.
"Your mother slipped and hurt her ankle," Fang said softly.
"I treated it already. She's resting now."
Noah immediately became nervous.
"Mom is okay?"
"She's fine."
After a short silence, Fang looked at Noah's bruises.
"Does it still hurt?"
Noah lowered her head.
"A little..."
Fang stayed silent for a moment.
Then he spoke quietly.
"I won't hurt you or your mother again."
Noah looked at him carefully.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Promise?"
Fang nodded slowly.
"I promise."
Noah held the chocolate tightly.
After several seconds, she spoke in a tiny voice.
"...Then I will try to trust you."
For some reason, those simple words felt heavier than bullets.
Fang slowly looked away.
In his previous life, countless people feared him.
But this small child...
was trying to trust him again.
Suddenly, Noah rubbed her eyes.
Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
Fang hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"If you want to cry... then cry."
The moment he said that
Noah suddenly hugged him tightly and started sobbing.
Fang froze.
His hands awkwardly stopped in the air.
He had killed countless people before.
But comforting a crying child...
felt much harder.
After several seconds, Fang slowly patted her back.
"It's okay."
Around ten minutes later
Noah finally calmed down.
At that moment, Seo Yuna slowly woke up from the noise.
Her head still felt dizzy.
Then she remembered everything.
Her expression immediately filled with fear.
"That man..."
She tried standing up, but pain shot through her ankle.
Seo Yuna looked down in surprise.
Her ankle had been wrapped carefully.
"Who...?"
Before she could think further, Noah entered the room carrying food carefully.
"Mom!"
Seo Yuna quickly grabbed Noah.
"Did he hurt you again?!"
"No..."
Noah shook her head.
"He was cooking."
Seo Yuna became even more confused.
That monster...
cooking?
Meanwhile, Fang quietly sat outside searching for jobs on the phone.
Most jobs require experience and documents,
Right now, he had none.
Inside the room, Seo Yuna looked at the food silently.
Then she noticed Noah's slightly red eyes.
Her heart tightened immediately.
"What happened?"
Noah hesitated.
Then she quietly said,
"I cried a little."
Seo Yuna immediately panicked.
"Did he do something?!"
"No..."
Noah shook her head again.
"He said he won't hurt us anymore."
Seo Yuna's expression turned complicated.
Trust?
That word no longer existed for her.
Suddenly, dizziness hit her again.
Her weak body finally reached its limit.
Seo Yuna fainted once more.
"Mom?!"
Noah became terrified and immediately ran outside.
"Help! Mom fell again!"
Fang quickly entered the room.
He checked Seo Yuna's forehead.
"She has a fever."
Probably from stress, exhaustion, poor nutrition, and injuries.
Fang quietly clicked his tongue.
"Noah, bring me a wet towel."
The little girl quickly ran away.
Fang looked at Seo Yuna silently.
This woman's body was already falling apart.
A few moments later, Noah returned with a wet towel.
Fang placed it gently on Seo Yuna's forehead.
Then he quietly massaged her arms to improve circulation.
Noah watched silently from nearby.
After several minutes, Fang spoke softly.
"Noah, eat first."
The little girl shook her head stubbornly.
"I'll eat with Mom."
A few minutes later, Seo Yuna slowly opened her eyes again.
The moment she saw Fang beside her
Her breathing immediately became unstable.
Her fingers trembled badly.
Fang noticed it instantly.
So he quietly stepped back.
"For Noah's sake," he said calmly, "let's avoid fighting right now."
Seo Yuna stared at him with distrust.
But she stayed silent.
Noah looked between both of them nervously.
Then Fang quietly served them food.
"You two eat," he said.
"I'll clean the kitchen."
After leaving the room, Fang sat alone in the dark living room.
Leaving this family would be easy.
Going back to China would also be easy.
But somehow...
His feet refused to move.
While eating quietly, Fang could hear a soft conversation between the mother and daughter inside the room.
For the first time in many years
The apartment sounded warm.
Fang silently lowered his eyes.
That warmth had nothing to do with him.
After some time, Fang quietly entered the room to collect the empty bowls.
Seo Yuna and Noah were sleeping close together.
Fang carefully picked up the dishes.
But just as he turned around
Seo Yuna suddenly woke up.
The moment she saw him near the bed, her breathing became unstable again.
Her body trembled badly.
Fear instantly filled her eyes.
Fang froze.
Then he quietly stepped back and left the room without saying anything.
After closing the door, Fang leaned against the wall silently.
He finally understood something.
Seo Yuna's fear was no longer simple.
It had already become part of her body.
Fang slowly closed his eyes.