.  The spiteful speech and voice froze everyone at the spot. Only Woo Jooin was whispering composedly to those standing around him.

  “It’s obvious that the person is an acquaintance of victims; given the way of speaking, it’s highly likely that the person is a woman.”


  Furrowing his forehead, Eun Jiho replied over the phone. “If that’s what you want, I can do it right now.”


  A moment of silence then went by. ‘Did the person read the sincerity in my voice?’ having that thought, Eun Jiho murmured, ‘No, Woo Jooin’s assumption is wrong. The person isn’t an acquaintance. He or she doesn’t know me at all, or else how can this person only ask for something like that upon kidnapping Ham Donnie and Ban Yeo Ryung? Me crying? Geez…’


  Eun Jiho closed his eyes tight. It was to keep the peace of mind while talking on the phone; however, only negative scenes entered and filled his head.

  A dark warehouse… thick ropes or sharp-end weapons… ‘Are they being threatened? What if they have already been threatened?’ Eun Jiho grabbed the phone as if he was about to break it.

  Taking a breath, he then continued, “What should I do to make them return safely?”


  [What can you do?]

  “Anything.”


  He blurted out the word instinctively, which was from his undeniable true heart. Woo Jooin shook his head from beside him, but Eun Jiho didn’t care about it.

  “Tell me everything you want. I’m not in the right mind to even compromise.”


  That was true. Eun Jiho’s head was full of concerns about the two girls that he could hardly think of anything plausible.

  ‘Would I’ve rather not come to the negotiating table?’ thought Eun Jiho for a second, but he soon shook his head.

  No, the person had business with him. It was someone who wanted to see Eun Jiho crying or something more than that.

  However, there was nothing else Eun Jiho could do. Since the person spoke like that after kidnapping two people, all he could do for now was to just follow anything that the person asked for.

  While Eun Jiho had those thoughts in mind, the confident voice over the phone continued.

  [Really? Okay, then…]

  The person then dropped a remark that made everyone become at a loss of words.

  [Come here alone.]

  Everyone in the room stopped moving.

  However, Eun Jiho didn’t. Instead, he wanted to forget the seriousness he had just now and gently smile.

  ‘Is that why the person kidnapped the two? Just to ask for something like that? This kidnapper might as well study more about the law of equal exchange or negotiation.’


  With that thought, Eun Jiho nodded while feeling refreshed.

  “I got it.”


  Woo Jooin mouthed from across, ‘What are you thinking?’


  Eun Jiho, once again, neglected his words. He then uttered, “If the two girls are there, let me hear their voices.”


  From the kidnapper’s point of view, it might have sounded like an easy demand since Eun Jiho had already confirmed to be there alone. Without any response, the phone went over to someone else with static noise.

  Eun Jiho endured the silence anxiously while waiting for their voices to come over the phone. Every second felt like a minute. When he heard a sound of breathing, at last, Eun Jiho held his breath.

  Closing his sweaty eyes without even realizing it, Eun Jiho prayed, ‘I wish you guys aren’t crying, especially Ban Yeo Ryung…’


  Aside from his feelings toward Ham Donnie, Eun Jiho was intolerable to Ban Yeo Ryung’s tears as much as Ham Donnie’s or even more since middle school. That was because he knew how strong Ban Yeo Ryung was. If that girl was crying from being kidnapped because of him, what face should Eun Jiho make? What the hell was he supposed to say to comfort her?

  Not only Eun Jiho but everyone in the room was paying attention out of anxiety to the conversation on the phone. Kwon Eun Hyung looked as if he would jump into this direction as soon as possible. Yoo Chun Young and Woo Jooin were looking this way nervously while barely supporting themselves.

  At the climax of the tension, there returned, at last, a clear ringing voice.

  Eun Jiho then felt himself falling into low spirits. ‘Ha…’ he let out a quiet sigh.

  [Eun Jiho.]

  Ban Yeo Ryung spoke in her usual voice.

  [Come here ASAP. I’ll give you ten seconds.]

  “…”


  Amid a flowing silence, Eun Jiho could clearly feel his father, Chairman Eun Han Soo, sending him an utterly regrettable glance. The meaning of that gaze would be something like this.

  ‘I thought he was forming a good relationship with his peers,’ or ‘How can he make a friend someone just like him…?’


  Either of them wasn’t a delightful supposition in this situation.

  Suddenly, Eun Jiho felt himself being calmed down. A sincere word then popped out of his mouth.

  “Hey, I’m glad you’re well…”


  Eun Jiho felt it was so fortunate that Ban Yeo Ryung was Ban Yeo Ryung.

  Ban Yeo Ryung was Ban Yeo Ryung… It sounded weird, but it was true. What words could articulate her character? He wished there was a term named ‘like Ban Yeo Ryung’ in a dictionary.

  From the other side of the phone, still, there came out a response for Ban Yeo Ryung, by Ban Yeo Ryung, and of Ban Yeo Ryung.

  [Eun Jiho, do you know how upset I am? Why do I have to get kidnapped not because of Donnie nor Eun Hyung but someone none other than you?]

  Eun Jiho now answered back with a voice that sounded perplexed.

  “I, as well, feel upset that it’s none other than you who got abducted because of me…”


  [True. We have nothing to do with each other, isn’t it?]

  “Hold on, aren’t we friends?”


  As soon as Eun Jiho flung that question in bewilderment, her immediate response returned.

  [When I get back, I’m gonna tie you behind your back and let you walk in my shoes. We will then reconsider our friendship.]

  “Dude, did I kidnap you? Did I?”


  Eun Jiho replied from the bottom of his heart, but on the other hand, he couldn’t help but think, ‘This nasty little…’ When he raised his head to glance around, people in the room looked dumbfounded.

  No, except for only one… Only Kwon Eun Hyung was showing a sign relief on his face. He was even murmuring, “I’m glad they’re still okay.”


  Eun Jiho also agreed to that part. Turning his head to bring his mouth near the phone, Eun Jiho answered back.

  “Fine, as soon as you get back, I’ll end our friendship or whatever you want.”


  There was then silence over the phone.

  Eun Jiho finished his remark calmly.

  “So, for now, just think about coming back safely.”


  […]

  He considered that she would strike a retort around this moment. Ban Yeo Ryung, however, became unexpectedly quiet.

  Staying silent for a second, Eun Jiho soon asked carefully.

  “Is Ham Donnie also there?”


  [Oh.]

  “If you are, please say something.”


  It became quiet over the phone for a while, then a sound of breathing and other noises mixed up again.

  Eun Jiho’s fingertips began to feel numb.

  Gripping and releasing the other side of his hand, Eun Jiho fell into thought. He could hardly imagine what Ham Donnie was doing for now. As soon as he had that thought, the classroom scenery of the day when he first met Ham Donnie flooded into his sight.

  She had short hair slightly above her shoulders and a sullen face as if she had no interest in things at that time. He then recalled her staring in his direction with eyes wide open from time to time.

  Like every other kid in the classroom, Ham Donnie also threw a glance at them, the Four Heavenly Kings; however, the type of stare she sent to them was somewhat different from others.

  Yes, there was something enigmatic about her. She seemed typical, but at the same time, different at a strange point. Eun Jiho, therefore, couldn’t predict her reactions this time again at all.

  It wasn’t strange for her to be afraid of being kidnapped. On the other hand, she could also stand aloof from the circumstances just like or more than Ban Yeo Ryung.

  ‘I wish she could be more predictable so that I can prepare something in my mind to say to her,’ with that thought, he gave strength to his hand holding the cell phone.

  Eun Jiho opened his eyes wide in surprise at the voice coming over the phone.

  [Hello, Eun Jiho…]

  It sounded weaker than usual but was utterly different from being afraid or panic. He rather grasped exhaustion in her voice… For instance, it sounded close to the voice after riding a roller coaster ten times in a row.

  Despite the situation, how could she sound so worn out? Eun Jiho asked urgently.

  “Ham Donnie, are you okay?”


  [Oh, I’m fine.]

  Her following remark then made not only Eun Jiho but also everyone in the space think, ‘What the heck is she talking about?’


  [The romance died a horrible death…]

  “What?”


  Tossing the question, Eun Jiho couldn’t help thinking, ‘See? Look who’s more unpredictable…’