"I wiped off most of the blood..."

The nurse added apologetically, avoiding Heeju's gaze.

The moment Heeju saw the familiar nursing home on the screen, she bolted from her seat.

On the way there, her mind was a mess. She screamed silently, swallowing the cries until her throat felt raw.

At the same time, urgent messages from the nurse poured in like a megaphone warning of disaster. A vague sense of dread tightened around her chest.

"Who should I even..."

Who could she turn to for help at a moment like this?

Her husband's name flashed through her mind, but he was the last person she could count on.

Heeju gently wiped her father's face with trembling hands.

"Are you a family member?"

A policeman approached holding a towel. When Heeju nodded, the officer hesitated before opening the towel to show her its contents.

"Ugh...!"

Her stomach churned.

"You need to come to the station and file a report."

Inside the towel were four bloody molars, completely uprooted. This was the source of the blood that had soaked her father.

A cold shiver ran down her spine.

The messy room represented how hard her father had tried to escape. The bed, the walls, the floor and even the windows were stained with blood.

"When I came back, his face was already covered in blood..."

The nurse's voice trembled. She was on the verge of tears.

"Dad..."

The shock was too much to process. No one but him... could have committed such a brutal, violent act.

All this... over the phone?

Because she hadn't made any threatening calls to Baek Sa-eon for a few days? For such a petty reason he had done this to her father?

Heeju's eyes burned with anger.

"Ah..."

Her father's swollen cheek twitched slightly. And he opened his blurry eyes. Suddenly, his wrinkled lips moved. Heeju instinctively leaned closer to hear what he was about to say.

"Call... call... call..."
"...!"
"Sis... call... make the call..."

A single tear trickled down her face.

That was the exact moment she collapsed to the ground.

 

***

 

Heeju slumped against the back seat of the police car. She was half dazed and half numb.

It wasn't until the officers got into the front seat that she remembered that she had agreed to go to the station. During that time she did everything like a soulless puppet.

Her last clear memory was watching her father fall asleep after being given a painkiller.

Staring out of the window, she rubbed her fingers together, trying to rid them of the non-existent blood. The metallic smell that seemed to linger only for her made her stomach churn again.

"W-What's wrong with this thing?"
"What happened?"
"It's n-nothing, Officer Kim."
"Just concentrate on driving."

Even though Heeju squeezed her eyes shut, it didn't help her to calm down. Closing her eyes only brought back the vivid images of her father's teeth, the perpetrator's smile and the inappropriately bright blue sky.

Her palms were clammy with sweat. The spiralling thoughts were abruptly interrupted as the radio crackled.

At the same time, the driver thumped the dashboard in frustration.

"What's it doing...?"
"Hey, stop messing with it!"
"No, it's just..."

And then it happened.

<"This is JBS Radio, 10:07 AM... Cause baby, you're a firework...">

The radio distorted again with a strange mix of news and pop songs. Heeju shivered at the déjà vu.

"W- What's wrong with it?"
"I'll fix it."

The officers kept pounding on the dashboard, but to no avail.

Of course it wouldn't work.

Heeju alone broke into a cold sweat. She clutched her seatbelt tightly as her breathing quickened.

"I don't understand why this is happening?"
"Let me handle this."

As the officers fiddled with the controls, the walkie-talkie they were carrying emitted a sharp crackle.

Officer Kim casually picked it up to hear the unmistakable tune of an old pop song.

<"You can ring my be-e-ell, ring my bell. You can ring my be-e-ell, ring my bell.">

"What the...!"

Officer Kim fumbled with the device, but to no avail.

The whole incident was meant to send a message to Heeju.

<"You can ring my be-e-ell, ring my bell. You can ring my be-e-ell, ring my bell.">

"This crazy piece of sh*t..."

Heeju unconsciously scratched her neck with her nails.

The fact that the hostage-taker was in control of the police car was frightening.

The boot, the seats, the floor - everything felt oppressive and suffocating. She couldn't stay in the car any longer.

Heeju was driven to the edge. Soon she was banging on the windows. The officers' eyes met hers through the rear-view mirror.

"Let me out."
"Sorry?"
"I can't stay here... Please let me out."

She somehow managed to get the words out. The officers exchanged confused looks, but Heeju could only concentrate on one thing.

"Do you think this is a taxi or something, ma'am?"
"Let me out. Just let me out!"
"Look, we're in the middle of the road, you can't just-"
"If I get out, everything will be fine. Just let me out and everything will be fine."
"Ma'am... wait, hey-what are you doing?"

Heeju yanked at the door handle, banging and even kicking at the door in desperation.

The walkie-talkie continued to play the song without a break. Heeju was about to lose her mind.

"Pull yourself together! Calm down!"
"Please, I'm begging you! I... ugh-!"
"Hey, Officer Kim, something's wrong with her. Should we take her to the emergency room?"
"Just let me out! Please, just let me out!"

Her soaked bangs clung to her forehead as she pleaded. Noticing her deteriorating condition, the driver slammed on the brakes.

The moment the lock was released, Heeju stumbled out and doubled over.

"Haah... Ugh..."

She wanted to vomit, but nothing came out but bitter bile.

"Be my voice? Be my messenger?"

What would he ask of her next? What could he want from Baek Sa-eon that he would go so far?

The hostage-taker had completely overwhelmed her. Her judgement was crumbling.

She had faced countless trials in her life, but this helplessness, this feeling of being utterly lost - it had been a long time since she had felt anything like it.

Tears streamed down her face as she knelt on the cold floor.

If that's what it takes, I'll make the damn calls.

To protect her father, to put an end to this sham of a marriage; she had to.

If she didn't, everything would be ruined. The unpredictable, dangerous man could explode at any moment.

"...Huh?"

The officer who had followed her out made a strange noise. He adjusted his glasses and stared intently at something. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

A large black vehicle had appeared at the side of the road.

Its presence alone was suspicious, but the man stepping out of the back seat attracted even more attention.

Dressed in a sharp suit, polished black shoes and a perfectly tailored jacket, he exuded authority.

The reaction didn't come from Heeju, but from the officers.

"Gasp! Isn't that the spokesman for the Blue House? I've seen him on TV!"
"My God, you're right! Sir, good afternoon!"
"Hello."

A low, clipped voice could be heard.

"Wow, is this a dream or reality...?"
"My goodness, you're just as impressive in person as you are on TV."

Baek Sa-eon brushed off the compliment effortlessly, glancing briefly in Heeju's direction. His gaze met her tear-stained red eyes.

For a fleeting moment, an unreadable emotion flickered across his otherwise impassive face. Fixing his gaze on Heeju's swollen, tear-stained eyes, he spoke.

"You can go back now."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm her family."
"...!"

The one who flinched wasn't the police - it was Heeju.

His words, abrupt and out of context, contained no trace of concern or explanation. She realised immediately that he was deliberately withholding any clarification. This wasn't the behaviour of someone in even a nominally functional relationship.

"Thank you for your efforts."

His polite but unmistakable dismissal left no room for argument.

The younger officer looked between them, clearly sceptical. Baek Sa-eon stepped forward, blocking the officer's view, and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"I will handle the case personally."
"And you two are...?"

The officer subtly shifted his gaze to Heeju, waiting for clarification.

"She's in no condition to talk right now. She should be brought to the hospital immediately."
"You seem quite concerned."
"Sorry?"
"Should I assume that this level of concern is part of your official duty?"

Baek Sa-eon's tone was measured yet sharp.

"I mean, sure... She seemed really distressed in the car," the younger officer replied, scratching his head in confusion.
"I'm responsible for her welfare."
"P-Pardon?"
"She's my wife."
"Oh...!"

The officer was surprised.

His eyes darted back to Heeju, now filled with curiosity rather than concern. Seeing the officer turn to Heeju, Baek Sa-eon moved quickly to put some distance between them.

Once again, the officer's view was blocked by Baek Sa-eon's imposing presence, his hand firmly placed on the man's shoulder, conveying a silent warning.