With a tousled head of hair, Beomjin knocked the back of his head against the wall. It had been five days since he had been placed in the detention center.
At first, he honestly believed he’d be out soon. Even without a solid alibi, he was sure he wasn’t the criminal. He thought they couldn’t just charge him without a warrant, and that he wouldn't be held for more than 48 hours.
But after observing things from the inside, it was clear the situation wasn’t as simple as he’d imagined. The reality was a bit different from the legal textbooks he had read.
Perhaps it was because he was a minor without a guardian. Ever since the police chief had visited and seen his face, things had been looking more and more precarious. The occasional whispers and the suspicious glances from the officers made him uneasy.
But still... surely, this couldn’t be happening.
Beomjin closed his stiff eyes and opened them again, his mind drifting to Junyoung’s face. He remembered how she turned and walked away after seeing him lose control.
She must have understood. That’s why she’s avoiding me now.
At the thought, he felt a small relief. When he saw Junyoung suddenly show up at the police station, his heart had nearly dropped to the floor.
He understood how rumors worked. They fed on the smallest pieces of bait and then grew into something huge, devouring whatever they could find. Once they grew, they only craved more sensational details.
By that time, the truth didn’t even matter.
The truth was trivial; it couldn’t satisfy people’s eyes, ears, and mouths.
No matter how careful he was, once a story started circulating, it would twist and change until it suffocated Junyoung’s reputation.
The rumors would stick to her more than to him. Within a week, the entire town would be talking about her.
Rather than watching that happen, Beomjin figured it was better to stay here and eat free meals. After all, the real criminal was still out there, and he believed he would be released soon.
Had he overestimated the abilities of the police?
Beomjin scratched his chin, a bored look on his face. Despite being a mugging that happened in broad daylight, there hadn’t been any resistance. It had apparently been a silent attack, with the assailant striking from behind.
Three times, with a blunt instrument that still hadn’t been properly identified.
This didn’t seem like an impulsive act; it seemed targeted. After all, the victim was the brother of the police chief, someone who might have had enemies or people looking for revenge. If the victim’s presence at the location was planned, there could be a personal motive behind the attack.
But then, what if that fool came back?
Clicking his tongue, Beomjin stood up, his thoughts fixated on Junyoung. He wanted to walk around to clear his mind, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
He thought that she must have figured out why he had kept silent that day, and that she had turned away. But if the time kept dragging on, she might end up doing something foolish. She would choose to ease her guilt over staying out of the rumor mill.
If only he had said one thing that day.
He should have told her to wait and stay quiet, that he would be released soon.
A bitter smile tugged at Beomjin’s lips. He remembered seeing his father say the same thing to his mother when he was a child.
Back then, his father had come back safely, but would he?
Beomjin’s steps slowed as he realized the fear he had been carrying—fear that he might never get out of this place. His legs felt like they were losing strength, and his fingertips were cold.
“Why the long face? What’s with the expression now that you’re out? Are you going to start throwing a tantrum because they didn’t catch the criminal sooner?”
A voice broke through his thoughts. Beomjin looked up to see a middle-aged officer with a scruffy beard holding a paper cup. He recognized him.
“What, you’re just staring off into space? Say thank you. If it weren’t for Officer Kim here, you’d still be stuck.”
“Ah, you’re always saying pointless things. Just write up the report. I’ll go drop the kid off and be back.”
Another young officer tried to say something but was waved off by the middle-aged officer. Beomjin, still slightly dazed, walked over and gave a small nod.
“Thanks for your help.”
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“No problem. It’s what we’re supposed to do. Honestly, I was worried the bars might break if we didn’t catch the real criminal.”
The officer yawned, looking tired. Beomjin couldn’t help but chuckle. The officer gave him a quick pat on the back.
“You just need to sign the papers and you’re free to go.”
“This wasn’t just a simple mugging, right?”
As Beomjin grabbed the pen, he casually asked the officer. The officer blinked, clearly surprised.
“Did you intentionally target that person?”
The officer raised his eyebrows, then gave a slight smile. He glanced around, covering his mouth with his hand as he whispered quickly.
“You two make a good match, but next time, try not to meet in places like that.”
“What?”
Beomjin furrowed his brow, confused by the remark. The officer, with his slightly wrinkled eyes still holding some childlike innocence, patted Beomjin’s back once more.
“You’re a hopeless romantic, aren’t you? Be good to your girlfriend.”
“My girlfriend...?”
Beomjin was about to ask, but he froze when he saw the officer’s sly grin. He turned quickly to face him.
“Did you meet Yoon Junyoung?”
“Shh.”
The officer raised a finger to his lips, then nudged Beomjin’s shoulder.
“She’s fierce, so I was afraid if I said anything, you’d be in trouble. Keep it between you two. I’m keeping secrets, you know.”
Beomjin let out a frustrated sigh. He didn’t know all the details, but it was clear that Junyoung had met this officer and told him about that day. He looked directly at the officer and spoke clearly.
“She’s not that kind of girl. We’re not that close.”
“I know. I know why you went there.”
The officer’s calm reply made Beomjin’s eyebrows twitch. The officer knew why they had gone? Did Junyoung really say that? Watching his eyes flicker, the officer smiled gently.
“Don’t worry. I won’t say anything. If I did, it would become a police matter.”
By the time Beomjin had been pushed toward the entrance of the police station, he turned around to see the officer stretching and walking out, still chuckling.
The summer air felt unexpectedly refreshing as it blew against him. Beomjin smiled weakly as he turned around, squinting at the glaring sunlight.
Yoon Junyoung.
What did you do?
***
During the weekdays, the house was empty. As the silence enveloped him, sleep crept up, and Beomjin rested for a few hours, waking up later. He had thought he had slept soundly in the detention center, but it seemed that wasn’t entirely true.
The grandparents who were taking care of him had no real connection to him. He had come here because the man he had called "uncle" had told him it was a safe place.
He didn’t know how he was introduced to the elderly couple, but their attitude wasn’t exactly warm. Whenever he made an exaggerated hand gesture, they flinched, instinctively backing away. It was the reaction of people who had experienced violence in some form.
So, Beomjin minimized his time spent interacting with them. The bag his uncle had given him when he arrived had quite a bit of cash in it, so there was really no need to strike up conversations with them.
Of course, money had its limits. His uncle had told him that once things settled, he would come to pick him up, but no one knew when that would be. So, Beomjin tried to use the money sparingly.
After washing up, he changed into a clean T-shirt he had washed earlier and took out the bag that had been sitting on top of the wardrobe. The old man, who had a bad back, couldn’t reach that high, so it seemed safe to leave it there. Beomjin had soon realized that even if he put the bag right in front of him, the old man wouldn’t touch it.
People who had learned to fear violence more than poverty.
Though the bag had been used for years, more than half of it remained. Beomjin transferred a larger amount of bills into his wallet and returned the bag to its place. He was about to leave when he stopped in his tracks. His gaze landed on an old drawer filled with odds and ends.
Reaching out, he opened the second drawer and found a small envelope. He clicked his tongue briefly as he grabbed it. His fingers brushed against the thick, pointed edge of something inside.
...Maybe I should have bought one with a ribbon on it.
No, he thought, that would have been cumbersome, and he probably would have torn it off anyway.
Chuckling to himself, he left the house. School would be finishing soon.
He hadn’t actually planned to go to the place Hye Soo had mentioned. It wasn’t something he had been set on buying. But since he had arrived much earlier than the time he had agreed to meet Junyoung, there wasn’t much else for him to do.
It was pure coincidence that he happened to notice a small stationery shop in the neighborhood.
Junyoung often tied her hair back. It was probably to keep it out of the way while studying. She often seemed to be struggling with loose hair when she came in without a hair tie, holding her hair back all day as it kept slipping down.