“What are you doing in our dorm?”
Pushing Sol back, Ji-ho stepped forward and asked the person standing in the darkness again. Although it was too dark to see clearly, the person appeared to be very small in stature. Despite Ji-ho’s question, the person remained silent, just standing still, holding onto the door lock.
“Excuse me.”
Finally, Deuk-yong stepped forward with a stern expression. As Deuk-yong took another step, the stranger let go of the door lock and stood still.
From a moment ago, Sol had been on edge due to a constant ‘beep-beep-beep’ sound coming from somewhere. Looking around to find the source, Sol quickly realized it was coming from the door lock, which was emitting a red light. In the pitch-dark corridor, the only thing flashing red was the number pad on the door lock.
The alarming door lock and this strange standoff, along with the eerie presence of the dark-clad stranger, made Sol’s body stiffen with tension. Realizing this was an unfriendly situation, Ji-ho and Deuk-yong pushed Sol behind them.
“Why are you here?”
“......”
“Why are you here?”
“......”
“If you don’t answer, we’ll call the police.”
Ji-ho’s sharp voice echoed through the dim hallway. The usual smile on Ji-ho’s face had completely vanished.
His face, now frozen and stern, looked just as fierce as Tae-oh’s. Half-hidden behind Ji-ho and Deuk-yong, Sol peeked over their shoulders to get a look at the stranger. Although the person’s face wasn’t visible due to their all-black outfit, there was something oddly familiar about them. Ji-ho asked the same question again, but the stranger still didn’t respond or move.
“Sol-ah, call the police.”
“...Oh! My phone!”
At Ji-ho’s command, while keeping an eye on the stranger, Sol instinctively searched his pockets. After fumbling with his empty pockets a few times, Sol remembered that he had lost his phone earlier. Frustrated, Sol let out a sigh, feeling useless for always complicating things instead of helping.
“Inside my pocket.”
“Wa, wait a minute.”
Ji-ho glanced at Sol and signaled with his eyes towards the front pocket of his pants. Sol, flustered, fumbled awkwardly as he took Ji-ho’s phone out of his pocket. While Ji-ho was momentarily distracted by Sol’s clumsy actions, the assailant facing off with Deuk-yong seized the opportunity. Deuk-yong managed to stop the assailant with both hands as they ran towards the stairs.
“Aaah!”
At the sudden, sharp scream, Deuk-yong reflexively let go. The assailant’s voice was higher and thinner than expected. Although he hadn’t noticed due to the all-black attire, now that they were closer, Deuk-yong could see the slim build and the long hair peeking out from under the hat. Startled by the realization that the assailant was a woman, Deuk-yong froze, giving her the chance to dash towards Sol.
“Ji-ho hyung, catch her!”
Deuk-yong quickly shouted, but Ji-ho, distracted by Sol and the phone, reacted a moment too late. It was as if the assailant knew Sol was the weak link among the three. She shoved Sol, who was trying to dial ‘112’ on the unfamiliar phone, with a strong force, causing him to stumble. It was a strangely familiar situation, something Sol had experienced before. As he felt himself falling backward, he looked at Ji-ho with puzzled eyes.
“Sol-ah!”
Sol tried to regain his balance, stepping a few times to find solid ground, but there was nothing under his heels. Ji-ho quickly reached out to Sol, but his sluggish movements left Sol only able to cling tightly to the phone, watching helplessly.
“Huh...?”
“Sol hyung!”
“Sol-ah!”
While Sol couldn’t even scream, Deuk-yong and Ji-ho’s shouts echoed through the building’s corridor. As both rushed towards the falling Sol, the assailant swiftly descended the stairs. The sound of her tumbling down the steps was loud and chaotic.
Sol’s body, offering no resistance, rolled down the stairs and came to a stop one floor below. A shocked Ji-ho hurriedly ran down the stairs, the sound of his urgent footsteps echoing in the corridor.
“Sol-ah!”
“Ah, ouch….”
“Sol-ah, are you okay?”
Ji-ho, who had run over to Sol, who had stopped after colliding with the wall, held Sol’s head with both hands. He was worried that Sol might have hit his head while falling. Fortunately, Sol’s thick new clothes, bag, and a shopping bag full of clothes cushioned the impact. Even so, the pain was still there, and Sol let out a low groan as he pulled the bag from under his back.
“Ji-ho hyung, is Sol hyung okay?”
Deuk-yong, who had followed Ji-ho down the stairs, looked at Sol lying on the floor with a worried face.
“I’ll check. Deuk-yong, you contact Yeong-ho hyung.”
“I should have held on tighter… I got scared.”
“Kim Deuk-yong. Contact him first.”
When the other person started running, Deuk-yong instinctively grabbed them. At first, he thought it was just an attacker and pulled hard with both hands, but when he saw the small figure, barely half his size, and heard the scream, which was clearly feminine, he let go almost reflexively.
Ji-ho calmly spoke as he knelt beside Sol and looked up at the regretful Deuk-yong. The oldest was the oldest, and the youngest was the youngest. Nodding at Ji-ho’s words, Deuk-yong finally took out his phone and started to make a call.
“Sol-ah, are you okay?”
“Ugh, I think I’m okay….”
“Don’t try to get up. Just try moving your hands and legs slowly first.”
At Ji-ho’s question, with his head still supported by Ji-ho, Sol immediately said he was fine. It was impossible to be okay after rolling down the stairs. Despite saying he was fine, Sol’s face was contorted in pain.
If it weren’t for the thick clothes and the bag, he would have really broken something or been seriously injured. Following Ji-ho’s advice, Sol slowly rotated his ankles and wrists. Although his whole body hurt from hitting the floor while rolling, there was no severe pain or any significant issues while moving. It was a huge relief.
“…Ji-ho hyung, I’ve seen that person before.”
As soon as he confirmed that he was okay, Sol looked up at Ji-ho, who had a worried expression, and said. He had mentioned that the person looked familiar, and as he fell, he recalled that day’s incident.
The woman who had collided with him on the day he walked back to the dormitory alone. That day, her outfit, voice, and physique were all familiar to him.
“Who? That criminal bastard just now?”
“It’s that person. The one who bumped into me.”
“What?”
Ji-ho’s usually rounded eyebrows shot up at Sol’s words. At Ji-ho’s question, Sol nodded with a frown still on his face. Although it was hard to see in the dark, Ji-ho’s expression, devoid of any trace of a smile, felt intensely cold.
He’s angry. Even without words, Sol could feel the atmosphere Ji-ho was emanating. As Sol was about to lift his body after Ji-ho moved his hand from his head, a strong light burst out from behind Ji-ho. It was so bright, like an angel descending, that Sol couldn’t look directly at Ji-ho. Instinctively, Sol raised his arm to shield his face.
Ji-ho also frowned and turned around to look at the light shooting from behind him. The intense light soon aimed at the ground. Once the glare subsided, Ji-ho and Sol could see who held the light. At the end of the stairs stood Ga-ram with a flashlight.
“Sorry.”
“Ga-ram-ah.”
Hanging his head low, he only left the single word “sorry” and then collapsed to the floor. Bewildered by the sudden apology, Sol alternated his gaze between Ji-ho and Ga-ram. Understanding something from Ga-ram’s apology, Ji-ho stood up and looked at him.
“…I’m sorry. I was too scared to come out.”
Ga-ram, now seated on the floor, dropped the flashlight. It rolled, casting a circle of light on the wall as it illuminated the two people. Sol slowly and cautiously raised himself up at the sound of Ga-ram’s sobbing voice, still covering his face with both hands. His shoulders felt a bit stiff, and his back and hips ached slightly.
“Ga-ram, were you... inside?”
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Sol.”
“No, are you alright?”
At Ga-ram’s words, Sol’s face turned pale. A stranger had attempted to enter repeatedly, enough to trigger the door lock alarm. In such an unknown situation, not knowing who was outside or why they were trying to break in, Ga-ram had been alone inside without a single light on.
Sol, who had just fallen, was more worried about Ga-ram, who had been alone in the darkness and fear. In response to Sol’s question, Ga-ram did not answer, but instead spewed out tearful curses. These curses were not directed at anyone else but were a self-reproach for not having the courage to open the door and go outside despite hearing the commotion.
Sol leaned on the wall and got up. Both Ji-ho, who were staring blankly at Ga-ram, and Sol, who had just gotten up, couldn’t approach Ga-ram easily. Ga-ram, who had slumped down, looked so sorrowful and despairing that they couldn’t carelessly utter a word.
Deuk-yong, who had been on the phone half a floor below, came running up the stairs.
“Yeong-ho hyung, he’s coming right now. The police too.”
“...Sorry, I’m sorry.”
“...Ga-ram.”
“Ga-ram hyung?”
When Sol softly called his name in response to his almost mumbling apology, Deuk-yong also followed Sol’s gaze and looked up. At the end of their gaze was Ga-ram, completely broken down, repeatedly apologizing.
***
The police, who arrived five minutes after receiving the report, listened to the situation, conducted a brief investigation, and then left. Although it was late, they deliberately turned on the siren and drove the patrol car around the neighborhood, and the siren sound was heard faintly in the distance.
With the siren sound in the background, Sol, sitting alone in the van, glanced at Ga-ram, feeling the vibration next to him. None of the members dared to approach Ga-ram until Yeong-ho arrived and helped him up. They were cautious, fearing that touching him the wrong way might break him.
Sol quietly watched Ga-ram, who was trembling all over like an aspen tree, and gently held his fingertips that were resting on his knee. Only then did Ga-ram lift his head and look at Sol.
