Small and Fragile Things - Chapter 28

The heavy tension that had nearly snapped suddenly loosened with just one line.

“Who would’ve thought the cops would show up out of nowhere? We got through it fine, the kid’s in one piece—so it’s all good, right?”

Only when they saw Muk-hyun’s smile did the others finally breathe out in relief. Soon, instead of dumplings, the table was topped with snacks and soju.

Then, as if competing with each other, Gi-seon and Jung-pal launched into retelling what had happened earlier.

“When the kid popped up outta nowhere, man… scared the crap outta me. I was like, what the hell is she doing here?”

“I know, right? Jung-pal hyung went full improv, told the cop we worked here or something. But the guy kept grilling us—asking for names, IDs, if we were threatening the kid or what. I seriously thought, ‘Ah, fvck… this is it. We’re done.’”

“My heart was thumping so damn hard. I thought I was gonna die, man.”

“How could it not? If the kid had said, ‘I don’t remember anything, I got dragged here,’ we all would’ve been screwed. Just thinking about it again makes me nervous.”

Right in the middle of that high-stakes moment, Irang had apparently lied—calm as ever.

“My name is Park Eun-young. I do accounting here… Why do you keep asking me that?”

Muk-hyun glanced toward Irang, who was still asleep.

Why…?

She could’ve just told the truth. That guy was a cop—he could’ve found her name, her age, where she lived, her family… One word and she would’ve been free.

So why had she thrown that chance away?

Was it something to do with the secret she was hiding? Something that couldn’t be exposed to the police?

“Either way, we owe her. If it weren’t for that, we would’ve been caught for sure. But seriously, who sent in that tip? I swear, if I find that crazy bastard—”

It wasn’t clear whether the officer fully believed Irang, but he’d left quietly afterward. Still, just like Gi-seon said, Muk-hyun felt less grateful and more… suspicious. She’d had a chance to walk away—and yet she stayed. He needed to know why.

I… I want to stay with you.

No way. It can’t be that… right?

Muk-hyun quickly shook the thought from his head.

“Hyung, maybe the kid was smart to begin with, you know? Got that head injury and forgot everything, but I could tell earlier—she’s got quick instincts.”

“If you ask me, she’s just got terrible taste in people. She looked at that cop like he was some ghost or somethin’. What, does she break out in hives whenever she sees someone decent?”

“Hah, yeah—especially when she said you seemed like a good person. That says everything.”

“Yah! This soju tastes too damn smooth tonight. Yoon-ah, come have a drink too. Stop spacing out.”

“If I drink, who’s driving? Take it easy. If you get blackout drunk, I’m leaving you behind.”

The glasses clinked. The talk shifted to what needed to be done next.

Jung Yoon offered to look into the tip-off in more detail. For now, they agreed to keep Irang in the house. Since things had already started unraveling, they decided to close the office entirely and split up the remaining work to finish quickly.

As Muk-hyun laid out the plan, the others listened closely—until they all realized the same thing at once.

This is it. It’s really over. He’s leaving for good.

And then Muk-hyun confirmed what they were all thinking, like a final punctuation mark.

“This’ll all be wrapped up by the end of the month. If you’ve got anything to take care of, start now. If you need something, just say so. I’m sorry I couldn’t take care of things to the end. I really am.”

No one said a word for a moment. Maybe they couldn’t. Even the two who always cracked jokes to lift the mood were completely silent now.

It was a dark night, after a chaotic day. Under the harsh fluorescent light, their drinking session seemed destined to end in melancholy.

Hiccup!

It might’ve ended that way—if it weren’t for that sudden hiccup.

Hic.

“…Thought a baby chick farted or something.”

Hiccup.

“I knew this was gonna happen the moment you wolfed down that jjajangmyeon earlier.”

Irang, unable to fake sleep anymore, covered her mouth with both hands and sat up slowly. Her eyes rolled as she adjusted to the light, then landed first on Muk-hyun, whose head was slightly tilted.

“You sleep okay?”

Hic. Hic.

Who would’ve thought hiccups could revive the mood?

While Irang sat there, thoroughly embarrassed, the rest took the chance to shake off the awkward heaviness. Around her, their eyes lingered—each holding a different thought, a different feeling.

***

Kim Deok-gyu was a man of routine.

From waking up to going to bed, every hour of his day was scheduled to the minute. He planned his outfits by day of the week, had a set rotation of teas, lunch menus, even his post-work activities.

But he also lived in the real world, and sometimes, life threw him off. Just like tonight.

“You’re home?”

“Yeah. Sorry I’m so late… Why are you out here? I told you to go to bed.”

Normally, by this time, he’d be done with his evening workout and reading in bed with his wife. But tonight, an unexpected dinner meeting threw everything off.

“Nothing happened, right? Why’d the president call you all of a sudden?”

“Just a bit of encouragement since I got reassigned. But damn, why are you dressed so lightly? Let’s go in, Heesook.”

“Wait, honey.”

He held her like always—gently. But then he noticed her face looked a little off. Her hand was clenched tightly around her phone. The lights on the second floor were off.

“…Don’t tell me. Did Soohwan go out?”

Heesook quickly hooked her arm around his.

“His friends really pressured him. He said no so many times, but in the end, he gave in.”

“He’s not drinking, is he?”

“I mean, probably just a glass. It’s his best friend’s birthday. Sejin—you know him, right?”

Truthfully, she’d been waiting outside not for her husband, but for her son. When Soohwan hadn’t come home by dark, she found herself hoping her husband’s dinner would run even later.

“I don’t get what’s so important about a friend’s birthday.”

They were both caring parents, but Heesook definitely worried more—especially about their son.

“He’ll be fine. Don’t stress too much—”

“How am I not supposed to worry? You think a kid in that condition should be drinking at all?”

“…Honey?”

Soohwan really hadn’t been feeling his best. But still—her husband’s sudden flare-up caught her off guard.

“…Ah. Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. Maybe I drank too much. I’m just tired.”

His voice softened again right away, and she relaxed.

Of course—he hated when his schedule got messed up. An impromptu dinner like this would’ve thrown his whole evening off. She smiled again and gently soothed him.

“Go in first. There’s a hangover drink on the table—drink that first, okay? I’m just gonna make one more call. He should be home any minute now.”

She watched her husband head inside, then quickly redialed the number.

In truth, she’d been trying to call for a while. At first, the calls connected, but now the phone was completely off.

“The number you’re trying to reach is unavailable…”

“This kid…”

That creeping fear was starting to take real shape.

She called one of Soohwan’s friends too, but that phone was off as well.

I should’ve just stopped him. Should’ve put my foot down. Legs trembling, she squatted right there on the spot. All she could do now was wait—and that helplessness made her shiver.

She knew this feeling all too well.

No one could understand a parent’s pain waiting outside the operating room unless they’d lived through it themselves. She had—over and over. And every time, it was hell.

But what could she do? She couldn’t dump that trauma onto her son. He’d spent so much of his childhood in hospitals—she just wanted him to be free now. To live. That’s why she let him go tonight.

And yet, the regret still came. Please let nothing be wrong…

They’d even pinky-promised he wouldn’t drink too much. She had to trust that.

“That kid… is she dead?”

“No. There was a minor issue, but it’s being handled. Illy is alive.”

Maybe that conversation with Park Eun-young was what really made her anxious.

Something was clearly going on with that boy—and if her son got caught up in it, it would be disastrous.

Breathing heavily, full of dread, Heesook finally pressed a speed dial. Her husband wouldn’t like it, but she had no choice.

If she wanted to protect her son—

“Mom, it’s me. Sorry to call so late, but I need a favor. I need people. It’s Soohwan…”