Chapter 37: A Hidden Fear

Ji-woo's eyes softened as she watched her older brother.

"Oppa..." she murmured. "You're really strong."

Seo-woo chuckled. "I don't think so. I just... didn't have a choice."

Ji-woo bit her lip.

"No choice? Does that mean Oppa still wants to be a singer?"

She wanted to ask. She wanted to tell him that maybe, just maybe, he could still return to the industry.

But before she could speak—

Seo-woo suddenly stood up, his expression darkening.

Ji-woo blinked in confusion.

"Oppa?"

Seo-woo's hand clenched into a fist.

"I need to check something," he muttered. "Wait here, Ji-woo."

Without another word, he walked toward the triplets' room.

Ji-woo felt uneasy.

"What's wrong?"

Then, her phone vibrated.

A message from Jung-woo.

📩 Ji-woo, I found something about Seo-woo hyung's accident. Call me now.

Her heart pounded.

"What did he find?"

Something told her that whatever it was—it would change everything.

---

The moment the system prompt appeared, Seo-woo's heart pounded violently.

🔔 Special Quest Activated!

[Leave your current residence and move to your new house immediately.]

Deadline: 3 hours

⚠️ WARNING!

"Warning? What do you mean, warning?!"

Seo-woo tried asking the system for more details, but it refused to respond. His gut twisted in anxiety. Something was coming.

Something dangerous.

He turned toward the triplets' room, prepared to rush inside and gather their things—

But before he could take a step, he suddenly bumped into Seo-min and Seo-jin standing in the doorway, their small arms wrapped around a cute package.

Seo-min immediately clung to his father's leg.

"Dad!" he chirped, "We have a new client!"

"A foreigner from Japan," Seo-jin added excitedly.

Seo-woo's breath hitched.

"A Japanese client? No. It can't be—"

Before he could even ask, Seo-jun calmly approached them, his face serious.

"Inoue Ren," Seo-jun stated.

Seo-woo froze.

A rush of dread washed over him. He felt his knees go weak for a second.

"It's him. That psychopath is here."

His breathing grew uneven. He wasn't ready to face that man. Not yet.

Seo-woo's mind raced. He had skills now—he had chosen martial arts as his talent upgrade, preparing for a future encounter just like this.

But he wasn't sure if it was enough.

He was still lost in thought when Seo-jin suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

"Dad," Seo-jin said innocently, "Can you deliver this package for us?"

Seo-woo snapped back to reality.

Before he could answer, Seo-jun snatched the package from his younger brother's hands.

"We're canceling the order," Seo-jun declared. "I already messaged the client."

Seo-woo blinked. "You... canceled it?"

"Yes," Seo-jun nodded. "I was familiar with that guy because he was once in the headline in the e-news. I looked him up earlier. That guy is an infamous researcher. He does weird, shady experiments. Something felt off about him. And why did he become interested in cute things?"

Seo-woo stared at his eldest son.

"Seo-jun... he's so cautious."

For a five-year-old, Seo-jun's ability to analyze situations and make decisions was incredibly mature.

Seo-woo felt his chest tighten. He was proud—and terrified.

Ji-woo walked up to them, curious.

"What are you guys doing?" she asked.

Seo-min pouted. "We wanted to deliver a package, but the client was weird."

Ji-woo tilted her head but didn't pry. Instead, she turned to Seo-woo, her expression turning serious.

"Oppa," she said, "Jung-woo oppa found something."

Seo-woo's breath hitched.

Ji-woo held up her phone. "They recovered some parts of the surveillance video from your accident. Jung-woo saw a suspicious man leaving the building right after Haneul did."

She tapped her screen and showed Seo-woo the image.

The moment his eyes landed on the photo, his entire body went rigid.

That posture.

That stance.

It was him.

Seo-woo's mind reeled back to the horrifying memories from the vision.

The original Ryu Seo-woo, frail and bruised, strapped down like an experiment.

The cold grip of needles piercing his skin.

The cruel, calculating gaze of the man before him.

The monster who destroyed the original Ryu Seo-woo's life.

Seo-woo's fists clenched.

"It's really him. That bastard."

He turned to the triplets, voice firm.

"Pack your things. We're leaving."

Seo-min and Seo-jin gasped in excitement.

"Yay! We're moving to our new house?!"

They completely forgot about the canceled order, their faces now glowing with enthusiasm.

Seo-jun, however, stayed silent. He studied Seo-woo's expression, as if sensing something was wrong.

Seo-woo tried to calm his pounding heart.

"I need to protect them. No matter what happens, we need to get out of here—before it's too late."

Ji-woo watched her older brother closely.

Something was wrong.

Seo-woo's usually composed face looked tense, his fingers tapping anxiously against his arm. His eyes, usually sharp and lively, carried a weight she hadn't seen before.

Ji-woo frowned.

"Oppa... what's going on?"

Seo-woo blinked at her, momentarily startled. But then, his expression softened.

"I'll explain later," he said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "After we settle into the new house."

Ji-woo didn't like that answer.

"Something is definitely happening... but Oppa doesn't want to say it yet."

She let out a sigh but didn't push him further. Instead, she focused on helping.

"Do you need anything?" she asked.

"Yes," Seo-woo nodded. "I need you to contact the young woman who owns the house and land we're moving to. Apologize for the short notice."

Ji-woo smirked.

"Oppa, that's not necessary."

Seo-woo tilted his head in confusion. "Why?"

Ji-woo grinned and crossed her arms. "Because you already own the house."

Seo-woo's eyes widened. "What?"

"The young woman you've been talking to wasn't the owner," Ji-woo explained. "She's one of our employees. Jung-woo oppa already took care of everything."

Seo-woo stared at her in shock.

Ji-woo continued, "And guess what? All the money you paid will be returned to you."

Seo-woo shook his head. "No, that's not right."

Ji-woo blinked. "Huh?"

"I insist on paying," Seo-woo said firmly. "I may have accepted some help, but I won't take advantage of our family's kindness."

Ji-woo felt a lump in her throat.

Even now, Oppa refuses to be a burden...

Seo-woo gave her a small smile. "But still, thank you. For everything."

Ji-woo bit her lip.

She hated hearing that.

She didn't want thanks.

She wanted to apologize.

"Oppa," Ji-woo whispered, her voice shaking. "We... should be the ones apologizing."

Seo-woo froze.

Ji-woo's fingers tightened into fists.

"For not being there for you. For being cowards who didn't support you directly," she said, her voice breaking.

"Our father—he wanted you to have a good environment for you. He knew the entertainment industry was dirty and messy. And you..." Ji-woo hesitated before adding, "You had a bad temper, Oppa."

Seo-woo let out a soft chuckle.

"Yeah," he admitted, "I did."

"You still do," Ji-woo corrected with a teasing smile.

Seo-woo laughed lightly and reached out to pat her head.

Ji-woo froze.

Her eyes widened in shock.

Her older brother, who always treated her like an annoying little sister, who rarely showed affection first—patted her head.

A warmth spread through her chest.

Before she could stop herself, she lunged forward and hugged Seo-woo tightly.

Seo-woo's eyes widened. "Ji-woo—?"

But before he could finish his sentence—

"GROUP HUG!"

The triplets, each carrying a tiny backpack, popped up out of nowhere and jumped into the hug.

Seo-woo stumbled as three little bodies crashed into him.

Ji-woo burst into laughter.

Seo-jun held onto his father's waist, Seo-min clung to his leg, and Seo-jin wrapped his small arms around his father's arm.

"Dad! Group hug!" Seo-min giggled.

Ji-woo, now sandwiched between them all, couldn't help but laugh too.

Despite the looming danger... despite the fear curling in Seo-woo's heart...

Right now, at this moment, everything felt warm.

---

With all their belongings packed, Ji-woo called her assistant to come over and help them move.

Within minutes, a knock sounded on the door.

The assistant quickly entered and, without hesitation, began carrying boxes and bags out to the car. Meanwhile, Seo-woo rounded up the triplets, making sure they each had their backpacks and weren't trying to sneak extra stuffed toys along.

"Daddy, can we bring Mr. Fluffy?" Seo-min asked, holding up a gigantic stuffed bear that was almost bigger than him.

"Absolutely not."

"Pleaaaseee?"

"Do you want to carry it yourself?" Seo-woo raised an eyebrow.

Seo-min looked at the size of Mr. Fluffy, then at his tiny arms, then back at his father.

"...Goodbye, Mr. Fluffy," he whispered dramatically before placing the bear on the couch.

With everything set, they stepped outside and headed toward the car.

But just as they reached it—

A mysterious figure in a black hoodie and face mask suddenly approached them.

Seo-woo immediately tensed.

His instincts kicked in, and he moved into a defensive stance.

The hooded figure took another step forward and spoke in a low voice.

"Ryu Seo-woo."

Seo-woo sighed.

He knew that voice.

He recognized the posture.

It was the landlord.

But before he could say anything—

"The Grim Reaper!" Seo-min suddenly blurted out in terror, covering his mouth with both hands.

Seo-jun and Seo-jin stared in horror.

The triplets immediately huddled together behind their father.

Seo-woo's lips twitched.

The landlord stiffened. "What... did that kid just call me?"

Seo-woo cleared his throat. "Uh... well..."

But before he could explain, Seo-jin dramatically whispered to Seo-jun and Seo-min.

"He's here to collect souls... I mean rent!"

Seo-jun and Seo-min nodded solemnly.

The landlord's eye twitched.

"HEY!" he barked, but before he could defend himself, Seo-woo quickly pulled out his wallet and thrust the rent money into his hands.

"Here! The payment!"

The landlord snatched the cash, grumbling under his breath.

"You better be glad I don't charge an 'emotional damage' fee,'" he muttered, pocketing the money.

Seo-woo forced a smile. "Actually, we're moving out today."

The landlord's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? That fast?"

"Yeah, but we still have a few things inside. I'll grab them tomorrow."

The landlord sighed. "Fine. Just make sure you clear everything out. I need to rent this place to someone else."

Seo-jin leaned close to Seo-min and Seo-jun and whispered again.

"Another victim will suffer under the Grim Reaper..."

Seo-jun and Seo-min nodded solemnly.

The landlord turned sharply to them. "HEY!"

The triplets immediately hid behind Ji-woo.

Ji-woo, caught off guard, just stared at the landlord.

For a moment, the landlord froze.

His annoyed expression vanished as he gawked at Ji-woo.

His eyes widened.

His mouth slightly parted.

Seo-woo squinted suspiciously.

Oh no.

Here we go again.

The landlord cleared his throat and adjusted his posture.

"Uh... excuse me, young lady..." he said, his tone suddenly changing.

"Can I—"

"WE NEED TO GO. BYE!" Seo-woo shouted quickly, grabbing Ji-woo's wrist and dragging her toward the car.

The landlord frowned.

"Rude!" he muttered under his breath but turned away with a grumble.

Ji-woo, still processing what just happened, looked at Seo-woo in amusement.

"Oppa, was he about to hit on me?"

"Shut up and get in the car."

The car rumbled to life, and Seo-woo carefully pulled out onto the road, heading toward their new home.

As they drove, they passed by a convenience store.

Inside the store, a man in a black hoodie, glasses, and a face mask stood near the entrance, watching intently as Seo-woo's car drove by.

His grip tightened on his phone.

A moment later, his phone buzzed.

He answered immediately.

"Copy. I'll get there."

The man turned, exiting the store and disappearing into the night.

---

The Moon residence was eerily silent. The dim glow of the chandelier cast long shadows across the lavish living room.

Moon Woo-seok, dressed in a silk nightgown, sat on a luxurious armchair, a half-empty glass of wine resting between his fingers.

His expression was tense, and his eyes were clouded with emotion as he stared at an old photograph in his hand.

The picture showed two young men—himself and another man—smiling together.

The warmth in the photo was starkly different from the cold loneliness that now surrounded him.

He let out a heavy sigh, his thumb absentmindedly tracing the image of the man beside him.

Then, in a barely audible murmur, he spoke:

"Why did you have to give me another headache...?"

His grip on the glass tightened.

"Why must you haunt me, even now?"

His eyes darkened.

"Ever since the accident... I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

He leaned back, exhaling sharply, his free hand running through his hair in frustration.

"Please... just let me go, Woo-seok hyung."

The name lingered in the air like a ghost of the past.

The night stretched on, but for Moon Woo-seok, sleep refused to come.