Jeonghan’s heart raced as he walked down the familiar hallways of the headquarters, the tall glass walls reflecting his image in a distorted blur. Each step felt heavier than the last, the weight of Seungcheol’s urgent message pressing on him with every inch of movement.

He hadn’t expected this whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be good. And the chill in the air, a mix of dread and anticipation, only made him feel more unsettled.

As Jeonghan approached Seungcheol’s office, he couldn’t shake the thought that everything was about to change. His fingers clenched into fists at his sides, trying to force out the thoughts that were clouding his mind. The past had been a distant shadow, but now, that shadow had taken on a new form, and he could feel it closing in on him from every direction.

He paused at the door, unsure of what to expect. His pulse quickened. With a deep breath, he reached out, knocking softly before turning the handle. The door swung open with a creak, revealing Seungcheol’s office normally a space of calm, meticulously organized chaos. But tonight, something was different.

The dim lighting cast long shadows across the room, the faces of several figures visible as they stood around the room, all familiar to Jeonghan. The members of Seventeen. His only family.

But tonight, there was a certain tension in the air, an unspoken unease that hung over them like a storm cloud waiting to burst. Jeonghan's gaze immediately found Seungcheol, who was standing by the desk, arms crossed and his jaw set.

His face was calm, but there was a flicker of worry in his eyes as he looked toward Jeonghan, an unspoken message passing between them. It wasn’t just about them anymore. This was bigger. They weren’t alone in this.

“Jeonghan..” Joshua greeted, his voice soft, yet carrying a weight of concern. He was standing near the window, his arms resting on the sill as he stared out into the night, his expression distant.

“Jeonghan.” Seungcheol said, his voice steady, though the tightness around his mouth was unmistakable.

“We need to talk. It’s about what we’ve been avoiding.” Jeonghan felt a tight knot in his stomach. He couldn’t afford to hesitate now.

He walked further into the room, glancing around at the members Mingyu, Wonwoo, DK, and the others. They were standing in clusters, all talking in hushed voices, the weight of the situation pressing down on them.

“What’s going on?” Jeonghan asked, trying to sound more composed than he felt. His eyes scanned the room for answers, but all he saw were the familiar faces, their expressions unreadable. Seungcheol stepped toward him, his gaze hardening slightly, and Jeonghan could tell he was about to drop a bombshell.

“I got a message tonight. From someone who knows everything. It’s about the past, Jeonghan. About you.” His voice was low, but it carried the unmistakable sting of truth. “Someone’s digging. And they’re getting too close.”

The words hit Jeonghan like a punch to the gut. He knew the past was never truly buried, but hearing it spoken out loud made it real again. That gnawing fear he had tried to ignore all these years, the fear that one day it would catch up to him, suddenly had a face. He could feel the walls around him beginning to close in.

“Who?” Jeonghan managed to ask, his voice barely above a whisper. Seungcheol’s gaze flickered to the others, and then he turned back to Jeonghan. “I don’t know. But whoever it is, they’re not messing around.”

Jeonghan swallowed hard, his throat dry. His mind raced through the possibilities. Was it someone from his past? Someone he had wronged? Or worse was it someone who had been waiting for this moment?

“Hyung.” Woozi spoke up, his voice unusually firm. “We’ve been dealing with this for a while now, and we’ve kept it in the shadows. But if someone’s starting to come after us, we need to be ready.”

Jeonghan shook his head. “I didn’t want anyone involved. I didn’t want this to come back. But now-” He ran a hand through his hair, his mind spiraling. “If someone’s targeting me, I can’t risk anyone else getting hurt. Especially not you guys. Not Haneul.”

"Let me see the message first." Jeonghan asked walking closer to the desk. Seungcheol nodded turing the laptop towards him. Jeonghan’s hands shook as he read over the message again. It was as cryptic as the first time, the words seeming to twist in his mind.

"We know you’re not as far gone as you think, 1004. If you think you can bury your past, you’re mistaken. The past never forgets."

There was no signature. No indication of who it could be. It was too vague. But it was impossible to ignore. The words weren’t a mistake. They were aimed at him. His heart pounded in his chest, his breath quickening as he tried to make sense of it.

The message was a cold reminder of the life he’d left behind. The ghosts of the past were closing in on him once more, their hands creeping out of the darkness.

He felt Seungcheol’s eyes on him, heavy with concern. But Jeonghan’s mind was a whirlwind of confusion. Who would send something like this? He had cut every connection to his old life. His old boss, was dead. The underground syndicate he’d once been a part of was supposed to be gone, scattered to the wind. It didn’t make sense.

Jeonghan furrowed his brow, the memories flooding back. He had fought hard to bury the past, to sever all ties with the people who had once held power over him. Hyunwoo's death should have meant freedom, a clean break. He had walked away from it all he had to. But the message was a reminder that not all pasts could be erased.

His stomach twisted as he thought of his old boss. Hyunwoo had been ruthless. Dangerous. He had been the one to drag Jeonghan into that world, a world filled with crime and power. But when he died, Jeonghan thought he could finally breathe. He thought it was over. He was wrong.

As Jeonghan stood there, lost in his own thoughts, the silence in the room grew thicker. Seungcheol, Joshua, Woozi, and the others watched him closely, each one waiting for him to say something. But Jeonghan couldn’t bring himself to share the fear that was growing inside him. He had been trying to keep it together, but now… now it felt impossible.

The silence was broken when Woozi spoke again, his voice cutting through the tension. “Jeonghan, we’ve been through a lot together. We don’t want to stand by and watch this destroy you. You don’t have to carry this burden alone.”

Jeonghan’s head snapped up at Woozi’s words. His chest tightened. He hated this hated how easily they offered their help, as though everything could be solved by having their support. He appreciated it. He truly did. But this was different.

Jeonghan clenched his fists at his sides. “I didn’t want anyone involved.” he said, his voice shaking with the weight of his emotions. “This is my mess. I have to clean it up. I’m the one they want. Not you.”

There was a flicker of something in Seungcheol’s eyes something dark, something that Jeonghan couldn’t quite place. But Seungcheol’s voice was calm when he replied. “Jeonghan, you know we’re a team. Whatever’s coming, we face it together. You’re not alone in this.”

Jeonghan swallowed, his throat dry, as he stood rooted to the spot. He could feel his pulse pounding in his ears. The room felt smaller, the air heavier. He knew Seungcheol meant well, that all of them did. But this wasn’t something he could drag them into. It was his past. His responsibility.

“I’m not asking for your help.” Jeonghan said, his voice low but firm. “I can’t let you all get involved in this. Not when I don’t even know who’s behind it.”

He looked back down at the message, his eyes scanning the words once more. His mind was racing in overdrive, trying to make sense of it. Hyunwoo was dead. The syndicate was fractured, scattered. Whoever was behind this message had to be someone from the past, but who? Who could still be out there, holding on to the old grudges, waiting for the perfect time to strike?

Joshua, who had been watching Jeonghan with a quiet intensity, spoke next, his voice soft yet firm. “Jeonghan, we’re not just ‘someone’. We’re your family now. You don’t have to protect us by pushing us away. Whatever this is, we can handle it together.”

But Jeonghan’s stubbornness, that deep-rooted need to protect the people he cared about, flared up again. He couldn’t let them get involved. Not in this.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to steady the shaking in his hands. “You don’t understand. You don’t know what this means. Whoever’s sending these messages, they’re not just playing games. This is about something bigger. Something I can’t control.”

His voice cracked slightly as he spoke, the weight of the words sinking in. “And if I don’t stop it now, it’ll destroy everything.”

Seungcheol’s eyes softened slightly, but there was still a hardness there, a firmness that Jeonghan knew well. “Jeonghan…” Seungcheol began, but Jeonghan cut him off, his words rushed and desperate.

“I’m doing this alone. I have to. This isn’t your fight. It never was.”

Jeonghan’s words hung in the air, heavy and final. He could see the concern in their eyes, the way they all wanted to step in, to help. But he couldn’t let them. He couldn’t let them carry the weight of his past on their shoulders. This was his burden to bear. He owed it to them to protect them from the darkness that still clung to him, even if it meant facing it alone.

The room fell into an uneasy silence. The members exchanged looks, each one grappling with the decision Jeonghan had made. But none of them said a word. They didn’t need to. They understood. They had known Jeonghan long enough to know that once he made up his mind, there was no changing it.

But just as Jeonghan turned to leave, he heard Seungcheol spoke again, his voice quieter this time, tinged with something Jeonghan couldn’t quite place.

“We’ll help you, Jeonghan. Even if you won’t admit it, we’re here. And we won’t back down. You don’t have to carry this burden alone.”

Jeonghan paused, his hand resting on the door handle. The words settled deep in his chest, pulling at something inside him. He didn’t respond immediately, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions.

He wanted to protect them. He wanted to shield them from the violence, the lies, the web of deceit that he’d been tangled in for so long. But at the same time, he knew that if he let them get involved, he was dragging them into a world of darkness he’d tried so hard to leave behind.

He took a deep breath, his hand tightening around the handle. “I’ll handle this.” he said, his voice strained. “This is my fight. I won’t drag any of you into it. I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me.”

And with that, Jeonghan stepped out of the room, leaving his family behind. He didn’t hear the whispered conversations that followed, didn’t notice the looks of concern that lingered on their faces.

All he could hear in his mind was the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, his thoughts a whirlwind of fear and guilt.

He couldn’t tell them everything. He couldn’t let them see the depth of his regret. His past was a monster, one he had no hope of escaping. And now, that monster who he didn't know what was coming for him once more.

Jeonghan couldn’t run anymore. He couldn’t hide.

But he would fight. And he would do it alone. Because that was the only way he knew how to protect them.

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