Inside Seungcheol’s office, the tension was thick enough to cut through the air. The members of Seventeen stood frozen, each feeling the weight of Jeonghan’s departure pressing heavily on them. The room was still, save for the faint hum of the fluorescent lights overhead, but the silence was suffocating.

Jeonghan’s refusal to let them in, to allow them the chance to help, was a blow none of them had anticipated. It wasn’t just the rejection it was the fear, the understanding that Jeonghan was walking into something that could consume him. Something far bigger than he could handle alone. The weight of that realization sank deep into their hearts.

Seungcheol remained motionless, his gaze locked on the door through which Jeonghan had just left. His jaw was clenched tight, the muscles in his neck tense with frustration.

The silence in the room felt oppressive, but it was nothing compared to the knot of unease growing in Seungcheol’s chest. He had seen Jeonghan’s stubbornness before, but this... this was different. This wasn’t just about pride. There was fear in Jeonghan’s eyes, a fear Seungcheol couldn’t ignore.

“He’s making a mistake.” Seungcheol muttered under his breath, his voice low but filled with simmering frustration.

Joshua, ever the calming force, exchanged a glance with the others, his brows furrowed in concern.

His expression was a mix of understanding and frustration as he spoke, his voice steady despite the tension in the room. “SCoups, we can’t change his mind. He’s made it clear. He’s not going to let us in.”

“I don’t care.” Seungcheol snapped, his voice suddenly sharp, cutting through the stillness like a blade. “We can’t just sit here and let him walk into danger. He doesn’t get to shut us out this time. We can’t just watch him do this on his own. We need to stop him before it’s too late.”

Wonwoo, normally the voice of reason, stepped forward cautiously, his brow furrowed in deep thought. His voice was calm but firm as he addressed Seungcheol.

“Boss, we can’t force him. You know that. He’s too stubborn. He’s always been like this when it comes to things like this. He’s never been good at accepting help when it’s something this personal. You know how he is.”

Seungcheol’s frustration deepened, and his fists clenched involuntarily. He could feel the anger building within him, a sense of helplessness that gnawed at him like an open wound.

“Then we’ll find another way.” he said through gritted teeth, his tone dark with determination. “He thinks he’s protecting us by pushing us away, but he’s wrong. He’s never been alone in this, no matter how much he tries to convince himself he is.”

Joshua opened his mouth to speak, but he hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “SCoups…” he began again, his voice steady but with a weight of understanding that everyone in the room could feel.

“We’ve always respected his boundaries. But now... he needs us, even if he doesn’t realize it yet. He’s carrying something far heavier than he can handle alone, and we can’t just sit back and do nothing.”

The room fell silent for a moment as everyone processed Joshua’s words. It was clear to them all that Jeonghan was slipping deeper into something darker than they could understand, and they were powerless to help him if he kept pushing them away.

Finally, Woozi, who had been quiet up until now, broke the silence. His voice was sharp and deliberate, cutting through the heavy atmosphere. “No. This time, he’s wrong.” Woozi declared, his words firm and unyielding.

“We’re not letting him handle this alone. We don’t have the luxury of waiting around. If someone’s after him, we need to know who they are, and fast.”

Seungcheol’s eyes flickered to Woozi, a spark of something deeper, something even more resolute flashing in his gaze. “I don’t care if Jeonghan doesn’t want our help.” he said, his voice low but thick with resolve. “We’re not sitting around while he’s out there, on his own, walking into whatever mess he’s about to face. We’ll do whatever it takes to protect him, whether he likes it or not.”

Mingyu, who had been silent for most of the exchange, nodded in agreement, his expression one of quiet determination. “Seungcheol’s right." he said, his voice steady. “If they’re coming for Jeonghan, they’re coming for all of us. We can’t wait for him to make a decision. We need answers, and we need them fast.”

The weight of the decision hung heavily in the room, settling over them like a blanket. They couldn’t let Jeonghan face this alone, not this time. Even if he refused their help, they wouldn’t stand idly by and watch him fall into the darkness he had fought so hard to leave behind.

Seungcheol took a deep breath, his expression grim but filled with an unshakable resolve. “Fine.” he said quietly, the determination clear in his tone.

“We’ll handle this without him. But we’re doing it together. We’ll find out who’s behind this. We’ll figure out who’s trying to drag Jeonghan back into that world, and we’ll stop them. Quietly. We can’t give Jeonghan the chance to push us away. Not this time.”

The others nodded in agreement, the tension in the room palpable but tempered by the urgency of their plan. They had always been a team, bound by their shared experiences and mutual trust, and they weren’t about to let Jeonghan fall back into the shadows without a fight.

“We start with what we know.” Seungcheol continued, his voice firm as he took charge. “We go back to Hyunwoo’s death. Someone in that world is still out there, and we need to figure out who has a reason to come after him now. Someone who’s been waiting for the right moment. We need to move quickly.”

Woozi’s voice grew sharp, his tone quickening with the urgency of the situation. “Whoever it is, they’ll want something. And they won’t stop until they get it. We can’t afford to underestimate them.”

Joshua’s gaze darkened as he processed Woozi’s words. “We don’t know what kind of mess he’s left behind.” Joshua said quietly, his voice edged with concern. “But we do know it’s dangerous. We need to be cautious, careful. This isn’t something we can rush into without thinking it through.”

Seungcheol’s expression turned grim as he nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. “Agreed.” he said. “We can’t afford to make mistakes. We need to find the person behind that message, and we need to do it quickly. If Jeonghan’s right, and this is bigger than we think, we don’t have time to waste.”

With that, the team sprang into action. Each of them had their own strengths, their own network of connections. They were ready to use everything at their disposal to protect Jeonghan whether he accepted their help or not.

Back in his penthouse, Jeonghan sat alone, his thoughts racing as recall the message once again.

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.

His mind was a whirlwind of confusion and fear. The name “1004” had once been a symbol of his loyalty, a part of his life that he had tried to bury. But it was clear that someone was dragging it back to the surface. Someone who knew exactly who he was and who he used to be.

Hyunwoo’s dead, Jeonghan thought, his frustration mounting. The syndicate should be finished with me. There’s no reason for anyone to come after me now.

But then the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach told him otherwise. Someone was out there, someone who wanted something from him. And Jeonghan had no choice but to face whatever was coming.

He shut his eyes tight as the weight of everything crushed down on him. He couldn’t drag anyone else into this. Not this time. He had to stop this on his own, no matter the cost. He had walked away from that world, and he wasn’t about to drag anyone back into it with him.

But as the seconds ticked by, a thought struck him. He could reach out. There was one person from that world who might know more. But doing so would pull him back into the darkness. It would be a step he wasn’t sure he could take.

His grip tightened on his phone, his heart pounding. There was no other choice. He had to face this on his own, even if it meant stepping back into a life he had tried so hard to leave behind.

He paused for a moment, as though the weight of the decision was physically pressing down on him. As much as he hated it, he knew the time had come. There was no running from his past. He had to confront it, or it would tear everything apart. The longer he hesitated, the more dangerous it would become.

Seungcheol paced back and forth in the office room, phone pressed to his ear as he coordinated with their trusted informants. The quiet buzz of the conversation barely registered in his mind. Every fiber of his being was focused on one thing: protecting Jeonghan.

“Let me know if anything unusual comes up.” Seungcheol said firmly before hanging up. He turned to the group, his eyes dark with determination.

“They’re watching him.” Mingyu remarked, stepping forward. “Someone is definitely keeping an eye on Jeonghan. We need to be even more careful.”

Seungcheol didn’t respond immediately. His mind was too preoccupied with what they were facing. But the pressure of what was at stake was growing by the second. They couldn’t afford any mistakes. The clock was ticking.

“We’ll be ready.” he said, his voice steady but heavy. “We’ve got a plan. It’s time we make our move.”

As Jeonghan looked at his phone one final time, he took a deep breath, steadying himself. His past was rising like a storm on the horizon, and no matter how hard he fought it, there was no escaping the consequences.

The moment had arrived.

What Jeonghan didn’t know, however, was that Seungcheol and the others were already moving. They weren’t about to let him fight this battle alone. This time, they would be the ones to drag him back from the edge whether he liked it or not.

The game had already begun, and none of them were backing down.

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