THE INVISIBLE
TAEHYUNG
I could see it in the way Y/n was sitting next to me—stiff, tense, her fingers clenched tightly together in her lap, her eyes fixed on the passing lights outside the window. She hadn't said much since we left the scene, and I didn't blame her. I could feel the weight of what had happened settle heavily between us, thick and suffocating. We had narrowly escaped the gunshot, but I could see it on her face—the fear, the realization that this case was becoming more dangerous than we ever imagined.
I glanced over at her, my hands gripping the steering wheel as the car hummed down the empty road. Her face had turned pale, the color drained from her skin. There was a faraway look in her eyes, like she was trying to process everything that had just happened—or maybe, like she was trying to block it out. But whatever it was, it was clear: she was terrified. And she had every right to be.
Someone was out there, someone who didn't want us digging any deeper into this case, someone who would stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden. The gunshot—meant for her—wasn't just a warning. It was a message. And now we were both caught in the middle of something bigger than I'd ever expected.
I exhaled slowly, trying to calm the storm of thoughts swirling in my mind. I had no idea who was behind all of this. Who wanted to keep us from finding out the truth? Why target Y/n, of all people? What had she done to deserve this?
There were too many unanswered questions, too many shadows lurking just out of reach. Every time I thought I was getting closer to the truth, the ground beneath me shifted, and I found myself chasing after new leads, new theories, like a dog chasing its tail.
I wasn't going to lie—I was frustrated. More than that, I was scared. Scared for Y/n. And scared for myself. If they were willing to go this far to silence her, how much further would they go?
I glanced over at her again, catching the way she was still staring out the window, her lips pressed into a thin line. She was so composed, so determined, but I could see the cracks in her façade. I could see how much she was struggling to hold it all together. And it wasn't just the attack that was weighing on her; it was everything. This case, the stakes, her career, her life—all of it was tied up in this one moment.
"Y/n," I finally spoke, breaking the silence. My voice was low, careful, because I knew how fragile the moment was.
She turned her head slowly, her eyes meeting mine, but there was a distance in them, as if she were looking through me rather than at me.
"You okay?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer. It was a stupid question. Of course, she wasn't okay.
Her gaze flickered away for a moment, like she was considering the weight of the question, before she sighed. "I don't know, Taehyung. I really don't."
I could hear the exhaustion in her voice, the rawness of someone who had been holding on too tightly for too long. "It's just... this case, everything we've uncovered, and now..." Her voice trailed off, as if saying it out loud would make it too real.
"Whoever did this, whoever is behind it, they're willing to do whatever it takes to stop us." Her words hung in the air, heavy and unspoken. "It's not just about Jongsuk anymore. It's about something bigger. And I don't know if I'm even prepared for what we might find."
I didn't respond immediately. I didn't know what to say. The truth was, I wasn't prepared either. But we were in this together now.
"You're right," I finally said, my tone firm, despite the doubt gnawing at the back of my mind. "This case is bigger than we thought."
Y/n turned her head slowly, her eyes meeting mine again, and I saw something there—something deeper than the fear. It was determination. A quiet, steely resolve that made my chest tighten.
"We have to finish this," she said quietly, almost to herself, but I heard it. It was a vow, one I knew she wasn't going to back away from. She was in this, for better or worse, until the very end.
I could feel my jaw clench. "We will. I'm not letting anyone stop us."
I could see the flicker of uncertainty pass through her eyes, but she didn't say anything. She just nodded, pressing her lips together, like she was steeling herself for the fight ahead.
The silence between us stretched, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was more like two people who had just acknowledged the dangerous path they were on, and the unspoken understanding that they were walking it together, whether they liked it or not.
I turned the car onto a quieter street, slowing down as I approached her apartment building.
When I parked the car, I didn't move immediately. Instead, I let out a long breath, my eyes fixed on the steering wheel. The whole situation felt too precarious now. The line between who we were and who we had to become was getting thinner. And in this line of work, when you're this deep into something, it's easy to lose sight of where you began.
"Y/n," I started again, a little softer this time. "You don't have to do this alone. You don't have to carry all of this by yourself."
I saw the muscles in her neck tense as she looked at me, her expression unreadable for a moment. "I know I don't. But I'm not giving up. I can't. Not now. Too many lives are on the line."
There was something in the way she said it, something that made the air feel heavier. I didn't question her. I didn't need to. I could see it in her eyes—the same thing that I felt. She was determined, driven by something deeper than just winning the case. There was a part of her that was fighting for the truth, for justice, and maybe even for herself.
"Alright," I said, nodding slowly. "Then we'll do this together. All the way."
Y/n's lips twitched upward, the barest hint of a smile, but it was enough.
We both stepped out of the car, and I walked her up to her apartment door. But as she reached for the handle, she paused, glancing back at me.
"Taehyung... thank you. For what you did today. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't pulled me out of the way."
I shook my head, giving her a small, reassuring smile. "I'm just doing my job. Don't mention it."
But as she entered her apartment and closed the door behind her, I stood there for a moment longer than I should have.
My heart was still pounding from what had happened earlier. I couldn't shake the image of the gunshot ringing out in the alley. I couldn't stop thinking about how close we were to losing her. But there was one thing I knew for sure now: whoever was behind all of this, whoever was trying to stop us from uncovering the truth, was going to regret underestimating us.
I wasn't about to let Y/n fight this battle alone. Not now. Not ever.
And if they thought they could intimidate us with threats or bullets, they were in for a rude awakening.
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AUTHOR'S POV
The dimly lit basement was eerily quiet, the only sound the faint hum of a flickering light bulb overhead. The air smelled musty, thick with the scent of damp concrete and mildew. A single steel door led to a narrow staircase that spiraled up to the surface world—a world that felt too far away from this underground lair.
In the center of the room, two men stood facing each other. The first man, tall and imposing, wore a black suit and had the kind of sharp features that suggested he wasn't someone you'd want to cross. His face was emotionless, his eyes cold and calculating as he spoke to the second man—a younger, more anxious figure, who stood with his hands clenched at his sides, nervously glancing around the room as if the very walls were closing in on him.
"She's getting too close," the younger man said, his voice tinged with fear. "She's asking the right questions. What if she finds something we missed? What if she pieces it all together?"
The older man's eyes narrowed as he fixed the younger man with a steely gaze. "I don't care how careful she is. No one is getting in the way of our plan—not even that little lawyer." His voice was low but carried an authority that made the air in the basement feel heavier. "She's a nuisance, and nuisances need to be dealt with. You're the one who let her slip through the cracks last time, remember?"
The younger man swallowed hard, nodding quickly. "I-I know, but she's smarter than we thought. And she's got that damn police officer watching over her. She's not alone anymore."
A flash of irritation crossed the older man's face. "I didn't ask for excuses. I asked for results. You're either going to do your job or I'll find someone who can."
The younger man nodded, swallowing his nerves. "Right. I'll take care of it. But... you said to make it look like an accident, right? We can't let her—"
"No." The older man's voice cut through the air like a blade, cold and final. "No accidents. We can't afford to let her slip through our fingers again. She's become a threat now. She's already got people talking, sniffing around, and we can't let her drag the truth out. You know what'll happen if the truth gets out. We can't risk it."
The younger man's face paled. "But what do we do? If we can't silence her, what's left?"
The older man's lips curled into a cold smile, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You know what to do. You were the one who suggested this course of action in the first place." His eyes turned steely, full of a resolve that spoke of years of experience in dealing with people who didn't follow the rules. "We eliminate the problem before it becomes too big to control. Make sure she knows that if she keeps digging, there will be consequences—real, irreversible consequences. But don't hurt her too much, not yet. We need her scared. We need her to feel like this is bigger than she can handle. If she steps back from the case... well, then maybe we'll let her live."
He paused, allowing his words to settle in. The younger man visibly gulped.
"Do you understand me?" The older man's voice was quieter now, almost like a whisper, but it carried a deep menace. "I don't care what it takes. Find a way to make her back off. If you don't, I will deal with you the same way we deal with loose ends."
The younger man nodded quickly, panic flashing across his features. "Understood."
"Good." The older man's expression darkened as he turned away, looking toward the shadowy corners of the basement, as if already plotting his next move. "I'll be watching. Don't disappoint me."
The younger man stepped back, his head low as he exited the basement, the sound of his hurried footsteps echoing in the cold silence.
Once he was gone, the older man stood still for a moment, his eyes narrowed, deep in thought. Then, his gaze moved to the shadows in the corner of the room, where the faint outline of a figure was barely visible.
"Make sure she doesn't get any more ideas," the older man murmured, his voice laced with cold authority.
The shadowed figure shifted slightly, acknowledging the order with a subtle nod. Then, the man turned and exited the room, his presence disappearing as silently as he had come.
The older man stood alone in the dark, the hum of the light bulb and the weight of his decisions hanging in the air like a heavy cloud.
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