YN's POV

"Are you sure this is the right course of action?" Yujin's question was well meaning, and I knew she wanted me to get the same happy ending she'd found with Kai, but she was stuck in her own little love bubble.

 
"No, Yujin, I'm not sure at all. But this is the path laid before me, which means it's what needs to be done. House hunting because the idea of a living space without green space for my baby is just... horrific."

 
"Horrific? Hyperbole, much?" Yujin laughed, and when she rolled her eyes, I regretted even starting the video call.

 
"It's not hyperbole. I'm pregnant, and what happens if the elevator breaks down? I'm not dealing with that crap. And I want my kid to have somewhere to run, and play, and get dirty. Is that so wrong?"

 
"No," Yujin sighed. "It's not wrong. But if I recall, Jungkook's place has plenty of green space that would be perfect for a growing kid."

 
"It would be. In fact, it is perfect... for the kid he already has and wants. Layla." He'd given no indication that he wanted anything to do with this baby. "I can't force him to want something else, Yujin. I won't."

 
She sighed again, exasperated. "Men are stupid, YN. How many times have you said that to me?"
"Enough times," I grunted.

 
"Exactly. Jungkook might not have said what he meant in the most eloquent way, but did you really give him a chance?"

 
"Yeah, I did. I gave him multiple chances to tell me what he felt what was in his heart and he couldn't do it." That was just as bad as if he'd rejected me outright. "No matter how he feels, his fear is greater than his feelings."

 
"Ugh." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "See? Stupid. They may be strong and brooding and sexy, but above all else... they are incredibly stupid. Remember that."

 
Her words made me smile. "I will never forget again," I promised . I hung up the call with Yujin just as another knock rattled at my door sharper this time, hurried, almost impatient.

Definitely not birria tacos. And not Jungkook either. Just as I'd predicted, my phone pinged with a realtor confirmation, and through the peephole I spotted the perfectly put together agent holding a glossy folder and a bright, professional smile.

 
I sighed, forcing a polite smile on my own face to mask the exhaustion in my bones. Time for the next phase. "Hi! Ms. YN?" she chirped as I opened the door. "So sorry to just pop by, but I saw your condo listing alert and thought I'd swing by to take a look if you're available?"
I nodded, stepping back to let her in. "Sure, come in. The place isn't staged yet, but I can walk you through."

 
She smiled, already sweeping the space with a businesslike gaze. "Thank you! I promise not to take too much of your time."

 
As she moved from room to room, rattling off pointers about market value and buyers' interest, I let her words drift over me thinking mostly about what came next. A new home. A new start. Somewhere green, somewhere safe. Somewhere mine. Somewhere I wouldn't have to wonder about who wanted me or who didn't.

Jungkook's POV

I'd made up my mind.

 
I was going to talk to her apologize, beg if I had to. Hell, I'd get down on my knees in the middle of the damn street if that's what it took. I needed to bring my baby mama back.
But the memory of that day still burned through me like acid the moment the worst words I've ever spoken slipped out. That baby isn't mine. I'd been out of my mind to say it, cruel without even realizing how deep I'd cut her.

Layla was at home, safe with the new housemaid I'd hired to cook and clean. I wasn't sure I trusted anyone else with her yet, but at least I knew the security team was tight. I checked twice before leaving.

 
I drove straight to YN's address, gripping the wheel like my life depended on it. The place was a modest but good looking apartment complex not the safest in the world, but decent.
I took the elevator to her floor, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. The hallway was unnervingly silent as I walked toward her door, every step making my chest heavier. My palms were sweaty, my shirt sticking to my back. I rang the doorbell, breath held, heart pounding hard enough to hurt.

 
Nothing.

 
I waited. Rang again. Still nothing.

 
A slow, cold dread started crawling up my spine.
Eventually, I crouched down, resting my hands on my knees, trying to keep calm and then decided to get answers. I headed back downstairs and found the security guard, politely asking if he had the landlord's number. He gave it to me without much hesitation. My hands shook as I dialed, pacing under the shade outside. When the landlord picked up, I explained quickly who I was and that I was looking for YN in apartment 5B. That's when he dropped it.

 
Like a bomb.

 
"She doesn't live here anymore," he said casually, like it wasn't the single most gutting thing I'd ever heard.

 
Just like that, the air left my lungs. YN was gone. "She doesn't live here anymore."
The words kept ringing in my ears, dull and heavy, like lead bullets.
I blinked, still gripping the phone tighter than I should, my voice sharper now. "What do you mean she doesn't live there anymore? When did she leave?"

 
There was a pause on the other end, papers shuffling. "Uh... about a day, maybe two days ago? Cleared the place out completely. Keys returned and everything."
Two days ago.

 
Two days. While I was sitting at home thinking I'd have time to fix this she'd been out here, erasing every trace of herself and moving on.

 
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Do you... know where she went? Forwarding address? Anything?"

 
The landlord gave a small, apologetic chuckle, like this was just routine. "Sorry, sir. Privacy rules. I can't give that out unless she authorized it. Only thing I can tell you is she hired a moving truck and seemed pretty determined to be gone quick."

"How?" I pressed, my voice low but urgent. "I mean how did she...?" I broke off, dragging a hand over my face. "Never mind. Which moving company?"

 
"That," the landlord said after a pause, "I really shouldn't "

 
"Please." My voice cracked before I could stop it. "I need to find her. She's the mother of my child."

 
Something in the way I said it must have landed, because he hesitated then sighed. "Don't tell anyone I told you this, but... I think it was Horizon Movers. Blue trucks, three guys, quick job. They left just after lunch. Where they went... I didn't ask."

 
"Thank you," I muttered, already moving toward my car. My chest was tight, a mix of panic and adrenaline flooding my veins.

 
She was gone. But she wasn't going to vanish completely not if I could help it.

 
I had a name.
I had a trail.

 
And I was going to follow it until I found her. After the call with the landlord, I couldn't sit still.
I started working my phone like a man possessed calling people from my company, trusted investors, even contacts connected to the PR firm YN used to work for.

 
Each "Sorry, can't help you" made my frustration climb higher. No one knew anything. Or they were damn good at pretending they didn't.

 
Finally, one of those calls led me to Kai.

 
It was my last hope for the night.

 
The line clicked and a familiar voice came on. "Evening, boss "

 
"Kai..." my voice was unsteady, almost choking on the words, "she left. YN... she left me " There was a sigh on the other end, low but not surprised. "Boss " he began, but before he could finish, a woman's voice cut through faintly in the background.

 
"YN left? What? When? she said she was gonna meet us before she "

 
I froze, the phone pressed tighter to my ear. There was a muffled scuffling sound, like someone covering the receiver, then fast whispers I couldn't make out. After a few seconds, Kai's voice came back, slightly breathless.

 
"Ha... boss... never mind. That was my wife. Yeah. Uh... what was that you said?"
But his tone was different now. Cautious.
And it hit me. Kai was speaking like he knew her not just in passing. Like this wasn't the first time her name had been part of his personal life.

 
I leaned back in my chair, narrowing my eyes even though he couldn't see me. 

"Kai... how well do you know YN?"

 
There was dead silence. 

T H E E N D