Minsoo was rushed to the hospital, and the news spread like wildfire, circulating through websites and social media platforms without mercy.
Inside, in front of a heavily guarded private room, three guards stood with tense expressions. The Manager stood before them, fury burning in her eyes like a bomb on the verge of detonation.
She shrieked sharply, "You idiots! How did this happen?!"
The head of security bowed his head, his voice faint. "We... we apologize."
But an apology wasn't enough. The veins in her neck were bulging, nearly bursting from the intensity of her rage. "Why weren't you paying attention?! A young girl managed to deceive you?! Is this what you call a job?!"
Then her voice rose even higher: "Is it really that difficult?!"
She caught her breath with difficulty, trying to regain control. Gripping her phone tightly, she made a call and said only one sentence: "Control the rumors... before they get out of hand."
A few steps away, the group XYZ was in a state of panic and shock. Lee Jun-ho placed his hand over his mouth and whispered in a voice barely audible, "Hyung... (Hyun-woo)... what is happening?"
Woojin answered him in a strained tone, "Jun-ho... I feel like something is fishy."
Hyun-woo stepped in, trying to impose calm. "This isn't the time for talk."
But Jin couldn't hold back his anger. "Hyung, this is no time for silence! She... she stabbed him! Why?! We don't hurt anyone... we sing, we dance, and we spread smiles... so why all this hatred?!"
Hyun-woo grabbed his arms, his voice low but firm. "Jeong Woojin... calm down. You're right, but pull yourself together."
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway. All eyes turned toward the source.
It was Soohyun and Himi.
Fear was etched on their faces, but Himi was in a state of total collapse. Her tears were flowing incessantly. She rushed toward the Manager, her voice trembling with anger and pain. "Couldn't you protect him?! What happened?! Where was he stabbed?! That wretch... how dare she?!"
The Manager replied in a calm tone, attempting to contain the situation. "Miss Himi... please calm down. The doctors say the injury isn't critical. There is a tear in the superficial veins of the hand and some subcutaneous tissue damage... but the tendons are intact. He just needs deep stitches."
Soohyun approached Himi, placing his hands on her shoulders and leaning down slightly to meet her eyes. "As you heard... he's fine. There's no need to panic."
But she didn't look at him. She didn't even raise her eyes. She was avoiding him—avoiding his gaze. She pulled herself away slowly, wiped her tears, and said in a broken voice, "I won't be calm... until I see him with my own eyes."
At that moment, the doctor stepped out of the room. He sighed and said, "You may go in... his condition is stable."
As soon as the doctor finished speaking, Himi lunged toward the door, stopping for only a second. She looked at him with longing, eyes filled with love and fear, as if trying to embrace him with her soul before her body.
She entered.
Minsoo was lying on the bed, his face pale, but his eyes... they were searching for her. And when he saw her—he smiled. That familiar, warm smile.
She rushed to his side, scanning him with panicked eyes—his face, his neck, his body—as if she feared he might slip away from her. She said in a voice choked with tears, "Did it hurt?... Was it very painful?... I'm sorry... for not being there..."
He looked at her in silence. Her frantic blinking... her ragged breaths... her trembling hands.
She had come.
His sanctuary.
His safety in this world.
Since childhood... since the first day he knew her... she was always running toward him. Her tears preceded her, and her heart preceded her. This was Himi. The one whose mere presence was enough to ignite a thousand emotions within him. The one who was never just a friend... but a home, a comfort, and a stillness amidst all the noise.
He said to her quietly, "Calm down, Himi... I'm fine."
She shook her head stubbornly, tears still falling. "You're lying... you're just pretending." She wiped her tears quickly, then flashed a strange smile and said, "Tell me... do you want me to gouge her eyes out of her head?"
Minsoo laughed softly. "Aren't you tired of gouging out eyes? You've been saying that since we were kids."
She replied with a joke that carried a real threat: "And I won't get tired. If anyone hurts you... whoever they are... just tell me, and I'll make them blind in an instant."
Ji-hoon whispered from the back, "Friends? Didn't I tell you there was something between them?"
Woojin shot back quickly, "And that's how rumors start... they're just family."
The Manager stepped forward slightly. "I want to speak with Minsoo in private."
Everyone left the room. The Manager pulled up a chair, sat near him, and looked at him directly. "Are you alright?"
He nodded.
She said in a more serious tone, "Since you're fine... let's speak candidly, as we usually do." She paused for a moment, then continued, "I've known you since you were fifteen. To me, you guys... you aren't just artists. You're my children."
She sighed. "And as we've always done... honesty is what protects us." She looked at him with a slight sharpness. "I barely managed to control the rumor about your drug use. It wasn't easy... and silencing people comes with a price."
He tried to speak, but she cut him off. "I know you don't use. You told me... and I believed you without evidence. Because I trust you." She paused, then asked, "Now... do you know the girl?"
He looked into her eyes calmly. "I've never seen her before."
She said reproachfully, "Then... why did you break the rule? No hugging... no getting close."
He answered in a sincere voice, "She's a child... I saw brokenness in her eyes."
He stopped. He grew confused. It was as if something inside him had suddenly awakened. The mind may forget... but the soul does not. That pain in her eyes... it was painfully familiar.
He lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry... I didn't want to break her heart."
The Manager sighed. "Now that we've spoken honestly... let me do my job." She stood up, ready to leave.
But his voice stopped her. "What happened to the girl?"
She paused, then said, "The police took her... she's being interrogated now."
He raised his eyes to her. "I want to speak with her."
She replied sternly, "No. I won't allow it."
He looked at her with steadfastness. His voice wasn't loud... but it was decisive: "I'm not asking... I'm telling you. I want this."
"Handle it, please. I don't want to do anything reckless."