Chapter 46
Three days had passed since the night Lucy walked away from Kim-Jo.
Three days since the engagement that was supposed to become one of the happiest moments of their lives had turned into a disaster.
Three days since Kim-Jo had run through the crowd calling her name until his voice nearly disappeared.
And in those three days, nobody had heard from Lucy.
At first, Kim-Jo told himself not to panic.
Lucy was hurt.
She was angry.
She probably needed somewhere quiet to think.
After everything that had happened at the event—the reporters, the accusations, the threats, the humiliation—he understood why she might want to stay away from him.
So he gave her time.
Or at least, he tried to.
But time had become his enemy.
Every hour that passed without a message made his chest tighter.
Every time his phone vibrated, his heart jumped.
Every unknown number made him wonder if it was Lucy.
Every notification made him check the screen.
And every time it wasn't her, another piece of hope disappeared.
His phone was lying beside him on the bed.
He picked it up again.
Nothing.
He opened their conversation.
The last message he had sent remained unanswered.
Lucy, please talk to me.
He typed another.
I don't care if you're angry. Just tell me you're safe.
He stared at the message for several seconds before sending it.
Delivered.
No reply.
Kim-Jo dropped the phone onto the mattress and covered his face with both hands.
He hadn't slept properly in three days.
His eyes were swollen.
His hair was untidy.
The once-perfect idol who appeared on magazine covers looking flawless now looked exhausted.
There was a knock on the door.
"Kim-Jo."
He didn't answer.
The door opened.
Seo Joon entered with Lee Dae behind him.
"We have to leave in thirty minutes," Seo Joon said.
Kim-Jo looked up.
"For what?"
Lee Dae stared at him.
"You forgot?"
Kim-Jo's expression remained blank.
"The interview."
He looked away.
"Cancel it."
"We can't."
"I said cancel it."
"Kim-Jo, there are thousands of fans waiting."
"I don't care."
Seo Joon sighed.
"There are also reporters waiting."
Kim-Jo stood.
"Let them wait."
Lee Dae stepped forward.
"You're not the only person involved anymore."
Kim-Jo turned sharply.
"What does that mean?"
"Your agency is worried. The group is worried. Your fans are worried. And now people are asking where Lucy is."
Kim-Jo froze.
His expression changed.
"Don't say her name like she's some publicity problem."
"I didn't."
"You did."
Lee Dae lowered his voice.
"We're trying to help you."
Kim-Jo looked toward his phone.
"I just want to find her."
Seo Joon walked closer.
"Then you need to understand something. If Lucy is really missing, hiding isn't going to help."
Kim-Jo's eyes lifted.
The word hit him.
Missing.
Until then, he had still been telling himself she was somewhere by choice.
But three days.
No calls.
No messages.
Nobody knew where she was.
His stomach tightened.
"I'm going to find her," he whispered.
Seo Joon nodded.
"Then let's start doing it properly."
The interview studio was packed.
The moment Kim-Jo and the other members walked in, cameras began flashing.
The atmosphere was completely different from their usual promotional interviews.
Everyone knew what had happened.
The audience knew.
The reporters knew.
The fans watching from around the world knew.
And they wanted answers.
Kim-Jo sat in the middle.
Seo Joon and Lee Dae sat nearby.
The host smiled professionally.
"Welcome back."
The members greeted the audience.
Kim-Jo barely moved.
The host glanced at his cards.
"We have quite a lot to discuss today."
Kim-Jo already knew what was coming.
The host started with the group's music.
Their new album.
Their upcoming performances.
Their international schedules.
For a few minutes, everything seemed normal.
Then the host paused.
He looked directly at Kim-Jo.
"But, of course, there is another subject that has been on everyone's mind."
The studio became quiet.
Kim-Jo's fingers tightened around the microphone.
"Lucy."
The name alone made his heart ache.
The host continued carefully.
"Your engagement became one of the biggest stories in the entertainment world. But after that night, Lucy disappeared from public view."
Kim-Jo swallowed.
"Can you tell us what happened?"
He stared at the floor.
The host continued.
"Are you two still together?"
Kim-Jo finally raised his head.
"I don't know."
A murmur passed through the studio.
The host looked surprised.
"You don't know?"
Kim-Jo shook his head.
"I haven't been able to reach her."
The cameras zoomed in.
"Are you saying Lucy has refused to speak to you?"
Kim-Jo's eyes became wet.
"I don't know if she's refusing to speak to me."
His voice cracked.
"I don't know where she is."
The room fell silent.
The host slowly lowered his cards.
"Kim-Jo…"
Kim-Jo looked directly into the camera.
And for the first time, he stopped protecting his image.
"Lucy is missing."
The words landed like a bomb.
Gasps filled the studio.
Seo Joon closed his eyes briefly.
Lee Dae looked toward Kim-Jo.
Kim-Jo continued.
"We haven't been able to contact her for three days."
The host stared at him.
"Have you reported this to the authorities?"
"We're working on it."
Kim-Jo's voice trembled.
"But I need her to know something."
He leaned closer to the microphone.
"Lucy…"
His voice broke.
"If you're watching this…"
He stopped.
His eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry."
A tear rolled down his cheek.
The cameras caught it.
"I know I hurt you."
He swallowed.
"I know that night was terrible. I know you heard things you shouldn't have had to hear."
Another tear followed.
"But please…"
He looked straight into the camera.
"Please don't think that I don't love you."
The host said nothing.
Kim-Jo continued.
"You are not a tool for my career."
His voice became firmer.
"You never were."
He shook his head.
"If I could trade my career for one chance to see you again, I would do it."
The studio remained completely silent.
"I don't care about the album."
His breathing became uneven.
"I don't care about the interviews."
He wiped his face.
"I don't care about the headlines."
Then he whispered:
"I just want to know that you're safe."
He looked down.
"And Lucy…"
His voice became painfully soft.
"Please forgive me."
The interview was broadcast worldwide.
Within minutes, social media exploded.
Some fans were heartbroken.
Others were confused.
Some defended Kim-Jo.
Others blamed Lucy.
And some were furious.
"Why would Lucy disappear like this?"
"Kim-Jo clearly loves her."
"She's lucky she even got Kim-Jo."
"She doesn't deserve him."
"She's just trying to become the queen of the internet."
"Maybe she wants attention."
"She should be grateful Kim-Jo chose her."
Some comments went even further.
People questioned Lucy's worth.
They mocked her.
They said she had no business being with an idol of Kim-Jo's status.
Others accused her of deliberately disappearing so that everyone would talk about her.
But another side of the fandom fought back.
"Stop blaming Lucy when nobody knows what happened."
"She's missing. This isn't entertainment."
"Don't turn a missing person into fan war."
The arguments spread across platforms.
Fans from different countries began translating Kim-Jo's interview.
Clips of him crying circulated everywhere.
His apology became one of the most replayed moments of the broadcast.
But while millions of people argued online about whether Kim-Jo truly loved Lucy…
Kim-Jo was sitting backstage staring at his phone.
Waiting.
Nothing.
He looked at Seo Joon.
"Did she contact anyone?"
"No."
"Her friends?"
"No."
"Her family?"
"They haven't heard from her either."
Kim-Jo stood abruptly.
"Then we're wasting time."
Lee Dae grabbed his arm.
"Where are you going?"
"To find her."
"We're going with you."
Kim-Jo looked at both men.
"I don't care what the agency says anymore."
Seo Joon nodded.
"Neither do we."
That evening, Kim-Jo went to Lucy's home.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
He stood outside the door for several seconds before entering.
"Lucy?"
Nothing.
He walked through the rooms.
Her bedroom.
The sitting room.
The kitchen.
Nothing.
Everything looked normal.
And somehow, that made it worse.
There was no note.
No message.
No explanation.
Nothing telling them where she had gone.
Kim-Jo stood beside her bed.
He touched the edge of the blanket.
His eyes closed.
He could almost imagine her lying there.
Laughing.
Talking.
Calling his name.
He opened his eyes.
"Where did you go?"
His voice shook.
"Lucy…"
Seo Joon entered behind him.
"Kim-Jo."
Kim-Jo didn't turn.
"I think something happened."
Seo Joon's expression became serious.
"What makes you say that?"
Kim-Jo stared at the untouched room.
"Because Lucy would be angry with me."
He swallowed.
"She would hate me."
A tear slipped down his cheek.
"But she wouldn't disappear without telling anyone."
Nobody answered.
Kim-Jo turned around.
"Would she?"
Seo Joon slowly shook his head.
"No."
Kim-Jo looked toward the door.
His heart began pounding.
Three days.
No phone.
No friends.
No family.
No home.
Nothing.
And suddenly, the thought he had been desperately avoiding became impossible to ignore.
Lucy hadn't simply walked away.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Kim-Jo grabbed his jacket.
"Find every camera around that venue."
Lee Dae nodded.
"CCTV?"
"Everything."
Seo Joon pulled out his phone.
"I'll contact the security team."
Kim-Jo looked at them.
"And find out every person who left that event after Lucy."
His voice hardened.
"I want to know where she went."
He paused.
Then quietly added:
"Because I'm starting to believe…"
His eyes filled with tears again.
"…Lucy never got the chance to go home."
And somewhere beyond the reach of Kim-Jo's desperate search, the truth remained hidden.
For now.
Lucy was missing.
And nobody knew why.