The apartment didn't return to normal. Not after the footsteps. Not after the knock. Not after the word 'boss' had quietly rearranged Xinyue's understanding of the man bleeding on her couch. Nothing felt normal anymore.
The city outside eventually resumed its rhythm of cars passing, distant voices, the faint hum of early morning but inside her apartment, everything remained suspended.
Too still.
Too aware.
Xinyue sat in the armchair, arms folded, watching the two men like she had accidentally stepped into a scene she wasn't meant to witness. Dojin stood near the window, posture relaxed but alert, like a man who didn't need to move to be dangerous.
And Taehyun, he sat on her couch like he owned it. Like the blood on his shirt didn't matter. Like the entire situation wasn't hanging by a thread. Which was deeply irritating.
"You should lie down," she said, breaking the silence.
"I'm fine."
"You've said that three times," she replied. "It's not becoming more convincing."
Dojin glanced between them, something almost amused flickering in his expression before disappearing. Taehyun didn't answer. He simply leaned back slightly, one hand still resting near his side not pressing, not guarding, just… aware.
Always aware.
Xinyue studied him for a moment. Then said, "You're not going to pass out, are you?"
"No."
"That sounded too confident."
"I don't sleep easily."
She frowned slightly. "That's not something to be proud of."
"It's inevitable."
The answer was simple. Too simple. Xinyue leaned back in her chair, exhaling slowly.
"Right," she muttered. "Because being shot at in alleys is clearly part of your lifestyle."
Silence.
Then… "You're not asking the right questions."
Her eyes snapped back to him.
"Oh, I have plenty of questions," she said. "I just don't know which one won't get me killed."
Dojin's gaze flicked to her. Taehyun's didn't move. "You won't be killed," he said.
"That's very reassuring coming from someone who brought armed strangers to my building."
"They're not mine."
That…
That made her pause. Her brows drew together slightly.
"Then whose are they?"
A second later.
"People who don't like losing."
The answer was vague but not empty.
Xinyue exhaled once again, taking a deep breath. "That's still not helpful."
"No," he agreed.
She pushed herself up from the chair and moved toward the kitchen again, because sitting still made her think too much and thinking too much made her realize how deep she was in something she didn't understand.
She poured water into a glass, then another, then stopped halfway through the motion. Her hands were steady. That surprised her. She should be shaking. She should be panicking.
Instead…
She was functioning, like this was just another emergency. Another patient. Another night that refused to go the way it was supposed to.
She turned back.
"Fine," she said. "Let's try this again."
Both men looked at her.
"What's your full name?"
The question landed sharper than she expected. Dojin's posture shifted slightly. Taehyun didn't react immediately.
"Ryu Taehyun."
The words were quiet but they carried weight. Not just a name, a presence.
Xinyue felt it. The way it settled in the room like something real.
'Ryu.'
She had heard that name before. Not clearly, not in detail. But enough for her to remember. Enough to know it didn't belong to ordinary people. Her grip tightened slightly around the glass.
"And you expect me to just… accept that?"
"No," he said. "I expect you to understand that asking more won't make this simpler."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you'll get tonight."
Xinyue stared at him. Then let out a short breath. "Of course it is."
She walked back and handed him the glass. He took it, their fingers brushed briefly.
Warm.
Solid.
Real.
She pulled back first, because she absolutely did not need to notice things like that right now.
Dojin spoke again, quieter this time. "We need to move before sunrise."
Taehyun shook his head once.
"Not yet."
"You're injured."
"I'll manage."
Dojin's jaw tightened slightly.
"You always say that."
"And I'm still here."
That again, that certainty.
Xinyue frowned. "You say that like it's a strategy."
"It is."
She stared at him for a second. Then, before she could stop herself, "That's a terrible strategy."
For the first time, he looked at her properly.
Not just observing. Engaging.
"Then what would you suggest, doctor?"
She crossed her arms.
"Rest. Recovery. Not getting shot again."
Dojin huffed something that might have been a suppressed laugh.
Taehyun didn't smile. But something in his gaze shifted.
"Noted."
Xinyue narrowed her eyes.
"Don't humor me."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm listening."
That caught her off guard. Because he wasn't mocking her. He wasn't dismissing her. He was… actually listening. Which made no sense, none at all.
The silence stretched again. Then Dojin's phone buzzed. He glanced at it, expression tightening slightly.
"They're still outside."
Xinyue's stomach twisted.
"How many?"
"At least two. Possibly more."
She looked toward the door. Then the window. Then back at Taehyun.
"You said I'm safer here."
"I did."
"That doesn't feel precise anymore."
"It is," he said calmly.
"How?"
"Because they're not here for you." The words landed harder than they should have.
Xinyue swallowed. "That's supposed to make me feel better?"
"It should."
"It doesn't."
For a moment, something almost like understanding flickered across his face. Then it was gone.
"They won't come in," he said.
"How do you know?"
"Because they don't want attention."
"And you do?"
A pause later.
"No." That answer felt more honest than anything else he had said so far.
Xinyue sank back into the chair again, exhaustion creeping up on her in waves now that the immediate crisis had passed.
Or… paused.
Nothing about this felt over to her, not even close.
She watched him for a moment longer. Then said quietly…
"You don't sleep, do you?"
His gaze didn't leave the door. "No."
"Because you can't?"
"Because I don't."
"That's not normal."
"I didn't say it was."
She studied him, really studied him this time. The control, the awareness, the way he held himself like rest was a luxury he couldn't afford.
And suddenly… She understood something.
Not everything.
But enough. "You're used to this," she said softly.
His eyes flicked to hers. "To what?"
"This," she gestured vaguely. "Danger. Being watched. Not being safe anywhere."
"Yes."
Simple. Direct. True to his word.
Xinyue leaned back slowly.
"Well," she muttered, "that's… deeply worrisome."
Dojin glanced at her again. "You get used to it."
She shot him a look. "I don't want to get used to it."
"You might not have a choice."
That shut her up instantly, because something about the way he said it felt too real. Too possible.
Silence settled again. But this time, it wasn't just tension. It was something else. Something quieter. More dangerous. Because now - now she knew his name.
In a way, that made the situation worse.