Bullets & Promises ✔️

4. A Futile Closure

"Appa, where are we?" She asks, eyes already roaming across her surroundings.

"Uh...someone was hurt so I had to—"

"Uncle Jiswoo!" The little girl exclaims, her eyes wide, full of enthusiasm. She runs and clings to Dae Ho's leg, giving a heart-stopping smile.

The room falls silent, all eyes on the girl with palpable tension. ChangMin stands stiff, not knowing what to do, and Dae Ho stills. Looking at her, the fighter remembers the kid who cried for her ice cream which resulted in him losing sight of the men he was about to chase a month ago. Although he was sure the girl was Haneul's daughter, now it feels even more real. He sees the resemblance to her father. Her smile is similar to Haneul's, just like his doe eyes.

"Are you going to stay with us again?" Soomin asks, her eyes curious, wrapping her arms around the leg tighter.

Dae Ho turns to Haneul, raising an eyebrow and signaling him with his head to move her, but all he gets is a shrug in return. He presses his lips together and runs his tongue over his lower teeth, displaying his annoyance. He takes one last glance at Soomin before he jerks his leg with force, the girl falling to the floor.

Soomin's eyes brim with tears as soon as she hits the ground, a soft whimper escaping her lips. Dae Ho clenches his teeth and starts walking away from her without sparing a second glimpse.

Haneul rushes to his daughter and crouches to her level, bringing her into a hug. He strokes her head, turning to Dae Ho. "She's just a child, what are you doing?!" He snaps, stunned by the fighter's brash behavior.

"I'm warning you, Kim Haneul, do not ever cross paths with me again if you want to stay in one piece. This time it won't end with just a punch like eight years ago," Dae Ho sneers, his voice an octave lower, devoid of any emotion. "And to get it out of the way since you have a habit of inflated hope, you mean nothing to me, we aren't friends anymore." The door shuts with a loud thud, leaving Haneul and Soomin alone.

Haneul stares at the closed door, the younger's poison-laced words making his insides churn as if someone knocked the air out of his lungs. The little glimmer of hope he had, has been stomped on, leaving no room for another one. Park Dae Ho really does know which buttons to push. Maybe, this was the closure he needed to stop blaming himself. The time they'd spent together, bantering and sharing laughs or helping and being there for each other was now over. Dae Ho's words were loud and clear, Haneul didn't need them to be repeated to understand its bitterness. They were now strangers, no, even worse. When Haneul walks to the exit, he sees the three men already driving away from the clinic.

Dae Ho seals his lips and focuses on his breathing, trying to not blow on Choi Yoon in the van. He waits until they reach his apartment, fingers interlaced with each other, nails digging into the skin below his knuckles. Yoon didn't do anything wrong, he saved his life but it wasn't his call to make when Dae Ho had given clear instructions regarding matters that involved Haneul or anyone else from his past.

"So, tell me why was Kim Haneul there today?" Dae Ho settles himself on the sofa, eyes hard, boring holes into Choi Yoon's.

"Dr. Do wasn't available and Kyung's men were already keeping eyes on the other places. Haneul was the safest option."

Dae Ho bangs his fist on the table, Yoon flinching at the action. "No matter what, you shouldn't have involved him! Even if I was dying! I don't care! I would rather die than be treated by him and let him know my existence!"

Pandora shuts his eyes, sucking in his lips together, a slight waver lingering at the corner of his mouth. He stays silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "Boss, for you keeping Haneul away may be a serious matter and he's my friend too. But for me, you're more important. So, even if it means getting him involved to save your life and going against your orders, I'll do it. Will do it if it is required again." His words are sincere, challenging Dae Ho without any fear. "And in the end, if it may result in you kicking me out or even killing me, it'll be alright. I'll try my best to do whatever it takes to save you."