Y/n's pov
Reporter Kim awkwardly cleans the apartment, moving to the basement as you sit next to Axel with the emergency box on the couch. You glance at him looking at you with a smile despite the cuts and bruises lining his skin everywhere as you open the box, taking out a gauze and tweezers.
'Don't look at me like that. I'm fine.' He says as you take the antiseptics, soaking it into the gauze.
'I guess I'm better at keeping you safe than your boyfriend.' Axel says again jokingly as you dab the cuts with the antiseptics, laughing as you look up at him from the wounds. 'I was joking.' He says, waving you off.
'I'm scared of his reaction tomorrow so don't.' You reply, pressing the gauze to the slit on his skin as the blood seeps onto it.
'Do I get to meet him tomorrow?' Axel asks, his eyes following your hand placing plasters over the open skin.
'No.' You respond curtly, Axel looking surprised as you carry on treating the wounds on his arm. 'Reporter Kim and I will drive you to the airport tomorrow morning before the ceremony. You forget everything that happened here. Mr. Lee already called your work and your family you had finished your holiday. They think you just needed time off, so play along when you get back.' You explain, Axel stopping your hand upon hearing your words.
'You didn't tell me.' He says quietly as you place the tweezer onto the side, taking another plaster from the box.
'Well, I'm telling you now.' You reply, unwrapping the plaster.
'Are you that desperate to get rid of me before your boyfriend sees me?' He asks again, his voice sounding light-hearted, unlike his expression.
'Because, now that Haesung knows about you too, you need to get out of here as soon as possible.' You reply, Axel falling silent for a few seconds.
'But you'll be the chairman tomorrow. And they already saw what I can do to them.' He argues, his gaze on you as you move on to treat the cuts on his shoulder.
'Even if I let you stay tomorrow, you can't stay here forever. Your life is over there. In Seattle.' You say, tapping the wound with the antiseptic gauze. He turns back to look down at his hands, his palm wrapped in bandages.
'...' He falls silent again, and you glance at him once before silently placing the plasters over the cut. 'So you really just...called me all the way here for your own needs.' You stop, Axel sounding bitter while you only look over to the thin cut on his shoulder.
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The doctor looks slightly distressed as she puts the psychiatrist's shirt back on, him turning to face her. She stands up instead, putting away the medical supplies into the box on the coffee table. The psychiatrist stops her hands, the doctor's brow flinching for a second as she looks up.
'You knew why you are here. You can't feel bitter about me not having any other intention other than to get my revenge.' The doctor says, trying to pull her hands back. The psychiatrist only follows her to his feet, stepping closer to her.
'At least you can appreciate what I've done for you. I flew the second I heard about you, stayed here for months, and did everything to keep you alive. To the last day that you decided that I would stay.' He says, his eyes looking more desperate than angry. His eyes turn glassy, the doctor's gaze moving over to the floor.
'I know. And I am.' The doctor says, the psychiatrist taking another step forward holding her arms. 'But your job here is still over.' She says again firmly, fishing her arms out of his grip.
'What happened...to you. This isn't you. Ella I knew was an empathetic person- you weren't like this-'
'Oh, so you also think I'm heartless just like the rest of my family. Just like my cold-blooded father who only manipulates people.' The doctor snaps, the psychiatrist falling wordless as the doctor looks away to the side, referring to the public talking about her behind anonymity.
'That's not-'
'But after you watch your real family die in front of you, with everyone else around you getting hurt because of you while always having to watch your back, you can't let yourself be sympathetic for just anyone.' The doctor replies sharply again, the psychiatrist only pushing his hair out of his face frustratedly.
'So I was...just anyone to you?' The psychiatrist asks quietly, the doctor burying her face in her hands.
'Just go back to Seattle. Go back to normal.' The doctor says, turning away and starting to walk toward her room, but the psychiatrist takes her wrist, turning her around and pulling her toward him.
'Why can't you just understand that I still love you.' He says bluntly, both of them looking surprised at the words. 'I wouldn't have come just because you called for me. I came because I actually wanted to help you. Because I care about you. And yeah, maybe at first I just wanted to see you again at first but what did you think was going to happen when I get to see you wake up every day, talk to you, remember everything-' He says again, looking exasperated as if he would just say everything that comes to his mind now that he has spoken the hardest part.
'Then what do you want me to do? Abandon him whom I've hurt by pretending I died all this time and betray him for you? You have to live in the present, not the past.' The doctor says, the psychiatrist looking defeated as the doctor's eyes turn glassy. 'We're not in high school anymore.' She says quietly, the psychiatrist letting go of her wrist.
'Sympathy and guilt aren't love.' The psychiatrist replies, looking down at the floor as the doctor wipes the tears off of her face.
'It's not that.' The doctor replies sharply, avoiding his gaze. 'Feeling grateful isn't love either.' She says, facing away from the psychiatrist looking hurt.
'And you didn't think about how I felt every time you left whenever I entered the room, ignored anything I said to you apart from during therapy, or when you avoided me every time I reached out to you as if I'm some dirt?' The psychiatrist says, stepping closer to the doctor still looking away from him.
'Well I can't exactly trust you to try something else to me after you almost kissed me when I was drunk.' The doctor says back, her eyes snapping over to the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist becomes quiet, both of them breathing heavily.
'We were both drunk then but I wouldn't try to do anything like that to you when you don't want it.' The psychiatrist says defeatedly, his gaze softening looking at the doctor wipe her eyes.
'Then why are you doing it now? I want to remember you as someone who made my old life happy and someone to be grateful for. So don't ruin it now.' The doctor says again quietly, quickly disappearing into her room and locking the door. The psychiatrist sighs deeply, rubbing his own tears off of his face before turning away.
Y/n's pov
Reporter Kim stops the car at the airport, the atmosphere heavy and silent as you are hidden in the usual black raincoat and mask despite the day being bright with sunlight. You glance at Reporter Kim to help Axel unload his suitcase from the trunk, ignoring Axel's gaze on you from the back seat. He gets out of the car, Reporter Kim silently placing the suitcase onto the ground. You feel Axel's eyes on you even as Reporter Kim gets back into the driver's seat, closing the door.
'That's it?' Reporter Kim asks as you keep your eyes on the road ahead through your sunglasses.
'What else is there.' You reply, Reporter Kim glancing back at Axel's unreadable expression on the back mirror. 'We'll be late.' You say, Reporter Kim looks slightly apologetic but still drives toward the Incheon police station. You were to say goodbye to Axel properly, but it was hard to find anything to say after what went down last night.
Mr. Lee had told the detectives about what had been going on, telling them that you would need an escort to the Haesung's headquarters today and for them to arrest Haesung's criminals once you released the evidence. Reporter Kim had suggested that he drive you straight to the headquarters, but you worried for both of your safety.
Shi Jin's pov
I place the white rose on Dr. Han's photo inside the glass cubicle where her cremated body should have been, Dr. Kang and the others trying to stifle their tears next to me. Myung Joo puts another white rose on top of mine, Sergeant Seo taking her hand and squeezing it tight.
'It's unfair. It should have been your day.' Dr. Kang says, her voice wobbling as she gasps for air in between her tears. I try to ignore the teardrops rolling down my face, Dr. Han in the photo unblinking as she maintains a neutral smile.
'Where are you.' I feel the air leave my lips, the peaceful turquoise jar empty where her ashes should have been.
'Somewhere...peaceful.' Myung Joo replies instead, her voice hitching higher. She looks up as someone runs up to us, seeing Daniel and Ye Hwa-ssi's faces drained out of blood. His gaze shifts over to Dr. Han's photo in the glass cubicle, sprinting over and placing his hand on the glass.
'I thought...I didn't-' He says, unable to form his words properly as he stares at Dr. Han's photo.
'It's been months.' Sergeant Seo says quietly as I stare at their backs as Daniel tries to take the photo in his hands. 'We tried to tell you but...we realised that there was no connection where you went after Afghanistan.' He explains, Daniel's eyes turning red as the tears pool under them.
'It's over. They've won. She's never coming back.' Dr. Kang says, looking at the floor with a defeated expression.
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The six of us blankly walk down the stairs back to the lobby of the place where people put the ashes, the place surrounded by various flowers. I stop by the big screen in the lobby, the inauguration of Haesung's Chairman happening on live TV.
I stare at the screen with Han Seok Won bowing in front of the higher-ups of Haesung next to Han Sung Dae, the angry tears pooling in my eyes as I feel my fist tighten despite Sergeant Seo's hand on my shoulder. Han Seok Won grins as his father hands him a navy velvet folder, the letter of appointment inside.
'Captain.' Sergeant Seo calls, gripping my arm as I almost reach out to the screen showing Han Seok Won and the businessmen applauding.
'I don't care.' I reply, Daeyoung only pulling me backward.
'Look.' He responds, and I look back up at the screen to see it turn black before turning up again. Daniel's eyes grow wide as the series of gunshots rings out, everyone else in the lobby gathering around the screen wondering what was playing on the TV. They start muttering among themselves, asking if the place is playing some movie.
'Miss Chun.' Daniel whispers as he holds Ye Hwa-ssi's hands, his eyes focused on the screen with the sounds of Dr. Han's screams. I close my eyes at her desperate voice, the painful sounds ringing in my ears as I feel the teardrops roll down my face.
'How...' I feel myself asking how whoever put this together got the evidence that was only on Dr. Han's fountain pen.
'Omo, I thought he was doing beautiful things but-' I hear ajoomas behind me say as the evidence about the incident in Uruk comes up.
Dr. Kang suddenly gasps, her hands covering her mouth, her eyes turning teary watching the black box footage of Dr. Han's car. I feel the lump in my throat grow as I watch the glass shatter, the blood sputtering onto the glass. The fire erupts in the night sky on the screen, Dr. Han's ragged breaths ringing in the smoky air before the grey car pushes Dr. Han off the bridge.
'Why...' I hear Myung Joo whisper beside me, burying her face onto Sergeant Seo's shoulder. I hear the others start chattering in shock, their phones starting to ping around us.
I tense as the screen changes again, showing evidence of Lieutenant Park and Han Seok Won plotting together to kill me. I feel the others' gaze on me, Daniel looking shocked as he looks between the screen and my face. Sergeant Seo still holds onto my arm as I feel them shake, the messages between them for threatening the Delta force coming up on the screen.
'Just how many people did they hurt.' Dr. Kang says as her voice breaks, her expression pained as she stares at the screen changing to show something else. I look up properly seeing Reporter Kim being drugged to somewhere by Haesung's men, them dragging his unconscious body into the building.
'Maybe...he was indeed being threatened for his life.' Sergeant Seo offers, referring to when he refused to release Dr. Han's black box footage to the public.
The screen buzzes again, angry voices of Haesung's men in the background before focusing back onto the screen.
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The Captain's eyes grow wide as they pool with tears, his arms with veins protruding from growing limp, him blankly staring at the screen. His face almost looks pained as he watches the figure in a black raincoat with a group of police detectives following behind her. The Sergeant places his hand on the Captain's shoulder, him watching the screen with his mouth agape painfully at the screen.
The doctor walks up to the Director, stepping forward as the Director violently yanks the hood off of her. The Captain's knees give out seeing the doctor stand facing the Director and the Chairman, her eyes holding a tint of pleasure watching the two.
'I told you. Many times now. That you can't beat me.' She says slowly, tapping the Director's face. 'That meant, just give up and live quietly in a corner.' She says again, her voice sounding venomous yet amused at the Director's expression scrunching up with his eyes turning wide.
'You ignored my warning. And so this is the only way.' The doctor says, releasing his face. The Director grabs a vase from the table, raising it above her head as he lurches forward, only to freeze mid-action as the detectives hold up the police guns at him at once. His gaze flickers over to the detectives glaring at him with their guns outstretched, pointed at the Director and the Chairman.
'What the fuck are you doing here.' The Chairman roars, his usual cool demeanor being dropped to show his real self.
'Appa.' The doctor turns, placing a finger over her lips.
'With your stupid word, the whole corporation might move, but with mine, the whole nation does.' She whispers at the Director, his face scrunching up fury although he remains glaring at the doctor noticing the detectives pointing their guns at him. The doctor's lips arch in triumph, the Director starting to tremble in rage.
'Everyone saw their crimes.' She says, half of the detectives rushing over and placing the handcuffs over the entire Haesung's higher-ups. 'There's no way to escape this time, so I wouldn't suggest you even try. And that means I must be the new Chairman. You know how annoying it was to stay underground for months?' The doctor says as if to taunt, stretching her shoulders and neck ignoring the chaos of the detectives fighting the Haesung's men.
'If you interfere, I'll have all of you sacked.' She says simply without even turning her head toward the guards rushing over at the Director's yells. The guards stop, looking torn between the doctor's harsh gaze and the Chairman screaming at them to do something.
The Captain finally snaps up from the screen, rushing out of the building towards the headquarters along with the others.
Author's note: guess who is the omnipresent surveillance camera. It's me.
Now everyone be team Axel vs Shi Jin