It'll Be Okay!

It was a tough nut to crack. The disappearance of Y/N and Grace was tangled up with the police, and altering government records required serious authority. That meant going back to Incheon, back to when Y/N, Wooyoung, and the rest of the team were working together.

They had to reopen Mr. Lee's case, the one that had propelled Wooyoung forward but had also led to his breakup with Y/N.

That case had changed everything back then, and perhaps it was about to shake things up once more.

Wooyoung had everything packed up again, ready to head off to Incheon. He hadn't been back since he transferred to Seoul, and the thought of returning stirred up a lot of memories.

Every street, every corner reminded him of the times he spent exploring with Y/N, making it tough to revisit.

With a frustrated sigh, he realized it had been almost three weeks already, and impatience was creeping in.

Nevertheless, he grabbed his bag and made his way to the airport where Yunho and his team were waiting.

As he boarded the plane, Wooyoung felt a mix of uncertainty and nervousness, making it perhaps the longest flight of his life.

Why did fate have to play such cruel tricks on him? The woman he loved was out there somewhere, yet he couldn't be with her.

All he wished for was a chance to have Y/N back in his life. Little did he expect the onslaught of media attention awaiting him at the airport.

Cameras flashed, microphones were thrust in his direction, and questions rained down on him, but what cut through the noise was one particular reporter's inquiry about Y/N and Grace's disappearance.

"Mr. Wooyoung, what do you have to say about your wife and child's disappearance? Did you try to bury it under the recent events in Seoul?" The pointed questions dripped with disdain, hitting a nerve with Wooyoung.

It was true, the disappearance had been overshadowed by the chaos in Seoul. The timing was too perfect, almost like it had been planned.

Despite Wooyoung's pleas, the authorities had put Y/N's case on hold until now, and the reporters were taking full advantage of it.

Already sensitive to the matter, Wooyoung lost his cool and threw a punch at the reporter who pushed too far.

As chaos ensued, Yunho and his team quickly escorted Wooyoung away, leaving the stunned reporters behind, exchanging bewildered glances as they processed what just happened.

The whole drama with the immigrants and that poor woman they harassed? that blew up like wildfire, completely stealing the spotlight from Y/N and Grace's disappearance.

It was a double-edged sword for Wooyoung. Being stuck in the Seoul police department meant he couldn't officially handle the missing persons case down in Jeju.

But with all the media frenzy surrounding the September 20th incident, it gave him a chance to dig around unofficially for any leads on Y/N and Grace.

Thing is, Wooyoung's hunches led him nowhere, and the media didn't miss that. He couldn't figure out how the reporter got wind of Y/N and Grace.

He never spilled the beans about them to anyone. Just as he was about to grill the reporter about it, he got yanked into a taxi before he could even open his mouth.

"That looks like it hurts," remarked the reporter holding the notepad, his face twisting in sympathy as he passed an ice bag to soothe the swollen and red cheek of his colleague.

The reporter shot him a glare, snatching the ice bag away.

"Of course, it hurts, Jongo, thanks a bunch," the reporter replied through gritted teeth. "How dare he punch me," he muttered, pressing the ice bag against his cheek.

"How did you find out about his wife and child being missing?" Another voice piped up from a nearby table in the café where they sat.

A man with an imposing figure and intense gaze approached them, his sharp cheekbones adding to his imposing presence.

"It was kept under wraps by the police and never made it to the news," he said, pulling up a chair at their table.

"And who might you be?" the reporter inquired.

"Mingi, from the Busan police department," the man replied, his deep voice carrying an air of authority.

"I'm Hongjoong, the head reporter, and he is Jongho my colleague." the reporter introduced himself, gesturing towards his teammate, Jongho.

"We heard rumors that Wooyoung was covering up his family's disappearance to protect his reputation, likely involving someone from within. We picked it up from a conversation in Incheon, but it was too vague to verify. Now, here we are," he added, indicating his bruised cheek.

"Seems those rumors weren't so baseless after all," he concluded, earning a nod from Mingi.

"Yes, if this information got out, it means there's a mole within," Mingi remarked, eyeing the ID card ribbons of Hongjoong and Jongho, which bore the name of their company, 'PERFECT SCHEDULE'

"Do you happen to know who his wife is?" Mingi inquired, prompting looks of confusion from both Jongho and Hongjoong.

"How would we know?" Jongho responded.

"I assumed since she worked at your company, you might've known Y/N," Mingi stated matter-of-factly, eliciting shocked expressions from the duo.

"Y/N," they echoed in unison.

They couldn't believe their ears. Y/N, kidnapped? Y/N having a kid? When did Y/N tie the knot? A flurry of questions swirled through their minds.

"Our Y/N, our intern Y/N," Hongjoong murmured, reminiscing about the old days when Y/N was just a rookie under his wing.

Y/N and Jongho started out as colleagues, fresh faces in the field. But soon, they formed a formidable trio known as 'DEAR'—short for deadly reporters.

They worked shoulder to shoulder, and Y/N's foreign background gave her an edge as a fluent linguist, landing her a spot in the crime branch at the Incheon police department.

Saying goodbye to their trio was inevitable for Y/N, but she remained close to Hongjoong and Jongho, until that fateful day five years ago.

"What can we do?" Hongjoong interjected, his tone laced with concern.

"Yeah, please tell us," Jongho added, his expression mirroring the worry evident on their faces.

Mingi, excusing himself, stepped forward, "I'll let you know, for now remove the video.

Since Wooyoung and I can't directly involve ourselves in this case, we'll need your help."

Meanwhile, Wooyoung struggled to contain his anger as Yunho gave him an earful for his earlier altercation with a reporter.

"What were you thinking? The media's relentless, don't you realize that?" Yunho's frustration seeped into his words. "They could use this to sue you."

Wooyoung remained silent, his mood darkened. He hadn't been thinking clearly.

Perhaps the gravity of the situation weakened his resolve, the fear of losing everything he'd worked for looming over him, especially in the city where it all began, Incheon.

"They won't take action," Mingi reassured, approaching them from behind.

Wooyoung's emotions were a whirlwind at the sight of his friend; relief intertwined with lingering awkwardness from their past.

"And they'll ensure the video gets scrubbed from every source."

"You're... Song Mingi, right?" Yunho inquired, receiving a confirming nod from Mingi. "How can you be so sure they won't?" he pressed.

"Just trust me," Mingi replied with conviction.

It felt like déjà vu for Wooyoung; five years ago, Mingi had asked for his trust, and Wooyoung had responded with blame and curses in return.

"Wooyoung, trust me, this isn't true," Mingi pleaded, his tone earnest.

Despite towering over Wooyoung, there was a fire in Wooyoung's eyes that made him appear more intimidating than anyone else.

Wooyoung, visibly saddened and worn down by the relentless rumors swirling around him, had reached a point of exhaustion where he seemed ready to believe any accusation thrown at Y/N and Mingi.

"It's 'sir' for you," Wooyoung deadpanned, his words earning disappointed looks not only from Mingi but also from Y/N, who stood at a distance.

The occasion was meant to be a celebration after the success of Mr. Lee's case, with Wooyoung's promotion to a higher position being the highlight.

However, things took a turn for the worse as Wooyoung began to hurl baseless accusations at Y/N and Mingi.

"I don't want you to recite what you guys did behind my back, I already know it all," Wooyoung spat, casting a disgusted glance at Y/N.

The rest of the team had dispersed, leaving only the three of them in the hallway of Y/N's second home – Wooyoung's apartment – the air heavy with tension.

Y/N couldn't wrap her mind around what Wooyoung was saying; it felt like the ground had slipped from beneath her feet.

Thoughts raced through her mind, trying to piece together what could have possibly gone wrong for Wooyoung to question her loyalty. She looked at him with a mix of shock and hurt, as if he had struck her with a sledgehammer.

The pain etched on her face was palpable, fragile enough to shatter at any moment.

Avoiding the hatred blazing in Wooyoung's eyes, she silently prayed for him to see the truth in her eyes, but his rage clouded his vision as he looked elsewhere in the room.

Mingi, overcome with emotion, found tears streaming down his face. He had never witnessed his friend in such a state before, and it tore at his heart.

Before he could utter a word, Wooyoung's grip tightened on his collar, accusing him with words sharp as daggers.

Each syllable that escaped Wooyoung's lips felt like a poison, slowly draining the life out of both Y/N and Mingi.

"And you," Wooyoung released Mingi's collar, advancing towards Y/N with a force that made her stagger backward as he grabbed her shoulders, his touch harsh and unforgiving.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but Wooyoung seemed oblivious to her anguish.

"Was he good?" Wooyoung's voice was laced with bitterness, demanding an answer that Y/N felt incapable of providing in the face of his seething anger.

Her voice trembling, Y/N tried to reason with him. "Wooyoung, what are you saying? Mingi is just a friend to me. I love only you."

But her words seemed to fall on deaf ears as Wooyoung let out a mocking chuckle.

"No, you don't," Wooyoung retorted, his tone dripping with scorn. "You're only with me for my position, now that I'm in charge. But Mingi..." He paused, his gaze piercing.

"Mingi is taller, more handsome. You always had a thing for taller men, didn't you, Y/N?" Each accusation thrown her way felt like a dagger to her heart, and Y/N instinctively covered her ears, refusing to listen to any more of his hurtful words.

"It's not true, Wooyoung," Mingi interjected, his voice tinged with desperation. "I don't know who's filled your head with this nonsense, but it's not true."

"I'm spouting utter nonsense," Wooyoung chuckled, his laughter tinged with a touch of madness.

"Do you really think I didn't notice when you guys conveniently disappeared, leaving me buried under paperwork while you frolicked off on your little excursions? Do you honestly believe I'm blind to your sneaky antics behind my back? And don't even get me started on the way you look at Y/N."

Tears welled up in Wooyoung's eyes, his voice quivering with emotion. "I trusted you both. But just because I might not be as charming as Mingi, and just because he might not hold as much power as me, you decided to play games with us.

How could you? Y/N, I poured my heart out to you, thinking you felt the same. I thought maybe it was just the intensity of our work that was driving you two closers, but I was dead wrong. You were betraying me. I climbed the ladder, but I lost everything that ever mattered."

Wooyoung's breathing grew erratic, his chest tightening with each gasp for air.

"Let's talk this out calmly, Wooyoung, please," Y/N pleaded, attempting to approach him.

"Stop. Right. There," Wooyoung interrupted, jabbing a finger in her direction. "There's no talking now."

"Please, Wooyoung," Y/N whispered, her voice barely audibles over his anguish.

"I don't ever want to lay eyes on either of you again. Get out of my life, and don't you dare try to find your way back in," Wooyoung declared, his voice faltering as he fought to contain his emotions.

"It's over."

The memories of the past flooded back with overwhelming intensity as Wooyoung laid eyes on Mingi once more, their reunion marking five years since they last crossed paths.

There were countless words swirling in Wooyoung's mind, but above all, he yearned to utter a heartfelt apology.

It wasn't until a month after his transfer to Seoul that Wooyoung discovered the truth – the rumors about Mingi and Y/N were nothing but baseless gossip, a misunderstanding propagated by a rookie in the police department.

Learning this truth left Wooyoung shattered, consumed by regret, and desperate for forgiveness.

Driven by a sense of urgency, Wooyoung made his way to Y/N's apartment, only to find it empty, devoid of her presence. Where she had gone remained a mystery.

Attempts to reach Mingi also proved futile; he had been transferred to Busan.

In an instant, Wooyoung found himself grappling with the loss of two of the most significant people in his life.

The reunion with Mingi after five long years was bittersweet, laden with both apprehension and hope. Yet, despite the weight of the past, Mingi extended a warm hand in a gesture of reassurance.

"Everything will be fine," he said gently.

Overwhelmed by emotion, Wooyoung found himself unable to hold back tears. In a moment of vulnerability, he embraced Mingi tightly, seeking solace in his presence.

Tears flowed freely as Wooyoung poured out his heart, his apologies ringing out in anguished cries.

Mingi offered unwavering support, holding Wooyoung steadfastly as he let out the pain and sorrow he had carried for so long.

"Trust me, Wooyoung. We'll track down Y/N and your daughter," Mingi vowed, his tone filled with determination and support. Turning to Yunho, he inquired, "So, what leads do we have?"

Yunho took a moment before responding, "Right now, all we know is that someone within the police department is involved, and we suspect it's connected to the Mr. Lee case – the last one you three worked on together, correct?"

"Then that's where we start," Mingi declared with a firm nod. "We'll delve back into Mr. Lee's case and see what we can uncover."

Just as tension filled the air, Wooyoung's phone chimed, signaling an incoming call. With a quick nod, he accepted the call, recognizing the caller ID as that of the general commissioner.

"Wooyoung, we've got the NIS permission," came the voice on the other end of the line.

It was the news Wooyoung had been anxiously awaiting.

If the government notice had indeed been amended, then there was hope that Y/N wouldn't be ensnared in the authorities' net.

Yet, even as relief washed over him, a new worry crept in. If Y/N wasn't on the NIS radar, it meant she and Grace were likely in peril, possibly kidnapped and facing grave danger.

The memory of Mr. Lee's case sent shivers down Wooyoung's spine; he had been embroiled in some of the darkest and most dangerous criminal dealings.

As he processed the implications of the call, Wooyoung's mind raced with the possibilities, his concern for Y/N and Grace mounting with each passing second.