Apollo’s Heart - Chapter 137

Chapter 137 – Please Be Safe (2)

Tae-jun tried to concentrate, the smoke close was to engulfing him quickly and he had no second left to spare. He had no choice but to shoot. Hye-seong had to come out of hiding.

He only had one chance and losing it was out of the question. Though he had fast reflexes, going against a revolver was a fifty-fifty chance. His shotgun could cause an impact at a large scale, but it wouldn’t be as effective against the other’s revolver. If he somehow failed to dodge Hye-seong’s bullet, he would not be able to come out of this alive. He steadied his breathing and waited for his opponent.

Bang! Bang!

The two opposing sides fired their guns simultaneously. Hye-seong let out an ear-piercing scream as he rolled on the floor. If Tae-jun had shot directly at him, bullets would have made their home all over his body. He aimed the gun at a spot near him and it was enough to cause a large amount of damage, taking him down in the process.

Tae-jun felt an overwhelming pain in his waist. He clenched his teeth even more. He turned his palm and saw blood all over, but luckily, the bullet had only grazed the surface of his skin. He needed to go. Now! The minutes he had wasted on Hye-seong were enough, he needed to get to Yuri as fast as he could. The woman wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer.

Because he was bleeding in the waist, his legs wobbled beneath him as he skipped the steps two at a time. Jet-black smoke filled the fourth floor. He hastily took a handkerchief and placed it on his nose and mouth. The flames were close to spreading, and the smoke was making it hard for him to see through.

Where is Yuri?

The fire seemed to be bellowing at the very corner, and the room was considerably flaming compared to the other rooms. His insides were filled with dread, Tae-jun was sure that Yuri was there. He dashed right into the flames, scorching his skin as hot air blew his face.

“Yuri!” Tae-jun yelled.  Please be safe. Please be safe, he chanted to himself over and over again.

The doorknob was scarlet from the flames, so he took a few steps back and tried to kick the door open. Once, twice, the door only budged, small flames falling down from his harsh kicking. It licked the corners of his clothes but he did not care. He felt too numb to pay it any attention, shaking at the thought that he might lose Yuri. He wouldn’t let her die. He would not allow it!

He was about to smash the door open with his own body when Jin-wook suddenly appeared behind him with a fire extinguisher in hand. He directed the hose towards Tae-jun’s clothes and the door, diminishing the flames. Tae-jun successfully opened the door after several attempts.

“Yuri! Yuri Han!”

In one corner where flames had yet to reach, Yuri Han lay on the floor. Limbs tied and mouth covered with tape, she was slightly squirming as she tried to escape the fires.

Tae-jun quickly ran towards her and pulled the tape off her mouth. The woman in his arms twitched. He felt relieved that she was still alive and breathing. And for the first time, he found himself thanking God, whom never did he once acknowledge in his life. He just felt really grateful.

Yuri writhed, a struggling sigh was emitted from her parched lips. “Huh?”

Tae-jun leaned his ear closer to her mouth. Since he fired the shotgun without any earmuffs, his hearing had significantly worsened after the gunshots earlier.

“Y-you’re… finally here.” Yuri breathed out.

Tae-jun held his breath, wondering how long Yuri had waited for him. Did she wait for him ever since she was tortured by President Jin? Or did she wait for him even when she did not remember anything?

After saying those words out, Yuri fell slack against him. Jin-wook immediately untied her hands and feet.

“How is she?”

“Her pulse is normal. She was lying face-first on the ground with her mouth covered in tape, so she didn’t inhale as much smoke. Thankfully, the flames were not that strong either,” Jin-wook said.

Tae-jun took his jacket off and draped it over Yuri. They needed to get out of here, and fast. The flames would reach them any moment now.

Jin-wook glanced and saw the blood on Tae-jun’s jacket. “Sir, are you injured by any chance?”

“— It’s just a scratch. Don’t worry about it.”

Jin-wook bent down slightly and studied the wound. “This is not just a scratch. You are bleeding heavily.”

Tae-jun did not respond. Jin-wook turned the fire extinguisher towards the flames that neared them but they remained strong and vigorous despite his efforts.

Would they be able to escape from this place?

They had to. They needed to survive and save the woman in their arms!

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A pair of eyes was observing the Jin-seong Nursing Facility through a set of binoculars. Two black cars appeared at the premises followed by a gunshot. Black smoke filled the area, causing haziness.

“So unnecessary.”

The eyes were now lost deep in thought, gauging the situation to be a grave one. It’s terrifying how Hye-seong reacted so ferociously when things did not go his way. The least he could do was to set places on fire. What was going to happen to the ledger? Getting physically involved was his last resort.

The woman threw away her binoculars, combed her hair with her fingers, and took a cigarette out of a box in frustration.

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