When Seok Beom returned with the news of the current situation, his face was ashen, a peculiar shadow cast across his features. Heavily, he sat by Hyung Kyu’s bed, took a deep breath, and spoke in a burdened voice:

„They’re fighting for the boss’s life… He’s suffered severe burns to his head, face, neck, throat, and chest… He’s on the operating table… There’s no word yet on what’s happening… The surgery will be very long… There’s no full guarantee that the boss will survive it, nor that it will be successful…”

He fell silent and bowed his head, a previously suppressed sob breaking from his chest. Dae Ri wrapped an arm around him, though tears were in his own eyes. The youngest among them, who had just begun to think somewhat logically again, was trembling through his entire body. The trio was acutely aware of the gravity of the situation, their helplessness making them feel utterly useless.

„Ah, they asked me to contact the boss’s family, but I didn’t know whom to give them. Such tragic news,” Seok Beom continued in a trembling voice. „I told them we would inform the family ourselves, who will surely come here. Let’s decide together who to call first, for I truly do not know…” – he looked at his friends with tearful eyes.

„Definitely not to mom!” Dae Ri blurted out immediately.

„That leaves either the oldest brother or the youngest,” Seok Beom said. „I don’t know, really, I don’t know who to tell first. One will break down crying, and the other will explode,” he concluded.

„I’d call the younger one,” Hyung Kyu chimed in. „He’s rash, but he can think and act logically.”

„Do you think so?” asked Seok Beom. „And you, Dae Ri, whom would you choose?” he turned to the other friend.

„The kid’s probably right. Let’s call Gi Hun. There’s no time to waste.” He pulled out his smartphone, took another deep breath, and dialed the call.

The few seconds they waited for him to pick up stretched into infinity. The phone was on speaker, so everyone heard the dial tone.

„What’s up, bro?” they heard Gi Hun’s familiar voice, Park Dong Hun’s younger brother. „Do I need to pick up hyong or what?” Gi Hun thought they had partied too hard again and he’d have to drive Dong Hun home.

„Um,” Seok Beom cleared his throat nervously. „It’s not that…” he continued in an unsure voice. „You see, you have to come to the hospital… Your hyong had an accident…”

„What! What!?” Gi Hun reacted as expected, very anxiously. „But he’s alright, isn’t he?” he shouted into the phone. „He’s alright, right? Answer me, you jerk!” they heard him likely scrambling to put on his shoes.

„Well… the boss is alive…” Seok Beom tried to keep his voice as calm as possible. „He’s undergoing surgery. You need to come here as a guardian. They’ll tell you everything…”

„And you can’t explain what happened?” he dashed out of the house.

„You see, it’s not a conversation for over the phone… Just come as fast as you can.”

„Iii Shii!” Gi Hun cursed, and they heard him hail a cab. „I’ll be there soon, just quickly tell me which hospital, the driver is listening.”