DEARG Ch 26

A woman’s crying voice was heard. The unfamiliar voice, soaked in tears, kept apologizing. Jo Jihyun barely managed to open his eyes.

“Jihyun-ah, are you coming to your senses?”

The man who asked this had a very rough face. Jo Jihyun blinked his eyes.

“Jihyun-ah. I’m so sorry. The lady, really, what should we do?”

It was Choi Kiyeol’s mother. Her refined face was a mess with tears. He looked around. White walls came into view. It was a hospital. Checking his hospital gown, he realized it was the same hospital where Kang Seokwon was admitted. Being the largest hospital nearby, perhaps it was a natural outcome.

“Kiyeol got so angry that he did it without thinking. He didn’t mean to do it… Jihyun-ah, please forgive him.”

Choi Kiyeol’s mother pleaded for forgiveness on behalf of her son. It was something a mother with typical maternal love would do.

“What happened to Choi Kiyeol?”

His voice was hoarse.

“He’s at the police station.”

His father spoke with a grave expression. Jo Jihyun closed his eyes and opened them again. The incident was a tangled mess, but in the end, it all came together as one.

“Jihyun-ah, the lady is apologizing like this. Okay? If Kiyeol ends up in a place like juvenile detention because of this, what will we do?”

Her words implied there was clear evidence left behind. He recalled the principal mentioning during morning assembly that the school had been selected as a pilot for installing CCTV in the province. The principal had gone on about how proud he was since it was the first in the province. The principal was always obsessed with being the first and the best. No one paid much attention to his words. Jo Jihyun, too, had let it go in one ear and out the other. There was no way Choi Kiyeol, who was fooling around with the kids at the back of the classroom, would have listened to that announcement.

“It won’t come to that. Kids can get carried away while playing around.”

His father reassured Choi Kiyeol’s mother.

“No. It won’t come to that.”

Jo Jihyun sat up. He grimaced at the sharp pain shooting up his spine, swallowing a scream inside.

“It wasn’t a prank. It was intentional a**ault.”

His father turned around in shock.

“Jo Jihyun!”

Lee Sookhyun’s face turned pale.

“Choi Kiyeol tried to r**e me and a**aulted me. The evidence will be on the CCTV footage.”

What happened in the classroom might not have been recorded, but there was evidence of the a**ault. Jo Jihyun continued speaking calmly.

“He should pay the price for what he did.”

Jo Jihyun’s gaze was directed at his father. He knew what Jihyun was implying.

“Jihyun-ah, Kiyeol is…”

“I’m sorry. Please leave.”

Tears streamed down Lee Sookhyun’s face. His father took Lee Sookhyun out of the hospital room. Jo Jihyun lay back down on the bed. His father returned shortly after.

“What kind of manners are those toward an adult? That lady is your mother’s…”

“Friend.”

Jo Jihyun answered with his eyes closed. Only his right arm was in a cast, but his entire body ached, and he felt feverish.

“Yes, so you should try to understand…”

“What kind of understanding are you asking for?”

Jo Jihyun opened his eyes. The air in front of him shimmered, like heat rising around a fire. Pain, fear, and anger swirled together, rising to his throat. His father showed no anger for what had happened to his son. He was only concerned about the rudeness shown to his mother’s friend.

“Jo Jihyun.”

His father put on a stern expression. Jo Jihyun gave a bitter smile.

“Be honest. You’re worried about problems with your business.”

His father’s face flushed red. Still, unlike his mother, he at least had enough conscience to blush.

“Can’t you just leave me alone?”

“Jihyun-ah.”

“Just… abandon me. I’ll live quietly, like I’m dead. Please, I’m begging you.”

Jo Jihyun bowed his head. Every movement sent sharp pain through his bones, as if his neck was injured, causing cold sweat to drip.

If he could, he would live as if he were dead—no, even quieter than that. Without meeting anyone, staying in that peaceful world with Kang Seokwon.

A sigh passed over his head.

“I understand that you’re exhausted from all this. So…”

“Don’t say you understand.”

“Jihyun-ah.”

“I’ll settle with Choi Kiyeol too, so just leave me as I am. That way, your business will go smoothly too, right? …Please.”

It wasn’t just his mother who had forgiven Choi Kiyeol. His father had too. Things that weren’t visible before were now clear. It was evident who had benefited the most from joining hands with Choi Kiyeol’s father.

“Please leave. I’m begging you.”

“…I’ll contact you later.”

His father picked up his coat. As if something occurred to him, he turned back.

“No matter what you say, I’m your father. When something like this happens, you’ll have no choice but to contact me. That’s what family is.”

Jo Jihyun didn’t respond. The hospital room door closed.

He swallowed hard. Something hot seared his throat.

What should I do?

What he thought he had overcome came back, retracing the same path as before.

What should I do? What am I supposed to do?

Jo Jihyun lay face down on the bed and closed his eyes. The cold gaze of Kang Seokwon staring at him came to mind. Closing and opening his eyes didn’t change it. He felt like he was dying. Unable to cry out loud, he bit his lips. Why had he come back here? Why had he opened his eyes in the past again? If he couldn’t change the future, why was he made to go through this again? Why? No matter how much he thought, no answer came. At this rate, he would end up leaving Kang Seokwon. His ties with his parents wouldn’t be severed either…

Suddenly, his father’s words flashed through his mind. Jo Jihyun jumped out of bed barefoot. Opening the hospital room door, he saw Kang Seokwon standing there, leaning against the wall with crutches. They locked eyes but didn’t speak for a while.

“They said you need a guardian’s consent for admission.”

Kang Seokwon spoke first.

“So… I called.”

He uttered those words with great pain. Misery was written all over his face. He had no choice but to rely on the parents who had abused their child. They weren’t actual cousins, and both were minors. Kang Seokwon couldn’t be Jo Jihyun’s guardian. He wouldn’t have been able to consent to any medical procedures.

“I’m sorry.”

He bowed his head.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“For leaving you alone… For that… I’m sorry.”

Kang Seokwon could barely string his words together. His hands, gripping the crutches, trembled. Seeing this, Jo Jihyun felt his heart being crushed.

“I’m sorry… Really, I’m sorry.”

Jo Jihyun pictured the man who, despite his own difficulty moving, stood in the hallway, unable to enter the room, ruminating on his guilt. Emotions flooded in instantly. He could hardly breathe.

“Why is sunbae apologizing?”

The ones who should apologize didn’t, yet Kang Seokwon was the only one feeling guilty.

“I’m okay. As long as I have sunbae, I’m okay. So…”

His last words trembled with tears. Kang Seokwon lifted his head.

“Don’t apologize to me. Not now, not ever.”

He returned the words Kang Seokwon had once said, the feelings he had given. Tears welled up in his eyes, soaking his collar. Kang Seokwon raised his uninjured arm and pulled Jo Jihyun into an embrace. Jo Jihyun exhaled in his arms.

So this is what it felt like.

The feelings of the man he couldn’t fathom back then slowly seeped in, deepening.

You don’t have to apologize to me!

Just hearing the other’s apology hurt his heart. The guilt Kang Seokwon felt toward him was nothing but tender. Nothing else mattered. It meant he was already prepared to forgive, no matter what the other had done.

Kang Seokwon buried his face in Jo Jihyun’s hair and called his name. Jihyun-ah. His body trembled at that low call.

The only thing left for him to do was one.

To hurt this person, this man who was like this.

Jo Jihyun clutched Kang Seokwon’s back and quietly swallowed his tears.

“What are you doing here again?”

The nurse started nagging as soon as she entered the room.

“I’ve never heard of a patient eating in another patient’s room. You can’t keep leaving your room.”

Jo Jihyun’s face flushed as he immediately apologized. Kang Seokwon chimed in right away.

“He can’t use chopsticks.”

Every time Kang Seokwon casually treated him like a child, Jo Jihyun didn’t know where to look. Even with a cast on his right arm, he could manage to eat clumsily with his left hand.

“It’s inconvenient for the other patient too.”

“I’m ambidextrous, so it’s fine.”

The nurse sighed as if she had no choice.

“Then eat and go back right away. You can’t keep leaving your room. You might miss your tests or treatments.”

“Understood.”

Jo Jihyun answered politely, and the nurse softened her tone, saying to enjoy the meal, before leaving.

“I’ll eat alone starting tomorrow.”

Kang Seokwon didn’t respond and placed some side dishes on Jo Jihyun’s rice.

“I can do it myself.”

“No.”

Jo Jihyun’s eyes widened.

It was the first time Kang Seokwon had used such a word.

“I don’t want to let you eat alone.”

“…I’ve been eating alone just fine.”

Jo Jihyun picked up his spoon. The side dish Kang Seokwon had carefully placed fell off. This time, Kang Seokwon brought the side dish directly to Jo Jihyun’s mouth.

“Open your mouth.”

His gruff voice sounded sweet, like it could melt his ears. Jo Jihyun lowered his eyes and opened his lips. The chopsticks brushed his lips. He chewed the rice and side dish together. Kang Seokwon ate intermittently too. Since Kang Seokwon was feeding Jo Jihyun, it took twice as long as usual to finish the meal. After returning the tray and brushing his teeth, Jo Jihyun said he would return to his room.

“Why?”

At Kang Seokwon’s question, Jo Jihyun wondered if he had misunderstood.

“You can just stay here.”

The follow-up words made it clear Kang Seokwon understood perfectly.

“It’s not good to keep leaving my room.”

Both were in single rooms. Jo Jihyun’s hospital bills were being paid by Choi Kiyeol’s family. Not only that, but they had arranged for a brain MRI just in case. Jo Jihyun had declined, saying he was fine, but Lee Sookhyun insisted on the test. What if something’s wrong? With tears in her eyes, she said this, but her concern was for her son, not Jo Jihyun. She was worried her son would become a criminal, that he might have caused lasting harm to someone. Annoyed, Jo Jihyun almost told her to stop but nodded instead. Lee Sookhyun wasn’t the only one worried. Does your head hurt? Are you nauseous? Tell me if anything feels off. Is your head okay? It was the first time Jo Jihyun had seen Kang Seokwon repeat the same thing so many times. To reassure him, Jo Jihyun agreed to all the tests.

“Should I come down then?”

Jo Jihyun’s room was one floor below Kang Seokwon’s.

“No. It’s inconvenient for sunbae to go back and forth. Just stay here.”

As Jo Jihyun tried to get up, Kang Seokwon’s expression hardened.

“Don’t worry. I’m just in the hospital.”

Kang Seokwon replied, “Okay,” but a trace of gloom passed over him, despite no change in his expression. Jo Jihyun hesitated, then spoke.

“I’ll stay for thirty more minutes.”

Jo Jihyun sat back down.

Kang Seokwon’s anxiety deepened. Whenever Jo Jihyun left, even briefly, Kang Seokwon seemed at a loss. He wasn’t expressive, but Jo Jihyun could read his emotions.

“Are you in pain anywhere?”

Kang Seokwon asked the same question tirelessly.

“No. I’m fine.”

Jo Jihyun gave the same answer every time, but he never grew tired of it. Kang Seokwon was the only one, besides the doctor, who asked him such things.

Kang Seokwon reached out and caressed Jo Jihyun’s cheek. There was a scar from tumbling down the stairs. Kang Seokwon’s eyes narrowed.

“I shouldn’t have let it end like that.”

“Don’t say that.”

Jo Jihyun pulled Kang Seokwon’s hand down.

“It was just an attempt, and the scars will heal. I’m fine.”

Kang Seokwon still looked displeased.

Jo Jihyun gave a small smile.

In truth, he wasn’t fine at all. Even while saying he knew how it would end, he kept deceiving himself. The longer he spent with Kang Seokwon, the greedier he became. Maybe it could pass like nothing happened, a faint hope. It felt like that hope had been taken away.

He couldn’t confide in or consult anyone. He had to think and find answers alone. It felt like being trapped.

“Do you sleep well?”

Kang Seokwon asked.

“Yes. I sleep well.”

“No nightmares?”

“When I take the medicine, I wake up in the morning.”

Kang Seokwon didn’t respond and gently brushed Jo Jihyun’s hair. The cool sensation of his hair being tucked behind his ear felt refreshing.

“Can you wash your hair?”

“Yes.”

“Wash your face?”

“I’m not a kid.”

“I know.”

Kang Seokwon answered and kissed the skin below Jo Jihyun’s eyes.

“I wish a double room would open up soon.”

“…I’ll be discharged soon.”

“Still.”

Despite the rough fall, only his right arm was broken. He was still hospitalized because of Lee Sookhyun’s insistence.

“I want to stay with you all the time.”

Kang Seokwon spoke more openly than before. Jo Jihyun smiled and said he felt the same.

“I want to be with you every single day.”

“We will.”

The nurse knocked and entered.

“It’s time for your medicine. There’s medicine waiting for Jo Jihyun downstairs too.”

“Understood.”

The nurse handed over the medicine and left. Kang Seokwon swallowed his pills. His Adam’s apple moved as he drank water. Every time Kang Seokwon drank, Jo Jihyun felt an inexplicable thirst.

“I’ll go down now.”

He spoke with his eyes lowered.

“No.”

Jo Jihyun’s eyes widened at Kang Seokwon’s words.

“It hasn’t been thirty minutes yet.”

Jo Jihyun looked at him and let out a short laugh at the thought that crossed his mind.

“Why are you laughing?”

“No. It’s just… sunbae… Never mind.”

Kang Seokwon tilted his head slightly.

It was the young Kang Seokwon. Jo Jihyun often forgot because he always seemed bigger and stronger, but it was the young Kang Seokwon. Every time Kang Seokwon was stubborn, Jo Jihyun found him lovable and cute.

“Then I’ll stay until the time’s up.”

“Until it’s up?”

Kang Seokwon asked lightly. Jo Jihyun laughed and said he’d stay the full time.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t figure out why he’d returned to the past. He thought it wouldn’t matter if he could see Kang Seokwon for just one more day, but then he grew greedy for another day, and the day after that.

He had no intention of leaving Kang Seokwon. Never. But the predetermined future clung closely behind him. It felt like he was being dragged along, bound, with no say in the matter.

Jo Jihyun chewed over his powerlessness again and again.

“Good night.”

「Jihyun-ah.」

“Yes?”

「Call me right away if anything happens.」

“Yes. Understood.”

Jo Jihyun hung up the phone. The one silver lining was that there was a phone in the room, allowing him to talk freely with Kang Seokwon.

He lay down. Sleep wouldn’t come. Even with sleeping pills prescribed by the doctor, his frayed nerves wouldn’t calm. He tossed and turned before closing his eyes.

In his half-sleep, Jo Jihyun heard a gnawing sound. His nerves, already on edge, sharpened. He immediately sat up. The air in the hospital room felt heavy, oppressive. He sat still for a while, straining his ears, but no sound came. It was eerily quiet. A chilling premonition stabbed at his spine. The thought that something was wrong made it hard to even exhale. He slid off the bed. At that moment, he heard movement outside the door. Without time to put on slippers, he rushed to the door and opened it. Someone was standing there. As he raised his head to see their face, a hand emerged from the darkness and seized his throat. He let out a choked scream. The air grew thin, and his vision blurred. He thrashed to break free from the grip, but it was futile. The strength difference was overwhelming. Who, who could it be…

“I told you not to cross my path.”

A low, sunken male voice reached his ears. Every cell in his body stood on end.

“I said I’d kill you if we met again.”

His eyes met those of the man emerging from the darkness.

“――!”

Jo Jihyun let out a silent scream as he jolted upright. He gasped for breath. The sound of his breathing filled the room. Caught between dream, illusion, hallucination, and the future, Jo Jihyun felt the terror of someone drowning. The light filtering through the window dimly illuminated the hospital room. He needed bright light to drive away the darkness. As he tried to get off the bed, he collapsed. His legs wouldn’t hold him. A sharp ringing pierced his ears, and his hands and feet trembled. Cold sweat dripped down. The fear of death tightened his throat. He couldn’t even recall how he crawled to the wall. He barely managed to turn on the light. Even with everything clearly visible, he still couldn’t trust this moment. Kang Seokwon’s voice lingered in his ears. That voice, dripping with disgust and hatred. He wanted to call him right now, but he couldn’t. It felt like Kang Seokwon would pour hatred on him at any moment. He couldn’t dismiss it as just a nightmare. It was a voice he had heard before. The cold eyes of Kang Seokwon staring at him flashed in his mind. Jo Jihyun clamped his mouth shut and stumbled into the bathroom. He vomited undigested food into the toilet. The remnants of the side dishes Kang Seokwon had carefully fed him with chopsticks. Even seeing that, Jo Jihyun couldn’t be certain of the man upstairs’ feelings. He felt like he was dying. Clutching the toilet, Jo Jihyun retched several more times. What should he do? He staggered to his feet and rinsed his mouth. A nightmare of being killed by his mother would be a thousand times better. This was reality.

I miss him.

Jo Jihyun closed his eyes.

He missed Kang Seokwon. In this moment, he desperately needed his presence. He wanted to hold him and confirm his feelings. At that moment, he heard a sound. His hair stood on end. His hands trembled violently. Suppressing the urge to flee, he flung the door open.

It was Kang Seokwon.

His hand was awkwardly frozen in mid-air, as if he had been about to knock.

“Sunbae…”

Jo Jihyun called out to him in a daze.

“Sorry. Did I wake you?”

“…No.”

Jo Jihyun blinked. It was Kang Seokwon. His eyes were gentle. For now, they looked down at him with boundless affection.

“Are you hurting anywhere?”

Kang Seokwon’s voice was low.

“No. I’m fine.”

The man’s voice from the dream wouldn’t leave him. Don’t cross my path. I’ll kill you. He hid his trembling hands behind his back.

“But why are you here at this hour?”

Suppressing his fear, he tried to sound calm.

“I missed you.”

Those words shattered the razor-sharp emotions within him.

I missed you.

Jo Jihyun lowered his head.

“Why?”

“…It’s nothing.”

Kang Seokwon brushed back Jo Jihyun’s damp hair from washing his face. Tenderness radiated from his fingertips. Jo Jihyun felt ashamed. He was the one who had made Kang Seokwon this way, and those feelings were valid. He shouldn’t fear him. Yet, in that moment, he longed unbearably for the Kang Seokwon standing across the street.

Jo Jihyun took Kang Seokwon’s hand.

“Come in.”

Kang Seokwon entered the room, leaning on his crutches. They sat side by side on the bed. Kang Seokwon’s forehead was damp with sweat.

“If it’s hard, just call me next time. I’ll come to you.”

“I’ll take it as exercise.”

Kang Seokwon’s recovery was slower than expected. It was strange. If things were following the past, Kang Seokwon should have been recovering remarkably by now. That was the only difference from before.

“Is it tough?”

Jo Jihyun asked. His own ordinary injury was merely an inconvenience, but for an athlete like Kang Seokwon, it was different. An uncontrollable body would be more than discomfort—it would be agony.

“A little.”

Kang Seokwon admitted readily.

“You’ll get better soon.”

Kang Seokwon smiled silently. Jo Jihyun glanced at the clock. It was past three in the morning.

“Can’t sleep?”

“Yeah.”

“If something’s uncomfortable, make sure to tell the doctor during rounds.”

Kang Seokwon said it wasn’t that, then cupped Jo Jihyun’s chin. In a slightly shy tone, he continued.

“I can’t sleep without you.”

I can’t exactly sleep on the spare bed here either.

Finally, Jo Jihyun burst into laughter. The horrible nightmare washed away.

“Then I’ll sleep on the spare bed in sunbae’s room.”

“No way.”

Kang Seokwon’s voice hardened instantly. His affection was steadfast to a fault. Absolutely not. Kang Seokwon looked at Jo Jihyun and said it again. What was the big deal about sleeping on a spare bed?

Jo Jihyun turned and kissed him. His lips, parched from the nightmare, grew moist with Kang Seokwon’s breath. He opened his mouth wide, letting Kang Seokwon’s tongue explore freely. Just the kiss made his lower body tingle. Jo Jihyun, breathing heavily, took Kang Seokwon’s lips into his own.

“Jihyun-ah.”

Kang Seokwon’s lips brushed against his neck. Jo Jihyun leaned into him, making it easier for him to move. Kang Seokwon grazed Jo Jihyun’s neck with his teeth before letting go. His hand slipped inside Jo Jihyun’s hospital gown. For a moment, the clammy touch of Choi Kiyeol’s hand flashed in his mind. Jo Jihyun flinched and shrank back instinctively.

“What’s wrong?”

Noticing immediately, Kang Seokwon asked with concern.

“It’s nothing.”

He tried to kiss him again, but Kang Seokwon didn’t move.

“Are you hurting somewhere?”

It was hard to deceive him.

“My stomach’s a bit upset.”

Jo Jihyun brushed it off. He had only told Kang Seokwon that Choi Kiyeol had tried to hold him and kiss him.

“I’ll call the doctor.”

Kang Seokwon stood up. Jo Jihyun grabbed his hand.

“No. Don’t go.”

He clung to him unconsciously. Kang Seokwon sighed softly and sat back down beside Jo Jihyun.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

He revealed his anxiety, as if this were the end. Jo Jihyun apologized in a small voice. Silence followed.

“Is it over now?”

“What?”

“No more getting hurt?”

“…There won’t be any more getting hurt.”

“Good.”

Kang Seokwon’s single word, mixed with a sigh, struck his heart. No one else would get hurt, but Jo Jihyun would have to leave Kang Seokwon. And years later, they would meet again. That was the set rule.

“Sunbae.”

“Yeah.”

“If I…”

Unable to continue, Jo Jihyun bit his lip and let go.

“You don’t have to say it if it’s hard.”

“…”

“I’ll do anything.”

It was the same as before.

I’ll do anything, so don’t do this.

Hearing those words, something he had barely held together snapped and fled. He was afraid of ruining Kang Seokwon.

“Don’t do anything.”

Jo Jihyun looked straight at Kang Seokwon.

“I don’t want to see sunbae sacrifice anything for me.”

“I’ve never sacrificed.”

It felt like a blow to the head.

Kang Seokwon had never once considered what he did a sacrifice. The more Jo Jihyun learned about him, the more he resented his past self.

“I won’t do anything you don’t want. I promised, didn’t I?”

“You have to keep that promise.”

Kang Seokwon nodded at Jo Jihyun’s words. The man, still observing Jo Jihyun’s dark expression, extended his pinky. The gesture, so unlike him, tickled Jo Jihyun’s heart. Jo Jihyun extended his own pinky. Their fingers locked tightly. After shaking them lightly a couple of times, Kang Seokwon let go.

“Now do you believe me?”

Jo Jihyun nodded and leaned against Kang Seokwon.

He closed his eyes. He saw the man standing across the street. Hoping he wouldn’t forget this promise, Jo Jihyun kissed Kang Seokwon’s shoulder.

It was a night he could hardly sleep.

He tossed and turned until morning, unable to sleep. When he told the doctor during morning rounds, they prescribed a different sleeping pill. After eating lunch with Kang Seokwon and taking the new medication, his body grew languid. He called Kang Seokwon to say he’d take a nap and lay down. He barely fell asleep when a crisp, refreshing sound shattered the fragile boundary of his thin sleep.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

The sweet yet cruel sound of peeling the skin from ripe fruit reached his ears. The fresh scent of apples followed. The moment he opened his eyes, his shoulders flinched instinctively. His mother, sitting in a chair peeling an apple with a knife, smiled and asked if he was awake. It was a dream. His mother couldn’t possibly be here. She was surely…

“I bought some apples on the way. There was an old lady selling them on the street, and she looked so pitiful. You like apples too.”

Her voice was as warm as that of an actress who had retired from the stage after being passionately loved.

“I didn’t bring a knife, so I was in a bind, but the lady in the next room lent me one. She said the patient in room 1205 is her son and recognized you right away. She said your pretty face looks just like your mother’s.”

“…How did you get out?”

His mother continued cheerfully, as if she hadn’t heard.

“When I was pregnant, I craved fruit so much I thought for sure it’d be a girl, but when you were born, you were a boy even prettier than a girl.”

With each movement of her beautiful hand, the apple’s skin peeled away in thin, sensual strips, revealing the fruit’s flesh. The door was half-open, and he could see people passing by. His mother’s eyes met his. She smiled. It felt like black insects were crawling over his body.

“When did you start taking those pictures?”

One hallmark of people with mental issues is the unpredictability of their conversation. You never know where the topic will jump.

“Was this all part of your plan?”

She deflected all blame onto others. A masterful self-centered mindset.

“How did you get out?”

Jo Jihyun asked again.

His mother was supposed to be detained, under investigation, and awaiting trial.

“There’s something called a detention review hearing. It determines if it’s right to keep someone detained during a trial. Your father really looked into everything. He truly loves me.”

Her voice was as cheerful as if she were singing.

“I’m sick.”

She said with a sorrowful expression.

“As you said, I’m someone with a sick mind. Your father became like that too, and your oppa as well. You never know when someone like that might snap.”

She had repeatedly said her father and uncle had nothing to do with her. Jo Jihyun realized what his father had used to get her out.

“I’ve decided to go to the hospital. I’ll get counseling and treatment. I’ll take medication too. They say the court is lenient with crimes committed in a state of mental weakness. In this condition, they say it’s likely to be a suspended sentence. Isn’t that something to be grateful for?”

“…Get out.”

“I had my first session today, and the doctor was so kind. They listened to me and said it must have been so hard.”

“Get out. I’ll call someone.”

He reached for the call button.

“But Jihyun-ah, did you know? Mental illness is hereditary.”

His fingers froze.

“So I’m worried about you.”

“What are you saying?”

“They called your father from the place where you got counseling. Panic disorder, depression, anxiety. All severe, they said. How did you end up so much like me?”

Her eyes curved into a smile. His stomach twisted. It was an undeniable fact.

“So I was thinking…”

The thin apple peel slid down the knife like a stream.

“You need treatment too.”

“…!”

“It might be good to have you admitted.”

“You’re…”

“Don’t call me ‘you.’”

Her eyes flashed.

“Do you know the pain of giving birth? It’s like your whole body is burning or your limbs are being cut off. Right before they take the baby out, the doctor slices your lower part with a scalpel. They cut a woman’s g**itals raw. But I didn’t even have time to feel that pain. I kept thinking one thing.”

Red droplets splattered on the apple peel. Blood flowed endlessly from her pale fingers. Jo Jihyun’s pupils widened in horror.

“I wished you’d just die.”

The flesh cut by the knife dangled. Dark blood spread over the apple’s white flesh. His mother approached Jo Jihyun, still holding the apple.

As her damp hand gripped his cheek, the smell of blood stung his nose.

“That’s how I gave birth to you.”

“….”

“But who are you to make it all for nothing?”

He tried to scream, but his mind went blank. As if proving he was her blood, he couldn’t control his mind. His body trembled.

“With the consent of two guardians, a minor can be locked up in a mental hospital anytime.”

She leaned down, whispering in a sweet, candy-like voice.

“While you’re asleep, two men will come, grab your limbs, and take you away. There’s nothing you or that filthy boy can do.”

“Get out…”

Jo Jihyun reached out to push her away. She grabbed his hand and pressed it to her cheek.

“Poor baby.”

A cold snake slithered up his neck, tightening slowly as its scales stood upright. Instinctive revulsion choked him.

“Or there’s another way. Go study at your aunt’s in America. It’ll do wonders for your sick mind. America’s so different from here. I’m sorry I didn’t realize how hard it’s been for you.”

In a tender voice, she expressed concern for her son.

“Your liking men is just a sickness from your unstable mind. It can be fixed.”

She had dressed up a fact she’d never accept as weakness, scheming to escape the law while planning to cage her son.

“If your illness flares up even in America, we’ll have to bring you back.”

She looked at her son with eyes full of pity.

“…Get out.”

“Think it over. I’ll go.”

She placed her hand on Jo Jihyun’s shoulder. Sticky blood seeped into his hospital gown. Her footsteps faded, and the hospital room door closed.

The final missing piece fell into place. The reason he had to leave Kang Seokwon became clear.

As Jo Jihyun climbed the stairs to the hospital room, he mulled it over endlessly.

Should he ask to run away? If they hid for a while, maybe it would work out. Kang Seokwon would need treatment for some time too. Maybe until then, somehow…

Before he knew it, he was in front of Kang Seokwon’s room. He still hadn’t decided what to say. If he told the truth, Kang Seokwon would insist they leave immediately. He both wanted and didn’t want that. His conflicting emotions tangled messily.

Still, he had to speak. As he raised his hand to knock, he heard voices conversing inside.

“You need another surgery.”

“I’ll do it later.”

“Do you think surgery is a game? Even if you do it now, there’s no guarantee. Didn’t you hear the doctor? Rehabilitation will take over a year. Even then, there’s no guarantee you’ll move like before.”

The coach snapped in frustration.

“Why the h**l are you so stubborn about delaying the surgery? What’s more important than that?”

When Kang Seokwon didn’t respond, the coach swore, “D**n it.”