“W-What about my mom and brother?”
“Your mom and brother too.”
They survived. Heewoon thought he couldn’t survive alone, but thanks to Kangwoo, he could live. His mother and brother wouldn’t die either.
“Thank you. R-Really, thank you so much, Kangwoo…”
Heewoon mumbled nonstop.
Instead. Kangwoo interrupted Heewoon’s unceasing thanks.
“Make your choice.”
“…Huh?”
“When we get out of here…”
The hand that had been on his head descended. Gently caressing the reddened eye area, Kangwoo’s words were different from what Heewoon had never thought about.
“Either you never see me again. Or you follow me.”
For the first time in this relationship, the decision-making power was given to Heewoon. He stared blankly at Kangwoo, who wore an indifferent expression, as if it didn’t matter which option Heewoon chose.
If he chose never to see Seo Kangwoo again…
Contrary to the unreadable expression, the hand stroking his numb cheekbones felt warm. Only now did Heewoon realize how cold he was. This operating room was too cold.
He was scared.
But…
Now he wasn’t sure what he should be afraid of.
Heewoon looked directly at Kangwoo’s face. His uncomfortable arms tied behind, the pain radiating from his leg, the chilly air, his brother, his mother—all vanished.
Even though Kangwoo said he would save them from here, he didn’t promise to pay off the debts. The loan sharks would undoubtedly come after them again when there wasn’t Seo Kangwoo.
However.
It wasn’t because of such logical reasoning.
“I’ll follow you! Please take me with you.”
Heewoon shouted tearfully.
In the blurry background, the lips of the lone beautiful man standing alone vividly drew a curve. Only now did his lost senses gradually return. It was cold. Heewoon just wanted to go to a warm place quickly, with Seo Kangwoo.
“I’ll really listen from now on. Please, Kangwoo.”
“If you follow me now, we’ll go to our house. Do you still want to go?”
“Yeah, I want to go.”
Heewoon, who answered with sobs, suddenly remembered Kangwoo’s sigh earlier. Was he reluctant to take him along because he’s troublesome? So, he added hastily.
“I-If you tell me to just stay at home, I’ll do that. I won’t meet anyone, just you… only you.”
In his large pupils, tears seemed about to fall at any moment. Kangwoo, who silently pondered Heewoon’s words, smiled.
“Only me?”
Heewoon nodded repeatedly. Kangwoo smiled, satisfied with every trembling word Heewoon uttered. Softly caressing Heewoon’s cheek, he sweetly whispered.
“Okay. Let’s go home.”
Heewoon sighed shakily, a sigh mixed with a feeling of relief. However, he couldn’t completely relax, observing anxiously as Kangwoo grabbed something from the tray.
“I’ll untie you.”
“Yeah.”
Kangwoo bent his knees, sitting down, and reached behind Heewoon.
Heewoon leaned in. The sound of scissors cutting through the layered tape echoed. The familiar scent tickled his nose, and his whole body was enclosed in the firm embrace of two strong arms. There, in front of his eyes, was the shoulder he had longed for.
Heewoon gently leaned his cheek on Kangwoo’s shoulder. Then Kangwoo embraced him tightly before releasing.
Kangwoo immediately untied the tape around the ankles. When his injured ankle was touched, Heewoon almost screamed, hastily biting his lips. As if praising him, Kangwoo gently kissed the top of his head.
“Are we going now?”
Carressing Heewoon’s anxious head, Kangwoo stood up.
“Before going home, there’s something I have to do.”
And he directed his gaze toward the two men standing at a distance. Kangwoo, who straightened his back, was much taller than the men.
“Who is the person that hit Heewoon?”
He asked in a casual tone.
“W-Where… We only hit the older brat.”
A man who stood awkwardly, pointing at Heehyun.
“Then, is this from falling down?”
Kangwoo lifted Heewoon’s chin lightly and touched the area around the cheekbones. Heewoon didn’t move, only looking up at Kangwoo quietly. I’m going crazy now. Kangwoo furrowed his brow and smiled.
“Tell me, Sunbae. Did you fall?”
A gentle and affectionate question, a familiar touch. Due to the sudden surge of tears, Heewoon’s vision became blurry. Afraid that the tears might burst out, Heewoon bit his lips and lowered his head.
“There’s a bruise on your forehead too.”
Kangwoo swept Heewoon’s hair aside. The bruise on his forehead was a result of falling while trying to move hastily, but anyway, it happened because of those people. So Heewoon didn’t say anything.
Kangwoo affectionately stroked Heewoon’s head. Looking at the face that struggled to hold back tears, he quietly said.
“Quickly bring the bastard who hit Heewoon.”
He didn’t glance back.
The man tapped another man’s arm.
“…Ah, yes.”
The man, who answered in surprise, went out of the operating room. His thoughts were chaotic, and he scratched his head wildly. Even though there were several people who came with Kangwoo right in front of him, they didn’t stop the man, so he could go straight to the corridor.
“Fuck.”
The man cursed as he looked at the scene in the corridor.
“Is there no one in their right mind?”
In the narrow corridor, there were groans coming from fallen men here and there. The man ruffled his hair roughly, then helped the bulkiest one to his feet.
“…Hyung-nim, some bastards… suddenly came…”
“I know.”
The man looked straight ahead. The heavily beaten man staggered around, shouting incoherent nonsense. It was no small feat to carry the sagging hulk, but he finally made it to the operating room.
“Is it him?”
Kangwoo, who was carefully removing the tape stuck to the back of Heewoon’s neck, turned around. With his hair pulled due to the action, Heewoon looked at him, frowning slightly.
“Yes.”
The man put his arms on his back and stood beside him. Something on the back of the man’s hand caught Heewoon’s eye for a moment. Heewoon squinted, trying to look more closely, and Kangwoo turned to Heewoon again, asking.
“Does it hurt?”
“No.”
The few strands of hair being plucked were nothing compared to the pain in his leg. When Heewoon absentmindedly touched the upper part of his leg, Kangwoo’s gaze landed there. We need to leave quickly. Kangwoo dropped the peeled tape on the floor and stood up.
“Kangwoo…”
“Yes?”
“Not that guy… but over there.”
Heewoon gestured. The man he pointed to was the one who supported the other. Getting pointed out, the man waved his hands in denial with a bewildered expression.
“It’s dark, maybe you were mistaken, but it wasn’t me.”
Looking at the denying man, Heewoon frowned. The moment when his whole family was kidnapped came to mind. The expression of his mother being taken away in a dimly lit car also flashed in his mind.
“I bit his hand, because he tried to take Mom away.”
“Hand?”
Kangwoo looked at the man’s hand and immediately noticed the vivid crimson bite mark engraved on the back of it. Kangwoo’s forehead gradually furrowed.
“I-I didn’t originally intend to hit him, but he suddenly bit me.”
The man explained and his face became red. It must have been embarrassing to be dominated by a younger guy.
“Sunbae.”
Kangwoo turned around, calling Heewoon with a slightly annoyed tone.
“Why would you put such dirty thing in your mouth?”
“…”
“I should have known when you picked up something that fell and ate it.”
Heewoon dazedly mumbled sorry. Kangwoo looked intently at the bite mark remaining on the back of the man’s hand, then his lips curved.
Then Heewoon witnessed a horrific sight. Kangwoo was mercilessly slashing at the back of the man’s hand with a knife and punching him until blood spurted out.
Within minutes, the floor was covered in blood. Heewoon felt sick to his stomach and squeezed his eyes shut. He regretted not closing his eyes a bit earlier.
“I’ll generously cover the hospital expenses.”
After he heard Kangwoo’s voice, Heewoon opened his eyes. Kangwoo was speaking to the man while wiping his hands.
“Yes, I understood.”
His mother, his brother, and Heewoon. The man who used to toy with his whole family answered Kangwoo right away. Heewoon glared intently at the man who had frequently appeared in his nightmares for the past few years.
“Where are you looking now?”
Kangwoo, who had suddenly bent his waist in front of him, surprised Heewoon.
“Kangwoo… Ughhh!”
Whether it was the aftermath of the assault or from shock, a hiccup escaped Heewoon. Even though he was told not to make any other sounds except to speak. Heewoon quickly covered his mouth. After being assured that he would be saved, he didn’t want another leg to be broken.
“I couldn’t help that because I was surprised…”
“I know. We’re leaving now, so It’s okay.”
Kangwoo put his hand under Heewoon’s arm, lifting him gently. Pain flared as his broken leg wobbled, and he clung tightly to Kangwoo’s neck. After adjusting his posture for a moment, Kangwoo passed by the collapsed man and the doctor, exiting the operating room.
The horrible scene in the operating room faded into the distance. His brother still lying on the operating table, the two men sprawled with blood, the man standing on the side pulling out and smoking a cigarette, and his collapsed mother were still vivid.
“M-Mom…”
The words slipped through his chewed lips.
“I’ll send your mom and your brother to the hospital right away.”
“…Yeah.”
Heewoon, whose gaze was fixed on one point, buried his face from Kangwoo’s shoulder. He closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath. The noise of the elevator and the sounds of people outside felt strangely awkward.
When Heewoon raised his head, they were already outside the hospital. In front of them, there was the imported car that Kangwoo occasionally drove. When the driver opened the door, Kangwoo carefully brought Heewoon inside.
“Ah…”
When Heewoon closed his eyes tightly, enduring the pain, he felt a comforting touch stroking his head. Heewoon turned his head. Seo Kangwoo’s face, looking at him affectionately despite breaking his leg earlier, came into view.
“Kangwoo.”
“Yes.”
A soft response that always came when called. Heewoon’s eyelashes trembled. Kangwoo laughed like a sigh as he watched Heewoon bite his lip.
“You can cry.”
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