DI Ch 100

“…Ah, was it like that?”

“Yes?”

“It turns out the one who I thought stole my vitamins was the culprit. Seriously, it’s so crappy and childish…”

Vitamins? Oh, right, I need to take my vitamins. I retrieved them from my bag and took them for lunch.

“Hey, hey. I retract it, retract.”

 I wondered in surprise as to why he changed his mind again and hastily swallowed the pill without water. I hurriedly cleared my throat, but he immediately shook his head as if it was nothing.

“I’m going to apply for employment next year. I just have to endure this semester. Anyway, we won’t see each other again after we graduate, so I can just endure it a little longer. … Why do you look at me like that?”

Since you said you’re entering Part 2 just like that…

However, if I actively offer to help him, he may feel burdened because he has not seen Kang Moo-hyun’s misdeeds and has only heard about them. So, rather than forcing it, I thought it would be better to use a different method.

“I’m a little sleepy because I’m full.”

“I’m just sleepy…”

“Isn’t the medicine too strong? You look like you will fall asleep while listening to the lecture.”

“That’s why I decided to stop taking the morning medicine when the new semester starts.”

“That’s a relief.”

As we finished our meal and stepped outside the store, I saw the familiar license plate of the sedan and the man. It was a bit surprising because I didn’t expect him to follow me just for a short meal. And to look at me with a longing gaze from a slightly distant place on a subject that couldn’t be approached too closely…

“Sunbae, I’ll go ahead.”

“Sure, be careful on your way back.”

It wasn’t like we had originally planned to meet, so we parted ways without any regrets. I had intended to catch up on the studies I hadn’t finished at the library and take a look at the summary sheet he had given me, but my priorities changed. As Woo Ji-min walked away, I quickly turned back toward the direction where the sedan was parked.

“What’s the matter?”

As I approached, the man’s face brightened as if it had come to life. However, he quickly fell silent and couldn’t open his mouth. I rushed him with some uneasiness. It couldn’t be that something happened to Tae Seong-je, right? No, considering the short time we have been apart, it was unlikely.

“That… by any chance, what time is it now?”

“Time?”

My hands, which were trembling with anxiety and nervousness, had completely lost their strength. Despite the fact that our address terms were still unclear and the conversation was awkward, suddenly asking about the time was strange. I was dumbfounded but I suspected the battery had died, so I took out my phone and checked the time instead.

“It’s 1:15.”

Although my pronunciation was a little awkward due to nervousness, I gave him the time he asked for. Strangely, his expression remained anxious. No, it was even more focused than before. His gaze lingered on my phone screen, and he seemed quite uneasy. I felt suspicious as he stared even when I checked my phone, and then I noticed a message from Tae Seong-je at the bottom.

“I got hurt [12:12]”

“…Huh?”

My heart dropped. I lowered my gaze to the ground unconsciously, as if checking if my throbbing heart had burst out onto the ground. Even though I knew it couldn’t happen, the illusion of being crushed and blood pouring out soaked my toes began to unfold.

There was an address attached right below the message, but I couldn’t see it. He said he was hurt… how much? My legs were shaking and I couldn’t stand upright. When did he send the message? Why didn’t I see it?

It must be a joke. It has to be a joke. We had parted just a few hours ago. What kind of injury could he have sustained in such a short time? Still, could he confidently assert who he would meet today? Moreover, he wasn’t the type to joke through messages.

“…Hu.”

“Why are you like this?”

The voice that had reached my ears dissipated in an instant. My breathing… my breathing gradually became rougher. Was he really injured? I felt a considerable amount of fear. Even if he was hurt, it wouldn’t be serious enough for him to die. He wouldn’t have been able to contact me if that were the case.

But what if he dies one day without my knowing and leaving me behind?

I had to keep that in mind when I decided to change the plot. Even though I don’t know what Tae Seong-je does, it’s a dangerous job. I was wrong. The most dangerous person around this man is not me, but himself.

It wasn’t just Woo Ji-min who was going into the second part. I should have also kept Tae Seong-je at a distance. The realization that I had left behind the person I loved the most, focusing solely on my own safety and the fate of others, shook me deeply.

“Hu, ugh, cough…”

As hyperventilation set in, I felt someone squeezing and compressing my brain tightly as if my oxygen was running out. My trembling legs gave way and I fell to the ground. The sounds around me became distant, and in the illusion where only the crumpling sound of my breathing echoed loudly, I gasped, trying to inhale air urgently with my mouth wide open.

I wanted to hear his voice reassuring me that everything was okay. I groped the dirty ground, forgetting that my hands hurt from scratching the rough floor. I felt like my palm was stinging, but since I was so dazed, it was difficult to judge whether I was injured or if it was just an aftereffect of feelings. The boundaries of reality seemed unclear.

My phone… My vision blurred, and sweat dripped like rain onto the ground. Sweat, tears, and red blood began to mix on the dirty pavement blocks. Blood. The sight of red blood, which I hadn’t seen in a long time, loomed large.

No, it wasn’t that. It seemed like my arm supporting my weight on the ground had collapsed. Why was this happening suddenly? I couldn’t understand. Even though I was surprised, I had never experienced such intense pain before. My mouth felt damp, almost bitter, and I coughed in the stuffy atmosphere as if I could sense the dust.

“Cough, cough…”

Tears welled up in my eyes as my body trembled from the intense pain in my stomach. Could the body have an expiration date? Was it really possible to live in this body? What would happen to me then? Where would I go? At that moment, my vision abruptly went dark.

I was startled by the pitch-black darkness and almost fell backward, but I managed to grit my teeth and hold back. There was no need to make a big deal about it because it was one of those things that happened all the time. Above all, regardless of how it appeared to others, I couldn’t see anything in front of me now, and the feeling of being on the verge of death was something only I knew.

Honestly, telling someone would only frighten them, so I had to deal with it calmly. I forced myself to regulate my breathing and wiped my mouth with trembling hands. I took out a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped my lips. I traced my lips after wiping them to make sure they were cleaned well, but I couldn’t quite feel the touch. I couldn’t tell if it was because my heart was racing so fast or because I was so shocked that my mind went blank.

“Sometimes, occasionally, it happens. Please don’t worry about it.”

I vaguely opened my mouth in the direction where the man was. It seemed like he was supporting me and helping me stand up. In the darkness, where I could hear nothing like the deafening sound of my pounding heart, I exerted every ounce of strength I had to stay on my feet. Was I standing properly? I couldn’t feel the flat ground at all.

Despite the fact that I couldn’t hear anything due to my rapid heartbeat, I kept my composure and opened my mouth again.

“I have to go see Seong-je hyung. I’m sorry, but do you happen to know where he is?”

I couldn’t hear his response because my ears were blocked. Actually, what I wanted to ask first was if he knew if Seong-je hyung was hurt, how badly he was hurt, and why he didn’t tell me sooner. I could only have one-sided conversations right now because it was the only way I could keep my composure.

I felt anxious and fumbled around with trembling hands. I felt a soft and fluffy cushion. I must be in a car. Due to the fear of not seeing anything, my eyelids wouldn’t even move. The tension in my shoulders and the chill that ran through my body as a result of my fear quickly exhausted me.

Even though I didn’t cry out, tears silently dripped onto the back of my hand. At that moment, something substantial entered my embrace. My ragged breath gradually calmed as I felt the familiar weight. My heart was calm despite the coldness of the backpack against my forehead.

“Please take me to Seong-je hyung. I’m begging you…”

I prayed with my weakened heart as my nauseous stomach calmed down. Please, just let this be a joke. I hoped there were no injuries. Suddenly, I felt like I was being hugged by something soft, so I felt around my shoulder and found a soft, thin blanket.

I looked at the blanket blankly and cried. I hated him for making me worry like this, and I cried because I missed him so much. He used to lay me down with a pillow and blanket in the back seat of the car he liked so much, but I didn’t know he had them here too.

When I tried to put even a cute air freshener, he hated it because it was unsophisticated, but now he put things like blankets and first aid kits within reach. When we had to get in another car, I would curl up in the back seat and sleep with others on a pillow or cushion.

Since his lap was high and hard to sleep on, I placed a pillow next to his thigh and listened to the sounds of him turning over documents or talking to someone on the phone instead of a lullaby. Sometimes I would wake up because the hand stroking my hair was so gentle that it made me cry.

During those moments, he would whisper to me, reassuring me that there was still a long way to go before he arrived, attempting to lull me back to sleep. Whether it was part of his plan to let me fall into a deep slumber or just his way of continuously putting me at ease, I couldn’t think of anything else. He kept telling me to think about getting better and sleep more. Just sleep, and everything would soon be okay.

“Who…”

I blinked my eyelids slowly. The smell of blood was so strong that it stung my nose, but even that felt dull as my mind went blank again.

“We’re on the way. Please lie down.”

Tae Seong-je’s subordinate, who must have heard what I was faintly muttered, quickly answered. I realized my hearing had returned with his voice, but I didn’t bother to reply. It wasn’t a question for him anyway.

It’s nothing… I must be seeing things again.

It was too dark to see clearly, but I saw someone. My hand reached out as if I had lost my mind. Why am I seeing this again? At first, I saw a person suffering, and now what?

For the first time, I faced the darkness calmly. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, facial features became apparent. Even though my head may be muddled from feeling fear, it wasn’t scary. I was just… kind of…

I felt like the car had stopped, but I was more concerned about the person in front of me. I reached out into the air, even though I knew I couldn’t touch him. I placed my hand roughly in the direction where I thought his cheek might be.