IPSTDS Chapter 97

Chapter 97

With Yoon Noah’s answer, the scene began to melt away.

It seemed the dream was ending, but soon another background unfolded before his eyes.

This time it wasn’t the schoolyard. Yoon Noah was standing on a deserted street near the school, fiddling nervously with his phone.

Unlike his usual sharp, bristling air, his face was pale as a sheet.

His hands trembled as though he had done something unforgivable.

Nahyuk could feel Yoon Noah’s anxious thoughts flow into his own mind.

‘Will this… really be okay?’

Then, in Noah’s head, Park Sangcheol’s words resurfaced.

‘I know an abandoned warehouse. All you have to do, Yoon Noah, is lure Seo Dowoong there. Then I’ll have him beaten to the point your resentment fades. Of course, I won’t be the one doing it—there are people who specialize in that sort of thing.’

Park Sangcheol had arranged for hired thugs to ambush and assault Seo Dowoong.

It was such a crude, violent plan that Noah hadn’t agreed to it at first.

But after even the bond of friendship was denied to him, he couldn’t suppress the burning resentment inside. In a moment of spite, he gave in to Sangcheol’s shallow scheme.

And now, he had already lured Seo Dowoong to the warehouse.

Even as he called him out, Noah secretly hoped Seo Dowoong would refuse. Yet, contrary to expectations, he had accepted without hesitation.

By now, Seo Dowoong was probably at the warehouse.

How badly would Sangcheol’s men hurt him? Did Sangcheol really believe no one would find out Noah had played a part?

No matter how much Seo Dowoong’s parents hated scandal, they surely wouldn’t ignore their son being beaten bloody…

Perhaps Sangcheol foresaw everything ending in disaster, yet still longed for revenge. He always said his life was ruined, so maybe he feared nothing more.

A man with nothing to lose was the most terrifying of all.

Above all, Sangcheol’s hostility toward Seo Dowoong seemed overwhelming. A deep inferiority complex had festered into hatred, consuming him until he could no longer think rationally.

And what about Noah himself?

Sangcheol had sworn to shield him from consequences.

He had even gone so far as to say that if things turned bad and explanations were demanded, Noah could just claim Sangcheol had threatened him into it.

But would that really resolve everything?

Noah squeezed his eyes shut. Immediately, a vision of Seo Dowoong appeared before him, blood-soaked.

A pool of scarlet spread beneath him, screaming that something was terribly wrong.

His legs gave way, and just as he was about to collapse, a voice called out.

“…Noah-sunbae?”

When he opened his tightly shut eyes, he saw Kim Daon. He must have stumbled upon him by chance while passing by.

Since the incident when Sangcheol had threatened suicide, Noah had hardly spoken to him at all.

And after seeing how close Daon and Seo Dowoong seemed, Noah had gone so far as to pretend he didn’t know him, out of jealousy.

“What’s wrong?”

Surely Daon knew he had been ignored. Yet he still spoke in such a kind, gentle voice.

Noah faltered, speaking Daon’s name with difficulty.

“Do… Dowoong is…”

The tears made it almost impossible to get the words out.

“Don’t cry. Tell me slowly. What about Dowoong-sunbae?”

“Because of me…”

Daon didn’t press him, waiting until Noah was ready to speak. That calmness melted his defenses, and Noah confessed what he had done in his fit of anger.

“Then you should go home for now, just in case. I’ll take care of it.”

“I—I’ll come with you.”

“No. That could make things worse. Park Sangcheol-sunbae might target you too.”

Daon slipped off his coat and draped it gently over Noah’s trembling shoulders.

“Alright? Trust me and wait. I’ll contact you when it’s over.”

“…Okay.”

And so Noah did as Daon said, shutting himself up at home.

He had cried so much and thought himself sick with worry that he couldn’t think straight anymore. All he could do was follow Daon’s rational instructions.

The next day, Daon finally called. Somehow he had Noah’s number.

He explained calmly what had happened.

Thanks to quick intervention, Seo Dowoong had hardly been hurt. The thugs hiding in the warehouse were caught immediately, and it was revealed that Park Sangcheol was the mastermind.

“…What about me?”

On the other end, Daon fell silent for a moment.

-Sunbae…

Noah pressed anxiously.

“What about me? Don’t tell me it came out that I was involved too?”

Even asking made cold sweat pour down his back. It felt as though all the blood had drained from his body. His lips were parched, and his breath came short.

Even if Seo Dowoong had hurt him, he should never have done such a thing.

Regret swept over him like a tidal wave, leaving his mind in chaos.

He was certain Seo Dowoong would despise him now. Maybe indifference had been better than this.

Clenching his eyes shut, he felt like a criminal awaiting execution.

And at last, Daon’s voice came again.

-No one knows you were involved. Park Sangcheol-sunbae never mentioned your name either.

“…What?”

-You weren’t brought up, so you don’t need to worry about that. But shouldn’t you talk with Seo Dowoong-sunbae?

Even now, Daon’s response was calm, rational. That level-headed advice washed away the resentment Noah had once felt toward him.

There was no flaw in what Daon said. Noah answered meekly and ended the call.

“Alright.”

The words of thanks clung dryly to his mouth, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to speak them aloud.

Yoon Noah simply gripped the phone tightly, dazed after the call had ended. He was relieved his wrongdoing hadn’t come to light, yet at the same time he was at a loss as to how to face Seo Dowoong.

Soon, Noah’s figure began to fade away.

The dream went no further. From dream to reality, Nahyuk slowly lifted his heavy eyelids.

Blinking several times, his dry eyes cleared, and an unfamiliar ceiling came into view. One thing was certain—it wasn’t his own home.

Nahyuk recalled his last memory before he collapsed.

And then, faintly, the conversation he had had with Seo Dowoong returned to him. That absurd demand—that if he wanted Kim Daon to be protected, he had to love him again.

Soon, Seo Dowoong’s voice reached him.

“You’re awake?”

Nahyuk turned his head slightly and quietly watched Seo Dowoong enter through the open door.

At the same time, the voice he had heard in the dream echoed in his ears.

‘I’ve never once thought of Yoon Noah as a friend.’

He had unintentionally glimpsed Noah’s memories through a dream. From what he saw, Seo Dowoong and Noah had seemed like close friends before Park Sangcheol interfered.

Even so, it was hard to believe Seo Dowoong had spoken those cold words.

“You. Did you really never think of me as a friend?”

The question slipped out before he could stop it.

Seo Dowoong faltered, caught off guard, but with his long stride, he soon reached the bedside.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, he answered.

“Almost never.”

It was no different from what Nahyuk had seen in the dream.

Had Seo Dowoong really seen Yoon Noah only as some obedient mutt? Even though he wasn’t the real Noah, the thought still left Nahyuk unsettled.

But then, Seo Dowoong’s hand reached out and brushed against his cheek. Nahyuk had no strength to avoid the unexpected touch.

The coolness of Seo Dowoong’s fingertips felt strangely refreshing. Had he been running a fever in his sleep?

And then, to his surprise, a confession came.

“I liked you from back then.”

It was almost unbelievable.

“What…?”

“How could I ever think of you as a friend, when I liked you? But back then, I couldn’t admit it.”

“…”

“So instead, I acted petty when you started hanging around another guy. I hated it.”

So that was why he had shunned Noah when he was with Park Sangcheol? But Noah had only done that for Seo Dowoong’s sake, not out of his own will.

“But you were petty with me too, so doesn’t that make us even?”

“When was I ever petty with you?”

Instead of answering, Seo Dowoong pushed back the hair covering his forehead. A smooth, unblemished forehead was revealed—proof that even the smallest feature of a handsome man was flawless.

“Look closely.”

Wondering what he meant, Nahyuk examined his forehead carefully. There, at the border where his hair met his skin, was a small, faint scar.

It must have been from long ago, the outline barely visible now. That was what Seo Dowoong wanted him to see.

Immediately, Nahyuk was reminded of Seo Dowoong being lured to the warehouse.

“You teamed up with Park Sangcheol and had me hurt. Don’t you think that was a bit much, even for pettiness?”