DI Ch 12

I couldn’t take it anymore, and the liquid that arose scratched my throat. I quickly covered my mouth with both hands, but the blood flowed back.

“Cough, cough…” 

A series of wild coughs followed. It was such a loud cough that there was nothing to say even if my heart was protruding from my throat. Tae Seong-je, who was on the phone at the time, turned to face me, hung up the phone, and looked at me urgently.

“Hey. Damn it, what’s wrong with you?”

The red puddle that had formed as a result of the overflowing emotion was slightly damp. The alcohol appeared to have been mixed and regurgitated as well. My nose was burning. The liquid that had come up from scratching my throat had made it sore and stinging. I coughed several times and coughed up blood. The tip of my nose was swollen, and tears welled up.

I felt exhausted in an instant. I couldn’t keep my balance and staggered, and I felt warmth covering the entire back of my head. It was a hard palm that couldn’t even be called soft because of calluses. I held back tears from the sense of security that touched my skin and once again turned away from my feelings. Now was the time to deal with Tae Seong-je, not the time to be sick.

“I, I’m all right. It’s nothing.”

This is really no big deal.  This was actually really not bad in comparison to the first time I panicked. There was so much blood at the time that I needed a blood transfusion. I spat out the blood in my mouth because it tasted bad.

Tae Seong-je said, frowning in displeasure.

“Do you think I’m blind. Wasn’t it a big deal tocough up blood?”

“This is just because I drank a lot…”

“There is no vomit, so what are you saying?”

“That’s because I haven’t had dinner yet… ”

It’s not an excuse, it’s real. Tae Song-je even moved one eyebrow up as I tried to explain it while gesturing. It’s unfair. It’s half blood and half alcohol…

“I’m going to go crazy. Hey, wipe your mouth first.”

Tae Seong-je looked at me as if he were in trouble and began rummaging through my bag. Tae Seong-je took bottled water and wipes from my bag and placed them in my hand. I wiped my bloodied hands and rinsed my mouth. He had brutally beaten people before, but he seemed concerned about me. It was incredible to discover his other unexpected side.

“Why are you wiping the floor? Are you sober yet?”

“I’m afraid anyone who sees it will be surprised…”

“You are really doing a lot of things. Just pour water.”

I tried to wipe away the blood I had vomited up with a wet tissue, but I got sullen and poured half of the remaining bottled water on the ground. Physiologically flowing tears dripped onto the puddled floor. Tae Seong-je looked me up and down on such a day and said,

“Get up.”

“No, I…”

“Hey. Baby.”

Tae Seong-je frowned in annoyance.

“Don’t make me say it twice.”

Surprised, I quickly nodded my head. My heart pounded again. I think it’s crazy to relax just because I felt his humanity. I should have run away the moment I saw him. Tae Seong-je pretended to be a normal businessman in Part 2, but he was still a gangster.

As I creaked from the fear that came back, Tae Seong-je sighed and roughly packed my things, then stood up with a bag slung over one shoulder. Come to think of it, Tae Seong-je’s hand continued to wrap around the back of my head. I happened to follow him and walk as I was led by him.

Maybe his pace was fast, or it appeared fast because he took wide strides, and my legs kept getting tangled up and stumbling. Tae Seong-je did not look back or show consideration by slowing down, despite the fact that I was in a rush.

That’s right, this was how Tae Seong-je was supposed to be. But why does Tae Seong-je, who is devoid of blood and tears, look after my bag and hold my head? It’s as if he’s afraid I’ll fall. As my anxiety increased, I became increasingly dizzy in the middle of my breath.

“Are you a dog? Stop panting and get in.”

There was a black foreign car at the stop. I know where to go with this. As I shook my head, Tae Seong-je opened his mouth, frowning in annoyance.

“Get on.”

“Yes.”

I’m not riding it just because I’m scared. It’s just that I know that resisting here won’t help me in the slightest…

The inside of the car was warm. It seemed that the alcohol that had crawled in somehow came back up. I was holding my head and groaning when Tae Seong-je suddenly approached me. I trembled at the approaching face and closed my eyes tightly. At that moment, my body tightened. Let’s open our eyes to see what it was. Ah, oh. It was a seat belt.

“What are you hoping for as you close your eyes?”

“No, that’s not it.”

My face heated up and I hurriedly shook my head. Tae Seong-je, who had a playful expression, suddenly lowered the backrest.

“…”

“…”

I couldn’t breathe properly. His breath touched my cheek. This, this was too close. The feeling of embarrassment was greater than the surprise, so my shoulders naturally became tense. Tae Seong-je tilted his head with rather serious eyes.

“Are all 20-year-olds like this? I don’t think I was like this.”

His breath caught in my face again. What was the sentence describing Tae Seong-je? I remembered only the scary and bloody things, but I felt like I was going crazy as I couldn’t think of anything else. A phrase like a handsome appearance with an atmosphere that seems to be in deep thought or a smile that moved the heart came to mind. I unconsciously nodded my head. That’s right… 

“It might be difficult not to think dirty thoughts in front of me, but lie down quietly. If my car gets blood on it, I won’t let you go.”

“Yes, yes.”

Tae Seong-je was literally too handsome. It was bad for my heart… Tae Seong-je, who was staring down at me, shifted back to his original position after adjusting the backrest. I shouted inwardly for him to turn on the blinker if he wanted to enter the driveway. I leaned out the window, clutching my pounding heart. It’s obvious that the night view passing by was beautiful, but it didn’t catch my attention.

I was so shocked that I couldn’t even ask where we were going, so I gazed through the window at Tae Seong-je’s profile. His expressionless face was cool as he drove leisurely, but he did not appear gloomy. A lighthearted and rough tone, as well as a cold and bloody atmosphere. However, it appeared that an error occurred in the character Tae Seong-je’s settings, possibly due to his friendly behavior. Tae Seong-je in front of me was like a little prince in the box.

We arrived at the hospital. He was taking someone he met for the first time to the hospital. What’s with this person? Is this a side of him that Woo Ji-min isn’t aware of? Is it just how he looked before he changed? Everyone in the hospital looked at Tae Seong-je as soon as he walked into the emergency room. He was definitely a standout person.

My body was warm and drowsy, but I was embarrassed to be lying on the bed in the emergency room and undergoing the examination even though I was already feeling fine. Tae Seong-je, who was looking at me silently with his arms folded, turned his back when he noticed the doctor tilting his head.

It was the first time I had seen his back.  I could see the back of Tae Song-je’s head clearly from the back. I kept looking at the undercut style with the bottom of the head because it was cool. But it’s strange. The book stated that he had long hair, styled with wax, but the hairstyle was different probably because we’re in part 1.

It was also different from the original work, which stated he had simple earlobe piercings. I couldn’t help but wonder what was different between Tae Seong-je from Part 2 and Tae Seong-je from today. It’s fascinating. Yeah, that’s because it’s fascinating. Because it’s fascinating, I’m curious about what’s different, and I can’t take my gaze away from him.

Tae Seong-je turned away and did not return. He was originally cold-hearted, but I felt sorry for receiving unexpected kindness. No, why do I feel sad? I guess I haven’t come to my senses yet…

The nurse sneaked up to me as if passing by and asked.

“Did your guardian leave?”

“Yes. … I think so.”

She nodded faintly and was secretly disappointed. I was given fluids because no matter how many tests I took, they were all useless. I was in a daze, and when the time came to leave, I was surprised to learn that the bill had already been paid.

“I’ve never paid for it.”

“Yes. However, it says that even the cost of hospitalization for one day has been paid.”

“What? Hospitalization?”

I moved to my newly assigned room in a daze. I haven’t been to the hospital in a long time. I was the only one in the shared room, so I suspected Tae Seong-je had wielded power, but my childish imagination was put to rest when I heard a faint snoring sound where the curtains were drawn.

What did I say that caused Tae Seong-je to go so far?

Excessive self-consciousness was also noticeable. Shaking my head, I went to the bathroom with a towel and toiletries from my backpack. I decided to nap here because the bill had already been paid, I didn’t have the energy to go home, and I was tired. I kept thinking of Tae Seong-je as I brushed my teeth in a daze.

The reason I think he was a better person than I thought is probably because I was confused by his appearance in the second part, right? However, my feelings for Tae Seong-je were too weak to say so. I feel restless as if I suddenly became a different person… The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed to the point I wondered why I did it.

Is it because I’m starting to feel Seo Seung-won’s emotions?