IPSTDS Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Nahyuk quickly crossed the garden and opened the iron gate himself. What he saw was Seo Dowoong, staggering as if he couldn’t support his own weight.

It was hard to believe this was the same Seo Dowoong who had always appeared upright and cold in the novel.

As Nahyuk stepped closer, a strong smell of alcohol hit him. Just how much had he drunk to end up making such a scene?

Nahyuk still felt uncomfortable about Seo Dowoong forcibly kissing him that day. That was why he had tried to avoid him whenever possible…

‘But if I don’t step in, he won’t leave quietly.’

There was no doubt that Seo Dowoong had come here because of him. No matter how much the staff tried to dissuade him, he likely wouldn’t listen.

“Seo Dowoong, you’re really drunk. Go home.”

At Nahyuk’s firm words, Seo Dowoong let out a faint laugh. That smile was so impossibly handsome that Nahyuk found himself staring at his face for a moment.

“I’ll call you a cab. Just wait—whoa!”

Nahyuk couldn’t finish his sentence. Seo Dowoong had suddenly pulled him close by the waist.

His grip was too strong for someone who was supposedly drunk. Nahyuk tried to wriggle free, but Seo Dowoong only tightened his hold, as if determined not to let go.

“What are you—”

Before he could finish, Seo Dowoong spoke first.

“What about my birthday?”

“What?”

“You must’ve made up your mind for real. Ignoring my birthday on purpose.”

Was that really the reason he had come here in the middle of the night?

“You’re still deluding yourself?”

“What delusion?”

“I’m not pretending anymore. I really don’t like you.”

He had tried to say those words before, but Yoon Noah’s body had always resisted letting them out. But this time, they came easily. Maybe even Yoon Noah’s body had finally grown tired of Seo Dowoong.

Seo Dowoong fell silent at Nahyuk’s firm declaration.

Nahyuk went on, deciding to make things even clearer—hoping this would be the last time he showed up like this.

“I don’t like you. That’s the truth.”

Finally, Seo Dowoong responded.

“…Liar.”

His alcohol-scented voice seemed to tremble faintly. But Nahyuk didn’t feel any sympathy.

He wasn’t the real Yoon Noah. He had no meaningful memories with Seo Dowoong, not even a shred of affection between them.

“I’ll prove it’s not a lie, little by little. I mean… even now, I’m ignoring you.”

“…”

“So don’t ever show up like this again. Next time, I’ll call the police.”

At his firm warning, Seo Dowoong’s grip loosened just enough, and Nahyuk slipped free from his arms.

That’s when he finally saw Seo Dowoong’s face clearly—stained with shock.

But now, at last, he’d surely realized it. That this rejection wasn’t an act.

Nahyuk decided it was the perfect time to call a taxi since Seo Dowoong had finally gone quiet. Just as he lifted his phone—

“…!”

He felt as if his heart had suddenly shriveled. A pain beyond words twisted through him, and his back arched like a bow.

“Ugh…”

He let out a sound without meaning to and fell to his knees.

His heart, no longer functioning properly, left him starved of oxygen. His brain felt like it was shutting down.

He couldn’t move a finger or toe. The phone in his hand slipped and fell to the ground with a soft thud.

“Y-Yoon Noah?”

He saw Seo Dowoong crouch down in a panic.

Nahyuk couldn’t respond. He collapsed completely to the ground. He couldn’t breathe… he felt like he was about to die.

He wasn’t even drunk, but his vision was blurring, and the world spun around him.

Unable to withstand the dizziness, Nahyuk closed his eyes—and at nearly the same moment, he felt himself being lifted into the air. Seo Dowoong must have picked him up.

Even though it was technically the next day, past midnight, it still felt eerily like the scene in the original where Yoon Noah collapsed.

But that was the last thought he had. Like a blown fuse, Nahyuk lost consciousness.
* * *

How long had he been unconscious? The dark surroundings were beginning to lighten.

What came into view next was the school campus. The same campus Nahyuk had occasionally seen every time he lost consciousness.

Nahyuk realized he wasn’t waking up—he was looking into Yoon Noah’s memories.

Yoon Noah was running.

He sprinted across a long hallway in the school, heading somewhere with urgent desperation. That frantic pace suggested nothing but panic.

‘What’s going on?’

Eventually, Yoon Noah arrived at the rooftop of the school.

There were already many students and teachers gathered there. Yoon Noah pushed through the crowd and fixed his eyes on the person causing the commotion.

It was Park Sangcheol, whose face resembled a rotten potato.

Park Sangcheol stood atop the rooftop railing, threatening to jump at any moment.

“Fuck, take one more step closer and I’ll jump and fucking die!”

Yoon Noah muttered under his breath as he looked at him.

“That psycho bastard…”

Even as he watched, Park Sangcheol continued shouting.

“I’m serious, dammit! Why won’t anyone listen to me?! Seo Dowoong really bullied me, I swear! The bruises on my face—he did that! This is your last chance to believe me! Or I’ll jump!”

It seemed like Park Sangcheol was desperate to drag Seo Dowoong down with him. Nahyuk suddenly wondered what made him hate Seo Dowoong so much.

But Seo Dowoong, central to this whole ordeal, was nowhere to be seen.

Before long, Yoon Noah revealed the reason.

“Hey, you bastard! Are you coming down or what? Who said no one’s listening to you? Seo Dowoong hasn’t even been coming to school because of you! Maybe he’s just avoiding school because you keep claiming he’s bullying you!”

Seo Dowoong hadn’t been formally disciplined by the school. He simply stopped attending to avoid confrontation. But even that wasn’t enough for Park Sangcheol, who shouted back furiously.

“That’s not enough! Do you know how much I got beat up?!”

Yoon Noah let out a long sigh, then slowly approached Park Sangcheol, his voice gentler now.

“Hey, I’ll listen to you, so come down, okay?”

“You’re on Seo Dowoong’s side.”

“Says who? I’ve suffered a lot hanging out with him too. So come down from the railing and let’s have a proper talk.”

Hearing Yoon Noah—who was known to be Seo Dowoong’s close friend—say he’d take Park Sangcheol’s side made him falter.

“…I don’t believe you.”

“I mean it. I know just how much of a jackass that fucker can be. I’ve had to put up with all kinds of crap just to stay friends with him.”

“…”

“He treats people like they’re beneath him and just uses them… Honestly, if our families weren’t close, I wouldn’t have anything to do with him.”

Of course, Nahyuk knew everything Yoon Noah said was a lie. He was both a passionate reader of “Rotten Flower” and now inhabiting Yoon Noah’s body—he could see through the truth.

But the people around Yoon Noah, and Park Sangcheol himself, didn’t know that.

It seemed Park Sangcheol’s heart was wavering from Yoon Noah’s steady persuasion. While everyone watched, Yoon Noah crept closer until he stood right in front of him.

Then, Yoon Noah reached out and delivered the finishing touch.

“Let’s curse him out together. I’m on your side.”

A heavy silence fell. No one dared interrupt the two. Yoon Noah gave a little nod, signaling Park Sangcheol to take his hand.

Finally, Park Sangcheol reached out and took it. As soon as he did, Yoon Noah yanked him backward.

Park Sangcheol tumbled forward, and the momentum caused Yoon Noah to fall as well.

The teachers and students, who had been watching, finally snapped into action, rushing forward to stop Park Sangcheol from climbing back up.

The first to move—and the fastest—was a boy with brown hair. Nahyuk instantly recognized him as Kim Daon.

Yoon Noah, seeing Park Sangcheol sprawled across him, let out a long sigh.

“You fucking idiot. Fell for it just like that. I’ve always been on Seo Dowoong’s side.”

Only Nahyuk could hear Yoon Noah’s true thoughts.

So that’s why Yoon Noah had lied—to stop Park Sangcheol from committing suicide while Seo Dowoong wasn’t around.

Yoon Noah’s thoughts flowed more clearly into Nahyuk, helping him understand him better.

No matter how wealthy Seo Dowoong’s family was, if Park Sangcheol actually jumped, it would create a scandal.

Of course, Park Sangcheol probably knew he wouldn’t die thanks to the medics already on standby, but still…

Either way, Yoon Noah didn’t want Seo Dowoong to suffer any more because of Park Sangcheol.

He’d already grown up under strict parents who only demanded perfection.

Seo Dowoong’s parents wouldn’t comfort him—they’d berate him for failing to deal with someone like Park Sangcheol on his own.

On top of that, Seo Dowoong had an undeniable presence. Because of all the attention he drew, he couldn’t just handle Park Sangcheol as he pleased.

So Yoon Noah had finally stepped in.

His own parents were strict too, but by then, he’d already been considered the black sheep of the family. He didn’t have to care about appearances like Seo Dowoong did.

Thanks to Yoon Noah’s intervention, the situation seemed to finally settle down.