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    9. I Ended Up Being Healed

    -Look over there. That cute squirrel is circling around the tree, wagging its tail. It used to be a common sight in the mountains, but these days their numbers have sharply decreased. Still, there are quite a lot of them left. Especially since they’re used to seeing people, they’re not easily frightened. That’s usually because they’re aiming for the snacks hikers carry……

    “……”

    I chewed on the neatly sliced apple and blankly stared at the hospital TV screen.

    Next to me, I could hear the sound of Hyun-woo peeling apples.

    Slice, slice.

    In the heavy silence, I glanced at Hyun-woo cautiously.

    -The good point is their friendly nature, easily approaching anyone. But the bad point is that they’re far too careless……

    “……”

    “……”

    The apple I was eating almost got stuck in my throat.

    The suffocating atmosphere lingered.

    Then suddenly, Hyun-woo, who had been calmly peeling apples, slammed the knife down with a sharp thud.

    I flinched at the sound and glared at him.

    “…Fuck.”

    “W-what? We were just watching, why are you suddenly swearing?”

    “You really don’t get it? That thing’s careless too.”

    “Well… I mean, maybe that tiny little thing can’t help it……”

    “…Whose side are you on right now?”

    “…That’s not it, sorry. You’re right, Hyun-woo. You’re the best.”

    I nodded mechanically, as if swallowing tears with mustard.

    Shim Hyun-woo, getting genuinely angry out of jealousy at a squirrel on TV, was quite a sight to see.

    Of course, it was obvious he wasn’t actually angry at the squirrel……

    That bastard was furious with me, giving me the side-eye.

    Because I had followed that crazy guy around mindlessly, just like that squirrel.

    When I opened my eyes, a whole day had already passed since then.

    The first thing I saw when I woke up was my older brother dozing off in a crouch beside me, and Hyun-woo curled up uncomfortably on the fold-out bed.

    Startled by the sound of me stirring, my brother shot upright. When he saw me awake and fine, his eyes welled with tears.

    That’s when I was told, roughly, what had happened.

    I learned how Hyun-woo and my older brother Hyun-seo found out I’d been kidnapped by Jang Jae-ho, and that even Class Rep Do Jin-gyeong had helped.

    According to Hyun-woo, when he returned from the pharmacy and couldn’t find me, he panicked and searched the area restlessly.

    When he couldn’t reach me no matter how hard he looked, he started asking the people nearby.

    By chance, an old lady selling chicken skewers nearby told him about the commotion earlier—the one where Jang Jae-ho had knelt down before me.

    She said she couldn’t clearly remember his face since he was mostly covered in dark clothes, but the atmosphere had been threatening. Still, she remembered which direction the two of us had gone.

    Hyun-woo went in the direction the old lady had pointed, but even then he couldn’t find me.

    He asked more people around, but the only answers he got were things like, “I think I heard a loud noise,” which didn’t help much.

    Just when he was running around like a madman searching for me, Do Jin-gyeong contacted him.

    Already overwhelmed, Hyun-woo didn’t have the time to answer the call.

    Not long after the missed call, a message from Do Jin-gyeong arrived.

    “Jang Jae-ho escaped. His father just called me—he didn’t go after Eun-jae, did he?” That was what the text said.

    It looked like it had been typed in a rush, full of typos.

    As soon as Hyun-woo saw that message, he called Do Jin-gyeong and got the full explanation, then immediately contacted Hyun-seo.

    Hyun-woo already knew that Jang Jae-ho had a history of sneaking out several times despite being banned from leaving home.

    Of course, each time he’d managed to block him from getting close to me, but he admitted he never expected something to happen in that brief gap.

    Hyun-woo glanced at the marks left on my wrists and ankles from the ropes and let out a deep sigh.

    That sigh sounded like it carried both relief and guilt.

    ‘Hyun-woo really doesn’t need to blame himself….’

    I wasn’t completely faultless either. After all, I was the one who let myself get dragged into that alley, flustered because that bastard suddenly knelt down before me.

    Thinking back, maybe the reason he knelt wasn’t because he wanted to humiliate me, but because he truly didn’t know how to apologize, panicked, and overloaded his brain to the point of making a bad decision. Maybe, in his own way, he really was that sorry.

    That’s why I was ready to accept a sincere apology if he made one, and I thought we could at least talk things out to clear up the misunderstanding. That was why I moved to a quieter spot with him. But in the end, it was just my own mistake.

    Honestly, I hadn’t realized he was in such an unstable state.

    And then I ended up being kidnapped… Kang Eun-jae, you really go through it all.

    My brother didn’t even go to work today, insisting on staying by my side the whole time.

    Even though it was summer vacation, even though Hyun-woo was here, even though his uncles came to check on me, and my friends also came by, my brother still couldn’t bring himself to leave. Even when I told him, “I’ll be fine,” he just muttered, “Still…” and stayed rooted in place, clearly worried.

    Not wanting him to stress so much, I gently told him, “You stayed with me all day when I was admitted, and the next day too. I’m okay now, hyung.”

    ‘Now that I think about it, something felt a little off between my brother and Hyun-seo hyung too.’

    When Hyun-seo came to visit me at the hospital, my brother, though hesitant, politely thanked both Hyun-woo and Hyun-seo for helping me.

    But then, after noticing the thick white bandages wrapped around Hyun-seo’s neck, my brother’s expression stiffened slightly.

    From then on, he couldn’t even properly meet Hyun-seo’s eyes, only staring down at the floor with a face full of guilt.

    The subtle air between them made me feel suffocated.

    Curious, I whispered to Hyun-woo, asking how Hyun-seo got hurt. Hyun-woo, looking bored, just muttered, “…He let his guard down and got scratched,” brushing off the question.

    It felt like a lot was being left out. When I later asked Hyun-seo directly, he only gave me a cheerful smile without an answer.

    When I pressed my brother, suspecting that he was keeping quiet so I wouldn’t worry if it was Jang Jae-ho’s doing, he finally admitted that Hyun-seo’s neck had actually been slashed with a box cutter.

    Seeing my face turn pale, Hyun-woo cleared his throat and said, “Your brother was careless too, so you don’t need to feel guilty.”

    Of course, there was no way I could think so shamelessly.

    With a heavy heart, I told Hyun-seo that I was sorry and grateful. He glanced briefly at my brother’s face, then smiled kindly at me and reassured me, “It wasn’t anything serious. Just a shallow cut. Don’t worry.”

    After that, my brother said he needed a private word with him and stepped out of the room with Hyun-seo, leaving me and Hyun-woo behind.

    When my brother returned alone, he didn’t say much. But his cheeks were faintly flushed, and his breathing slightly unsteady, maybe from the humid heat outside.

    ‘Sigh… how many people have I made worry, how many burdens have I caused this time….’

    This year, it felt like I’d gone through everything imaginable.

    I’d grown up healthy without any major illnesses, so maybe that’s why all the bad things were piling up on me now.

    My heat came later than everyone else’s, I suddenly got soaked in water and caught a cold, I sprained my ankle, got kidnapped…

    The year wasn’t even over yet, but it had already been chaotic. Pressing a hand to my forehead, I muttered,

    “Hyun-woo… maybe I’m cursed this year.”

    “What kind of nonsense is that.”

    “It’s only halfway through the year and I’ve already been through so much crap. And there’s still half a year left. Damn…”

    “Stop spouting nonsense and eat your apple. …What’s there to worry about when I’m here.”

    Blushing, Hyun-woo refilled my plate with neatly sliced apples.

    I took a bite of one and replied, “I guess you’re right… It’s not like everything was bad. Our relationship has changed too.”

    Smiling, I nodded in agreement.

    Hyun-woo suddenly went quiet, his movements looking more rigid than a robot’s.

    It had been three days since I was admitted to the hospital. Yesterday, Hyun-woo’s uncles had come to visit.

    They had been so worried when I didn’t wake up for a whole day, fearing something had gone wrong, but I managed to reassure them.

    I still hadn’t told my brother or his uncles about the trauma-related part. They thought it was just shock and PTSD from the kidnapping.

    I was grateful that Hyun-woo kept his promise and never revealed my secret.

    His uncles told me not to worry about Jang Jae-ho anymore, that they would handle it and make sure he never came near me again. They urged me to focus only on recovering.

    Their words alone were enough to make me thankful.

    Hyun-woo’s omega father, soft-hearted as ever, even burst into tears. I barely managed to calm him down.

    ‘This is even a single room, and a VIP ward at that… must be insanely expensive.’

    I thought I was well enough to leave, and half because of the cost, I timidly suggested maybe I could be discharged. But my brother, Hyun-woo, and his uncles all scolded me harshly for that.

    Besides, my sprained ankle wasn’t healed yet. In fact, yesterday it had swollen up so badly I was startled. It had just been a slight twist at first, but after the struggle with Jang Jae-ho and being tied up, it must have gotten worse.

    And truthfully, I’d also been having high fevers and seizures at night after collapsing. So we agreed I would stay hospitalized for four more days for observation.

    Sang-su and Young-ho, who heard the news, said they would visit tomorrow.

    ‘Ah… I should thank Jin-gyeong later too.’

    According to Hyun-seo, he had been a big help beyond just contacting them. I should treat him to a meal when I recover.

    “Oh right, Hyun-woo. I have something to ask you…”

    “What is it?”

    “You were the one who kept chasing Jang Jae-ho away whenever he tried to bother me, weren’t you?”

    Hyun-woo’s expression froze instantly. Looked like what Jang Jae-ho said was true.

    “You were also the one who reported him in the complex… And that time you told me to draw the curtains, the person outside was him, wasn’t it? Why didn’t you tell me?”

    “That’s…”

    Hyun-woo shut his mouth, clearly flustered.

    This wasn’t something I could let slide.

    I understood his intentions, but I couldn’t help feeling hurt that he hadn’t told me.

    Did he really think I was that unreliable?

    What scared me most was the thought that, like Hyun-seo, innocent people around me might have gotten hurt because of me.

    “Actually, I’ve known him since middle school. I saw him a few times because of my father’s business.”

    Hyun-woo finally sighed and explained.

    “I’ve been introduced to kids my age plenty of times like that, so I never cared much. But seeing how he’s been acting toward you lately, he crossed the line way too far, so I warned him a few times. I don’t know exactly what that bastard told you, but the rest is just what you already know.”

    “So… those warnings… don’t tell me it was like that time in middle school, when I got hit by a ball and fell down the stairs, and you wanted to smash his head in…”

    “…Honestly, I wanted to. But I held back. Thought you’d blow up again if I did.”

    I let out a sigh of relief, but then Hyun-woo sneered and muttered, “Would’ve been interesting if I’d hired a stalker to tail him just like he did to you.”

    “And speaking of which… that day you got drenched with water and soaked through—that was him too. He ordered it.”

    “What? Seriously?”

    “The three guys who apologized to you that day only did it because Jang Jae-ho paid them double on the condition that they keep quiet. I only found out later myself… But still, like you said, you might have felt hurt. Sorry for not telling you beforehand. I only kept quiet because I was worried you’d get upset and depressed because of that bastard.”

    I stopped eating the apple Hyun-woo had sliced for me and muttered a quiet curse.

    The swearing slipped out on its own.

    The more I peeled back, the more layers there were—Jang Jae-ho really was like a fucking onion.

    Barely managing not to bite my own tongue while cursing, I asked Hyun-woo,

    “Wh-why the hell would he do that?”

    “Who knows… Those guys just did what they were told. And Jang Jae-ho, that bastard, didn’t open his mouth once.”

    The absurdity of it all made my head spin, as if my soul was about to leave my body.

    He had long since crossed the line of understanding, but if shocking people over and over again was a talent, he sure had it.

    Seeing me fall silent, Hyun-woo patted my back. I let out a deep sigh.

    “…Thanks for telling me, Hyun-woo. I finally feel a little relieved.”

    “…Yeah. Don’t worry now. You’ll never have to deal with him again.”

    “…I really hope so.”

    I pressed my forehead and answered, while Hyun-woo cleared away the knife and the empty plate.

    Meanwhile, I turned off the squirrel documentary that had been playing.

    Hyun-woo looked like he had something to say, but only watched me nervously, unable to speak up.

    It seemed like it was hard for him to bring up, so I held back the urge to push him.

    After a few minutes of waiting patiently, Hyun-woo finally opened his mouth.

    “…Hey.”

    “Hm?”

    “…Was it really that bad?”

    “What was?”

    At my puzzled look, Hyun-woo’s expression grew even more awkward.

    What now, all of a sudden?

    The more he hesitated, the more curious I became.

    “…Forget it.”

    “Ah, come on. What is it? Don’t leave me hanging like that.”

    “…”

    “The worst kind of person is the one who stops mid-sentence. You know that, right?”

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