The moment Kangwoo finished speaking, tears fell from Heewoon’s eyes in a frightening manner, quickly staining his cheeks.
Though Heewoon tried to speak, all that came out was sobbing. Kangwoo held Heewoon’s sobbing shoulders and patted him calmly. Heewoon pursed his lips the whole time, as if he wanted to say something. After a long time of sobbing, his words came out intelligibly.
“Sniff, those people…”
Kangwoo looked intently at Heewoon’s face raised up towards him, which was now soaked with tears. Hugging Kangwoo’s waist, Heewoon, still sniffling, continued.
“They said they would tame my organs. They, they deceived me for three years. They said they would cut the interest. I thought I could pay off all the debt…”
After rambling on and on, Heewoon finally broke down and hugged Kangwoo around the neck. While patting his shaking back, Kang-woo spoke affectionately.
“See, you still had more damned bastards.”
“Yeah.”
“If you had told me earlier, I would have taken care of them.”
He’s right. If Heewoon had listened to Seo Kangwoo’s words, this wouldn’t have happened. When Kangwoo told him to tell all the people who bothered him, or asked him if he needed anything, or even when calling. Heewoon remembered how gentle Kangwoo’s tone and expression were back then.
Heewoon’s cries became even more heart-wrenching. Despite wailing loudly, Heewoon didn’t stop talking. The guy from earlier told me that if I worked hard, I could pay off the debt, but he lied. And he deliberately brought me into the operating room to show me how they take out organs. He told me to call him ‘Hyung-nim’ and…
The words were hard to understand through the sobs, but Kangwoo nodded and responded to each one.
“It was the guy with the scar under his chin, right?”
“Hicc, yes. Uhh.”
“I understand.”
Kangwoo patted Heewoon’s back. Heewoon mumbled something about how scared he was, but soon, no more words came out of his mouth.
“Seems like you’ve fallen asleep.”
Kangwoo stroked Heewoon’s head slowly. Adjusting his posture so that Heewoon could lean comfortably, Kangwoo wiped the wet cheeks. The corners of his lips curled up in a smooth line.
***
Heewoon was diagnosed with a fractured rib.
“Still, the degree of the fracture is not severe, so non-surgical treatment is possible.”
“Really?”
The doctor was slightly taken aback as he looked at the guardian who asked with a nonchalant expression.
“Yes, fortunately, no surgery is needed… and since the patient is young, recovery should be quick.”
“Ah…”
Kangwoo nodded.
“He will have to wear the cast for about six weeks.”
Six weeks. Kangwoo muttered quietly and the doctor added.
“Rehabilitation is important, but it shouldn’t be hard for the patient.”
“Because he’s young?”
“Yes.”
Kangwoo stroked his chin. The crying face that had crawled closer to him was pretty. Perhaps he subconsciously had softened. Smiling slightly, Kangwoo stood up.
“Then, he can be discharged today.”
Upon hearing this, the doctor’s eyes widened, somewhat surprised.
“Discharge? Ah… yes. Please do as the guardian prefers.”
“Thank you.”
Kangwoo smiled faintly and left. The doctor paused for a moment, then spoke.
“How… is Chairman Seo doing?”
“Yes. I’ll give your greetings to my father.”
The doctor raised his hand as if to catch Kangwoo as he left the room, but eventually let his hand down.
As Kangwoo left the examination room, a man in a suit immediately joined him. Kangwoo glanced at the man and asked.
“Has Heewoon woken up?”
“He is still sleeping.”
“Did you make sure there’s nothing wrong with his body?”
They probably used cheap medications on him. Kangwoo added with a slight grimace.
“There seems to be nothing wrong. And all the staff members have retreated.”
Kangwoo nodded and headed for the stairs. He didn’t think about using the elevator since it wouldn’t come up from the basement. As Kangwoo entered the emergency exit, he suddenly remembered something and told his secretary.
“Oh, keep an eye on his family. Report me if there’s anything unusual.”
“Yes. I will arrange people for it.”
Two voices echoed in the emergency exit stairwell.
“And that guy who kept calling Heewoon. Catch him. Be generous with the owner on that side, give him more.”
“I understand.”
While climbing the stairs, Kangwoo gave a few more instructions to his secretary. When they exited the emergency exit, the man bowed his waist.
“I shall take my leave now.”
“Yes. Well done.”
Kangwoo walked straight through the corridor towards the ward where Heewoon was. Heewoon hadn’t gotten up since he fell asleep in the car.
Even during the treatment and casting, he was asleep. He only moved around a bit with a frightened face when the bones were set. When Kangwoo stroked his head, Heewoon, with his face buried in Kangwoo’s belly, groaned and soon fell asleep again. He didn’t even wake up when they moved to the house.
Kangwoo lay on his bedroom’s bed, silently observing Heewoon’s face as he slept deeply. The leg with a cast was raised and supported by a pillow.
“Hey.”
Kangwoo poked Heewoon’s cheek, but Heewoon, deeply asleep, didn’t react.
“Hmmm…”
Kangwoo gave out a low voice and leaned his elbow on the bed, supporting his chin. As he quietly watched Heewoon sleeping, a memory suddenly came to him from a few months ago. The day Heewoon had fallen into a deep sleep for the first time on the bed.
Even now, Kangwoo often watched Heewoon sleeping, but he vividly remembered that face from that day the most. Sunken cheeks, below his eyes darkened by fatigue, the forehead becoming smooth, slightly open lips, and the even breath that flowed through them.
There was another vivid memory. A bouquet of flowers, fair hands, cheeks reddened by the cold air, and eyes of a profound color that met him. He remembered the memories captured in a photo. Kangwoo, watching Heewoon’s sleeping face throughout the early hours of this morning, thought it was a good thing Heewoon was stupid.
‘I’m just someone who listens well to you, like a dog.’
‘You’re just playing with me…’
Thanks to it, he came to his senses.
‘I’ll follow you! Please take me with you.’
Kangwoo remembered Heewoon, who used to cling to him like that, hanging onto him for dear life. His blood boiled. But there was no need to hurry. Now that Woo Heewoon wouldn’t be able to escape the trap.
***
Heewoon opened his eyes very late at night. Even though the darkness surprised him when he opened his eyes, he soon smelled a familiar scent. It was Kangwoo’s room. The tension that had momentarily surged through his body dissipated, and he let out a sigh.
“Are you awake?”
Following the soft voice, Heewoon turned his head. There was Seo Kangwoo. He seemed to have been working, with the desk lamp at its dimmest setting.
Yeah, Heewoon nodded and quickly cleared his throat. His voice was hoarse and didn’t sound like himself. Kangwoo, who had placed a pillow behind Heewoon’s back, handed him a water bottle. Watching Kangwoo leave the room, saying he needed to eat something and take medicine, Heewoon turned his head slowly.
He could see a lump of blankets. His memory was cut off completely since he got into Seo Kangwoo’s car. There was no memory of him getting the cast, so he was a bit puzzled. Looking at the cast, he guessed that his bone must have been broken, but it seemed he came home without being hospitalized.
Seeing his swollen leg, pain slowly crept up. His hazy mind gradually woke up. After finishing the simple meal Kangwoo brought, Heewoon’s head became clearer. So, he refrained from asking Kangwoo anything without thinking.
Kangwoo, removing the tray placed on the pillow above Heewoon’s knees, spoke up.
“I told your mother that I’m your junior.”
“…What did she say?”
“Well, she said thanks.”
Kangwoo stroked his chin and said.
“That’s all?”
Heewoon asked cautiously. Kangwoo noticed that Heewoon couldn’t keep still, holding the water bottle, and raised his eyebrows slightly as if conceding.
“I’ll let you call her tomorrow.”
“Thanks.”
It seemed Kangwoo had no intention of arranging them to meet. However, Heewoon thought a call would be better. The last expression he saw on his mother’s face was vivid. It squeezed his heart.
***
After taking medicine, Heewoon fell asleep again. He woke up again in the early blue dawn. He thought someone was lying next to him and holding him during his sleep, but his side was empty now.
Heewoon groaned and barely managed to sit up. When he was pondering what to do because he wanted to go to the bathroom, the door opened. It was Kangwoo, dressed in workout clothes.
“Are you already awake?”
He felt cold air from Kangwoo as he approached. He must have gone for a jog. It must be around 6 am.
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Oh.”
Kangwoo tilted his head, as if he hadn’t thought of that, and picked Heewoon up.
“I’ll have to get the crutches.”
He sounded regretful. Heewoon realized that Kangwoo intentionally had put the crutches away.
“I’ll help you.”
Kangwoo, who carefully put Heewoon down in the bathroom, said.
“I’m okay.”
“Will you really be okay?”
Kangwoo asked, smiling with a hint of laughter.
“It’s okay.”
When Heewoon pushed away the hand that had been tickling his bandaged thigh, Kangwoo clicked his tongue. Withdrawing his hand, he said wistfully.
“There are still many things you can do even if you have one broken leg.”
“…Please help, washing me.”
Getting a leg broken was more painful than one could imagine. The corners of Kangwoo’s lips went up at Heewoon’s careful words.
“It’s embarrassing to help you with peeing, but you’re not embarrassed to get help with washing?”
Heewoon nodded. It was completely different between that and this.
“Both involve touching your penis. You’re strange.”
“Ah, no…”
The hand that had been supporting his back moved forward and indecently stroked the front of his pants. Heewoon swayed, and Kangwoo, supporting his body with his chest, chuckled. The soft lips lightly pressed against Heewoon’s cheek.
“Call me when you’re washing up.”
Whispering, Kangwoo firmly squeezed Heewoon’s penis and then withdrew his hand. After assisting him to stand on one foot, Kangwoo left the bathroom.
Heewoon let out a sigh of relief. Kangwoo, who had helped him with a quick wash, laid him back on the bed. He adjusted the pillow under the casted leg and readjusted the pillow placed behind his back.
Heewoon wasn’t allowed to touch the floor with the injured leg, so he had to stay on the bed all the time. It felt stifling, yet strangely comforting. As long as he stayed on this bed, he shouldn’t be in any dangerous situations.
Kangwoo, who had brought breakfast and finished preparing for work, sat on the edge of the bed. Then, he presented something—a phone. Heewoon looked at Kangwoo blankly as he accepted the latest model of the phone, which looked brand new.
“I went to Sunbae’s house to see if there was anything to bring, and I saw the broken phone.”
The phone with a shattered screen had been placed in front of the TV. Even though Heewoon hadn’t told him the password and hadn’t given permission, Kangwoo entered someone else’s house. However, Heewoon wasn’t angry or scared.
“From now on, use this. Oh, and I didn’t bring any clothes. You can buy new ones.”
“Yeah. But Kangwoo, how did you know I was missing?”
Heewoon asked, curious all of a sudden.
“I called in the morning and you didn’t answer, so I went to your house.”
Kangwoo answered casually. Kangwoo hadn’t made any calls, but Heewoon wouldn’t know, so it didn’t matter.
Watching Heewoon mumble about being fortunate, Kangwoo smiled gently. Heewoon took Kangwoo at his word when he said Heewoon wasn’t being monitored directly. Despite mentioning that he was paying attention to Heewoon’s ‘surroundings’. He actually only needed to monitor Heewoon, but he ended up monitoring Heewoon’s mother, brother, loan sharks, and even the doctor working with them. Still, Kangwoo thought it was a worthwhile investment.
“Really… Thank you so much, Kangwoo.”
Like this, Woo Heewoon wouldn’t slip through his fingers.
Become a member in my ko-fi to get early releases!
Make me feel happy and supported by leaving a comment!
