RB 127

But Yeorok’s expression didn’t change. He straightened his face, as if he’d expected to be hit. His dark eyes stared at Eunho without wavering.

“Hit me more. I’ll take it until your anger is gone.”

Eunho clenched his trembling fist. He bit down until his molars felt like they would shatter. He rushed forward and swung his fist at Yeorok.

Just as he said he could, Eunho beat him relentlessly. His grip was clumsy and his strikes lacked power, but he landed a blow every time.

Yeorok took it without a word. As the punching continued, Eunho’s jaw began to shake. He had tried so hard to hold them back, but the tears clinging to his eyelashes fell in pitter-patter.

“My anger… it’s not going away. Why… why are you making me do this?”

His strained voice turned into a sorrowful sob. As Eunho broke down and cried, Yeorok slowly stood up and hugged him.

“I’ll apologize until the day I die. I’ll beg until you’re satisfied, until you feel I’m sincere.”

Yeorok held him tightly, ignoring Eunho’s struggles. He tightened his grip on him and whispered.

“Give me a chance to atone.”

Since the moment he felt regret, every word Yeorok said to Eunho was the truth. He didn’t know if Eunho would believe him. His feverish mind was a muddy mess.

Eunho finally managed to catch his breath. He forced himself out of Yeorok’s arms and looked up. His face was red and smeared with tears.

“You only think about yourself until the very end! I’m disillusioned by you!”

“I can’t help it. I’m already a lost cause.”

“Ha…”

“That’s just my personality. If there’s even a sliver of a chance, I’ll cling to it tenaciously. That’s why I can’t give up.”

He continued talking in riddles. Eunho frowned, but Yeorok reached out and brushed back Eunho’s messy hair.

“You still love me, too.”

“What… don’t talk such nonsense.”

“Wasn’t that why you stayed here?”

“…….”

“If you really wanted to cut ties with me, you would have hidden in a foreign country or somewhere I could never find you.”

Yeorok spoke calmly. Eunho looked stunned, as if he’d been hit by something.

“Did I… commit a crime? You’re the one who was wrong, so why should I, why should I be the one to live in hiding?!”

“You wanted me to come and beg for forgiveness. That’s why you didn’t leave.”

Unlike Eunho, who was trembling, Yeorok met his gaze without wavering.

This isn’t just a wild guess. While his frequent appearances in front of Eunho were largely driven by his own greed, he also sought to understand Eunho’s thoughts.

Yeorok read the atmosphere more rationally than ever. Sim Eunho was innocent, but he wasn’t stupid. If he truly wanted to avoid Yeorok, he would have used any means necessary to flee. But Eunho hadn’t moved even after their first reunion. He didn’t run away, even though his displeasure was blatant.

As their encounters continued, Yeorok became more certain. He realized that a small attachment lingered in Eunho’s heart. It was so small that Eunho himself might not have felt it, but for Yeorok, it was a massive opening.

Eunho hurriedly scrambled to his feet. With teary eyes, he glared fiercely at Yeorok.

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Eunho, no one will blame you for still liking me. I’m the one who did wrong. I’m the bastard.”

Yeorok sighed and covered his forehead. The high fever was causing a terrible headache. His throat was also swollen. But he swallowed all the pain and continued speaking slowly.

“I’m just telling you the way out. I’ll take the role of the villain, so you can just pretend you can’t win, pretend you have no choice, and follow along.”

“Why would I… ever like someone like you?”

Eunho shook his head. The trembling that started in his fingertips spread to his arms and shoulders. His knees felt weak. His whole body shook like a leaf.

It was ridiculous. He refused to admit it.

“No!”

He turned and ran out of the motel room.

He didn’t even know how he managed to get his shoes on. Eunho just ran forward, without looking ahead.

The fluorescent lights in the narrow hallway flickered, casting an unstable glow. His heart hammered in his chest. The frantic thumping echoed in his ears. He couldn’t breathe.

Finally, Eunho kicked the emergency exit door. Bang! The heavy iron door slammed against the wall with a loud sound. He was about to rush down the stairs when he was suddenly pulled to a stop. Yeorok had followed him out and grabbed his arm from behind.

“Eunho.”

“Let go!”

“Calm down.”

“I said let go! Why would I like someone like you?!”

Eunho shuddered. His breath caught in his throat, as if he’d just run a hundred meters. He felt like he was going to faint at any moment. The only thought on his mind was to get out of here immediately.

Yeorok grabbed Eunho’s arm with all his might. The angry Sim Eunho was harder to control than expected. Fearing he might get hurt or panic again, he tried to soothe Eunho with utmost caution.

“Calm down and listen to me.”

“Let go of me, you son of a bitch!”

Eunho struggled, writhing in pain. Yeorok tightened his grip. Their feet and bodies tangled. The two men standing on the landing repeatedly bumped against the railing and wall.

“Let go! Don’t touch me!”

“Eunho, first, take a deep breath.”

“Go away!”

Eunho forcefully pushed away both of Yeorok’s hands. The force of the desperate push sent Yeorok stumbling back.

At that moment, the heel of Yeorok’s shoes, precariously perched on the edge of the stairs, twisted. Believing the floor to be solid, he took a wrong step backward. He lost his balance in an instant.

Before anyone could catch him, Yeorok rolled down five or six stairs. There was a loud crashing sound.

Eunho’s wide eyes looked down. Yeorok, who had rolled to the floor, twitched for a long time, unable to pull himself up. Eunho froze at the sight, as if doused with cold water.

Yeorok barely managed to sit up, his hands on the floor. He blinked slowly, then furrowed his eyebrows. A thick vein stood out on his smooth temples.

Yeorok clutched his forehead and took several deep breaths. His furrowed brows showed no sign of smoothing out, as if he was in excruciating pain. He tried to stand, but his upper body kept swaying, unable to hold on. He eventually collapsed, leaning against the wall.

And then, plop, plop.

The sound of something flowing.

Blood trickled from the back of his head, running down the back of his neck and staining his shirt collar and suit jacket red. The man himself was unaware of this.

“Ch-Chairman.”

Eunho hesitated as he made his way down the stairs. Pale with shock, he knelt in front of Yeorok, not knowing what to do.

“You’re… you’re bleeding.”

“…Ah.”

Only then did Yeorok realize his head was split open. The wound was quite deep, as a considerable amount of blood soaked his nape. A metallic smell rose, making his stomach churn. A dizzying sensation he couldn’t shake made his head spin, but Yeorok forced a smile.

“It’s okay.”

“N-no, it’s not. There’s so much… so much blood.”

Eunho clenched and unclenched his trembling hands, not knowing what to do. He looked more terrified than the person who was actually injured.

There was so much blood. Eunho knew exactly how much blood could come out of a human head. He remembered Mr. Oh. He had spilled buckets of blood before he died. If left like Choi Yeorok might turn cold and stiff just like him. The horrific memory triggered an instinctive panic.

Eunho didn’t even realize he was crying as he fumbled around Yeorok’s neck. He wanted to see the wound, but it was covered by hair, making it impossible to check. He could only assume it was caused by a hard bump against the edge of the stairs.

“The hospital… go to the hospital, quickly.”

Yeorok leaned his dizzy head back. When he closed and opened his eyes, the face in front of him was blurry, like an afterimage. Inappropriately for the situation, the corners of his mouth curved.

“…Now you’re finally looking at me.”

The Eunho he had waited for so long was right here. Sim Eunho, needlessly kind, tearful, and fragile. Even with eyes swollen like buns from crying, he was a sight Yeorok loved beyond measure.

Yeorok let out a sigh. His vision kept blacking out, perhaps from a concussion or blood loss. He slowly and feebly reached into his jacket pocket. He barely managed to pull out his phone, unlock it, and hand it to Eunho.

“Call…”

“…….”

“Don’t call 119… call Hong Namyeong…. okay?”

Yeorok’s voice, which had been strained, gradually became quieter.  His head, resting against the wall, began to tilt.

Eunho nodded, holding back his tears. Even as he called Hong Namyeong, he kept a close eye on Yeorok’s condition.

The phone didn’t ring more than twice. Hong Namyeong picked up immediately. The moment the familiar voice came through the speaker, Eunho couldn’t hold back anymore and started crying.

“Secretary. What do I do? Hic, ugh. The Chairman… he’s hurt…. ngh, his head is bleeding.”

The crying was so intense that he couldn’t understand what he was saying. But Hong Namyeong skillfully interpreted the ramblings.

–Where are you right now?

“Here… it’s…”

He didn’t know the name of the motel because he just entered the first one he stumbled upon. Eunho was overcome with panic, sniffling and wiping away tears.

–No, I’ll find you myself. What is the situation? Is it serious?

At those words, Eunho’s eyes fell on Yeorok. His limbs were hanging limply, and the wall behind his head was completely smeared with blood. His shirt and jacket were soaked, and the floor was starting to get wet with blood as well. Before he knew it, the fingertips Eunho was holding had turned as cold as ice.

“…I think he’s going to die.”

Eunho barely managed to speak, clutching his phone. Then, his crying suddenly grew louder.

–I’ll be there soon.

The call ended. Eunho threw the phone aside and inspected Yeorok from every angle. He felt like he should try to stop the bleeding, but he had no way to do it. Just as he was about to pull his T-shirt over his head to use it as a bandage, Yeorok weakly reached out and hugged Eunho around the waist. Eunho, losing his balance, fell into his arms.

“…I won’t die from something like this. Don’t worry.”

Yeorok’s voice as he said it was so weak it sounded like his breath might stop any second. Eunho buried his face in his jacket and trembled. Tears flowed endlessly, but they couldn’t wash away the blood soaking the fabric.

As Eunho cried silently, Yeorok let out a hollow breath. Exhausting what little strength he had left in his dazed state, he patted Eunho’s back.

“If I happen to pass out… don’t be scared.”

“…….”

“You did nothing wrong. I got hurt because of my own mistake… it’s all my fault.”

“…….”

“I’m sorry for making you cry again, Sim Eunho-ssi.”

The thread-thin voice tickled Eunho’s ear.

Eunho buried himself against Yeorok’s chest until the very end, listening to his heartbeat. He was a man without humanity, heartless, and cold in every way, but he was human, and his heart was warm.

Eunho cried quietly. He couldn’t bear it any longer. He couldn’t ignore Choi Yeorok.