IOSMC Chapter 3 (Part 2)

And if that weren’t enough, here’s the real tragedy: my parents were “good people.”

Yes, my parents were without a doubt good people.

“Mom, people keep touching me. Even when I tell them to stop, they won’t…”

“Hmm, that’s because you’re so pretty, Eun.”

 

Yeah. That’s true… but…

 

“Dad, I’ve got a stalker. There’s seriously a stalker after me right now!”

“It must be because you’re so pretty. I’ll hire someone to take care of it—”

 

They never understood how much those things hurt me.
Having lived a life without any privacy, my parents couldn’t comprehend my suffering.

I still remember vividly the responses I got when I opened up to them, hoping they, at least, would understand.
It’s engraved in my mind — probably forever.

When rumors about my celebrity parents spread, or when weird people started following me, their “solution” was always to transfer me to another school.
I closed my eyes, thinking about how calmly they betrayed my trust.

I hadn’t told Sa-eon — it wasn’t exactly something good — but I’d transferred to this school back in elementary because of that.
A stalker, obsessed with my parents, had broken into our house.

After transferring, life was going okay — and then, suddenly, I met Sa-eon.

Pale skin, jet-black hair, gray-tinted eyes — none of the colors that made up Sa-eon carried any warmth.
And yet, despite his cold appearance, he had a surprisingly gentle voice.

“It’s not like I’m trying to do anything bad…!”

That shout tore me out of my thoughts, and I instinctively relaxed the frown on my face.
Right then, I heard the sound of the bathroom door opening — someone coming in.
Familiar footsteps echoed quickly across the floor.

I was afraid this was just wishful thinking.
Even after Kim Woo-sik left, and the door — half-shut — creaked open, I couldn’t lift my head.

Is it really Sa-eon?
What if it’s not? What if it’s not him?
If it’s not him… then once again, just like always, I…

My heart felt like it had dropped onto my hands, clenched together on my lap — beating wildly like it was trying to escape.

Even when that stalker broke into our house, I didn’t shake this badly.
I never thought I’d grow this attached to just one person… If I like him this much, I’m sure I’ll be hurt just as deeply.
What was I thinking, falling for someone this hard? I mocked myself, and finally lifted my head—

“…Un?”

And for the first time, I saw salvation — answering my faith.

Tears burst out of me like they’d been waiting, and even though it wasn’t the time, I felt like I might laugh.
Maybe it was backlash from repeating to myself I won’t cry, even if Sa-eon doesn’t come.
But now that he’s here to save me, the tears came so easily.

Well, Sa-eon had already broken down my resolve to never like anyone again.
He’d taken over my heart effortlessly. Maybe this was easy for him too.

My cheeks, now soaked with tears, had strands of hair clinging to them. Normally, I would’ve found it uncomfortable, but now it didn’t bother me at all.

Right now, the only person who can reach me, stir me, make me feel anything — is Sa-eon.

Suddenly, I had the thought that there was no going back.
Back to what? I don’t know… but I knew one thing for sure: I couldn’t go back.

Unless I returned to a time before I ever met Sa-eon… there’s no turning back from anything.

“…Un…”

Calling out in a trembling voice like a devout follower calling upon a god who answered his faith, Sa-eon’s face twisted, as if he might cry any second.

It was a face I had never seen before.
Was I really someone who could draw out that kind of reaction from Sa-eon? I wasn’t sure about that either.

That stupid, self-reflective question ended as Sa-eon carefully took off his coat and wrapped it around me.

Whenever Sa-eon acts kindly, I fall into the same delusion, even though I know I shouldn’t.
The delusion that I’ve become someone he loves so much that even calling my name or touching me is something he does with utmost care…

Even while looking obviously unwell, Sa-eon kept trying to comfort me, saying things that were clearly meant to soothe — then suddenly lost consciousness.
I quietly looked down at him. His whole face was pale except for his cheeks, which were flushed.
I could feel his heat just by placing a hand near his skin.

“Who are you to worry about anyone in this condition?”

Despite the content sounding like a sigh, my voice carried a clear sense of happiness.
I let out a hollow laugh at my own contradiction, but I couldn’t just feel worry alone — this situation made me far too happy for that.

Being this close, feeling his warmth against my skin, made my brain melt into mush.
I held Sa-eon for a long time, staring blankly at the small window in the bathroom wall.
A few dragonflies spun lazily through the clear, cloudless sky.

As I carefully adjusted my hold to keep Sa-eon from slipping from my arms, my lips brushed against his smooth cheek.
Even though it was barely more than a mistake, it made my breath hitch.

Trying to regain control, I clenched my fist tightly and looked up at the sunlight softly falling over Sa-eon’s flushed face.

That face — expressionless at first, but smiling so naturally when our eyes met.
Those eyes that made me feel alive just by looking into them.
That voice, so kind, that even ordinary words stayed with me for days.
Those hands that touched me so gently, like petals drifting down.

The people I’d met before had a hundred reasons why I couldn’t love them, but Sa-eon… Sa-eon gave me a hundred reasons why I had to love him — and it hurt.

Most of all, Sa-eon was the first person in my life who didn’t make me feel suffocated when we locked eyes.
And he would be the last.

No — he had to be the last.

This experience made me realize painfully that if someone becomes the exception in your life, you’ll desperately want to become their exception too.
I don’t need any more “Sa-eons” in my life.

Even now, I can vividly remember how I first met him.

A narrow space filled with the faint scent of blood and antiseptic.
Children’s laughter and chatter mixed together, carried past the windows in a sound that resembled the ringing bell people say you hear when you fall in love.

And in the middle of it all, a boy with gym pants rolled up to his knees, meeting my eyes with a calm expression that didn’t match the bleeding wound at his leg.

It was a moment so perfect, even if I tried, I could never recreate it — and I became forever trapped in it.
I recalled the memory and exhaled a shaky breath. Holding Sa-eon tighter, I bowed my head, my nose pressing into his soft skin, breathing in his unique scent as it filled my lungs.

“Is it… wrong to like someone?”

I muttered like a child sulking, and laughed.

At that moment, I just knew.
Nothing else mattered. I didn’t care if I couldn’t return to the person I was before.
As long as I had Sa-eon, that was enough.
Only Sa-eon.

 

<Lee Sa-eon>

I had a dream that left an unpleasant aftertaste, though I couldn’t remember the details. I’m sure I’d just been asleep, but for some reason, it didn’t feel like I’d rested at all. I hadn’t even fully opened my eyes, but my face already scrunched up from an unshakable discomfort I couldn’t place.

Muttering irritably, I rubbed my face against the pillow — then suddenly realized something was off. In the dark room, with no lights on, I fumbled over the blanket with a dazed expression.

“What the… This isn’t my blanket…”

Just a few seconds ago, I’d felt like I could die from sleepiness, but now I was wide awake. The drowsiness clouding my thoughts vanished, and the events just before I passed out came rushing back.

“This is insane. How could I sleep in that situation?”

I jumped out of bed, muttering to myself — not sure whether I was impressed or appalled at myself. I hadn’t noticed it under the covers, but my whole body felt cold and achy.

Rubbing my trembling arms, I glanced around. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, the shape of the room slowly came into view. It clearly wasn’t school, but it wasn’t my room either. I had no idea where the hell I was.

“Eun… What happened to him? What is all this…?”

I stood there, lips slightly parted in shock, glancing around blankly when I heard footsteps nearby. The tightly closed door slid open.

Having been in the dark for so long, the light seeping in through the door stung my eyes. I squinted reflexively, trying to make out the figure entering the room — and a familiar voice called out.

“Un?”

“…Eun?”

“You’re awake? Hold on, I’ll turn on the light.”

Speaking in his usual calm tone, Eun walked into the room with practiced ease. I heard some clattering nearby as if he was looking for something, and then the light flicked on. Maybe because I’d just woken up, he’d chosen a dim light.

Blinking my dry eyes a few times, I turned my head. A short distance away, Eun looked right at me and smiled warmly when our eyes met.

“Your parents said they’re too busy with work to pick you up right away, so I brought you to my house for now. The teacher helped carry you.”

Eun explained calmly, all while repeatedly checking my forehead and the back of my neck.

He looked so composed that for a moment, it made everything that happened at school feel like just a bad dream I’d had alone.

He seemed okay, and I didn’t know how to even begin asking about what had happened. I licked the inside of my cheek, puffing it out slightly as I struggled to think of a good question.

As my eyes wandered, I finally noticed that Eun wasn’t in his school uniform — he was wearing casual clothes.

“Are you going out?”

“No. I just got back.”

Shaking his head, Eun told me to wait and then immediately left the room. I didn’t even have time to ask where he’d been.

Wow, he’s fast, I thought, blinking, when Eun came back just as quickly as he’d left. But unlike before, this time he was holding a tray that looked heavy even at a glance.

“Isn’t that heavy? Want me to carry it?”

I instinctively reached out, but Eun shook his head, adding firmly that there’s no way he’d let a patient carry something heavy. Then he told me to sit back on the bed.

Feeling awkward, I scratched my head but sat down as told. Eun placed the tray next to me.

A bowl of porridge, a spoon, a steaming glass of water, a damp towel, a few pills, and a piece of candy — I stared at everything, wondering what all this was for, when Eun picked up the towel.

And without hesitation, he brought it toward my face like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Startled, I instinctively jerked away, and Eun froze in place, holding the towel just inches from my face.

Tilting his head like he didn’t understand the problem, he lightly pressed the towel to my cheek.

“See? It’s not cold… It’s soaked in warm water, so it’s not cold at all.”

It was ridiculous — and a little baffling — that he thought I flinched because I thought the towel was cold.
Letting out a breathy mix of laughter and disbelief, I narrowed my eyes.

“It’s not that…”

“Not that? Hmm, do you not like it when I touch you?”

“No?”

“Really? Then just stay still. Your fever hasn’t fully gone down, so I need to wipe you down once.”

I wanted to say, Why are you taking care of me like this when I’m not even injured?
But I couldn’t get the words out because, while wiping my face, Eun kept pressing the towel firmly against my lips.

At first, I thought maybe he was just clumsy. But every time I tried to speak, he immediately pressed the towel against my mouth like clockwork.
No matter how I looked at it, it felt like he was deliberately keeping me from talking.

Since I couldn’t speak, I just stared at him, and Eun, with both cheeks flushed pink, looked back at me with wide eyes.

…Hmm, maybe it was just my imagination.
It’s not like he gains anything from stopping me from talking or touching me. He’s probably just bad at this, that’s all.

It wasn’t something worth overthinking. After that, I just quietly let him do whatever he wanted with my face.

Maybe he sensed my unspoken permission, because Eun didn’t stop until the once-warm towel had gone cold.

Then, as if it were the natural next step, he handed me the bowl of porridge.
I still didn’t really understand what was going on, but I accepted it obediently to match his rhythm.

“You need to take medicine, so even if you’re not hungry, you have to eat a little.”

Shouldn’t Eun be the one being taken care of like this?
It felt like our roles had been reversed.

When I didn’t eat right away, Eun kindly scooped up the porridge and fed it to me.

I had a feeling that if I said I wasn’t hungry now, he wouldn’t listen, so I changed my plan — eat quickly and then talk.

I quickly finished the porridge and reached for the glass of water to take the medicine, but just then, Eun, who had been quietly watching me the whole time, suddenly spoke up.

“Hey, Un. I’m okay.”

“……”

“I’m saying this because I think you’re still worrying. I’m not just saying it — I really am okay. You came to find me, Un.”

“…But—”

“No ‘but.’ There are only two things you need to know right now.
Yeah, something not-so-good happened — but you came and saved me, and because of that, I’m really okay now.”

The child whispered in a tone far too gentle for his age, and his face looked astonishingly fine.
No — not fine.
His cheeks were flushed as if he’d been standing in the sun too long, and his gaze trembled slightly. But that emotion, if anything, seemed more like excitement than fear.

I locked eyes with him for a moment, then swallowed the medicine.
Placing the empty glass back on the tray, I smiled, eyes narrowing.

“I’m glad.”

“About what?”

“That I was able to save you.”

That I was able to protect your smile.
As I let the words I couldn’t say melt on my tongue, Eun smiled softly while looking at me.

“I’m glad too. That the one who saved me was you, Un…”

Eun whispered something in a voice so faint I couldn’t quite hear it, then suddenly dove into my arms. I hugged him back as he naturally rubbed his head against my cheek, clinging to me.

With his small, still-growing body in my arms, I lay down on the bed.
Even though my mind was that of an adult, my body wasn’t, and it felt weak and limp.
Well, I had run all over the school with a fever and even passed out — of course I felt like this.

Breathing sluggishly, I gently patted Eun’s back as he lay on top of me.
Still resting on my stomach, Eun reached out and ran his fingers through my hair while quietly staring at me.

Maybe because he’s still young, but Eun’s heartbeat was racing unnaturally fast.
Listening to the light thumping, I finally had a moment of peace to organize my thoughts.

While I lay there, the child, eyes closed, breathed in perfect sync with me.
He looked so peaceful, I wondered if he had fallen asleep — and before I realized it, I was holding my breath while watching him.

When I finally snapped out of it, Eun had his eyes open and was watching me.

“Why?”

“Ah, um… what did the school say about what happened?”

“They’re going to talk to my parents.”

“Your parents… wait, speaking of which, where are they? Are they home?”

“No, they’re in another city.”

“You live alone?”

“Yeah, I get really lonely and bored. Can’t you come over sometimes and sleep here?”

“Of course… wait, no! What do you mean? You can’t just talk to your parents about this over the phone, right? Are they that busy?
No matter how busy they are, they should come see you at least once to check how you’re doing…”

A kid just went through something this serious — surely they’d come, right?

…But wait, did Eun’s parents ever properly appear in the original story?
That unsettling thought made me quickly try to remember, but nothing came to mind.

“Hmm. Yeah, they’re definitely busy, but I don’t think they’d come even if they weren’t.
I mean, in the end, nothing happened, right?”

Eun spoke with a strange expression.
Great, I picked the wrong topic and now the mood felt off.
Resisting the urge to squeeze my eyes shut, I scrambled to think of something else.

“So, uh… where did you go earlier?
Now that I think of it, I still need to go back to that neighborhood.”

Muttering like I was just talking to myself, Eun suddenly gasped like he’d just remembered something.

“Oh, right! I didn’t tell you, huh? I went to see him.”

“Him?”

“The kid you like.”

“A kid I like? What kid—ah! That kid!”

Unable to call him Hee-jun or say anything else, I repeated Eun’s vague wording.
Apparently amused, Eun burst into laughter, rubbing his head against my chest before adding more.

“I figured you’d be worried about whether he was eating, so I bought some kimbap and went over there.
When I said it was from you because you were worried, he took it… but I don’t know if he’ll eat it.”

I know Eun isn’t the kind of kid who’d say something hurtful, but Hee-jun is my soft spot.
Worried that he might’ve been hurt somehow, I was still thinking when Eun poked my cheek lightly with his finger and said,

“And he said… don’t come anymore.”

That… was out of nowhere.

I blinked, wearing a face that practically screamed, “What are you talking about?”
Eun, apparently finding my reaction amusing, let a soft smile curl his lips.
It was a startlingly beautiful expression, but now wasn’t the time to admire that beauty.

“…Why?”

“Hm?”

“You said he told you not to come?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t ask, so I don’t know. But… I don’t think he would’ve answered even if I did.”

Eun murmured into my chest, his words slightly muffled by his squished cheek and lips.
There was something sunken in his expression that didn’t sit right.

I was about to ask if something happened when Eun glanced up at me, sat up, and spoke with the calmness of someone chatting about everyday life.

“Hey, Un. You know his dad hits him, right?”

My heart dropped. I was so shocked I couldn’t respond right away.
At this point, even if I denied it, I doubted he’d believe me.

Because it wasn’t my pain, I didn’t dare say anything lightly — I hesitated.
And Eun spoke again, calmly.

“He doesn’t like it either. That you know he’s being hit.”

It felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Was Hee-jun going to think I’d deceived him?
That everything I’d said until now was a lie?
Was the kid I’d finally gotten to smile and take care of himself just going to go back to how he was before?

“What did he say? Was he mad?”

“He didn’t get mad. He said thank you.”

Caught completely off guard, I forgot how serious this was and blurted out a reply.

“Thank you? He said thank you?”

“Yeah. He said to tell you that, thanks to you, he was happy for the first time in a while.
He said he’s always been fine until now, so you don’t need to worry too much — he’ll be fine going forward too.”

“Really?”

“…Yeah. Really.”

I could tell. That was a lie.

Maybe he didn’t get mad, and maybe he did say thank you — but everything after that was a lie.

Judging by Eun’s expression, Hee-jun probably told him to say that.
Looks like it’s time to go rescue our main character, who’s been lying so much his nose should be getting longer.

Skipping school for a day should be fine, right?
As that thought crossed my mind, I pulled Eun tightly into my arms so he wouldn’t notice what I was planning.

Eun’s arms naturally wrapped around me too, and I sagged into the embrace, biting down on the soft flesh inside my cheek.

You haven’t been fine all this time — so why would you be fine from now on?
You could’ve just asked for help.
If you did, I’d have gone to you right this second.
You really don’t know me at all.

<Ha-eun>

 

I laid the sleeping Sa-eon down in bed and headed toward the alley where we always met.
It was to meet the “kid” that Sa-eon often looked after.
Since Sa-eon always referred to him as “that kid” or “the kid,” and the boy himself had never shared his name, even though the three of us had met quite a few times, I still didn’t know it.

Anyway, Sa-eon seemed strangely obsessed with whether or not that kid was eating properly, so I figured he’d be happy if I at least bought him some kimbap.

So, it was really just a simple desire to be praised by Sa-eon that made me do it.
If I’d known things would get this complicated, I wouldn’t have come here.

With a dazed, regretful expression — like a kid who accidentally broke a beehive while playing with sticks — I admitted it to myself.
Sa-eon would’ve definitely said I was adorable over even the smallest thing, without me needing to do something like this…
Yeah, I’d gotten too greedy.

So this is why people say “too much is as bad as too little.”
Mumbling words that felt somewhat fitting but not really, I looked at the “kid” standing in front of me.

Considering the neighborhood he lived in, I had thought maybe his family didn’t have much money.

But then—

“You’re being hit? You do know that’s child abuse, right?”

“Of course I know that.”

“Child abuse… ha…”

I never even imagined he was being abused.

Sadly, there are a lot of children in the world who suffer abuse.
But the “kid” didn’t show any of the typical behaviors or traits common among those children, so I never suspected a thing.

He did have a lot of bruises, but kids our age often get banged up from playing in the dirt, so I never thought too deeply about it.

And to be honest, I wouldn’t have been this shocked just because of the child abuse…

“Also, I know that Lee Sa-eon already knows about it.
So tell him — don’t come anymore.”

How couldn’t I be shocked after hearing something like that?

Even if Sa-eon didn’t notice, it was obvious — this kid was full of affection for him, anyone could see that.
He even had a completely different expression when looking at me versus when looking at Sa-eon.

And now, after acting like that just yesterday, he’s saying this? I was completely thrown off.

“Are you serious? I’m going to tell him everything, you know.
You won’t regret this?”

“…I won’t.”

It felt weird that he was hesitating, so I took another good look at “that kid.” And when I did, I noticed something. His anxious expression and how he kept biting his lips like he was trying to hold back pain.

…Now that I really looked, it seemed like something was going on, but he didn’t seem willing to talk about it.

Even without that, my nerves were already frayed because of everything that happened today. Hearing something like that on top of it just made my head hurt more.

I pressed down hard on my temples with cold, numb hands.

I wasn’t sure if he had nothing to say or if he just couldn’t say it, but after staying silent for a long while, he finally opened his mouth and spoke bluntly.

“But he lied to me too. So it’s fine if I cut ties like this, right?”

“…What?”

“Why? I’m not wrong, am I?”

The “kid” rubbed his swollen cheek—like he’d just had a wisdom tooth pulled—roughly with his hand, then let out a bitter laugh.

His words were sharp, like he had a knife in his mouth instead of a tongue, but his eyes were flushed, like he might cry any second.

He touched wounds that looked like they’d hurt even if the wind brushed them, prodding at them without flinching, yet just saying something hurtful about Sa-eon—who wasn’t even here—was enough to put that pained expression on his face.

Seeing that look, all the things I wanted to say back—things just as harsh—melted away like snow. With a small sigh, I spoke in an exhausted voice.

“No matter what happened, is that really what you want to say to someone who worried about you that much?”

“He… Lee Sa-eon, Sa-eon….”

As soon as he said Sa-eon’s name, his voice softened.

But “Sa-eon”? Every time he was with Sa-eon, he always called him “Lee Sa-eon,” yet now it sounded so natural for him to call him just “Sa-eon.”

That’s when I realized—when Sa-eon wasn’t around, he called him “Sa-eon,” not “Lee Sa-eon.”

It made me feel… strange. I shut my mouth tightly.

He had stopped midway through his sentence and was now smiling, like there was nothing he could do. In this empty neighborhood, that smile felt completely out of place.

After laughing for a long time, the kid turned toward the stairs. I could see his side profile, full of things he wanted to say.

His bangs, usually hanging down like they’d cover his eyes in the wind, lifted. A wound near his eye came into view. A red line, like he’d been cut by something sharp, was drawn across his pale skin.

Exposing that clear mark of violence to the world, he stared quietly down the stairs and whispered under his breath.

“This place doesn’t suit him. When I’m with Sa-eon, even this hell feels like a place I can live in. And I… I hate that.”

If it’s just with him, I feel like I could live here forever. But I can’t let that happen.

The kid mumbled like it wasn’t something I needed to hear, his face calm—infinitely calm. As I watched him tilt his head back slightly, exhale, and close his eyes, I found myself speaking, like I was under a spell.

“Then at least ask for help. Maybe you don’t realize it, but Un is…”

“He’s the kind of guy who’d come running right this second. That’s why—no. He can’t. It’s too late. The sun’s almost gone. This isn’t a place kids should be wandering around in at night. Especially not someone like Sa-eon.”

“…”

“So you go too—go to Sa-eon.”

With a face that said he wanted to go too, he said it so easily.

Like he was someone who could never leave this place, someone who had no right to wonder where Sa-eon was or what he was doing, he just stood there, still as ever.

I stood next to him for a long moment, then—as I always did when I came with Sa-eon—I ran down the stairs, skipping steps.

Halfway down, I paused and looked back. For a second, I thought I met the kid’s eyes—like he’d been watching me.

Neither Sa-eon nor I had ever once looked back. But he… he was always standing there, watching us from that spot. Realizing that, out of nowhere, left a strange, bitter taste.

<Lee Sa-eon>

Wandering around for just a few hours over four days and running into Hee-jun—that had been insanely lucky.

Now that the kid was actively avoiding me, I couldn’t find him no matter what. At this rate, forget four days—even a whole month might not be enough to track him down.

“My head hurts…”

With a helpless look, I pressed hard on one of my temples. Maybe it was the cold wind, or maybe it was the worry gnawing at me over the kid, but my head throbbed constantly.

I’d been thinking it over for days, but no matter what, Hee-jun wasn’t the kind of person who’d tell me not to come for no reason. The more I tried to figure out why he’d send that message, the more my mind spiraled into worst-case scenarios.

His father already knew I’d been coming here. Did he also find out that I’d been bringing meals for Hee-jun and sometimes giving him toys? Maybe he got scolded for constantly hanging out with me, for not cutting ties.

It seemed too petty to punish a child over something like that, but if he were a normal adult capable of rational thought, he wouldn’t have hit the kid in the first place.

Honestly, I wanted to take a whole day just to search for Hee-jun. But my parents wouldn’t allow me to skip school, so that wasn’t an option.

Still, after classes I’d been coming here every single day without fail… yet as if he knew exactly when I’d show up, Hee-jun was nowhere to be found.

How long until the weekend? I paused mid-step, trying to count how many days were left, when I remembered—today was Friday. My mind was such a mess I’d forgotten what day it was.

“Oh, right. It’s Friday.”

For a moment, I felt anxious—worried that I might not see Hee-jun even over the weekend. But I knew that worrying wouldn’t change anything, so I forced myself to stay calm.

As I reached into my bag for my water bottle, I accidentally made eye contact with a cat watching me from a short distance away. Its fur was pitch black, and its eyes were a mix of green and yellow.

It didn’t look too bad for a stray—maybe someone was feeding it.

I stared at the cat as it blinked slowly at me, then pulled out a carton of milk from my bag.

“Can cats drink human milk? Probably not, huh…”

I made a thoughtful sound and did a quick search. Fortunately, milk with the lactose removed was safe for them, and it just so happened that’s exactly what I had.

As I opened the carton, I felt something scratching at my leg and looked down. At some point, the cat had crept up and was now pawing at me.

It didn’t seem afraid of people at all—it was right beside me, demanding its milk.

As the cat meowed and paced back and forth impatiently, I told it to wait and grabbed a pair of scissors from my pencil case.

“I’m gonna give it to you, so hang on, okay? Just wait a bit. Good kitty.”

To be honest, I’d bought that milk to give to Hee-jun—it was fresh every day, just in case I ran into him. But looking at things now, it didn’t seem likely I’d meet him today either. Rather than taking it back home, I figured the cat might as well have it.

I cut the milk carton so it’d be easier for the cat to drink and placed it on the ground.

The cat immediately stopped bothering me and walked over to the milk. Like it had never made a fuss, it quietly started drinking, and I let out a small laugh.

“Tastes good?”

“Mrow.”

“Good. Do you come here often? Then how come I’ve never seen you before… You wanna come again tomorrow? I’ll bring food just for you.”

I sat a short distance away so it could drink comfortably and mumbled to myself. Watching the cat blink at me like it understood made me smile without realizing.

As it lapped up the milk, I let my arms fall loosely to my sides and just rambled on.

Once it had finished everything, the cat came over and rubbed its head against my fingers a couple of times, like a thank-you, then leisurely walked away.

Its retreating figure showed not the slightest hint of regret, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. Even after the cat had gone, I stayed crouched there for a long while, staring blankly up at the sky.

When I finally checked my phone, it was already pretty late. If I wanted to get home on time, I needed to start moving. I picked up the empty milk carton and headed down the stairs.

My footsteps echoed alone in the quiet, desolate neighborhood. As I left that bleak place behind, I made a vow—that tomorrow, I’d leave this neighborhood with Hee-jun at my side.

I’m done wandering around here looking for that kid. Tomorrow, Hee-jun is leaving this place, holding my hand.

I’ll make sure of it.

<Choi Hee-jun>

From what I could see, there were just too many things in this world that couldn’t be helped.

Falling flat on your face in the dirt—can’t be helped. Having a toy you wanted to play with snatched away by another kid—can’t be helped. Dropping your favorite snack and not being able to eat it anymore—can’t be helped. People not liking you—can’t be helped. Finding out your father named you in hopes you’d die young… even that couldn’t be helped.