The protector

Mental wounds not healing. Life's a bitter shame

Maybe it's not too late

To learn how to love

And forget how to hate

(Crazy Train – O.Osbourne)

2026, September

It was carrying a chaos of consciousnesses and feelings that Jeong Hyeok went back to Pyongyang that year. Regrets, what if... Missing of her, 50 weeks to wait again. Urge to do something without even knowing what, he was stuck there. Anger, that fucking husband. And an infinite pain, she was married.

He started to throw up again, every day. Started to practice Taekwondo again, and In-ah had to stop him multiple times.

Sung-yeon had been adopted.

His mother's brother got married and decided to take him, so there was no reason to meet the sunbaenim in the National Orchestra academy again. The man felt a bit disappointed, he needed someone, he needed someone more than ever at that moment.

A child in danger had been adopted, and he was feeling disappointed because this meant he wasn't going to meet In-ah at the N.O. anymore. No wonder he was hating himself, Jeong Hyeok pondered. All that pain was transforming him into a monster. How miserable had become his life? Promises the premise of which was his parents' death, hopes about his woman to not become a mother, and now disappointment because that child wasn't starving in an orphanage anymore.

Nausea, again, and he couldn't say his stomach was wrong: he had become disgusting.

One evening, Jeong Hyeok was alone at home trying to retain a spoon of white rice into his stomach, his phone rang.

"Jeong Hyeok it's me, I'm sorry to call you so late, we decided to go out for a bee..."

In five minutes he was out of his apartment.

She was seated in the usual place. Alone.

"Where's the others?"

"I've lied, hope you don't mind."

The pianist launched her an interrogative gaze.

"Louis had been transferred in Mozambique. Apropos, he sends his love, The others are still on vacation. But it's better like this."

"Time to relax" he considered.

"No, honestly I'm sad and I feel alone, so much that I've lied because I didn't want to stay alone at home on Friday night, but it's better because I've something to ask you."

Jeong Hyeok welcomed that statement of hers with a hint of surprise.

"Why you had to lie?"

"I didn't want to seem... too far? I don't know, sometimes I feel I'm too sparkling for your culture, I didn't want to be intrusive." An invitation on Friday night, alone, the pianist immediately understood what she was meaning.

"You are not, I'm happy if you call me" and the man immediately felt that his words were sincere.

Surprising himself first, Jeong Hyeok proposed some fun activity to spend the weekend together in. She accepted with gratitude.

"Is this what you wanted to ask me?"

"No, I wanted to ask you if it's everything ok. You are trying to hurt yourself again at the gym."

So she had noticed it. Again. She must have been aware for a lot of time.

He wasn't strong enough to share this.

"It's nothing" hoping to not receive another question. In vain.

"What about your journey Jeong Hyeok?"