Lip Balm | Wooyoung

28

Saturday

Wooyoung hurriedly enters his home, anxiety causing his fingers to shake as he walks. He storms into his apartment and slams the door shut, instantly breaking down once he's behind closed doors.

Everything will be okay, right? But worries fill Wooyoung's mind. Worries that he had never even considered before, but now he can vividly see them happening in his head.

But it was just a small threat, there's nothing to worry about. Suddenly the image of Hyunmi's excited smile comes back to him. This job really meant a lot to her, and her sister's life depends on it too. He recalls how he felt when he lost his brother. No...he cannot let anyone he cares for experience that too.

Cracks quickly break out onto the dam Wooyoung had built in his mind to keep these thoughts at bay. First small memories and feelings seep through, until the entire dam bursts.

All the memories, the emotions, the aftermath, everything comes flooding into Wooyoung's mind at once. The way his brother was in so much pain for so long, and in the end he couldn't survive it. No matter how hard he tried, Wooyoung couldn't save his brother. No amount of money and no amount of hard work could help, all he could do was sit there and watch him progressively get worse and worse by the day.

Wooyoung would give anything and everything to have had the chance to pay money for treatement. Oh how he wishes he could have worked day and night to earn money to help. But in his brother's case, it was too late. There was no way to cure him, it had been too late.

Before he knows it, Wooyoung is curled up on the ground and he shakes violently. He doesn't even notice the tears streaming down his face and the sobs that wrack his body, his mind too immersed in the past and with regrets.

The only thing that was helping him was the presence of Hyunmi. He doesn't know what it was, but he felt something as soon as he got to know her. A connection of sorts, as if she somehow knew what he was going through. Of course she didn't know and probably still doesn't, yet Wooyoung quickly found himself needing her. Caring for her was something that brought the man a genuine sense of joy, one that he has never felt with anyone else before.

He sobs harder when he realises that she has been taken away from him. Could he lie, or pull a trick so he can take her back after she's earned enough money? No, he can't risk it. Even if it's only a one percent chance of his plans failing, that's still a chance. He would rather for the girl to despise him than for her and her family to go through the pain of anything happening to her sister. He knows better than anyone: every second is crucial with a patient. No, he can't bring himself to be selfish this time.

He tries to halt his sobbing, eyes searching around for anything that could give him relief from the pain in his chest right now. Anything to get his mind off Hyunmi and his late brother.

An idea pops into his mind, but it's one that he didn't want to resort to. He chewed his lips so hard earlier that they're all ripped and bloody. Despite this, Wooyoung continues to bite his stinging lip as he tries to convince himself to not do what he's about to do. If Hyunmi finds out, she'll definitely hate him.

But that'd be for the best, wouldn't it?

She won't be at risk at all if her hatred towards him is genuine. He'll try his best to explain himself once she has enough money, but he'll understand even if she chooses to not forgive him.

With trembling hands, Wooyoung pulls his phone out of his pocket. He gulps and roughly wipes his tears with his sleeve before returning his gaze to his phone.

He quickly dials a number and it's not long before the other side picks up and a feminine voice flows through the phone speaker.

I'm sorry, Hyunmi.