breathe # minsung

59

The following morning, a heavy atmosphere hung in the air as Minhee quietly entered the room where her brother, Minho, lay. His face, an expressionless mask, bore the marks of a sleepless night, and his vacant gaze was fixed upon the ceiling. Minhee's heart ached at the sight, her features etched with sadness as she approached the bedside.

"Minho," her voice was gentle, a soft murmur that barely disturbed the silence. She perched on the edge of the bed, her eyes searching his face for any flicker of recognition. Though she understood the weight of his ordeal, she hoped to convey her presence and offer a listening ear. She had arrived too late the previous night, burdened by guilt over her perceived failure to protect him.

Tears welled in her eyes as she recalled the horrifying images she had witnessed and the pain etched onto her brother's features. "I'm so sorry," her voice wavered, laden with remorse. "It's all my fault that you got hurt. I should've been there on time, I should've left earlier... there were so many ways I could've changed the course of events."

Minho's silence persisted, his eyes resting on his sister's sorrowful figure. He longed to speak, to offer comfort, but the trauma of the previous night rendered him mute. The memories of Seejun's torment were etched into his mind, leaving him feeling hollow and incapacitated.

While he sympathized with Minhee's self-blame, he recognized that blame should not fall upon her. The authorities' negligence and the ever-present sense of being watched had been catalysts for the tragic events. However, the words refused to leave his lips, a knot of revulsion and pain constricting his throat.

Minhee continued, her voice trembling as she recounted the events of her evening. "Last night, I left work later than usual because of a talk with my boss about a potential promotion. He mentioned relocating to Seoul for a few months... As I left, I noticed I was being followed, so I took a different route. When Seejun didn't answer my calls, I panicked for your safety. I rushed as fast as I could, but Busan's traffic was unbearable. When Felix sent me the live stream, and I saw what was happening... I felt sick, consumed by anger and regret."

A pang of emotion tugged at Minho's heart, his sister's distress palpable. She had fought against time and circumstances, her determination evident even as she battled her own emotions. He yearned to reassure her, to absolve her of her perceived failures, but the scars of the previous night held him captive in silence.

"Upon reaching the café, everyone was already searching for you. Your location was off, complicating the search. It was a harrowing ordeal, Minho," Minhee's voice quivered, her hand reaching up to stifle a sob. She pressed on, recounting Felix's emotional breakdown and their collective efforts to locate him. The perpetrators and Naeun had been apprehended, and their parents were taken into custody.

Minhee's gaze held a mixture of pain and concern as she urged Minho to consider cooperating with the authorities. "While they have evidence from videos, your statement could greatly assist them. But we understand if it's too much for you. We've all given our accounts," her words were accompanied by a soft sniffle, as she wiped away a tear that had escaped.

With a final, tender glance, Minhee rose from the bed. "I prepared a meal for you. Please try to eat, even if it's just a little," she implored gently before leaving the room to retrieve the food, her heart heavy with the weight of their shared pain.

As she returns, Felix stands by her side, his eyes swollen and cheeks stained with tears. The wellspring of emotions within him threatens to engulf him once more as he gazes upon his best friend. It's as if his world is crumbling, a fragile construct shattered by the horrors of the previous night. The ache in his heart drives him to a profound desire – to swap places with Minho, to bear the weight of the unspeakable trauma himself, sparing his friend from this agony. The injustice of it all claws at him; a gnawing realization that Minho, nor anyone else, should have suffered such a fate. Yet, within the depths of his sorrow, Felix finds solace in the thought that he would willingly endure it in Minho's stead.