Summary: In the quarantine room, Hyun Soo questions your choice to stay, but your disarmingly honest response about fearing monsters and his potential danger leaves him shocked. As you break the silence by extending a comforting hand, you assure him of the goodness you see in him beyond his troubled past.
Hyun Soo gazed at you, his curiosity evident in the furrow of his brow. "Why do you do this?"
Engrossed in your book within the quarantine room, you looked up, your eyes meeting his. "Do what?" you inquired, your voice laced with curiosity.
"Coming here, staying in the quarantine room? You don't have to," Hyun Soo mused, his gaze filled with genuine interest. There was a subtle something in his expression that caught your attention. Placing your book down, you met his gaze and asked, "Am I bothering you here?"
His reply came with a slight hesitation, "No, I... I just think there need to be nicer places to spend the time. You dont need to be here." Hyun Soo's attempt to avoid your gaze didn't go unnoticed.
With a touch of sarcasm, you quipped, "Sure, getting wrapped up in doing stupid stuff for Eun Hyeok is my favorite thing to do." Holding your book up, you added, "No, honestly, I just like reading in peace."
Before adding the avoidance of this place by the other tenants or that you simply liked Hyun Soo's company, Mr. Kim seized the opportunity to express his annoyance. "Will you two just shut up!" he exclaimed, retreating to a secluded part of the room to lay down. You and Hyun Soo exchanged a glance, a smile playing on your lips. However, Hyun Soo remained unconvinced.
In a hushed tone, Hyun Soo questioned, "Aren't you afraid we could turn and hurt you?" The weight of his words hung in the air, and whether it was a response to Mr. Kim's demand or a genuine inquiry, you couldn't discern. Taking a deep breath, you decided to answer truthfully.
"Am I afraid a monster could kill me? Yes, yes I am. Do I think you would? Well, I don't really know. But I want to believe you wouldn't." Closing your eyes briefly, you shook your head. "You wouldn't." The disarmingly honest statement left Hyun Soo visibly shocked, a plea for understanding escaping him. Never had anyone told him that if he were to turn into a monster, he could still be good. Inside his head, he heard laughter. He, his monster apparently highly amused by your statement. It only made Hyun Soo more aware of the danger he could be, to you, as he tuned his monster out.
Before he could articulate his thoughts or distance himself, you set your book aside and approached him. Crouching down, you extended your right hand, hoping he would lay his hand in yours. After a moment of silence, he did. Examining his hand and taking your time you spoke, "You have honest hands and kind eyes. Whatever happened there," pointing to his scar, "shows me you'd rather hurt yourself than someone else." Gently rubbing your thumb over his hand, you sensed a shiver running down his back."If this a good quirk of yours." you shrugged, not finishing your thought.
Your words seemed to expose him, as if you could see the core of his being. The intensity of your eyes and the gentle touch left him feeling vulnerable. Though he wanted to pull away, you broke the stare, looking down at his hand and eventually holding it in both of yours.
"Our past doesn't define us. Our actions do. And you, Hyun Soo, have done nothing short of helping and protecting others since I met you. I don't fear you. I don't fear him." Looking back up at Hyun Soo, you seemed to address someone entirely different. "But if I make you uncomfortable, I will keep my distance." Slowly letting go of his hand, a small blush appearing on your face, you feared you might have overstepped. However, Hyun Soo blurted out, "No! No... you don't," giving your hand a short squeeze. The blush now adorned both your faces as you nodded, getting back up. Hyun Soo watched you walk back to your book, the brief moment of trust and intimacy broken. His mind was racing, still rethinking your words, trying to make sense of his monster's reaction to your words when he noticed you. As you continued reading, you sat much closer to him than before, and a genuine smile graced his lips, finding solace in your proximity.
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