In Another Life

Injured

As Jooyeon's shift at the hospital came to an end, darkness had already descended upon the city. With tired steps, he made his way out of the building, only to be unexpectedly grabbed by an unfamiliar figure and forcefully led into a dimly lit alleyway.

"Can I talk to you for a moment, Jooyeon?" Minhwan said casually.

"What is there to talk about?" Jooyeon replied coldly.

"Just fucking leave Jungsu alone! You're just giving him false hope." Minhwan suddenly raised his voice.

"Why would I leave him alone? Jungsu and I are practically civil, and I just can't ignore him!" Jooyeon stated. This declaration only served to further enrage Minhwan.

"Leave him alone, or I might do something to you that you won't like," Minhwan said threateningly.

"Or what, you want to hurt me? Okay, go ahead, but I won't back down from a fight," Jooyeon said decisively, leaving the now angry Minhwan no choice.

Upon hearing those words, Minhwan swiftly delivered a powerful punch to Jooyeon's face and proceeded to relentlessly kick him in the sides. However, despite the brutal assault, Jooyeon refused to back down and retaliated by landing punches of his own on Minhwan's side. The two boys engaged in a fierce physical altercation, continuing to exchange blows until their fight was eventually broken up by a bystander.

At the usual time for Jungsu to pick up Jooyeon from work, he noticed that Jooyeon had not emerged yet. Concerned, Jungsu decided to park his car and search for Jooyeon. After a few minutes of searching, he became worried about Jooyeon's safety. Eventually, Jungsu heard the sounds of a scuffle and rushed towards the commotion to intervene and break up the fight.

Jungsu exclaimed in shock, "What the fuck are you doing?!" His outburst caught the attention of Jooyeon and Minhwan, leaving all three of them astonished by the situation.

"Jungsu, what are you doing here?" Minhwan nervously asked.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that question? How could you do that to Jooyeon?" Jungsu looked at Minhwan coldly.

Jooyeon and Minhwan were in a dire state, both covered in blood and sporting bruises on their faces. Jooyeon relied on Jungsu for assistance, holding onto him tightly for support as they navigated their injuries.

"What does he have that I don't? I was there for you at your lowest, and yet you still love that man who hurt you?" Minhwan cried in frustration.

"For one, he doesn't physically assault somebody. I've never stopped loving him even if we parted badly. I'm sorry that I can't reciprocate your feelings, Minhwan." Jungsu apologized for not being able to return Minhwan's romantic feelings.

"Okay, I see you chose him over me. If he hurts you, please don't come back to me," Minhwan said and left.

"Come on, let's go home. I will treat these wounds." Jungsu looked at Jooyeon gently and carried him to his car.

The drive back to Jungsu's condo was filled with an eerie silence, with neither of them speaking a word. Upon arrival, Jungsu carefully laid Jooyeon down on his plush couch before heading to the bathroom to retrieve the first aid kit. Returning to Jooyeon's side, he gently tended to the cut on his lip and applied ice to the bruises, trying to alleviate the pain and discomfort.

"Thank you for saving me again," Jooyeon weakly replied.

Once Jungsu had finished tending to Jooyeon's wounds, he gently lifted him into his arms and carried him to his room. Carefully laying him down on the bed, he made sure he was comfortable before sitting by his side, watching over him with concern. "It's already late; you should get some rest," Jungsu said awkwardly.

"Can you at least stay here, please?" Jooyeon pleaded.

Jungsu inquired cautiously, "Are you asking me to stay here?" to which the younger man simply responded with a nod of his head.

Jungsu lay beside Jooyeon as he caressed the latter's hair. "What are we, Jooyeon?" Jungsu suddenly asked.

Jooyeon's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he responded with a quizzical "Huh?" His voice was laced with uncertainty and surprise, indicating that she was taken aback by whatever had just been said to him.

"I meant that even if I wanted us to have a second chance, I wouldn't force you yet since I have to work hard to gain your trust, and I'll double my effort to prove to you that I'm finally worthy of your love. I'm willing to wait for you until you're ready." Jungsu reassured Jooyeon that he would wait patiently for him to be ready.

Jooyeon gazed at Jungsu with a hint of moisture in his eyes, touched by Jungsu's words. "Perhaps we can slowly rebuild our relationship. Let's start off again as friends." Jooyeon's offer, which made Jungsu smile in response, warmed Jooyeon's heart.

"Yeah, sure, friends," Jungsu replied. So they both fell asleep immediately after the conversation.