𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

While you were sleeping

ⓒ Baek Nara

Their inevitable return of violence could not be called revenge. We were not playing a never-ending game of revenge. Now I could see that clearly.

The boys' violence that followed my revenge was a bait. If I took the bait, the boys eagerly awaited their turn for revenge. I could no longer seek revenge against <Jerome> and <Simon>. Like them, I had to throw out bait. But it had to be something they wouldn't recognize... something they had never seen before...

But what on earth could that be? Was there even a way to fool them? I sat dazed on the iron rail before getting up. <Simon> was not in the room. I took a few steps and felt a wave of nausea.

Clinging to the bed rail, I knelt down and vomited. Only bile came out. All I had eaten last night was a bit of salad and some tea, so there was nothing substantial to throw up. Despite being empty, my stomach continued to heave. Tears streamed down my face as I gagged.

Someone must have heard the retching from the living room. The door suddenly swung open. It was George.

<Seems like things didn't go well for you last night,> George said coldly, with no intention of helping me.

After a few more bouts of retching, my strength gave out. I slumped against the bed, wiping the saliva from my mouth with my hand before responding to George's remark.

<Stop the useless talk and give me a hand. I need to rinse my mouth.>

<I told you to eat properly,> George said, stepping into the room.

I snorted at his comment.

<If I'd had steak, the floor would look much more interesting now, wouldn't it?>

Instead of replying, George grabbed my arm and pulled me up. I leaned on him and stumbled out of the room.

He helped me to the bathroom. After rinsing my mouth and brushing my teeth, I suddenly thought to check my side. Lifting my pajama top, I saw a red burn mark where the electric shock had hit. Another scar to add to the collection. I staggered out of the bathroom.

The clock chimed the hour. It was 2 PM. I must have passed out rather than slept last night. I wandered into the living room and stood by the window. Soon, the view I had been expecting appeared. Jerome was riding a horse.

I sat on the windowsill, watching Jerome ride. It was hard to guess what Jerome and Simon were thinking. They hadn't moved at all since the weekend. Even Simon's actions last night were just a form of resistance against me. Why were they doing nothing? What were they thinking? What were they waiting for?

That evening, I didn't see Simon come in. Completely exhausted, I had an early dinner with Hugh and George and fell asleep within an hour. Nearly being killed, suffering from a severe cold, and then being electrocuted probably contributed to the bizarre dreams I had that night.

In the dream, I was riding a carousel, but at some point, I realized it was a real horse, not a wooden one. The live horse, with a metal pole through its stomach, flailed its legs, and I bounced on its back as if riding a real horse.

I woke with a start at 4 AM, drenched in sweat and feeling unbearably heavy. I could barely move a finger. Turning my head with difficulty, I saw Simon asleep in his bed, as usual.

I briefly woke before falling back into a faint sleep, waking again only after 11 AM. I felt slightly better than the day before. The dormitory was unusually empty. George was also nowhere to be seen. After changing into casual clothes and having breakfast, I returned to find the dorm still empty. Assuming everyone had gone for a walk, I decided to go outside as well. A short walk might clear my mind. At least, without Jerome or Simon in sight, I felt more at ease.