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THE BEACH WAS CALM NOW, the chaos from earlier replaced by the soothing rhythm of waves rolling onto the sand. The moon hung low, casting a silver glow over the water and painting their faces in soft, pale light. Kwon and y/n sat close but not touching, both staring out at the horizon, the tension from their escape slowly giving way to an uneasy quiet.
The boy leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly together. His shoulders were tense, his jaw set, but his face was softer than usual—guarded but vulnerable. y/n sat beside him, her knees drawn to her chest, her cheek still stinging from the fight as she felt it swelling up.
For a while, neither of them spoke. The only sounds were the waves lapping at the shore and the distant hum of the city behind them.
Finally, the girl broke the silence, her voice quiet but firm. "That wasn't your fault, you know."
Kwon exhaled sharply, almost a laugh but too bitter to be one. "Doesn't matter. You got hurt because of me."
She frowned, turning her head to look at him. "Seriously?"
He cut her off, his voice hoarse and low. "Don't. Don't try to make me feel better about this. You could've been..." He stopped, shaking his head as if trying to dislodge the thought. "I shouldn't have let it happen."
Y/n's lips parted to argue, but she hesitated, watching the way his hands tightened into fists, the way his head hung low like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. "You fought for me," she said softly. "You didn't let anything happen to me."
"Not enough," he muttered, his voice barely audible.
She sighed, leaning back on her hands and tilting her head up to look at the sky. The stars were faint, barely visible against the glow of the moon, but they were there. "You're infuriating, you know that?"
Kwon glanced at her, his brow furrowing. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you're blaming yourself for something you had no control over," she said, her tone lighter now, teasing but not unkind. "You're like some tragic hero in one of those old k-dramas that I'm sure Halmoni loves."
He scoffed, the corner of his mouth twitching like he wanted to smile but didn't quite know how. "Yeah, well, I don't exactly feel heroic right now."
Y/n turned to face him fully, her cheek catching the light just enough for him to see the faint cut. His gaze flicked to it, his expression darkening again, but she reached out, touching his arm gently.
