DISTINCT LOVE || TaeGyu

Chp 24

Beomgyu's POV
The Day Before the Party~

I couldn’t feel anything anymore when I saw them—the monsters who pretended to care for me while silently digging my grave. Their dark purity, disguised as love, had consumed me as whole, leaving nothing but scars and emptiness.

I was raised in the blindness of their fake affection, never questioning their real intentions.

Their expressions.

Voices.

Emotions.

So-called love.

It felt like a thousand knives slicing deeper into my already bruised soul. I couldn’t cry or scream. I could only watch as their figures loomed over me.

I'm just a helpless prey.

I knew what they wanted.

I knew they hated to see me alive.

Taehyun.

His name echoed in my mind, and I bit my lip to stop the tears that threatened to fall. I lay there staring at the stark white ceiling, trying to drown out their syrupy voices.

"My dear! Where have you been?!"

My aunt’s honeyed tone stabbed at my ears. Her exaggerated concern was almost laughable.

I could feel my mind slipping further away as her voice continued to pierce through the numbness.

"Beomie… honey… can you hear me?" she asked, taking my bandaged hand in hers. "Please… say something... We’ve been so worried about you. We searched everywhere for months!" she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, to cry hard.

I stared blankly at the ceiling, my jaw tightening. Inside, I rolled my eyes so hard I almost gave myself a headache.

Fake.

Everything about her is fake.

I clenched my other hand into a fist under the covers, the bandages tugging uncomfortably against my skin. But, I needed to play along if I ever wanted to escape this hell.

Mom. Dad.
Please… help me.

I took a deep breath to steady myself. I could feel the walls closing in. The air in the room thickened as their gazes bore into me. My aunt continued her act, but I tuned her out, her voice becoming white noise in the background.

The door creaked open, and the Doctor entered with a nurse trailing behind him. He glanced at my family, offering them a polite smile.

"Mr. Choi will need to rest here for three to five days to allow his wounds to heal." The doctor calmly began. "The injuries on his knees and back are severe, but he’s fortunate to still be in good physical condition overall. It’s remarkable, given that he survived in Gotjawal forest for six months."

Six months.

The words hit me. Had it really been that long? Time had become meaningless in the forest, a place that had been my sanctuary.

I’d found peace there.

I’d felt safe.

And I wasn’t alone.

I suddenly thought of the man who had been my shield, my protector in the wilderness. My chest tightened as memories of those quiet nights and shared smiles flooded back to me.

The doctor’s words brought me back to the present. I noticed the way my family exchanged glances. Their expressions shifted subtly, but I knew them too well not to recognize what was behind their silence.