DISGRACE ──── ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ ✔️

61 ─── ʳᵉᵈᵉᵐᵖᵗⁱᵒⁿ

ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ

Rian’s car came to a screeching halt outside Kang Ha’s house. He stumbled out, his legs unsteady as if the guilt he carried had physically weighed him down. His chest was tight, his breaths shallow, but he refused to let himself crumble. Not yet. 

He pounded on the door, each knock harder than the last. When Kang Ha finally opened it, his face was groggy with sleep, but the moment he saw Rian’s expression, his own softened into concern. 

“Rian? What’s going on?” Kang Ha asked cautiously. 

Rian stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, his body tense like a coiled spring. He turned to face Kang Ha, his eyes bloodshot, his face pale. 

“I need to talk to you,” Rian said, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Kang Ha closed the door, crossing his arms. “About what?” 

“In-han,” Rian said, and Kang Ha froze. 

The name hit like a punch to the gut. Kang Ha’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching, but he kept his voice steady. “What about him?” 

Rian swallowed hard, his throat burning. “I—I destroyed him, Kang Ha. I ruined him.” 

Kang Ha’s fists tightened even more, his knuckles white. “What are you talking about?” 

Tears spilled down Rian’s face as he took a shaky step forward. “I was jealous, okay? Jealous of how good he was. Of how much Jae-i trusted him. I thought... I thought if I took him out of the equation, everything would be perfect. But it wasn’t. I just... I hurt him. And I destroyed myself in the process.” 

Kang Ha’s breathing grew heavier, his body trembling with anger. “You’re the reason he—” 

“Yes!” Rian cried out, his voice breaking. “It’s my fault. All of it. And I’ll never forgive myself. But I’m here now, Kang Ha. I’ll confess everything. I’ll help you file the lawsuit. I’ll stand in court and tell them what I did. Just... please, let me make this right.” 

Kang Ha’s vision blurred with tears he didn’t want to shed. He wanted to scream, to hit Rian, to make him feel even a fraction of the pain he had endured since losing In-han. But as he looked at Rian—this broken, guilt-ridden shell of a boy—he saw someone who was already punishing himself far more than anyone else ever could. 

“I hated you,” Kang Ha said, his voice shaking. “Every single day, I hated you for what you did to him. You took him away from me, and I wanted you to suffer for it.” 

Rian flinched, his head hanging low. “I know.” 

“But now...” Kang Ha’s voice cracked, and he wiped at his face with trembling hands. “Now I don’t know what to feel. Because standing here, seeing you like this—it doesn’t bring him back.” 

Rian nodded, tears streaming freely down his face. “I’m sorry. For everything. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right. I promise.” 

Kang Ha stared at him for a long moment before letting out a shaky breath. “Then let’s go.” 

They drove to the courthouse in silence, the weight of their shared grief pressing down on them. When they arrived, Rian marched up to the clerk’s desk, his voice trembling but resolute. 

“I’m here to confess,” he said. “And to help file a lawsuit.” 

The clerk handed them the forms, and the two boys sat at a small table. Rian’s hands trembled as he wrote, detailing every cruel act, every manipulation, every moment that led to In-han’s downfall. Kang Ha sat beside him, his chest aching as he listened to the full extent of Rian’s sins. 

When Rian finished, he put the pen down and looked at Kang Ha, his face streaked with tears. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice raw. 

Kang Ha’s own tears spilled over as he reached out, placing a hand on Rian’s shoulder. For a moment, they sat there in silence, their grief and pain intertwining. 

“I don’t know if I can ever forgive you,” Kang Ha said finally. “But thank you for trying to be better.” 

Rian broke down completely, sobbing into his hands. Kang Ha stayed beside him, offering silent support as Rian began the long, painful journey toward redemption. 

ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ