Left Out Friend

39

The room was silent, only the ticking of the clock could be heard. The bed was neatly arranged, and the window was open, letting the cold breeze slip inside.

There stood Sunoo, letting the air brush gently against his face. The moonlight glowed faintly, making his pale skin seem even softer under the night sky.

His bruises had been treated by Jay. Jay had cared for him every single day and every single hour, making sure he ate three full meals, even slipping him snacks whenever he looked too tired.

But still, some bruises remained. Some healed slowly, some barely changed at all.

And he couldn’t walk properly anymore. Every movement hurt. It frustrated him that Jay had to carry him whenever he wanted to go somewhere.

He could walk, but only slowly… painfully slowly. And he didn’t want Jay to wait for him, scared that Jay would get annoyed for bothering him anytime. So instead, he tried to gather strength quietly.

He didn’t want Jay upset with him... not now, not when Jay was the only person he wanted in this situation. Ashamed of himself for being honest, but he admitted that being with someone who wouldn't do anything... maybe... is what he needed right now.

But the memory of Jungwon barging in days ago still lingered in his mind, haunting him. Truthfully, everything that happened to him had turned into one long nightmare.

Every night, sleep refused to come. Whenever he closed his eyes, the same faces appeared... those disgusting smiles as they watched him suffer. It had been days since that moment, and Jay’s comfort wasn’t even working.

Yes, you heard that right. Comforting. After everything that had happened, Sunoo finally understood something: and made up his mind. That he wanted to forget everything. And if forgetting meant letting Jay stay by his side, then he would allow it.

He realized Jay wasn’t like them. Cuz after all, Jay had been a victim too. Afraid, trapped, helpless. Of course he couldn’t be brave back then. And just like him.

But a part of Sunoo still hurt. Still angry. Still disappointed. He hated himself for feeling that way, but how could he stop it? Trusting Jay again made him feel like he was repeating the same mistake.

The thought scared him… and it frustrated him even more.

He had stopped blaming himself—and stopped blaming the people trying to help him. The only ones he blamed were those bastards.

And thinking about them made him feel trapped even more. He would sometimes slipped into hallucinations. He felt like they were still watching him, hiding in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to break in again.

Sometimes he stared into nothing, tears falling without warning.

Sometimes he hurt himself, thinking it might wake him up from the memories he couldn’t escape.

Digging deeper into his thoughts only made the tears fall harder.

It was already 10 PM. He had eaten dinner two hours ago... Eunwoo made sure of that. And about him, he had become stricter since Sunoo confessed everything. Furious, even. He couldn’t stand the idea of Sunoo wanting to see Jake.

“Hyung just doesn’t understand…” Sunoo thought.

Jay agreed with Sunoo—too quickly—which led the two into a fight that day. If Sunoo hadn’t stepped in, they would have hurt each other.

To Eunwoo, meeting Jake was a terrible idea. But how could he ignore the desperation in Sunoo’s eyes? For him, everything was already settled. Sunoo shouldn’t have to relive anything.