"Would you let me help you?" I asked.

"I don't want anyone's help" was Myung's answer.

I replied calmly, "Okay. But just know I'm by your side if you need me... I'm not gonna leave you here." And he remained silent again, keeping his head down.

Nurse Kim entered the room, asking what was wrong, and after observing the situation, he left to bring the things that were needed.

Nurse Kim returned shortly with a steel tray, some bandages, antiseptic ointment, and gauze, then walked out of the room.

I carefully cleaned the wound with an antiseptic solution, which made Myung to flinch in pain a few times, and applied the ointment next. Then, I wrapped the wound with bandage and gauze to ensure it was secure. "Now, it's all done." I said as I was still holding his arms in my hands, staring at them. 

Myung slipped his hands out of my hand and lay on bed, turning his back on me.

Making sure there were no pieces left of the book's pages, I started to gather them from his bed. 

I wanted to check underneath Myung's body, so I slipped my left arm under his shoulder. Then I wrapped my arm around him and made him sit, observing the bed sheets and searching with my right hand.

"What ~ Are~ You Doing?!~" he asked, trying to push me away, frustrated.

I lifted my head, locking my gaze on his as our faces were so close to each other's. "Gathering my torn book!" I said, annoyed. 

He blinked a few times silently, taken aback by my tone. "Then gather them quickly!!! I need some rest!!! Are you sure that you're a doctor and not a scammer?!..."

"What?!... Hey!... I graduated from the most prestigious university in our country with the highest score!" I grumbled as he was still in my arms.

Myung smirked and said, "Heh~... Who knows, maybe you cheated on your exams?! Unless you wouldn't have left your book stupidly here with a patient who's in a mental health hospital! Then you want me to trust you?!~ What a joke!"

I pulled back to stand straight and ran my fingers through my hair frustratingly and said while pointing my finger towards him, "You little!... Just for your information, I'm two years older than you! You should respect me as someone older than you and also your doctor!" 

"Yeeeeessss~ Grandpaaaa~... Now leave me alone!!!" He said annoyingly and lay down on the bed again...

I laughed hysterically and was completely speechless, "Ha ha haha~..." 

Then Nurse Kim stepped in again, and after clearing, his voice said, "Ehm~... Dr. Seo. If you're finished, let's go~..."

I walked out of the room after I sighed and said, "See you tomorrow."

-"Bye, Grandpa."

~

As Nurse Kim and I were walking in the hallway, he said, "Doctor Seo, you threatened me to treat him gently, but you literally picked a fight with him~ haha~"

I turned my head to Nurse Kim, glaring, "I know I lost my temper which I shouldn't, but his stubbornness is getting to me!"

-"hahaha~ it's amazing, by the way~... It's the first time I've seen him talking or reacting to someone~ I guess you're doing a good job, Dr." 

I paused for a moment, puzzled, "Eh~ I was so annoyed that I didn't notice, but he even said bye to me!... I guess you're right!"

Nurse Kim tapped my shoulder and said, "Good luck, Dr. Seo!" And walked away.

I stayed still in the hallway for a few minutes while my heart pounded excitedly as I noticed that we were moving forward even though it was in a weird way... 

~

.

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Haru's POV: 

[Flash back to 10 months ago]

It's been a month since Myung left here...

I still couldn't forget the time Myung's body was covered in blood while crying and losing his sanity...

..."I broke him in the end. "...

That day is still haunting me as a nightmare whenever I close my eyes...

..."It's all my fault. "...

I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't do anything without him...

..."I don't have him anymore. "...

Every corner of here is filled with Myung's traces...

..."He didn't even take his belongings as he walked out of the door"...

Everywhere I look, I still can see him, but as I'm reaching my hands into it, it'll disappear into thin air... 

..."He didn't even look back when he left me. "...

Unconsciously, tears fell down my cheeks...

..."I miss you, and it hurts. "...

I gulped down another bottle of whisky to forget my pain as I was sitting on my empty bed... 

I chuckled and mumbled, "Now, I can understand you, Myung... staying in this cold, empty house is unbearable... Waiting for someone that you're not sure whether is coming back or not is indeed torture..."

I threw the bottle on the floor, crashing into pieces... 

My whole house is a mess...

There's not even a single thing left for me to break it...

This whole month, all I did was vent my anger out at everything that exists here...

..."I hate this place... I hate my life... I hate myself. "...

As alcohol runs through my veins, I slowly feel drowsy...

Lying on the bed... closing my eyes...

..."I'm sorry that I've loved you..."

Then I drifted off to sleep and had nightmares again...

~

I opened my eyes hardly with a severe headache as I heard Lee Sora's voice, "Haru! Haru! Wake up!..." 

I glared at her hatefully, "What the f*ck are you doing at my house?!"

A mocking tone escaped her lips as she answered, "You call this trashcan a house?!... I came here to check if you're still alive..." and she pushed away broken glasses and crumbled beer cans with her feet. 

I rubbed my face frustratingly as my head was ringing in pain, still lying on the bed. "Did you bring the divorce papers?"

She glared at me as she placed them on my side table and said, "I signed them, and it only needs your sign... Are you serious about divorce?... I'm going to draw out all my investments and your work will going to broke." 

"I don't f**king care anymore!... I don't want to see you ever again, Sora." I replied. 

"Don't blame me for losing him, Haru. You were the one who hurt him with your greed!" She said. 

I sprang up from bed, and grabbed her shoulders, pushing her against the wall, "Shut up! You put me on the edge! And my disgusting parents!... I hate all of you!!!!" I yelled.

She smirked and asked, "Do you even know what he's doing now? Poor boy~ His life got ruined because of you~".

My heart throbbed in pain and I was short in breath as I got nervous, "What~... Do~... you know?~..."

"He's in a mental health hospital." She said calmly with a disgusting smile.

I felt my body going numb and my mind going blank. I tried to process what she said, but I couldn't believe it. 

I wanted to ask more questions but my mouth felt like it was glued shut. I just stood there, looking at her in disbelief...

I felt my vision blurring and my head spinning. I tried to take a few deep breaths to calm myself down, but it didn't work. As I felt myself losing consciousness, the last thing I heard was Sora's voice saying, "You're the one to blame." Then everything went dark.

..."Myung~"...

~

As I recovered consciousness, I opened my eyes slowly and found myself in a dimly lit hospital room. I was lying on a hospital bed, with my head pounding and my throat dry. I had an IV drip connected to my arm and wires attached to my chest. There was a beeping sound coming from the machines around me. 

My mom was sitting in a chair on the left side of the bed and Lee Sora was standing behind her. And on the right side of the bed a doctor was standing above me. He asked, "Mr. Kim Haru, can you hear me?" 

And I nodded faintly as the oxygen mask was on my face. Then he said, "You had alcohol poisoning, but fortunately the danger is over now."

Afterward he looked at my mom and said, "He can discharge in three days." 

"Thank you Doctor." My mom replied calmly.

When the doctor left the room, my mom said, "You've always been a shame in my life. I shouldn't have given birth to someone like you..." 

A rage crawled under my skin, but I couldn't move as my body was numb. I glared at her silently and after a few moments of gaining an energy to speak, I said, "Get out... Both of you... "

My mom stood up, "I wasn't planning to stay anyway." And left the room.

Lee Sora came close and said, "Your personal assistant is coming to stay with you. And, don't forget to sign those papers... You're no longer useful anyway..." 

I asked, "Which~ Hospital ~... He...?"

"Sunny mental health hospital. My last present to you... Bye, Kim Haru." She said and left the room.

Tears were falling from the corners of my eyes, slipping down on the pillow as I was staring at the blank ceiling of the room.

..."What have I done to you?~ My love~"...

I wanted him to be happy...

I thought he'd be better off without me...

But he's staying in a hospital?!...

How can I ever forgive myself?!...

~

[Three days later]

As soon as I got discharged from the hospital, I drove to where Myung has been staying. When I arrived there, they told me that I couldn't see him because he's in intensive care. However, I begged them desperately for a while to let me just see him from a distance, even if it's for a few seconds. 

In the end, the guard let me in, and I walked down the hallway until I got to his door. I took a look inside through the window and saw Myung sleeping on the bed in that room.

My heart ached terribly as I watched him from the outside, knowing that I was the one who put him in this situation. 

Tears started flowing down my cheeks, and I felt like my heart was breaking into pieces. I wished I could go inside and hug him, tell him how sorry I was, but I knew I couldn't. 

All I could do was watch him from the outside, hoping he would find his way out of this darkness and be happy again.

I walked back to my car, and after I got in, I punched repeatedly my car's steering wheel out of angst as I shouted in pain...

..."You're trash! Kim Haru..."...

.

.

[End of flashback]

~

.

.

[Present time].

The loss of my company nearly broke my business, but I recovered after a while and managed to get back on track as I got myself back together. 

I cut off all my ties with my parents, Lee Sora, and everyone I knew. I preferred to stay alone and not involve myself into any shitty people.

I sold my penthouse and got a smaller flat since that house was filled with memories that suffocated me every day...

Since then, I kept coming to check on Myung often to see how he was doing. However, there were no signs that he was getting better... 

I couldn't have forgotten him nor forgive myself yet...

I'm stuck in hell... 

A hell that I've made it with my own hands. However, I wished I was the only one who was burning there, but those flames also caught my loved one, Myung. 

~

Today, I decided to visit him before going to work since I hadn't seen him in a month. 

As I reached the PICU, however, the guard said that I couldn't see him anymore because his doctor had changed, and he restricted visits seriously. 

I lost control and said as I raised my voice, "It'll only take a few minutes!... Just let me see him!... I'll be careful as always!... Where is this doctor?!... Take me to his office!!!"

"I'm his doctor." I heard a deep, gentle voice from behind and turned around.

A young boy, almost the same height as me, but a bit slimmer with a hint of masculinity, dark ash brown hair and gray eyes, wearing a white uniform with a mask on his face walked towards me. 

"May I ask who you are?" He asked.

I said, "I'm Kim Haru. Are you his doctor?"

-"Yes, I'm Seo Dantae. Can we talk in my office if you have time?"

+"Sure, I also wanted to talk to you!..."

.

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