The room was incredibly small and poorly lit. The wallpaper peeled at the corners as a dark water stain marked the ceiling.

A young boy sat on the edge of the cheap mattress and wiped the dried blood from Shin Ho-jin's face with a damp cloth. He worked slowly because he wanted to avoid causing more pain to the unconscious guy. After he peeled the paper off a bandage, he pressed it firmly onto a nasty cut over his left eyebrow. 

A cheap nightstand stood next to the squeaky bed. Ho-jin's cell phone lay on the scratched wood next to a black leather wallet. When the young boy put the dirty cloth down on the floor, he picked up the wallet and looked through the compartments. He pulled out a plastic student ID card and looked at the photograph.

"Shin Ho-jin, Miryeong Institute of the Arts, Department of Photography," he read out loud in the quiet room.

After he slid the card back into the slot, he pulled out a few folded bills and counted the money slowly. He put the cash back, closed the wallet, and placed it back on the nightstand. Then he just stayed there and watched the sleeping guy. The door opened right at that moment, and a petite boy walked inside.

He wore trendy clothes as he carried a small bag over his shoulder.

"Ya," he said.

"Hi," the young boy said.

As the roommate dropped his bag on the floor, he walked closer to the bed and looked down at Ho-jin's bruised face.

"Who's this?" he asked.

"I found him on the street," the young boy said. "He got beaten up pretty badly."

"I'll throw the last punch, then," the roommate said.

He reached toward the nightstand and grabbed the wallet. When he opened the leather flap, he checked the ID card first. Then his fingers dug into the main pocket, and he pulled all the cash out and looked at the bills.

The young boy gave him a dirty look.

"What?" the roommate asked. "I need money."

He shoved the bills into his front pocket and threw the empty wallet back onto the nightstand. Then he leaned over the bed and studied the unconscious photographer's face.

"I feel like I know him from somewhere. Whatever, I'm gonna take a shower now."

"Okay," the young boy said.

As the bathroom door closed a few seconds later, the sound of running water started behind the thin wall.

The young boy reached into his own pocket and pulled out his wallet. He counted out the exact amount and put his own money inside Ho-jin's wallet. He placed the leather item back on the nightstand.

—

When morning arrived a few hours later, bright sunlight flooded into the room and hit Ho-jin right in the face.

He opened his eyes slowly, but he closed them again right away because the bright glare hurt his head terribly. 

When he tried again a few seconds later, he did not recognize his location at all.

His entire body ached while his mouth felt completely dry. He turned his head to the left and a small window showed a busy street two floors down. He saw a convenience store across the road as cars honked loudly.

He looked down at his own body and realized his complete nakedness under a thin gray blanket.

Panic hit him right away, so his heart started beating very fast. When he turned his head to the right, he saw the two boys near the foot of the bed.

Ho-jin moved back quickly against the wooden headboard, but the sudden movement sent a terrible pain through his ribs. He pulled the blanket up to his neck and held it firmly with both hands.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Where am I?"

The petite roommate looked at his friend and laughed.

"Pfft. I'm heading out."

"Ya, don't bring anyone back," the young boy said. "I need to study."

"I'll try." He walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

The loud noise made Ho-jin wince. The room got quiet again as the remaining young boy looked at him.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" he asked.

"No," Ho-jin said. He felt completely lost. He remembered the fight at the bar, but the rest of the night was a dark blank.

Panic suddenly rushed through him.

"Where is my wallet?" he asked.

The young boy crossed his arms over his chest because he looked insulted.

"Do I look like a thief?" he asked.

He pointed at the nightstand with his head. Ho-jin saw his wallet and his phone right there, and he felt a wave of relief.

The young boy walked over to a small fridge in the corner and took out a plastic bottle of water. As he walked back to the bed, he held the bottle out.

"Drink this."

Ho-jin reached for the bottle. The gray blanket slipped down when he moved his arm, so his bare chest was totally exposed to the cold air. He grabbed the fabric quickly and covered himself again.

After he opened the bottle, he took a long drink. The cold water helped his dry throat, but his ribs still throbbed with every swallow.

The young boy watched him closely.

"Don't you remember who did this to you?" he asked.

He turned around and walked out of the room before Ho-jin could answer.

Ho-jin ignored the question completely because he felt too much pain to explain the whole story about the table charge.

"Where are my clothes?" he yelled. "Why am I naked?"

The young boy walked back into the room a minute later with a neat pile of clothes in his hands. The fabric was still slightly damp. He set the clothes down on the edge of the mattress.

"Your clothes were covered in blood," he said. "Blood comes out if you wash it quickly in cold water. So I washed them in the sink."

He took a step back from the bed and put his hands in his pockets.

"I found you passed out by a wall on the street," he said. "You looked like shit. I just brought you here so nobody would jump you."

Ho-jin looked at the folded clothes because he wanted to get dressed right away. When he looked at the young boy, the boy understood the silent request to turn around and walk out of the room again.

He pushed the blanket aside.

"Aissshh…"

His entire body ached even more now. Every muscle felt incredibly stiff as a huge purple bruise covered his side. He stood up slowly and pulled his pants on. His ribs hurt badly when he bent over and fixed his zipper.

While he put his arms through his shirt sleeves, he looked around the rundown room. He noticed a wooden shelf on the opposite wall. A bunch of plush toys sat perfectly next to a bouquet of dried flowers. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand and pressed the power button, but the screen stayed completely dark. He picked up his wallet next and called out to the other room.

"You can come in," he said.

As the young boy walked back inside, Ho-jin opened his leather wallet and pulled out all the cash. He held the bills out.

"This is for helping me."

The young boy took the money without arguing and put the cash in his pocket.

"Thanks," he said.

Ho-jin nodded. He just wanted to go home.

"Have a good day."

He walked out of the room and headed for the main door. He stepped out into the hallway and started walking toward the stairs.

His footsteps echoed on the concrete floor before he stopped abruptly.

He turned around, walked back to the apartment door, and knocked on the wood twice. The door opened a few seconds later.

"Did you forget something?" the young boy asked.

Ho-jin looked right at his face and studied the dark hair and the familiar features.

"Yeah, I forgot," he said. "But now I remember. Moon Ji-hun?"