He didn’t know what to say.

The doctor adjusted the papers in his hand before looking at them again.

“There’s no need to admit him to the hospital,” he said calmly. “But make sure he eats properly, gets enough sleep, and avoids overworking himself for a while.”

Han Tae nodded once.

Outside the hospital, Yun quietly spoke while avoiding Tae’s gaze.

“You can leave. I’ll go on my own. My house is nearby.”

Tae stared at him for a few seconds before opening the passenger door of the car.

“It’s okay. Get in.”

The entire ride remained silent, with neither of them saying anything as the city lights passed quietly beyond the windows.

Instead of driving directly toward Yun’s neighborhood, Tae suddenly stopped in front of a small restaurant glowing beneath warm yellow lights.

Once they sat down, Tae looked across the table at him.

“Do you want to eat anything?”

Yun weakly shook his head.

“It’s okay… I don’t want to eat right now.”

Tae’s expression didn’t change.

“Seriously,” he said quietly. “Do you want to eat anything?”

For some reason, the calm firmness in Tae’s voice made it difficult for Yun to refuse, and after a moment of hesitation, he finally lowered his gaze.

“…Fine. Order anything.”

Tae ordered kimchi jjigae and four bowls of rice.

When the food arrived, Tae ate only one bowl before pushing the remaining three toward Yun.

“Eat.”

Yun stared at the bowls in disbelief.

“Three?”

Tae simply looked at him without answering.

That alone was enough to make Yun lower his head and quietly begin eating.

By the time he finished, his stomach felt uncomfortably full, but strangely, there was also a warmth settling inside him that he hadn’t realized he had been missing.

After dinner, Tae drove him home.

The car eventually stopped in front of a tiny old house hidden between narrow alleys, where the worn-out roof and faded walls made the place look as though it had been standing there for far longer than Yun himself had.

Tae slowly stepped out of the car, his eyes fixed on the house.

“…This is your home?”

Yun nodded casually.

“Yes.”

Tae frowned slightly before asking another question.

“Do you have anything to eat at home?”

Yun hesitated before answering honestly.

“No. I ran out of groceries. I’ll buy some tomorrow.”

For a moment, Tae said nothing.

His eyes slowly scanned the tiny house again before he quietly returned to the car and drove away.

The next morning, loud noises outside suddenly woke Yun.

Still half-asleep, he stepped outside and immediately froze at the sight of several boxes and grocery bags piled near his door.

Vegetables.

Meat.

Fruits.

Instant food.

Rice.

A tall man dressed entirely in black stood beside them.

Yun blinked in confusion.

“May I know who you are?”

The man calmly looked at him.

“Are you Lee Yun?”

“…Yes.”

“I’m Kim Joo.”

He pointed toward the groceries.

“Chairman Han Tae sent these.”

Yun’s eyes widened slightly.

“…Why?”

Kim Joo answered without hesitation.

“Because you have malnutrition.”

Yun simply stared at him, completely unsure of how to respond.

Before Yun could stop him, Kim Joo had already begun carrying the bags inside.

“It’s okay, I’ll keep everything inside,” Yun said quickly.

Kim Joo nodded once before leaving quietly.

After the man disappeared, Yun remained standing alone in the middle of the room, staring at the groceries as a strange warmth slowly spread through his chest.

His heart suddenly began beating faster.

His face slowly turned red.

“…Do I have a fever?”

He touched his cheek in confusion.

After organizing everything Tae had sent, Yun got ready for work.

On weekends, he worked at the café during the day before heading to the convenience store at night, and for the first time in a long while, he actually ate breakfast before leaving home.

Strangely enough, his body felt lighter than usual.

And without realizing it

He looked happier.

The café was peaceful that morning, and unlike before, Yun worked with noticeably more energy instead of dragging himself around half-asleep.

Minhoo, the café owner, noticed immediately.

“Did something good happen?” he asked with a smile. “You seem to be in a good mood today.”

Yun quickly shook his head.

“No. Nothing happened.”

Minhoo laughed softly.

“If everything’s fine, then that’s good enough.”

The bell above the café door suddenly rang.

Yun turned around automatically

And froze.

Han Tae had entered the café.

For some reason, Yun’s heartbeat immediately became unsteady again.

Tae glanced around the café before his eyes landed on Yun standing behind the counter.

“You work here too?”

Yun nodded.

“At night, I work at the convenience store,” he replied quietly. “On weekends, I work here. Sometimes I tutor too.”

Tae frowned slightly.

“Why are you working this much without sleeping?”

He paused for a moment before asking,

“Do you have debt?”

Yun lowered his eyes before silently nodding.

Tae didn’t ask anything else.

Instead, he looked at the menu for a moment before speaking.

“Iced Americano.”

Yun waited.

“Extra cream.”

Another pause.

“Three sugar cubes.”

Yun looked up in surprise.

For some reason, Tae didn’t look like someone who would enjoy a drink that sweet.

After preparing the coffee, Yun quietly placed it on the table.

Tae looked at him.

“Sit.”

Yun blinked.

“…What?”

“Sit with me until I finish drinking.”

Yun hesitated before slowly taking the seat across from him.

Yet Tae didn’t start a conversation, and strangely enough, the silence between them didn’t feel awkward at all.

It was simply quiet.

Calm.

Comfortable.

After a minute, Yun finally spoke.

“Thank you.”

Tae lifted his eyes slightly.

“For what?”

“The food… and the groceries.”

Tae simply shrugged.

“It’s nothing.”

After finishing his drink, Tae stood up and walked toward the exit, but just before leaving, he turned slightly toward Yun.

“Bye.”

“Let’s meet at college tomorrow.”

Yun silently nodded.

The moment Tae disappeared through the door, Yun’s heart began racing again, and despite himself, his face slowly turned red.

He still didn’t understand why.

Minhoo leaned against the counter with his arms crossed.

“Are you close with that guy?”

Yun immediately shook his head.

“No. I’m not.”

Soon, the café became crowded.

Most of the customers were girls who seemed to come just to see Minhoo, whose soft smile and handsome appearance made him look almost unreal, as though an angel had somehow wandered into the middle of an ordinary café.

By six in the evening, the café finally closed.

As Yun prepared to leave, Minhoo grabbed his keys.

“I’ll drop you home.”

Yun immediately refused.

“It’s okay. I’ll take the bus.”

After saying goodbye, Yun boarded the last bus heading toward his neighborhood.

The streets became emptier the farther he traveled, and by the time the bus finally stopped near his area, the neighborhood had already become quiet beneath the dim streetlights.

Yun stepped off the bus and began walking home through the dark, narrow road.

Cold wind brushed against his face.

Then—

He noticed someone standing in front of his house.

Because of the darkness, he couldn’t see the person clearly.

Yun slowed down unconsciously.

Step by step, he moved closer, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make out the figure beneath the weak streetlight.

Then

The figure moved slightly.

And the moment Yun finally recognized her—

His entire body froze.

His breathing became uneven, and his hands began trembling as fear slowly filled his eyes.

A woman stood beneath the dim light, watching him.

Then she slowly smiled.

“Hey, son.”

Her voice sounded strangely casual.

“How’s life going?”

“Have you been doing okay?”

Lee Yun said nothing.

He simply stood there, staring at her as though his mind had stopped working.

The woman tilted her head slightly before speaking again.

“I heard your grandmother died.”

“Is it true?”

After several seconds, Yun quietly nodded.

Something unreadable flashed across the woman’s face before she sighed dramatically.

“Then how are you living all alone?”

She smiled again.

“Do you want to come live with me?”

Yun immediately shook his head.

The woman suddenly laughed sarcastically.

The sound made Yun’s chest tighten painfully.

“Still stubborn, huh?”

Without waiting for permission, she pushed past him and entered the small house.

The moment she stepped inside, her eyes slowly wandered across the old furniture, cracked walls, and dim lights, carefully taking in everything around her as though she were searching for something.

Yun quietly stood near the door without saying anything.

Then suddenly—

“Can you lend me some money?” she asked casually while turning toward him. “I’m in a tight spot right now, and I’ll definitely pay you back later.”

Yun’s expression stiffened slightly.

“I don’t have any money.”

But she ignored his answer and immediately began opening drawers carelessly.

“What are you doing?” Yun asked quietly.

“You must have something hidden somewhere.”

She continued searching through the room while muttering to herself, moving things around without the slightest concern for Yun’s discomfort.

Yun quickly reached for her wrist.

“Please stop,” he said weakly. “I really don’t have money.”

She shoved his hand away roughly.

Then finally

She found a small bundle of cash inside one of the drawers.

Her expression immediately darkened.

“What the fuck is this?”

She looked at the money with disbelief.

“Only fifty thousand won?”

“I need one million won!”

Yun stared at her in disbelief.

“One million?” he repeated quietly. “Where am I supposed to get that much money?”

His voice slowly began shaking.

“You abandoned me with Grandma.”

“She took care of me for sixteen years.”

His eyes slowly reddened.

“You never came to see me even once.”

The woman’s expression hardened immediately.

“And now you suddenly come here asking me for money?”

Yun clenched his trembling fists.

“You left me with debt…”

“And I’m the one paying it off every single month.”

His breathing became heavier.

“I’m already struggling just to survive.”

For the first time

The calm mask he had carried for years began to crack.

“But somehow, I was still managing…”

His voice became quieter.

“And now you came back just to make my life harder again.”

SLAP.

The sound echoed through the tiny house.

Yun’s face turned to the side from the impact, and for several seconds, he remained completely still.

“You dare talk back to me?” she snapped angrily.

Even after being slapped

Yun didn’t cry.

His eyes remained empty.

The woman grabbed the money before storming out of the house without another word.

The door slammed shut behind her.

Silence.

Complete silence.

For several seconds, Yun simply stood there motionlessly.

His knees gave out.

A broken sound escaped his throat as tears finally began falling, and he covered his face while his shoulders shook in the darkness of the empty house.

That night, he went to bed without eating anything.

Curled beneath the blanket, Yun slowly closed his exhausted eyes.

But sleep brought no peace.

Instead

His memories returned in fragments.

Voices.

Laughter.

Mocking.

Cruel words.

Someone threw water at him.

Someone else shoved food toward the floor while others laughed around him.

“Pick it up.”

“Hurry up.”

“Disgusting.”

Young Yun’s trembling hands moved quietly as everyone around him watched, treating his suffering like entertainment.

Then suddenly

Darkness.

A small locked room.

Cold.

Lonely.

Yun began desperately searching for a way out.

“Grandma…!”

His breathing became uneven.

“Grandma!”

No answer came.

Only darkness.

“Grandma…!”

Suddenly

Lee Yun woke up violently.

His entire body was covered in sweat.

His breathing was shaky as he quickly sat up in bed and looked around the dark room, struggling for a few seconds to understand where he was before finally realizing that it had only been a nightmare.

Again.

Yun pressed one trembling hand against his face before slowly drinking some water.

But no matter how hard he tried afterward—

He couldn’t fall asleep again.

Morning arrived quietly.

Without eating breakfast, Yun got ready and left for college.

His body felt exhausted, and the faint mark on his cheek was still visible beneath his pale skin.

As Yun walked through the university gates, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching him before stopping directly in front of him.

Han Tae.

Tae’s sharp eyes immediately noticed the mark on Yun’s cheek.

His expression slowly darkened.

Without saying anything, Tae stepped closer.

Yun slightly froze.

Then, gently

Tae lifted his hand and carefully touched Yun’s cheek.

His thumb brushed lightly against the faint mark.

The touch was unexpectedly warm.

Yun’s breathing instantly became unsteady.

Tae stared at the mark silently for several seconds before finally asking in a low voice—

“…What happened?”