Page 130 of Scarbound

“Noeul…”

He recoiled at the sound of Chung-Hee’s voice. Noeul slowly raised his eyes. There was almost no guilt in them.

Only fear.

And disgust.

He pushed himself upright, his legs trembling beneath him. “Don’t touch me.”

Chung-Hee took a step toward him.

Noeul immediately stepped back. “I said don’t touch me.”

He didn’t wait for an answer. He ran.

He bolted from the office, his legs carrying him faster than he thought possible, muscles burning with adrenaline. He didn’t know whether Chung-Hee followed him. He didn’t look. His body had reduced the entire world to one command.

Go.

By the time he reached the garage, his lungs burned. His hands shook so badly that he dropped his keys.

“Fuck.”

He stared at them on the concrete. For several seconds, he couldn’t understand what he was looking at.

Keys. His keys. His car.

Home.

He crouched to retrieve them, nearly losing his balance.

Kija spoke to me.

That was all.

Noeul squeezed his eyes shut.

I did nothing wrong.

Eventually, he managed to unlock the car and sank into the driver’s seat. He should call someone. Ji-Woo. Duri. Mr. Choi. Anyone. His phone was right there.

He couldn’t touch it.

For several minutes, he remained behind the wheel without starting the engine. He named the things in front of him silently. Keys. Steering wheel. Concrete pillar. Exit sign. His breathing gradually slowed, and the shaking in his hands eased.

Only then did he start the engine.

He remained aware of the road all the way home: every red light, every turn, every car around him. Yet the journey felt distant, as though he were watching someone else drive. He remembered what he did without feeling fully present for any of it.

When he reached his building, he parked carefully and turned off the engine. Awareness settled around him slowly. He was home. He was alone. Chung-Hee was no longer beside him.

“I did nothing wrong,” he murmured to himself.

This time, he almost believed it.

CHAPTER 42

He woke to the faint light of his bedroom, the pillow wet beneath his head. He knew he was home, but after sleeping for so long, it took him several seconds to place the day.