Page 134 of Scarbound

Eventually, his legs gave way. Noeul slid down the door until he was sitting on the floor. His gaze drifted toward the unfinished painting, then toward his phone.

Throughout it all, only one person had filled his mind.

Duri.

Was it wrong to want him? Not sexually. Not even romantically. At least, not now. He wanted his voice. His ridiculous bluntness. The way he could sit beside Noeul without demanding anything from him. The way silence around Duri never felt like punishment.

Noeul picked up the phone. His thumb hovered over the familiar name. For a moment, Chung-Hee’s words returned.

We belong to each other.

Noeul pressed call.

Duri answered before the third ring.

“Noeul hyung?”

Just hearing his voice loosened something inside him. Noeul closed his eyes.

“Duri?”

There was a pause. Then Duri’s voice changed immediately.

“What happened?”

Noeul tried to answer. Nothing came out. He pressed his trembling hand against his mouth.

“Duri,” he whispered again.

“I’m here.”

No demand. No accusation. No punishment.

Noeul finally began to cry.

CHAPTER 43

“Hyung, what’s going on?”

“Nothing’s happening,” he lied. He paused to collect himself and cleared his throat. “I just called to see how you were.”

“You never call just to ask how I am.”

Noeul almost laughed. “Really, nothing’s wrong. I was wondering if you’d like to come over tonight. Drinks, games… if you’re not working, of course.”

“Hyung, it’s Tuesday. I have school tomorrow.”

The disappointment that hit Noeul was embarrassingly strong. He wanted to say please. He wanted to tell him not to hang up. To come now. To stay until morning. He wanted to tell him everything that had happened and hear someone say that Chung-Hee had been wrong.

Instead, he forced his lightest, most carefree tone. “You’re so young. It’s disappointing,” he teased. “How about Friday, then? Maybe Ji-Woo can come too.”

There was a short silence.

“I don’t think you’ll last until Friday without me, hyung.”

Noeul smiled despite himself.

“I’ll be there in an hour,” Duri said.