Page 135 of Scarbound

“You have school.”

“A day away won’t destroy my future.”

“I don’t want to be a bad influence.”

“You already are.”

Noeul let out a quiet laugh. It was the first one that felt real all day. “Fine. One hour.”

After hanging up, he stared at the phone for several seconds. One hour. He had one hour to make himself look normal.

The warm water running over his body washed away almost nothing. Noeul stood beneath it longer than necessary, watching the water disappear down the drain. He brushed his teeth once. Then again. Then a third time. By the fourth, his gums were bleeding.

He stopped.

The memory remained.

Noeul gripped the sink and swallowed against the nausea rising in his throat. Maybe it was because he hadn’t eaten all day. He preferred that explanation.

His cheek was still slightly red from the slaps, and the cut on his lip was visible. He studied himself in the mirror, turning his face from side to side. A small sticker could cover the cut. The rest… he would figure out the rest.

He dressed in jeans, a gray-and-yellow shirt, and a black cardigan, then combed his hair simply. There were already plenty of beers in the fridge and a bottle of soju, so he focused on food instead.

Cooking helped.

Kimchi pancakes. Garlic soy sauce chicken bites. A simple cucumber salad.

Ordinary movements. Familiar smells. Things that required just enough concentration to keep his mind from wandering back to Chung-Hee’s office.

When the doorbell rang, the knife stopped against the cutting board. Noeul’s heart raced. He looked toward the door.

Duri.

It was Duri. Of course it was.

But his body didn’t believe him.

What if Chung-Hee had returned? What if he was standing outside instead? Worse, what if they were both there? What if Chung-Hee saw Duri and decided to punish him too?

Noeul approached the door slowly and stretched his hand toward the handle. It stopped halfway. The apartment was silent except for his shallow breathing.

He couldn’t open it.

“Hyung?”

Noeul closed his eyes.

“It’s me. Why are you taking so long?”

Duri.

The tension left his body so quickly that his knees almost weakened. Noeul opened the door.

Duri stood there holding a blue shopping bag, his expression shifting from impatience to confusion the moment he saw him. Then his gaze settled on Noeul’s face.

“I brought food and beer,” he said, suddenly more serious.

He handed Noeul the bag and walked inside.