Page 14 of Scarbound

“The job… it’s fine. It’s just… a lot to get used to. New city, new people…”

Ji-Woo’s voice cut in sharply. “You shouldn’t have run away like that, hyung.”

A brief silence followed on the other end. Noeul knew that silence; lately, his parents never seemed to know what to say to either him or Ji-Woo.

“Have you made any friends? Are your coworkers kind?” his mother asked softly, breaking the silence.

Noeul’s voice grew distant. “They’re professional. Polite enough, I guess.”

“What does being professional even mean?” Ji-Woo snapped, frustration edged with concern. “You need friends. Someone to help you navigate the city. You can’t just sit alone all day, hyung.”

Noeul tightened his grip on the phone, voice rising. “I told you I can handle this! Why don’t you trust me? I can make my own decisions! Look… I’m okay. I just need a little time to adjust. That’s all.”

His mother’s voice softened. “We’re just worried, Noeul.”

A heavy sigh came through the line. Then silence, as if everyone were waiting for him to say more.

“I know. It’s… just a big change, nothing more.”

A pause hung between them, thick with unspoken emotion. Mr. Jung broke the silence. “We miss you so much, son. Could you… maybe visit us at Christmas? It would mean the world to see you.”

“Maybe. I’ll think about it.”

There was nothing to think about. He needed to stay away, for their sake. To keep them safe.

“We love you so much. If you need anything, just call us, okay?” his mother said gently.

“I love you too.”

“Take care of yourself, son,” his father added, before the call ended.

Noeul sat on the edge of his bed, holding the phone in his hand. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

He prepared for work mechanically.

The office felt colder than usual that morning. When Noeul entered the building, his greetings were brief. The receptionist offered a hesitant smile, and he returned it with a polite nod.

He reached his desk, gathered his notes, and headed straight to the conference room for the morning meeting. A colleague, Amelia, sitting beside him, tried to strike up a conversation.

“So, how was your first day settling in?” she asked kindly.

“Productive,” Noeul replied.

Amelia tried again. “Any exciting plans for the weekend?”

“No.”

After the meeting, the team decided to take a coffee break before returning to their tasks. One of them, a young man named David, smiled at him. “Hey, Noeul, want to join us for coffee?”

“Thanks, but I have something to catch up on.”

David shrugged and returned to his friends.

Each day passed in silence.

During lunch, Noeul always sat alone, leafing through technical manuals. From time to time, Amelia invited him to team gatherings after work. Each time, he politely declined, citing “prior commitments.” Eventually, the invitations became less frequent.

Every afternoon at five, Noeul packed up his belongings and left the office.