Page 18 of Scarbound

“I knelt beside him… and…” He stared at the floor. “I was too late.”

Dr. Kim didn’t interrupt.

“I lost my other half. My twin brother. The person I’d shared everything with.” He rubbed his eyes. “The worst part… the part I’m ashamed of… was realizing I’d lost someone I’d spent years hating.”

“You hated him?”

“I loved him. More than almost anyone. But every time he hurt me… that love disappeared. Then he’d smile, and I wanted my brother back again.”

“Did loving him erase what he did to you?”

“No.”

“Did what he did erase the fact that you loved him?”

Noeul looked down at the cup. “No.”

Silence filled the room.

“I still don’t understand how both things can be true.”

Dr. Kim nodded once. “You don’t have to understand it today. You only have to tell the truth.”

Noeul looked up for the first time. “That’s the truth.”

CHAPTER 6

It was ten in the morning. Sunday. Sunlight filtered through the window, breaking Noeul’s restless sleep. He woke abruptly, the familiar anxiety already waiting for him. He didn’t need to check the calendar. He knew the date by heart. Four days until the anniversary of Gong’s death.

He dressed without thinking. The silence in the apartment pressed in around him. His phone vibrated on the kitchen table. Noeul hesitated before crossing the room to answer it.

“Hello?” His voice was barely a whisper.

“Hi, sweetheart,” came his mother’s gentle reply. “I just wanted to see how you’re doing. How are you, my son?”

“Hi, Mom. I’m… okay.”

A pause followed.

“The anniversary of Gong’s death is coming up,” she said softly. “And Haneul’s as well.”

“Yes,” Noeul replied after a moment. “In four days.”

“Are you managing, my son? We’re very worried about you.”

“I know,” Noeul murmured. “It’s… a difficult time.”

“Would you be okay if we came to America?” a familiar younger voice cut in. Ji-Woo sounded tense. “We’re here for you, hyung. Or you could come back to Korea for a few days. Your boss would understand.”

“No… No, Ji-Woo,” Noeul said quickly. “There’s no need. I’ll be fine. I can’t miss work this week. We have an important project.”

A soft noise came through the line, followed by his father’s voice. “Listen, son. You’re not the only one struggling.”

“I know, Dad.” Noeul sighed. “I just… need some space.”

“You need to stop isolating yourself,” his father said firmly.

“I’m not isolating myself,” Noeul replied tightly. “I need time to… process everything.”