Page 193 of Scarbound

Chung-Hee stared at him as if he couldn’t believe what he had done.

Noeul slowly turned his face back. There was no surprise in his expression.

“You think I wanted you because of Gong?” Chung-Hee demanded. His voice shook. “You think everything I’ve felt for you was revenge?”

Noeul wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. “I don’t know what you feel anymore.”

“I love you.”

“No.”

Chung-Hee stepped toward him. “I love you.”

“You hurt me.”

“I tried to protect you.”

“You hurt me.”

“I honored Haneul’s wish.”

Noeul laughed once, bitter and disbelieving. “Haneul asked you not to blame me.”

The words stopped him.

Noeul looked toward the suicide note still lying on the counter. “He asked you not to punish me for Gong.”

Chung-Hee’s face drained of color.

“And you did anyway.”

For a moment, the entire room seemed to go still. Noeul watched the truth reach him.

Then Chung-Hee looked away. “I knew what Haneul believed,” Chung-Hee said, his voice breaking. “I convinced myself he was protecting you. I chose not to believe him.”

Noeul’s expression hardened. “You chose not to believe your own brother?”

Chung-Hee looked back at him. “Yes.”

“And does that change what you did?”

He didn’t answer.

Noeul nodded slowly. “That’s what I thought.”

He stepped away. Chung-Hee caught his wrist again.

Noeul immediately tried to pull free. “Don’t touch me.”

“I need you to listen.”

“I’ve listened to you for months.” He shoved Chung-Hee’s hand away. “I don’t care whether you love me.”

Chung-Hee stared at him.

“I don’t want to be with you.”

His face changed.