Page 225 of Scarbound

The word echoed through the apartment. For once, Chung-Hee stopped.

Jun held him firmly. “Look at me.”

Chung-Hee’s breathing came hard and fast.

“Whatever you think you were doing,” Jun said, “whatever you told yourself this was… you stop now.”

Chung-Hee shook his head. “He’s going to abandon me.”

“That doesn’t matter right now.”

“It matters to me!”

“Noeul is bleeding.”

“I hit him with a bottle,” Chung-Hee said. “He was unconscious for only a few seconds. He opened his eyes when I called his name.”

Silence.

Jun held out his hand. “The key.”

Chung-Hee stared at him.

“Please, Hee.”

His face twisted. “He’ll never come back.”

Jun swallowed. “I know. But that doesn’t matter right now.”

For several seconds, Chung-Hee didn’t move. Then his shoulders collapsed. He reached into his pocket, and the key dropped into Jun’s palm.

Jun immediately handed it to Duri. “Go.”

Duri pressed his phone into Ji-Woo’s hand. “They’re on the line.”

Ji-Woo took it and handed Duri his own unlocked phone. “Dr. Kim’s number is in my contacts.”

Duri ran. Behind him, Ji-Woo began explaining the situation to emergency services.

Duri closed the bedroom door behind him. Noeul hadn’t moved. He was still staring at the wall.

Duri’s hands shook so badly that he almost dropped the key. He stopped.

Calm down.

Noeul didn’t need his panic. He needed help.

Duri pulled out Ji-Woo’s phone and found Dr. Kim in his contacts. She answered after several rings.

“Hello?”

“Good evening, Dr. Kim. My name is Duri Kaiser. I’m a friend of Jung Noeul. I’m sorry to call so late, but I need your help.”

There was a brief pause. “Is Noeul with you?”

“Yes.”

“Is he safe?”