Page 25 of Scarbound

Mr. Jung hesitated. “…Yes. Of course.”

“I’d like to come right away. It’s urgent.”

“All right,” Mr. Jung replied, his voice trembling. “I’ll be waiting.”

Noeul’s home had not changed much since the last time Haneul had visited. Chung-Hee knew it well; his brother used to send him photos from there, with Noeul and their friends.

The small living room greeted him as soon as he stepped inside the apartment. All three members of Noeul’s family were waiting for him, each with a cup of coffee on the large wooden table. There was no sign of luxury, except for the paintings hanging on the walls. Perhaps some of them were Noeul’s.

“You must be Ji-Woo. Your brother has spoken to me about you. He loves you and is very proud of you.”

The Jung family stared at him in disbelief. Ji-Woo only stared at him in silence, so his mother stepped in.

“Would you like some coffee?”

“No, thank you. I won’t stay long. I understand my visit is unexpected, so I’ll get straight to the point.”

A brief pause.

“Noeul attempted suicide yesterday.”

For a moment, no one spoke. Mrs. Jung’s face went pale.

“That’s impossible,” Ji-Woo said first, his fists clenching. “There’s no way hyung would do something like that. We spoke a few days ago. He was fine.”

Chung-Hee took a slow breath. “He resigned from his position at the company and returned home. Unfortunately, he attempted to harm himself by cutting his wrists. The injuries were severe. He underwent emergency surgery, but he will make a full recovery.”

“Who saved him?” Mr. Jung asked, speaking for the first time. “You said he was home. Something doesn’t add up.”

“One of my associates. His resignation took me by surprise, so I had someone discreetly keeping an eye on him. They were able to intervene immediately and call for medical assistance.”

“I don’t trust you!” Ji-Woo exploded, slamming his hand onto the table. “You came here just to watch us suffer for what Gong hyung did to your brother!” He stood abruptly.

Chung-Hee stood as well. “The debt your family owes mine is a separate matter,” he said coldly. “Don’t provoke me.”

Ji-Woo froze.

“I am older than you,” Chung-Hee continued, his voice steady. “Watch how you speak to me.”

Without another word, Ji-Woo returned to his seat, his arms wrapped tightly around himself.

Chung-Hee took out his phone and dialed a number. “When you have a moment, send me photos of Noeul in the hospital.”

The first notification arrived seconds later. Everyone in the room, including Chung-Hee, fell silent at the sight of Noeul lying unconscious in a hospital bed with bandages wrapped around his wrists.

Mrs. Jung’s eyes filled with tears. “Why, Noeul?” she sobbed. “My sweet boy… You’ve suffered so much.” Her voice broke. “Why couldn’t I protect you? What sin have I committed to watch my children suffer like this?”

Mr. Jung stared at the screen in silence before moving closer to his wife.

“I can help Noeul,” Chung-Hee said quietly. “But I’ll need your help.”

Ji-Woo’s gaze snapped toward him. “Why would you help him?” he asked. “He’s the spitting image of Gong hyung. Isn’t that the last thing you want to see?”

“If I had the chance to change his face, I would,” Chung-Hee replied without hesitation. “It disturbs me that he looks so much like Gong. But I don’t resent him. He was Haneul’s dearest friend.”

“And now,” Mr. Jung asked, “what are we supposed to do?”

“No, dad,” Ji-Woo said immediately. “I won’t accept this. He has his own motives. He’ll destroy hyung.”