Page 292 of Scarbound

His fingers curled against his chest. “I can’t even touch myself without feeling dirty.”

Duri finally spoke. “Noeul hyung…” Then stopped. He didn’t know what words could possibly follow what he had just heard. For once, he didn’t try to find them.

Noeul looked at him.

There was fear in his eyes now. Not the wild terror from earlier. Something quieter. More vulnerable.

Duri moved a little closer but stopped before touching him. “Hyung.”

Noeul looked away.

“Do you know what I think when I see your scars?”

Noeul gave a bitter laugh. “I can imagine.”

“No, I don’t think you can.” Duri sat down on the floor a short distance away. “I think you survived.”

Noeul’s expression tightened. “That’s supposed to make me feel better?”

“No.” Duri shook his head. “I don’t know what would make this better.”

Silence.

“But I know one thing.”

Noeul looked at him.

“What Gong did says something about Gong. What Chung-Hee did says something about Chung-Hee.” Duri swallowed. “It doesn’t make you dirty.”

Noeul slowly shook his head. “You don’t know that.”

“I do.”

“How?”

“Because you didn’t do anything.”

Noeul’s voice became eerily calm. “Being raped by two different people isn’t a coincidence.”

He stared at his hands. “I must have done something.”

“No.”

“Maybe I provoked them.”

“No.”

“Maybe I…”

“Hyung.” Duri’s voice sharpened just enough to stop him.

Noeul looked up.

“You were a kid when Gong started doing this to you.”

Noeul flinched. Duri immediately softened.

“And you told Chung-Hee no.”