Page 315 of Scarbound

Duri muttered something in German. Noeul shook his head and followed them.

At the door, he glanced back. Yujin was still standing in the kitchen. She lifted her cup toward him.

“Have fun, Noeul.”

“I’ll try.”

Yujin smiled.

The three of them left the penthouse together. Ji-Woo wore his usual bright streetwear, playful and impossible to miss. Duri looked more like himself in a black leather jacket over a gray hoodie, torn black jeans, and rings that caught the light whenever he moved.

Noeul had taken longer to get ready. Dark blue trousers. A beige turtleneck beneath a crisp white shirt. A knitted scarf. He had styled his hair carefully. Followed his skincare routine. Chosen every piece deliberately. It wasn’t vanity. For weeks, his body had felt like something that had happened to him. Today, dressing it felt like choosing it again.

When the elevator doors opened, Noeul stopped. Only for a second. Duri noticed. So did Ji-Woo. Neither said anything. Noeul stared at the lobby. The concierge. The polished marble. People coming and going. Nothing threatening. Nothing remarkable. Still, his pulse began to race. His hand tightened around the strap of his bag.

Duri stayed beside him. Not touching. Just there.

Noeul drew in a breath, then stepped out.

One step.

Then another.

The concierge glanced up and offered a polite greeting. Two female visitors whispered to each other as they passed. Noeul caught only fragments.

Handsome.

Model?

Under other circumstances, he might have laughed. Today, he simply kept walking.

The doors opened to the street. Cool air touched his face. Noeul stopped again. This time, for a different reason. He breathed in. Flowers. Traffic. Coffee from somewhere nearby. People talking. A dog barking. A bus pulling away from the curb. The city had continued without him. For weeks, that thought had frightened him. Now, strangely, it comforted him.

Ji-Woo walked a little ahead, already absorbed in messages with his new partner. Duri stayed closer.

Too close. Noeul glanced at him. “You’re doing it again.”

Duri looked innocent. “Doing what?”

“Watching everyone like they’re about to attack me.”

Duri considered this, then stepped in front of him and focused all his attention on Noeul.

“What are you doing?”

“Watching you instead.”

Noeul tried not to smile, but failed.

He was still smiling when his phone began to vibrate inside his coat. He pulled it out.

Eomma.

The smile faded slightly. He stared at the screen for a moment before answering.

“Eomma.”

“Noeul, my boy.”