Page 49 of Scarbound

Ji-Woo didn’t answer. He kept looking out the window. Noeul’s expression fell. “I…” The words became difficult to say. “I’ve missed you.”

“Yeah.” Ji-Woo’s reply was barely audible. “Sure.”

Noeul took a slow, steady breath, forcing himself to swallow the sting of rejection. He was here. That had to mean something. He knew trust wouldn’t return overnight. It would take time to repair what he had broken, if it could be repaired at all. “It’s been hard for you,” he said. “Maybe we could just… sit for a while and talk?”

Without a word, Ji-Woo crossed the room and sat on the edge of a chair, leaving as much distance between them as possible. The space hurt more than Noeul wanted to admit.

“I know these past months have been difficult,” he began carefully. “I wanted to explain—”

“There isn’t anything to explain.” Ji-Woo’s voice was quiet. Cold. “You left.”

Noeul lowered his eyes. The conversation he had overheard returned to him. Every ringing phone. Every night Ji-Woo had wondered whether he was alive. Whatever pain Noeul had been carrying, Ji-Woo had carried his own. And Noeul had left him to bear it alone. He looked up again. “Not because of you, Ji-Woo.” He spoke in a near whisper. “I want to fix this. I know I hurt you. I can’t change that. But… I want to try.”

Ji-Woo looked away. His face remained guarded, but beneath the anger Noeul caught something else. Pain. Doubt. Hope. “This conversation is only happening because Duri hyung pushed me,” Ji-Woo admitted. “That doesn’t change what happened.” He paused. “And honestly… I don’t want excuses. But…” His shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. “Like Duri hyung said… holding onto all this anger isn’t helping either.”

Some of the tension inside Noeul eased. He silently thanked Duri.

“I’ll give you one chance.” Ji-Woo finally looked him in the eyes. “But you have to prove it. With actions.” His voice remained firm. “I’m not ready to forgive you. Not yet.”

Tears gathered in Noeul’s eyes. He nodded. “That’s more than I deserve.” A faint, grateful smile appeared. “Thank you, Ji-Woo.”

Before either of them could say anything else, the door opened. “I brought coffee.” Duri stepped inside, three paper cups balanced carefully in one hand. The heaviness in the room eased, if only for a moment.

CHAPTER 21

His tall, athletic frame filled the doorway as he balanced three cups of coffee and a bag of cookies. “Are you two okay?” he asked, concern evident in his voice.

“Of course,” Noeul replied before turning back to his brother. “Ji-Woo, could you help me, please? I still can’t lift the cup, not even with my right hand.”

Ji-Woo started to walk toward him, but his phone rang before he reached the bed. He glanced at the screen and smiled. “Hyung, I have to take this.” He picked up his coffee and looked at Duri. “Duri hyung will help you. Right?”

“Of course.” Duri pulled a chair closer to the bed as Ji-Woo disappeared into the hallway. He placed one cup of coffee on the bedside table, then carefully brought the other to Noeul’s lips.

“Was that his girlfriend?” Noeul asked, as if they hadn’t been estranged for years.

Duri studied him for a moment before answering. Their eyes met. Neither looked away. Something stirred inside Noeul. His palms grew damp. He knew the feeling, although he had never allowed himself to name it. There was something about Duri’s green eyes that made it difficult to breathe.

For years, whenever his attention lingered too long, Noeul had hidden behind the safest explanation: Duri was Ji-Woo’s friend. Four years younger. Almost family. Now that explanation no longer quieted what stirred inside him. He looked away first.

“Yes… probably,” Duri replied with a faint smile as he offered him another sip of coffee. He shrugged lightly. “I don’t even know anymore.” A quiet laugh escaped him. “Your brother’s quite a player.”

Noeul couldn’t help smiling. “I didn’t even know that.” His amusement disappeared almost immediately. Three years. How much of Ji-Woo’s life had he missed? His shoulders slumped as guilt returned. Almost unconsciously, his fingers found Gong’s ring hanging from the chain around his neck.

Duri’s gaze dropped to Gong’s ring. Without a word, he reached out, gently cupped Noeul’s chin, and guided his face back toward him. “There’s still hope, hyung,” he said quietly. “Please don’t give up. I’ll help you. We all will. But you have to choose to keep going. No one else can make that choice for you.”

When Duri lifted the coffee again, Noeul accepted another sip. “Thank you, Duri.” He met his eyes gratefully. “For checking on us. I know you have to leave for work soon.” He hesitated. “And… thank you for being such a good friend to Ji-Woo. I know you’re the one who convinced him to give me a chance.”

“Ji-Woo is more than a friend,” Duri said. “He’s family. The same goes for you, hyung.” His expression softened. “I’d never want my brother to suffer. And if there’s something I can do to spare Ji-Woo that kind of pain… I’ll do it.”

“You’ve changed a lot,” Noeul said. “You’re much more mature than I expected.”

A faint laugh escaped Duri. “I had an excellent role model.”

Noeul leaned forward, curiosity lighting his face. “Your mother?”

Duri shook his head. “Well, eomma too. But mostly, the person I like.”

“Oh…” Noeul lowered his gaze. “I see.” A strange disappointment settled inside him. It didn’t make sense. He had loved Chung-Hee for years. So why did hearing those words hurt? “She must be a very lucky girl.”