Page 92 of Scarbound

Ms. Lee froze. Noeul stood trembling before her, his cheeks wet with tears.

“I didn’t kill Haneul!” His chest heaved. “I loved him!”

The words echoed through the room.

Ms. Lee stared at him. For a few seconds, none of them moved. Then her face collapsed.

“I loved him too.” The words came out broken. Noeul’s anger disappeared.

Ms. Lee pressed both hands over her mouth. She turned away. Chung-Hee watched her shoulders begin to shake.

“Mother…”

“Don’t.” She raised one hand without looking back. “Don’t follow me.”

She walked quickly toward the door. Before leaving, she stopped, and for the briefest moment, her eyes found Noeul’s.

They held none of the warmth he remembered. Only grief.

Then she disappeared. The door closed behind her.

CHAPTER 35

For several seconds after the door closed, neither man moved.

Chung-Hee looked at Noeul. He had expected him to collapse after his mother’s attack, perhaps apologize, perhaps blame himself the way he always did. Instead, Noeul stood completely still. His hands trembled inside his coat pockets, and silent tears streaked his face, but there was something different beneath the pain.

He had fought back.

I didn’t kill Haneul.

Chung-Hee had never heard him say those words before.

“Noeul.”

No response.

Chung-Hee moved closer, then stopped. Only a few steps separated them. “Are you okay?”

Noeul gave a small, broken laugh. “No.”

Chung-Hee’s expression softened.

“No,” Noeul repeated. “I’m really not.” His strength seemed to disappear with the admission. He covered his face with both hands. “She’s right about one thing.”

Chung-Hee’s jaw tightened. “She isn’t.”

Noeul lowered his hands. His eyes were red. “She thinks I’ll destroy you.”

“She’s wrong.”

“What if she isn’t?”

Chung-Hee stepped closer. Noeul didn’t retreat, but his body stiffened. Chung-Hee noticed and stopped again.

“Don’t take my mother’s words too seriously,” he said, his voice quieter. “She’s grieving. She’s angry.”

Noeul stared at the floor. “She used to love me.” His voice cracked. “And now she looks at me like she wishes I had died instead.”