10:40 am Inside the hospital room.
Jinhyuk, watching Jihoon, who had been fast asleep, briefly left his seat, thinking he should give him something if he woke up. Jihoon, who had been fast asleep, opened his eyes while Jinhyuk was gone.
When he woke up, he saw an IV drip in his hand, and there were marks all over his body. Ji-hoon looked around and found a mirror opposite him. The image he saw in the mirror was a complete mess. Ji-hoon frantically touched his face, and as he remembered what had happened, he screamed in shock.
“Ah ...
Meanwhile, Jinhyuk, returning from buying a simple lunch for Jihoon, heard someone screaming in the hallway where Jihoon's room was and saw a doctor and nurse rushing to the room in that direction. At first, Jinhyuk was confused, but when he saw that the room they were heading to was Jihoon's, he ran in with them.
When he entered the hospital room, Ji-hoon was very anxious and clutching his head, and the nurses and doctors around him were blocking his hands. Jin-hyeok was shocked and dropped the lunch box he had bought on the floor when he saw Ji-hoon like that. Ji-hoon, who had been screaming for a long time, looked at Jin-hyeok because of the sound.
“….Jinhyuk..”
Ji-hoon looked at Jin-hyeok pitifully, calling Jin-hyeok's name in a weak, trembling voice. Jin-hyeok's heart ached at the sight of Ji-hoon. Jin-hyeok saw Ji-hoon's pale, thin hands, as if they would break at any moment, being restrained by doctors and nurses, and Ji-hoon's hair scattered everywhere. And Ji-hoon was breathing heavily. His eyes trembled as if he was deeply anxious about something.
“Stop it…it hurts…stop it…”
The doctor and nurse restrained Ji-hoon and administered a sedative. Ji-hoon, who had been raging, gradually lost strength and closed his eyes. Jin-hyeok sat down at the sight of Ji-hoon. He felt so guilty that Ji-hoon had suffered such a fate.
“Is it because I dreamed of happy days with Jihoon? Why do these things keep happening to Jihoon? If only I had told him to go first that day… If only I had gone with Jihoon right away…”
Jinhyuk calmed down and stroked Jihoon's hand as he fell asleep, feeling guilty.
Drumroll-
“Jihoon..!”
While Jinhyuk was holding Jihoon's hand, Soojin and Hyunsoo came to visit. Jinhyuk glanced at Soojin and Hyunsoo with a blank expression, then turned his head back to Jihoon. Hyunsoo and Soojin were shocked at Jihoon's disarray. Soojin grabbed Jinhyuk's shoulder and asked.
“What’s wrong with Jihoon? What on earth is going on?”
“….”
Jinhyuk couldn't answer Sujin's question.
“Where are Jihoon’s parents? Why are you here and Jihoon’s parents not here..?”
Jinhyuk answered without opening his mouth.
“…Ji-Hoon’s parents aren’t coming.”
"what?"
Jinhyuk clenched his fist at Soojin's words, then jumped up and shouted as if something inside him had burst out.
“Jihoon’s parents can’t come!!!!!”
Jinhyuk shouted at Sujin while gasping for breath, and Sujin and Hyeonsu were surprised by Jinhyuk's actions.
“Hey…what’s wrong?”
“…You fucking bastards…your own child ended up like this…and you’re not coming…are you a parent…?”
The situation before Soojin and Hyunsu arrived_
Jinhyuk was still a minor and couldn't be Jihoon's guardian. All consent for Jihoon's treatment had to come from his parents. So, while Jihoon's parents were supposed to be present, his mother passed away when he was young, and his father was very strict with him.
His father, the president of a leading Korean company, wanted his only son, Ji-hoon, to be manly and strong. Then he could trust him and hand over his position.
However, Ji-hoon was very delicate, and there were even rumors that he was gay. Ji-hoon's father was very displeased with Ji-hoon's appearance, which was weaker than other boys his age and pretty. Ji-hoon's father, who always scolded Ji-hoon and did not look after him well, came to think of Ji-hoon as a burden and planned to kick him out as soon as he became an adult.
Jinhyuk had called Jihoon on his behalf.
…..
"hello?"
“Who are you?”
“Oh, I’m Ha Ji-hoon’s friend, Kim Jin-hyeok.”
“What brings you here?”
“..Ji-hoon got into a serious situation and was hospitalized, so I thought you should come visit.”
“Haa..what does that have to do with me?”
"yes?"
Jinhyuk was taken aback by Jihoon's father's nonchalance, acting like no one else. Wouldn't most people rush to the hospital if their own child was hospitalized? Is this really the kind of behavior a biological parent should be expected to take?
"What do you mean? Your child has been hospitalized after being in a bad situation. Shouldn't you be here?"
"ha…"
Ji-hoon's father was silent for a while. Then he sighed and spoke.
“Just leave it. It’ll take care of itself anyway.”
“What did you say..?”
"We're not family. We're family only on paper. Whatever you do, I don't care. Do whatever you want."
“Are you crazy? Who the hell says that to their child?”
“If you keep calling me for such useless things, I will block you.”
Thump-
Jinhyuk was so angry at Jihoon's father's reaction that he threw his phone and yelled.
“Fuck!!!!”
Jinhyuk gets angry and breathes heavily.
What on earth did Jihoon do wrong that people are only bullying him? Why does such an angelic child have to go through this?
Jinhyuk barely managed to calm down and went into the hospital room to watch over Jihoon.
At this point in time_
Hyunsoo calmed down Jinhyeok, who was very excited, by sitting him down.
"Jinhyuk, you're too excited right now. Go get some fresh air first."
“….I'm going to kill you.”
"what?"
“You bastards who messed with Ha Ji-hoon... I’m going to kill you all.”
“Hey..you calm down first..”
Jinhyuk shook off Hyunsu's hand and spoke with tears streaming down his face as if he had made a promise to himself.
“I will protect Ha Ji-hoon.”
"ha…"
Hyunsoo sighed and nodded at Jinhyeok's reaction. Feeling like something could really happen if they messed with Jinhyeok right now, Hyunsoo and Soojin tried to calm him down. Jinhyeok, who couldn't sleep or eat, was briefly guarded by Soojin while Hyunsoo and Jinhyeok went out together.
The two of them came out and sat on a hospital bench. Hyunsoo bought a drink from the vending machine and handed it to Jinhyeok.
“Are you okay?”
At Hyunsoo's question, Jinhyuk pulled his hood up over his head and stared at the floor. Seeing Jinhyuk's obvious signs of unease, Hyunsoo took a deep breath and spoke.
“Yeah, it won’t be okay. It can’t be okay.”
“…”
Hyunsoo looked at Jinhyeok, who was having a hard time, and spoke carefully.
"Do you know what kind of kids they are?"
"what..?"
Hyunsoo suddenly lit a cigarette and spoke. Hyunsoo, unlike his usual playful self, continued his conversation with Jinhyeok with a serious expression.
"Those kids that Jihoon made like that. Do you remember what kind of kids they are?"
"….huh"
Hyunsoo, who had previously smoked and quit, suddenly started smoking again in front of him, and he was momentarily taken aback. Something about Hyunsoo's pissed-off appearance, unlike his usual self, suddenly crossed his mind.
‘Oh, this kid is really pissed.’
Hyun-soo, who had quit smoking, would quietly smoke a cigarette when he got really angry. Jin-hyeok looked at Hyun-soo and began to speak quietly.
"..they're the Hasango kids."
"Hasango?"
"..Yeah, it was the school before Jihoon transferred, and they kept bullying him there."
“Hahahahahaha…”
Hyunsoo got up from the bench, spat, and stomped on his cigarette to put it out. Then he looked at Jinhyeok and said.
"What are you doing? I need to eat and then go kill someone."
"What? Now?"
"So when?"
"..Still, I have to see Jihoon wake up...”
"Hey, when Jihoon wakes up, I'll definitely let him. Would such a kind-hearted kid really allow the two of us to beat up those kids?"
”….“
Hyunsoo is right. If I tell Jihoon, he'll definitely stop us both. After all, Jihoon is a boy who has always endured and persevered through everything he's been through.
"…okay."
"Then you should eat first and then go. I know what I'm talking about.
After speaking to Jinhyeok, Hyunsoo called Soojin. Unlike before, Hyunsoo spoke to Soojin in a more affectionate tone.
….
"hello?"
"Hey, sister~"
"why"
"Oh, Jinhyuk and I are going to go run around the park."
"What? Now?"
"Yeah yeah, noona, it's dangerous so Jihoon is watching over you well at the hospital~"
"..Don't do anything strange and come in quickly."
"Haha, okay. I'll buy you something delicious too."
"Okay... I get it"
So Jinhyeok and Hyeonsu walked towards somewhere.