The sound of a plastic bag rustling can be heard. Eunchan pushed Hyungsik behind him and watched the man. He looked familiar somehow, his face was recognizable.
“Damn it, fuck.”
The man who suddenly cursed loudly swept Eunchan and Hyungsik with sharp eyes before soon passing by and walking away. As if frightened, Hyungsik stood obediently behind Eunchan, gripping his collar tightly.
“It’s fine, he’s gone.”
Must be a crazy bastard drunk in broad daylight. Eunchan soothed Hyungsik and put his hand in his pocket. The cigarettes he received from the boss came into his hand. Did I take them for nothing? It wasn’t easy to quit. While fiddling with the cigarette, he noticed that the lighter he’d received along with the cigarettes was missing. Wondering where he’d dropped it, he looked around.
“The lighter fell over there.”
“Ah, wait a moment.”
About ten steps back, the lighter was lying alone on the road. Eunchan left Hyungsik and walked over, squatting down in front of the lighter.
“Hyung! In front!”
“Huh?”
At the same time, a scream burst out from Hyungsik. At the sudden shout, Eunchan turned around, and Hyungsik kept screaming for Eunchan to look ahead.
Soon after, a dull thud was heard. A strong impact was felt on his head, and soon his skull rang, more than rang—it vibrated. His body couldn’t withstand the shock and collapsed. Eunchan lay with his head on the ground and blinked his eyes. He couldn’t understand the situation. The world flickered slowly.
The sound of someone running mixed with screams could be heard. Eunchan blinked his eyes repeatedly, which wouldn’t open, trying to focus. Could he get up? Was Hyungsik in danger? He wanted to vomit.
When he barely managed to sit up, Eunchan saw two men grabbing Hyungsik by the collar.
“You crazy bastards!”
Eunchan shouted loudly and picked up the piece of wood that had fallen on the ground. It was probably the weapon that had struck his head. After hitting the back of the man holding Hyungsik’s hair with the wood, he grabbed and twisted the arm of the man rushing at him. Hyungsik also grabbed the man’s shoulder with Eunchan and pushed him down.
“You fuckers, you sold us out!”
“Who the hell are you? Are you crazy bastards dying to kill people?!”
The fallen man wailed and punched at Eunchan. Eunchan, hit glancingly on the chin, covered his face and kicked the man’s abdomen.
“You sons of bitches. You think we don’t know you’re in cahoots with the construction company? I’m going to kill you all.”
From the man’s words, Eunchan realized that the two were the brothers who had commissioned the village head work at the office. If they’re going to target someone, target the boss or take out their anger on the construction company. Eunchan bit down hard and chewed on his curses.
It was too much to handle two people who weren’t in their right minds. From the surprise attack, Eunchan was already injured, and Hyungsik was also too frightened to know what to do.
“Excuse me! I’m going to call the police!”
Fortunately, three students who entered the alley witnessed the fight and held up their phones. The sound of students who looked young, probably college students, talking to the police could be heard from far away. Only then, as if coming to their senses, the two men quickly got up and started running far away. As the tension released and his strength drained at the same time, Eunchan lay down on the spot.
“Hyung, huuung…”
“Don’t cry, my head is ringing.”
Hyungsik, who had crawled on his hands and knees to where Eunchan was lying, cried and shouted to call an ambulance. Eunchan looked up at Hyungsik, who was shedding tears like drops, and closed his eyes. His head hurt too much.
When he opened his eyes again, it was Miro’s familiar hospital room. The morning commute and the attack felt like a dream, so Eunchan had to grope at reality for a moment.
“Eunchan…”
“Miro-ssi?”
He was just staring blankly at the floating dust with only his eyes open when Miro’s voice was heard right beside him. When he immediately turned his head, Miro with a pale face was staring intently at Eunchan.
“Ah, this is Miro-ssi’s hospital room, right? Why am I here? Where’s Hyungsik?”
Pouring out questions all at once, Eunchan sat up. He must have been treated well as his head was wrapped in bandages and an IV needle was stuck in his left hand. His right hand was tightly held by Miro. Eunchan looked at Miro, who was quietly keeping his mouth shut.
“Miro-ssi?”
“Why, do you look for Hyungsik first?”
It was a chilling question. Miro intertwined his fingers with Eunchan’s with sunken eyes. This… what is this? It felt like something bigger would happen if he answered wrong. Eunchan rolled his eyes and slowly opened his mouth to answer.
“Didn’t I call for you first, Miro-ssi?”
“……”
“Hyungsik got hurt together with me…”
Please just let it go. Eunchan prayed while watching Miro tilt his head. His eyes were spinning round and round. He didn’t know if these were his own eyes or Miro’s eyes. Eunchan slowly released the strength from the hand held by Miro.
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
“I d-don’t know. Eunchan came back hurt like this, I was sh-shocked.”
Miro came into his embrace. Eunchan stroked Miro’s dry back and looked around. Miro’s hospital room was in the same state as when he’d left in the morning. However, Miro had taken off the patient gown and was wearing everyday clothes, while Eunchan had been changed into a patient gown.
“Isn’t this your patient gown, Miro-ssi?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Miro made a crying sound while repeatedly rubbing his head against Eunchan’s stomach. It’s just getting hit on the head and fainting for a moment, but he felt like a critically ill patient. Eunchan pulled back the blanket and pulled his legs out of the bed.
“Did you see my phone?”
“I don’t know…”
This he doesn’t know, that he doesn’t know. It really doesn’t seem like he doesn’t know, but he won’t tell. When Eunchan showed signs of getting up completely, Miro hurriedly clung to Eunchan’s waist.
“It still hurts.”
“I’m going to find my phone and see Hyungsik. I’m fine.”
Even when injured, he heals quickly—a body with good recovery. Eunchan assured Miro and gripped the IV pole.
“Hyungsik, Hyungsik. To see Hyungsik. To see Hyungsik.”
However, Eunchan had no choice but to turn back around. Miro repeatedly repeated Eunchan’s words with an unfamiliar face. For a moment, his hair stood on end and he felt chilled, so Eunchan smiled slightly and asked Miro.
“…Does Miro-ssi want to go too?”
“To find Hyungsik?”
“To find my phone, ask about my physical condition… while we’re at it,”
Eunchan took Miro’s hand again first. His face looked gaunt, as if he’d gotten even thinner in the meantime. Eunchan caressed Miro’s cheek and asked.
“Did you bring me here, Miro-ssi? I’m sorry for startling you.”
It seemed he took an ambulance to the emergency room at Seongwon University Hospital where Miro was. The manager who knows Eunchan’s face must have immediately contacted Miro. Eunchan looked up at Miro’s moist eyes. They looked both chilling and warm at the same time.
“For me… there’s only Eunchan…”
Miro trapped Eunchan in his arms. It was absurd that a person with a lot of money and good looks had only Eunchan himself, but he couldn’t push him away because he clung so desperately. Eunchan sighed and hugged Miro. Yeah, how shocked must this person have been? Coming back with his head suddenly broken open.
Eunchan took time so that Miro’s gasping breaths could calm down. When he touched the side of his forehead, it was a bit hot, as if he had a slight fever.
“Are you okay, Miro-ssi? Where’s the doll I gave you?”
To change the subject, Eunchan brought up the doll. The doll that he kept by his side even when sleeping wasn’t around when he thought about it. Miro, who raised his head from Eunchan’s embrace, lifted his hand and pointed to one side. It was by Eunchan’s bedside.
A rabbit with its long ears gathered together was sitting obediently. ‘Hello.’ It somehow seemed to be shyly greeting Eunchan.
“It’s wearing clothes…”
The rabbit whose white belly had been charming was now wearing pretty clothes. The clothes look somewhat familiar? Eunchan picked up the rabbit and checked the clothes carefully. Light beige pants and a luxury brand logo embedded on the chest of the top. They were exactly the same as the clothes Miro had bought for Eunchan. Eunchan was shocked and slammed the rabbit doll on the floor. He got goosebumps at the appearance that was exactly like himself.
“This, what is this?”
“E-Eunchan.”
Miro carefully picked up the rabbit doll and stroked it. Because it felt like some kind of cursed doll, Eunchan turned his head away from the rabbit.
“I’ll go out and come back.”
Eunchan, who raised his hand and swept down his face, stretched his feet below the bed. As he tried to put on slippers and stand up, Miro stopped Eunchan.
“I’ll c-call him to come. Eunchan should rest.”
“You said you don’t know where Hyungsik is?”
Ignoring Eunchan’s question as is, Miro found and picked up the telephone installed in the hospital room. Eunchan dragged the pole and sat leaning against the sofa. If they’re going to hit someone, they should hit the boss who took a lot of money. Unluckily, Hyungsik and Eunchan were caught. They probably secretly followed and stalked them, and unfortunately it was near Eunchan’s house, so the plan to bring Miro home went up in smoke. The stalker alone was overwhelming, and the two assailants attached to Eunchan would be poison to Miro.
Miro, who finished the call, returned to Eunchan’s side. He sat the doll on his lap and repeatedly stroked Eunchan’s head with his hands and caressed his earlobe.
“Th-those clothes, did you buy them for it?”
That brand must handle doll clothes too, Eunchan said to Miro with reluctant eyes.
“Mm-hmm. I asked them to make it.”
“……”
Just throwing money on the ground. Eunchan tried to scratch his head but was soon blocked by the bandage. It didn’t seem like he was badly hurt, but the treatment was too excessive.
“I want to take this off.”
“No.”
Embarrassed by Miro’s firm response, Eunchan lowered his hand from his head. The hand that had punched was only slightly scraped, and he hadn’t twisted his ankle either. His head was just a little itchy.
“Hyung!”
While he was blankly rubbing only his nose, the door burst open and Hyungsik came in with the hospital manager. His eyes were not just red but swollen from crying. Eunchan, who got up from his seat, spread his arms to welcome Hyungsik, but Miro blocked him.
“D-don’t come.”
