Jinu couldn't remain in that hospital bed for another second.
Every tick of the clock felt like a hammer striking his chest.
Ignoring the protests of his injured body, he ripped the IV from his arm.
A sharp sting followed, and a few drops of blood stained the floor — but he didn't stop.
He pulled on his jacket and stepped out into the cold morning air, each step sending waves of pain through him.
He went everywhere they had ever crossed paths.
The dark alley where she once saved him.
The quiet park where silence had spoken louder than words.
But she was nowhere.
Desperation began to consume him.
In the crowded marketplace, he stopped strangers, his voice hoarse and frantic.
"Have you seen a girl? Long hair… she's beautiful. A high school student. Her name is Jia."
Most people shook their heads.
Until an elderly woman paused.
"Jia?" she said softly. "That poor child… Her father is a cruel man. He treats her like a burden."
Something inside Jinu snapped.
His fists tightened until his knuckles turned white.
He got the address and ran.
When he reached the house, the front door was locked. He circled to the back and peered through a small, grimy window.
Inside, her father lay sprawled on the floor, surrounded by empty bottles, unconscious.
Jinu didn't hesitate.
He climbed through the window, landing silently inside.
Jia's room was a disaster.
Drawers ripped open.
Belongings scattered.
Her sketches — the ones she once drew so carefully — torn and crushed beneath careless feet.
Panic clawed at his chest.
"Jia?" he whispered, his voice shaking. "Jia…"
He searched every corner of the suffocating house until he reached a small wooden door at the end of the hallway.
It was bolted from the outside.
His hands trembled as he slid the bolt open.
He kicked the door.
The air inside the storage room was thick, cold, and heavy with dust.
And there she was.
Curled on the floor.
Unconscious.
Her face pale. Tear stains dried against her cheeks.
"Jia…" his voice broke as he fell to his knees beside her.
He gathered her gently into his arms.
And in that moment, a devastating realization hit him—
While he had been pushing her away to "protect" her…
She had been fighting a war he never even saw.