Kang Dae didn't look at them.
His gaze remained on Seo Jin.
"Any more and he'll pass out before he learns anything."
Seo Jin stood there, still trying to catch his breath.
Kang Dae turned fully and walked away.
The training ground began to clear, people losing interest now that the entertainment was over, while Seo Jin just stood in the middle of the sand.
Alone.
For a while, he did not move.
It wasn't due to stubbornness, but because his leg refused to move. It felt so heavy, and his ribs ached with every breath he took.
He exhaled slowly and forced himself to take a step.
The movement sent a wave of pain through his side, but he did not stop. He took another step, then another, until his body involuntarily followed his will.
By the time he left the training ground, his breath had grown shallow and uneven. The walk back to his room felt longer than it should have been—and far more painful.
When he reached his room, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. The moment he closed the door behind him, his will—and the last bit of strength holding him up—gave way.
He managed to stagger and drop onto the bed, barely catching himself before he collapsed completely. The mattress dipped under his weight, but instead of comfort, it only made him more aware of how much his body hurt.
His ribs ached so badly.
Even his hands trembled from the strain.
He lay there for a moment, staring blankly ahead, his breathing gradually slowing.
"Don't give up," he whispered. He had to do it—to protect himself and his mum.
The words replayed faintly in his mind.
Sleep took over him immediately.
The whole day passed into the next morning, yet he still did not wake up.
At first, it was just exhaustion. His body, pushed far beyond its limits, simply refused to respond.
But as the hours passed, something else began to take hold.
Heat.
It started faintly, barely noticeable beneath the lingering pain in his muscles.
Then it grew, spreading slowly through his body until his skin felt warm to the touch.
By the end of the day, the fever had set in.
Seo Jin remained unconscious, his breathing uneven as sweat dampened the sheets beneath him.
His brows furrowed slightly, as though even in his sleep his body was struggling to keep up with the damage it had endured.
Sometime later, the door was pushed open.
Footsteps entered the room.
A voice spoke, low and filled with indifference.
"He hasn't woken up?"
"No. His body is overheating," another voice responded.
A brief pause followed.
"He pushed his body a little too far."
The footsteps lingered for a moment before leaving. The room returned to silence.
By the second day, the fever worsened, his body caught between heat and exhaustion. Sweat clung to his skin, soaking through his clothes and into the mattress beneath him.
His fingers twitched faintly at his sides, as if trying to grasp something just out of reach.
Fragments of memory began to surface.
Dark spaces. Cold air.
The faint smell of damp concrete. A locked door.
His lips parted slightly, a faint sound escaping.
"Mum…"
The word was barely audible but lingered in the empty room.
Later that evening, the door was pushed open again.
This time, there was more than one set of footsteps.
One of them was So Jeo. He walked to the side of the bed, reaching out and pressing a hand lightly against Seo Jin's head.
Hot. Too hot.
A brief silence.
"He is burning up," he said calmly.
Another voice responded immediately, more cautious.
"Should we call—"
"Yes."
"Bring the doctor."
It did not take long.
The door opened again shortly after, and a man in a neat coat stepped inside carrying a small case. He moved efficiently, as though this was not his first time being summoned into a situation like this.
The doctor placed the case down and leaned forward, checking Seo Jin's pulse, temperature, and breathing. His expression remained composed, though his brows furrowed slightly.
"He's severely exhausted," the doctor said. "His body was pushed beyond its limit before it could recover."
"Will he wake up?" the calm voice asked.
"Yes," the doctor replied. "But not without proper care."
The sound of the doctor preparing a needle could be heard before he asked for a cloth and water.
"He has a high fever," the doctor continued. "I'll bring it down first."
The cold press of the damp cloth touched Seo Jin's forehead.
A faint reaction flickered across his face.
His brow furrowed slightly, but he still did not wake.
The doctor worked quietly, administering treatment.
After a while, he stepped back.
"The fever should reduce by morning," he said. "He needs rest. And food when he wakes."
He paused.
"Keep him hydrated."
The doctor closed his case, and they both walked out of the room.
The next morning, the heat had reduced, though not completely gone. His breathing steadied.
His fingers twitched slightly before his eyes slowly opened.
He did not move immediately. His body felt heavy.
He swallowed dryly, his throat burning.
Seo Jin curled his fingers, testing his strength. The simple movement sent a faint tremor through his arm.
He shut his eyes briefly before opening them again.
He wasn't dead, as he had thought.
Knock. Knock.
The sound of a fist hitting the door echoed softly.
"Come in," Seo Jin could barely say. It came out as a whisper.
Maybe the person had only knocked for the sake of it and hadn't intended to wait for a response.
The door was pushed open, revealing a woman carrying a tray with a glass of water and a bowl, though Seo Jin couldn't tell what was inside from where he lay.
She only nodded at him before walking closer. She placed the tray on a small desk and dragged it beside the bed.
"Let me help you," she said, assisting him into a sitting position and placing a pillow behind his back.
Fully seated, though still weak, Seo Jin finally saw what was in the white bowl.
Porridge.