Sitting on the living room sofa, illuminated only by the soft glow of a floor lamp, I turned to show Ha Tae-heon my shoulder.
Fortunately, both the wounds on my shoulder and cheek were merely grazes, so they were not serious. Ha Tae-heon wiped the blood-stained wounds with a clean cloth dampened with water then administered some basic first aid. His hands moved with remarkable skill as he applied antiseptic and bandages.
Ha Tae-heon did not say a single word while treating the wounds. In the tense atmosphere heavy with silence, I couldn't easily bring myself to start a conversation either.
So he really was angry after all. He hadn't answered my calls not because he was busy... but simply because he didn't want to. As soon as I realized that, a stinging, sharp pain, like being pricked by needles just like last time, spread through my stomach. It was only for a moment, but my stomach hurt even more than my shoulder which had been sprayed with antiseptic.
Not only had I barged in on someone who was avoiding my calls, but now I was even receiving help from him. I felt so utterly shameless that I couldn't help but bow my head.
Click.
Ha Tae-heon finished the treatment and slammed the first-aid kit shut.
Sitting there nervously, I reflexively flinched at the sound. Seeing this, Ha Tae-heon let out a low sigh.
"Looks like you've realized your mistake here."
Although his tone was still stiffer than usual, a tremendous sense of relief washed over me just at the fact that Ha Tae-heon had spoken first.
"…I'm really sorry."
"Explain how this happened."
Swallowing dryly, I nodded. Where should I start? I suppose I should start with the book titled 'Abyss'. After hesitating for a while, I continued speaking.
"So, um… about the book called 'Abyss'."
"No, not that."
"Huh?"
Not… that? Then what exactly am I supposed to explain? I looked at Ha Tae-heon in confusion, and he let out another sigh.
"I'm asking you to explain why you got hurt and why you came here at this hour."
"Ah."
So that's what you wanted me to explain first. A wave of embarrassment washed over me, and I absentmindedly rubbed the back of my neck.
However, explaining this part was just as tricky. Still, I decided to be as honest as possible and opened my mouth.
"I tried calling and sending you messages, but you didn't respond. It's not that I'm blaming you, Ha Tae-heon ssi. Since this was all my fault, I figured you must've been… quite disappointed in me."
"...."
"Still... I came because I wanted to talk to you face-to-face. I apologize for showing up so suddenly at this hour. Once I'd decided I had to come see you, I couldn't wait until morning."
"So, does that mean you got hurt on your way here?"
"Yes. It appears someone used a long-ranged weapon from a building's rooftop. It was faster than a bow and there was no gunshot sound, so I'm guessing it was a weapon similar to a crossbow."
"A crossbow… huh. If they were using a weapon at this time of the night, it means they were targeting you from the start."
Ha Tae-heon crossed his arms and glared at me with a furrowed brow.
"Han Yi-gyeol. You must know that your situation is causing quite a stir right now. Didn't Requiem tell you to refrain from going out for the time being?"
Oops. Avoiding Ha Tae-heon's scolding gaze—which had pinpointed the problem exactly—I quickly covered my shoulder. Since I'd taken off my shirt for treatment, the injured area was exposed too clearly, and I felt self-conscious.
"Well I– I did hear that, but I just forgot about it for a moment. I'm not trying to come up with excuses, okay; it's the truth. All I could think about was seeing you, Ha Tae-heon ssi."
I really meant that. The moment I decided to go to Ha Tae-heon's house to meet him, I flew here immediately using my abilities, as if possessed, disregarding safety and everything else.
Ha Tae-heon's gaze softened a little upon hearing my answer.
"Don't ever do this again. Even if the situation gets better, you can't do this in the future. Your abilities are already well-known. It wouldn't be surprising if more and more people started targeting you."
"Yes, I know. It was foolish of me."
Ha Tae-heon was absolutely right. As I obediently agreed with him, he took something out of a suit jacket hanging on a dining chair. The black object placed on the table was none other than a cell phone with a horribly shattered screen.
"Is this… your phone, Ha Tae-heon ssi?"
"That's right. It got ruined when we fought in Gwanghwamun."
Not only was the screen shattered, but the back of the phone was also badly crushed. As I examined the phone, which wouldn't turn on, I finally realized.
"So that's why I couldn't reach you—your phone was broken."
Come to think of it, when I called, I heard a message saying the phone was turned off. So it couldn't be turned on because it was broken.
"It's not just because my phone broke that I couldn't contact you for a week."
Ha Tae-heon paused for a moment, looking troubled, then met my gaze.
"Han Yi-gyeol. You said you thought that I was really disappointed in you."
"...."
"I won't deny it. It's true that I'm disappointed in you because of what has happened recently."
Even though I'd braced myself for it, hearing the confirmation that he was indeed disappointed made my heart ache sharply.
"But it isn't because you didn't explain the past."
"Huh?"
"I'm disappointed because you don't trust me."
Ha Tae-heon's eyes narrowed in clear displeasure, as if the mere act of voicing my doubt in him annoyed him.
"You've tried to tell me the story you've been hiding countless times. But every time the opportunity arose, you made excuses, pretended nothing was wrong, and put it off until later."
My breath caught in my throat at his sharp observation. It was then that those moments flashed through my mind, when I'd try to gather the courage and explain 'Abyss' to Ha Tae-heon but I ultimately failed and kept it bottled up inside.
"You probably weren't sure how I'd react after hearing you explain it."
"That...."
"I kept waiting. I believed that someday you would trust me enough to explain. Thinking that there must have been a reason why you felt you had to tell me, and no one else. But you never did. You didn't say a word until the very end… and now look where we've ended up."
The air, heavier than when I first entered the living room, weighed down on my body. Ha Tae-heon, his face worn and exhausted, covered his eyes with his hand and asked.
"Did I… fail to earn your trust to this extent? Or did my feelings seem so superficial, enough to make you worry that I would leave your side?"
My heart sank at the hurt in his voice. I urgently grabbed the arm of Ha Tae-heon, who was sitting next to me.
"N- no, that's not it. No, Ha Tae-heon ssi."
I never imagined that Ha Tae-heon would take it this way.
Ha Tae-heon wasn't the problem. The problem was me, who lacked the courage to accept the reaction Ha Tae-heon would show when I told him the truth about the book, 'Abyss'.
"I was just scared."
How can I clear up this misunderstanding? Rather than seeing Ha Tae-heon suffer and blame himself, I would have preferred him to be disappointed in me, even despise me.
"I was afraid that I would never be able to speak to you as comfortably as before… I was afraid you might say that you couldn't stay by my side…"
My voice kept trembling unsteadily. I barely managed to swallow the burning emotion that had begun to well up in my throat.
"The feelings you've shown me are so precious to me as well, so…"
As I forced out the inner feelings I had suppressed for so long, I realized why I couldn't explain it to Ha Tae-heon.
It felt as though the warmth was about to vanish from those dark eyes looking at me. I was overcome with fear that the hand which occasionally stroked my cheek would remain as a trace of the past, and that I would never again see the gentle smile he used to give me.
"I...."
Suppressing my emotions was becoming increasingly difficult. My voice was no longer trembling; it was starting to break. Unable to meet Ha Tae-heon's gaze, I lowered my eyes, and my cheeks flushed with heat.
"I was wrong. I'll answer everything you have to ask me, Ha Tae-heon ssi."
"...."
"So, if you'd just give me one more chance...."
I was about to beg for another chance, to ask him to forgive me. But before I could even finish speaking, my wrist was grabbed firmly and my upper body was pulled forward.
"Uh-...!"
Ha Tae-heon lowered his head, and our lips met in an instant. After kissing twice in quick succession, Ha Tae-heon thrust his tongue inside my mouth on the third kiss without hesitation.
"Hu-ugh...."
My shoulders involuntarily hunched at the sensation that I could never get used to, no matter how many times it happened. As I squeezed my eyes shut, the tear that had been hanging precariously fell down. My hand, now clutching Ha Tae-heon's collar, trembled violently.
He sucked hard on my lower lip and pressed his upper body tightly against me. As I was forcibly pushed backward, the leather of the sofa brushed against my back.
"Haa, cough, ugh...."
The sudden kiss left me breathless in an instant. Ha Tae-heon pulled his lips away, looked down at me lying on the sofa gasping for air, and whispered in a low voice.
"No matter what happens, I will never leave your side."
Ha Tae-heon's hand caressed my cheek. His warm body temperature slowly spread across my face.
"It doesn't matter what choice you make. As long as you don't tell me to get lost, I can understand anything."
"Ha Tae-heon ssi..."
Ha Tae-heon took my hand that was holding onto his clothes and pressed his lips against my palm. I could feel both affection and obsession in that cautious gesture.
"Just like this… don't avoid the affection I give you, just accept it. That is enough."
To say that is enough. I couldn't help but smile bitterly at those words, which seemed to see right through my situation.
From the moment I entered Han Yi-gyeol's body and first met Ha Tae-heon until now, Ha Tae-heon has been both a wonderful, and difficult person for me.
He was a hero-like figure who gave me strength during my toughest times, a guardian who taught me how great it is to receive affection from someone, and a reliable helper I could trust completely.
"…How could I ever tell you to get lost?"
Just as I was precious to Ha Tae-heon, he was precious to me as well.
Upon hearing my answer, Ha Tae-heon smiled deeply. Tenderness filled his slightly curved eyes.
"That's the right answer."
Ha Tae-heon pressed his lips against mine once again. I closed my eyes and accepted the kiss.