Episode 53
“He is driving me crazy.”
I muttered as I moved towards the other door, leaving the back one open. It was definitely the same door, but this one felt colder.
“Let’s go.”
This time, my movements were quicker. The hand that had been slowly turning the lock now unhooked the chain and opened the door. A sudden gust of cold air hit me, fresh and unexpected.
It was summer… I opened the door wide, and before I could even register the chill, a stronger breeze made me shiver. Staring at the end of the hallway, I heard the distant hum of an air conditioner kicking in.
I clenched the key tightly in my hand.
Why was the air conditioning on? Who was here…?
A flash of Seungchan Kim crossed my mind with a jolt. Was there really someone unexpected here? My head spun. I’d told myself I wouldn’t get involved, wouldn’t do anything unless Seungchan Kim touched me first.
The layout was identical to the room I’d seen before.
The classroom was sealed tightly with concrete, blocking any view inside. My heart pounded unevenly as I hurried down the hallway, almost running.
The air conditioning grew stronger as I neared the iron door at the end of the hall, prickling my exposed skin.
I reached the door and lifted myself on my toes. The room, covered in white wallpaper, was scattered with medicine bottles. My gaze darted around.
“Ah…!”
In a small window, I glimpsed a human foot lying limp on the floor, twisted. Shock paralyzed me as I realized someone was inside, immobile, almost lifeless.
Was this Lee Eun-woo’s doing? Did he kidnap someone? Why? Who? I couldn’t tear my gaze away from those feet, feeling sick and breathless. My mind reeled.
Had I done something to anger Lee Eun-woo? Was he taking revenge on someone else because of me? Did I say something to someone I shouldn’t have?
No. No… Lee Eun-woo…
Thoughts of past conversations swirled:
“Are you hurt? Let’s disinfect and head to the hospital.”
“You mean the room attached to mine, with the operating table?”
“How do you know?”
“I came to see my father.”
“I brought him when I came here.”
“Mental hospitals abroad are much better than ours.”
“Soyoung, do you want to come with me? I’ll drop you off downtown along the way.”
“Eun-woo’s father…”
I felt my heels settle back to the floor.
Eun-woo had called this room—the one with the operating table—a hospital. White like an asylum, barren, with no windows, nothing one could use to hurt themselves. Just a space designed to drive a person mad.
According to Eun-woo, the entire second floor was set up like a mental hospital.
And inside, as if dead, lay Eun-woo’s father. He hadn’t moved or reacted to sounds, looking like a ghost. The spilled medicine bottles, though, contained the same drugs Eun-woo had once given me.
This was deliberate, and it was certain that Eun-woo had given Hyun-woo Lee sedatives.
The pieces fell into place. The sounds I’d heard on the second floor weren’t random—they were Lee Hyun-woo hurting himself. And every time I’d heard those sounds, Eun-woo knew.
That morning, after we’d been together, he must have gone to his father, locking me away. Why? Because after that day, I’d
heard no more sounds from upstairs. He wouldn’t have gone up there without ensuring I couldn’t follow.
“…ah.”
My mind felt chaotic as I ran back through the hallway. And there, standing on the stairs, was Eun-woo, watching me with a serene smile, as though relieved.
What is he doing?
He knew it!!
“Don’t be angry, Soyoung.”
Eun-woo pulled me into a tight embrace, his arms firm as I trembled.
“I’m doing this for my father. We agreed, remember? Whoever makes the first move gets to act in kind. I’ve never broken a promise to you.”
So don’t be too angry.
He asked me not to hate myself. I blinked, his words tugging at my heart. Eun-woo held me tighter, and I looked over his shoulder, catching glimpses of his hidden intentions.
The empty room on the left was a warning—a place Seungchan Kim could end up if he dared to interfere in my relationship with Eun-woo.
It was all there, spelled out.
Still, this didn’t feel right.
I calmly explained my feelings to Eun-woo, and he listened, nodding. He assured me that he would move Hyun-woo out of here.
“My father is fortunate.”
He muttered as we watched Hyun-woo, limp and unconscious, being loaded onto an ambulance. He hadn’t stirred, he was knocked out by the heavy sedatives that Eun-woo had given him.
I watched as the stretcher was taken away. I felt no pity for the man who had been imprisoned. Though he was thin, his body showed no signs of abuse from Eun-woo. In fact, it looked like he’d been given regular meals—rice, side dishes in disposable containers.
The scars on him weren’t from Eun-woo’s violence but from his own desperate attempts to hurt himself: nail scratches, bite
marks. It looked like he’d even torn at his own flesh.
After the ambulance pulled away, I turned back to the house.
Eun-woo lingered outside briefly, then followed me in.
He entered the room, his expression unreadable, but his face softened into a bright smile as he looked at me.
“Are you okay?”
“Huh?”
Eun-woo asked with a curious expression, as though he hadn’t understood.
How would it feel to live with the mark of being unwanted? Growing up unloved and abused in a time when love is essential… His mother denied his existence, and his father didn’t treat him as human.
In those early years, the only thing Eun-woo had was the admiration of his peers for his good looks.
Admiration and attention. This let him seize control, gaining authority in school, mirroring his father’s behavior.
But time eroded his patience, and he grew tired of following Hyun-woo’s example.
When he was in middle school, he met someone who understood loneliness. And Eun-woo, perhaps in seeking comfort, emulated Hyun-woo’s treatment.
Now, I was the only one for him.
As I watched him cling to me, I struggled to understand. But that didn’t mean I forgave him for everything. I smiled at him, the two of us standing face to face.
“I’m okay.”
I opened my arms, reassuring him.
“Its okay.”
Eun-woo smiled, hugging me without further questions.
That evening, as he’d promised, we went out to a fine restaurant. It was quiet, the kind of place he preferred, with few people around.
“It’s about Seungchan.”
I stopped eating and looked up. Eun-woo was calmly cutting the steak I’d ordered, his movements almost mechanical.
“He’s been showing up at the department store around the same time, waiting,” he said, setting his knife down.
“Is he still being foolish?”
At his cold words, I placed my spoon back into my soup. He didn’t look angry, but a mysterious tension lingered around him.
I blinked.
“Did you follow him?”
He shrugged, chuckling at my words. I still couldn’t understand the obsession between him and Seungchan Kim.
“It’s okay, Soyoung.”
Without directly answering, he offered me a piece of sliced steak. I glanced between the meat and Eun-woo, then took the bite.
Soft music played in the background as I chewed, feeling his gaze.
—
“Going out for a bit. Okay?”
-Eun-woo’s voice sounded faintly concerned on the phone.
“Yeah, just a quick walk at the park. The rooftop is getting a bit cramped for all my plants.”
Eun-woo smiled, his tone pleased.
“Alright, Soyoung. Be safe, I’ll be back as soon as I finish work.”
Hanging up, I took a deep breath. The mansion phone connected only to Eun-woo’s cell, a setup arranged a few days ago by men in black suits. Now I didn’t have to go through the female bodyguard to talk to him.
Heading out, I heard the hum of a car starting. I grabbed my bag and stepped outside, the air thick with the sound of engines.
The female bodyguard quickly approached.
“To the nearby park, please.”
“Yes.”
She gave a short nod and closed the door. The car rolled
forward, and I checked my bag for cash—just enough to buy a newspaper. If luck was on my side, I’d avoid any chance encounters with Seungchan Kim.
