After a long time, the appearance of Haru was visibly disheveled, indicating a chaotic state at a glance. Sihyun briefly glanced at the body of a researcher presumed to be killed by him before walking towards the glass wall. Haru, with a muffled voice due to strong soundproofing, spoke while Sihyun was in front of the glass.
"Should I break it?"
Seowoo, who was standing next to him, spoke while looking at the glass wall. Though it was sturdy, it wouldn't be impossible to break it with force. The only way inside was through the iris recognition lock, making breaking the door the only option. Despite knowing that, Sihyun couldn't easily nod in agreement.
The method researchers used to control Haru was through false affection and punishment. Sometimes they would coax him with affectionate and hypocritical words, and other times they would punish him to restrain him. It was a method implemented since Haru was very young, ensuring that even if he gained enough strength to break the glass and leave, he would be bound here. So, Sihyun hoped that Haru would break free from this place that tormented him for a long time.
His gaze fell on the handcuffs restraining his arms. It didn't take long for Sihyun to conclude that breaking this place on his own in his current constrained state was impossible. The disappointment in front of the vulnerable boy was short-lived.
"Shall I break it?"
Haru responded to Sihyun's words by moving. The reinforced glass shattered with a few kicks, and as Sihyun stepped into it, he looked at Haru, still dazed.
"No one else is here."
Hamin muttered with a bitter tongue. He seemed to acknowledge the pitiful situation Haru was in. Sympathy welled up in Sihyun as he silently agreed with his words, reaching out to Haru with a dreamy gaze.
He wiped away the blood on Haru's pale face and twisted the handcuffs with telekinesis, making a loud sound as they fell to the floor, revealing red marks on his wrists. Blood, not yet coagulated, oozed slowly between the wounds. Sihyun gently held Haru's wrist.
"Ah..."
A small sigh escaped Haru's lips. Sihyun closed his mouth, refraining from the criticisms he planned to unleash. He had intended to reproach him, asking why he insisted on returning to the research institute when it was going to end up like this, why he didn't explain it in more detail. Sihyun, who had been about to pour out all the words of frustration, swallowed them back.
Haru, freed from the heavy shackles, looked vulnerable with his lifeless red pupils. Sihyun couldn't say anything. He was afraid that his words would weigh heavily on him.
Why didn't I come to rescue you a little earlier?
Why did I care so much about you, yet never thought about recognizing the research institute?
These thoughts echoed silently in Sihyun's mind.
When Haru mentioned returning to the research lab, Kang Sihyun, though aware of the unease, didn't push the matter to the end. Despite resolving to protect him, she had unconsciously let him go, rationalizing that he wanted to go. She had even pulled him to sit next to her, though it was his decision.
There's a saying that great despair accompanies hope. Sihyun pondered whether she had been hope or despair for Haru, and for the first time, her past self felt incredibly foolish.
A boy with visible signs of hardship in his gaze appeared. Haru's parched lips still couldn't utter a word.
Sihyun reached out, wrapping her arms around Haru's neck. Despite the height difference, with Haru lowering his head towards her, she paid no mind. Holding him, Sihyun slowly spoke.
"Let's go back."
"...."
To where they first smiled together.
"Let's go back, hyung."
To the place where you seemed happiest.
As Sihyun whispered, Najik, leaning on Sihyun's embraced arm, added strength. After a while of quiet, a small response finally came, "Yeah."
As Sihyun gently stroked his hair, Najik held Sihyun's hand and rested his cheek on her white palm. With closed eyes, he spoke in a voice heard after a very long time.
"...I wanted to go back."
"I know."
"But Father didn't allow..."
"It's not your father's concern."
"...It's Father."
When Haru hesitated to correct himself, Sihyun trembled. It was because she wondered if Haru had affection for someone like Han Seohu. Even though that person was already dead, what if Haru considered him as family?
Moreover, she was the one who killed him. Sihyun, momentarily taken aback, cautiously caressed Haru's cheek and contemplated before speaking.
"...Was he precious?"
"Yeah."
This was not good.
If she had known, she should have just knocked him out, asked later, and then killed him. When Haru made a surprised sound at the unexpected complication, Sihyun looked at him with caution. His innocent eyes made it challenging to figure out what to say. Since she couldn't just say she killed his father, she decided to start by conveying that Han Seohu was a really bad person.
"...But you are more precious."
Interpreting my reaction, Haru's voice, calming, created a strange feeling that rose from below and spread from the tip of my hair. Feeling emotionally choked up for no reason, Sihyun's blue eyes showed sympathy.
"It was painful and tough."
"I know."
"I thought you would hate me."
"Who said that?"
Despite his childlike petulance, Sihyun calmly listened to his words. During the time trapped in the lab, what Haru had yearned for the most was someone to vent his frustrations on and pure affection. It was pitiful that Haru held onto her hand tightly, not letting go.
I told you quietly that I would never hate you, Haru mumbled, and Haru slowly opened his eyes. Even though he looked sleepy, his long eyelashes and distinct facial features were still there.
"...Sorry for coming late."
Apologizing belatedly, when Sihyun handed a small apology, Haru, feeling embarrassed, rolled his eyes a few times and looked at Sihyun.
"Instead of an apology..."
"Yeah?"
"Praise me."
"Praise?"
"Yeah."
His face turned red. Even though it was he who had said the embarrassing words, the awkwardness seemed to spread to me, so I quickly reached out with my untidy hand and gently patted his head. Only then did he faintly smile, acknowledging the compliment. The guilt dispersed a bit with the smile that I hadn't seen in a while.
"Still, if something like this happens next time, tell me in advance."
"Yeah."
"Don't keep it a secret on your own."
"Yeah."
"You endured well."
"…Yeah."
Haru, who answered diligently, was rewarded with a light slap on the cheek from Sihyun's hand. As if tolerating a giant dog nuzzling against him, Haru, who had been clinging to Sihyun for a while, was pulled away.
"If someone sees you guys, they might think you're some romantic couple. Can you stop being so clingy?"
As if expressing his displeasure, Haru, with an irritated look, grabbed the back of Haru's neck. Haru, who had been closely attached, was separated in an instant. Relieved, Sihyun, who received Haru's gaze that looked regretful, chuckled. I sensed a presence near the broken door.
"…!"
All four heads turned towards the door simultaneously. The creaking sound of wooden shoes caught our ears. Squinting, I saw Haehyuk, wiping off the blood on his clothes, revealing himself from the corner. It seemed like he had finished dealing with all those security guards.
"Did I come a little late?"
"…."
"Or perhaps just in time."
Glancing at Haru, who had caught Hamin, the one who had been eyeing Sihyun, mumbled something under his breath. As the distance closed, a strong scent of blood wafted through the air, stimulating sensitive noses. Unconsciously, Sihyun, with a wrinkled expression, distanced himself.
"What did you come here for?"
"Cleaning requested by General Sihyun?"
"…."
The smell was so intense that it seemed strange to simply say they were dealing with people. In contrast, there was little blood on his clothes. Nonchalantly, Hyeok wiped the blood on his wristwatch with his thumb, answering the question. Even though it was a trivial scene, it felt somewhat grotesque for some reason.
"Then, rescuing the princess trapped in the castle is over. Shall we go now?"
It was quite late.
With a playful tone, Hyeok took out his phone from his pocket and spoke. The screen he showed displayed '2:00 AM.' Sihyun, who had unconsciously crossed into the early morning hours, shook his head and followed Hyeok. As they were about to head back to where they came from, Hyeok suddenly grabbed Sihyun's steps.
"There's an elevator on this side too, so let's go this way. If you go back the way you came, you might see something unpleasant."
"Ah… Okay."
I don't know how grandly the security guards were handled to prompt such a remark. Slightly puzzled, Sihyun followed Hyeok.
"Do you need a sympathetic past to catch your eyes?"
Suddenly, Seowoo, who had grabbed his arm, threw an out-of-place question. Because of his hold, Sihyun, who had stopped Haru as well, looked at Seowoo with a bewildered expression. He was hoping for a quiet day today, but apparently, that wasn't the case.
"Why are you like this again?"
"Just thought, you dislike me, but your partner likes me. Seeing that today, I wondered if sympathy is your preference."
The calm words didn't sound polite. Wondering if it was jealousy mentioned before, Sihyun, with a furrowed brow, released his wrist from Seowoo's grasp. It was easy to slip out with a bit more strength because the grip was weak.
Who has sympathy as a preference?
"Who prefers that? And I've never said I dislike you."
"What?"
"I just found it uncomfortable how you kept insisting."
If you disliked it, wouldn't you have slept at your place?
Sihyun, responding as if it were absurd, turned away as if to say, "Let's go." Seowoo, who had been looking at Sihyun's back with a blank expression as if she were watching water in a desert, slowly lifted her foot only after a while, seemingly coming to her senses.
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