Chapter 30: Chapter 30.
Chapter 30.
Shin’s face when he was a boy overlapped with his current face.
“Assistant Manager Woojin.”
“…”
“Assistant Manager, are you ok?”
Shin Kim held Woojin’s wrist. When Woojin seemed unable to say the words, Shin looked down at him and his wrist worriedly. Woojin’s thin wrist was wrapped with a well-worn leather watch. When Woojin tried to pull back, Shin held his wrist tighter and pulled him in closer to his own chest.
Woojin felt a little dizzy and it must’ve showed on his face. When Woojin looked up at him, Shin was staring at him with a cold face.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m fine.”
Woojin twisted his arm to pull his wrist back. He announced, “Let’s get that report quickly.” He looked away from Shin’s piercing eyes.
Woojin no longer wanted Shin to cross the line and enter his world. He suddenly remembered the voice yelling at him.
“It’s your fault that he died.”
Woojin bit his lips as the memories came rushing back.
“You need to die too!”
He never wanted to kill anyone, nor did he ever want to save anyone. Woojin didn’t want anything. Days passed by meaninglessly. Just watching Shin Kim and his colorful aura from time to time was the only pleasure he had.
This feeling… Liking something or someone was so new to Woojin. He thought that perhaps he was being punished for it.
Because the dark night came for him.
“Urgg…”
Woojin suddenly felt his heart freeze. He began to pant.
This was strange. The symptoms that disappeared after he began working were coming back. Woojin couldn’t breathe at all. When he collapsed to the floor in pain, Shin held his shoulders in panic.
“Assistant Manager!”
Woojin was hyperventilating. When he became pale, Shin screamed, “Woojin Choi! Please breathe! Please!”
Woojin’s memories slowly disappeared.
Shin Kim.
I tried saying your name in secret a very long time ago.
Shin.
Kim.
***
The doctor announced, “His breathing is normal now. His pulse too.”
“… Thank you.”
Shin sighed in relief and turned to Jihoon Kang who was chewing his lips anxiously.
When Shin ran up to the first floor with Woojin in his arms, Jihoon followed him hurriedly. Jihoon seemed used to what was happening to Woojin. While they waited for the ambulance in the lobby, Jihoon covered Woojin’s mouth and nose tightly. It was a crazy scene in the lobby.
Thankfully with the emergency crew’s CPR, Woojin began to breathe again. As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Jihoon went out to make a call. Shin looked down at Woojin who was very pale as he laid on the bed with an IV attached to his arm. Shin sighed anxiously.
Woojin still looked too pale.
The doctor asked Woojin, “Do you often have panic attacks?”
“No, not really… Not recently…”
“It first happened about 7 years ago. At the time, he had very similar symptoms.”
Woojin was shaking his head to the doctor when Jihoon quickly came and answered for Woojin. When Shin looked down at Jihoon, Jihoon turned away uncomfortably. He asked Shin, “Mr. Shin Kim, I think you need to leave this room while we talk.”
“Pardon?”
Shin felt dizzy as he watched Jihoon talking to Woojin’s doctor so familiarly. Shin took Woojin’s hand into his own and shook his head. He couldn’t understand what was happening. He was so confused.
Shin replied, “Why should I…”
“Fine. Doctor, shall we go outside so we can talk a bit in private?”
In the end, Jihoon took the doctor out to the hallway. Shin couldn’t care less, especially as he looked down at Woojin on the bed. He began to feel nervous, wondering if Woojin was breathing ok. Shin couldn’t hear him breathing.
Drip, drip.
The IV drip entered Woojin’s body slowly.
This was the second time in his life Shin saw someone collapse in front of him.
Shin whispered, “Why… are you doing this to me…”
Just in case, just to make sure, Shin got closer to check Woojin’s breathing. His ear touched Woojin’s nose and thankfully, Shin could hear very faint breathing. Woojin’s shallow breath wasn’t too cold or too hot.
Then suddenly, Shin noticed Woojin’s wrist.
Such a thin wrist…
“…”
To place an IV, the nurses had to take Woojin’s watch off. Shin was holding onto it tightly in his hands.
Shin looked down at Woojin’s wrist.
And the unmistakable scars on it.
Two lines.
It was obvious that something sharp caused these scars. These were… intentional wounds.