(Jihwa pov)
When Dohyun's eyes cracked open, I froze.
For a moment, I thought I was dreaming. His skin was ghostly pale, lips cracked and dry, his entire frame trembling even as he tried to shift against the sheets. Then his gaze found mine—and there was no mistaking it. He was awake.
"Jihwa…" His voice was thin, brittle, as if every syllable scraped his throat raw. Yet the sound carried something that made my chest twist painfully.
I wanted to smile back, to reassure him, to tell him I'd been here waiting—but instead I just sat there, forcing a trembling smile that didn't reach my eyes. My throat felt tight, my heart in pieces. He looked broken. Fragile. Whoever touched him, whoever hurt him, must have torn away every bit of peace he had until he no longer remembered what happiness felt like.
I reached forward, my fingers brushing against his cold hands. His skin was clammy, but I tightened my hold anyway, refusing to let him slip away again.
"What happened to you…?" The words came out hoarse, cracking halfway through. My voice sounded foreign even to me.
He didn't answer. He only stared at me, with his grey glassy-eyed, lips curving into the faintest, most fragile smile.
That smile shattered me. It wasn't joy—it was desperation. Longing. As if just seeing me there, alive and by his side, was enough to anchor him, even as his body betrayed him.
"No… don't smile like that." I shook my head, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. "Don't look at me like I'm the only good thing left. That's not fair. You deserve so much more than just… this."
He coughed weakly, the sound rattling in his chest. "You… you're here. That's enough."
The words hit me harder than any blade.
I clenched my fists, heart hammering, fighting the urge to scream at him, to shake him, to demand answers. None of this was right. None of this was okay.
I didn't know what that Hyok bastard from the café had done to him, but I knew one thing with terrifying certainty: Dohyun needed saving. And I couldn't do it alone.
My voice cracked when I spoke again. "What did he do to you? Tell me, Dohyun. Please. I can't help if you don't—"
He closed his eyes briefly, as if even keeping them open cost him too much. "Don't… ask. Just… stay."
I felt anger burn through the grief, the helplessness. "Stay? That's all? You expect me to sit here and watch you fall apart like this? Look at you!" I nearly shouted, but my voice broke into a sob. "Just look at you! You can't tell me this is normal. You can't tell me he wasn't hurting you—"
My words tumbled out before I could stop them. "...Are you sure he was even doing S&M correctly? This isn't—this isn't pleasure, Dohyun, this is damage! This is torture!"
His lips trembled, and for a fleeting moment, something like shame flickered in his eyes. "It… was a lie…I lied saying I was into S&M with him...," he whispered, so softly I almost didn't catch it.
The confession cut like a knife.
"What do you mean you lied?" My grip on his hand tightened, desperate. "Dohyun—what did he actually make you believe?"
But he only exhaled, weary, as if he'd carried that single sentence on his shoulders for far too long. His eyes fluttered shut again, too heavy to keep open.
"Wait—no, don't you dare close your eyes!" I shook his hand, panic flooding me. "Stay with me, Dohyun. Don't—don't leave me again. Please."
For a moment, I thought I'd lost him.
But then his lips moved, barely forming the words. "Jihwa… don't cry…"
His voice was so faint it almost broke me apart.
I lowered my forehead to our joined hands, my tears spilling freely now. "Then give me a reason not to. Tell me the truth. Tell me what he did. I swear, I'll fix it—I'll fix everything. Just… don't shut me out."
The only response I got was the shallow rise and fall of his chest, fragile and uneven, as if he were balancing on the edge of slipping away again.
And all I could do was hold on tighter.
That night, when Dohyun finally drifted into a restless, feverish sleep, I sat by his side a moment longer, brushing his damp hair from his forehead. His breathing was uneven, shallow—every rise and fall of his chest felt like a battle.
My heart ached, but I forced myself to stand. If I stayed, I'd drown in my own helplessness. If I left, maybe I could find a way to save him.
I slipped quietly out of the room, each creak of the floorboards echoing too loud in the silence of the house. My steps carried me down the dim hall until I stopped at the study door. The faint scratch of pen against paper told me my father was still awake.
"Hey… Dad," I whispered, my voice trembling as I stood framed in the doorway.
Seojoon's head snapped up, his sharp eyes narrowing the instant he saw me. His pen stilled against the page. "Jihwa." His tone was clipped, but beneath it was concern. "What's wrong?"
My throat tightened. The words tasted like glass, but I forced them out. "It's Dohyun. He's… he's not okay." My voice cracked, raw. "I don't know what Hyok did, but he's—" I faltered, swallowing down the lump in my throat. "He's not the same anymore."
The silence that followed pressed heavy on my chest. Seojoon leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers beneath his chin, his gaze sharp and unreadable. For a moment, I feared he wouldn't believe me.
"You're saying someone harmed him," he said at last, his voice low. Not a question—more like he was weighing the accusation.
"Yes," I whispered, clutching my fists at my sides. "I saw him, Dad. He's broken. He's pretending to smile, but it's not real—it's like he's clinging to scraps of hope. I can't—" My voice wavered, desperation spilling through. "Please, dad, I just want him to be happy again just like how I want you to be happy. I can't watch him like this."
Seojoon rose from his chair, the movement deliberate, heavy. He crossed the room slowly, his shadow stretching across the floor. When he stopped in front of me, he rested a steady, heavy hand on my shoulder.
"You did the right thing by telling me," he said, though his tone was softer now, almost hesitant. "If his abuser crossed a line… if what you say is true… then this is no longer about preference or games. It's abuse." His eyes, usually hard as a rock, flickered with something gentler. "And abuse will not be tolerated."
I bit down hard on my lip, holding back the sob rising in my chest. "So… we can do something? Can we stop him?"
"Yes." Seojoon's jaw tightened. "We can report him. We can make sure Dohyun is protected. And you—" he gave my shoulder a firm squeeze—"you will not carry this burden alone. We'll do whatever it takes."
The words struck me deep, breaking the dam inside me. A choked breath escaped, half-sob, half-relief. For the first time since I'd seen that fragile smile on Dohyun's lips, I felt hope flicker back into life.
The next morning, pale light spilled through the curtains, painting the room in gray. Dohyun stirred, his breath uneven as he forced his eyes open again.
I was already awake, sitting beside him, clutching his hand like a lifeline. But this time, I wasn't alone. Dad sat in the armchair near the bed, his posture straight, unreadable, but his presence filling the room like an unshakable wall of authority.
Dohyun blinked at him weakly, confusion flickering across his face. His lips trembled, his voice hoarse. "W-who… are you?"
My father's eyes softened—just slightly. "My name is Seojoon," he said evenly. "You don't know me, but you don't have to be afraid. You're safe here." His voice was calm, steady, but beneath it carried a weight of command. "And I need you to tell me the truth."
Dohyun's gaze darted to me, panic tightening his features. "Jihwa… why is he here? Why—why is a stranger in the room?"
I squeezed his cold hand, leaning closer. "He's not a stranger," I said quickly, though my voice trembled. "He's my father. I told him about… Hyok."
Dohyun's eyes widened in disbelief, his breath stuttering. "Your… father?" His throat bobbed, fear and confusion tangling in his expression.
"Yes." Seojoon inclined his head, his presence steady but not harsh. "And I promise you, I'm not here to harm you. I'm here to protect you. Hyok can't reach you here."
Dohyun's lips parted, but no words came out. His chest heaved, as though the air itself was too heavy to breathe.
My dad leaned forward then, his tone sharp but not unkind. "Dohyun. What Hyok did to you was not consent. It was not love. It was abuse. And now—" his eyes locked firmly onto Dohyun's—"we have evidence."
That word jolted through him. His eyes widened, trembling. "E-evidence?"
"Yes," Seojoon said firmly. "Your injuries. Your condition. And your testimony. It's enough to bring him down. We can take this to the police, and Hyok will finally answer for what he's done."
Dohyun shook his head weakly, tears gathering. "No… if I speak… he'll come for me again. He'll twist it. He'll say it was my fault—he always does—" His voice cracked into a sob. "I can't."
I leaned closer, cupping his hand between both of mine. "Dohyun, look at me." When his watery eyes finally lifted, my chest shattered—but I forced myself to stay strong. "You're not alone anymore. He can't touch you again. Not with us here. Not with the law on our side. Please… don't let him keep this power over you."
Seojoon's voice cut in, steady as stone. "If you report him he won't be able to reach you even if he was in jail. We presented the evidence, the police will have no choice but to act." His jaw tightened. "But only you can take that first step. Do you understand?"
Silence filled the room, broken only by Dohyun's ragged breaths. His hands trembled in mine, his entire body shaking as though the choice itself might break him.
Then, in a whisper so fragile it nearly disappeared, he said, "...If I do this… you swear… he won't hurt Jihwa too?"
My chest clenched, but Seojoon's answer came fast, unyielding. "I swear. I will protect both of you."
Dohyun squeezed his eyes shut, a tear sliding free. When he opened them again, fear still lingered—but behind it, something else flickered. The faintest spark of resolve.
"...Then I'll do it," he whispered. "I'll report him."
Relief surged through me so powerfully I nearly broke. Pulling him into a trembling embrace, I whispered against his shoulder, "You're so brave… I'm so proud of you."
And for the first time, I felt the shift. Hyok's control was crumbling. Dohyun was taking it back.