NOVEL WEB Chapter 8: Chapter 7
As Yeon-Su stretched his neck to release some tension, he let out a long sigh. The thought of collapsing into the comfort of his bed and surrendering to sleep was incredibly enticing—he knew tomorrow would bring another grueling day filled with work and toil.
Climbing the flight of stairs, he found himself stretching his back as he ascended each step. The familiar creaking of the flimsy stair railing echoed softly in the silence, blending with the faint sounds of the city outside. At the landing, he moved slowly, yawning widely as he scratched the back of his neck. His eyes began to water from the force of his yawn, and just as he was about to open his apartment door, something caught his attention.
Squinting through the dusky light, he noticed a shadow lurking at the far end of the corridor. Time seemed to freeze; his heart raced as he felt dread wash over him. Unable to comprehend the danger, he instinctively froze, his breath catching in his throat. The crippling fear surged through him as he recalled whispers he had heard around the complex—talk of a murder that had rattled the residents recently.
"Please… don't hurt me…" The words slipped from his lips, barely a whisper, a desperate plea for mercy. "My Hyung will be waiting for me tomorrow…" Just as he braced himself for the worst, a familiar voice emerged from the enveloping darkness, a voice that stirred unexpected emotions within him. In that moment of relief, he felt gratitude towards it, yet soon he realized that the confrontation with that voice might have been far worse than any physical harm he could have faced.
"Tae-Min...?" A quivering voice escaped Yeon-Su's lips as the lingering figure unfolded from the shadows, his features illuminated by the silvery moonlight reflecting from the windows. In an awkward, drunken stumble, Tae-Min lost his balance and crashed with a dull thud onto the hard wooden floor. Yeon-Su had instinctively reached out, but the wall of discomfort between them held him back, and he let Tae-Min fall. The sheer force of the impact seemed to momentarily shatter the fog of intoxication, though it merely rendered him unconscious, his face flush with the remnants of alcohol.
"Should I just leave him here?" Yeon-Su's exhaustion weighed heavily on his mind, the weariness of the day pressing down like an anchor. He rested his head in his palms, letting the thoughts swirl around like leaves in a storm. The possibilities of leaving Tae-Min sprawled out on the floor unfurled in front of him like a dark cloud—perhaps stray animals might discover him, or the police would find him and drag him back to his home, or worse yet, he could become the subject of scandal, given that the apartment next door housed three young women, all too quick to judge.
"What do I do?" He cast a frantic glance to his right and then to his left, mentally conjuring the familiar figures of good and evil, perched upon his shoulders. "It's his own fault for showing up here drunk, even though he knows we aren't exactly close enough for these kinds of situations," the bad angel sneered, reminding him of their relationship, which was no more than an awkward car ride home and a few stale exchanges of personal information. "But think about it—he did offer you a ride when you had no other means of getting back. Plus, he might have a legitimate reason for being here tonight," countered the good angel, softening Yeon-Su's hardened resolve.
"The reason better be good enough!" Yeon-Su huffed in frustration, his breath escaping in a burst. Sighing exasperatedly, he bent down to rummage through Tae-Min's pockets, checking for any belongings that might have slipped free during his fall. His fingers brushed against cold metal and soft leather as he retrieved a set of car keys, a sleek smartphone, and a wallet that had evidently seen better days. Among these items, a locket caught his eye—a delicate piece that felt unexpectedly weighty in his palm. Against his better judgment, he resisted the urge to open it and peer inside.
"Great. Just what I need. A potential drunk driver on my doorstep," Yeon-Su muttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. With a resigned huff, he opened the door wider, only to step back into the chaos that surrounded him. He knelt down, grasping Tae-Min firmly under his arms, hoisting him upright with a surprising amount of effort. With one last glance at the darkened hallway, he dragged him inside, the door clicking shut behind him with a finality that echoed in the stillness of the night.
Barely managing to heave Tae-Min onto the plush couch in the living room, Yeon-Su released a long breath, stretching his back and loosening the tension that had built up from the effort. He watched as Tae-Min sprawled awkwardly, his limbs entangled in a mismatched arrangement that looked both absurd and endearing. "I can throw hot water at you if you're cold," Yeon-Su muttered, although he expected no reply, and naturally received none. Exhaling an annoyed growl, he retreated into the bedroom, determined to fetch a cozy blanket. He laid it over Tae-Min, pausing just long enough to restrain himself from the impulse to give him a playful jab. "You better have a good reason for being such a mess," he admonished softly, the concern evident in his tone.
As his stomach rumbled in protest, Yeon-Su suddenly remembered he hadn't eaten dinner; the low, grumbling sound echoed around him, reminding him of his neglect. It wasn't particularly late, so he had options—he could order takeout or stroll to the nearest convenience store that was just a few blocks away. Yet, a glance at the darkened sky outside and the ominous weather forecast that predicted heavy rain loomed in his mind. "Nothing an umbrella can't stop," he assured himself, steeling his resolve. He hastily gathered Tae-Min's scattered belongings and placed them neatly on the kitchen counter before darting out the door in search of drinks and instant snacks.
"I am never going out again after this," Yeon-Su grumbled to himself as he stood outside his front door, thoroughly drenched from head to toe, droplets cascading down his face. Once inside, he quickly peeled off his drenched jacket, trying to wring it out as best as he could before throwing it aside. He didn't even pause to check on Tae-Min, who was still recuperating on the couch.
After a brisk shower that washed away the chill and frustration, Yeon-Su emerged from the bathroom, feeling refreshed and ready to indulge in the food he'd procured. He had just begun to whistle a tune, melding into the cozy atmosphere of his home, when he froze mid-step. A strangled shriek escaped his lips as he caught sight of Tae-Min, unexpectedly sitting cross-legged on the kitchen floor, clutching an empty glass with a bewildered expression etched across his face.
"Mr. Tae-Min!" Yeon-Su exclaimed with a voice tinged with urgency as he rushed towards Tae-Min, who appeared disoriented. Concern etched across his features, he noticed the distress in Tae-Min's eyes. "Water..." The word barely slipped from Tae-Min's parched lips as he began to slouch, his body succumbing to fatigue and leaning heavily against Yeon-Su. Without hesitation, Yeon-Su enveloped him in his arms, supporting him as he gently extracted the glass from Tae-Min's grasp, swiftly filling it with cool water from a nearby jug.
"Here," he said softly, guiding the glass to Tae-Min's lips, lifting it just enough so he could sip and replenish his hydration. Once the last drop was consumed, Yeon-Su carefully lowered him onto the kitchen counter, cradling his strong build while he stood to retrieve a thermometer. "Why would you drink in a fever?" he chided gently, his worry evident as he urged Tae-Min to muster the last vestiges of his strength and helped him to his bedroom. There, he laid Tae-Min down on the bed, draping a warm blanket over him with meticulous care, ensuring he was cocooned snugly before darting back to gather a cold compress for his fevered forehead.
"I'll be quick! Just try to hold on until I get back with some medicine," Yeon-Su promised, pressing the damp cloth against Tae-Min's brow as he mopped the beads of sweat glistening on his skin. Just as he was about to rush out, he felt a weak but desperate grip on his wrist. Tae-Min, summoning the fragile strength he had left, pulled Yeon-Su back towards him. "Don't go," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, eyes pleading as he clung to Yeon-Su's hand.
Chewing on his bottom lip, Yeon-Su held Tae-Min's hand tightly, anchoring them both in that tense moment. "My mother always said," he began, the corners of his mouth lifting in a gentle smile, "the best way to relieve pain is to replace it with something else." He noticed the grimace of pain cross Tae-Min's face, prompting him to continue, albeit shyly; he turned his head to rest on the bed, facing away from Tae-Min to ease his embarrassment. "If you're facing mental pain, you can distract yourself with physical sensation. And if the pain is physical, try to soothe it with something else that's less harmful. That's what she told me. People often find ways to justify harmful actions... but she never figured out how to replace that physical pain effectively. It's curious, isn't it? If only someone could discover how to replace those burdensome memories with something lighter, perhaps we could all move on from the past," he mused, his voice trailing off into a thoughtful silence.
As Yeon-Su ramblingly shared his reflections, he gradually noticed the tension easing from Tae-Min's features. With a quiet sigh, Tae-Min's whimpers faded into soft breaths, signaling that he had drifted into sleep, leaving Yeon-Su alone with his thoughts and the rhythmic sound of their breaths mingling in the stillness of the room.
The rain eventually subsided, allowing Yeon-Su's eyes to flutter open as the gentle glow of moonlight spilled into the room, illuminating the once dreary space now transformed by the clearing sky. He maintained his still posture for a moment longer before turning to gaze out the window, captivated by the vast expanse of the sky showcasing its true, vibrant shades of bluish serenity. As he surveyed his surroundings, the rhythmic ticking of the clock drew his attention, marking the passage of time in the quiet aftermath of the storm.
With the rain diminishing, Yeon-Su sensed a subtle shift; the firm clasp he held on Tae-Min's hands reassured him that his friend's fever had indeed lowered. Throughout his life, Yeon-Su had observed how the rain influenced a multitude of individuals, often triggering old injuries, sparking fevers, or igniting bad headaches. There was something inexplicable in the atmosphere, a peculiar medical phenomenon tied to the rainfall that seemed to affect those around him. He couldn't shake the feeling that Tae-Min shared this peculiar affinity for rain and its effects.
But where did this observation lead him? A memory flickered through his mind—*Yeon-Jun's enduring aversion to rain. "Hyung hates rain too," Yeon-Su mused, his eyelids growing heavy again as he surrendered to the pull of sleep. He noticed this to be the first time that Yeon-Jun had to stay alone as the heavy downpour pounded against the windows.
Though Yeon-Jun was, in fact, managing well, this particular night was not the first he had spent in solitude while rain cascaded outside. It was a memory weighed down by significance and fear that belonged solely to him, a personal experience stitched into the fabric of his past that no one else could fully comprehend.