CHAPTER 54
His wrists were bloodied, one hand still cuffed to the bed, the skin around it raw from desperate attempts to free himself. His head was wrapped in a bandage. There was blood on the sheets beneath him. More on his body.
Duri’s gaze dropped farther and immediately snapped away. Cold sweat broke across his forehead. He had to remind himself to breathe. To stay calm. To keep moving. “Hyung?”
No response. Duri took one cautious step closer. Noeul didn’t even look at him. He searched the bed and nightstand for the handcuff key, careful not to touch Noeul. Nothing.
“Okay,” he whispered, though he wasn’t sure whether he was speaking to Noeul or himself. “I’m going to get you out.”
Noeul continued staring at the wall. Duri backed out of the bedroom. The moment he stepped into the living room, he heard Chung-Hee’s voice.
“No one will ever love him the way I do.”
Duri stopped. For one dangerous second, rage overwhelmed everything else. “This is what you call love?” His voice shook. “Look at what you did to him.”
Ji-Woo moved toward the bedroom, but Duri caught his arm. “No.”
Ji-Woo stared at him. “I need to see him.”
“Not yet.”
“He’s my brother.”
“I know.” Duri tightened his grip. “Ji-Woo, listen to me. He’s alive. But he’s hurt. Badly.”
Ji-Woo’s face crumpled. “I need to go to him.”
“You will. But I need the key first.”
Ji-Woo looked toward the bedroom door. Tears spilled down his face. Duri lowered his voice. “Please. Give me one minute.”
Ji-Woo nodded, barely. Duri turned to Chung-Hee. “Where’s the key?”
Chung-Hee said nothing.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
Duri pulled out his phone. “Then the police and paramedics can get it from you.”
Chung-Hee’s expression changed. “He’s not leaving.”
Jun stared at him. “Chung-Hee…”
“He’s mine!”
Jun flinched as though the words had struck him. “No,” he said quietly. “He isn’t.”
Chung-Hee’s eyes filled. “You don’t understand.”
“I understand what I saw when that door opened.” Jun stepped closer. “I understand that Noeul is injured and needs medical help.”
“He’ll leave me.”
The words came out broken.
Jun stared at his friend. “Yes,” he said.
Chung-Hee went still.
Jun’s voice softened, but he didn’t take the words back. “He probably will.”
Tears slipped down Chung-Hee’s face. “I can’t.”
“You have to.”
Duri was already dialing emergency services. Chung-Hee lunged for the phone, but Duri pulled back.
“Don’t.”
“You’re trying to take him from me!”
Chung-Hee grabbed him. Ji-Woo moved instantly, but Jun reached Chung-Hee first, wrenching him away from Duri.
“Enough!”
The word echoed through the apartment. For once, Chung-Hee stopped.
Jun held him firmly. “Look at me.”
Chung-Hee’s breathing came hard and fast.
“Whatever you think you were doing,” Jun said, “whatever you told yourself this was… you stop now.”
Chung-Hee shook his head. “He’s going to abandon me.”
“That doesn’t matter right now.”
“It matters to me!”
“Noeul is bleeding.”
“I hit him with a bottle,” Chung-Hee said. “He was unconscious for only a few seconds. He opened his eyes when I called his name.”
Silence.
Jun held out his hand. “The key.”
Chung-Hee stared at him.
“Please, Hee.”
His face twisted. “He’ll never come back.”
Jun swallowed. “I know. But that doesn’t matter right now.”
For several seconds, Chung-Hee didn’t move. Then his shoulders collapsed. He reached into his pocket, and the key dropped into Jun’s palm.
Jun immediately handed it to Duri. “Go.”
Duri pressed his phone into Ji-Woo’s hand. “They’re on the line.”
Ji-Woo took it and handed Duri his own unlocked phone. “Dr. Kim’s number is in my contacts.”
Duri ran. Behind him, Ji-Woo began explaining the situation to emergency services.
Duri closed the bedroom door behind him. Noeul hadn’t moved. He was still staring at the wall.
Duri’s hands shook so badly that he almost dropped the key. He stopped.
Calm down.
Noeul didn’t need his panic. He needed help.
Duri pulled out Ji-Woo’s phone and found Dr. Kim in his contacts. She answered after several rings.
“Hello?”
“Good evening, Dr. Kim. My name is Duri Kaiser. I’m a friend of Jung Noeul. I’m sorry to call so late, but I need your help.”
There was a brief pause. “Is Noeul with you?”
“Yes.”
“Is he safe?”
Duri looked toward the bedroom door. “Almost. His brother is arranging emergency medical help now.”
Dr. Kim’s voice became more alert. “What happened?”
Duri closed his eyes. “He’s been missing for three days. We found him restrained in a bedroom.”
Another pause.
Duri forced himself to continue. “He’s injured. There’s blood. He’s been sexually assaulted.”
Dr. Kim remained calm. “Duri, listen to me. The ambulance is the priority. With what you’ve described, he needs urgent medical assessment.”
“I know.”
“Is he conscious?”
“Yes, but…” Duri looked at Noeul. “I don’t know if he knows I’m here.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s awake, but he keeps staring at the wall. He barely reacts when I speak to him. I don’t know what’s wrong.” Duri swallowed. “I don’t know if he’ll let the paramedics near him. I don’t know how to get him out of this room without frightening him more.”
“All right.” Her voice remained steady. “Has anyone touched or moved him since you found him?”
“No.”
“Good. Unless there’s immediate danger, don’t force him to move. Let the paramedics assess that.”
Duri nodded before realizing she couldn’t see him. “Okay.”
“For now, stay where he can see you. Don’t approach him suddenly.”
Duri looked toward Noeul. “Should I tell him who I am?”
“Yes. Use your name. Speak slowly. Keep it simple.”
Duri took a breath. “And if he doesn’t recognize me?”
“Don’t force him to.”
Dr. Kim continued. “Tell him where he is. Tell him help is coming. If you need to move closer, ask first.”
“What if he doesn’t answer?”
“Then wait.”
Duri stared at Noeul. Every instinct in him screamed to cross the room. To cover him. To hold him. To get the cuff off his wrist. Instead, he stayed where he was.
“Okay.”
“And Duri?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t ask him what happened.”
Duri closed his eyes. “I won’t.”
“Right now, he only needs the next few minutes. Nothing more.”
Duri drew in a slow breath. The key felt cold in his palm. “Okay.”
He lowered the phone but kept the call connected. Then he looked at Noeul. “Hyung?”
Nothing.
Duri forced his voice to remain steady. “It’s me.”
Noeul’s eyes stayed fixed on the wall.
“Duri.”
A tiny movement. So small Duri almost imagined it. His gaze shifted. Not toward Duri. Just away from the wall.
Duri’s throat tightened. “I’m here.”
He wanted desperately to say you’re safe now. But looking at Noeul lying cuffed to the bed, injured, awake, but barely responsive, the words felt too large. So he chose something smaller.
“Help is coming.”
Noeul moved. Suddenly. He rolled onto his back, eyes widening as they landed on Duri.
“Who are you?”
Duri froze. Noeul pulled hard against the cuff.
“What do you want?”
“It’s me.” Duri immediately stopped himself.
Dr. Kim’s warning echoed in his mind.
Don’t force recognition.
“My name is Duri.”
Noeul stared at him. The name seemed to reach somewhere inside him, but whatever connection it should have made failed to hold.
Duri kept his voice low. “I’m standing near the door. I’m not coming closer.”
Noeul’s breathing became faster. “Why are you here?”
“To help you leave this room.”
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
Duri stayed still. “No?”
“No. No…” Noeul pressed himself harder against the headboard. “Don’t touch me.”
“I won’t.”
“Stay away.”
Duri stepped backward. Noeul watched the movement closely.
“I’m staying here,” Duri said. “I won’t come closer.”
His voice broke slightly, but he recovered.
Dr. Kim spoke quietly through the phone. “That’s good. Give him time.”
Duri took another slow breath. Noeul’s eyes darted around the room.
“He’s coming.”
Duri’s stomach twisted. “Who?”
Noeul shook his head. “He’ll come back.” His gaze moved frantically toward the bedroom door. “He’s going to hurt me.”
“No one is coming into this room.”
Noeul looked at him.
Duri immediately corrected himself. “Mr. Han and Ji-Woo are outside the door. Chung-Hee isn’t coming in here.”
Something flickered across Noeul’s face. “Ji-Woo?”
“Yes.”
His expression tightened in concentration. “Ji… Woo…”
Duri nodded. “Your brother.”
Noeul stared at him. Then his face changed again. Confusion. Fear. He lifted one hand toward his head. “I can’t…”
Duri wanted desperately to cross the room. He stayed where he was. “You don’t have to remember anything right now.”
Noeul shook his head. “I can’t think.”
“I know.”
“No.” His voice broke. “I can’t!” He pressed his palm against his forehead as though he could force his thoughts back into place. “Something’s wrong.”
Duri’s eyes burned. He looked away for half a second, composed himself, then faced him again. “You hurt your head.”
Noeul looked at him.
“That’s why help is coming.”
“Help?”
“Yes.”
Fear returned immediately. “No doctors.”
“We don’t have to talk about that yet.” Duri kept his voice even. “We only need to get you out of this room.”
Noeul shook his head violently. “No. I can’t.”
“Okay.”
The answer seemed to surprise him. Duri sat slowly on the floor near the doorway, keeping several meters between them. “Then we won’t move yet.”
Noeul watched him.
Duri rested his hands visibly on his knees. Nothing hidden. Nothing reaching. “We can stay like this for a minute.”
The room became quiet. Noeul’s breathing remained rapid. Duri waited. After a while, Noeul looked toward the closed door again. “He’s outside.”
“Chung-Hee?”
Noeul flinched at the name.
“He can’t come in.”
Noeul’s eyes returned to him. “How do you know?”
“Because Ji-Woo and Mr. Han are with him.”
Noeul stared. “Ji-Woo…”
“Yes.”
“He’s here?”
“Yes.”
A pause.
“Why?”
Duri’s throat tightened. “Because he was looking for you.”
Noeul looked confused. “Looking…”
“For you.”
“They noticed?”
Duri nearly lost control of his voice. “Yes, hyung.”
“They noticed.”
Noeul looked down. His free hand trembled against the sheets. For several seconds, neither spoke. Then Noeul whispered, “I want to go.”
Duri’s heart lurched. “Okay.”