Do-Jin went back to the hospital right after the fight, but he couldn't face Hyun-So for some reason.
He got in a bathroom and watched his disfigured self in the mirror. His tie was crooked; he removed it. He found his blazer was wrinkled; he took it off and tossed it on the floor.
He splashed water on his face, trying to wash away the anger and frustration that still lingered within him. Run his hands through the mess of hairs.
He needs to take Hyun-So somewhere safe, far away from here. He can't let him get hurt again.
That cleared his anger a little. But now it was replaced with anxiety and worry.
He rushed out for Hyun-So's room.
Faster; it needs to go faster.
The fear of losing him clenched at his heart. Where is it coming from? Byung is with Hyun-So.
He is safe; he is safe.
Why does it feel like everything is slipping through his hands?
He swung open the door, startling the men inside.
"What the—" Han clenched his heart as he looked at Do-Jin practically flying for Hyun-So. He barely moved from his way as Do-Jin hugged Hyun-So.
"That's new." Han was the only one talking. This was nothing new for him; he was used to Do-Jin's aggressive affection. Maybe not this aggressive.
Hyun-So was too shocked to speak, his eyes wide with surprise. Do-Jin's heart finally began to unclench as he held Hyun-So close, relieved that he was safe and sound.
"We need to leave." Do-Jin, he said finally, letting go of Hyun-So.
"What? Where?" Hyun-So? he asked, his voice shaky from the sudden embrace.
"Well, I guess the meeting didn't go so well after all?" Han said it more like a statement than a question.
Do-Jin took a deep, tired breath. "Does it ever?"
Byung-chul smiled, not to make fun of Do-Jin, but more like he had an idea of his situation. He could always tell what Do-Jin wanted after he had a fight with his dad.
A break.
"Go on to the mountains then; the mansion-like cabin you have there must have been catching dust. I will take care of things here."
"What—" Do-Jin was about to protest, but he did need to leave; that's why Han stopped him.
"What's the worst that can happen? The chairman will shut down the reserves for the lab." We have enough inventory to last another two years, and the main project that required most investments is not moving forward after this."
Do-Jin looked down like he was guilty for the failure. Han walked up to him, placing a hand over his shoulder as a way to comfort him.
"I'm not blaming you, idiot. We might have discovered something different, and Hyun-So here is the proof of that." Han pointed toward the still confused Hyun-So, who was watching them like a deer caught in headlights.
Hyun-So blinked multiple times before speaking. "So, what about Coco?"
To which both men almost laughed. Hyun-So stared at them in confusion before Han finally spoke up. "You mean the cat? Leave him to me. My girlfriend loves cats; she will help me take care of them. Anyway, Hyun-So can get discharged today, so go pack up at home; I will take care of the paperwork here." Han left the room.
- - -
They were back home after Hyun-So was discharged from the hospital.
Hyun-So was sitting on the couch with the kitten on his lap, sleeping peacefully after scratching the Swiss cheese plant placed on the side table.
Do-Jin paced around the living room, busy on a phone call. For the first time he wasn't worried about the plants. But it was making Hyun-So feel a little uneasy as he stroked the sleepy kitten.
Finally, Do-Jin was done with the call, and he stopped to look back at Hyun-So with worried eyes, trying to hide whatever was going on in his head.
"Are you really okay with it? We need to leave today," he said after letting out a deep breath.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Not like I have a home to run back to." Hyun-So replied almost jokingly.
"Home, yeah, you wanted to visit the place that was supposed to be your house. Let's go there first." Do-Jin finished before walking towards the room that Hyun-So was staying in.
"Wait, but that place is back where the company is located." Hyun-So moved, surprising the cat, who leaped down from his lap and immediately began playing with the pillow.
"It's okay; we can go there after packing up here. I need to get some things done at the office anyway." Do-Jin reassured, glancing back at Hyun-So with a smile. "So, go get your clothes, and we can leave now."
Hyun-So tilted his head but then got up from his place. "Well, what about you? Don't need to get anything?"
"No, I got all I need in there." Do-Jin smiled as he took his place next to the cat. He scooped it up to protect his furniture from further damage. "Besides, we need to hand over this little devil to Byung too."
The kitten squirmed in Do-Jin's arms, clearly not happy about being moved.
They both laughed at that.
- - -
The street wasn't dark, but it was still gloomy, just like the way he left it. It felt so different, so distant, yet so home. He never would have thought he would miss this rusty location.
They parked the car on the side of the main road because the street wasn't big enough for it to fit through. It was a climb, but Hyun-So was now standing in front of his apartment, which was just a single room.
"Want to go inside?" Do-Jin placed a hand over his shoulder when they stopped.
"And how are you planning to do that?" Hyun-So still stared at a particular window down by the street.
"We can say that we need to rent a room." Do-Jin walked in, pushing the fence gate open.
A lady walked out, asking them what they wanted. Someone Hyun-So didn't recognize. The landlord he was supposed to meet was an old man.
"We're looking to rent a room," Do-Jin explained. The lady nodded and led them inside the building, where they were met with a musty smell and dim lighting.
Somehow they got through it, and Hyun-So found himself staring out of the window he was watching from outside.
"This room has been vacant for six months," the woman said.
The place was clean, not that Hyun-So was a messy person. It was too clean, no furniture, no signs of him. He has been here for just a month.
The people were different here; everything was different despite how familiar it felt.
So why was he expecting something that might have belonged to him? Something from his own world.
The lady talked about the room more, but Hyun-So was too lost to pay attention. He watched out into the abyss.
What must his room be like now that he has not been there for a month?
Did they just throw his stuff away?
Has anyone even noticed that he is gone?
Hyun-So was filled with a sense of longing and nostalgia, wondering if his absence had made any impact at all. He didn't realize that the landlady had left them alone.
Not until two hands tapped him from behind, gripping his shoulders.
"Lost in something?"
Hyun-So jumped in surprise, but Do-Jin kept his hands in place, rubbing soothingly to calm him down.
"Just… I was just thinking about my family. That if they have even noticed that I'm missing." Hyun-So looked down at the ground.
"Oh, you have never talked about them. I thought you had no family." Do-Jin walked to lean over the window frame so he could watch Hyun-So properly. He was concerned to detect if his words had any negative effects on him.
"I've got a family. Parents, sister, and brother. I just messed up one day and abandoned them. I never tried to return in those four years."
Do-Jin watched Hyun-So completely lose his composure within minutes.
"So did I. I haven't been home for, like, seven years now. This is nothing." Do-Jin sounded neither thrilled nor sad about it; he took a pause before muttering. "We will find a way to get you back there soon."
He walked to the door; Hyun-So was in denial just for a moment before following him out.