Irresponsibility Chapter 1.10

The scene of the man being hit by the cup came to mind. The face that had calmly closed its eyes and tilted its head slightly, and the sturdy shoulder against which the cup had shattered to pieces.

He was the one who had thrown the cup, but Yeoun was scared of that incident. When he recalled the man’s unchanging expression, the will he had barely gathered was broken.

Because it was obvious that the man had let himself be hit.

He was really lucky. To think that he did not break a single bone even after throwing a cup at him. Moreover, did he not also swing a knife? It was difficult to expect him to go easy on him the next time.

Besides, when you think about it, it makes sense. Isn’t there a reason why he isn’t tied up, and why they leave the house like that? Not only was he doubting everything out of fear, but in the end,

‘I will not hurt you.’

He began to want to believe it.

Perhaps the words that he would not hurt him were true. The words that they would protect him, as well.

Guardian. The man had called himself that.

The actions he showed were indeed befitting of a guardian. Preparing his meals every time, asking if he was hurt anywhere…

‘It is dangerous outside.’

He remembered words he had heard sometime before.

Is it really the outside that is dangerous, not here?

He thought the man and the doctor had explained something, but his memory was spotty, making it difficult to piece it together properly. In any case, it was something along the lines of them protecting him.

However.

Even while continuing with rational speculation, he would suddenly think that was not it.

Without any precise logic, he was convinced that they were deceiving him. Especially late at night or in the early morning, he would only have negative and cruel imaginings.

It was too difficult to escape from that hellish memory.

Joo Yeoun bowed his head deeply. His hair, which had grown a lot in the meantime, spilled in front of his eyes. Through the hair that messily obscured his vision, he saw his own thinned arm. The arm that had not been in a cast had also become noticeably thinner compared to before.

It was foolish. To be scared of everything, every moment.

Nevertheless, he was scared. Of what he had been through, what he was going through now, and what would happen in the future. Even just imagining it was so very, very scary.

He was tired and exhausted now. When on earth would it end?

“……”

From the deepest part of him, a preposterous thought suddenly sprang out.

I would rather….

*

After the unexpected escape attempt, Baek Geonhyuk installed CCTVs in the house. One in the living room, and one near the door that connected to the apartment next door.

He had also set it up so that an alarm would go off if movement was detected, but it had never rung since its installation. Since Joo Yeoun did not come out of his room, there was no reason for it to ring. It seemed the alarm would not go off today either, until the time Lee Hyungyu was scheduled to stop by for physical therapy.

The face that could not even speak and just shed tears nonstop suddenly came to mind, as if imprinted in his eyes. Lee Hyungyu would probably proceed firmly with the treatment even if Joo Yeoun cried. Of course, Baek Geonhyuk also respected Lee Hyungyu as a doctor. When he himself had suffered a fracture, he had recovered quickly without such treatment, but it could be different for Joo Yeoun. He had no doubts about the procedure.

Still, he cries so sorrowfully.

“…Should I go early?”

It was not as if Joo Yeoun would welcome him if he went, but the face that cried silently weighed on his mind.

Is it hotter because his skin is thin? Baek Geonhyuk was recalling the back of the hand where the blue veins had been visible.

The alarm went off.

Baek Geonhyuk immediately checked the CCTV screen. Joo Yeoun was hesitantly coming out into the living room. The way he was looking around restlessly made him seem quite anxious.

Joo Yeoun had also confirmed for himself that the front door did not open. He would probably try to go out through the passageway next to it. It should be fine since Lee Hyungyu was at home now.

Baek Geonhyuk sent a message to Lee Hyungyu.

[Joo Yeoun is moving]

A reply came immediately.

[Lee Hyungyu: Yes]

Baek Geonhyuk put down his phone and propped up his chin.

He would be very surprised if he went out through the passageway and ran into Lee Hyungyu, but it would be better than when he ran into me. Does he not fear Lee Hyungyu much less than me? It was also expected that there would be no dangerous behavior.

Honestly, rather than being anxious that Joo Yeoun might escape, he felt it was a relief.

For the most part, Joo Yeoun looked listless. He was busy trembling in fear and could not even properly do things like take care of his own meals or keep his body clean.

He looked as if he could be extinguished at any moment.

But trying to escape meant that he had the will to live. One needed will to find strength and recover. Both body and mind.

“……”

Baek Geonhyuk’s eyes, which had been staring blankly at the CCTV screen, suddenly glinted coldly. He shot up from his seat and ran outside, calling Lee Hyungyu.

“Check on Joo Yeoun.”

*

Joo Yeoun scanned the empty house and then approached the living room veranda window. Then, flinching, he looked back and slid the large window open. Because it was an old window, it was stiff and hard to open, but it was not separately locked or anything.

Whooosh-.

The cold wind that came in through the open window messed up his hair wildly. This feeling, as if it was chilling him to the bone, was something he had felt before.

When the man’s hand had approached in his blood-red vision.

Joo Yeoun pressed his forehead against the window screen and looked down. It was a concrete floor with nothing on it.

This was the first time he had ever had such a thought. Nevertheless, without long deliberation, he quickly reached a decision. It seemed his exhausted body and mind had welcomed the thought very much.

“……”

The wind touching his cheek grew colder. The faces of his family members flickered like afterimages over the concrete floor. However, in the short moment he blinked, they disappeared like letters on the sand.

I don’t know. I’ve done enough, haven’t I? I’ve done as much as I could. What do my family members even know?

His weary heart put up thorns and wrapped itself up. It told itself to stop floundering in fear. It comforted itself, saying this was enough because it had done as much as it could.

Even when reason tried hard to find and present a reason to endure a little longer, the voice inside him whispered persistently.

It has been so hard all this time. You can’t go back to your family anyway. You’ll be trapped here and just get tortured again. Then in the end, your family will be in danger too.

Those people, they’re deceiving you. They’re pretending to be nice. They’ll change their tune any moment now, you’ll see.

So let’s end it before that. Be at ease.

“……”

Joo Yeoun, with his hands trembling slightly, opened the window screen. As he stood up on the window frame, a chilling cold spread from the soles of his feet throughout his entire body.

The railing came up to around his waist. If he bent his waist like this, would he not fall upside down? He would hit the concrete floor headfirst, precisely.

Joo Yeoun, standing on the window frame, glanced down for a moment. Then, tightening his grip on the railing, he lifted his heels.

It was at that moment.

“Mr. Joo Yeoun!”

At the same time as the hem of his clothes was grabbed and pulled back with a jerk, a thunderous voice pierced his ear. The cold sensation that had touched his palm slipped away as if sliding off.