Formless Chapter 69

His tone was bland, as if not particularly angry.

“Uh-uh-uh…”

“Ah. You can’t speak.”

Gangwoo inserted his finger between Heewoon’s tape and cheek and pulled it down. It was damp from tears that had flowed down and soaked his entire face, so it came off quite easily. He left the tape hanging below his chin and stroked Heewoon’s slightly reddened mouth area with his thumb. Heewoon was preoccupied with examining his leg.

“Haa… I think my leg is broken. It, it hurts so much. Haa…”

His thoroughly wet, red face gasped for breath. The moans escaping his lips were also wet. Gangwoo’s brows furrowed slightly.

“Shh.”

At the light gesture of a hand to his lips, Heewoon’s moans instantly ceased. Fearing that a moan would escape if he opened his mouth, Heewoon bit his lip. His cheek trembled slightly as the pain did not subside.

“Don’t make any other sounds. Just speak.”

“…Yes.”

Heewoon swallowed a groan with his saliva and then answered.

“I was wrong, Gangwoo. I, I really regretted it a lot. I should have… I should have called you.”

“Haa—”

Gangwoo sighed. Heewoon thought he seemed annoyed. At that moment, he became terribly afraid. No other way to get out of this alive came to mind. He only thought that Seo Gangwoo would solve it. Tears welled up suddenly.

“Ga, Gangwoo… Hic.”

“I told you not to make other sounds.”

Gangwoo said coolly as he took out a handkerchief from his pocket. Then he roughly wiped Heewoon’s thoroughly wet face. His skin, chafed by the cloth, stung a little.

Heewoon realized that Gangwoo disliked him crying. So after that, he desperately held back his tears. Watching Gangwoo put the handkerchief back into his pocket, Heewoon opened his mouth.

“I wanted to call because I was scared… I-I was scared. I couldn’t call.”

“Strange words.”

Seo Gangwoo, frowning, straightened his back and turned around. It seemed like he would just walk out. Abandoning him in this space close to death.

“Ga, Gangwoo!”

Heewoon called Gangwoo desperately. Fortunately, Gangwoo was not leaving him behind. He slowly looked around the operating room and then sat on an empty operating table. He picked up a scalpel from a tray and held it up to the light.

“Isn’t it scarier here?”

Gangwoo’s eyes were on the coolly glinting scalpel, but Heewoon knew the words were directed at him.

“Yes. Y-yes, it’s much scarier here.”

Gangwoo glanced at Heewoon and then tossed the scalpel down. Heewoon’s shoulders flinched at the sound it made clashing with other metal objects.

“If you had listened to me, would sunbae have come to a place like this? What would have happened if I hadn’t found that idiot in time?”

Gangwoo gestured with his chin towards the doctor lying on the floor. Heewoon turned his head. The ordinary tone of voice pierced his ears.

“Your stomach would be empty and your eyeballs gone, wouldn’t they?”

The words were stark. Heewoon’s vision, his face turned white, fixed on the blood-stained face. This middle-aged man would have done that to him.

If Seo Gangwoo hadn’t been there.

“I was wrong. I was wrong, Gangwoo.”

Heewoon pleaded, trembling all over.

“I don’t know why I keep sunbae, who causes so much trouble.”

At the nonchalant words, Heewoon’s face contorted, but he did not cry. He only let out unsteady breaths. Looking up at Gangwoo, who always seemed a little colder in a place close to death, Heewoon moved. He spread his hands, which were tied behind his back, pushing the floor and moving his uninjured leg, which was pinned underneath. When impact was applied to his broken leg, pain surged, and he gritted his teeth. But he didn’t stop. He crawled little by little towards Gangwoo.

Gangwoo, sitting on the bed, watched Heewoon’s desperate efforts as if imprinting them in his mind. Heewoon’s mouth was tightly shut to avoid making a sound, and his intensely reddened eyes would not leave him. Heewoon, who had wriggled and crawled close enough to touch Gangwoo’s feet, opened his mouth.

“Gangwoo.”

His voice, hoarse and trembling, sounded rather sweet. Only Gangwoo’s image filled his round eyes. Heewoon inhaled a faint breath and whispered.

“Don’t abandon me.”

The vibration of his subtly trembling voice and his unmoving eyes.

“Ah.”

Gangwoo sighed. Heewoon was biting his lip and trembling his shoulders, trying to hold back his tears. His gaze passed over his shoulders, dressed in worn clothes rather than his usual attire, and landed on his leg. Just above where it was taped.

“Does your leg hurt a lot?”

Gangwoo asked rather gently. When Heewoon nodded, Gangwoo made a humming sound. He glanced at his leg and said.

“Can I break the other one too?”

“…”

The words made him doubt his ears. When Heewoon looked up blankly, Gangwoo smiled faintly, meeting his gaze.

“Because crawling is cute.”

“I-I’ll bear it.”

Heewoon replied. If he could just get out of here alive, one leg was nothing. Gangwoo reached out his hand, seeing Heewoon’s chin trembling uncontrollably.

Heewoon thought Gangwoo might be trying to break something else besides his leg, but the large hand gently settled on his head.

“The leg…?”

“I’ll think about it.”

Gangwoo replied softly, gently stroking Heewoon’s head. After observing him for a while, Heewoon opened his mouth.

“I won’t have any other thoughts now, really. I, I was scared that I was relying on you too much. It-it was strange that I even thought of calling you. If it goes on like this, I really feel like I can’t do anything without you…”

Heewoon continued to babble after that. He also mentioned that he had thought of sending his mother and hyung away and staying with Gangwoo himself. He didn’t hide the bad thoughts hidden deep within.

Gangwoo, who had been listening calmly, opened his mouth.

“I’ll save you from here.”

“Uh, Mom and hyung?”

“Mom and hyung too.”

He was saved. He had thought he could never survive alone, but thanks to Gangwoo, he could live. His mother and hyung wouldn’t have to die either.

“Thank you. Th-thank you so much, Gangwoo…”

Heewoon muttered incoherently.

Instead. Gangwoo cut off Heewoon’s continuous thanks.

“Choose.”

“…Uh?”

“Once we leave here…”

The hand that had been resting on his head moved down. Gently caressing his reddened eyelids, the words Gangwoo spoke were of a kind Heewoon had never even considered.

“Whether you’ll never see me again. Or if you’ll follow me.”

For the first time in this relationship, Heewoon was given the power of decision. Heewoon looked up at Gangwoo blankly. He had an unexpressive face. As if it didn’t matter which Heewoon chose.

If he were never to see Seo Gangwoo again…

Contrary to his unreadable expression, the touch rubbing his bruised cheekbone was warm. Heewoon then realized that he had been terribly cold. This operating room was so cold.

He was scared.

But…

Now he didn’t even know what to be afraid of.

Heewoon stared up at Gangwoo’s face. His uncomfortable arms tied behind his back, the pain rising from his leg, the cool air, his hyung, his mother. All disappeared.

He said he would save him from here, but he didn’t say he would pay off all the debt, and the loan sharks would surely come looking for them again if Seo Gangwoo wasn’t around.

However.

It wasn’t such a rational judgment.

“I’ll follow you! Take me with you.”

Heewoon cried out, weeping.

The lips of the beautiful man, standing clear alone in the blurry background, curved. Only then did the lost sensations gradually return. It was cold. He only wanted to go to a warm place. With Seo Gangwoo.

“I’ll really listen to you now. Please, Gangwoo.”

“If you follow me now, we’re going to my house. Do you still want to go?”

Gangwoo bent down and met his eyes.

“Yes. I want to go.”

Heewoon, gasping for breath as he replied, suddenly remembered Gangwoo sighing earlier. Was he not going to take him because it was troublesome? So he quickly added.

“If-if you tell me to just stay at home, I will. I won’t meet anyone, I’ll only… I’ll only see you.”

Tears welled up in his large eyes, about to fall at any moment. Gangwoo, who had been silently considering Heewoon’s words, suddenly smiled.

“Only me?”

Heewoon nodded many times. Watching him, Gangwoo laughed. Every word Heewoon uttered, trembling, satisfied him. He softly stroked Heewoon’s cheek and sweetly whispered.

“Alright. Let’s go home.”

Heewoon let out a trembling sigh. Relief was mixed in the sigh. But he couldn’t completely relax, so he nervously watched Gangwoo pick something up from the tray.

“I’ll untie you.”

“Yes.”

Gangwoo knelt down and reached behind Heewoon’s back.

Heewoon listened intently. He heard the sound of scissors cutting through the layers of tape. The familiar scent tickled his nose, his entire body was confined within two firm arms, and before his eyes was the shoulder he often leaned on.

Heewoon slowly rested his cheek on Gangwoo’s shoulder. Then Gangwoo hugged Heewoon tightly and then released him.

He immediately untied the tape on his ankles as well. Heewoon, who almost screamed as his injured ankle was stimulated, quickly bit his lip, and Gangwoo kissed the top of his head as if praising him.

“Are we going now?”

Gangwoo stroked Heewoon’s head, who asked nervously, and then stood up.

“I have something to do briefly before we go home.”

And he looked at the two men standing at a distance. Gangwoo, who had straightened his back, was much taller than the men.

“Who hit Heewoon?”

He asked in a light tone.

“Uh, where… I only hit the big one, though.”

The man, who had been standing awkwardly, pointed at Heehyeon and said.

“Then this was from falling?”

Gangwoo lifted Heewoon’s chin and caressed the area around his cheekbone. Heewoon remained still, only looking up at Gangwoo. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Gangwoo furrowed his brow and smiled.

“Sunbae, tell me. Did you fall?”

A soft and gentle question, a familiar touch. Heewoon’s vision blurred due to sudden tears. Heewoon bit his lip to prevent a cry from escaping and shook his head.