The condo was unusually quiet when Taekyun returned shortly after noon.
The moment he stepped inside, Lin Meiying hurried toward him.
"Welcome back, Sir."
Taekyun removed his coat and handed it to her.
"Hmm."
His tired eyes wandered toward the hallway.
"Did Lisa come?"
"Yes, Sir."
Lin carefully folded the coat over her arm.
"She's inside with Haneul."
Taekyun nodded.
"Bring me a cup of coffee."
His voice was low.
"I'll be in the room."
"Of course, Sir."
Without another word, Taekyun walked toward the bedroom.
The door opened quietly.
Sunlight spilled across the room through the large window.
Haneul sat on the couch beside it.
Lisa sat next to him, talking about something while occasionally checking her notes.
As soon as she noticed Taekyun, she stood immediately.
"How are you, Sir?"
She bowed politely.
Taekyun nodded.
"I'm... good."
His gaze drifted toward Haneul.
Only for a moment.
Then again.
And again.
Almost every few seconds.
"How's today's session?"
Lisa smiled.
"A lot better than before."
She glanced toward Haneul.
"I think he'll improve even more once the baby arrives."
Taekyun looked at Haneul quietly.
Haneul briefly met his eyes.
Then looked away.
A familiar ache settled inside Taekyun's chest.
Still, he nodded.
"I see."
Lisa closed her notebook.
"Sir, I just need a few more minutes with Haneul."
"After that I'll give you this month's overall report."
"Sure."
Taekyun answered softly.
Then he walked toward Haneul.
The window was slightly open.
Cool air drifted inside.
Without saying much, he reached over and closed it halfway.
Then carefully wrapped the blanket more securely around Haneul's shoulders.
"Your body's cold."
His voice remained gentle.
Avoiding eye contact.
Avoiding the disappointment he knew he would find.
Haneul looked at him.
Then slowly nodded.
Taekyun's fingers lingered for a second.
Before he stepped away.
"Take your time, Lisa."
"I'll be in the living room."
"Sure, Sir."
A few moments later the door closed behind him.
Silence settled over the room.
Lisa slowly exhaled.
Then reached into her bag and switched on the recorder she used for sessions.
She turned toward Haneul.
The question she had been carrying all morning remained in her eyes.
"Haneul."
He looked at her.
"Do you even know... what you're trying to do?"
A long silence followed.
Haneul lowered his gaze.
His fingers tightened around the diary.
Then quietly whispered,
"I ....know."
Lisa's chest tightened.
"I.... I'm doing it."
Haneul's voice was barely audible.
"For..... him."
Lisa stared at him.
Unable to understand how hurting himself could possibly be for Taekyun's sake.
After a moment she softened her expression.
"Today is our last session for this month."
Haneul listened quietly.
"Next month is different."
She smiled gently.
"The baby could arrive anytime."
"So I'll probably miss some sessions."
Her voice became softer.
"Which is why...."
She hesitated.
"Before I leave...."
"Won't you tell me what happened that day?"
The room instantly became still.
Haneul froze.
His shoulders tensed.
And slowly,
He started standing up.
Like always.
Trying to escape.
Trying to run from the question.
Lisa immediately reached forward and gently held his hand.
"Haneul."
Her voice remained calm.
"No pressure."
"Sit down."
"Just sit with me."
He remained standing.
Eyes lowered.
Lisa's grip softened.
"I'm not forcing you."
She gave him a reassuring smile.
"But I won't be here for a while."
A pause.
"And maybe..."
She laughed quietly.
"Maybe you'll never want another session after you recover."
Still no response.
Lisa's expression became serious.
"I know there's something you can't tell Taekyun."
"Maybe because it involves his mother."
"Maybe because you're protecting him."
"Or protecting yourself."
Her voice remained gentle.
"But you can tell me."
"I won't judge you."
"I won't repeat your words."
"I won't force you."
Her eyes softened.
"But don't leave everyone behind with questions."
"Haneul..."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"Don't leave your child believing you abandoned them."
The words hit harder than intended.
Haneul's eyes immediately filled.
His lips trembled.
His head shook
No.
The tears came instantly.
As though they had been waiting.
As though one push was all they needed.
Lisa immediately regretted her wording.
She moved closer.
"It's okay."
"It's okay."
She rubbed his arm gently.
"You don't have to say anything."
"Look at me."
Her voice remained calm and steady.
"Nothing bad is happening."
"You're safe."
Slowly,
Haneul looked up.
His face was wet.
His entire body trembling.
Lisa waited patiently.
Then smiled.
"How about this?"
"If talking feels difficult"
She tilted her head.
"I'll ask questions."
"You can answer however you want."
"A word."
"A sentence."
"Even just yes or no."
"No pressure."
Haneul stared at her.
His breathing uneven.
Eventually,
He nodded.
A tiny movement.
But enough.
Lisa smiled softly.
"Good."
She gave him a moment.
Then began carefully.
"On that day"
"Mrs. Kim came to your room?"
Haneul nodded.
"Okay."
Lisa wrote something down.
"You argued with her?"
Haneul immediately shook his head.
No.
The reaction came so fast that Lisa noticed it immediately.
Then she saw it.
The tears returning.
His shoulders shaking.
His hands trembling.
"Haneul."
Lisa leaned forward.
"Look at me."
His breathing became ragged.
His eyes turned red.
"Okay."
She softened her voice.
"We'll slow down."
"No rush."
Several minutes passed before he calmed enough to continue.
Then Lisa tried again.
"Did she say something hurtful?"
A pause.
"You were meeting her properly for the first time."
"Maybe she said something about being a male omega?"
Haneul's eyes widened.
Then he nodded.
And suddenly the tears started falling again.
Harder,uncontrollably.
The dam had finally broken.
Lisa felt her stomach drop.
"Haneul?"
His voice cracked.
"She..."
A sob escaped.
"She hit me."
Lisa froze.
Everything stopped.
"What?"
For a moment she thought she heard wrong.
Haneul cried harder.
"She hit me."
Lisa stared at him.
Completely shocked.
His breathing became uneven.
Words falling apart between sobs.
"She said..."
"I..."
His voice broke again.
Then suddenly all the guilt he'd carried for months exploded out.
"I didn't hurt Haru."
His hands shook violently.
"I didn't."
"I didn't cause.... the accident."
"I wasn't the one."
Tears streamed down his face.
"I'm from Eunoia...."
His voice cracked.
"But I didn't do it."
"My brother didn't... do it."
"We're not.... bad people."
"We're not."
"We don't .....hurt people."
Lisa felt her own heart clench.
Without hesitation she pulled him into her arms.
"It's okay."
"It's okay."
"You didn't."
She held him tightly as he cried against her shoulder.
"You didn't hurt Haru."
"It was an accident."
"Nothing more."
But inside her mind, a storm had already started.
His brother.
How did Mrs. Kim know about Haneul's brother?
Accordingly Taekyun very few people knew the truth.
Taekyun had only mentioned it once.
Yet Mrs. Kim somehow used it against him.
Why?
Haneul continued crying.
Months of pain finally pouring out.
Lisa gently held his shoulders.
Making him look at her.
"Haneul."
"Look at me."
His red eyes met hers.
"Mrs. Kim blamed you."
A shaky nod.
"She blamed you for Haru's accident?"
Another nod.
"She said....."
His voice trembled violently.
"I ruined ....their lives."
"That I caused... everything."
His breathing hitched.
"She said it.... was my fault."
"My fault."
Lisa swallowed hard.
Then carefully asked,
"You know what happened to your brother, right?"
Haneul nodded.
Pain immediately flooded his face.
"It...was ....accident....umma told me."
Lisa continued softly.
"You know you loved Haru."
"You know you would never hurt her."
Another nod.
"So why are you so afraid?"
His fingers immediately gripped hers.
Like a child reaching for safety.
Like someone drowning.
"I promise..."
He cried.
"I didn't hurt her."
Lisa squeezed his hand.
"I know."
"I was watching her."
His voice broke.
"But Umma..."
A sob escaped.
"She took her from me."
Haneul's hand moved to his stomach.
Protective and terrified.
"She'll take him too."
His eyes filled with panic.
"If I don't go back."
"My mother....."
His voice became a whisper.
"She'll take my another baby too."
For a moment Lisa simply stared.
Then everything finally clicked together.
It wasn't Haru's accident.
It never had been.
It was his mother.
The fear she had planted inside him.
The fear that if he stayed
Everyone he loved would be taken away.
Lisa immediately moved closer.
"Haneul."
Her voice became firm.
Grounding and steady.
"Listen to me."
He looked at her.
"You didn't hurt Haru."
"You know that."
"Taekyun knows that."
"I know that too."
Her hand rested over his.
"No one is taking your child."
"Do you understand?"
Tears continued falling down his face.
Lisa shook her head firmly.
"Haru is in a coma because of a head and neck injury."
"Not because of you."
"Not because of your brother."
"Not because of your family."
She squeezed his hand.
"Your mother filled your head with fear."
"But fear isn't truth."
Her voice softened again.
"You are safe here."
"Your baby is safe."
"And nobody is taking him away."
While years of fear slowly began breaking apart.
Lisa remained still for several seconds.
Her notebook had long been forgotten.
Everything Haneul had revealed felt heavier than anything she had expected to hear.
Slowly, she spoke.
"Haneul....."
Her voice was careful.
"Forget everything else for a moment."
"Just for a second."
She waited until his trembling eyes met hers.
"Tell me what happened after Mrs. Kim came into your room."
A pause.
"Was it related to your pheromones?"
"Or something else?"
Haneul stared at her.
His breathing became uneven again.
Then his lips parted.
"Umma..."
The word came out as a whisper.
Lisa remained silent.
Allowing him to continue.
"Umma did it... too."
His hands began shaking.
"When Taekyun's mother slapped me..."
A sob escaped him.
"And blamed me....."
His fingers tightened around the blanket.
"She pulled the IV.... from my hand."
Tears rolled down his cheeks.
"I..."
His voice cracked.
"I don't know."
"My Umma came."
Lisa's heart sank.
"Haneul..."
"She was there."
His breathing became faster.
"She really was there."
"I wasn't...."
His eyes became distant.
"My pheromones..."
"They disappeared."
"Umma scared... Mrs. Kim."
His entire body trembled.
"My sight was blurry."
"But Mrs. Kim could see her."
He shook his head repeatedly.
"I wasn't the one seeing her."
"Umma did it."
The panic returned instantly.
"No...."
"No....."
His hands moved to his head.
"Umma..."
His voice broke completely.
"She killed her."
"I didn't want it."
"I didn't."
"I never asked"
"Haneul."
Lisa immediately interrupted.
Her voice firm but gentle.
"Haneul."
She reached forward and held both his hands.
"Look at me."
His breathing was becoming frantic.
"Haneul."
"Look at me."
Eventually his eyes found hers.
"That's enough."
"No more."
His tears continued falling.
Lisa squeezed his hands.
"I got it."
"Okay?"
"You don't need to explain anymore."
"It's okay."
Her voice softened.
"I trust you."
The words immediately made him cry harder.
"I trust you."
She repeated.
"Right now we're not talking about Mrs. Kim anymore."
"We're done."
"We're stopping here."
Slowly, Lisa helped him stand.
His legs were weak.
Almost giving out beneath him.
"Come on."
She guided him toward the bed.
"Let's lie down."
Carefully, she helped him settle against the pillows.
Pulled the blanket over him.
But the tears wouldn't stop.
No matter what she did.
No matter what she said.
They wouldn't stop.
"I'll leave..."
His voice was broken.
Barely audible.
"I won't stay."
Lisa looked at him.
Pain twisting inside her chest.
"I can't hurt him anymore."
Haneul covered his eyes with both hands.
Trying to hide.
Trying to disappear.
"My Umma"
A sob escaped him.
"She'll take Taekyun away from me."
His shoulders shook violently.
"She won't let him..."
"be mine alone."
More tears.
More panic.
"I can't share."
His voice cracked.
"I'll leave."
The bedroom door opened slowly.
Lisa immediately turned.
And froze.
Taekyun stood there.
Silent.
His face had gone pale.
His eyes were fixed entirely on Haneul.
And for the first time since she'd met him
The composure was gone.
His expression looked hollow.
As if every word had carved something out of him.
As if he had reached the end of something.
Haneul didn't even notice him at first.
He remained curled on the bed.
Hands covering his eyes.
Crying continuously.
Murmuring fragmented apologies.
Fragments of fear.
Fragments of guilt.
Lisa slowly stood.
Their eyes met briefly.
Nothing needed to be said.
She lowered her head.
Then quietly walked toward the door.
"Sir."
A small bow.
Then she left.
The door clicked shut behind her.
Silence filled the room.
Taekyun stood there for several moments.
Unable to move.
Unable to think.
Every session, report.
Every word Lisa had ever told him.
He had listened.
He had known pieces.
But this...
This felt different.
This felt like finally reaching the center of the wound.
And somehow it hurt more than not knowing.
His chest felt tight.
Like someone had wrapped electric wires around his heart and kept pulling.
Slowly.
He walked toward the bed.
Then sat beside Haneul.
Still saying nothing.
His hand moved first.
Reaching for Haneul's wrists.
Gently pulling his hands away from his face.
His grip was firm.
Steady.
His thumbs rubbed softly against trembling skin.
Trying to calm him.
Trying to remind him he wasn't alone.
Haneul's eyes were swollen and red.
The moment he saw Taekyun....
He understood.
Taekyun had heard.
Everything.
Immediately, Haneul turned his face away.
Unable to look at him.
Still crying and trembling.
Taekyun watched him quietly.
Then lifted a hand.
Wiping away the tears one by one.
"It's okay."
His voice was rough.
Quiet.
"Don't cry."
Another tear slipped down Haneul's cheek.
Taekyun brushed it away.
"It'll hurt you."
"And the baby."
Slowly, he helped him sit up properly.
Supporting his back.
Keeping him steady.
Haneul's lips trembled.
"I..."
A breath.
"I didn't want"
But Taekyun couldn't hear it.
Not because he refused.
Not because he didn't care.
But because his own mind had stopped functioning.
Everything inside him had reached its limit.
The words blurred together.
The fear, guilt.
The months of suffering.
The possibility of losing him.
All of it crashed together.
And for the first time,
Taekyun had nothing left.
No solutions, plans or answers.
Only him.
Slowly, he pulled Haneul into his arms.
Holding him tightly.
As though letting go would destroy them both.
"It's okay."
The words came again.
The only ones he could find.
"It's okay."
His hand moved through Haneul's hair.
Across his back.
Gentle and careful.
Memorizing every detail.
As if afraid this moment might disappear.
As if afraid Haneul might.....
His eyes burned.
The pain was unbearable.
Yet somehow no tears came.
He held him closer.
Resting his forehead against Haneul's hair.
"I'm here."
His voice broke slightly.
"I'm here."
For a long time neither of them moved.
Then eventually Taekyun pulled back just enough to cup Haneul's face.
His hands trembled.
Only slightly.
His thumbs brushed away fresh tears.
And for the first time in months
He asked for something for himself.
Just one thing.
"Talk to me."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Tell me anything."
His eyes searched Haneul's face.
Anything.
A word ,a sentence , a truth
A lie.
Anything at all.
His own eyes reddened.
But remained dry.
"Just..."
His voice cracked.
"Don't cry anymore."