The room remained painfully silent.
Taekyun sat beside the bed.
His head lowered.
His hands gripped the edge of the mattress so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.
Across from him, Haneul sat quietly.
Tears continued falling.
One after another.
Neither of them knew where to begin.
Neither of them knew how to fix what had already broken.
Haneul stole a glance toward Taekyun.
The exhaustion in his eyes.
The sadness.
The emptiness.
It hurt more than anger ever could.
But Taekyun's silence was worse.
It felt like something slowly consuming the air around them.
Finally,
Taekyun moved.
Slowly standing from the bed.
"Haneul..."
His voice almost hitched.
As though he had been crying somewhere deep inside for a very long time.
Haneul looked up.
Taekyun reached for his hand.
Holding it gently.
Without a word, he picked up the glass of water from the bedside table.
Then held it out toward him.
Haneul shook his head.
No....
But Taekyun didn't take the glass back.
Instead, he carefully brought it closer.
The same way he always did whenever Haneul refused.
After a few moments, Haneul finally took a small sip.
Then another.
Only when he was satisfied did Taekyun lower the glass.
Placing it back onto the table.
His hand moved to Haneul's face.
Gently wiping away the tears.
The movement was familiar.
Careful.
As if he had done it a thousand times.
Haneul looked at him.
And that's when he saw it.
A tear sliding down Taekyun's cheek.
Only one.
Taekyun immediately turned his face away.
Wiping it before it could fully fall.
As if nothing had happened.
As if Haneul hadn't seen it.
As if he wasn't breaking apart.
Haneul's chest tightened painfully.
Slowly lowering his feet from the bed.
His own tears continued falling.
The man standing before him felt unfamiliar.
Not because he had changed.
But because he seemed more distant than ever.
This wasn't the cold Taekyun he had met in the beginning.
Not the man who pushed him away.
Not the man who ignored him.
Not the man who refused to look at him.
That version had walls.
This one had nothing left.
Just silence,exhaustion and maybe acceptance.
And somehow it felt far worse.
Haneul took a shaky breath.
"I..."
His voice trembled.
"I'm.... really..."
The apology refused to come out.
The explanation remained trapped inside his throat.
Taekyun quietly picked up another pillow.
Placing it behind Haneul's back.
Supporting him.
Making sure he sat comfortably.
The gesture nearly broke him.
Because even now
Even now,
Taekyun was taking care of him first.
"I won't stop you."
The words came unexpectedly
Tired.
"I won't ask anything."
Haneul froze.
Taekyun lowered his eyes.
"But..."
His voice almost disappeared.
"Don't treat me like I don't matter."
Silence.
"Like I don't exist."
The room became unbearably quiet.
Taekyun gently wiped away another tear from Haneul's face.
Perhaps for the last time.
Haneul's hand slowly rose.
Finding its way into Taekyun's hair.
His fingers trembling.
Running through the dark strands.
Carefully.
The way Taekyun had comforted him countless times before.
For a second,
Neither of them moved.
Taekyun closed his eyes briefly.
Then opened them again.
His eyes were bloodshot.
Red enough to hurt.
He took a long breath.
Then slowly looked away.
"Get some rest."
A pause.
"I'll be back."
The words sounded hollow.
Almost forced.
Then quietly,
"I'm..... sorry."
Before Haneul could respond, Taekyun turned.
And walked toward the door fast.
Too fast.
Like a man escaping something.
Or someone.
"Haneul watched him go.
The broad shoulders.
The lowered head.
The trembling hands.
And for the first time,
Taekyun looked fragile.
The door closed.
Leaving him behind.
Outside, Lin immediately looked up.
"Sir."
"Lunch is ready."
Taekyun didn't even glance toward the dining room.
"I'm going to see Haru."
His voice sounded strange,rough and unsteady.
"Make sure Haneul eats."
Lin frowned.
Something was wrong.
"Sir..."
She took a step forward.
"Is everything okay?"
Taekyun paused.
Only for a second.
Then quietly said,
"Look after Haneul."
And walked away.
The front door closed behind him.
Lin stood frozen.
Confused and worried
Because she had never seen him like that before.
Then movement caught her eye.
She turned around.
And her expression immediately changed.
"Haneul!"
Haneul had somehow made it out of the bedroom.
One hand wrapped around his stomach.
The other bracing against the wall.
Tears streamed endlessly down his face.
His eyes swollen and red.
Before Lin could reach him, his knees gave out.
She hurried forward.
Catching him before he completely collapsed.
"Haneul!"
"What happened?"
"Are you alright?"
"Does something hurt?"
Question after question.
But Haneul couldn't hear any of them.
Everything sounded distant.
Muffled.
His thoughts trapped elsewhere.
All he wanted was to say something.
To stop Taekyun.
To explain.
To tell him he didn't have to apologize.
But his tongue felt frozen.
His chest hurt too much.
Lin quickly pulled out her phone.
"I'll call Sir."
Immediately Haneul grabbed her wrist.
Weakly.
Shaking his head.
"No..."
His voice cracked.
"It's gone."
Fresh tears rolled down.
"Nothing's left."
A sob escaped.
"Umma..."
His shoulders shook violently.
"Umma took everything."
Lin's heart clenched.
Without hesitation she wrapped her arms around him.
Holding him tightly.
"It's okay."
"Nothing is wrong."
"Maybe you had a bad dream."
"Everything is okay."
Again.
And again.
And again.
She tried to calm him.
But only Haneul knew.
Only Haneul believed.
That everything had already been destroyed.
Meanwhile,
Taekyun drove aimlessly through the city.
He didn't know where he was going.
Didn't know where he wanted to go.
The road stretched endlessly ahead.
Buildings blurred together.
Traffic lights came and went.
Nothing registered.
Then suddenly,
He pulled the car to the side of the road.
The engine remained running.
But he couldn't.
Not anymore.
The tears finally came.
Relentlessly,silently.
Months of pressure.
Months of fear.
Months of pretending he was strong enough.
Was gone.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel.
The only thing keeping him grounded.
His forehead slowly lowered against it.
His shoulders trembling.
There was no one here.
No one to see him.
No one to comfort him.
No one to tell him everything would be okay.
A broken laugh escaped him.
Almost soundless.
His eyes closed.
More tears falling.
"In the end..."
His voice barely existed.
"No one stayed with me again."