After ending the conversation with Bae Jung-yoon, Park Ki-cheol remained in a daze, unable to snap out of it—at least not until his mother returned to the hospital room and asked him what was wrong.
Instead of answering, Park Ki-cheol exploded at her. He lashed out, yelling at her not to bother him because his head was pounding.
“Fuck… I never should’ve gone drinking with those assholes.”
Groaning, he clutched his throbbing head in both hands, full of regret. The image of himself on his knees, begging in front of Kim Yeo-jin and Go Hoon—just thinking about it made his pride shrivel. He felt like he was going to die from the humiliation. And worst of all, he still didn’t even understand what he’d done wrong.
His mother watched him with concern as he muttered incoherently and scowled, then quietly peeled an apple and approached him.
“…Son, do you want some fruit?”
She offered him a slice of apple on a fork. Without even glancing at it, Ki-cheol snapped back irritably.
“No. I don’t want any.”
“Oh, don’t be like that… It’s sweet and juicy. Just have a bite?”
“I said I don’t want any! I don’t want it! I don’t want it! How many times do I have to say it?!”
With nowhere else to direct his anger, he dumped it all on his mother. She let out a deep sigh, looking at her son with a mix of frustration and helplessness, wondering who he’d taken after to end up with such a nasty temper.
But Ki-cheol didn’t care. His mind was consumed by a single thought.
The mistake he’d made while drunk.
What now? If he just sat here doing nothing and they really went ahead and reported him, his life would be completely destroyed.
Back in high school, Ki-cheol used to think he was the best. He genuinely believed he could reach the top on his own, without anyone’s help.
But after entering university, reality hit him fast. There were countless people more capable than he was.
Even so, despite his lack of guts and talent, he couldn’t let go of his dream of landing a job at a major corporation. He desperately wanted to crush the pride of everyone who’d ever looked down on him.
He’d already lost all interest in studying, so he chose a different route. Drinking, partying, and socializing—he convinced himself it was all an investment in his future. Networking, he called it. Laying the groundwork.
That’s how he ended up speaking with Bae Jung-yoon during a recent group project. Wanting to impress him, Ki-cheol put in an unusual amount of effort. For once, he actually tried in a team project.
Eventually, he managed to get Jung-yoon alone for drinks, and it felt like he was finally getting closer to the future he’d imagined for himself.
But it had all been a delusion.
“Sunbae, if Yeo-jin or Hoon files a report, you could end up with a criminal record.”
Bae Jung-yoon’s firm voice echoed in his ears. Ki-cheol gnawed at his nails in agitation.
He couldn’t go down like this. Maybe it was better to be the first to reach out—take the hit before it got worse. What if, while he was wasting time like this, they were already at the police station filing a report?
Holding his phone, Ki-cheol bit down on his lip. He bounced one leg nervously as he sat cross-legged. Then suddenly, a knock came at the hospital room door.
***
Go Hoon glanced awkwardly around the large hospital room. His eyes wandered, finally landing on Park Ki-cheol, dressed in a hospital gown.
It had only been a day since they’d last seen each other, and to be honest, Ki-cheol looked better than expected. In fact, it was almost disappointing—if he was going to get hurt, he should’ve at least been stuck in bed for a few days, groaning in pain.
To top it off, Ki-cheol’s hospital room was a deluxe single suite.
It definitely lived up to the name. The room was spotless and comfortable, complete with a high-end water purifier, a fridge, a sink, and even a massive wall-mounted TV.
There was no way Park Ki-cheol—or his parents—could afford this kind of luxury. From what Hoon had heard, their family was just your average household.
So who pulled strings to get him into a room like this? There was only one person who came to mind. Hoon’s gaze naturally drifted toward Bae Jung-yoon.
“Sunbae, we’re here.”
With a warm tone, Jung-yoon addressed Ki-cheol, then turned and greeted his mother.
“Hello, ma’am.”
“Oh my, I already felt bad enough for all the help you gave us yesterday, and now you’ve come to visit too… I don’t even know how to thank you.”
Beaming, she welcomed Jung-yoon with genuine gratitude. Then her gaze shifted toward Hoon, who was standing just behind him. Her eyes clearly asked, And who might this be?
“Oh, this is one of my classmates. He was drinking with me yesterday. When I told him I was visiting today, he said he wanted to come see Sunbae too.”
“Oh, I see. Hello there.”
Their eyes met, and Hoon instinctively gave a polite bow. That’s when he finally noticed what he was wearing.
If he’d known he’d be meeting Park Ki-cheol’s mother at the hospital, he would’ve dressed more presentably. Regret hit him like a wave. Just as he was wincing internally, Ki-cheol’s mother came closer and clasped his hand tightly.
“You came all this way—thank you. I really appreciate it. My son must’ve scared you, didn’t he?”
Her awkward smile tugged at Hoon’s conscience. He couldn’t bring himself to smile back. Guilt prickled under his skin.
Honestly, I wasn’t someone Park Ki-cheol’s mother should have been greeting with a smile. After all, I had some part in why her son ended up in the hospital.
Go Hoon’s gaze drifted naturally to Park Ki-cheol, who was sitting on the hospital bed. He looked anxious, his eyes darting nervously around the room. When their eyes met, he flinched noticeably.
“Uh, y-yeah… you came, huh?”
The awkward greeting only made Go Hoon’s expression grow colder.
Things hadn’t exactly ended well between them, so Hoon had fully expected Ki-cheol to lose it the moment he walked in—screaming, What the hell are you doing here?! But instead, he was oddly subdued. So subdued that it made Hoon wonder if the guy had hit his head hard enough to mess something up.
Even his mother’s reaction didn’t sit right. She didn’t seem to know a thing. Not about the fight between Hoon and Ki-cheol, or about the fact that Bae Jung-yoon had swung a metal pipe at her son.
If she knew even a fraction of it, there’s no way she’d be acting this warm. What kind of parent welcomes the people who hurt their child with a smile?
Something felt off. And as soon as the thought clicked into place, a theory came to mind: what if Park Ki-cheol doesn’t actually remember what happened last night?
Hoon replayed the phone call he’d had with Bae Jung-yoon. Jung-yoon had mentioned that Ki-cheol wasn’t fully conscious due to the alcohol. In other words, there was a real chance Ki-cheol had blacked out and didn’t remember a thing.
“We were in a bit of a rush, so we didn’t bring anything. I hope that’s okay?” Jung-yoon said casually.
“Oh, please, who cares about something like that? I’m already more than grateful that you’re looking out for my son like this…”
Smiling warmly, Ki-cheol’s mother nodded. She glanced between the two boys and added with a gentle chuckle,
“Your juniors are all such good-looking boys. I bet your parents are stunners too.”
As she smiled like a girl with a schoolgirl crush, Go Hoon couldn’t help but wonder how someone so gentle ended up with a son like that.
“Ugh, Mom, seriously? Why would you say something like that? So embarrassing…”
Before Hoon could even finish the thought, Ki-cheol snapped, scowling in full display of his usual immature self. And as if he suddenly remembered Hoon was watching, he quickly cleared his throat with an exaggerated ahem.
“Mom, can you give us a minute? I need to talk to them alone.”
“Oh, sure. Of course. You boys take your time and talk.”
Still smiling, she gave a small nod and left the room, disappearing beyond the door.
Silence fell as soon as the three of them were alone. No one spoke right away, all of them gauging the tension, waiting for someone to make the first move. Eventually, the only one who seemed at ease—Bae Jung-yoon—spoke up in a laid-back, almost casual tone.
“Sunbae, didn’t you say you had something to say to Hoon?”
His voice was polite, but there was something firm underneath it. Something that didn’t leave room for backing out.
Something to say to me? Go Hoon turned to Ki-cheol with a puzzled look.
Ki-cheol, who had been fidgeting uncomfortably, suddenly jumped down from the bed. Despite clearly being in pain, he moved quickly and dropped to his knees.
“What are you…?”
Go Hoon’s eyes narrowed in confusion. He stared down at Ki-cheol, who now knelt in front of him as if asking for forgiveness.
Ki-cheol’s face was burning red with humiliation. His lips moved as he panted shallowly, as if trying to force the words out. After a moment of struggle, he finally spoke.
“H-Hoon… about last night… I-I’m sorry.”
What the hell is going on?
Go Hoon hadn’t expected an apology—much less something like this. He froze, caught completely off guard.
While he was still processing the moment, Ki-cheol glanced up at Bae Jung-yoon. The way he did it—cautiously, subtly—made it clear he was checking for a reaction. Hoon’s gaze followed instinctively.
Jung-yoon sat quietly, watching everything unfold with a neutral expression. If anything, he looked a little bored, as if the whole thing was just mildly entertaining.
Why is Ki-cheol watching him like that?
As the thought surfaced, Hoon met Jung-yoon’s eyes.
His pitch-black gaze stared straight back, sharp and unwavering. It didn’t shift, didn’t blink. And for some reason, it felt like he was… amused. Like he was watching something unfold exactly the way he expected—and was curious to see what Hoon would do next.
