Before realizing it, he’d already spoken—and he was calling Ji-gyeong. Whether he was avoiding it or not, the call cut off midway through the ringtone. After hesitating a long while, Kang Hyeon tried again. The ringing stopped suddenly again, and Kang Hyeon thought he wasn’t answering—but then the line connected.
“Ji-gyeong?”
– Hhkk… ugh…
Kang Hyeon heard the faint sound of him sobbing.
“Are you okay?”
– W-what do I do… hhk. I think… they’re going to drop me…
“Calm down. Tell me slowly, one thing at a time.”
– Hhk… the news… ugh… the company, they… hhk… the photos are so grotesque… hhk…
He could barely get the words out between gasps. The quiet sobbing soon turned into raw, wrenching cries that filled the line. Kang Hyeon’s chest tightened painfully.
“Where are you?”
– Hyung, I’m so scared… hhkkk…
His trembling, terrified voice barely came through the sobs. Pacing restlessly, Kang Hyeon felt panic rising.
– Hyung… I can’t do this anymore… ugh… hhk…
Kang Hyeon’s gaze dimmed with sorrow. If just reading the news scared him this much, he couldn’t imagine what Ji-gyeong himself must be feeling.
“Ji-gyeong. Take a deep breath.”
Kang Hyeon drew in a slow one himself, trying to steady his voice.
– Hhk… I want to see you, hyung. I’m so scared. I don’t know what to do. The agency won’t say anything—just threatens me to keep my mouth shut. Hhkkk… and the penalty… it’s too much… hhk.
“You signed a lot of ad contracts?”
– Yeah… to make money. I wanted to earn a lot… hhk. The modeling penalties alone are over a billion won. Sungjin Group ads… hhk. I begged Do-yeong hyung to help me, but he refused.
“You met Do-yeong?”
– I grabbed his arm in the parking lot, begged him, but he just brushed me off. Cold as ice… hhkk…
“This happened under your agency. We’ll hire a lawyer and figure something out. Ga-yeong noona said she knows someone—”
– Fuck, that’s why I went to Do-yeong hyung in the first place!
Ji-gyeong exploded, words firing out like a machine gun.
– I got kicked off the drama and I have to pay penalties! How the hell am I supposed to handle that?! Hhkkk… He could’ve helped, but he just ignored me! Those ads were for Sungjin Group’s subcontractors! Now everyone’s calling me some cheap escort!!
His voice rose into a hoarse, tear-choked scream that made Hyeon’s ears ring.
“Calm down.”
– How the fuck am I supposed to calm down?! Hhhhkk… I’ll just die. Fuck it. Dying would fix everything.
Kang Hyeon’s heart dropped to his stomach, and he rushed to speak.
“Where are you? I’m coming.”
– Hhk… I don’t know… I don’t know where to go…
“Go to your parents.”
– How can I? Their son turned out to be an escort. My dad already hates that I’m gay—he won’t even talk to me. My mom goes to church and begged me not to let anyone find out. Now everyone knows.
“Your parents are still the people you can trust most right now. Is there somewhere nearby you can stay?”
– Hhk… sniff… there’s a motel over there.
His voice was lower now, heavy with defeat. Kang Hyeon softened his tone, coaxing gently.
“Okay. Go there and send me the address. I’ll come right away.”
– Hhk… okay.
The moment the call ended, his mind went blank. If it’s a Sungjin Group subcontractor, Do-yeong could’ve helped… so why didn’t he?
Almost reflexively, he tapped Yoon Do-yeong’s number.
– Hey, Hyeon.
Then he remembered—Do-yeong had said he was meeting someone earlier.
“Are you busy?”
– No, not at all.
“Ji-gyeong’s in a bad way. Can you help him?”
There was no reply, so he hurried to explain.
“He blacked out at a club, and someone who was there took pictures—they’re spreading them online. He was crying so hard.”
– I’m at the hospital.
The word hospital made Hyeon’s chest thump painfully. As Do-yeong went on, his trembling voice wrapped around him, tight and suffocating. He said he’d supported Ji-gyeong for his sake—that he’d pushed for him to succeed. Hyeon’s head throbbed.
– Why does my kindness always come back as a blade to cut me? Do I have to bleed for people to see I’m hurting?
The faint, breaking voice made Hyeon’s hands tremble. The question blindsided him. He couldn’t think—couldn’t process it.
– I’m… just so tired. Stay with me.
His voice was soaked in tears.
“…Are you crying?”
– Hhk…
That low, quivering sob shook Hyeon. Do-yeong had never said he was struggling—not once. Even when people hated or ignored him for no reason, he’d kept his face calm and lips sealed. Always stoic. And now he was saying he couldn’t take it anymore.
Still… Do-yeong had family and money. Ji-gyeong had no one.
He’d just made up his mind to go to Ji-gyeong when—
– Hyeon-ah, where are you right now?
“Near home.”
– I…
“Say it.”
– I can’t drive. Haa… I can’t breathe.
That strangled voice shattered his resolve, and Hyeon immediately started walking fast—as if heading straight for him.
“Where are you?”
– On the way to your place… haa… the big supermarket.
“Pull over!”
He broke into a sprint down the alleyways. The supermarket was five bus stops away, but if he cut diagonally through the back streets, it was only about two.
He ran like a man possessed. Startled pedestrians moved out of the way as he tore through the narrow streets. The impact from each step split the side of his worn sneakers, and his lungs burned, but he kept going until the supermarket came into view. Gasping, he scanned the lot for Yoon Do-yeong’s car. It wasn’t there. He called again, panting.
“I’m here. Where are you?”
– Almost there.
“Almost here?”
He turned left and right, trying to spot the car.
“Which direction?”
– Five minutes.
“Five? You said you were at the supermarket!”
– Wait. I thought I was closer, but I’m farther out.
The sudden calmness in his voice made Hyeon glance around in confusion.
– Wait for me.
“Where exactly are you?”
– Just wait.
The firm tone on the other end made Hyeon lift a hand to his forehead and grit his teeth.
“You called me right after leaving your place?”
– Two minutes.
The jump from five minutes to two sent chills crawling down his spine. Then, faintly through the receiver, he heard a siren. Unsure what it was, he strained to listen, then shouted:
“Don’t speed!”
– Can’t… breathe…
The line cut off.
“Do-yeong!!”
Panicking, Hyeon stumbled, turning in frantic circles. When he heard sirens in the distance, he bolted toward the sound. His breath came in ragged bursts—he wasn’t running anymore so much as stumbling forward fast, but he couldn’t stop.
As he redialed, he saw it—Yoon Do-yeong’s car in the distance, police car right behind it.
“Pull over!” came a voice through the police speaker, and then a motorcycle patrol appeared. Suddenly, Do-yeong’s car screeched to a halt. The driver’s door flew open, and his upper body slumped straight out onto the asphalt.
“Do-yeong!!”
Hyeon dashed across the road, horns blaring as cars slammed their brakes. He waved his hands frantically, signaling for them to stop, and sprinted toward him.
Yoon Do-yeong was on the ground, gasping violently. The officer who got out looked stunned, watching the man’s face turn red and veins stand out on his forehead as he fought for breath. Hyeon tried to approach, but another cop held him back.
“Do-yeong!”
Do-yeong was curled on the ground, body trembling, like he was in the middle of a panic attack. Hyeon grabbed the officer’s sleeve and shouted:
“Please take him to the hospital! He called me—he said he couldn’t breathe! Hurry!”
He pleaded until they loaded Do-yeong into the patrol car. Cradling him, Hyeon climbed into the back. Do-yeong clung to his arm, gripping it with white-knuckled desperation—like he would never let go. The pressure made Hyeon’s hand go pale.
Thanks to the police escort, they reached the hospital’s emergency room quickly. Do-yeong was limp, drained, but his breathing had stabilized. Still, doctors surrounded him for tests, just in case.
Staying by his side, Hyeon answered the phone that had been buzzing nonstop on the table.
“Yeah, Ji-gyeong.”
– Hyung, I’m at the motel. I sent the address. Come quickly.
His voice was surprisingly calm—much steadier than before. Maybe he’d calmed down a little. Just then, Do-yeong’s trembling hand reached out and lightly took hold of Hyeon’s. The small, restless movement betrayed his anxiety. Hyeon gripped back and spoke with difficulty.
“Ji-gyeong…”
– Yeah?
“I’m sorry, but I can’t come.”
– What?
Ji-gyeong’s voice sharpened instantly. Hyeon tried to explain carefully.
“Do-yeong collapsed. We’re at the ER right now.”
– What? You went to him already—in that short time?
“Do-yeong was driving toward me and said he couldn’t—”
– You fucking bastard! Are you screwing with me right now?!
“…”
– You’re always like this! It’s always about him! You act all kind and caring, then stab me in the back! I never even asked you to come—you offered! God, I’m such a fucking idiot for liking you. Is it fun? Playing with people’s feelings?! You piece of shit!
