KTS 234

“Haa, haa.”

Yu-jin gasped for breath and bent over. The fire had not yet spread to the staircase, which was designed in a remote space, but the smoke was acridly seeping in.

“Why did you set the fire anyway?”

Winston answered after a pause, as if resentful.

“I didn’t want to leave this house anymore.”

“Why?”

“Just because.”

Winston avoided answering, but Yu-jin felt like he knew why. There were only bad memories in this mansion. There were only painful things that didn’t match the name Delights, and above all, there were too many traces of Harold.

…But.

“There were a lot of fun things too.”

Winston looked at him at the quiet voice. Yu-jin continued, averting his gaze.

“This is the mansion where Angie had her first real Christmas.”

He quickly shut his mouth when he remembered that he had run away after that. Winston had the same thought, but didn’t bother to point it out.

“No, don’t open it.”

Winston stopped Yu-jin, who was about to open the door. He reflexively pulled his hand away and turned around, and Winston continued with a serious face.

“The doorknob is heated by the fire, so you could get burned. We don’t know how far the fire has spread, so if we make a mistake, it will be irreversible.”

He was right, but then there would be nowhere else to go. Winston sighed at Yu-jin, who was momentarily flustered.

“That’s why I told you not to come.”

“I told you that if you had come out right away, I wouldn’t have come this far, right?”

Yu-jin didn’t back down this time either. Winston suddenly frowned and looked down at him.

“Where did my gentle lover go?”

“That’s only when you’re nice to me. Why should I keep being gentle when you’re being mean to me?”

Even as he spoke, he was inwardly surprised. How can I be so good at talking?

Winston also looked surprised and slowly muttered.

“You’re… good at talking.”

Yu-jin suddenly felt embarrassed and his face turned red.

“It’s, it’s because of you. Because you didn’t trust me from the beginning…”

Winston suddenly hugged Yu-jin, who was embarrassed and didn’t know what to do.

“That’s right.”

His low voice was heard from behind. Winston, with his arms around Yu-jin’s waist, muttered over his head.

“It’s all my fault, I’m so stupid.”

A short sigh was heard. Yu-jin was silent at the sigh that was mixed with regret, remorse, and many emotions, and then opened his mouth.

“It was okay because Angie was there.”

It was so painful at the time, but somehow he was alive now. Is it possible that even difficult memories become just so-so things after time passes? There are still painful wounds, but that doesn’t mean you can be tied to them forever. Anyway, right now…

Yu-jin unconsciously stroked his stomach and raised his head.

It’s important to get out of here somehow.

It was when he was reaffirming his determination. The sound of the door to the staircase, which was isolated from the outside, opening was heard. Yu-jin, who was startled for a moment, raised his head, and Winston also stiffened in alarm. Then, the sound of hurried footsteps was heard, and soon someone poked their head over the railing.It was Mrs. Campbell.

Yu-jin gasped in surprise, and Winston shielded him behind his back, stepping forward. Her hair was a tangled mess, falling every which way, and her face was smudged with soot and sweat, a far cry from her usual perfect appearance. He widened his eyes in shock at her almost unrecognizable state, but there was something even more startling. Spotting Yu-jin hiding behind her son, Mrs. Campbell gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on the gun she was holding. The gun was pointed directly at them, and Yu-jin turned pale.

“Get out of the way, Winston.”

Mrs. Campbell commanded. Her voice was trembling with rage. It was clear who Mrs. Campbell was aiming at. Terrified and trembling, Winston spoke.

“Yu-jin.”

Startled by his low voice, Yu-jin looked up at him. Winston was still staring at his mother as he said,

“When I give you the signal, go downstairs, don’t look back.”

“What about you?”

Yu-jin asked in a hushed voice, and Winston replied quietly,

“Don’t worry, she won’t do anything to me.”

But, as Yu-jin was about to say something, he whispered,

“You being here won’t help calm her down.”

That was true. Yu-jin would only be a hindrance to him here. Reluctantly, he nodded.

“You have to come out, don’t think of doing anything stupid.”

He urged him, a hint of anxiety remaining, but a sense of distrust was rising in one corner of his heart. You’re not trying to trick me, are you? As if reading his anxious mind, Winston glanced at him and smiled briefly.

“Don’t worry. Baby, I remember.”

That was a little comforting. After confirming that Yu-jin had nodded, Winston turned his gaze back to Mrs. Campbell. She was still trembling all over, glaring down at him. As if to say she wouldn’t forgive him either if he didn’t move.

“Mother.”

Winston spoke first.

“Put that gun down, it’s dangerous.”

“This will all be over if you just move!”

Mrs. Campbell shouted in a cracked voice. She still couldn’t believe that Winston was the one blocking her way. How could you, how dare you do this to me!

“Mother, let’s talk first.”

Winston continued to try to persuade her.

“Shouldn’t we get out of here first? Put the gun down first and come with me.”

“I have to kill that thing first.”

Mrs. Campbell’s will was not broken at all. She should have done this from the first time she saw it. It was a late regret, but it didn’t matter now. She would see it die, no matter what…

“Mother.”

Winston called out to her and stepped forward. He cleverly concealed Yu-jin behind his back as he moved. Mrs. Campbell tried to aim the gun at Yu-jin again, but she couldn’t hit the target because he was obscured by her approaching son.

“Mother, stop this. I understand how you feel now.”

His voice was pitiful, as if he were acting in a play. Could she not be swayed by the voice of the man she loved? Mrs. Campbell also hesitated for a moment, seemingly flustered.

“Please, come back to the mother I loved.”

Now Yu-jin was completely out of the picture. Mrs. Campbell could only stare blankly at her son approaching her. Winston reached out his hand to his mother. As if to say, give me that gun. And after confirming that she was completely focused on him, Winston gestured behind his back. It was the same signal he had given Yu-jin.

Go now.

As if hearing the silent words, Yu-jin hurriedly ran down the stairs.

“You…!”

Realizing belatedly that she had fallen into a trap, Mrs. Campbell aimed her gun in fury. But Yu-jin’s figure was only reflected in the railing before disappearing, and she couldn’t hit the target at all. Lowering the gun, Mrs. Campbell, who had been trying to shoot Yu-jin, screamed in anger and aimed the gun at her son this time.

“So you were going to mock me until the very end.”

Now she could no longer bear the betrayal. To think he would make a fool of her like this until the very end.

“Mother, stop it now.”

Winston said to her.

“Please.”

The whispered addition was his true feeling. Suddenly, Mrs. Campbell saw a terrible weariness on her son’s face. Had she ever seen him so exhausted? The moment she faced her son’s face, exhausted by emptiness and pain, she suddenly felt something inside her snap.

“…Okay.”

Mrs. Campbell, barely steadying her swaying body, opened her mouth. To her son, whom she cherished and loved more than anything in the world, she slowly continued.

“Let’s die together, Winston.”

* * *

“Haa, haa.”

“Daddy!”

Angela, who had been anxiously waiting in the car, burst into tears and ran to Yu-jin when she saw him emerge from the mansion, exhausted. She hugged the child tightly and sighed in relief, and then Angela hurriedly asked, confirming that he was safe.

“What about Winnie? Couldn’t you find Winnie?”

To her worried voice, Yu-jin answered no.

“He’ll be out soon. Don’t worry.”

In the meantime, the fire truck arrived and was putting out the fire. The flames were fierce, but they didn’t seem to be spreading any further. After helping Yu-jin, who was coming out, to a safe place, the firefighter ran back to put out the fire.

Come out soon, Winston.

It was when he was anxiously watching the flames. Suddenly, he thought he heard a faint gunshot from inside the mansion. Startled for a moment, Yu-jin froze, and Angela asked.

“Daddy, what’s that sound? Isn’t that a gunshot?”

Because the house she used to live in was in a crime-ridden area, she often heard gunshots. Seeing the child startled by the familiar sound, Yu-jin couldn’t bring himself to say no.

Winston, what’s going on.

He turned pale and could only watch the flames engulfing the mansion.

It was then. The mansion began to collapse with a terrifying sound.

“Ah… Aaaah!”

Yu-jin couldn’t help but scream. No way, no way…!

“Daddy!”

Angela also called out to him in a tearful voice. But they could only watch it, there was nothing else they could do.