Ire woke up, washed, and sighed deeply as he looked in the mirror. He looked gaunt under his eyes, probably because he kept waking up during the night. Every time he thought about what happened yesterday, he felt like smashing his head against the wall and dying. To make matters worse, Kim Ha-yoon kept appearing in his dreams, naked and intertwined with him.
To clear his head, he went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He sighed and slapped his cheeks with both hands. Stop thinking about it, you crazy bastard. It was an unavoidable accident. Comforting himself like that, he changed his clothes and went outside.
As he left the annex and headed toward the parking lot, he saw a red car he had never seen before. It had a sleek body and, strangely, no roof. But what caught his eye was not the car, but Kim Ha-yoon leaning against it.
He was wearing black sunglasses and waving cheerfully. Ire couldn’t bring himself to move. He gestured for him to come over, so he reluctantly went, and Kim Ha-yoon spoke to him kindly.
“Did you sleep well? How’s your body?”
Ire didn’t answer and turned to the other side. He didn’t know the way to the hospital from here, so he didn’t want to antagonize him with unnecessary bickering. As soon as he got in the car and fastened his seatbelt, Kim Ha-yoon settled into the driver’s seat and looked at Ire’s clothes.
“You’re wearing the same clothes every time you go out.”
Ire looked down at his clothes. Was he worried that he was wearing dirty clothes?
“I washed them…”
“I wasn’t wondering if you washed them. Never mind. It’s my fault for not realizing you didn’t have any clothes.”
Ire looked down at his shabby T-shirt. Clothes are clothes… Isn’t it enough if they’re not dirty? Is it that hard to look at? He was lost in these pathetic thoughts when the car started, and his hair flew wildly in the wind.
He couldn’t understand why he was riding in this thing.
He’s rich, so why is he driving a car with no roof?
In District B, this kind of vehicle was useless. It wasn’t safe from attacks, and it was vulnerable to the frequent sandstorms. He absentmindedly looked up at the sky. As always, the sky was clear.
The car sped down the road at a terrifying speed. Watching the speedometer climb, Ire unconsciously gripped the seatbelt tightly with both hands. He was too proud to tell him to slow down, but he couldn’t relax because he didn’t trust the guy.
As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Ire felt nauseous and quickly got out of the car. Kim Ha-yoon, who had followed him, patted him on the back, as if he looked unwell.
“Are you okay?”
As he waved his hand to indicate that he was okay, Kim Ha-yoon’s hand gripped his neck and gently massaged it.
“This is a problem. You’ll be riding in the car a lot in the future.”
At the cold sensation on his skin, he unconsciously slapped his arm away and stepped aside. Kim Ha-yoon’s eyebrow cocked up. His eyes were fierce, but his mouth was smiling, so Ire couldn’t tell which was the real face of this man.
“Are you uncomfortable because of what happened yesterday?”
The casual mention of yesterday’s events vividly revived the awful dreams he had all night.
“Yes…”
Perhaps surprised by his honest answer, Kim Ha-yoon came to his side and put his hand on Ire’s back. “Listen, don’t misunderstand. All sorts of things happen in the field. If something like yesterday happens and your colleague is in danger, you’ll have to make the same choice as I did. You can’t just leave a dying colleague, can you?”
Listening to him, Ire was strangely persuaded.
While he was thinking, “I guess so…” Kim Ha-yoon added, “But don’t just go around touching any guy’s dick.”
Ire frowned and shook off his arm. What does he want me to do? In the meantime, they arrived at the hospital room. He stopped in front of the door and took a moment to catch his breath. He had heard that Matteo had fully regained consciousness and was able to talk, but he was nervous about seeing his face.
“Can I go in alone?”
“Of course.”
Kim Ha-yoon readily stepped back, and Ire bowed his head in thanks. He opened the door and went in. Matteo was lying in bed, looking out the window. His eyes widened as he turned at the sound of someone entering, and a smile spread across his face. Seeing that, Ire felt relieved and tears welled up in his eyes.
“Michael…”
How long had it been since he heard that voice? Ire hurried over and took his hand. It was warm. His face was thinner than before, but his complexion was better. So it was true that he had a heart transplant. Seeing Matteo with a red glow on his cheeks, Ire looked genuinely happy.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t come right away… Something came up…”
Matteo’s gaze went over his shoulder to the door and then back.
“I know. I heard you joined the military.”
Ire lowered his head like a guilty person.
“I’m sorry… But I couldn’t help it…”
His voice trailed off. Matteo had never asked him to save him. He had certainly never told him to join the military and become a soldier. Ire wondered if he was angry that he had acted on his own, and he was watching him carefully when Matteo put strength into the hand he was holding.
“You did well. You did really well. I’m glad you became a soldier. Thanks to you, I had surgery and saved my life.”
Matteo smiled, his eyes crinkling. Was he sincere? But why did he look so sad? He was the one who had raised him since he was a baby. Of course, he knew. He was wondering why he was smiling as if he wanted to cry when Matteo scratched his palm with his fingertips.
“……”
At first, he thought he was joking, but he wasn’t. He was looking at Ire and telling him that the hospital food was delicious. He said that they served food that he couldn’t even imagine in District B. He also said that he wanted to take a walk in the nearby park when he was fully recovered. Still moving his fingers.
“…Okay?”
Asked with a desperate look in his eyes, Ire couldn’t give him any definite answer.
“Michael.”
At the low voice calling his name with force, Ire clenched his teeth and nodded.
“Yeah…”
“Keep your promise. Please…”
Ire nodded slowly again this time.
“I’m looking forward to it. The day I can take a walk with you.”
He said that he could even run now that he had heart surgery. Ire forced a smile at the mention of competing to see who was faster. But unfortunately, a person in a gown came in and told them that visiting hours were over. He said that it was still too much to have a long conversation.
As he got up, Matteo waved his hand.
“Goodbye.”
The short greeting made his throat feel tight and stuffy.
He closed the door and approached Kim Ha-yoon, who was standing some distance away.
“Did you have a good conversation?”
“Yes… Thanks to you.”
“What did you talk about?”
“About how delicious the food is… And about taking a walk when he gets better…”
“He must care about you a lot. He asked for you as soon as he opened his eyes.”
“……”
“How did you two meet? He’s not your real father, is he?”
Ire stared at Kim Ha-yoon. Was he testing him? How much did this man know? He was a man with excellent information, enough to find him immediately after their first meeting. So, did he know about Matteo and him as well? He shook off the complicated thoughts tangled in his head and forced the corners of his lips up.
“He picked me up and raised me after I was abandoned.”
“What about your parents?”
“I don’t know… What kind of people they are.”
“Oh, how pitiful.”
Kim Ha-yoon made a pathetically sad face, and Ire avoided his gaze and headed toward the bathroom.
“I’ll go to the bathroom.”
Leaving Kim Ha-yoon behind, he went into the bathroom. He stood in front of the sink and turned on the faucet, and the water poured out coolly. He slowly looked down at his palm. The letters Matteo had left a moment ago seemed to be imprinted on his skin.
Run away.
Run away, Michael.
Afraid that someone might notice, he lathered up with soap and scrubbed his hands hard. Matteo’s voice telling him to run away seemed to echo in his ears. If I run away? What about Matteo? Kim Ha-yoon’s threat to take out his heart wouldn’t be a joke. He was a man who wouldn’t be strange to cut open his stomach while he was still alive.
Ire took a deep breath and slowly came out. He roughly wiped the water from his hands on his clothes, and Kim Ha-yoon smiled and took out a handkerchief to hand it to him. Then he came closer to his side.
“Did you cry?”
“No…”
“Let’s go.” He put his arm around Ire’s shoulder without hesitation. Knowing that it was useless to shake it off, he was led to the car. But the car sped off in the wrong direction, not toward the unit. A video appeared on the exterior wall of the building they arrived at, changing every moment and mesmerizing people.
“Why did you come here?”
“To go shopping.”
As soon as he got out of the car, he frowned and took a step back. “I want to go back to the unit.” Then Kim Ha-yoon grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him toward the entrance.
“No, no. I’m going to get rid of these shabby clothes today.”