Double Junk - 109

“Ajin…”

Seokju approached Ajin and sank to his knees, hesitantly reaching out to embrace him as he lay limp. Ajin’s thin body flowed into Seokju’s arms like sand swept by waves.

Every time, pushing away, saying no. Today, he didn’t say a word. His arms, spread out like a withered rice plant overly ripe from the sun, showed no sign of movement.

Seokju looked down at Ajin quietly. He was so pale. He already had unusually fair skin, but he looked even paler than usual. If left like this, he would gradually fade away, becoming a star in the night sky.

“Ajin…”

It had been like this from the beginning. It seemed as if the night sky had turned into a person. Living in that black and bright mysterious place, was he curious about the human world and descended? Gratefully, wasn’t it because he caught my eye? That’s what Seokju thought.

It seemed like Ajin was trying to become a star again. And if he became a star and disappeared, Seokju would never be able to reach him again. He wouldn’t even be able to touch him. It would be cowardly to gaze at him from afar, constantly apologizing.

At that moment, the rainwater that had gathered in Seokju’s hair dripped onto Ajin’s eyes with a soft thud. It seemed as though it wanted to flow down Ajin’s cheeks like tears. Quickly but gently, Seokju wiped it away.

“Ajin…”

Seokju held Ajin and called out to him for no reason. He felt like a helpless child. With Ajin lying like this, there was nothing he could do. His brain felt like a lump of clay. Heavy and unable to think. His mind was solely focused on Ajin.

Seokju’s vision blurred. Things distorted, and Ajin’s face blurred. Someone shook Seokju violently.

“Hyung-nim!”

“…”

“Seokju hyung-nim! Where are the keys!”

“…”

“We need to move quickly. We need to hurry to save him.”

At the sound of that voice, Seokju, who had been dazed, suddenly swallowed a deep breath and came to his senses.

“To save… him?”

He looked blankly at the organization member. …Was Ajin alive? As he looked back at Ajin. The organization member stamped his feet and shouted.

“Oh, hyung-nim! Hurry! The keys!”

At that, Seokju opened his eyes wide. And soaked in the rain, he rummaged through his pockets and pulled out the keys. Among several keys, there was one that was unusually white. It was a recently made key for the shackles.

Seokju grabbed it with trembling hands. Behind him, Deokjae took the key from him. And he began to unlock the shackles that were wrapped around Ajin’s ankles.

Seokju held his breath. He closed his eyes tightly, then opened them and brought his ear close to Ajin’s nose. He felt a warm breath tickling his ear. Faint, but unmistakably Ajin’s breath.

Seokju tightened the towel tied around Ajin’s wrist even tighter and said.

“Go outside and prepare the car. We’re going straight to the hospital. Make a call to the hospital in advance to prepare for surgery, and… We’ll need blood too.”

“Yes, hyung-nim.”

Several organization members rushed out. Seokju told the attendant next to him to bring a blanket. The attendant rummaged through the dresser and brought a thick blanket. Seokju carefully wrapped Ajin in it. He felt cold. It had been a while since he had been outside, and he didn’t know if he would be surprised by the cold outside.

Just then, with a clatter from Ajin’s ankles, the shackles fell off. Seokju, who had become even lighter than last night, lifted Ajin into his arms. And he hurriedly left the room. He crossed the corridor and went straight to the yard without hesitation.

From the corridor to the veranda, from the veranda to the yard, he held Ajin tightly in his arms, fearing that Ajin might wobble. He even covered Ajin’s face with his shoulder, worried that Ajin might get wet in the rain.

The organization member opened the car door and waited for Seokju. Seokju quickly jumped into the car. The car immediately started moving. The rain-soaked world outside the window quickly passed by. Until they reached downtown Seoul, the dirt road was bumpy and chaotic due to the rain, making the swaying even more pronounced.

Seokju tightly held Ajin and propped up his face with a blanket. Even though the inside of the car was dark, Ajin’s face was vividly visible. Swollen eyelids, lifeless eyes, cracked lips, and cheeks devoid of vitality, as well as lifeless hair, were all there.

Each of them was a sin committed by Seokju.

Seokju pressed his cheek against Ajin’s.

“Ajin… I’m sorry…”

The cheap apology echoed quietly in the car filled with the sound of rain. Seokju knew the apology was futile, but he had no other choice.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”

He firmly pressed his lips against Ajin’s forehead. Despite Ajin’s usual cold temperature, his lips felt warm. Seokju felt like his body was freezing in that coldness. Before, being with him felt like walking on a refreshing and cool forest path with a waterfall cascading nearby. Now, it was bone-chillingly cold.

It was because Ajin was losing his vitality.

Seokju gently brushed Ajin’s hair. Then, unexpectedly, a tear fell. One drop turned into a drizzle, then a downpour.

Seokju buried his face in Ajin’s neck and burst into tears without restraint. He didn’t try to stop the hot tears. It was because he hoped that, somehow, Ajin might feel a little warmth from these cowardly tears.

But Ajin continued to grow colder. Until they arrived in downtown Seoul. Until they reached the hospital. Until Ajin lay on the hospital bed and was taken into the operating room. He kept getting colder.

Staring at the firmly closed door of the operating room, Seokju’s arms drooped. He stood there, dazed, then slumped against the wall and slid down. His soaked body felt too heavy to stand.

In his hand was the towel the doctor had taken off just before entering the operating room. It was the towel that had wrapped Ajin’s wrist, soaked in blood.

With tears staining the towel red, Seokju buried his face in it. Ajin’s scent pricked his nose. Unable to hold back the longing for that scent, he burst into tears again. His hand trembling as he clenched the blood-soaked towel.

This was a tragedy. This was not a drama created by Seokju and Kiheon, as Isun had said. No. This was a tragedy created by me.

A brutal tragedy.

The tragedy I passed on to Ajin,

The tragedy of innocent Ajin shedding blood,

Ultimately, it was the tragedy of losing Ajin.

—

“A package of fish was delivered to the house, sent by Seokju hyungnim. He said to pick the biggest and meatiest one and make sure Ajin eats it. Because a big and meaty fish like that is good for him, they grilled it and put it on Ajin’s lunch table. We’re looking for the person who delivered the fish, but it won’t be easy to find them since we can’t remember what they looked like or who they were.”

“Hyungnim, hyungnim. Isun… has… passed away. Mr. Geum’s entire house burned down. Naturally, it was assumed that Chairman Park of Jung-ho Faction was behind it, but according to the police, Isun seemed to have set the fire himself.”

“Even though it’s pouring rain, the police were amazed at how the house burned down completely. Isn’t she a really scary woman?”

“It seems like Ajin needs to be watched over a little more by the doctor. He lost so much blood and… his condition isn’t very good, so it might take a while for him to recover. I’m sorry, hyungnim.”

The words poured like a torrent, making Seokju’s head ache. There wasn’t a single piece of good news among them. However, Seokju listened without furrowing his brow even once. In fact, he was half in a daze, half absent-mindedly.

Seokju was in Ajin’s hospital room. ‘Ajin’s hospital room.’ What a dreadful phrase.

He couldn’t remember which hospital room this was already. From Myungjin, to Flower Lady, to Ajin. The hospital was tiresome. While they were injured and in pain, it was tiresome for him to always be here looking perfectly fine.

A few hours ago, Flower Lady, who had been brought from the company, underwent a minor surgery and was currently recovering. They said they couldn’t do many tests because there were too many things to urgently treat, from inflammation to malnutrition.

Myungjin still had his eyes closed, but he had his ventilator removed a few days ago. They said his recovery was going well. So, Seokju was starting to feel a bit relieved, but now it was Ajin’s turn.

Fortunately, Ajin didn’t die. He didn’t die. They said they didn’t know when he would wake up. The doctor who saw Ajin was more shocked by his body condition than by his wrist, which was deeply cut and wide open. He looked at Seokju as if asking, ‘What did this little guy do to suffer like this?’

‘Nothing. Absolutely nothing.’

He couldn’t say it, so he just kept silent. Still, he felt enough shame to hold his head up high and stretch his neck.

“…”

Seokju quietly looked at Ajin, who had his eyes closed. Ajin, who had undergone surgery, was calm. His breath was still thin, and his face was still pale, but he didn’t look as restless as before. He seemed peaceful, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.

Perhaps instinctively, he didn’t realize it. That the shackles around his ankles were gone. That he had escaped from that dreadful room. And that the misunderstanding that had been weighing him down was gone. He had returned to that innocent time.

Seokju reached out his hand towards Ajin’s palm, which was loosely spread like a petal. But as his fingertips brushed past, he withdrew his hand again. Because he thought Ajin might not like being touched.

Whether Ajin would understand if he held his hand, or sucked on his fingers, even if Ajin didn’t wake up from the anesthesia. Still, he didn’t want to do anything that Ajin might dislike. It was too late, but he wanted to start now.

Seokju pulled the blanket over Ajin’s hand. After carefully checking the ointment on his lips and cheeks, the bandages on his ankles, and the bandage-wrapped calves, and meticulously examining whether there were any untreated wounds, he straightened his back.

As he was doing so, the organization members tried to speak again. There was a lot to deal with now that the truth that had been hidden and ignored had come out. Seokju raised his index finger to his lips.

“Ajin is sleeping, it will be noisy. Let’s go.”

The organization members closed their mouths and nodded their heads. Seokju pushed through them and headed towards the hospital room door. The organization members followed him.

Before grabbing the doorknob, Seokju turned back. There, not too far, not too close, was Ajin.

…He might feel cold if he’s alone. He’s a child who feels the cold a lot.

Another worry crept in. No matter how close to the end of winter it might be, it was still cold weather for Ajin. Seokju hesitated for a moment, then soon realized he had no right to comfort Ajin’s coldness.

He left the room with a heavy sigh. In that moment, thud-thud. Just as he thought he heard footsteps approaching, there was a sharp, cold something piercing Seokju’s abdomen.