"I told you, he wasn't just a guard… he was like a robot!"Min Jae let out a deep sigh. It felt like he had used up all the patience he had in his entire life in that one moment. Gently correcting himself, he said,"Hmm… sorry, that was my mistake. I should've said it right… Did that robot-like guard mix something in the water?"Ji Ho nodded and said,"Yeah. He pulled out a small glass bottle from his pocket, poured something from it into the water glass, and made me drink it."Min Jae had a strong feeling something was seriously wrong. Given Ji Ho's current condition, it was obvious that what he drank wasn't just plain water.
Min Jae tried to pull away from Ji Ho a little. He gently held his arm to move back — the boy had been hugging him tightly for a while now — but the moment he tried to create a little distance, Ji Ho immediately clung to him again, hugging him even tighter.Min Jae couldn't believe this was the same boy who, just a little while ago, had told him to stay away… and now he wouldn't let go.
At that moment, Ji Ho saw his whole family in Min Jae.Min Jae stroked his hair like a mother would… let him hold on tight like a child would to his father… and listened to him talk about his heart just like his older sister would.After so long, Ji Ho finally felt like he wasn't alone anymore.
Ji Ho softly asked,"Can I tell you one more thing?"Still holding him, Min Jae responded,"Mmm… tell me."Ji Ho whispered,"You know… they locked me up in a dark room… all alone… I was so scared in there… I thought maybe I'd never get out."
Min Jae asked,"Where was this dark room they locked you in?"Ji Ho answered,"Underneath the casino… that room. It's really dark down there… they've locked up other people there too."
Ji Ho kept talking, pouring everything out… and all the while, Min Jae could feel just how tightly he was being held.Maybe Ji Ho was under the influence — and that's why he was being so emotional — but Min Jae didn't feel even the slightest discomfort.Even though this boy was a stranger, something about it felt like… he'd known him for years.
Ji Ho had finally stopped crying. Now, he was just venting to Min Jae about Mr. Han — telling him everything those people had done to him.
When Min Jae noticed that Ji Ho was starting to grow quiet again, sadness slowly creeping back into his eyes as he recalled everything, he decided to gently change the subject.
With a soft tone, Min Jae asked,"Are you hungry?"
Ji Ho nodded like a little child and replied,"Yes… I'm really, really hungry."
Min Jae smiled a little and said,"If you want food, then you'll have to let go of me first… only then can I get up, go to the phone, and order something to eat. So… are you going to let me go now?"
As soon as Ji Ho heard that, he quickly loosened his arms around Min Jae and let him go.
Min Jae got up and walked over to the hotel room's landline phone. It was well past midnight — just four or five more hours till morning. He picked up the phone and called the front desk.
Min Jae placed the food order carefully, keeping Ji Ho's condition in mind — the injury on his lip, the bruised shoulder — so he asked for soft and light dishes that wouldn't be hard to chew or swallow.
He ordered:
Dakjuk (닭죽) — a warm chicken and rice porridge,
Miyeokguk (미역국) — a seaweed soup usually served on birthdays or for healing,
Baekban (백반) — a simple meal with rice and soft side dishes (banchan).
After placing the order, he hung up. The receptionist had told him the food would be delivered within thirty minutes.
As he turned around, his eyes fell on Ji Ho — who was still sitting exactly where he had been before, his back resting against the wall, unmoving.
Min Jae walked over to him and asked gently,"What's wrong? Why are you still sitting here?"
Ji Ho replied in a faint, almost trapped voice,"I… I don't want to get up from here."
Min Jae crouched down beside him, confused."Why not? What's wrong?"
Ji Ho looked at him with tired eyes and said softly,"Every time I try to move from here… everything starts spinning. The ceiling feels like it's crashing down on me, and the floor seems like it's flying up into the sky. If I get up, everything will just… fall apart."
Hearing those words, Min Jae was momentarily stunned.It was the first time in his life that he had heard someone say something like that.
Min Jae took a deep breath and reminded himself,"It's okay… he's still under the influence. Just be patient."
Snapping out of his thoughts, he softly said to Ji Ho,"Look, nothing's going to happen, alright? I'll help you get up… okay?"
But Ji Ho immediately shook his head and refused."No… I'm not getting up from here. Not at all."
So Min Jae tried to gently reason with him,"Okay… I have an idea. I'll stand right here on the floor. And as long as I'm standing on it, the floor won't rise, right? So how could the ceiling fall down if the floor doesn't move? Makes sense, right? Now come on, get up."
Ji Ho thought for a moment, then slowly nodded,"Yeah… you're totally right… you're really smart."
Min Jae smiled a little and reached out to help him up by the shoulder — but the moment his hand made contact, Ji Ho cried out in pain,"AAHHH! My shoulder…!"
He clutched his shoulder tightly, and Min Jae immediately panicked."What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Ji Ho nodded with a pained expression,"Yeah… I hurt my shoulder pretty bad…"
Min Jae's eyes also caught the deep cut near Ji Ho's lip — that needed treatment too.
He spoke gently,"Okay… I won't touch your shoulder again. I'll help you up without hurting it. Just hold my hand, and try to get up slowly."
Ji Ho reached for his hand, and with some effort, managed to stand up. But as soon as he was on his feet, the dizziness came rushing back.
Startled, Ji Ho cried out,"Oh no! It's all spinning again… please, don't move! Stay right on that floor! The ceiling… it's coming down again!"
Scared, Ji Ho clung to Min Jae, holding him tightly.
Min Jae calmly said,"Don't look at the ceiling, okay? Just look at me. See? I'm standing here — right on the floor — and nothing is happening. The ceiling's not coming down… nothing's moving."
As Ji Ho slowly shifted his gaze to Min Jae, his panic began to settle. The spinning started to ease. The fear faded bit by bit.
Once the dizziness passed, Ji Ho quietly stepped back from him and walked, slowly and shakily, to the large sofa in the corner. He collapsed onto it and leaned his weight against the backrest, closing his eyes.
The drugs were still in his system — now making his head feel heavy and foggy.
Right then, Min Jae started searching every corner of the room — the bathroom, the closets — looking for a first aid kit.He needed something to treat Ji Ho's wounds — a cream, or at least some painkillers — so they wouldn't get worse.
Finally, after a bit of searching, he found a small first aid kit tucked away.It had just the basics:
A healing cream for wounds
Painkillers
Cotton
And antiseptic wipes
Exactly what he needed.
When Min Jae walked back to Ji Ho with the box in hand, he found him sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed, leaning back against the cushion.Min Jae quietly sat down next to him and asked gently,"Ji Ho… are you okay? Are you feeling sleepy?"
Ji Ho half-opened his eyes and replied softly,"No… not sleepy. Just feels like… like someone placed a heavy weight on my head."
Min Jae placed the back of his hand on Ji Ho's forehead to check his temperature — his body was still warm.
Min Jae understood right away:It was the drugs. They were still in his system.
Speaking with softness in his voice, Min Jae said,"Turn your face toward me… so I can put some cream on the cuts near your lips and forehead.If I don't treat them now, they might get worse."
Ji Ho didn't resist. He quietly turned his face toward him.
Min Jae gently cleaned the wound first with cotton.There was a small cut near Ji Ho's lip — but it was deep, like someone had tried to silence him forcefully.There was also a faint bruise across his forehead — like he'd been dragged or shoved against something.
Min Jae picked up the antiseptic cream and began applying it slowly and carefully, making sure not to hurt him more than he already was.
While Min Jae was applying the cream, Ji Ho reached out and gently held his wrist — the one applying the medicine.His fingers were soft… but there was a strange restlessness in his grip.As if, through that small touch… he was remembering something. Or someone.
In that moment, there were no words between them — only silence.But even in that silence… something heavy, something deep was being felt on both sides.
After finishing with the cream, Min Jae gave a small, gentle smile and said,"Now I'll have to put medicine on your shoulder too… or the pain might get worse.You'll have to take off your shirt… I'll do it quickly."
Ji Ho nodded quietly and tried to unbutton his shirt.But his right arm wasn't moving properly — too weak, too sore — and even the buttons felt impossible to undo.
Min Jae saw this, and without a word, leaned in.With calm, slow hands, he began unbuttoning Ji Ho's shirt himself.One by one, carefully.He gently pulled one side of the shirt down from his shoulder — and there it was.
Ji Ho's right shoulder had turned slightly blue… a dark bruise had formed on his skin.The pain was so deep, it could be felt even in the way he breathed.
Min Jae took out the healing balm and anti-inflammatory cream from the first aid box.He applied a little balm on his fingers and gently, with great care, began to rub the cream onto Ji Ho's shoulder.Every touch carried a softness — not just soothing the pain through the medicine, but also through the quiet, wordless comfort of his presence.
After applying the cream, Min Jae carefully adjusted Ji Ho's shirt back on.
Just then, there was a knock at the door — the food had arrived.
Min Jae opened the door, took the food from the hotel staff, and said a soft "Thank you" before closing it again.He placed the food on the table and immediately turned back toward Ji Ho.
Ji Ho's right arm still wasn't moving properly.So Min Jae picked up the soup bowl himself, gently scooped a little into the spoon, and began feeding him — one small sip at a time.
With each spoonful, Ji Ho's eyes began to grow heavier.His body temperature was still high, but his breathing was becoming steadier.
Within minutes, the soup was nearly finished… and Ji Ho's eyes had closed completely.He had drifted into a deep sleep.
Min Jae slowly let go of his hand, carefully lifted him up, and walked him over to the bed.He laid him down gently, adjusted the pillow beneath his head, and pulled the soft blanket over him.
Ji Ho now lay asleep on the bed… still carrying pain on his face — but alongside it, a quiet kind of peace.
Min Jae sat by his side… just watching him in silence.And then, without a word, he let out a slow, quiet sigh.
He began to think to himself —"What I did today… it wasn't something ordinary.Why did this stranger feel so familiar… so close to me?What is happening to me?"