CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31

Yu jin’s POV

I woke up to the taste of something bitter sitting at the back of my tongue. My head felt thick, like someone had stuffed cotton inside my skull and taped it shut. My eyelids were heavy, and my body didn’t feel like mine. For a moment I didn’t even know where I was. The ceiling above me wasn’t white. It wasn’t the hospital. It wasn’t Woo Min’s apartment.

It was his house.

And the moment that thought hit me, everything rushed back into my head so fast I felt the air leave my lungs.

My body refused to move, like it knew what would happen if I did. Like it wanted to protect me from remembering. But the memories didn’t care. They shoved themselves into me anyway, piece by piece, until the whole night played again in my head in flashes that made my stomach twist.

My chest tightened. My throat locked. Heat burned behind my eyes.

And then the tears rolled down my eyes gently.

I cried like someone had ripped me open and left me there to bleed. I shoved my face into the pillow, but the sound still shook out of me. My hands trembled so much I had to grip the sheets just to stay grounded.

It wasn’t fair.

It wasn’t supposed to happen.

I dragged a hand across my face, wiping tears and drool and whatever dignity I had left. I forced myself to sit up even though my body protested immediately. A sharp ache shot through me. I swear my butthole was on fire and it made me cry more. My throat made a sound I couldn’t swallow down.

My whole body shook.

Then the door opened.

Park Min stepped in like nothing was wrong. His hair was messy, his shirt half buttoned, his expression too calm for someone who raped another person the night before.

He paused when he saw me sitting up. His eyes widened a little, but not enough. Not enough to match the weight of what he did.

"Yu Jin..." he said quietly, like he was trying to talk to a wounded animal.

I flinched when he tried to hold my hand.

His jaw tightened. He came closer.

"Don’t.." My voice cracked into pieces. I pulled the blanket closer to my chest like it could shield me from him. "Don’t touch me. Don’t come near me."

He froze but only for half a second before he kept walking. That alone made something inside me snap.

"Did you not hear me?" My voice rose, rough and shaky. "Stay away."

"Yu Jin," he said again, softer. "I just want to talk...."

"Talk?" My laugh broke in the middle. "That’s funny. You didn’t need to talk last night."

His expression changed like someone slapped him. He inhaled, shoulders stiff.

"I know," he murmured. "I know. I know what I did was.." He stopped, breath unsteady. "I was just pissed and, and, I felt like.. I cant explain."

I stared at him. Dead silent. Then laughed again, this time without any sound because I couldn’t breathe enough for it.

"Pissed? For what?" I asked. "Like you didn’t just take advantage of me like you did years ago, or for the child you didn’t want?"

He dropped to his knees.

Actually dropped.

My throat closed. I didn’t know if I wanted to shout or throw up.

"I want to take responsibility for my son," he said, voice low, almost shaking. "For Seo Min Rin."

"My son," I hissed.

"Our son," he corrected, eyes on the floor.

"Over my dead body."

He looked up immediately. "Please. "

"Oh, shut up," I snapped. "You think kneeling does anything? You think that fixes what you did? You think just because you finally realized he looks like you, you’ll get a chance to crawl back and play father?"

"I didn’t finish in you." His voice cracked in the middle like he regretted the sentence the moment it came out.

I stared at him.

Then the heat in my chest exploded into something sharp and ugly.

"Does that justify anything to you?" I asked quietly. "In what twisted part of your brain does that make it better?"

He shook his head quickly. "No. No, it doesn’t. I know it doesn’t. I’m not saying it like that. I just . I’m trying to. ...I don’t know how to fix it...."

"You can’t fix it."

He swallowed hard. "I’ll do anything. Anything you say. Anything that will make me better. I’m begging you, Yu Jin, I don’t even know what came over me. I’ve never felt this way toward a man before. I didn’t even know I could..."

"Oh please," I cut in. "Don’t drag sexuality into this. Don’t try to make it deep or emotional. You weren’t having an identity crisis. You were just being a selfish rapist."

He flinched.

"Look, aren’t you going to fat, I’m sorry," he breathed. "About that night years ago too. Our one-night stand. How I treated you. How careless I was." His voice cracked. "And for telling you to abort Rin. I was stupid. I was young. I was scared. I didn’t want to be tied to someone I didn’t know. And I didn’t want a child."

"You still don’t get to have him," I said. "I raised him. I carried him. I fed him. I held him through every nightmare and fever. Not you. And if there’s someone who deserves to be his father, that’s Woo min who raised him."

He nodded slowly, like every word stabbed him. "I know. I know you did everything. And don’t bring up that homosapien, I know you both are close and I don’t care if you both used to be intimate or not, I hate him, and won’t let him raise my son. And I know he needs my blood now, so.."

"I’m not asking for your blood," I cut in, voice low. "I’ll save my son."

His face fell so fast he almost froze.

"Yu Jin... please..."

"No," I said. "I’m going back to the hospital."

I slid off the bed. Pain shot through me. My legs trembled so badly I had to grip the wall. I didn’t look at him again. I didn’t want to see his face. I didn’t want to see his hands. I didn’t want to see anything about him.

He followed me to the door.

"Yu Jin...."

"If you walk one step closer," I said quietly, "I swear I’ll scream this whole neighborhood awake."

He stopped.

Good.

I left without looking back.

***

THE HOSPITAL

My phone vibrated nonstop as I was in the taxi. When I pulled it out, I saw 37 missed calls from Woo Min.

My stomach dropped.

I called him back.

He picked up before the first ring ended.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" His voice came through sharp, frantic, angry. "Yu Jin.... I’ve been calling... I thought something happened, Rin’s fever spiked...where are you?"

"I’m coming," I said, voice thin. "I’m almost there."

He inhaled like he wanted to scream but held it in. "Run."

By the time I reached the hospital hallway, the moment I saw him waiting there, something inside me snapped all over again.

He rushed toward me and grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Where were you?" he asked, voice shaking.

I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out.

Then I broke.

Right there, in the middle of the hallway, in front of him. I grabbed him like I was drowning and he was the only thing keeping me above water. My arms wrapped around him before I could think, and my face pressed into his chest.

He froze for a second, shocked.

Then he hugged me back slowly, carefully, like he was afraid I would crumble if he squeezed too hard.

"Hey... hey..." he murmured. "What happened to you?"

I shook my head against him. "Please... not now..."

He pulled back just a little, his hands still on my shoulders. His eyes scanned my face. He wasn’t stupid. Medical doctor right here he was. He noticed everything.

My swollen eyes.

My shaky breathing.

My clothes that weren’t mine.

My messy hair.

My tired posture.

Then his gaze dropped to my neck.

His expression changed instantly.

Like someone lit a fuse inside him.

"Yu Jin," he said quietly. "Who touched you."

"Stop," I whispered.

He stepped back, scanning harder. I knew he saw the marks. I knew he saw the redness along my collarbone. The way I kept shifting my weight from side to side. The way I flinched when he brushed my arm lightly.

He grabbed my wrist and pushed me to the chair.

I pulled back because I’d be exposed if I sat . "I’m fine..."

I tried. I really did. But the moment my body touched the chair, a sharp pain shot through me and I jerked away from the seat like it was fire.

His face went completely still.

No expression.

No breath.

No sound.

Just still.

Then...

His pheromones hit the air... so strong I smelled the anger before I saw it in his eyes. And they irritated me.

He clenched his jaw so tight the muscle twitched. "Did Park Min touch you?"

I froze. "Min calm down.. Stop this there are humans here."

His whole body snapped upright. He turned. He was actually going to leave. He was actually going to go there...

"Stop!" I grabbed him from behind.

He didn’t even turn. "Let go, Yu Jin."

"No!"

"LET. GO."

"Woo Min!" My voice cracked. "He’s half human! You’ll kill him!"

He paused. Slightly.

Then he exhaled through his nose, the sound strained.

"I swear to God," he said quietly, "if he hurt you..."

"Please," I whispered. "Please don’t go."

His fists unclenched slowly. His shoulders dropped by an inch. He still wasn’t calm. Not even close. His whole body radiated anger like heat.

He faced me again.

"Why are you protecting him?"

"I’m not protecting him," I said, wiping my face with my sleeve. "I just.. I can’t deal with this right now. Rin needs me."

I stared at him. My chest hurt. My throat hurt. Everything hurt.

But I still said, "Let it go. For now. Please."

He stared at me for a long second.

"Let me go."