This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 174

Despite the growing concern that I slowly raised my head toward, the only thought that came to mind was one.

‘I want to see him.’

I wanted to see Dogun as soon as possible.

A phone call with Dogun?

I could have done that any time if I had wanted to. My dad would have handed me the Mobile Phone right away if I asked him.

But I didn’t ask.

The feelings filling my heart couldn’t be resolved just by that.

This was something that needed to be etched directly into my eyes.

That’s why I didn’t want to waste time on a phone call.

If we were going to talk, I wanted to do it face-to-face.

That way, I would truly feel that Dogun was alive.

So I urged my dad.

I urged him to quickly wrap up the tedious procedures so we could leave, and as soon as we stepped out of the Hospital, the cold, dry air smacked against my cheeks.

It definitely hadn’t been this cold before… When did it become so chilly?

Every time I breathed out, white steam billowed, and my hands, feet, and throat felt like they were freezing, but I didn’t care.

Dogun was alive; what did this little chill matter?

Besides, I wouldn’t die from this kind of cold anyway.

But perhaps it only looked unsettling to my dad.

He must have felt that way, considering he wrapped a scarf around me, complaining about the cold.

I didn’t refuse his kindness.

Wrapped in the significantly worn scarf—comparable to the gifts I’d received from Dogun before—I breathed in, feeling a bit more aware that Dogun was not dead.

So I buried my face in the scarf and headed toward the Hospital where Dogun was admitted, riding in my dad’s car.

However, after spending nearly a month in a perfectly maintained Hospital Room, did a bad aura seep in as I suddenly came outside?

At the start, all I could think about was wanting to see Dogun… but at some point, I noticed anxiety slipping in without me realizing it.

And that feeling began to grow larger as the time passed, or rather, as we neared closer to Dogun.

I was anxious.

A vague unease kept rattling my heart.

So my heart thumped loudly.

Could it be because of that?

I kept having unpleasant thoughts even though I didn’t want to.

When I saw the Photo earlier, it didn’t seem like he had serious injuries apart from his bandaged left arm, so why was he hospitalized?

Could it be… that his condition was worse than what the Photo showed?

It started with such thoughts and quickly spread to other areas of my mind in the blink of an eye.

‘But what if…’

What if, when I arrived at the Hospital and met Dogun, he asked why I hadn’t answered his call? What should I do then?

If I blame him for what happened because he didn’t answer his phone… what would I do then?

That ominous scenario kept swirling in my mind.

Of course, I knew.

I knew Dogun wouldn’t do that.

Knowing his silly personality, he might just greet me with that carefree face and ask how I’ve been the moment he sees me stepping into the Hospital Room.

Even though I know that might really be the case… I was scared.

Standing right in front of the Hospital Room where Dogun was felt like such a huge step, yet I hesitated to enter because of it.

If I were to hear those words from Dogun even once, I felt like it would be irreversible.

“…Yoonseo? What are you doing standing out there?”

But I had to go.

I needed to see for myself that Dogun was alive with these two eyes.

So… I opened the door.

I opened the door and walked inside.

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As I rewound time a bit back to when Yoonseo had just set off with her dad, Dogun was holding on to the Mobile Phone, lost in thought.

And that thought was none other than about Yoonseo.

She was probably arriving very soon, but what should I say when we meet?

I had no idea.

It wasn’t exactly a normal situation, so it was understandable.

That’s why I was troubled.

But had I been wrapped up in my thoughts for too long?

Even though I hadn’t decided what to say yet, I sensed a presence beyond the Hospital Room door.

For some reason, I flinched, but the door didn’t open for a while.

‘No…’

Why were they hesitating like that?

What was weighing on their mind?

Just when I was starting to feel a bit frustrated with the door remaining closed, I heard Yoonseo’s name, followed by a sound, and before long, the previously closed door slowly began to slide open.

And finally, the moment arrived where I saw Yoonseo’s face after about a month; I completely forgot I had been wondering what I should say before.

The sight of Yoonseo flooded my mind.

‘No…’

I expected that Yoonseo would have been through a tough time.

After all, that was only natural.

If I were in her position, I would have felt the same.

Let alone, unlike Yoonseo, I was a guy and lacked any Talent.

So it was natural for me to worry more.

As much as I expected that, seeing her face now made me realize that reality surpassed my imagination.

What on earth had happened to her to change her face so much in less than a month?

“Wow…”

She looked so much more fitting to be in this place than I was.

I kept stuttering, unable to find my words.

And adding fuel to the fire was the tears that began to stream down Yoonseo’s cheeks.

The moment I snapped back to reality, I realized that Yoonseo was crying.

Without making a sound, tears flowed down silently.

Those tears soaked the color of the scarf around her neck, deepening it.

Could it be that she couldn’t believe I was alive?

Maybe it felt surreal, like I’d vanish if she touched me.

Watching her standing far away, unable to even approach, while crying made my heart ache.

That’s why I jumped up from my bed.

I got out of bed and dashed towards Yoonseo.

And was she treating me as if I were an illusion that would disappear if she touched me?

Every time I got closer, she took a hesitant step back.

But I finally caught up to her—

“What’s with that face?”

I stretched out my arms.

I stretched out my arms and… pulled Yoonseo into a tight hug.

So she wouldn’t run away anymore, I held her with all my strength, making sure she knew I wasn’t some mirage that would disappear if touched.

And maybe my actions served as a trigger.

A small sound of swallowing her sobs echoed, followed by the first genuine sobs escaping Yoonseo’s mouth.

Soon, her quiet sobs turned into wails.

Thanks to that, it was only natural for even my dad—and the nurses on duty—to come to see what was happening.

Of course, they were all sent away.

If Yoonseo found out someone saw her cry later on, with her personality, it was obvious she’d feel embarrassed enough to want to disappear.

After all, pride was everything to Yoonseo.

With that reason, I carefully patted Yoonseo’s back as she remained alone, sniffling in the spacious Hospital Room.

Once again, I realized just how much turmoil she must have gone through.

How troubled must she have been for her body to look so thin, like someone who had been ill?

The more I held her, the more I could feel her frailness, as if I could trace her bones through her skin.

“Did you just starve while I was gone? At this rate, a skeleton might ask me to be friends.”

That’s why I couldn’t help but say something, feeling a knot in my chest.

She looked so weak, yet she cried like this—was that okay?

What if she collapsed from exhaustion…?

That had me worried as well.

So please—

“I’m serious, if this continues, we’ll end up in the next room together! Stop crying! Come on, stop!”

At this rate, I might really end up taking a life.