Don’t Let Go of Me First

“Didn’t I ask what the hell you’re doing?”

Startled, I quickly dropped to my knees and helped the boy up from the ground.

Mud had splattered all over his pristine white school shirt, leaving him in a complete mess.

He looked like some rich family’s precious son—if anyone saw him like this, someone might actually faint.

His face, struck by that brutal punch, was swollen red, and even his lip had split.

I quickly glanced at his name tag and called out,

“Hey, Park Ijeong. Ijeong—are you okay? And you—why are you suddenly hitting people—!”

“Yoo Sowon. Get up.”

I never realized a name could sound so chilling.

Trembling, I looked up at Woo Jaeyoung.

Shock, disbelief, and fear washed over me all at once.

“No reaction… so he’s a beta. Why’s he kidnapping someone in the middle of the night? Who sent you?”

That was so ridiculous I shot to my feet.

“Who the hell would send him?!”

Figures—he only sees what he wants to see.

His way of thinking was seriously messed up.

I didn’t know where he’d been or what he’d been doing after leaving me asleep, but looking at him now… something in his eyes felt off.

I reached out to steady the staggering boy, Park Ijeong, then turned sharply toward Jaeyoung.

“He’s a minor. Can’t you see the uniform? We just met after a long time and were talking, and you just hit him out of nowhere?”

“What does it matter if he’s an adult or not? Does doing something wrong depend on age?”

“…Haah. Fine. Let’s just go back and talk.”

My head throbbed.

The timing of me running away couldn’t have been worse.

I knew it was a stupid decision… but I didn’t think it would blow up this badly.

First, I had to send this kid back.

Trying to fix his ruined clothes, I spoke apologetically.

“I’m sorry, really. I’ll explain later. I know this is confusing… I’ll make it up to you somehow… uh, your number—so I can…”

“Won hyung.”

Park Ijeong grabbed my hand, his brows tightly furrowed.

“Hyung… are you living with that man?”

I hesitated, unsure how to answer honestly.

I had nowhere to go, so I stayed with him… but then I ran away.

If I said that, how would he react?

He’d probably try to hand me his officetel password right away.

So I stayed silent.

Misreading my hesitation as something else, his eyes widened.

“You’re living with a gangster?”

“Gangster…”

Loan shark, violent, throwing punches first—yeah, technically correct.

But hearing it from someone else felt oddly irritating.

Behind me, Jaeyoung’s voice turned cold.

“What did you just say, you bastard?”

“Please…”

Can we not fight in the middle of the street?

I had to separate them first.

After brushing off Ijeong’s clothes, I turned my back and carefully grabbed Jaeyoung’s arm.

It felt like stepping in front of a rabid dog without a leash—but he had never once hit me.

That was the only thing I could rely on.

“Let’s talk inside. Ijeong, I’ll see you later. I’ll… figure something out, I promise. Just don’t report this. I’ll contact you.”

I didn’t even have his number, but I said it anyway.

Then I dragged Woo Jaeyoung away from the bus stop.

I thought he’d resist—but surprisingly, he followed easily.

Once he realized we were heading home, everything flipped.

He grabbed my wrist and started walking ahead instead.

Compared to the childish pace we’d walked side by side in the rooftop garden, his strides were huge.

By the time we ran up the hill, I was completely out of breath.

“I told you…”

The anger he had been holding in finally erupted.

“Don’t run away. Yoo Sowon, is that so hard?”

“…”

“Why is it hard? Was something lacking? I didn’t even lock you in a hospital. I wasn’t gone long.

I didn’t ignore you, didn’t upset you with useless talk, didn’t treat you carelessly.

I promised over and over I’d give you whatever you wanted. And then I asked for just one thing, Sowon.

Don’t leave. Just stay here.”

“…Hyung.”

“f*ck, why is that so hard… what’s so damn hard about it?”

He dragged a hand over his face, irritation evident in every movement.
After muttering a few curses, he looked down at me.

“When I heard you left, how do you think I felt? Afraid it’d turn into another accident like last time—I pushed those exhausted bastards and tore through the streets like a dog. What do you think that felt like?”

“Hyung…”

I hesitated, then finally spoke.

“I know you don’t believe me.”

“…”

“You listened quietly, but not because you believed me. You think I’m sick. That I’m talking nonsense.

By morning, you would’ve taken me back to the hospital, or called Jang Hanseon, or tried to get me counseling.”

Jaeyoung nodded without hesitation.

“Yeah. That’s right. I think you’re sick. Maybe even crazy. I think you need treatment, and I was going to take you to the hospital. Since you seem uncomfortable with Doctor Jang, I was even looking for someone else.”

“See? I said I didn’t want that—”

“But I wouldn’t have admitted you.”

He spoke each word like he was biting them out.

“I would never throw you into a closed ward and ignore you. I would’ve told you first, listened to you more.

I’m at least enough of an adult not to say to your face that you’re talking nonsense.”

My words caught in my throat.

“Yoo Sowon. I don’t care if you’re sick or crazy. Just stay by my side. I have no intention of leaving you alone like that…”

“…”

“But you keep leaving me alone. You decide things about me on your own and draw your own conclusions. And it always ends the same—you’re the one who lets go of my hand first. That’s what pisses me off the most.”

Covered in dirt, blood, rain, and cold sweat, Woo Jaeyoung looked… almost sad.

After a long pause, I spoke quietly.

“…I’m sorry for leaving like that. When you came home… and I wasn’t there, you must’ve been shocked.”

“I didn’t go home. I searched outside first, narrowing the area.”

Huh?

“You didn’t even come home—how did you know I left?”

“There’s an exit sensor on the front door. Logs every entry and exit.”

“…”

I clenched my eyes shut, resisting the urge to snap at him.

“I don’t think I can explain it well… but I just felt like I shouldn’t stay here. I know it was irrational.

I didn’t even have a plan. Thinking about it now, I probably would’ve come back after wandering around for a bit.”

I hadn’t even had ten thousand won in my pocket.

It was nothing more than an impulsive, emotional mistake.

I had run out like I was possessed and I would’ve eventually come back, scolding my past self the whole way.

Jaeyoung narrowed his eyes, studying me, then let out a deep sigh.

The suffocating anger faded, and he returned to his usual composure.

“What about that brat from earlier?”

“I don’t know. But he says he’s my younger brother.”

“What brother? You’re an orphan, Yoo Sowon.”

“What? But he called me hyung. It felt like… we’ve lived together before?”

“What kind of bullshit is that now. What was his name again—Park Ijeong? I’ll look into it tomorrow. Forget it for now.”

He crooked his finger at me.

Only then did I realize—I looked worse than Ijeong.

Dragging my feet, I followed him.

As soon as we entered the bathroom, he yanked my hoodie off.

When he tried to pull off my pants too, I struggled in embarrassment—only to be easily overpowered.

He shoved me into the shower booth and scrubbed me down thoroughly.

Ignoring my repeated insistence that I could do it myself, he wrapped me up in a large towel, his rough hands almost feeling like he was venting.

‘…Is this my punishment? Public humiliation?’

Looking like a freshly hand-washed teddy bear, I turned back before leaving the bathroom.

“Hyung. Next time, I’ll tell you before I go.”

Jaeyoung, crumpling his soaked shirt, tilted his head.

“What?”

“…I mean, I’ll let you know before I leave.”

“Ah.”

His anger had eased a faint smile appeared.

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Because of the entry logs?”

“No.”

I remembered the suited men who always stood outside my hospital room.

“Then… because you’ll assign someone to watch me from now on?”

“That too, but…”

Standing half-naked with his arms crossed, he looked down at me.

“Shouldn’t you be wondering whether you’ll even be allowed to go out anymore?”

“…What?”

“But, Sowon. Are you just going to stand there like that?”

A sharp curve formed at the corner of his lips.

“I’m about to take off my pants.”

Bang!

The door slammed shut as laughter echoed from the other side.