Red Mansion

“Do I just need to stamp this?”

Gyurim didn’t relax. Suddenly, Chungrim grabbed a shard from the vase at his feet. Before anyone could stop him, he raised the sharp piece above his hand and slammed it down.

“Hey!”

Gyurim shouted and stood up. Blood spurted out as the shard was pulled from the back of Chungrim’s hand. Gyurim hastily removed his suit jacket, relieved that it wasn’t the wrist. Chungrim laughed and tossed the bloody shard away.

“Chungrim! You, crazy—”

Gyurim tried to wrap the bleeding wrist, but Chungrim pulled back. He moved his blood-soaked hand over the contract and pressed his thumb down, smearing blood all over the paper.

“Does this count? Probably not, right?”

His brothers believed this was the only way for him to live a normal and upright life. But Chungrim knew he could never be normal, not with something like this. He was never that kind of person.

“Then let’s forget about it.”

The contract quickly became soaked and tore apart. Chungrim stuffed the shredded paper into the coffee cups on the table.

“Time to give up, brother.”

Whether it was giving up on him or on Red Mansion, or on the hope for a normal life, Gyurim read a warning in Chungrim’s eyes.

“Sigh…”

Gyurim rubbed his forehead. Just when he thought his brother was getting better, he started spilling blood again. Pretending to be fine while spiraling into madness. For the first time, Gyurim wondered if their approach was fundamentally flawed.

Chungrim shook his blood-stained hand and pulled out his wallet, tossing a wad of cash onto the table. The blood-soaked bills slid to the floor. It would take about 20 minutes from here, so he had to leave now to make it on time.

“This is for the mess. Always settle the bill properly.”

Gyurim glanced inside the open CEO’s office. Shards of glass lay scattered on the floor. As usual, Chungrim used money to fix everything, then left the office. Blood droplets marked his path. If there was still no call, maybe Kim Sung-kyung hadn’t woken up because he wasn’t there.

＊＊＊

The hospital room was silent. The mist from the humidifier dispersed and settled. The room was filled with the sharp smell of medicine and the sound of the IV drip. Chungrim looked down at Sung-kyung, propping his chin on his bandaged left hand. He stared at him for quite some time as if watching an amusing spectacle.

“Kim Sung-kyung.”

If Sung-kyung were awake, just hearing his name would make him blush and bow his head, his eyes darting around and hiding behind his hair. It was predictable.

Chungrim tapped his dry fingers. No reaction, which was boring. He squeezed Sung-kyung’s index finger tightly, watching as his nail turned white and then red again. He was alive, no doubt.

“When will you wake up?”

It had been almost a week at the hospital. Sung-kyung had multiple tubes attached, but his condition was stable.

“It’s funny how we both have bandaged hands, right?”

But why wasn’t he waking up? Maybe he was still looking for his parents in his dreams. Or busy running the store in that dream. The absurd thoughts made Chungrim laugh dryly.

He kept pressing Sung-kyung’s fingertips, ensuring blood was circulating well. When he pressed the pinky, the other three fingers curled inward. Chungrim quickly looked up. Slowly but surely, Sung-kyung’s eyelids trembled.

“Kim Sung-kyung.”

Chungrim got up and gently tapped Sung-kyung’s warm cheek. His eyes slowly opened, staring blankly at Chungrim. A flicker of recognition shone in his eyes. His cracked lips moved slightly but then closed.

Chungrim pressed the nurse call button as instructed and kept talking, fearing Sung-kyung would close his eyes again.

“Don’t fall asleep.”

Sung-kyung stared at Chungrim as if seeing a vision. Meeting those clear eyes felt strange.

Why did you do it? Were you really planning to die? Leave me behind? There were so many questions Chungrim wanted to ask when Sung-kyung woke up. But now, none came to mind. His bandaged left hand throbbed painfully. Chungrim clenched his fist.

“We need to go home. Are you staying here?”

That was all he could say. Sung-kyung turned his head slightly and weakly grabbed Chungrim’s finger. The firm grip made it all real. A faint smile appeared on Sung-kyung’s face.

“What? You’re awake?”

Chungrim stepped back as the medical staff entered. He stayed within Sung-kyung’s line of sight, never breaking eye contact. Chungrim didn’t suppress the smile rising in his throat. He could delay questioning him for now.

Waking up didn’t mean everything would go Chungrim’s way. Sung-kyung’s memory was fragmented. He remembered up to a year and a half ago, before his parents fell ill and he took over the store, and when he started enjoying watching Chungrim.

The doctor suggested the memory loss was due to drug side effects and emotional trauma. A familiar doctor gently recommended psychiatric treatment, likely due to the nail marks on Sung-kyung’s wrists and neck.

Chungrim gave the doctor money, mentioning Sung-kyung was from Red Mansion. The doctor immediately understood, thinking it was no surprise given the trashy background.

At first, the doctor refused the money, but as the amount increased, he stopped suggesting psychiatric treatment or mentioning the drugs.

Pouring money into Sung-kyung’s treatment, which wasn’t covered by insurance, Chungrim felt at ease visiting the hospital. If the hospital reported anything, it could cause trouble, so the money was well spent.

“Hey.”

“It’s ‘hyung’, not ‘hey’.”

Chungrim felt a mix of relief and annoyance that Sung-kyung had lost his painful memories. He stayed by Sung-kyung’s side in the hospital, sensing a new opportunity. Perhaps this was a chance to replace all the sad and painful memories with ones involving Chungrim instead. He chose not to consider the possibility that Sung-kyung might regain his memories in the future.

“Hyung?”

“Yeah. You used to call me hyung.”

It wasn’t a lie. Chungrim picked up a neatly cut piece of kiwi with a fork and handed it to Sung-kyung. Sung-kyung took it with his right hand since his left was injured. Chungrim had stocked the fridge with prepared fruit since Sung-kyung needed to eat it every meal.

“Oh…”

Sung-kyung’s expression was awkward. He found it strange that he had called Chungrim, a feared figure at the mansion, “hyung.” As he chewed the kiwi, he closed one eye tightly. Chungrim, seeing this, took the fork and offered another piece.

“But, hyung…”

Sung-kyung seemed embarrassed to call him hyung and kept licking his lips after saying it. After eating the kiwi Chungrim gave him, he carefully asked a question.

“Why are we both injured?”

His left hand was heavily bandaged, and his dark eyes glanced at Chungrim’s left hand as well. Chungrim responded with a low, drawn-out hum.

“Well.”

His voice noticeably dropped. Sung-kyung looked down at his weak left hand.

When he woke up, many things were different from his last memory. The biggest change was his parents’ absence. He learned they had passed away after a long illness. He wanted to remember their last moments but couldn’t.

“I have a bad temper, so I get into fights often. But you…”

Chungrim handed another piece of kiwi to Sung-kyung, who reluctantly accepted it and chewed the sour fruit.

“I don’t know.”

“Really?”

As he nodded slightly, Sung-kyung suddenly wondered why they were at an outside hospital instead of the one at Red Mansion.

“Then why are we at this hospital? The mansion has one too.”

“The quack there got kicked out. Couldn’t even save patients properly. Right?”

“That doctor… was kind of weird.”

Sung-kyung agreed. The medical costs varied wildly, and prices for the same medicine would suddenly increase. He thought the doctor was just after money but didn’t realize he had been kicked out while he was unconscious.

Sung-kyung remembered how much money he had spent on painkillers for his parents and frowned.

“Any other questions?”

When he first woke up, Sung-kyung felt overwhelmed by Chungrim’s presence and avoided eye contact. Now he could ask questions more comfortably, like before.

“Oh, the convenience store.”

Chungrim raised an eyebrow at the mention of the store. That thought lingered whether Sung-kyung was sane, out of his mind, or had lost his memory.

“You quit that long ago. Don’t worry about it.”

“Then, how did I make money?”

“You used the money I gave you. You spent a lot, even a few hundred a day.”

Living at Red Mansion, Sung-kyung had been cautious with every penny. Now he couldn’t believe he was spending hundreds a day. He looked incredulous.

“I did?”

“Yeah. Just keep spending like that. You have a lot of money.”

“…”

“No need to follow anyone offering money. No need to sell your organs.”

Chungrim laughed as he said this.

Sung-kyung never considered selling his organs. He slowly rolled his eyes. Chungrim’s words were all things he could follow. After all, there was no one offering him money.

As Sung-kyung pondered Chungrim’s words, he asked the most fundamental question. It was a broad one. Why was Chungrim in the hospital with him, staying by his side, and acting like his guardian?

“Why do I get to spend your money so freely?”

Chungrim smiled and explained. This was where he had to step in. If Sung-kyung couldn’t remember the reason, Chungrim would create one.

“You’ve always been dependent on me. I’ve been holding your life and ours together. Those two years you can’t remember were filled with me.”

“We’re that close?”

“Yeah.”

“You clung to me, never letting me leave.”

It wasn’t entirely untrue. Chungrim spoke without a hint of hesitation, enjoying Sung-kyung’s changing expressions.

“Us?”

“Yeah.”

“I clung to you…”

Sung-kyung tried to gauge the reality. Remembering Chungrim from his past made it seem not entirely impossible. But it was surprising that someone he only watched from a distance would stay by his side if he clung to him.

“Just like that.”

Sung-kyung muttered softly. His cheeks started to flush, and he lowered his head, revealing his curved eyes beneath. The somber expression Chungrim had seen behind the counter remained unchanged. As expected, no one satisfied Chungrim as much as Kim Sung-kyung. It had always been that way, and it would continue to be so.

“Yeah. You only have me. Just keep living like that.”

For Sung-kyung, who had lost his parents and his place to live, Chungrim was all that was left. As intended, Sung-kyung quickly absorbed those words. The illusion was easy. It was what Sung-kyung had always wanted.

“…Okay.”

The first news Chungrim delivered to the dazed Sung-kyung was the death of his parents. Of course, he didn’t tell him straightforwardly. He twisted the story, starting from the time when Sung-kyung struggled the most.

He said they passed away two years ago, shortly after falling ill. He didn’t mention that they died from the heat in Red Mansion Room 109 Hospital. It seemed to be the biggest trigger for Sung-kyung’s breakdown.

Taking care of his sick parents, eating spoiled porridge, struggling to survive in Red Mansion, and scrambling for money for medicine—all of that was wiped clean with Chungrim’s words.

While Chungrim recounted the deaths of his parents, Sung-kyung didn’t shed a single tear. Perhaps the time spent nursing them for those two years had left him with no regrets.

Chungrim liked that. It meant that not even his parents could sway Kim Sung-kyung this time.

＊＊＊

Chungrim became a bit busier. He stopped moving according to his brothers’ wishes and took a new direction. Instead of handing Red Mansion over to someone else, he decided to demolish it.

He thought it would be good to build a resort or a casino hotel in place of the mansion. He didn’t intend to return to drug dealing, but it seemed like a good way to provoke his brothers by taking over their business.

He had to make arrangements with the deputy manager who was supposed to handle the resort and the companies preparing for construction to discuss the new plans. However, leaving Sung-kyung behind made him reluctant. He didn’t know if he would run back to Red Mansion barefoot or do something reckless. Even though he claimed not to remember, Chungrim wasn’t sure, so he handled everything in the hospital room for now.

“I heard you were in charge of the Janghyeon-dong redevelopment.”

Sung-kyung walked around the hospital room. His shin, which had been fractured, seemed to have healed well as he walked without discomfort. His sharp gaze slowly followed his frail body. He stopped in front of Chungrim’s coat hanging on the rack and seemed to bury his head in it. Then, he raised his hand with his thumb and index finger pressed together.

“Then send that by text.”

Chungrim quickly finished his call and reached out his hand. Sung-kyung approached the sofa. When he was far away, Chungrim hadn’t noticed, but there was a long, white hair between his fingers. Had Mero’s hair stuck to his coat?

“Mero’s hair.”

“Mero…”

As Chungrim explained, he took the hair from Sung-kyung’s fingers and placed it in the trash can under the table.

“The cat we have at home.”

“Cat?”

“Yeah.”

He recalled the small silhouettes clinging to the window through the CCTV. It annoyed him that he had seen them at Red Mansion.

“Home… But when can I leave? I’m not sick anymore.”

Sung-kyung had suffered from severe wrist pain for a while. Although the period of pain that kept his from sleeping had passed, he still lacked strength. Even if he fully recovered, he wouldn’t regain enough grip strength to hold things tightly.

“When the doctor says you can. The doctor here isn’t a quack.”

He emphasized to Sung-kyung how different and much better the outside world was compared to Red Mansion, to the point where he wouldn’t even think about going back. His scrutinizing gaze slowly scanned Sung-kyung sitting beside him.

“You don’t like sitting on the sofa.”

“Really?”

Sung-kyung glanced down at the floor. Indeed, the sofa was unfamiliar to him. Could he sit on the hospital floor instead? His innocent face reflected his curiosity.

“Here.”

Chungrim patted his solid thigh. When Sung-kyung scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, Chungrim grabbed his thin arm and pulled him over. He almost forced him onto his thigh, then rested his cheek against his chest, creating a small embrace.

. As he listened to the fast heartbeat, Chungrim closed his eyes. As he took a deep breath, he felt a faint hand gently stroking his back. The cost of creating a non-existent habit was quite rewarding. Chungrim silently opened his eyes.

“Even if you forget, you have to sit like this.”

Chungrim swallowed hard and pressed his cheek deeper. His bony frame and the overpowering smell of medicine made it a poor embrace. But it was astonishing that Kim Sung-kyung, who had nothing and was pitifully shabby, was the only one who made him feel content without giving him a penny.

The fact that Kim Sung-kyung, who had nothing and was utterly pitiful, was becoming his one and only made him inexplicably happy.

＊＊＊

When Chungrim said he would be leaving for a while, Sung-kyung showed extreme anxiety. He even resisted sleep, claiming he wouldn’t sleep at all. Perhaps due to Chungrim’s brainwashing of his importance, Sung-kyung responded with tremendous trust and reliance. It was endearing. Sung-kyung, glaring at the ceiling with bloodshot eyes, succumbed to the medication after 3 o’clock.

Taking that opportunity, Chungrim went home. Mero, who had been alone during that time, hurried out to greet Chungrim.

“Mero, have you been good?”

Meow. The furball clung to his shin as if answering. Thanks to the trustworthy thug he had tasked, the food bowl was full and the water was clean. As he stroked the soft fur a few times, Mero purred in delight.

Mero, that guy doesn’t remember you. But you remember him, right? So keep pestering him like now. Keep bothering him so he can’t think about anything else, okay? Mero meowed back as Chungrim murmured, looking into the green eyes.

Opening the drawer with the sticker labeled “Three Snacks” written by Kim Sung-kyung, he took out a few treats and gave them to the small cat. As he watched the cat munching away, he lifted his head. Outside, it was dark, and the city lights were faint. The occasional red light from passing cars was all that could be seen. Chungrim stood up and went to sit by the window in the corner, the spot where Sung-kyung often sat.

“You can see it from here too.”

He had never intentionally looked for the Red Mansion. He had no interest in watching it, so he never bothered to check.

From the corner window, the Red Mansion appeared old, shabby, and eerie. The red paint that spelled “RED” was peeling in many places. Chungrim wondered what thoughts Kim Sung-kyung had while looking at the Red Mansion from here. Did he want to return? Is that why he would talk about the convenience store and room 422 at night?

“Hmmm.”

He leaned back on the sofa, stretching his legs out. Mero, having eaten the treats and drunk some water, approached him. Hearing the small footsteps, Chungrim chuckled softly. Turning his body, he leaned his arm on the sofa and spoke to Mero.

“Shall we hide that brother?”

The green eyes blinked slowly as if agreeing with Chungrim’s words. His firm finger gently stroked between the cat’s eyebrows.

“We should go somewhere he can’t see. You don’t like looking at that either, right?”

After staring at the mansion with Mero for a while, Chungrim finally moved.

It was just past four o’clock when he arrived at the hospital. He got out of the car, carrying a shopping bag with clothes to change into. If his twin brothers or the bulky guys he used to hang out with saw this, they’d be surprised. Kwon Chungrim taking care of someone was an unfamiliar sight. It felt strange even to him.

Maybe he should hire a caregiver to look after Kim Sung-kyung, like he did during the last outing. They would be more skilled than him in many ways. But this time, he didn’t want to. Despite knowing that money could make life easier in every way, he didn’t want to.

The quiet hallway echoed softly with the sliding door’s noise. Dim lights filled the hospital room. Squinting his eyes, Chungrim stepped inside. The figure that should be on the bed was nowhere to be seen. A chill ran down his spine. He threw the shopping bag to the floor and yanked the blanket off the bed.

“……”

Seeing the empty bed, he clenched his fists, veins bulging on the back of his hand. He threw the sheet aside and was about to storm out when he suddenly stopped. Somewhere, he could hear irregular breathing.

He circled the bed and headed to the opposite side. There, under the cabinet, he found Sung-kyung, barefoot and curled up, with his ears tightly covered.

“Kim Sung-kyung.”

Chungrim’s jaw muscles bulged aggressively as he ground his teeth. Desperately lowering himself, he grabbed Sung-kyung’s wrist, the one not wrapped in bandages, and forcefully lifted his face.

“Are you hearing things again?”

A fierce gaze bore into Sung-kyung. Trembling eyelashes slowly opened. The two eyes, filled with fear, met in midair.

“…Again, v—”

Incomplete syllables faintly escaped his lips. Chungrim tilted his head.

“What?”

“……”

Sung-kyung didn’t speak anymore. He just stared up at Chungrim with an unreadable expression. Feeling the pulse in his palm, Chungrim steadied his breathing.

“Are you hearing nonsense again?”

Sung-kyung faintly asked through his chapped lips.

“…What nonsense?”

For a moment, Chungrim thought Sung-kyung might have regained his memories or was hearing things again. He often had such thoughts, given the way Sung-kyung acted every dawn. But thankfully, it wasn’t hallucinations.

The Kim Sung-kyung he knew could be controlled even if he lost his mind. The current Kim Sung-kyung was ambiguous. He probably forgot how desperately he clung to Chungrim and what kind of pleasure they shared. All their shared memories must have faded away.

“If you’re not hearing things, it’s fine.”

“Where did you go? You said you wouldn’t leave.”

Sung-kyung clung to Chungrim’s clothes with his bandaged left hand. He couldn’t grip tightly, just placing his hand there. Yet Chungrim willingly let himself be held by that weak hand.

“Does it matter? I came back.”

“……”

“Isn’t it important that I came back? Isn’t it?”

Sung-kyung lowered his head, his eyes obscured by his hair. Feeling an odd sense of frustration, Chungrim brushed aside the tousled bangs. He thought he should cut it tomorrow. A faint smile spread across the pale, gaunt face.

That night, the night Sung-kyung slit his wrists, if only he had returned a bit sooner. Would they be having this conversation? If he had arrived before Sung-kyung made that choice, would he have been glad to see Chungrim return? Could they have driven home together?

“…Yes, that’s what matters. You’re right.”

Sung-kyung’s bandaged hand clung to Chungrim’s clothes for a long time.

＊＊＊

During Sung-kyung’s hospital stay, many things changed. For the first time in his life, Sung-kyung had a health check-up. When he asked if it was okay to be in the hospital without an ID, they gave the usual answer that money could take care of anything.

By the time of discharge, Sung-kyung had gained 0.5kg. Chungrim insisted he needed to gain at least another kilogram within ten days.

There were changes for Chungrim as well. For one, Kim Sung-kyung was now entirely in his care. Going home was not a solitary affair but with Sung-kyung. The car, stained with blood, was replaced, and their destination changed.

The new house was far from the Red Mansion and positioned so that it was no longer visible, even through the windows. All the furniture was replaced. The only items brought from the previous home were Mero’s belongings and the CCTV.

The river was visible from the wide-open window. Being on the top floor, the balcony was spacious, and a sunroom had been constructed. The schedule had been tight to coincide with the discharge, but the result was satisfying. It would be a space where his little cat and Kim Sung-kyung could spend their daytime.

Sung-kyung felt unfamiliar sitting in the passenger seat and even more so riding the elevator with Chungrim. Following Chungrim, he carefully stepped into the house. Then he widened his eyes, busy inspecting every corner of the house.

The interior was incredibly luxurious, with cameras hanging from various spots on the ceiling. It seemed there were no blind spots anywhere.

“Don’t just stand there, looking lost. Sit down.”

Chungrim, pulling Sung-kyung who was naturally looking at the floor, made him sit on the sofa before leaving the room for a while. Water sounds were heard soon from where Chungrim had gone, indicating he had entered the bathroom.

A cat poked its head out through the gap in the open door. As Sung-kyung, engrossed in looking around, didn’t notice it, the cat meowed to catch his attention.

“……”

Sung-kyung, meeting the cat’s green eyes, smiled faintly. Mero blinked slowly and leapt to a spot not far from Sung-kyung.

“Mero……”

Sung-kyung mumbled the name softly as if recalling what Chungrim had mentioned before. The cat’s tail swayed gently in the air, and Sung-kyung couldn’t take his eyes off the soft-looking grey fur.

“Mero must be happy to have company.”

At the sound of Chungrim’s chuckle, Sung-kyung turned his head. Standing at the bathroom door, Chungrim gestured for him to come over. Sung-kyung hesitated but eventually moved towards him.

“Ah—.”

As soon as Sung-kyung entered the powder room in front of the bathroom, Chungrim began unbuttoning his shirt without hesitation. His slightly damp hands didn’t falter as they undid the buttons, quickly stripping off his trousers and underwear. Suddenly naked, Sung-kyung blushed.

Chungrim quickly surveyed his thin body and then seated Sung-kyung in the bathtub. With his left hand uncomfortable, it was difficult for him to wash alone, but with Chungrim’s help, he managed to shower. Although calling it help was an understatement since Chungrim did almost everything, Sung-kyung’s cheeks remained flushed throughout the process.

“The water didn’t seem too hot.”

As Chungrim dried his hair, he gently tapped Sung-kyung’s flushed cheek with the back of his hand.

“You’re thinking perverted thoughts again, aren’t you?”

Seeing Chungrim’s smirk in the mirror, Sung-kyung could only lower his head. He didn’t even bother denying it. His exposed neck turned entirely red, though he was the only one unaware of it.

After eating, they sat in the sunroom for a long time. The river turned crimson as the sun set, sparkling in the light. Although the sun must have set at the hospital too, it felt different seeing it from here. The wind stirred the water, and cars drove in lines. There was a coexistence of tranquility and chaos. Sung-kyung liked this moment. Perhaps because it felt similar to his mind.

He occasionally watched the cat on the table and sensed Chungrim’s presence in the living room, staring at him. If it weren’t for the bandages on his left hand, it would have been a perfectly peaceful and happy moment. Or maybe, it was a time earned because of his left hand’s condition. Sung-kyung smiled silently.

Contrary to his resistance to sleep at the hospital, Sung-kyung quietly fell asleep. It seemed he had adapted to the comfort the word ‘home’ provided.

However, Chungrim struggled to fall asleep even past midnight. Was it a habit? Anxiety welled up every night. He worried that Kim Sung-kyung might hear hallucinations again or go crazy. Or worse, slip away from his grasp once more.

Even when forcing his eyes closed, blood-soaked floors appeared beneath his eyelids. Blood-stained pillow covers. How could such a small body lose so much blood? Chungrim jolted awake.

“Ha. I’m losing it.”

Sweat had beaded on his forehead. Running a hand through his damp hair, Chungrim reached out to touch the adjacent spot. His palm met warm, dry skin. Kim Sung-kyung wasn’t dead; he was alive, within arm’s reach. Only after confirming this several times did Chungrim get up.

Even when showering, he couldn’t close the bathroom door. It was strange. Why was he so affected? He had seen countless bodies lying gruesomely. Why was he so disturbed by a bit of blood on the floor? After all, Kim Sung-kyung wasn’t dead. Why was it such a big deal?

He wiped the foggy mirror. The only reflection was a sharply alert Kwon Chungrim with bloodshot eyes, staring out of the bathroom.

＊＊＊

Sung-kyung adapted quickly and found stability in the new house. He didn’t hear hallucinations or say strange things. His once gaunt cheeks gradually filled out, and his weight steadily increased, though slowly. The only one still uneasy was Chungrim. He still had trouble sleeping at night and reacted sensitively to Sung-kyung’s memory.

“Do you remember anything?”

It was a question he asked several times a day. It was a sharp, almost threatening question, as if he would be angry if Sung-kyung remembered.

“No.”

The answer was always the same. Sung-kyung would shake his head calmly.

“Really.”

“Yes.”

Only after receiving this confirmation would Chungrim’s lips curl up. After glancing up briefly at Chungrim’s visibly relieved face, Sung-kyung would bury his head back in his notebook. Finally, Chungrim felt at ease. Despite losing his memory, Sung-kyung was still obedient. Chungrim idly stroked his round head while examining the words in the notebook. He had to use a blunt pen, so it was filled with childish colored pencils. The purple writing spread out and smudged.

Three snacks a day for Mero. Play with the toy mouse…

It seemed he was recording how to take care of Mero as Chungrim had roughly instructed him. Chungrim had given him a new notebook, and this was the first entry. Sung-kyung’s eyes sparkled as he quickly became engrossed in the notebook.

Chungrim watched him silently, assessing. Although he was obedient now due to his lost memory, who knew when he might lose his mind again and act out. Chungrim’s sharp eyes lingered on Sung-kyung’s innocent profile.

The tension was broken by the vibration of the phone left on the sofa. Chungrim glanced at the screen before clicking his tongue and walking away. Mero was still watching the window, and Sung-kyung was absorbed in his notebook. After ensuring the cameras were working, Chungrim answered the call.

“Yeah.”

Chungrim glanced at Sung-kyung. He was still busy writing in his notebook. It wouldn’t take more than five minutes, and he could pull up the CCTV on his tablet, so this much should be fine.