"My driver will arrive at your house in ten minutes. Get ready," said Joshua on the other end of the phone, his tone light but filled with unmistakable excitement.
"Alright, I'll get ready right away," replied Alvano, his voice still trembling, but now filled with a rekindled sense of determination.
As soon as the call ended, Alvano moved quickly. He didn't bother to carefully pick his clothes, just grabbed what was neatly hanging on the chair near his bed—a plain black T-shirt and a pair of soft fabric pants. He brushed his hair quickly in front of the mirror, then put on a thin jacket to keep out the morning chill.
His stomach growled softly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything since last night. So, Alvano went to the kitchen and made himself a cup of warm tea while grabbing a few slices of white bread. He ate quickly—just enough to keep himself from getting dizzy during the trip. There was no time to enjoy anything today because his mind was focused on only one thing: Theo was awake.
A few minutes later, the sound of a car horn echoed from the front yard. Alvano immediately put on his shoes and said a quick goodbye to his grandfather, who was sitting in the living room.
"I'm heading out, Grandpa!"
"Be careful on the road!" his grandfather replied, still slightly confused by his grandson's sudden burst of excitement.
Alvano jumped into the car and immediately greeted Joshua's driver, who was already waiting.
"Good morning, young master," the driver said kindly.
"Morning! Can we go a little faster? I really can't wait any longer."
"Of course, sir," the driver replied swiftly, taking on his role as if he were a professional chauffeur.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Joshua had already arrived at the hospital. He sat beside Theo's bed, which had been moved to a regular ward after his vital signs stabilized. At four in the morning, Theo had finally opened his eyes… and now, everything started to feel alive again.
Theo was surprised when Joshua entered the room. He paused mid-bite on the porridge the nurse had given him, his eyes widening briefly before curling into a faint smile. His face was still pale, but his gaze had regained the spark of life it once had.
"Joshua…?" he murmured softly.
Joshua nodded and stepped closer, a relieved smile spreading across his face. "You can still pull that dumb face, huh? Guess you haven't changed," he chuckled, watching Theo struggle to swallow the porridge with a sour expression.
Theo let out a small laugh, though he still felt pain throughout his body. "Of course. I'm not going to die that easily, idiot."
Joshua sighed in relief, then sat in the chair beside the bed. His eyes lingered on Theo with warmth and a trace of worry. "But… how did you end up like that, Theo? What really happened?"
But Theo only responded with silence. His eyes shifted toward the window, avoiding the question. He didn't want to talk about it now.
"Has Alvano arrived yet?" he asked, deliberately changing the subject.
Joshua caught the hint and didn't push further. He nodded. "He's on his way. I called him earlier. My driver's picking him up now. I also informed Mr. Daejin that we're here."
Theo nodded slowly. "So, it's Friday now, huh?" he murmured, realizing he should be at school instead of lying in a hospital bed with an IV in his hand.
Joshua smiled again, trying to lighten the mood. "Yeah, and you're officially the reason everyone gets to skip math class today."
Theo chuckled weakly. "I'm amazing, huh? But seriously… I'm fine. Don't worry too much. My body's strong enough to handle a few bruises."
Joshua looked at his friend in silence, then nodded softly. But deep down, he knew Theo's wounds went far beyond the physical.
Theo took a slow breath and leaned back against the pillow. His eyes focused on Joshua with an unusually serious look.
"Honestly, the one who should be in this hospital bed is Alvano, not me," he said flatly, though concern laced his tone. "The injuries he took were bad for his body. I saw it with my own eyes… he was thrown pretty far, and his body was badly bruised."
Joshua froze for a moment, his face tightening.
Slowly, he nodded, as if realizing something. "Now that I think about it… Alvano did look fine yesterday. But that's because he was too busy blaming himself and worrying about you. Maybe… his physical pain was numbed by his emotions."
Theo stared at him deeply before speaking in a low voice. "He's pushing himself. And you, Jo… you need to be more aware. He's our friend."
Joshua lowered his head slightly, guilt showing on his face. "Yeah… I was too focused on you to really notice how bad he was."
A few seconds of silence passed before Theo spoke again.
"By the way, did Alvano tell you the full story?"
Joshua nodded slowly. "Yeah… he told me everything. About that mysterious man too. I even reported it to the police. I asked them to investigate based on his description."
But before Joshua could continue, Theo raised his hand, stopping him.
"Cancel it. The police won't be able to do anything. It's pointless."
Joshua's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Theo looked straight at him. "That man… he's not ordinary. They won't be able to fight him. They might not even be able to get close."
Joshua froze, speechless. His gut feeling grew stronger—this wasn't just a random attack. Something deeper was going on… and it all seemed connected to Theo.
He stepped closer, his voice serious. "Theo… what were you really doing when you skipped school yesterday? What happened?"
But before Theo could answer, the door suddenly burst open.
"Theo!!!"
Alvano rushed in, breathing heavily, his face flushed from running all the way from the hospital lobby. Without thinking, he went straight to Theo and pulled him into a hug.
"You… you're really awake… I thought—" His voice caught in his throat, his emotions overflowing in that embrace.
Theo smiled faintly, patting his friend's shoulder gently. "I'm alive, Van… calm down."
Joshua quickly grabbed Alvano's arm, pulling him back a little. "Hey, easy there. Don't press on him like that," he said worriedly. "You think he's fully recovered? He might just be forcing himself to look fine."
Alvano froze for a moment, then nodded slowly. He realized that even though Theo looked okay, his body might still be far from healed.
Theo just smiled faintly at their exchange. "I'm not that weak, Jo. But thanks for caring," he said, trying to reassure them.
After that, Joshua decided to give them some space. He stood and said softly, "I'll step out for a bit… you two probably have things to talk about."
Theo nodded, and Alvano only glanced at Joshua briefly before turning his gaze back to his friend.
As Joshua stepped into the hallway, his mind was flooded with suspicion again. His eyes stared blankly at the hospital corridor.
'What was Theo really doing yesterday?' he thought silently. 'He's hiding something… and I'm sure it's connected to that attack.'
He let out a long sigh, his gut telling him more than ever—this wasn't just a simple incident.