THEO'S POV (Continuing):
When we reached my apartment, I guided her inside.
"Go take a shower, okay?"
She nodded.
A while later, she came out with damp hair, wearing my white shirt. Nothing underneath, it was obvious.
I looked away.
"I couldn't find anything else to wear," she said quietly. "So I picked this."
"It's okay," I replied. "Wear whatever you like. Are you hungry? I made gimbap."
She took it immediately, eating like she hadn't eaten in days.
I sat beside her, gently pulling a strand of hair away from her face while she ate.
Noticing her faint injuries, I went to the drawer, grabbed the first-aid box, and sat in front of her on the floor. After she finished eating, I carefully treated her wounds.
I set the box aside, sat beside her on the couch, and used a tissue to wipe her face, mouth, and hands.
She suddenly grabbed my hand.
"What...."
"Your hand," she said softly. "It's wounded. Look."
I glanced at it then realized I had been so focused on her that I forgot about my own injuries.
"It's nothing," I said.
"It is," she insisted.
She opened the medical box again, cleaned my wound, and wrapped a bandage around my hand.
"There," she said. "Now it's okay."
"Thank you."
She hesitated, then asked quietly, "Theo… am I a monster?"
My eyes widened at the question.
"No. Of course not," I said firmly. "You're not a monster. Every human has a good side and a bad side."
"But not like me," she whispered. "They don't lose control… they don't prey on random people."
I held her hands in mine.
"Listen, Kayla. You're not a monster," I said gently. "Because if you are… then I'm a Dracula."
She smiled weakly and let out a small chuckle.
Wanting to distract her, I quickly thought of something else.
"Do you want to watch a movie?"
She nodded.
"Which one?"
"You choose."
"Okay. Laptop or TV?"
"Laptop."
"Alright. Just wait here."
She nodded.
I went to my room and returned with the laptop but she was already asleep on the couch.
I placed the laptop on the table, carefully picked her up, and carried her to my bedroom. I laid her on the bed. Even in her sleep, she wrapped her arms around herself.
I turned off the air conditioner, but she still shivered, so I brought blankets and tucked her in.
I sat beside her for a moment, lost in thought.
She thinks she's a monster… but she doesn't know how I see her.
An angel.
The day we first met, she saved me. I was a child, ready to give up on myself, trying to drown in a lake, buried under guilt and a worthless life.
She held my hand and pulled me out.
When I opened my eyes, I saw her for the first time. She looked like an angel sent from heaven.
That day, I believed God had given me a second chance, a reason to live.
A reason named Kayla.
I promised myself I would live,not for myself but for her.
After a moment, I stood up, turned off the lights, and quietly left the room.