"Ah... ah... ah... It's Min-su! I can't believe it!"
Min-su froze in place, as though his soul had abandoned his body for a moment.
He had been recognized.
His fingers clenched until his knuckles turned white. Then he forced a faint smile onto his gloomy face and slowly turned toward the source of the voice.
Placing a finger against his lips, he whispered,
"Shh... shh... calm down."
"Aaaah! I can't control myself!"
The young woman fidgeted wildly, practically bouncing with excitement.
Min-su quickly glanced around, fear plain in his eyes.
"You're going to attract attention."
He gestured for her to lower her voice.
She pressed a hand against her chest, struggling to catch her breath.
"I... I'm one of your biggest fans, Min-su."
Tears suddenly welled in her eyes.
"I love you... You're my whole world."
She hurriedly unlocked her phone.
His photograph filled the wallpaper, while the rest of the screen was crowded with more pictures and videos of him.
"Look... my phone is full of you."
A weary but gentle smile touched his lips.
"Thank you for your support."
Yet the panic never left his eyes, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
More than anything, he feared people gathering around him.
He no longer had the strength to carry any burden—
no matter how small.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed several people beginning to look in their direction.
The girl's scream had attracted attention.
Exactly what he had feared.
Distant flashes of light struck him like a blow.
Memories surged back.
A ringing filled his ears.
Pain exploded through his skull.
For a moment, he could barely keep his eyes open.
All he wanted was to disappear.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small tin of mint candies and offered it to her with a warm smile.
"It's all I have in my jacket."
Then, apologetically, he added,
"Sorry... I don't have anything else."
After that, he buried himself deeper inside his jacket, hiding his face, and hurried toward his car.
In a place almost completely deserted, Min-su sat atop his car, his head tilted toward the distant horizon.
One hand stretched into the cold air, allowing the wind to play with his pale fingers.
Delicate golden rays slipped through the morning sky, as though escaping from a forgotten age, brushing softly against his cheeks.
His eyelashes fluttered slowly, trying to flee from the sunlight.
Suddenly, his phone rang, snapping the thread of his thoughts.
"Ah... Seo-hyeon."
"Min-su, are you okay now?"
A weak smile appeared on his face.
"Do you love me that much?"
The response came sharp and irritated.
"You idiot! You scared me half to death!"
The smile gradually faded.
"Don't worry... I'll outlive you."
Silence lingered between them.
Then Min-su added teasingly,
"Where are you?
Jealous?
Or do you just want to live a long life?"
This time, Seo-hyeon's voice turned serious.
"If that's what you want... then live however you please.
I've come back.
I'm here now."
Min-su tried to end the call quickly.
He was tired of everything—
the medication,
the treatment,
his entire life.
But Seo-hyeon's voice stopped him.
"If you don't come, I'll come to your house myself.
And you know exactly what I'm capable of."
Min-su let out a defeated sigh.
"Fine... I'm coming."
As soon as he arrived home, he headed straight for the bathroom.
He stripped off his clothes carelessly, tossing them into every corner.
The mess was no longer a habit.
It had become part of him.
He stood beneath the hot water in complete silence.
Droplets slid down his hair and across his tense body, which had turned red from the heat without him even noticing.
His fingers moved through his damp hair.
From the outside, he looked perfect.
But inside...
he was living in a hell he could barely endure.
Closing his eyes, he whispered to himself,
"I'm okay...
I won't fall apart again.
If I give up...
this time, it'll be the end of me."
When he finished, he wrapped a towel around his waist and stood before his wardrobe.
Choosing an outfit took no time at all.
Black dominated everything inside.
Before leaving, however, his gaze landed on the bottle of medication resting on the table.
He stopped.
Stared at it for a long moment.
Should he surrender?
Or continue resisting a reality that drained him more with each passing day?
Suddenly, the voice of a news anchor echoed from the television.
"This morning, a body was discovered inside Seoul Forest Park, buried in a pit and concealed beneath piles of wood. Preliminary investigations indicate that the victim's body was dismembered with remarkable precision. Authorities have not yet been able to determine the victim's identity."
Min-su sighed indifferently.
Ignoring the report, he left for Seo-hyeon's clinic.
He pushed open the clinic door without knocking.
Hiding his identity was never easy.
Even with a cap and mask, there was always the risk that someone would recognize him.
A single rumor was enough to ignite a storm that would never end.
That was the price of fame.
He shut the door quickly and leaned against it, exhausted.
The moment Seo-hyeon saw him, he stormed over and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"You idiot! Did you stop taking your medication without telling me?! Do you have any idea how worried you've made me?!"
His anger only grew.
"Think about Hye-mi, at least! She spends half her life at your house taking care of you!"
Min-su didn't move.
He simply covered his head with his hands, retreating into his familiar silence.
After a few moments, Seo-hyeon exhaled and forced himself to calm down.
Adjusting his appearance, he spoke more gently.
"Wait here. I only have one patient left. I'll be back as soon as I'm done."
Then he added threateningly,
"And if you disappear...
I'll kill you myself."
Min-su lay back on the examination bed, studying the office around him.
"Nothing has changed..."
he murmured.
"Not since the last time."
The world remained the same.
The same colors.
The same sky.
So why had his own world lost all of its color?
Do I live because I keep moving forward?
Or do I keep moving forward simply because I'm still alive?
Am I nothing more than a mistake inside this vast universe?
And if that mistake had never happened...
Would I still have become who I am today?
Millions of fans.
Fame.
All of this.
Was it destiny?
Or a curse?
Seo-hyeon finally returned, his usual calm restored.
Looking at Min-su sincerely, he said,
"I know we're not brothers by blood...
but you're more of a brother to me than anyone else."
He gestured toward the awards displayed around the room.
"All of this...
it's because of you.
Your support is what brought me here."
He sighed before continuing.
"Even my specialty was chosen because of you. Your illness was the reason.
You've sacrificed so much for us—
for Hye-mi and me.
We're family.
So don't let your fears devour you."
Min-su lowered his head in embarrassment, rubbing his hands together nervously.
"I'm sorry..."
His voice cracked.
"But I'm dying, Seo-hyeon.
These medications are draining me.
I'm not who I used to be.
The smallest effort exhausts me...
and I feel like a burden to my group."
Silence settled between them.
Then Seo-hyeon spoke firmly.
"It's time.
Time to face the memories you've forgotten."
Min-su's body stiffened instantly.
What his mind had forgotten...
his soul had not.
His eyes widened in shock.
"The hallucinations are getting worse..." he whispered.
"It appears suddenly, then vanishes, then comes back again.
Taller.
Clearer.
More terrifying.
Its voice...
its appearance...
even its whispers feel real now."
Seo-hyeon stepped closer.
"I'll come to your house.
We'll take the first step together."
Then he added with quiet determination,
"Don't worry.
I won't leave you alone."
Min-su slowly rose and walked toward the door.
Before he could leave, Seo-hyeon's voice stopped him.
"When are you going to look at my face again?
Are you still unable to do it?"
Min-su froze.
He took a step backward without fully turning around.
Then he replied in a low, cold voice.
"You know why.
Don't pretend otherwise."
Pain flashed across Seo-hyeon's face.
"It's been years, Min-su.
Let it go."
"I've told you countless times that I've forgiven you."
Min-su swallowed hard.
His fingers trembled around the doorknob.
"As long as you continue...
to refuse treatment..."
He stopped for several seconds, as though choking on the words themselves.
"I'm sorry...
I can't."
Then he left.
Silence filled the room.
Slowly, Seo-hyeon raised a hand and ran his fingers over the old scar that marred his cheek.
A short, hopeless laugh escaped him.
"What about me?"
He lowered his head.
"You can't bear to look at my face..."
A broken smile appeared on his lips.
"And yet...
I never had the luxury of escaping this face.
Not even for a single day."