On the last day of middle school, Mr. Choi called Jisoo again. This time, Jisoo wasn't trembling.
He had done what was asked of him.
When he entered the room, Mr. Choi looked at him slowly from head to toe as if inspecting something he owned.
"How are you doing?" he asked casually.
"I'm fine, sir," Jisoo replied, standing straight. "Sir, you asked me to date him. We are dating."
A faint smile curved on Mr. Choi's lips.
"Oh. That's good. I should reward you."
"No, sir," Jisoo said quickly. "You don't need to. All I need is that please treat him better. ."
"Break up with him." Mr Choi words cut through the air.
Jisoo blinked.
"…What?"
"Break up with him," Mr. Choi repeated, calm and controlled.
"Sir… why?" Jisoo's voice cracked slightly. "I did what you asked."
"Your work is finished."
Mr. Choi leaned back in his chair.
"I want my son to enter a great college. And I think he will get stuck with you. It's better if you stay away."
"I won't get in his way," Jisoo said urgently. "I promise. I'll help him. I won't distract him. But I can't break up with him. He'll get hurt."
Mr. Choi's eyes hardened.
"Jisoo, if you don't do what I say… I will make Seungmin suffer."
Silence.
"So it's better you stay away from him. If you want to save him."
Jisoo swallowed.
"How can I trust you?" he asked quietly. "You said if I dated him, you would stop beating him. And now you're saying if I don't break up, you'll beat him again?"
Mr. Choi stood up slowly.
"I am being very lenient with you. Because of your mother and because of Jaehan. Don't test that."
He stepped closer.
"You don't know what will happen if you stop dating him. But you know exactly what will happen if you continue."
A pause.
"It's your choice."
The words echoed inside Jisoo's head. Choice.
It wasn't a choice.
And then a knock interrupted the silence.
"Come in," Mr. Choi said.
Seungmin entered the room and saw Jisoo standing there, he froze just for a second. But he forced himself to stay normal.
"Dad, one of your men gave me this bag. He told me to bring it to you."
"Good," Mr. Choi said smoothly. "Now give it to Jisoo."
Seungmin frowned but obeyed. He handed the bag to Jisoo. Jisoo grabbed it without looking at him.
"Now you have your money," Mr. Choi said. "Stay away from my son."
Seungmin's expression changed.
"Dad… you're paying him to stay away from me?"
His voice wasn't loud — it was confused.
"He is my only friend. Why are you doing this."
"I am not paying to stay away from you.," Mr. Choi replied. "l'm paying him for staying with you all this time."
The room went silent. Seungmin turned slowly toward Jisoo. Jisoo was staring at the floor. Seungmin stepped closer. He grabbed Jisoo's hand.
"Jisoo," he said softly. "Is he telling the truth?"
No answer. He looked at him. Maybe he will answer. So he asked him.
"Tell me you were not with me because he told you to."
Dead silence.
Seungmin's grip tightened. He knew his father's nature. So he understood why jisoo was acting like that. He just wanted to save his relationship.
"It's fine," he whispered desperately. "Even if that's how it started… just tell me what we had was real."
His voice broke.
"I'm not angry. I swear I'm not angry. Just say it was real."
All Jisoo had to do was look up. He didn't. Seungmin's hand slowly slipped from his. He felt something inside him crack. Still...he reached again, grabbing Jisoo's hand a second time.
"Please," he whispered. "Just look at me."
Jisoo's fingers trembled.
"Jisoo… if you're scared of him, just raise your head. Just anything. Don't stand like this."
Still nothing.
Seungmin never showed a lot of emotions. But he learned to express himself with words.
"If I hadn't met you… I would've died," he said quietly. "You gave me a new life."
A pause.
"Just so you could take it away."
That broke something permanently
Mr Choi couldn't take all this drama anymore.
"Leave my house," Mr. Choi barked. "You've got your money."
Jisoo gently removed Seungmin's hand from his sleeve. Seungmin kept on looking at his face. Maybe just once he will look him in his eye. He resisted leaving his sleeve. But it didn't happen.
He bowed. And walked out. Seungmin didn't chase him immediately. He was too shocked to do that. He stood frozen. Heavily breathing. Then suddenly he moved toward the door.
Mr. Choi blocked him.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going after him."
"Why?"
Seungmin's eyes were red.
"I don't care if it was a lie," he said. "I love him. That's enough. Even if he doesn't love me… I'll make him love me."
Mr. Choi's voice turned cold.
"Leave this room."
A pause.
"And that Jisoo is dead."
Seungmin froze.
"Dad… what did I do wrong?" he whispered. "Why are you doing this to me? Why do you hate me so much?"
Mr. Choi didn't answer. He walked out. And locked the door from outside.
For the first time in his life, Seungmin banged on the door.
"Dad! Please open it!"
No one answered.
"I won't ask for anything again! Just let me see him. Just once. I know he loves me. Dad please! I love him. Please dad, I love him so much.
Silence. No one opened it for him. Five days went straight. No proper food. No sleep. Memories replayed endlessly.
The lake.
The rooftop.
The mountains.
The first kiss.
Sometimes he hated Jisoo. Sometimes he wanted to run to him. His mind began to fracture under isolation.
When Mr. Choi finally returned, it was almost one week. Mr Choi opened the lock and entered while Seungmin was sitting on the floor.
Hollow holding his head with both his head.
"So," Mr. Choi said calmly, sitting at his desk. "Do you understand your mistake?"
Seungmin looked up. If he stayed in that room any longer, he would lose his mind. So he said what his father wanted to hear.
"Yes, Dad."
A pause.
"I shouldn't have trusted him. I was a fool."
Mr. Choi smiled.
"Good boy. Now get up."
He stood up with the remaining strength he got inside him.
"Go to your room. I'll send you food."
Seungmin walked out obediently.
But something inside him had shut down.
Not love.
Trust.
But his whole life. And more than that his whole existence.