Unrequited Love Thresher-Chapter 57: Just One Word: Thanks

Blood and dirt washed down the sink together. Even when water hit the open wound, Ha Giyeon didn’t so much as flinch. His legs simply trembled, weak and unstable beneath him.

Choi Mujin tightened his grip around Giyeon’s waist, steadying him so he wouldn’t fall. After thoroughly rinsing both knees, Mujin narrowed his eyes at the deeper cut on the right one.

“This looks torn.”

So that’s why it kept bleeding—it wasn’t just a scrape. He helped Giyeon sit down on the cot and began pressing gauze against the wound to stop the bleeding.

“You need to go to the hospital. You’ll need at least two stitches.”

“...”

“So who the hell made you fall this bad?”

“...I just tripped. On my own.”

As Giyeon tried to stand, Mujin panicked and blocked him.

“Wait until the nurse gets back. You’ve got to go to the hospital anyway.”

“I don’t need to go. I’ll be fine with a bandage.”

“The hell are you talking about? What part of that mess looks like it’ll be fine with just a bandage? Are you out of your mind?”

Mujin’s dramatic reaction left Giyeon baffled. It wasn’t just the way he was fussing over the injury—it was the fact that he cared at all. But to Giyeon, this wasn’t anything major. Back before he regressed, when he’d been working in the factory, he’d suffered much worse. One time, he’d bled so heavily from a cut that he’d felt dizzy. The wounds then were deeper and far more serious, but they eventually stopped bleeding and healed on their own.

So a few days with a bandage, and this would be nothing.

But of course, Mujin didn’t know any of that. To him, Giyeon just seemed like a stubborn idiot.

“Stop talking crap and just go. I’ll call your homeroom teacher right—”

“Hyung, seriously. Stop. I’m not going to the hospital.”

“Why the hell not? You’re obviously hurt.”

Mujin was losing his mind. No matter how much he reasoned with him, Giyeon just kept shaking his head. It was driving him crazy. For a split second, he even thought about calling Ha Dohoon.

And then it hit him.

“...Are you avoiding the hospital because your parents would be contacted?”

“...”

Giyeon stayed silent.

It was partly because of his parents, but the bigger reasons were money and school. If his parents got called, they’d end up paying the medical bill—and Giyeon didn’t want to owe them a single thing anymore.

He’s been treated that badly?

Mujin pressed his fingers to his forehead in disbelief. Giyeon’s uneasy silence solidified his suspicions. He was even showing signs of anxiety, like he’d get in trouble just for getting hurt.

So this was why he’d been so desperate to avoid going.

Was this also why he suddenly broke things off with Ha Dohoon?

Mujin had always wondered why the relationship between the two brothers had grown so strained—now it seemed the parents were part of the answer. They must have shown some serious favoritism. Or maybe they treated Giyeon with disgusting neglect.

Mujin had known Giyeon got the short end of the stick compared to Dohoon, but he hadn’t realized it was this bad. If the kid’s scared to go to the hospital because of how his parents will react... that’s abuse, isn’t it? Are they even his real parents?

Ha Dohoon, that bastard...

Even if he was the golden child, how could he let his brother get this bad? Just leave him to suffer?

And then expect to patch things up like nothing happened? Giyeon had a reason for hiding the bruises—even after being hit.

...Shit.

Mujin ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He couldn’t just drag Giyeon to the hospital now, not after all the harsh words between them lately. This wasn’t like that time he forced him to come to the department store.

He wouldn’t follow willingly now. More than that, Mujin was scared—scared of what else Giyeon might say if he pushed.

So with a heavy sigh, he finally asked:

“Then what do you want to do?”

“Just put a bandage on it. I’ll go back to class.”

“God... but the blood...”

The bleeding hadn’t even stopped. How was a bandage going to stay on?

Mujin was exasperated—but the nurse still hadn’t shown up, and Giyeon’s stubbornness wasn’t letting up either.

At this rate, the kid would slap on a band-aid and walk out like nothing happened. With a groan, Mujin rummaged through the cabinets.

“Hyung, are you even allowed to open that?”

“Well, the nurse should’ve been here, then.”

He pulled out gauze, a large hydrocolloid bandage, antiseptic spray, ointment. Setting Giyeon’s leg on the chair, he began cleaning the wound.

As the antiseptic touched skin, Giyeon’s leg twitched, trembling. It must’ve hurt like hell—but he just gripped the bedsheet and bore it silently.

Mujin, watching this ridiculous display of endurance, clicked his tongue and applied the ointment even more carefully.

“If it hurts, say it hurts.”

Muttering, he dipped a swab into the ointment and gently spread it over the deep tear in Giyeon’s knee. He slathered it on thick, too, prompting a startled protest from Giyeon.

“That’s enough—you’re overdoing it!”

But Mujin didn’t listen, just kept layering on the cream until it was caked over.

Then he applied the oversized bandage, and finally wrapped the leg in gauze.

“You don’t have to wrap it too—”

“Yes, I do. If it bleeds through, the bandage’ll fall off. Just shut up.”

Despite his sharp tone, his hands were methodical and gentle.

Watching him, Giyeon was suddenly reminded of the past—of the time Mujin had patched him up as a kid. Back when he used to get beat up by other kids, Mujin would pull bandages out of his pocket, carefully apply them, and then go track down the bastards who hit him to get revenge.

The memory faded quickly, and Giyeon snapped back to the present—locked eyes with the grown, broad-shouldered Mujin standing before him.

Just a little kindness, just a bit of help—and the memories came flooding back. He didn’t know why. He still didn’t understand why Mujin was helping him now.

It had to be on purpose—to confuse him ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) again. He’d only be discarded later, and Giyeon knew better than to hope.

Maybe he just looked pathetic.

Mujin finished wrapping the bandage and stood up.

“You better go to the hospital. I’ll check later.”

“...Okay. Thanks, hyung.”

“...!”

Mujin’s eyes widened.

He’d heard those words from Giyeon before—probably “I’m sorry” even more often. But this was the first time he’d heard “thank you” since Giyeon changed.

Mujin felt his face flush red in an instant. Covering his mouth, he rushed out of the nurse’s office, and after a moment, Giyeon slowly followed, limping.

“...?”

And right then—he ran straight into Son Suhyeon, who was approaching the office.

Suhyeon looked startled to see him. Giyeon, caught off guard as well, quickly lowered his head.

He still couldn’t face Suhyeon properly—not after that day. Even this chance meeting... Suhyeon probably hated it.

So Giyeon just gave a small bow and brushed past him.

“...”

Suhyeon stood there for a while, watching him walk away—then rubbed his face with his hand in frustration.

His expression was filled with irritation.

***

When Ha Giyeon returned to class, a few students cautiously came up and asked if he was okay. He gave an awkward smile and said he was fine.

“It’s just a scrape.”

“Doesn’t look like ‘just a scrape’ with that bandage. Didn’t it tear?”

“You were bleeding a lot when you went to the nurse’s office...”

Some glanced sideways at Nam Taekyung. Feeling the heat, Taekyung finally came over and offered a half-hearted apology.

“Sorry about earlier.”

It felt like a forced, pressured apology, and Giyeon just gave a vague nod.

With his leg injured, Giyeon was excused from soccer and assigned to volleyball instead. That alone was a huge relief. As long as it wasn’t soccer...

But wait—he’d never played volleyball before either...

***

“Giyeon!”

After school, Nam Taekyung came bounding up to him, beaming, and grabbed his arm.

“Heading home? I’ll help you walk.”

“Ah, it’s fine. Nothing’s broken—I can walk by myself. You don’t have to...”

“You’re still hurt. I’ll take responsibility and walk you home.”

No matter how much Giyeon refused, Taekyung waved his friends off and practically dragged him out of the classroom.

It wasn’t clear if he was supporting him or dragging him—Giyeon struggled to keep up with Taekyung’s brisk pace, scowling slightly.

“Giyeon, what’s wrong?”

“Ah, my leg’s just...”

“C’mon, walking helps it heal faster! Let’s go!”

At this rate, he really would end up getting dragged all the way home. So once they passed the school gates, Giyeon stopped in his tracks.

“Thanks for helping me walk. But I’m not heading straight home—so it’s okay if you stop here.”

“You’re not? With your leg like that? Just go home.”

“I’ve got something to do.”

“Oh yeah? What is it?”

“It’s... personal.”

As Giyeon offered a hesitant smile, Taekyung’s lips slowly turned downward. He grabbed Giyeon’s shoulder, face suddenly expressionless.

“Giyeon. Go home. You’re hurt. I’m trying to help you.”

“I said I’m fine. And I’ve got somewhere I—”

“You don’t have to go, do you?”

“...What?”

“Is it really something so important that you can’t come home with me? It’s not, right?”

The way Taekyung brushed off his plans—like they meant nothing—left Giyeon speechless.

And then—

“Young master.”