"I know why I'm here."

The young girl speaking had no discernible

expression.

Having been locked in a small room for three days, she had been tossed into a rattling van without even a proper wash.

Her stomach felt as if her insides were being scooped out from hunger, and her mouth tasted as bitter as soap, but the girl kept her eyes wide open until the end.

Quite some time had passed since she was thrown into this place surrounded by gentle wallpaper, but her stiff neck did not loosen in the slightest.

She simply stared at the psychiatrist in the white coat, slowly picking at her scabbed lips.

"I fought with the kids at the orphanage, and I'm the only one who's fine. I didn't

even cry...."

"I see.'

The doctor scribbled something with a silver pen.

"But you look like you're hurt and in pain, too."

"This? Not really."

Wounds like these were truly insignificant. n fact, it was almost funny how the teacher reacted so excessively to such minor scars.

*This teacher must be a real weakling...*

"The kids I hit were hurt much worse."

"How many did you hit?"

"Five."

"……”

"I snapped one's forearm, and I knocked one over. I also kicked someone in the hip, choked another, and tripped one."

The girl spoke, folding her fingers one by one.

Her tone was utterly nonchalant.

"......I see. Then how did it feel when your friends were crying?"

"It was funny."

"Why was that funny?"

The doctor's hand grew busy. The girl continued speaking, her gaze fixed on the silently moving silver pen.

"Because those idiots were crying because it hurt.

Real idiots. That's not something to cry about; it's something you have to endure.

That's how you get healthier. They said bones get stronger the more they break and fuse back together.

“….....”

"I hit my shins with branches on purpose to make my bones strong. Then, eventually, my shins will become as hard as iron."

For the first time, a flicker of pride appeared on her emotionless face.

"I heard martial artists train like that. Do you want to see my shins?"

"Do you want to be a martial artist when you grow up?"

"No."

"Then why do that kind of training?"

"......"

Though her expressions were sparse, the girl, who had been chirping away like a bird, suddenly clamped her mouth shut. She tilted her head repeatedly, as if it were a question she had never once considered.

The doctor waited patiently until the child could answer for herself.

Do they teach ballet at orphanages these days?

Her exceptionally graceful lines and straight posture made her look like the child of a noble family. With her delicate features and thick, long eyelashes, she was a child as beautiful as a doll.

"Because I can't throw it away."

"What do you mean?"

"......This is all I have, so I keep doing it without forgetting. I don't have a mom or a dad or a hometown anymore, so if I let go of the things I learned with my own hands, I'll be too lonely."

The words were ambiguous, but the doctor understood instantly.

"That's why I like things that are mine."

It was then that a strange heat pooled in her eyes, which had previously been lifeless and dry.

"I don't have anything like that yet, but later, when I become an adult and find something truly precious, I'll give it everything I have. I'll be really good to it. I'll cherish it so much."

"That's very thoughtful of you."

"So I'll never let it go."

"Hmm?"

The doctor, who had been writing in a flat file, looked up a beat late. It was around then that the conversation began to diverge.

"Because it's mine.”

“…….”

"I won't let it ever leave my side. If it leaves, I'll drag it back, and if it runs away, I’ll catch it again and make it stay only by my side."

A boiling longing dwelled in the girl's hungry eyes.

Oh dear... The doctor desperately resisted the urge to clutch his forehead.

"Child, no matter how much you like someone, you cannot possess them exactly as you wish."

"Why?"

The girl tilted her head innocently.

"People, and love, are not things you can possess unilaterally. It might be hard to understand now, but truly cherishing someone is not a concept of ownership."

"But there's only one thing I want. I want something of mine that will never disappear.

Something that is truly the only one of its kind in the world, and it's mine."

The girl was stubborn, and just as desperate.

And she was craving love to a surprising degree. Perhaps it was because she suffered from emotional poverty; she instinctively knew how to find what she needed. That sharp sense was similar to that of a hunter.

The doctor put down his pen for a moment and met the wavering young eyes.

"In that case, you must learn the method."

"The method for what?"

"The method to ensure you don't make a mistake when you meet someone you like one day. If you use violent methods, won't the other person be frightened? We often lose the people we love forever because of one tiny mistake."

The girl raised her petite hand to cover her face. Just imagining someone leaving her side felt like a skewer piercing her insides. No... I can't lose anything more...

"That is why you must always be careful when dealing with people."

It was just as the doctor, satisfied with the girl's reaction, was leisurely sipping his black tea.

"Then what if I hit my shins more?"

He spat out the tea he was drinking with a pfft

- His chin and clothes were drenched in a mess. Regardless, the girl's pretty eyes were merely sparkling.

"I can't beat up something precious. What if their legs just get strong and they leave me again?"

"......!"

"I have to become strong. So that even if they leave me, I can always bring them back."

A strange aura momentarily flickered across the face that had been as blank as a white sheet. It wasn't a smile, but the corners of her mouth twitched and lifted in a similar fashion.

"I'll be the one to drag them back."

A somewhat eerie and stubborn glint settled in the girl's eyes.

After that first meeting, the child, Han Seo-ryung, visited this place once a month.

She fought so incessantly that there wasn't a single day when her body wasn't covered in bruises.

Then, from a certain point, she began entering competitions, claiming a talent for gymnastics, but she ended up dropping out of high school due to an unfortunate incident and subsequently failed her college entrance exams.

Upon reaching adulthood and leaving the orphanage, she had no choice but to dive straight into the job market.

Even then, consultations continued frequently.

When visits became difficult, they were replaced by brief phone calls.

In this way, the vast amount of consultation records spanning a child s entire life eventually became the record of the person known as Han Seo-ryung.

Having overcome her deficiencies to successfully become an adult, Seo-ryung used the skills she learned through gymnastics to get a massage certification and worked as a caregiver for a long time.

She said the work was hard, but she liked that the steady paycheck allowed her to live a stable and ordinary life.

However, life was an unpredictable realm.

"Doctor, I'm getting married next month."

The girl, who visited after several years, held a folding cane for the visually impaired in her hand. Yet, her expression was in finitely bright, if she possessed the whole world.

A vitality that had been absent even in her childhood now fluttered across her entire face.

She smiled shyly, holding out a flower-scented wedding invitation into the air.

You finally found your person!

At his surprised exclamation, the girl's eyes grew reddish with tears.

Then, I hope you are happy.

But the next time he saw her after she had gone silent following her marriage was—

On the 9 o'clock news.

My husband, Kim Hyun, is acting strange today.

Something hot and hard was relentlessly thrusting upward into me. My legs spread wider of their own accord.

He must have lost his mind.

Otherwise, there was no way he—a man who had maintained a leisurely and dull sexual relationship throughout our marriage—would suddenly transform like this.

Sounds so overwhelming I wanted to cover my ears flooded in. Heat rushed to her face and neck in blotches, turning her as red as she could possibly get. Her entire body shook as he drove into her recklessly, as if he were a complete stranger.

"Haah, ngh...!"

Her body jolted in spasms, and her spine curled tight. As he stimulated only the points of pleasure, her vision-already poor-blurred further, and she felt a wave of dizziness. Her mouth went bone-dry from the searing sensation. As if sensing this, a wet tongue suddenly surged inside.

"Mmph, ngh...!"

Urgent, hot breaths were exchanged between their locked lips. This behavior was truly unlike him. They had shared countless kisses, but this was the first time she felt as though she were suffocating.

Aren't kisses supposed to be gentle and pleasant?

Seoryung felt a shiver of revulsion at the slightly crude and barbaric feeling.

She couldn't tell if this was pleasure or discomfort. It was strange-truly strange. But whenever she tried to squirm even slightly, her husband bit her nape as if to subdue her.

"Ngh...!"

He was pinning both her wrists down to keep her from moving. He had been doing it since the start, and eventually, the area around her wrists began to throb with a stinging pain.

"Ugh... let go of my hands. It hurts..."

Despite those pained moans, her husband paid no heed and lowered his head further. Her hair, falling over her upper body, tickled her skin, but he remained overbearing and ignored her words.

It was an incredibly indifferent act for a husband who had never once acted selfishly, always being considerate of her lack of sight.

"Hng, ugh, ngh...!"

He had always been polite and cautious. He was not a man who ever treated his wife carelessly.

Yet, here he was, invading her once again with brute force. Hah...! A short scream escaped her lips.

"Hyun-yi, haah...! Stop for a sec...!"

"I can't. There's no time."

A low, raspy voice leaked out.

Time? What time?

But her thoughts couldn't linger.

Her pelvis kept colliding with him. The violent motion of his hips sent vibrations echoing to the furthest reaches of her being.

Having never experienced sex this rough, her body trembled in shocks. It felt as if every path he traversed was boiling a vivid red.

"Hng..!"

Her breath hitched, and her vision blurred

until physiological tears spilled over. It was only today she learned for the first time that when one feels extreme pleasure, the tear ducts are forcibly stimulated, spiraling out of control.

His elastic pelvis collided and retreated time and again. With the intense thrusting came a sense of falling so profound she couldn't tell if the end of this was life or death.

How many times have we been this drenched in sweat during sex?

Her husband was truly strange today.

She had already lost track of how much time had passed. Nevertheless, heat continued to surge through her entire body as if they were only just beginning. He didn't seem to have any intention of stopping. Her breath reached the tip of her throat, but the uncertainty of the end made the sensation even more dizzying.

"You shouldn't do things like this when I'm not around."

Then, Kim Hyun lowered himself and licked away her tears with his tongue.

"You shouldn't spread your legs like this."

"Hng...! What are you talking about...! Hng...."

"Fuck, haah...."

Gripping her pelvis and moving violently, he uttered a curse word he had never used in his life.

"Haa, ngh...! You're strange, Hyun-yi... cursing and everything... it's strange."

"I'm sorry. Just let me have it for tonight, just for tonight."

"Mmm...."

He bit Seoryung's plump lower lip and surged deep into the mucous membrane. Seoryung's nerves relaxed slightly at the cool scent of his perfume, which was practically his own body scent.

"Then at least... let go of my hands."

"I don't want to."

"I told you it hurts."

"It's better if it hurts so the marks last longer."

He spoke words she couldn't understand while accelerating his pace even further. As if today were the last day. He rubbed his forehead against her shoulder, pressed his lips to her, and suddenly sank his teeth in, letting out a pained groan.

In moments like this, she resented her failing eyes. She wanted to see what kind of expression he was making. She wanted to hold the invisible man tightly, but her vision remained a blur.

At most, she could only vaguely perceive the outlines and movements of his body.

The deterioration of her retinas had been a misfortune that happened one day.

But since she had met her husband after that, she believed everything in the world had a plus and a minus.

Though she was trapped in a blurry vision like a prison of fog, it had been a more peaceful and satisfying time than ever before.

Ihad lived my life feeling bleak even before my eyes went bad anyway... Therefore, compared to gaining Kim Hyun, this kind ofillness was nothing.

Because everything had changed since this man appeared.

"Hyun-yi..."

She had fallen helplessly for the care and love she had never received in her life. She experienced a world where the light had vanished together with this man.

Every morning, he came to her with fresh flowers and put her shoes on for her.

Sometimes he fed her and washed her.

When the sun rose, a shower of bird-like kisses replaced her alarm, and when night fell, he plunged her into a leisurely and deep ecstasy.

When she told him she couldn't raise a child with a body like this, he had minimized penetration as much as possible. He didn't trust condoms much either. Penetration happened only rarely, focusing solely on her pleasure.

Their two years of married life had been that serene.

"Haah... hng...! Haah...!"

His firm grip suddenly clenched Seoryung's nape. Simultaneously, both Kim Hyun and she felt a surge of heat like a small explosion, their bodies trembling in convulsions.

Perhaps due to the aftermath of the relentless onslaught, Seoryung's body went limp. His body naturally descended as well.

Without anyone initiating, the two embraced their sweat-soaked bodies and shared shallow

kisses.

Meanwhile, he, still inside her, grew heavy once again.

"Ngh...."

Her husband is strange.

He was truly strange today....

____________________________________________

The moment she opened her eyes, a groan escaped her, as if she had been in a car accident.

The encounter, which had begun in the early evening and lasted well past dawn, had an equally lingering afterglow.

Even after the long and grueling lovemaking ended, her husband continued to fuss over her body, leaving bruises here and there. Every time Seoryung woke from her sleep, Kim Hyun was still sucking on her skin.

I really need to talk to him about what kind of ghost possessed him last night...

But first, her husband had to go to work.

Seoryung stepped out of bed without putting on any clothes. Because she could sufficiently gauge the position of objects through a dull sense of perception, she could move freely around their honeymoon home without a cane.

...Hyun-yi."

The moment her exhausted voice leaked out, she sensed his presence. The sound of fabric rubbing against fabric, as if he were tying his tie in the dressing room, could be heard right in front of her.

Receiving a kiss pressed against one cheek, Seoryung habitually snatched his tie.

"Why didn't you wake me up today?"

"I thought you'd be tired, Seoryung. I wanted you to sleep more. You need more sleep."

He kissed her rounded shoulder repeatedly.

Ignoring him, she perfectly tied her husband's tie.

After getting married, Seoryung had quit her job as a caregiver and became a full-time housewife.

The decline in her retinal function was the primary reason, but Kim Hyun was also the one who wanted her to stay home.

Consequently, Seoryung made it a point to see her husband off to work.

Perhaps because she had lived in an orphanage for so long, the act of seeing off and waiting for family still felt surreal; every time, it felt like she was opening a storybook.

Of course, she kept her obsessive desire to confirm and re-confirm his existence tightly hidden.

Because that's how she had been taught by her teacher.

"I mean, I didn't know it would be this tiring and painful."

“......"

The hand wandering around her collarbone stopped abruptly.

"Let's talk about this later. If we dawdle, you'll be late for work, Hyun-yi."

A faint sigh escaped his lips. Feeling his gaze lingering intensely over her naked body, she grinned.

"I want to see your body too, Hyun-yi. I want to see your face."

"Don't be upset; feel free to touch me as much as you want."

He pulled Seoryung's hand to his face. He was surprisingly tall and well-built, but he was so naive and gentle that his physique never felt intimidating.

"Still.... Even if I touch you every day, I'll miss you and long to see you for the rest of my life.

Why didn't you find me a little sooner? Then I could have seen your face...."

"I'm sorry about that."

At times like this, the desire to clear the foggy mist from her vision became even more

intense.

You'll stay by my side forever, right? Give me something more than love.

Clingy words, asking him to love her to death, rose to the tip of her throat. However, Seoryung bit her lip and barely managed to suppress her surging emotions. This was exactly the way to avoid making mistakes, as taught by her teacher.

Do not burden the other person. Process your own emotions yourself. Because the other person must not become afraid.

Seoryeong occasionally suppressed her unease and put on a gentle and kind face. She wanted to live an ordinary life, so she had to become an ordinary woman.

"What time do you finish work today? No office events, right?"

In an instant, the man took a thin blanket and silently draped it over Seoryeong's body. As if to kiss her, he lowered his head, but only a slight movement was felt as he pulled away.

"You'll catch a cold later. Even if a delivery person comes, don't open the door."

"You say that every day. Oh yeah, it seems like someone is moving out."

"Why?"

"It's a bit messy. Sometimes there's a thumping sound, maybe they're packing up."

"But it's not too noisy, is it?"

He gently stroked Seoryeong's ear. His touch was soft, but

for some reason, this time it quickly broke away.

"I'm just curious. Because in this villa, the neighbors are quite close."

"It will be quiet soon."

"What?"

"I'm leaving now."

He simply turned away and twisted the doorknob.

At that moment, "Honey!" Seoryeong called out, reaching out her hand. A dry sound accompanied the swallowed saliva, and the longing call escaped her lips. But the man only paused briefly, without answering. He didn't smile gently and call back, nor did he kiss her happily.

“……..”

”…….”

A strange, inexplicable silence enveloped them. Suddenly, Seoryeong felt like they were staring at each other. But the man wasn't smiling. Usually, when her husband smiled, there was a distinct sound and vibration that could be felt even without seeing it directly. They were husband and wife, having lived together and shared many things.

You've seemed strange since last night. What exactly is going on? But she was afraid to ask. Finally, she shook her head and lowered her hand. It's nothing... Her voice only sounded like the wind, as her vocal cords were still hoarse from sobbing all night.

Click. Beep. Finally, the door locked. Her husband usually always said goodbye with, "I'm leaving now," when he went out.

He still seemed as warm as usual, but something felt unusual.

No...! Don't worry. Seoryeong shook her head vigorously. Her teacher had once warned her that suspecting and analyzing too much could be a bad sign.

She moved her feet, as if trying to break the chain of her constantly nagging thoughts.

—...Coming home from work... Front... Cheolsu... all...

At that moment, from behind the thick iron door, the man's leisurely footsteps faintly mixed with his voice.

Did I mishear? Instead of coming home from work, wasn't he just about to leave?

Seoryeong frowned, then blamed herself. I must have misheard. She deliberately let out a long sigh. When things got like this, it truly felt like an illness.

—The phone is currently off. After the beep, you will be connected to voicemail. Additional charges will apply.

It felt like she was going crazy. It was now four in the morning. Her husband wasn't answering his phone. Nine hours had passed since they last communicated. Usually, her husband always came home on time like clockwork at seven in the evening.

Her fingernails were ruined from constant biting. Among the small fragments, blood began to pool. The metallic smell of blood entered her nose. Without feeling, Seoryeong began to bite the nails of her other hand.

How could things have gotten like this?

At first, she thought, 'There must be something.' Then, 'Maybe there's urgent business at the office. 'Then again, 'He suddenly had to go out and ended up having dinner with them.'

She tried to think positively, weaving together plausible reasons. Because if she didn't, her mind would surely jump to, 'See, he must have another woman,' and end with 'He doesn't love you anymore.'

It was to avoid getting trapped in such futile thoughts that she had needed her teacher's help all this time. Seoryeong took a deep breath, continuing to wait. Waiting for the man to open the door first. To drive away this deep darkness.

-The number you have dialed is not in service or has been blocked. Please check the number again...

When her husband's office number came up as inactive, Seoryeong immediately panicked.

"Sh-shit, what the hell is this?"

A fleeting cold smile crossed her face. Her husband worked at a small company that manufactured medical devices, and that number was the one he himself had given her.

Could it be... the company went bankrupt?

So... ah, so that's how it is...

Seoryeong took another deep breath. But her hands couldn't stop tapping on the table. She tried to imagine her husband busily pacing around the office. He must not have had time to eat, busy finishing everything.

Yes, that must be it. So I shouldn't bother him. Other wives must also trust their husbands. That's how it should be... Just think positive thoughts.

As if possessed by something, Seoryeong headed to the kitchen. She wanted to do something, anything. She intended to make warm bean sprout soup for her husband, who would surely be tired when he came home.

Although she rarely cooked because her husband was always worried about the danger, Seoryeong's cooking skills were actually quite good. She also usually finished most of the housework before her husband came home.

Okay, wash the bean sprouts first and chop the chili

peppers...

But the longer she went on, instead of calming down, her breathing became more rapid, and her hands became restless.

Finally, "Ah...!" she groaned as she chopped the chili pepper. The tip of her finger felt a sharp pain—as if a small piece of flesh had been cut off.

Seoryeong didn't even have time to put on a jacket. She immediately grabbed her cane and hastily put on her slippers.

Outside, it was drizzling. The sound of her cane hitting the ground sounded hurried.

Losing her husband. Only those two words kept filling her mind.

\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~

"...It seems my husband has disappeared—"

Her body, soaked from the rain, shivered with cold. Her voice trembled embarrassingly in an unfamiliar fear, small like an ant's whisper. However, as soon as the police station door opened, several police officers who appeared as if propelled by springs immediately shouted loudly, almost barking

"Put down the knife!"

"..What?"

"Whose blood is that?!"

Their voices were almost deafening. To the left, the sound of the police radio crackled, and to the right, hurried footsteps made the atmosphere even more chaotic. As the police got closer, Seoryeong actually took a step forward. No, my husband has disap—

"Aaahhh! Put down the knife! Officer, secure her!"

As someone approached, Seoryeong reflexively swung her cane and hit the person.

Thwack!

The sound was quite clear; it seemed her blow landed squarely on the shoulder. Ugh...! As the man groaned, Seoryeong shouted again.

"My husband has disappeared, I said my husband has

disappeared!"

"Yes, we understand. So.. please, put down the knife first!"

"......!"

It was only then that she realized she was still clutching the kitchen knife she had used to chop the chili peppers, and had brought it all the way here in a panic.

Feeling ashamed, she immediately surrendered the knife.

Simultaneously, the male officers shouted in unison like a wave.

After safely handing over the knife, Seoryeong sighed as if regretting her actions. She was indeed not in her right mind.

She swept back the long hair that had been sticking to her face. As she wiped the water from her face, the atmosphere suddenly became very quiet.

What is this? Even though it was past four in the morning, the sudden cold air felt so unusual.

"There's... blood..."

"What?"

"Excuse me, Miss. You said your husband disappeared, right?"

"Yes...! I want to report a missing person. Please process it immediately!"

“……”

However, despite her urgent tone, there was no significant response from the police officers. Only small whispers could be heard among them.

"Please have a seat first."

The iron chair scraped against the floor, making an unpleasant sound.

"Let's start with the report. What is your full name, Miss?"

The police officer didn't look panicked, but he wasn't indifferent either. His voice indicated that his drowsiness had vanished instantly.

However, after a long journey filled with bad thoughts, once she arrived at the police station, all the shadows that had only been fear began to feel real. It only took a few seconds for her spirit to crumble.

"...Han Seoryeong."

"Okay, Miss Han Seoryeong. Your age?"

"Twenty-seven..."

"What are your husband's physical characteristics?"

"Ah, Officer.."

A young voice interrupted the conversation and seemed to nudge the police officer, a small "ah!" sound could be heard. But Seoryeong answered without hesitation.

"It's okay. As you can see, I can't see. So my husband usually wears the same clothes according to the day. Today he was wearing a white shirt, a gray suit, and a blue tie. And..."

Seoryeong gripped her cane tightly and lowered her head.

She suppressed the sudden nausea that rose up and bit her teeth hard.

"I don't know his face. But... there's a picture at home, our wedding photo."

"Since when have you lost contact with him?"

"It's been about nine hours."

"Hmm..."

The police officer's voice sounded slightly hesitant. Like he was scratching his head, a crackling sound could be heard.

"It seems we can't take immediate action yet. Usually, a search can only be conducted if it's been more than 24 hours since contact was lost."

"......"

"That's because most missing person cases return within a day. But... if there's a possibility of criminal involvement, we can act faster."

"Criminal involvement?"

Now Seoryeong's whole body began to tremble violently. Whether it was because her wet clothes were sucking away her body heat, or because she was starting to truly hear the sound of her husband's life disappearing from her days.

"For example, if there is suspicion that a case of violence is being disguised as a missing person report."

".....!"