Chapter 1

　　Part 1: Midnight

　　That boy told me he hated everything about me.

　　He hated my parents, my family, my background. He cursed at me more times than I could count, calling me a beggar. He hated my hair, my scrawny, malnourished body, my hollow cheeks, and my dull, sunken eyes.

　　Right. Even I hated myself, so why would he be any different? I was the kind of person anyone would hate. And yet, he always lingered by my side, whispering just how much he despised me.

　　“What are you looking at?”

　　I fell silent.

　　Not even my gaze belonged to me.

　　“Don’t do that. Stop it.” He controlled and suppressed my every move. He was my master.

　　Because I received so much from him, I couldn’t disobey. That was the truth of it—I was his slave.

* * *

　　“Oppa, are you still feeling sick? You look terrible.”

　　Heejin, who worked the same part-time shift at the convenience store, eyed Ihyun with genuine concern.

　　“No, I’m fine. Hurry up and get out of here. Didn’t you say you had plans today?”

　　Ihyun waved her off, forcing a reassuring smile. A sudden text from Suhyun had completely blindsided him. Even after trying so desperately to cut ties, he hadn’t managed to escape them. It had been over three years since he ran away. Surely he isn’t still looking for me, Ihyun caught himself thinking, though he always kept his guard up.

　　He couldn’t let himself be dragged back to that house.

　　—Suhyun: It’s me. I’m worried. Are you doing okay?

　　Seeing the message instantly brought back old memories. Even though Ihyun had changed his number, Suhyun had somehow tracked it down and reached out again. He was a responsible, earnest guy. Well-liked, too. If it hadn’t been for Ihyun and that boy, Suhyun could have had a much brighter future.

　　The guilt still weighed heavily on him.

　　He didn’t reply. He had no right to. Nor did he have a reason. The moment he contacted Suhyun, he would be notified immediately. Or maybe he already knew.

　　Ihyun let out a long sigh, his mind a tangled mess. Did he want the man to find him, or did he want to be forgotten? He couldn’t tell, and the contradiction made his head spin.

　　He couldn’t snap out of his daze until Yongjin, the guy taking the next shift, arrived. It was a relief there were no customers. Lying face-down on the counter, Ihyun forced his heavy eyes open. His whole body felt like lead. This cold was definitely dragging on; he felt like garbage.

　　Between the relentless anxiety and the constant stress of life on the run, his body was finally giving out. Seeing the state he was in, Yongjin practically shoved him out the door the second he clocked in, telling him to go home and rest.

　　The streets were quiet beneath the harsh glow of the streetlamps. This was his sanctuary. A rundown neighborhood clinging to a hillside, a freezing rooftop apartment. Still, Ihyun was satisfied. He had nothing to begin with, so he was grateful just to have a roof over his head.

　　He thought about changing his number again. It would be a hassle, but it was better to be safe. That family wouldn’t let the man run wild, but that didn’t mean Ihyun could let his guard down. The man was vicious, relentless. Cutting the thought short, Ihyun quickened his pace.

　　Up ahead, he spotted a figure standing in the shadows. It was common for drunks to wander to the wrong house at night, so Ihyun kept walking without a second thought. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late. A sleek, expensive imported car that had no business being in this neighborhood, and a large man leaning against it. Ihyun froze in his tracks, but the man had already noticed him.

　　Should I turn around and run? No. He couldn’t provoke him. He had spent more than a decade trying to survive that man’s wrath.

　　“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

　　The man greeted him as casually as if they were old friends who had just grabbed drinks yesterday, acting like absolutely nothing was wrong.

　　“…Yeah.”

　　Staring at Ihyun, who was practically dragging his feet, the man called his name, gesturing for him to come closer. Ihyun wanted to run. He wanted to bolt and escape far away from this man all over again. But the sheer terror of the anger he would face paralyzed him. Ihyun was exhausted now.

　　He was older now, and utterly exhausted.

　　Lost in his own despair, Ihyun ignored the man, completely missing the burning intensity in his eyes.

　　Terrified that Ihyun might bolt, the man hesitated to close the distance between them. If I lose him again now… His hands were trembling with anxiety, so he shoved them deep into his pockets. A long time had passed.

　　He hadn’t been in his right mind for a single day in all that time. He had to set things right. Whatever it took, he had to get him back.

* * *

　　“We’ll be living here from now on.”

　　Through an acquaintance, his father had landed a job as a chauffeur for a wealthy family. The place Ihyun followed his father to was a massive estate with a manicured garden. He saw a whole new world that day. He realized the affluent neighborhoods he’d only ever seen on TV actually existed. Having grown up surrounded by cramped houses, rundown shops, and kids as poor as he was, he had assumed everyone lived like that.

　　Looking at the sprawling property, Ihyun felt an inexplicable pang of jealousy.

　　Perhaps taking pity on Ihyun, who was the same age as their son, the wealthy family made them a generous offer. They said there was a spare room on the property and that he was welcome to stay there. Given the demanding nature of his job, his father had to be away from home often, and the closer he was to his employer, the better. It was a practical arrangement.

　　His room was a small room off the hallway leading down to the basement. The window was tiny, barely letting in a sliver of sunlight. Still, Ihyun was satisfied. When else would he ever get to live in a house like this? The treatment wasn’t great, but it was fine.

　　Because he wasn’t alone.

　　The son of the house. A boy the exact same age as Ihyun. The boy was a tyrant. If something displeased him, he couldn’t hold back his temper and would instantly explode. They said he was a precious only child, so there was no adult willing to rein him in.

　　“What’s wrong? What don’t you like?”

　　His parents were always anxious to appease him. Even if he flipped a table or smashed an appliance, no one raised their voice at him. Instead, the household staff suffered the consequences.

　　“What if he gets hurt?”

　　“This is why you shouldn’t upset him.”

　　The blame always fell on the employees. The day the kind housekeeper was fired, Ihyun learned that avoiding the boy like the plague was his best strategy for survival.

　　But he couldn’t just hide forever. Just like his father, Ihyun had to stay in the family’s good graces. It was the only way they could keep a roof over their heads. Unfortunately, the boy despised Ihyun. In fact, he threw a violent fit whenever he caught sight of Ihyun walking around the house, making his disdain crystal clear.

　　Because of this, Ihyun had to scurry through the halls silently, like a cockroach. But even that didn’t last long. After three days of exhausting himself trying to find the out-of-sight Ihyun, the boy burst into loud, angry tears on the fourth day, demanding to know why Ihyun had disappeared. The young master was impossible to please.

　　The boy investigated every detail of Ihyun’s life—the room he lived in, the bedding he used, his desk, even the photos of his parents. Yet, the boy never offered a single detail about himself. Not his name, not his age. He greedily stripped away Ihyun’s privacy while guarding his own.

　　On top of that, the boy was sharp. He knew that no matter what he did, Ihyun couldn’t retaliate. He pushed Ihyun around however he pleased. On days when the sun was glaring, he would make Ihyun stand out in the garden for no reason; he would snatch Ihyun’s snacks right out of his hands, and he would steal the pillow and blanket off Ihyun’s bed.

　　“Hold it in.”

　　That was how his father consoled him.

　　“You just have to hold it in. What else can we do?”

　　His father was right. It was their only option. There was nothing a poor, single-income family living off their employer’s goodwill could do. Ihyun nodded.

　　That day was no exception; he was bearing the brunt of the boy’s tantrums. Had they said relatives were visiting? It seemed to be some sort of family gathering. The boy strictly warned Ihyun not to leave his room.

　　“If you come out, you’ll be kicked out of the house.”

　　The boy always threatened him like this, but he never actually followed through. Not only did Ihyun listen well, but if he were to actually leave, the boy would be the first one to drag him back.

　　He could hear music drifting down from upstairs. He could hear the sound of joyous laughter, too. Ihyun felt a deep, hollow loneliness. What kind of luck did he have to be born in a place like this? And what sin did I commit?

　　He loved his mother and father, but that wasn’t enough. He coveted the wealth he didn’t have, and he starved for the affection he couldn’t get. Ihyun lay on his bed and closed his eyes.

　　“…What is this place? I didn’t know there was a room down here.”

　　Opening his eyes at the unfamiliar voice, Ihyun stared at the boy standing in his doorway, who looked just as surprised to see him. It was a kid he had never seen before.

　　“You’re not supposed to be down here,” Ihyun said.

　　“Sorry, I was looking for the bathroom… Do you live here?”

　　Ihyun didn’t answer. His pride was wounded, and he didn’t like this rude kid who had barged into his room uninvited.

　　“I’m sorry. That was really rude of me,” the boy backpedaled. “I’m Suhyun. My last name is Su, and my first name is Hyun. Nice to meet you.”

　　“I’m… Kang Ihyun.”

　　“How old are you?”

　　“Thirteen.”

　　“We’re the same age. Can I sit next to you? It’s too loud and chaotic out there. I’ll just stay for a bit and then go.”

　　He was an outgoing kid, completely lacking in shyness. He had the distinct air of someone who had grown up unconditionally loved. His hair was neatly styled, and his clothes looked pristine and expensive. Ihyun shifted over, making room for him to sit. It had been a while since he’d talked to someone his own age, and he found himself actually enjoying it.

　　Ihyun didn’t go to school. Because the Young Master was homeschooled, Ihyun was forced to study alongside him. The boy had thrown an absolute fit at the idea of Ihyun attending a real school, so his parents had no choice but to take responsibility for Ihyun’s education as well.

　　“It’s been a while since I visited, but I never heard anything about you being here,” Suhyun noted.

　　There’s no reason they’d mention a new freeloader. Just as they wouldn’t announce hiring a new housekeeper, the people of this house had no reason to bring up Ihyun’s existence.

　　“Right,” Ihyun murmured.

　　Ihyun simply nodded, playing along. They didn’t talk about anything deep. Suhyun casually rambled about the weather, the annoying relatives upstairs, what video games were fun lately—laying out incredibly ordinary topics. Ihyun happily listened to Suhyun’s one-sided chatter. He had no television and no radio.

　　Whenever he was left alone in this room without his father, the only sound he ever heard was his own breathing.

　　The Young Master was always around, but sometimes he liked it when Ihyun was alone. He took a sick pleasure in peeking through the slightly open door at night, voyeuristically watching Ihyun endure the loneliness, checking to see if he was sleeping alone or with his father.

　　Even though he had no intention of lying down next to him, the boy would creep down to Ihyun’s room at every opportunity just to observe him. Ironically, the only people in the entire house who actually acknowledged Ihyun’s existence were his father and that boy. Ignoring him had become an unspoken rule among the staff after a few housekeepers got fired for taking pity on him.

　　Suhyun’s rambling gradually slowed, and he drifted off to sleep right there on Ihyun’s bed. Ihyun knew he should kick out the strange kid who had invaded his room, but he let him be. The presence of another person made the lonely room feel a little warmer, so Ihyun simply draped a blanket over him.

　　But the peaceful atmosphere didn’t last long.

　　The Young Master, creeping down to watch Ihyun out of habit, exploded into a blinding rage when he found Suhyun asleep in Ihyun’s bed.

　　CRASH!

　　He threw the door open so violently that it slammed against the wall, his piercing screams making Ihyun’s ears ring. Ihyun, facing the boy’s raw fury for the first time, panicked, completely frozen in place. Suhyun, jolted awake, couldn’t understand why the boy was throwing such a psychotic fit over nothing.

　　The boy was incredibly strong. Maybe because he had grown up eating rich, nutritious food in a wealthy home, he was much larger than Ihyun. He grabbed Ihyun’s wrists and seized him by the waist. Like a snake, the boy coiled himself around Ihyun. Suffocating, Ihyun tapped the boy’s arm, silently begging him to let go, but the grip only tightened until Ihyun gave up.

　　Just a little longer. His anger will cool down soon. Enduring it was the only thing Ihyun could do.

　　But Suhyun didn’t wait. Yelling at him, asking if he was crazy, Suhyun shoved the boy off with all his might. Adults rushed in at the sound of the two boys fighting, and Ihyun was left standing in the middle of the chaos like a convicted sinner. His reddened wrists throbbed where the boy had gripped him.