* * *
“Oppa! We’re here!”
“Hyung, how are you feeling?”
“Welcome. I’m okay.”
It had been a while since my younger siblings visited me at the hospital.
Back when I first started my indefinite hospital stay due to the aftereffects of the Gate incident, they were just little kids who cried about how scary hospitals were.
But now, my twins were already in high school.
They were deep in their rebellious phase, so they no longer let me hug them or touch their faces, but just hearing their voices made me happy.
Especially today, which was a special day.
“First day of school today! Feels great. I got into the same class as a lot of my close friends.”
“Me too. There are a few familiar faces… It would’ve been perfect if I wasn’t in the same class as Jung Eunseo.”
“Hey, you think I’m happy about being in the same class as you?”
“You two ended up in the same class?”
“Yeah. Unfortunately.”
“Ugh, I hate this!”
“I see. But isn’t it nice? You’re twins, after all.”
Later, I should ask the nurse if their uniforms suit them well.
According to Eunseo, the uniform was a dull, plain ensemble—dark gray bottoms, a shirt, and a cardigan or vest that was nearly black, paired with a dark purple tie.
Eunseo didn’t like it because it was too bland, but Eunyul said it was comfortable, so he didn’t mind.
Just picturing them wearing matching uniforms made me smile.
My Eunseo and Eunyul, studying in the same class, wearing the same uniform at the same school.
“There’s no rule saying twins have to stick together. I see enough of him at home.”
“How long are you gonna keep complaining about this? Hyung, Mom bought you a new cardigan and told me to bring it.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“Ugh, there he goes again, acting all nice and perfect! Oppa, I’ll help you put it on!”
They kept bickering, but I knew the truth.
With our mother too busy supporting the three of us alone and me stuck in the hospital, I wasn’t exactly the best guardian for them.
So, Eunseo and Eunyul had no choice but to rely on each other.
They might argue, but deep down, they were each other’s most precious person—just like me and Taehwan had been when we were young.
The fact that they always came to visit me together, despite all their complaints, said it all.
It was kind of cute how bad they were at being honest.
With Eunseo’s help, I slipped on the cardigan.
It was thin and soft—just right for the current weather.
“Thanks. It feels nice. Smells good, too.”
“It looks good on you. By the way, I heard you need a haircut soon…”
Eunyul trailed off, probably because he noticed my hair was already neatly trimmed.
I chuckled and ran my fingers through my bangs.
“It’s fine. Taehwan cut it for me.”
“That guy can do everything, huh? I thought a professional barber came in.”
“Really? He was grumbling the whole time, saying he didn’t like how it turned out. You think it’s okay?”
“It looks great.”
“Ugh, Jehee-oppa!”
Eunseo’s voice shot up in pitch.
Ah, I must have pressed the wrong button again.
“I keep telling you—I hate that guy! Don’t get too close to him! Better yet, don’t see him at all!”
“Eunseo…”
“I mean, what right does he have? How dare he come visit you? After what happened, after everything—!”
“Come on, hyung likes him, so why are you making such a fuss?”
“Jung Eunyul! Whose side are you on?! Are you seriously taking his side?!”
“What side? Why are you making this into a fight? Do you know how we’re even managing to live right now? Who do you think is paying for this hospital?”
“Wow, if someone overheard you, they’d think he was doing us a favor. It’s compensation, not charity! He’s just trying to ease his guilt, that’s all!”
“Still, if Jehee-hyung himself doesn’t mind, why are you acting like this?”
“You two, don’t fight.”
I swallowed a sigh.
These days, Eunseo flared up at the mere mention of Taehwan’s name, but it wasn’t always like this.
Back when she was still in elementary school, she used to visit me and declare that she was going to marry Taehwan one day.
Ironically, Eunyul used to be the one who disapproved, always wary of Taehwan.
But now, their roles had completely reversed.
These days, Eunseo exploded at the mention of him, while Eunyul defended him.
Kids really are unpredictable, like little bouncing balls.
The reason for Eunseo’s change of heart was probably that day in the hospital lounge—when she overheard people gossiping about me and Taehwan.
“Do you know about that Gate accident from over ten years ago? The one where two elementary kids got caught up in it?”
“You mean the ‘Miracle Child’ case? Wait… you don’t mean… that young man over there?”
“Yeah, that’s him. Apparently, they were both trapped together, but only one got rescued while the other was left behind.”
“Didn’t the survivor’s family pull some strings? I heard his dad was someone powerful, so they prioritized saving him first.”
“They say the inside was filling with toxic gas, and his dad was desperate to get him out. The door closed before they could go back for the other one…”
“It’s a miracle he survived at all.”
“So basically, to save his own kid, he almost left someone else’s kid for dead.”
I hadn’t heard those exact words myself, but I could imagine.
I’d heard similar things plenty of times.
For more than ten years, Taehwan had been by my side, taking care of me.
That should’ve been enough proof of his sincerity.
But people love to talk.
They take our story, twist it into rumors, and use it as gossip.
Even when I, the person involved, told them to stop, it never made a difference.
I had hoped my siblings wouldn’t hear those kinds of things… but the world rarely works the way I want it to.
Maybe that’s why my head was starting to pound.
I thought I was feeling okay today, but maybe not…
“Enough. Don’t fight in front of Jehee.”
“…Oh, Taehwan-hyung.”
Taehwan had arrived.
I turned toward the door as I sensed his familiar presence approaching.
A scent I knew well tickled my nose—it was the cologne Taehwan always wore.
“Have you eaten?”
“I have.”
“Any pain?”
“None.”
“Anything unusual?”
“Nope.”
“Any new tests? Any new meds?”
“No, nothing new. I just read today. I finished the book you gave me.”
“Really? Was it good?”
“Yeah! It was amazing!”
“I’ll get you more braille books.”
“Mm. Thanks.”
He always worried too much.
Even as he bombarded me with questions, he checked my face, pressed a hand to my forehead, and only sighed in relief after hearing all my answers.
Even though he saw me every day, there was always something for him to worry about.
Only after confirming I was okay did he finally turn to my siblings.
“New uniforms, huh? You two are high schoolers now.”
“You must be busy, but… thank you for taking care of our hyung.”
“I do it because I want to. How’s school going?”
“Good. Well, for me. Eunseo’s the problem.”
“Hey! Don’t talk about me to him!”
“If anything’s difficult, just let me know.”
“Yes, hyung.”
“Ughhh.”
Eunseo growling at Taehwan was almost like a fierce little puppy.
I nearly laughed but held it in.
If I joined in teasing him, my cute little brother would be too pitiful.
“Since Taehwan hyung is here, we’ll get going now.”
“You can stay a bit longer.”
“We’ll be back soon. We have plans today.”
“We’re having dinner with our friends!”
“Right, it’s the first day of school. You should spend time with your friends. Thanks for coming.”
“Of course! Take care, oppa!”
“Rest well. You too, Taehwan hyung.”
“Yeah.”
After cheerfully saying their goodbyes, the two left the hospital room.
“He told them not to come, but now that Taehwan’s here, he’s leaving with peace of mind.”
Seventeen is a complicated age. And… I heard it.
Even as Eunseo huffed in frustration at Taehwan—
“Ugh, he’s even more annoying because he’s so good-looking.”
He muttered under his breath, his voice dripping with sincerity.
The corners of my lips twitched.
I turned toward where I could sense Taehwan’s presence.
Reaching out carefully, my hand naturally landed on his face.
He always let me touch him, even though it must have been troublesome.
After losing my sight, I had probably touched Taehwan more than even my mother or siblings.
“Eunseo says you’re handsome.”
“You didn’t know? You touch my face all the time—I thought you’d figured it out by now.”
“Of course I know. You were handsome even back then.”
“…Was I?”
“Yeah. You had a lot of admirers.”
“I wouldn’t know. All I remember are the ones who wanted to kill me.”
“Kill you? What are you talking about…?”
“A thirteen-year-old being ‘handsome’ doesn’t mean much. That’s before puberty even hits. I’ve grown a lot since then.”
He definitely had. His face was still small enough to fit perfectly in my hands, just like before.
But his body was different.
His neck had thickened, his shoulders had broadened, and his back had widened so much that even if I stretched out my arms, hugging him was a challenge.
Back then, when we hugged, we could wrap around each other completely.
Now, it felt more like I was the one being embraced.
Unlike Taehwan, I… Did the poison affect my growth?
My sitting height had managed to reach the average for adults, but my weight was far too low.
Or maybe it wasn’t the poison—just a lack of exercise.
…Though, I guess it’s the same thing either way.
“Still… I’m glad that the last thing I saw was your face.”
“…”
Inside the gate, there had been nothing but darkness.
At most, I could hear the cries of monsters and the sounds of them moving.
So naturally, the last thing I ever saw was Taehwan’s face—the one who had been dragged into that gate with me.
* * *
