𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴!!

A boy was desperately running through the streets of Seoul at 11:30 p.m. He seemed to be around 17 years old, and the fear on his face was clearly visible. He kept looking back repeatedly, as if terrified that someone might catch him and drag him back into the pit he had escaped from. He kept running until he reached the highway. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath, looked around, and, when he saw no one, he started running again. 

Suddenly, a bright light shone on his face, so intense that he had to close his eyes. A car was speeding toward him, and before he could comprehend what was happening, it came dangerously close and stopped just in time. The boy, overwhelmed with fear, fainted on the spot. 

The person inside the car hit the brakes at the last moment. After a few seconds of silence, the man stepped out. Due to the darkness, his face wasn't clearly visible, but his height was around 6 feet 2 inches. He had a strong build, a broad chest, a perfectly toned body, and was incredibly handsome, appearing to be around 27 years old. There was a strong aura surrounding him. 

He approached the boy, who was lying on his stomach on the road. When the boy didn’t move, the man realized he had fainted. 

He gently turned the boy over and brushed his hair away from his face with his hand. 

The boy's innocent face, large eyelids, fair complexion, cute button nose, and dry cherry lips—with a cute cocoa chip mole below them that made him stand out—were all visible. His face reflected pain, exhaustion, and distress. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and the dark circles under his eyes hinted at a hidden sorrow. 

The man stared at the boy for a few moments, but when his eyes fell on the blood trickling down the boy's forehead, he realized that the pain wasn’t only on his face but also visible through some injuries on his body. 

Drops of blood were falling onto the ground. Without wasting any time, the man lifted the boy in his arms, swiftly placing him in the back seat of his car. He got into the driver's seat and started driving quickly. 

His gaze kept flickering toward the rearview mirror, looking at the boy, and for some unknown reason, seeing the boy in pain stirred something within him. 

He pulled out his phone and made a call, giving instructions to someone on the other end. 

After about 20–25 minutes, his car stopped in front of Seoul's largest hospital, Seoul National Hospital. 

This hospital had the best doctors in Korea. Affording treatment here was impossible for a middle-class person. 

The man swiftly stepped out of the car, lifted the boy in his arms, and rushed toward the hospital. Upon seeing him, the hospital guard immediately stood up and greeted him. 

Without acknowledging the greeting, the man walked straight inside the hospital. The staff, shocked to see him, reacted as if they had seen something extraordinary. But without paying attention to anyone, he took the boy straight to the emergency ward. 

Inside the emergency ward, two junior doctors were attending to a patient. One of the doctors approached the man and said, "Good evening, Dr. Kim. Is everything alright? And who is this boy?" 

Dr. Kim, irritated, replied, "It's not the right time, damn it. Admit him fast! Call Dr. Nara from the Gynecology department immediately!" 

Dr. Nara was the head of the Gynecology department. 

Within a short time, a young woman, around 27 years old, entered the ward. She looked simple yet beautiful. As soon as she arrived, she greeted Dr. Kim, "Good evening, Dr. Kim. What happened?" 

Dr. Kim said, "Dr. Nara, check the patient immediately!" 

Dr. Nara stared at his anxious face for a moment and then requested him to leave the ward. 

Dr. Kim glanced at the boy once more and then began pacing outside the ward, waiting impatiently. As time passed, his anxiety and fear grew. For some reason, he felt a strange connection with this boy. 

This was Dr. Kim Taehyung, not just any doctor, but one of Korea's youngest cardiologists and the head of the cardiology department at this hospital. 

About an hour later, Dr. Nara emerged from the emergency ward. Seeing her, Taehyung, who had been anxiously staring at the door for who knows how long, stood up and approached her, asking, "Dr. Nara, is he okay? Is there any internal injury? Is he alright? Why are you silent? Please speak." 

Dr. Nara looked at him in astonishment because Dr. Kim had never shown concern for anyone before, and no one in the hospital had ever heard anything about his family. All they knew was that he lived alone, didn’t talk much, and had a very strict nature. He was known for giving orders, and people followed them. 

For the first time, Dr. Nara had heard so many words from his mouth at once, and that too out of worry and concern for someone. 

Dr. Nara, calming him down, said, "Dr. Kim, that boy is not in good condition. His body is covered in bruises as if he's been tortured severely, beaten, and possibly someone tried to force themselves on him, or worse, succeeded. We can't confirm anything yet, as I've ordered some tests. But yes, he's been mentally and physically tortured a lot. 

Oh, and there's something else. His entire body is covered with cigarette burns, and there are rope marks on his wrists and ankles. God knows how long he was tied up. He's extremely weak, likely due to being deprived of food. I don't think he'll recover quickly. You should call someone from his family, as only his own might be able to take care of him now. I also think you should inform the police. What's happened to him requires a police case. And yes, doctor, he's only 17 years old." 

Hearing this, Taehyung was in shock. He didn't know why, but as he listened, his heart ached. It felt as if, instead of the boy, the injuries were inflicted on him. 

When Dr. Nara mentioned that the boy might have been assaulted, a mixture of anger, pain, and hatred flashed in his eyes. 

Taehyung: "We can't say anything until the reports come in. Please keep him under observation. Assign a personal nurse for him, and as soon as he regains consciousness, contact me immediately. And yes, no one will file a police complaint until I say so. Do you understand?" 

Dr. Nara nodded silently and left, while Taehyung took one last look at the ward before heading to his cabin. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Nara returned to her cabin, where she found a young man waiting for her. He looked to be around 29 and was very handsome. Upon seeing Dr. Nara, he stood up and said, "Dr. Nara, I gave you a patient's file for study." 

Dr. Nara: "Dr. Seojoon, leave that file for now; something unbelievable happened today..." 

Dr. Seojoon: "What happened, Nara?" 

Dr. Nara: "Seojoon, do you know that today Dr. Kim brought a boy into the hospital in his arms? His condition is very serious. God knows how much he's been tortured. I can't understand what his relationship is with Dr. Kim. I've never seen him so distressed and worried about anyone before." 

Dr. Seojoon: "What? And you're telling me this now?" 

Dr. Nara: "Sorry, I thought you might already know. After all, you're Dr. Kim's best friend, and no one knows him better than you. Do you know who the boy is?" 

Dr. Seojoon: "No, I had no idea. I'll talk to you later. First, I need to see what's going on. I don't know what boy he brought in." 

With that, Dr. Seojoon left Dr. Nara's cabin. 

Meanwhile, Taehyung was sitting in his chair in his cabin with his eyes closed, his mind racing. He didn't know why, but the boy's face kept flashing in his mind. His suffering was unsettling him greatly. Taehyung was lost in his thoughts when the door to his cabin opened, and Dr. Seojoon walked in. 

Dr. Seojoon: "Who is this boy you brought in, Taehyung?" 

Taehyung: "I don't think I need to explain that to you, Hyung." 

Dr. Seojoon: "Listen, Taehyung, do you even realize the chaos you've caused in the hospital? People are talking everywhere because of your one action." 

Taehyung: "And do you think Kim Taehyung cares what people say or think about him?" 

Dr. Seojoon: "You're not understanding. Who is this boy you brought in from the streets? From what I know, there's no boy in your life. You don't have a brother, nor do you have a boyfriend. And you even stopped Nara from filing a police complaint?" 

"We should've reported it to the police before admitting him. We don't know anything about his family. They could accuse us of kidnapping. In such cases, admitting someone without filing a police report is illegal, Taehyung. Do you understand?" 

Taehyung: "Are you done? You know I don't care about anyone or anything. And stop calling him 'that boy.' He might not have a name we know of yet, but still, give him some respect." 

Dr. Seojoon: "Fine, you might not care about the police or anything else, but what about Mr. Kim? If he finds out, he'll make that boy disappear, and you'll never find him again." 

Taehyung: "Even they don't have my permission to lay a finger on him, let alone make him disappear. And if you want to go ahead and bow to their every demand, the door's open. You can leave." 

Dr. Seojoon: "By what right are you saying all this? What gives you the right to go against your own father? And who is this boy? He must have a family, maybe one that's been looking for him for a long time. They must be worried sick. At least think about it. Listen to me, and file a police report." 

Taehyung: "Until the reports come back, I won't file a police complaint. Do you understand?" 

Taehyung and Seojoon were still in their heated conversation when a nurse knocked on the door and entered, saying, "Sir, the boy has regained consciousness. Please come quickly." 

As soon as the nurse said that the boy had regained consciousness, Taehyung's heart started pounding, and he rushed toward the emergency ward.

Taehyung and the nurse followed closely behind him. Seojoon stopped at the door of the ward, and the scene before him was horrifying.

The boy had a knife in one hand and was threatening to cut his wrist. "Stay away... away from me. Let me go... let me go... Look, d-don't... don't touch me! I-I'll kill myself... stay away... go... let me go..."

The nurse was trying to calm him down, but he wasn't listening to anyone. He had pressed the knife to his wrist and was slowly pushing it in. Blood was dripping from his hand. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and was about to collapse when Taehyung quickly caught the boy in his arms.

Taehyung laid the boy back on the bed and started examining him.

His face had turned pale, and blood was oozing from his wrist. The cut was small, so it wasn't too dangerous. There were blisters on his feet. Taehyung told the nurse, "Didn't I say that a nurse should stay with him 24/7? And didn't Dr. Nara say he wouldn't regain consciousness until after 6:00 p.m.? How did he wake up so soon?"

The nurse replied, "Sir, we gave him a high dose, but it seems he's been taking high-dose drugs for a long time, so it didn't affect him as much, and he woke up sooner than expected."

Taehyung responded, "Alright, you'll stay here until he regains consciousness. As soon as he wakes up, inform me immediately."

With that, he left the ward, and Dr. Seojoon followed him out.

Once inside Taehyung's cabin, Dr. Seojoon said, "Man, that boy seems so innocent, and he's so young. Who knows what must have happened to him?"

Taehyung replied, "That's why I'm not filing a police complaint yet. We don't know anything about his situation. Whatever happened to him, I don't want the police to add more stress to him."

Dr. Seojoon nodded, "You're right, but you can't keep him with you forever. What will happen when Mr. Kim finds out that you've brought a boy here like this? If he doesn't have any family, the police will take him to an NGO. You can't just keep him like this forever. We need to find a solution."

Taehyung responded, "I know what I'm doing, and why do you keep threatening me with Mr. Kim? I'm not afraid of him. And yes, I'll decide when to call the police. First, let the boy regain consciousness and recover peacefully."

"And what's this 'you can't keep him' nonsense? Why can't I? I can do whatever I want."

Dr. Seojoon, puzzled, asked, "What are you trying to say?"

Taehyung brushed it off, "Nothing. Just leave it and focus on your work. I'll handle it."

Dr. Seojoon decided it wasn't worth arguing further and left Taehyung's cabin.

Time passed, but the boy still didn't regain consciousness. Dr. Nara entered the cabin, holding the boy's reports.

Taehyung, who had been waiting anxiously for the reports all day, took them from Dr. Nara without saying a word and started reading them. As he read, his facial expressions kept changing. When he finally closed the file, his face showed a mixture of pain and relief. The pain was for the boy's tragic story, and the relief was that his dignity was still intact. The report confirmed that while attempts were made to assault the boy several times, no such act was successful.

Taehyung said, "The report clearly states that there was no assault, so we can't file a police case. He should've regained consciousness by now. Why hasn't he?"

Dr. Nara replied, "Dr. Kim, due to lack of sleep, he's very weak. That's why we gave him another sedative. He'll likely regain consciousness by morning, but if..."

Taehyung interrupted, "If what?"

Dr. Nara hesitated, "If he doesn't regain consciousness, he might go into a coma."

                         ︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

So, How was the first chapter?