Prologue
Her eyes opened slowly in the dimly lit room, illuminated only by sunlight sneaking through the narrow opening between the curtains, painting pale strips of gold across the walls and the floor. The room, once unfamiliar, was hers now, and his.
He was right there. His deep and warm breathing brushed softly against her skin as he slept, with his arm naturally wrapped around her belly. She stayed still, staring at something, lost in some thought. Only that she was not, and it was just blankness most of the time.
Slowly, she turned around and stared at him. Her heart throbbed. Why had he changed this way? Why had he hurt her? Or was it she who was mistaken, and he had always been like this? It was likely true. Baek-Jeong had always been like this. Her hand gently brushed his cheek. Yesterday, she was sure that she hated him. So, why did she not hate him now? It was burdensome. She hated this feeling.
The enigmatic boy in the apartment complex years ago. She was drawn to him. He was an orphan, she had heard. She had seen him walking into the building, bloody and bruised at times. Was it pity? She’d thought hard about it over the years and knew that it wasn’t just pity. Her mother had often expressed how sorry she felt for him, for he had to grasp and cling to whatever scraps life offered to survive, just as she had once.
She sighed regretfully, her hand gently cupping his cheek. Baek-Jeong… she missed him. She missed him and hated him. She couldn’t bring herself to talk to him, even though he was right there. The words just tangled painfully in her throat, like a knot. She felt distant from him. Did he care? He did this. All of this.
Was this going to be her life now? Always trapped, always suffocated. Being with him, while he engaged in criminal activities, violent activities, and murdered people. She couldn’t accept it. How could she not resent him and be satisfied being here?
