Unrequited Love Thresher-Chapter 39: Is It My Fault

Ha Giyeon had no idea where to even start explaining.

Choi Mujin, who dragged him to the department store and dumped clothes in his room.

Nam Taekyung, who tried to manipulate him like a puppet while spouting whatever he pleased.

Kwon Jongseok, who demanded to know why Giyeon didn’t like him.

And now Ha Dohoon, barging into his room and demanding to know who’d hit him.

Ha Giyeon shut his eyes tightly.

Why the hell won’t a single one of them just leave me alone.

They used to ignore him, trample him, mock him, despise him. They didn’t give a single damn even as he died—and now they wanted to act like they cared?

The urge to walk out of the house right now gripped him. Maybe he really should throw everything away and leave.

He slowly lowered his head. His socked feet came into view. There was a coffee stain on one. Must’ve splashed while he was working.

That tiny detail helped his spinning thoughts settle, little by little.

...What the hell am I even thinking.

His bag and his school uniform.

If he were to leave right this second, he’d walk out wearing this. That was all he had to his name. Which meant he had to endure this. Endure it, so at least he wouldn’t get beaten again. So that, just maybe, he could get treated like a human being—even a little.

“Ha Giyeon, what the hell are you doing right now!”

A sharp grip on his shoulder snapped him back to attention, and he looked at Ha Dohoon. Still holding on, Dohoon was yelling. The calmness he normally carried was gone—his voice was emotional, aggressive.

Giyeon opened his mouth slowly.

“I wasn’t hit by anyone. Mujin-hyung just misunderstood.”

“Take your shirt off. I’ll check for myself.”

“...Ha...”

Giyeon pressed his fingers to his forehead and let out a deep sigh.

Dohoon’s brow twitched. That attitude—like Giyeon couldn’t be more annoyed—was pissing him off. This punk came back late after having fun with Mujin?

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Hyung... I really want to know. Even if I was hit—what’s it to you?”

“What?”

“You don’t give a damn if I get hit or not.”

“...Say that again.”

Dohoon grabbed him by the collar, violently.

A few years ago, that would’ve terrified Ha Giyeon. Being yanked so hard his heels lifted—he would’ve shaken in fear. But now? He’d long grown numb.

He’d had his collar grabbed a thousand times at work before the regression. Dohoon hadn’t grabbed him often, but it was only a matter of time.

Giyeon clenched his fists and spoke.

“I don’t get it. You’re the one who said I was annoying. You’re the one who told me to stop following you. You’re the one who told me not to talk to you. But now you’re acting like the complete opposite.”

Dohoon let out a scoffing laugh and gave Giyeon’s collar a shake.

“You’ve gotten bold, haven’t you, Ha Giyeon? Why didn’t you talk like this before instead of playing the pitiful dumbass? I would’ve paid attention if you had. Oh—wait. Is this you begging for attention now? Using that pathetic little act to score those clothes too?”

“Begging... Yeah. Back then I did want attention that badly. Because I liked being around you.”

Dohoon’s eyebrows twitched. His expression softened slightly.

“But I don’t need it anymore. I figured out I can live without it.”

“Live without it, my ass. What the hell can you even do? You’re dumb, you can’t talk right, you cry your damn eyes out every day. Without me, you’re nothing.”

Ha Giyeon—who had nothing. Who had been born in Ha Dohoon’s shadow. Whom their parents saw as a burden, not a blessing.

A child who hadn’t been given an ounce of love. Not smart, not beautiful, not good at anything.

But just because he was born with nothing... didn’t mean he had to live his entire life as nothing.

Because there was one person who told him: “I’m glad you’re here.”

And that was why Ha Giyeon was no longer nothing. Just that one sentence had stopped him from shrinking back.

“I’m not gonna cry anymore. I want to be someone who can at least do one thing.”

The tears had dried long ago. Maybe ever since the day he was thrown out of the house. The people who made him cry had always been the ones he thought were family.

As he said this, Giyeon’s expression looked startlingly at ease. And that was what unsettled Ha Dohoon.

The feeling that Giyeon didn’t need him anymore.

What if he kept wandering like this and someday left the house for good?

What if someone else came to love him?

He had to crush the light in Giyeon’s eyes.

“Fuck...”

“...!!”

In that instant, Ha Dohoon slammed Ha Giyeon against the wall, still gripping his collar. The blow was hard, and before the pain could even register, Giyeon froze, staring into Dohoon’s eyes—half-lost, filled with something unreadable.

A voice low and chilling spilled from Dohoon’s mouth.

“You think you can do something? What? The only thing you’re good for is waiting on people. You think someone’s going to love you just because you can do a little something? They’ll all get sick of you and leave.”

“......”

“I’m being nice to you like I always have. So why can’t you just listen?”

Giyeon tried to pry his collar free from Dohoon’s grip, which was tightening around his neck. But Dohoon didn’t budge—if anything, he squeezed harder.

Red-faced, gasping, Giyeon ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ slapped at Dohoon’s hand. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

“Giyeon-ah, come on... Just listen to me...”

Just as Giyeon’s eyes began to roll back—

Bang. The door flung open.

“...What the hell are you two doing.”

Dohoon’s grip slackened immediately. Giyeon collapsed to the floor, gulping in air.

A familiar voice rang in his ears.

“Ha Dohoon. Ha Giyeon.”

It was their mother.

***

Lee Mihyun hadn’t been home much since she last redecorated Ha Giyeon’s room.

She’d been so preoccupied with launching her new entertainment business that she nearly forgot she’d even had the room redone. When she did come home, it was usually around 10 or 11 PM. She ate dinner out, washed up at home, and went straight to bed. Most days, she even skipped breakfast.

In other words, she hadn’t seen Ha Giyeon even once since the remodel.

Starting two days ago, things calmed down enough that she could have breakfast again. Hoping to catch a glimpse of Giyeon—who supposedly got up early—she’d gone to the kitchen, pretending to drink tea.

But he wasn’t there.

All she heard was that he had skipped breakfast and already gone to school.

She thought about going to his room to check on him—maybe scold him for not eating—but never followed through.

But today was different.

Seeing Giyeon’s figure returning home just before 11 PM, she found herself moving.

Why is he getting back so late...?

It reminded her of a time when he had disobeyed her and gone out without permission. She wondered if he was hanging around with bad kids.

Ha Dohoon had his adolescent phase too, but he never mixed with delinquent types. The thought of Giyeon running around with kids like that, causing trouble—it already gave her a headache. If rumors spread around the neighborhood, the shame would be unbearable.

It was all just speculation—but Lee Mihyun had already half-convinced herself.

She headed upstairs to his room. If he was getting ready for bed, she’d just peek at the new furniture and leave.

When she reached the door, faint voices caught her ear.

“...I’m being nice to you...”

“Giyeon-ah... come on...”

Recognizing Ha Dohoon’s voice, she abruptly opened the door.

And there it was: Dohoon with his hand around Ha Giyeon’s collar, pushing him into the wall.

No matter how you looked at it, they were fighting. Her expression turned cold.

“What the hell are you two doing.”

“......”

“Ha Dohoon. Ha Giyeon.”

Dohoon let go, but her face didn’t relax. Seeing her two sons fighting like this—at night, no less—wasn’t just unfamiliar. It was downright shocking.

They’d never even fought physically when they were kids.

“Someone explain what’s going on here.”

“......”

Dohoon stayed silent, lips sealed, and Mihyun scanned the room. Even though she’d picked the furniture, the room still felt somehow... lacking.

That’s when her eyes caught the pile of shopping bags in one corner.

Ha Giyeon hadn’t changed out of his uniform. Dohoon looked like he was boiling with rage, and there was dried blood at the corner of his mouth.

Rather than ask, Mihyun started deducing.

Those bags—clothes, shoes, watches—were from the department store’s luxury section. Enough to seem excessive.

They were wrapped like gifts. Clearly meant for someone.

So—her son must’ve spent money on someone else. Dohoon scolded him for it. A fight broke out. Giyeon swung first. Dohoon grabbed him.

Mihyun, now fully committed to her biased theory, said to Dohoon,

“Dohoon, go back to your room. Put something on that lip.”

“...I’m not done—”

“Now.”

Faced with her anger, Dohoon shut his mouth and left Giyeon’s room. Even then, his eyes never left Giyeon.

Click. The door closed.

Now, only Ha Giyeon and Lee Mihyun remained.