kensho

-

"Yes." He confirmed."How did you hear that I was leaving the hospital?". There weren't many people who would know that he was planning to leave today. He had only told his doctors and Junghwa.

"I told your doctors I was your girlfriend, and they told me," she confessed.

"Oh,"

"Jongwoo" she mumbled.

"Yes," he said.

"Where are you going to go? I think you should come to stay with me. you shouldn't be out on your own like this. It's not good for you.". She cautioned him. She would know she was there and when she got out she was by herself. She just wanted him to be okay. That doesn't stop the anger within Jongwoo to start bubbling rapidly.

"Now? You think I should come to stay with you now?". He snapped at her through the phone.

He couldn't believe what was coming out of her mouth. He had complained to her so much about the goshiwon. He told her how he felt about being there and she had never offered, but now she was offering her help. She never even mentioned a sleepover when he told her how creepy the people were there. He told her how polluted and rundown the place was and she said that he was complaining.

"I just want to help-"

He cut her off with a mean laugh. He took a deep breath. This wasn't her fault. "You can't help Jieun. I don't even want your help. I think it's time for us to end this after all."

Jieun was silent on the other end for a second then, "but where will you go"

"Don't worry about me, bye Jieun,"

He hung up and kept walking. It felt weird to break up with Jieun; they had been together for over three years. They'd known each other since they were children. She was soft, sweet, kind, and best of all, familiar. They had worked perfectly together until they didn't. Maybe it was the distance that put the nail in the coffin or maybe it was the fact that her boyfriend had an affinity for serial killers.

Maybe he shouldn't stay in this place ridden with horrible memories. Maybe it is time for him to start again. He could go back to his mother's house and try again. save up his money, find a nice place in a new city, and finish writing his novel there. There would be no Eden, no Jae-ho, no Jieun, and no Moonjo. Everything was completely swept away. if he starts over from scratch, he may never understand why Moonjo wants him, and what he wanted him for.

-

He was a few blocks away from where the hotel was meant to be. He could feel someone following him. The familiar burn of a stare on the back of his neck. The almost comforting sound of a very light second pair of footsteps. He couldn't even be mad at himself for almost being relieved.

While he was in the hospital, he had lots of time to reflect on what happened. He wasn't disgusted by what he did. He was glad. He felt as though there had been a thick, never-ending layer of thick snakeskin that had been wrapped around him so tightly that it sometimes felt as though he had been suffocating. It had been shed with each warm splatter of blood and each blow he landed, a piece shed away until he was completely and transformed into someone new. This new him wasn't mad at Moonjo for wanting him to be a murderer, no, that's like being mad at someone for wanting a singer to sing. He was mad at him for manipulating him, lying to him.

Even though he was angry at Moonjo. He kept the bracelet. He stopped wearing it after the detective noticed it, but he kept it still. It was hidden, but now it rests in his back pocket. a small reminder of his transformation at Eden.

He arrived at the hotel and got himself a room. He noticed that whoever was following him also got themselves a room. He wasn't stupid, he knew Moonjo was following him. He knew he saw him when they loaded him into an ambulance and he knew that he was going to come for him. The only thing he didn't know was why. If he wanted him dead, he could have killed him at Eden. If he wants to be "partners", why didn't he contact him earlier?