Chapter 18: Healing Wounds

In the dimness of the shelter, surrounded by the darkness of the sewers, Soo Won's gaze was the only source of warmth and light as she turned to Ji-hoon, who had rested his head on her lap after crying his sorrows out, now seeming to have calmed down.

"Why did you think your parent's death was your fault?" she asked, her voice soft yet probing.

Ji-hoon took a deep breath, hearing her question. He hadn't shared his past with anyone before; after all, he had carried the weight of his experiences alone for so long. But now, feeling exhausted from keeping it all in, he sensed a need to confide in someone. Soo Won, he decided, didn't seem like a bad choice.

"I haven't shared this with anyone before," Ji-hoon began, his voice heavy with the weight of his memories.

As the memories flooded back, Ji-hoon found himself transported to a time when laughter and joy filled the air, a stark contrast to the heavy burden of sorrow he now carries. The image of his younger self, full of energy and anticipation, stood in stark contrast to the haunted expression he now wore.

"Can you all hurry up, we're going to be late," Ji-hoon's voice echoed through the house, brimming with excitement and impatience.

"Just a sec, it's not like there isn't almost 2 hours left," Min-jae's cheerful retort rang out as he emerged from his room, a younger boy trailing behind him.

"Yeah, we have time big bro, you should calm down," the younger child chimed in, his innocent enthusiasm contagious as they prepared for the day ahead.

"Min-jae, Tae-min, you guys don't understand how important today is for me. Anyway, where are Mom and Dad? We don't have much time" Ji-hoon said with a sense of urgency.

"I don't know, probably in their room, getting ready" Min-jae replied casually, taking a seat in front of the TV with Tae-min and ignoring Ji-hoon.

Ji-hoon stared in disbelief at his brother's nonchalance before deciding it wasn't worth it and heading to check on his parents. As he approached their room, he was about to knock on the door when he heard his Dad cough from inside.

"Are you sure you're well enough to attend the ceremony?" His Mom's concerned voice floated through the door.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Besides, it's an important day for Ji-hoon; I can't miss it no matter what," his Dad reassured her.

As Ji-hoon heard this , a pang of concern swept through him. His dad had been sick for a while now, but he had brushed off Ji-hoon's worries the previous night when asked about attending the graduation ceremony. Was he hiding the severity of his illness to avoid worrying them, or was he genuinely feeling better today?

Caught between hope and apprehension, Ji-hoon decided not to dwell on it. With a heavy heart, he chose to ignore what he had heard, hoping that his father was indeed feeling well enough to join them for the celebration.

Ji-hoon hesitated, unsure whether to interrupt their conversation or not. Eventually, he decided to knock lightly on the door before entering.

"Mom, Dad, are you ready?" Ji-hoon asked as he stepped into their room.

His parents turned to him, wearing matching smiles that reflected their pride and love.

"We're almost ready, Ji-hoon. Just give us a few more minutes," his mom replied, her eyes shining with affection.

"Okay, I'll be downstairs with Min-jae and Tae-min," Ji-hoon said, turning to leave the room.

As he made his way downstairs, Ji-hoon couldn't shake the feeling of excitement and anticipation bubbling inside him. Today was a milestone, not just for him but for their entire family. It marked the culmination of years of hard work and dedication, a moment they had all been eagerly awaiting.

Sitting in the living room with his brothers, Ji-hoon glanced at the clock, the minutes ticking by slowly. Despite his attempts to contain his excitement, he couldn't help but fidget nervously, his mind racing with thoughts of the ceremony ahead.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, his parents emerged from their room, dressed impeccably and wearing proud smiles.

"Let's go, Ji-hoon. It's time" his dad said, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

With his family by his side, Ji-hoon felt a surge of gratitude and determination. Whatever the future held, he knew that as long as they were together, they could overcome any obstacle. And so, with a sense of purpose and anticipation, they set off towards the graduation ceremony, ready to celebrate this momentous occasion together.

At that time, he had felt so happy and on top of the world, he felt like nothing could possibly ruin that for him, but he had been so wrong.

His dad had suddenly lost control of the steering for a second, and before they knew what happened, they had veered onto the oncoming vehicle lane and collided with a truck.

As Ji-hoon reached this part of the story, he took a deep breath to stop the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes but failed ultimately as they fell without stop. Soo Won raised him up on her lap and hugged him as she realized the pain he must be going through.

"You don't have to continue if it's too hard for you" she told him, sensing the amount of sadness and pain radiating from him.

"No, I'm fine, I'll finish the story," Ji-hoon replied with determination as he continued.

He had been in a coma for a month after that. At some point, he had woken up, but he couldn't move or speak; all he could do was relive the day the accident happened. Before long, he had started blaming himself. He didn't know what happened, but he felt like his dad losing control was probably because he was sick. Thinking like that, he started to blame himself when he realized his dad had not wanted to miss his graduation ceremony, and that was why he had to drive. Since then, he had continued to blame himself.

There were times when his relatives would come to visit him, and he would hear them talking about how he should just die so that they could share his parents' property. That made him realize that his parents and siblings had probably died, and it crushed him completely.

He had eventually regained control of his body after a month in a coma and had almost committed suicide before he knew that his brother was in a coma. He couldn't bring himself to sentence him to a life of loneliness if he ever woke up. But staring at his relatives, who now acted like they didn't hate the fact that he woke up, made him realize just how bad people can be. He had felt so lonely without anyone to speak to; he wanted to cry and beg his brother to wake up. But when he thought about how he had been able to hear things in his own coma, he couldn't do it. He kept all the pain and emotions inside himself, trying to stay strong.

He had eventually given in to the pressure from his relatives after three months that he woke up but his brother hadn't and held a funeral for his parents and his youngest brother, Tae-min. His brother woke up after six months, and Ji-hoon had promised himself from then to protect his brother no matter what and never let him feel the absence of his parents to deal with his guilt. But there was only so much he could do. There had been so many times when he had broken and ended up crying with his brother.

They eventually decided to move away from their relatives and anywhere that reminded them of their parents after his brother was feeling well. That had led them to the apartment where they had met So Mi and the others.

As Ji-hoon sobbed, Soo Won held him close, offering silent support. "Ji-hoon, it's not your fault," she whispered softly, her voice filled with empathy. "You couldn't have known what would happen. Sometimes, things happen that are beyond our control, and we have to learn to forgive ourselves."

She gently wiped away his tears, her touch a soothing balm to his wounded spirit. "Your love for your family and your determination to protect them show how much you care. It's okay to grieve, but don't let guilt consume you. Your decision to leave the apartment was also to protect your brother, I'm sure he knew that as well, he would never blame you so you shouldn't blame yourself for something you couldn't control, you can grieve all you want and I'm here for you if you need someone to find solace in but don't blame yourself or let grieve consume you, I'm sure your brother wouldn't want you to waste away your life while grieving over him."

As Soo Won tried her best to comfort him, Ji-hoon began to calm down, he realized she was right and while it would still hurt him, he shouldn't let the hurt affect him badly.

While Ji-hoon found solace in Soo Won's arms , the others had their first fight with an infected.