8.2

Back in middle school, after Yebom’s parents had tragically passed away in a sudden car accident, she had struggled immensely. The bright and cheerful Yebom had become prone to crying and depression. She alternated between insomnia and hypersomnia, either being unable to sleep at all or sleeping the entire day, often skipping meals as a result. Moreover, she suffered from vague anxiety, swinging between losing all interest in the world and complete indifference.  

Both he and Juhan had tried their best to help her during that difficult time. They accompanied her not only to school but also to her extracurricular activities and sports, ensuring she didn’t isolate herself and maintained some semblance of routine.  

They made sure she ate every meal and monitored her sleep schedule. If she slept too long, they woke her up, and on sleepless nights, they stayed up talking or holding her close.  

Time had proven to be a powerful healer, and fortunately, Yebom eventually began eating well and sleeping soundly again.  

Even so, remembering the unstable period in her past, Hyunho placed great importance on her peace of mind and psychological stability. However, after the stalker incident a few days ago, Yebom had been waking up frequently at night, seemingly anxious. She also claimed she wasn’t hungry because she couldn’t move much due to her injured leg, which pained him to hear.  

It was an incident that could have been avoided, and he regretted and blamed himself for not acting sooner, which led to Yebom getting hurt.  

Still, he wasn’t as anxious as he had been back then. He was confident that once she distanced herself from the traumatic event and returned to a peaceful routine, she would recover. Yebom would eat well, sleep well, and be alright.  

After her parents’ passing, Yebom had become more cautious about making new friends, building walls around herself. He and Juhan were fortunate to have already been inside those walls before they went up.  

While helping Yebom regain her old self, he had unintentionally reinforced those walls instead of breaking them down. Hyunho was well aware of his own dark, possessive feelings toward Yebom.  

Within those sturdy walls, the three of them would continue their tranquil lives together.  

***

It was only after singing the “discharge song” a hundred times that she was finally able to leave the hospital.  

Coming home felt wonderful. Though she still spent most of her time sitting in one spot or lying in bed, being at home was far more comforting. She even managed to get some work done after a long time and spent the entire day glued to Chapssal, who stayed by her side.  

She had failed to adapt to crutches because they hurt her hands and armpits too much, so she either moved around in a wheelchair or was carried by Hyunho or Juhan. Thanks to carefully avoiding putting weight on her injured ankle, she had progressed from a full cast to a partial cast and was now using an ankle brace. During her recent outpatient visit, she had been advised to start slowly moving her ankle and practicing walking.  

“Do you want to try walking?”  

“Okay.”  

In the spacious living room, she rose from the sofa, and Hyunho, who had been sitting beside her, stood up as well. He extended a hand, and she grabbed his wrist as if it were a handle. Reflexively, she balanced herself on her uninjured leg and tried to take a step forward with her braced foot.  

“…….”  

But she hesitated, recalling the cracking sound and intense pain when her ankle had twisted. She feared the pain would return the moment she put weight on it.  

“What’s wrong? Can’t do it?”  

Juhan, watching from the sofa, asked.  

“You can wait until you’ve healed more.”  

Hyunho’s gentle voice prompted her to shake her head.  

“No, I want to try.”  

Summoning her courage, she stepped forward with her right foot.  

“Ah….”  

“How is it?”  

“It’s not as painful as I thought, but it feels really awkward.”  

“That’s because you haven’t walked in a while.”  

“Yeah.”  

It felt as if she had forgotten how to walk. Like someone taking their first steps, she awkwardly placed one foot in front of the other.  

“Take it slow.”  

“Okay.”  

Holding onto Hyunho’s hand, she practiced walking slowly. Though clumsy, she felt emotional as she took her first steps in a long time. Juhan chuckled at her awkwardness, but Hyunho scolded him for laughing.  

“I’m laughing because she’s doing well. She’s walking just fine.”  

“It feels great to be able to walk again.”  

Chapssal matched her pace, walking slowly beside her. Her adorable and brave little dog. It seemed she would soon be able to go on outdoor walks with Chapssal again.  

The more she walked, the more she adapted. Letting go of Hyunho’s hand, she wandered around the living room on her own. Though she limped slightly, she couldn’t help but smile at the fact that she could walk at all.  

“Hehe.”  

“Haha.”  

Hyunho laughed along with her.  

“Wow, you’re walking so well!”  

His applause and praise were reminiscent of someone cheering on a baby’s first steps.  

After walking a bit more, she grew tired and returned to the sofa. Her stamina, already poor, seemed to have worsened. Just walking around the living room left her out of breath. Panting, she propped her braced leg up on the sofa.  

“My calf hurts.”  

Though her ankle was the main issue, her calf, which hadn’t been used in a while, also felt sore. As she massaged her calf, Juhan sat close beside her.  

“Let me see.”  

Taking over, he began massaging her calf.  

“You’ve lost all your muscle.”  

As Juhan said, her leg, which had been in a cast for so long, had become soft and flabby. Still, she was relieved to be free of the cast and only needed a brace now.  

“That feels nice….”  

Hyunho patted the seat next to him, signaling for her to sit down.  

“Okay.”  

With a slight smile, Hyunho sat to her left. Sitting between the two, she glanced back and forth before hesitantly starting a conversation.  

“It’s been a while since we’ve done it, hasn’t it?”  

“So that’s what you wanted to say.”  

Juhan smirked in disbelief.  

“It has been a while. We haven’t done it since you got hurt.”  

“Exactly.”  

It felt like an eternity—exaggerating slightly, it seemed like ten years. They hadn’t done anything at the hospital or even after returning home. They had gone from daily intimacy to nothing overnight.  

An unexpected period of abstinence.  

Initially, she hadn’t thought much about it due to the pain in her leg and the lingering mental shock. But as time passed, her desire grew stronger. Now that her ankle was almost healed, her pent-up frustration was about to explode.  

“But we still can’t.”  

“Why?!”  

“Why do you think? We’re not doing it with a patient.”  

“I’m not a patient anymore! I’m almost healed!”  

Juhan snorted dismissively. Flustered, she turned to Hyunho for support, but he only smiled awkwardly.  

“Let’s wait until you’re fully healed, Yebom.”  

“…I’ve already taken off the cast.”  

“Yes, but wait until the brace is off too.”  

“…I really want to, though….”  

“Oh dear, just hold on a little longer.”  

“…….”  

How could they both be like this….  

She stretched her leg further toward Juhan, who was massaging her calf. As she gently tugged at her pajama skirt, her pale thigh was exposed. Juhan glanced down briefly before letting out a scoff.  

“Trying to pull tricks won’t work. Come back when the brace is off.”  

This was too much—really.  

She even felt a tinge of betrayal from the two of them. Whether it was her rebellious streak or her exploding desires, being told not to only made her want it more.  

“I’ll do it myself. I have a d*ldo…!”  

At the mention of her secret weapon, both of them seemed taken aback.  

“Yebom….”  

“It’s not like we don’t have d*cks. We’re just waiting for you to heal.”  

“Why do you only care about my body and not my feelings?”  

“…You’ve got a sharp tongue, that’s for sure.”  

Ignoring Juhan’s exasperated reaction, she turned to Hyunho with a pleading expression. Perhaps she could appeal to him, as he tended to be softer when it came to her requests. However, when it came to her health, even Hyunho was unyielding.  

Oh, to hell with it. 

She turned her body and straddled one of Hyunho’s thighs. He instinctively moved to embrace her but hesitated.  

“No, Yebom….”  

We haven’t even started yet.  

Sitting astride his firm, muscular thigh, she began rubbing her pelvis back and forth. Even though her underwear and his pants were in the way, the sensation of her most sensitive area pressing against his sturdy thigh sent waves of pleasure through her.