Eternal Care
The sound of the door closing echoed.
……Silence. A heavy, viscous silence filled the room.
"Haa, haa…."
Leaning against the foot of the bed, I panted heavily. With the fuel of rage depleted, all that remained was this frail, skeletal shell of a body.
…She's gone. She really left.
Choi Seori had truly walked out of the room. Without a word, without any show of emotion. Even after I'd hurled such humiliating abuse at her, she hadn't retaliated in any way—she'd simply left.
Is this really the end? Just like that? Everything?
A strange unease began to creep into my heart. Choi Seori's final expression kept resurfacing in my mind. Eyes like empty, dead voids, all emotion extinguished.
No, it'll be fine. What's done is done.
The words I'd spat at her in anger had undoubtedly crossed certain lines. But when I thought about what she'd done to me, it was a different story. Ending it with mere verbal abuse could even be called gentlemanly.
This cuts ties with Choi Seori for good. I'll be kicked out soon.
So what now? Back to homelessness?
Haa… This is truly hopeless.
Maybe check into a homeless shelter. Declare bankruptcy, scrape by with day labor, somehow cling to life. I'd become Han Minseo through some unknown force, but I had no idea what happened if I died. At least my chest felt unburdened now—I had to preserve my life at all costs.
My throat was parched. Probably from the intense emotional expenditure just moments ago; my mouth felt bone-dry.
My gaze naturally drifted to the bedside table. There sat the teacup Choi Seori had brought, untouched.
Chamomile tea. I'd barely touched it to my tongue before setting it down.
Tea…
The steam had long faded. It was just mildly warm now.
She said it had a calming effect.
Maybe I should have accepted it and drunk it right away. Calmed down, listened to her, bided my time for an opportunity. Then at least I wouldn't have to worry about being tossed out onto the streets immediately.
Blasting off without a plan in this penniless state with nowhere to eat or sleep.
What a wise choice.
I staggered to my feet. My legs trembled, but I managed to shuffle to the table.
I picked up the teacup. It was already cool, just faintly warm.
Plenty to quench my thirst.
Spilled milk anyway.
I brought the cup to my lips and downed the remaining tea in one gulp.
I set the empty teacup back on the table. The subtle aroma of chamomile lingered in my sinuses. It was quite bitter, but my thirst was somewhat relieved.
Probably get kicked out today or tomorrow?
A sigh escaped amid the bleak reality.
First, let's get my body together. As I turned back toward the bed—
Suddenly, a bizarre sensation enveloped my entire body. Like an incredibly heavy blanket draped over me.
What is this?
The sensation was drowsiness. But not ordinary drowsiness. It was as if someone were forcibly yanking the thread of my consciousness, an irresistible force pulling me under.
Why am I suddenly so sleepy?
My eyelids weighed a thousand pounds. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep my eyes open. My body went limp. My knees buckled. I collapsed face-first onto the bed.
No strength in my fingers. Vision blurring. All surrounding sounds faded like echoes underwater.
This wasn't natural sleep. Something artificial, compelled.
No way…
Belated realization hit.
Ah, the chamomile tea…
The calming tea she'd brought. But it was too late. Everything went black.
An hour or so passed. The bedroom door opened silently. Choi Seori had returned.
This time, her hands were empty. Her gaze went straight to the bed as she entered.
Sure enough, Han Minseo lay sprawled across it, upper body draped over the edge. Unconscious, curled on his side—he looked like a sleeping child, she thought.
Choi Seori showed no surprise. It was all according to plan, so she approached the fallen Han Minseo calmly.
She knelt on the floor and peered closely at his unconscious face. Pale and gaunt, bones protruding. Traces of the starvation she'd inflicted still vivid.
Her hand caressed his cheek.
"Sorry, Minseo."
But her voice held not the slightest guilt. If anything, it brimmed with satisfaction.
"But I had to do it this way. You kept trying to run."
The chamomile tea had been laced with a powerful sedative. Several doses' worth. Whether Han Minseo had accepted her offer and drunk it at the last moment, or raged and refused like an hour ago, the outcome was predetermined. Only the margin of free will allowed had shifted slightly.
"It was decided the moment you tried to leave me."
Choi Seori lifted Han Minseo into her arms. His limp body rose effortlessly.
She brought her lips to his ear.
"It's okay, Minseo. From now on, I'll take care of you."
His dangling arm fell under gravity. She gently lifted it and laid it across his body.
"So, from here on… we're together. Forever."
A faint smile curved Choi Seori's lips. Silence descended on the bedroom.
Choi Seori remained still, holding him, stroking his hair, whispering endlessly.
"I love you, Minseo."
Spring arrived. Cherry blossoms scattered beyond the vast windows of Choi Seori's penthouse. Pink petals danced on the wind, falling only to rise back into the sky.
Han Minseo lay in bed, eyes fixed on the scene. Or rather, pointed that way—but unfocused. His pupils wandered vacant, capturing nothing: no blossoms, no sky, just empty air.
"Minseo, time for your medicine."
Choi Seori entered with a glass of water and pill packets. She carefully propped up his upper body.
Han Minseo offered no resistance, yielding to her touch. He parted his lips, swallowed the pills on his tongue with water. Three antipsychotics, two nerve stabilizers, one muscle relaxant.
The cocktail of potent drugs, administered relentlessly, was enough to strip free will from any human. High doses numbed neural synapses, severed memory circuits.
Summer came. Scorching sunlight poured through the windows, but the interior stayed perfectly temperate. Choi Seori wheeled Han Minseo into the living room.
"Nice weather today."
She said. Han Minseo didn't respond. He couldn't. He'd long forgotten language. Only meaningless smiles flickered at his lips now—mere reflexive muscle twitches.
Choi Seori draped a blanket over his knees and whispered,
"It's okay. You don't have to speak. Just having you here is enough."
Autumn deepened. Leaves turned red and yellow, falling one by one.
Han Minseo's body looked healthier now. Regular meals and meticulous care had erased the skeletal frame.
But the soul within had departed long ago. The consciousness inside couldn't withstand the drugs' ceaseless assault. Memories went first, emotions followed. Self vanished last.
Nothing remained in this flesh. An empty vessel, a breathing doll, a living corpse. That was Han Minseo's reality.
Winter arrived. White snow blanketed the city. Today too, Choi Seori wheeled Han Minseo to the window.
"It's snowing. First snow of the season—you used to love it."
Han Minseo didn't respond. Choi Seori no longer went to the office. All work was remote; major decisions made from home. Her world had shrunk to this penthouse and Han Minseo. That was all she'd ever wanted.
Spring returned. Which one hardly mattered. Time had lost meaning; seasons were mere changes beyond the glass.
One afternoon, Choi Seori wheeled Han Minseo to the window, then sat on the adjacent sofa, gently laying his head in her lap.
Her fingers slowly combed through his hair.
"Nice weather today too."
Han Minseo wouldn't reply. His vacant eyes stared at the ceiling, seeing nothing.
"It's okay. We're together forever now."
A strange smile played on Choi Seori's face. No regret, no guilt, no sorrow. Just serene contentment. Perfect satisfaction.
She had finally obtained it. An eternal possession that would never leave.
"I love you."
She whispered.
No reply.
There never would be.
But Choi Seori smiled. This was the ending she'd desired most.