Don't Go

I walked slowly along the path that was getting darker. The night air started to pierce my skin, but I didn’t care. Do Hwan just left without saying anything, and I couldn’t feel at ease letting him be alone.

“Do Hwan!” I called out once again, but there was only the sound of leaves rustling. My breath started to quicken. I felt like I had walked far enough, but there were no signs of him. I blinked, trying to recall the direction I had walked earlier, but everything looked the same—tall, dark trees whispering to each other in the wind.

“Do Hwan!” I called again, a bit louder. Anxiety started to creep in. I took a deep breath and reached for my phone to turn on the flashlight. That was when I realized—the signal was gone.

“Ah, great. Now I’m really lost,” I muttered in frustration.

I moved forward cautiously, making sure there were no tree roots or slippery stones that could trip me. My heart pounded faster as the night grew quieter and darker.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from behind me. I quickly turned around, pointing the flashlight in the direction of the noise. “Who’s there?” I asked, trying to sound brave even though my courage was faltering.

No answer. Just leaves moving gently. I swallowed hard and decided to walk faster. But before I could get far, a hand grabbed me from behind and covered my mouth.

“Be quiet,” whispered a voice I knew very well.

I froze instantly, but relief washed over me as I realized it was Do Hwan. He slowly released his hand and glared at me.

“What are you doing here?” his voice was cold and firm.

“I… I was looking for you,” I replied nervously.

“Who told you to search this far? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?”

“I was just worried,” I said softly.

“What are you worried about?” he snapped.

“Worried that you might get lost in the forest and… get eaten by wild animals.”

Do Hwan scoffed, poking my forehead with his finger hard enough to make my head tilt back.

He sighed, his eyes still burning with anger. “Are you kidding? You should look at yourself right now.”

Right. The one who got lost wasn’t this guy in front of me—it was me. How stupid!

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

“What were you looking for me for?” he asked again, as if unsatisfied with my previous answer. Even though it wasn’t entirely untrue.

“I…,” I hadn’t finished speaking when he cut me off.

“If you came just to take his side, you might as well go back. I don’t want to hear anything about him,” he snapped.

I fell silent, feeling the coldness in his tone pierce my heart. “I’m not taking sides… I just thought…”

“Thought what?” he moved closer, leaving almost no space between us. “What do you know about him? You know nothing!”

I took a long breath, trying to calm my swirling emotions. “I just feel… you two are brothers. There should be a way to understand each other. I know maybe I don’t fully understand what’s going on between you, but… I want you both to get along.”

Do Hwan’s face hardened again, but I saw a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. “I don’t need him. I never needed him.”

I bit my lip, feeling bitter hearing his words. “But he… he’s your brother, Do Hwan. No matter what, one day you’ll need each other. Trust me.”

“I don’t care,” he mumbled. “I can do everything he does. I don’t need his recognition. And when everyone takes his side, I don’t want you to do the same.”

His words made my chest tighten. No matter how strong Do Hwan pretended to be, deep down he was just a lonely and hurt boy.

“I’m not taking his side… I just don’t want you to hold onto hatred for your brother. It will only hurt you too.”

“Stop talking like you understand,” he snapped sharply. “You don’t know anything about me.”

As he turned to leave, I quickly tried to hold him back, but my foot got caught on a large tree root. “Ah!” I stumbled forward, bracing myself for the fall.

But before I hit the ground, Do Hwan caught me swiftly, wrapping his arm around my waist. The distance between us was so close that I could feel his breath warming my face.

“Clumsy,” he muttered, but his tone was softer this time.

I held my breath, trying to calm my wildly beating heart. “Sorry… That was unintentional.”

Do Hwan sighed deeply while still holding me tightly. “Idiot. Do you know how worried I was when you suddenly disappeared? Are you trying to drive me crazy?”

I felt my cheeks heat up, but also relieved to hear his tone soften. “I just… didn’t want you to feel alone,” I whispered.

He looked at me deeply as if searching for the truth in my eyes. “Why do you always put others first? Why do you make me feel so… helpless like this?”

I remained silent, not knowing what to say. Before I could respond, Do Hwan pulled me into a tight hug. “Never take someone else’s side when I’m here. At least… be on my side just once.”

I stood still in his embrace, feeling the warmth slowly chase away the night’s coldness. His voice trembled as if hiding an unseen wound, and I could only return his hug gently.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t know you felt that way,” I whispered softly.

He didn’t reply, just tightened his embrace as if afraid I would disappear again. Among the rustling leaves and flickering fireflies, I knew… something had changed between us.

And in that moment, I realized one thing—without even knowing when, I had begun to rely on him in everything.

---

As Do Hwan slowly loosened his embrace, I looked up, staring at his face that still looked upset but also filled with relief. He rubbed his face harshly, as if trying to erase emotions he didn’t want to show.

"Let’s go back," he said flatly, though his voice was calmer than before.

I nodded slowly, even though there was still doubt in my heart. Without saying much else, he walked ahead of me. I followed behind, occasionally glancing at his straight, yet lonely-looking back.

"Do Hwan," I finally called out. He stopped, but didn’t turn around. "What?"

"I'm really sorry if my words earlier hurt your feelings."

He was silent for quite a while before finally sighing. "I don't want to hear your apology. I just want you to understand."

"I understand… though maybe not completely," I admitted honestly. "But I want to try. So... if you want to talk, I’m here to listen."

This time he turned around, looking at me with an expression that was hard to decipher. There was fatigue and doubt in his gaze. "Narin… do you think it’s easy for me to admit weakness like this? I don’t need your pity."

"I'm not pitying you," I replied firmly. "I just want to be by your side. Is that wrong?"

He was silent, as if searching for the right answer. "You’re making me confused," he finally muttered.

I smiled a little, trying to ease the tension. "You confuse me too. Always showing up suddenly with all these emotions that are hard to understand. But... that’s okay. I’ll still be here."

Do Hwan didn’t answer again. This time, he walked more slowly so I could walk beside him. When we finally came out of the forest, the lights of our camping area were visible from a distance. It felt both relieving and strange, like the gap between us was closing, but still felt distant.

Before we truly reached the camping area, Do Hwan suddenly stopped again. He turned around, his eyes looking clearer.

"Narin," he called softly.

"Hm?"

"You said you wanted to stay by my side, right?"

I nodded, even though I felt confused by his serious tone.

"Please... don’t change your mind," he whispered. "I might hurt your feelings a lot without meaning to. But... don’t leave."

There was something in his tone that made my chest feel warm yet aching. I could only smile and reply softly, "I won’t leave."

For the first time, a faint smile appeared on his face. Maybe not a wide, warm smile, but enough to make me feel... calm.

We continued walking without saying anything else. However, a new certainty grew in my heart that, even though he didn’t say it directly, Do Hwan also felt lonely—just like me. And somehow, I wanted to stay by his side until he no longer felt alone.

***