Something about the way blood trickled from his fist attracted him. There was beauty in the way it seemed to cascade down his hand. He did nothing; he simply watched as it continued to form into a pool of red in the sink below him.

What a beautiful crimson color it was.

There were shards of glass all around him now, a result of his attack on the now broken mirror.

But even through the cracks, he still saw the image of the animal that haunted his dreams. That damn beast that never left him alone, taunting him and torturing him well into the night and consuming his thoughts. He was here again, a smirk on his face, as if challenging him to do more.

Just as he lifted his fists once again, the door opened from behind him.

“Yongguk!? What did you do!?” The young woman shouted as she rushed over to his side and held onto his hand. She looked up into his eyes and placed her hands on face, trying to comfort him.

It was only now that he realized that he had been crying.

“Come on, let’s get out of here. It’s late; we should sleep.” She said as she wrapped a damp cloth around his fist, knowing he hated putting bandages around it. It was only going to happen again, so what was the use?

He felt he tug on his hand as she guided him out of the bathroom and back into the living room of the apartment they shared. As he stepped through the door and back into the room, he was taken back into reality.

He saw the two plates on the kitchen table, one half eaten, one not even touched. He saw the television to a children’s program, filling the room with happy voices. He saw the note in the refrigerator, stating “Yongguk! Let’s eat at home tonight~!” In front of him, he saw the young woman, not even bothered by the blood on her clothes, but instead, putting some of the things away while still holding onto his hand.

“Jieun.” He said in a small voice.

She turned her head at the sound of her name, only to be pulled into his embrace.

“I’m sorry.” He said, holding her closer. He wasn’t crying anymore, but he was just as broken, if not more. She leaned her head into his chest and simply nodded her head. There was nothing she could say at this moment.

That man had ruined everything for him.

He took the once happy child and changed him into the person here today.

There were two things he vowed to do in his life; other than that, nothing else really mattered.

He was going to see that man bleed. That man was going to kneel in front of him and beg him for mercy and to spare his life. He was going to feel every single ounce of pain he had put him through. It didn’t matter how or when or where, he just knew that man was going to die by his hands.

But even with his head set on this plan, there was another promise he had made to himself.

He was going to make Song Jieun happy, no matter what. In the end, she had to be happy. For the girl who saw past all his demons; for the girl who took him into her arms despite all his flaws; for the girl who gave him nothing but love for the past two years; he was going to make her happy.

But keeping one promise meant breaking the other.