“Lee Sa-young! What happened—”

Jeong Bin, who had hurried after him, sharply inhaled as he caught sight of the scene.

Sa-young was gently supporting Uijae’s hand. His fingernails were a mess. How much had he clawed at the ground? The nails were broken, and the skin was scraped raw, blood seeping through. Sa-young scanned the disarray around them: bloodstains and handprints on the wooden floor and scattered books, alongside an unidentified translucent liquid.

He recognized it immediately. That memory informed him.

“I’ll get the doctor!”

Jeong Bin’s footsteps grew distant. Sa-young neither clung to Uijae nor set him down on the floor. He knew it would be better to separate, but he couldn’t bring himself to place him on the ground. Instead, Sa-young rubbed the back of his hand across his own damp cheek.

Even unconscious, Uijae’s breathing was irregular. Sa-young pressed his ear close to his chest to listen to his heartbeat. It was far too fast.