"To be honest, back then… I saw Guppping as my father. Even though he was the one who abandoned me, he showed up at the House like it was nothing, got drunk, and passed out."

"……"

"I tried to kill my father that day."

The black pupils trembled slightly. As if expelling guilt, Hongju’s confession continued.

"I remember thinking what a shame it was. I was terrified, but… the pain was stronger."

"But in the end, you didn’t kill him. Whether it was Gu Madam or your father. The one who abandoned you is at fault. The one who lied to you is at fault. What did you do wrong, that you should be scared?"

Whenever he thought about his father, a storm of emotions surged through him. Sometimes longing was stronger, other times it was anger. And often, he couldn’t even tell which was which.