Unrequited Love Thresher-Chapter 62: I Couldn’t Feel Anything

Ha Giyeon slowly opened his eyes, the sensation of light filtering through his hazy vision pulling him awake.

A white ceiling. The sting of alcohol in his nose. A heavy body. A parched mouth. Blinking, he tried to bring things into focus and rouse his dulled senses.

Then, a familiar voice reached him.

“You’re awake?”

When Ha Giyeon turned his head, the first person to come into view was Ha Dohoon.

‘Am I still dreaming?’

Otherwise, there was no way his brother would be looking at him with such a worried expression. Even more so with their parents standing behind him.

He wanted to close his eyes again. But when the doctor entered, he had no choice but to come back to his senses. The doctor examined Giyeon’s condition and asked,

“Are you having trouble breathing, or do you {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} feel nauseated or in pain?”

“Ah... cough!”

Just as he tried to answer, his throat caught, and he coughed roughly. Startled, Ha Dohoon quickly brought a cup of water to his lips. As the water touched his mouth, Ha Giyeon slowly swallowed, soothing his dry throat. When some of the water spilled down his chin, Dohoon wiped it away with his hand.

Embarrassed by the gesture, Giyeon quickly pulled his mouth away from the cup.

“I-I don’t feel any pain...”

His throat was still swollen, so his voice didn’t come out properly. The doctor recommended he stay hospitalized for another three days, told him to press the call button if anything felt off, and then left the room.

As the door clicked shut and silence returned, Ha Giyeon swallowed a breath.

He couldn’t understand why his father and mother weren’t at work, or why Ha Dohoon hadn’t gone to school. His parents weren’t the type to skip work just because he was sick.

That much was clear, based on countless past memories. Never once, when he had fallen ill, had they stayed by his side.

When Ha Dohoon got sick, Lee Mihyun would skip work or go in late to take care of him, and Ha Ilwoo would call to check on him. In contrast, Ha Giyeon had never received even the barest attention. It made sense—they didn’t care enough to even realize when he was sick.

Even when he was rushed to the emergency room as a child due to an allergic reaction, it had only been the housekeeper who stayed by his side. Lee Mihyun and Ha Ilwoo had never once checked on him or asked if he was okay.

Because he knew them well, Giyeon had always curled up alone in a dark room whenever he got sick. The isolation made him feel imprisoned, abandoned, like he was the last person left in the world. It was achingly lonely, but he endured it. He tried not to show that he was in pain.

That habit hadn’t changed, even after regression. Deep down, all he could think was that he must not draw their attention.

Even now, it was the same.

He remembered the moment he’d lost consciousness—the feeling of choking as he ate something in the restaurant. It was clearly an allergic reaction. He had tried to avoid seafood, but something must have been mixed in.

‘It’s my fault.’

It was his fault for eating seafood. His fault for ruining the family dinner.

So the first words out of Ha Giyeon’s mouth were:

“I’m sorry.”

An apology, always on his lips when speaking to them.

“I’m sure you're busy, but I’m sorry for being a burden and causing trouble.”

It was something he naturally had to say. But why were they all looking at him with such strange expressions? Shock, maybe. Confusion, maybe. Even anger.

All Giyeon had done was prepare in advance for the scolding he expected. That was the only reason.

“What... what do you mean by that?”

Ha Dohoon’s eyes wavered uncontrollably as he suddenly grabbed Giyeon’s arm. There was no force in his grip like before, but Giyeon’s body still flinched from surprise.

Dohoon, startled by the reaction, quickly let go. He stammered as he spoke again.

“Why are you apologizing? Trouble? What do you mean by that...!”

“I just... felt sorry for ruining the dinner because of me, and for being such a hassle by ending up in the hospital...”

“You...!”

Was that all he had to say after waking up? Dohoon couldn’t listen anymore and was about to shout when Lee Mihyun, who had been standing quietly off to the side, stepped forward and spoke in his place.

“Did you... know you had a seafood allergy?”

Her tone wasn’t the usual dismissive or scornful one. She asked carefully—so carefully, in fact, that he had never heard her speak that way before.

“Yes...”

“......Then why didn’t you say anything? At the restaurant... or even when the food came out?”

At first, Giyeon didn’t understand her question and tilted his head slightly. Then, slowly, his eyes widened. He covered his trembling mouth with a hand, trying to suppress the twitching at the corners of his lips.

“Ah...”

A stupid sound escaped his lips.

“Ha—Giyeon...”

Lee Mihyun called out to him, but he only stared blankly into space, his murky eyes unfocused.

‘So I was wrong.’

He had overestimated them. He had assumed his parents, his brother... that they all knew about his allergy. But they didn’t. They didn’t know anything. Only after hearing Lee Mihyun’s words did Ha Giyeon realize that—painfully, bitterly.

Until now, he had believed that the reason he wasn’t taken out to restaurants was because they were trying to be considerate. That on seafood days, they left him at home for his sake. That belief had allowed him to accept it and endure. It had made him feel, if only faintly, that they were trying. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

But that wasn’t it at all. It was simply because they didn’t want him there.

Only now did he realize it.

The past and present blurred together. All the times he’d eaten alone at the dining table came rushing back—and for the first time, he felt betrayed. How long had they stopped seeing him as family? He had no idea.

Since they found out he wasn’t their biological child? Since he cried at the party? Since the emergency room visit? Or since the day he was born?

He couldn’t guess. And he didn’t want to. They weren’t family, after all.

In that moment, Ha Giyeon’s swirling thoughts settled into clarity. He wasn’t their real child, nor was he a child they loved, nor even one they pitied. Clearly, they had instinctively kept him at a distance long ago, knowing in their bones that he wasn’t truly theirs.

Should he blame himself for missing all the signs?

He shouldn’t feel sadness, or betrayal, or longing toward these people. What could he expect to feel toward those who didn’t even see him as family?

Ha Giyeon’s lips moved slowly.

“I thought I avoided the seafood... maybe some got mixed in. I’m sorry. The hospital bill—”

“Stop.”

Lee Mihyun’s face crumpled as she struggled to withstand the shock. Ha Ilwoo, unable to bear it, cut in hastily. He couldn’t stand to hear another word from Giyeon, who did nothing but blame himself and apologize.

“That’s not what I meant... Why didn’t you say you couldn’t eat seafood?”

“...Was I supposed to?”

Ha Giyeon looked straight at Ha Ilwoo. There was no anger in his eyes, no resentment, no sadness. His dry, brittle gaze held only one thing—pure confusion.

“If I said it in that moment... what would have changed? Sitting in front of food that’s almost all seafood—if I brought it up then, wouldn’t it have just ruined the mood?”

In the end, I ruined it anyway.

“You don’t have to invite me to family dinners anymore. I don’t feel sad when I’m not there, and I’m not happy when I am. So please don’t worry about me. Just eat comfortably.”

All that came from the mouth of the awakened child were apologies. If he had shown even a little anger or resentment, then Ilwoo and Mihyun might have had something to say in response—an excuse, at least. They might have apologized for forgetting.

But Ha Giyeon left no room for that.

It felt as though he was telling them not to bother seeking forgiveness. And so, they could say nothing.

Ha Giyeon looked at the IV needle stuck in the back of his hand, then pulled back the blanket as if to get up.

“I feel fine now. I’ll get discharged.”

As he swung his legs down from the bed, Ha Dohoon, startled, grabbed them and lifted them back up.

“What the hell are you talking about? You collapsed last night and only just woke up. And now you want to get discharged?”

“There’s nothing wrong with me anymore. Staying here will just rack up the bill.”

“Why are you even worrying about the hospital bill?”

Dohoon asked, clearly frustrated, but Giyeon couldn’t help but worry. It was a luxurious private room. Staying a few more days would easily cost hundreds.

To Ha Giyeon, all of this felt like debt. Even a single sip of water felt like something he owed. It was suffocating. He wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. If he just got the right medication from a pharmacy, he could manage the allergy. There was no need for an IV like this.

Just as Giyeon moved to sit up again—

“Stay lying down...”

“...?”

Lee Mihyun approached and gently pressed down on his shoulder, laying him back on the sheet. Startled by the unexpected gesture, Ha Giyeon lay there without resistance. He stared up at her silently. Her face didn’t look well, and he couldn’t bring himself to push her away.

Ha Dohoon pulled up the bedside table, and Ha Ilwoo placed a tray of porridge on top. The sight of it all confused Giyeon, and he rolled his eyes in bewilderment. Even Ha Dohoon handed him a spoon.

“There’s really no need for this...”

“We’ll step out for a bit so you can eat comfortably... If anything happens, call.”

Dohoon handed him a phone, then stepped out of the room with their parents. Giyeon watched them go, silently staring at their retreating backs.

He took a bite of the porridge.

Incredibly, it had no taste at all.