Bloodbound

The errand

The soft hum of the air conditioner filled the silence of the small apartment, where Kim Ye Rin moved quietly, careful not to disturb her boyfriend, Kang Si Wan, who lay on the couch with an arm lazily draped over his forehead.

"You sure you're okay?" she asked, crouching beside him and placing a hand on his arm. His skin felt warm.

“I’m fine,” he replied, his voice low and raspy. “Just a little headache.”

Ye Rin bit her lip, concern clouding her features. "Maybe we should go to the hospital. Just in case."

Si Wan shook his head, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “No need. I know exactly what I need. There’s a herbal medicine from a specific shop in Seokju-dong. It always works.”

Ye Rin blinked. “Seokju-dong? That’s really far. It’ll take hours by bus.”

He sat up slightly, pretending to wince. “If I could go myself, I would. But I can’t even stand up properly. Just do this for me, okay?”

Her heart softened. Even though he could be overbearing sometimes—telling her not to work, not to go out often—she always told herself it was because he cared. She nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll go now.”

He didn’t even say thank you, just closed his eyes again.

With her coat on and bag over her shoulder, Ye Rin stepped outside. The cold spring breeze stung her cheeks as she made her way to the bus stop. The journey to Seokju-dong was long, uncomfortable, and tiring. The bus was packed, and when she finally arrived at the herbal shop, there was a long queue. It took her another hour to get the medicine. Then the same exhausting ride back.

By the time she returned, nearly five hours had passed. Her legs ached, and her head throbbed from fatigue. She fumbled with the keys at the apartment door, already imagining how she’d help Si Wan take the medicine, maybe even cuddle next to him on the couch like they used to.

But the moment the door creaked open, her world shattered.

Laughter.

It came from inside. A woman’s laughter—light, flirty, and intimate.

Frozen, Ye Rin stepped inside quietly. The living room was dimly lit, and she heard whispers coming from the bedroom. Slowly, cautiously, she walked closer, her heart pounding.

Then she saw it.

The bedroom door was wide open. Inside, Kang Si Wan lay in bed, shirtless, with a woman straddling him, her long hair cascading over his chest. Their lips were locked, hands roaming over each other like lovers who had no care in the world.

Ye Rin’s body turned to ice.

The bag in her hand slipped to the floor, the medicine bottle rolling out and stopping near the door.

Si Wan looked up, and for a moment, his expression was blank—caught, but not guilty. The woman turned around, startled, but didn’t bother to cover herself.

“Ye Rin…” Si Wan said, his voice eerily calm, as if she had just walked in on him watching TV.

“W-What… is this?” Her voice cracked.

He stood up, not even bothering to explain. “You should’ve knocked.”

“Knocked?” Her eyes widened, trembling. “This is my home too!”

“No,” he said, looking her dead in the eyes. “It’s not. Not anymore.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. “I went all the way to Seokju-dong for you. I stood in the cold for hours—”

“I didn’t ask you to,” he snapped, pulling on a shirt. “You chose to go.”

The woman behind him snickered.

Ye Rin stared at them, feeling like the walls were closing in. The betrayal, the shame, the utter humiliation—it was too much.

“I want you gone by tonight,” Si Wan said, his voice emotionless. “This is between us now. You don’t belong here.”

She wanted to scream. She wanted to throw the bottle at him. But all she could do was stand there—silent, broken.

And just like that, everything she had clung to was gone.