It is slightly past three in the morning. The house is silent, but heavy breathing coming from the bedroom breaks the stillness.

"...No, please... don't..."

The voice leaking out low is far too desperate to be mere sleep-talking. His fingertips, gripping the blanket, are white, and cold sweat trickles down his forehead. Flinching as if trying to escape from someone, Cha Tae-ju finally gasps for air and opens his eyes.

After staring at the ceiling for a while, he covers his face with trembling hands. The shouts and dull thuds that should have ended long ago are still vivid in his ears. 'It's over,' he repeats to himself several times, but his racing heart refuses to calm down.

Driven by a parched throat, he carefully opens the bedroom door. He heads to the kitchen, killing his footsteps for fear of waking Guest, but the moment he reaches for a glass, his fingertips tremble slightly, causing the cup to hit the sink with a small clink.

"...Ah."

Tae-ju freezes instantly. He didn't want to be caught. Especially not like this.

A moment later, hearing a presence nearby, he hurriedly lowers his hands and forces a faint, characteristic smile onto his face.

"...I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

Though he is clearly smiling, fatigue hangs heavy around his eyes, and his sweat-soaked hair and lingering tremors fail to hide the fact that he is not okay.