Just as his grandfather had done, Ian also sat cross-legged and opened the album on his lap. The album densely packed with photos was heavy as a stone.
On the first page was Sangmin’s first birthday photo. Ian, lips pressed tightly together, quickly turned to the next page. For a while, photos containing his grandfather’s younger self and his father’s childhood appeared, so his hand movements quickened.
They slowed again when his own first birthday photo appeared. At the face that greatly resembled the child in the photo at the very front, Ian’s lips drooped down.
He got goosebumps that he was of the same blood as the man who had sold his own child with his own hands. How did such a good-for-nothing emerge from under such an admirable grandfather? It was Hyoseong-dong’s greatest mystery.
Ian, who let out a big breath to shake off his gloomy mood, was looking at his face gradually growing in the photos when he suddenly opened his eyes wide in surprise.
“It’s real…”
Most of the photos were solo shots of Ian, but occasionally Okjeong, Soyeon, and other adults from Hyoseong-dong were also in them.
Among them, what caught Ian’s attention was a photo with a boy whose bangs almost completely covered his eyes. Just as Soyeon had described, the skinny boy was incredibly tall.
Unlike his face that still showed signs of youth, he was about the same height as his grandfather. He was incredibly thin and his eyes weren’t even visible, but Ian recognized at once that the boy was Ganghyuk.
His sharply cut high nose bridge and his firm jawline, though not yet fully mature, were the same as now. His lips with their beautifully shaped form as well.
He could see his young self sitting on Ganghyuk’s lap and smiling brightly, seemingly so happy. In both hands, he was tightly gripping lollipops.
Seeing that a faint smile had also formed on the boy’s lips, his heart pounded. Ganghyuk hadn’t helped him just because of his connection with his grandfather.
He also had a connection with Ganghyuk. Though it wasn’t in his own memories, at the thought that in Ganghyuk’s mind there must be memories that made him feel good just looking at them like this photo, the area around his chest tickled.
Ian, who smiled widely enough to raise both cheeks, carefully pulled out the photo. The photo that looked old had slightly decayed edges, but the faces of the two children contained in the photo were vivid.
Looking at the photo, he suddenly wanted to see Ganghyuk. His smile quickly disappeared with longing.
Surely he’s not going to not come home today too.
After closing the album again and putting it carefully back in the box, he checked his phone. Still, there was no contact of any kind from Ganghyuk.
Looking at the time, it was already eleven o’clock. After whining like a puppy that needed to poop, he finally couldn’t hold back and made a call.
As always, the basic tone flowed out. As the ringtone continued, his palms became slippery with cold sweat from anxious feelings.
Is he not going to answer this time either? His head drooped with disappointment, but the ringtone suddenly cut off.
“Executive Director?”
Ian raised his voice in disbelief. Ganghyuk had finally answered the phone. It had been several days of no contact, but in terms of how it felt, it seemed like more than a month had passed.
“Hello…?”
But there was no voice to be heard. Only a small breathing sound came through, so Ian frowned. When he listened carefully, he could faintly sense a noisy atmosphere too.
-I’m not the Executive Director.
At the young woman’s voice that suddenly came through, Ian stiffened while inhaling. He had only worried that something might have happened, and hadn’t anticipated at all that Ganghyuk might be spending time with another person.
-Are you by any chance that kid from the rumors? The omega that Ganghyuk-ssi bought at the club, I mean. Is that you?
His vision spun and his sight blurred hazily. He didn’t even know who the other party was yet, but the bridge of his nose stung.
It was the truth, but he didn’t want to answer. He couldn’t breathe, unable to understand why a stranger was answering the phone of Ganghyuk, who had been unreachable all this time.
-Did it disconnect? Hello?
“…What about the Executive Director? I want to talk to the Executive Director.”
-Hmm, is that so? But what should I do about this? Ganghyuk-ssi isn’t in a state to answer the phone right now.
Unlike Ian who had fallen into despair, the woman seemed strangely pleased. All kinds of imaginings unfolded in Ian’s mind.
Could Ganghyuk be at a hotel with this woman right now? Or a club? He suddenly remembered that he had been there as a customer at the place where he’d rescued Ian.
It wasn’t an ordinary club. It was a place where auctions buying and selling omegas took place. Though his memory of when he went up on stage was hazy, a decadent atmosphere had flowed richly.
There were people sitting here and there in scantily clad clothes like himself back then. Some people engaged in obscene acts without caring about others’ gazes.
He had thought Ganghyuk wasn’t that kind of person because he’d treated him like a gentleman all this time, but one never knew. Perhaps he hadn’t touched him because he was too young a partner for him.
When he thought that far, his heart crumbled. The truth was, Ian was in no position to say anything about whoever Ganghyuk rolled around with elsewhere. The cruel reality slashed painfully at his heart.
—I should hang up now. When Ganghyuk-ssi comes to his senses a bit, I’ll have him contact you. It was nice talking with you.
When Ian couldn’t say anything and only made gasping sounds with his breath, the woman ended the call first. Ian closed his eyes tightly, his phone still pressed to his ear after it had been abruptly disconnected.
The tears that had been welling up at the corners of his eyes ran down his flushed cheeks in long streaks. In his hands, the photograph containing precious memories was gradually crumpling.
ლ
Click click click click. Ding-a-ling-ling.
At the sound coming from the direction of the front door, Ian bolted upright from the bed. Even after hanging up with the woman, he’d been in a daze for a while, unable to pull himself together, then had just washed up a little while ago and laid down on the bed. He needed to study for his college entrance exams, but not a single word entered his eyes. The black was letters, the white was paper.
He had thought Ganghyuk wouldn’t come home today either. Until now, he’d vaguely worried about what he might be doing somewhere, but today the scene of Ganghyuk rolling around with a beautiful woman kept coming to mind, making him toss and turn even with his eyes closed.
But right now, Ganghyuk was entering the house. The face he was seeing after several days looked thinner, his jawline particularly sharp as if he’d lost some weight.
Ganghyuk, who had been taking off his shoes, felt the gaze and lifted his head. Seeing Ian standing in the doorway like a faithful wife waiting for her husband, he let out a small sigh.
Ian clutched his pajama pants in his hands until they wrinkled, his heart heavy with upset. That low sigh felt exactly like he was being reproached.
Had he ruined the fun Ganghyuk was having by calling him? Was that why he’d left that woman behind and returned home?
He hadn’t responded to any of the calls and messages before, yet Ganghyuk appeared after talking with a woman whose name Ian didn’t even know. Ian resented him a little.
“……Why aren’t you sleeping.”
The deeply sunken voice seemed to carry the smell of alcohol, making Ian tense his eyes. He felt tears welling up pathetically.
His eyes were already a bit swollen from crying earlier. He’d been afraid to fall asleep alone, so he’d left all the lights in the living room on brightly, which meant Ganghyuk could probably see his pitiful face clearly, and Ian couldn’t bring himself to approach.
He’d missed him so much, but now that he actually saw him, his feelings were strange. The longing he’d felt collapsed powerlessly like a sandcastle swept away by waves.
What replaced it were hurt feelings and a sense of betrayal. If he detected an unfamiliar scent from Ganghyuk, he felt like he wouldn’t be able to bear it. It was truly ridiculous.
Our relationship really means nothing. Ganghyuk is just unilaterally showing kindness to Ian.
Why was he feeling these emotions? If Ganghyuk knew, he’d probably say it was creepy and leave the house right away.
“Go inside and sleep quickly.”
Ganghyuk observed Ian carefully for a moment, then walked toward the room. The footsteps he’d been waiting for were growing distant.
