“I don’t have a home, hyung… I left the facility.”
“Facility…?”
“Yeah.”
While he was crying this sadly and grieving because his mom wasn’t home, Soohyun showed no sign of sadness at all while talking about not having a home.
“Go on in now. I have to go back.”
Soohyun waved at Chaeho. Somehow he didn’t want to part with him like this. Thinking about being left alone in the wide house with no one, sadness welled up in his chest.
“Soohyun hyung!”
“Hm?”
Where did such courage come from? Chaeho called him with a trembling voice. The back of him wearing an old backpack, a plain white shirt, and jeans somehow looked lonely. But an 11-year-old boy couldn’t do much.
“Hyung… Dad comes home late… I’m scared to be alone at home.”
“Hm?”
“I’m sorry. I… I’m just….”
The simple words that he just wanted to be together didn’t come out, and only tears flowed. Soohyun was so surprised that he approached Chaeho, lowered his body, and hugged him.
“Don’t cry. You’re scared to be alone. What should I do?”
“…Stay with me. Until Dad.”
“Okay. I understand.”
Young Chaeho didn’t accurately understand Soohyun’s situation at the time. He could do nothing but cling and cry to him who was in a much more difficult position than himself, and yet Soohyun didn’t abandon Chaeho and waited by his side until his dad came. Crouched on the steps in front of the house waiting for his dad, Chaeho confided to Soohyun about what happened at school.
“…I see. You can’t help but be upset when you hear such stories.”
“Yeah… actually… I’m scared that might be true….”
Soohyun silently listened to Chaeho’s story. He himself was frustrated about many things like where to sleep again today and where to find work, but he couldn’t turn away from the small-bodied child looking at him with sad eyes.
“Chaeho! What are you doing here!”
“Ah… Dad!”
When it was well past 10 o’clock, a man appeared in front of the gate. Only then did Soohyun dust himself off and stand up, and the man, who had been watching Soohyun with wary eyes, hugged Chaeho and patted his back.
“Dad was too late. I tried to come early today… I’m really sorry.”
“Dad… no, but today Soohyun hyung stayed with me.”
Soohyun silently bowed his head in greeting. Looking Soohyun up and down, he asked Chaeho what had happened, and Chaeho explained what had occurred today.
“I see. Our Chaeho was a bother. I’m really sorry and thank you.”
“Not at all. He seemed like a younger brother, so I couldn’t just pass by.”
“Dad, hyung needs to find a home. Can’t he sleep at our house tonight?”
“Chaeho! What are you saying? Hyung is….”
Soohyun’s cheeks turned bright red. He was ashamed that he’d been caught being in a situation with nowhere to go. Though having nothing wasn’t a crime, Soohyun was afraid that Chaeho’s father might misunderstand and think he had deliberately approached Chaeho.
“It’s okay. It’s too late anyway.”
“But I’m—”
“Do it like that, hyung. Just one day… please? Just one day.”
The day Soohyun met Chaeho, he stayed overnight at his house. Before Chaeho fell asleep, Chaeho’s father held his child’s hand tightly and his eyes welled up with tears.
“Dad is sorry. But Chaeho, it’s not that I don’t love you. And Mom’s surgery went well, so she’ll be able to come home soon.”
“Really? Mom’s coming home?”
“Yeah. She’ll be discharged around next week and come home.”
Watching the father and son holding hands and rejoicing, Soohyun smiled silently. Soohyun, who had never belonged to the fence called family, found their appearance both unfamiliar and envious. He’d solved where to sleep today, but from tomorrow he would have to wander looking for a place to stay again.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Wait, you said your name was Lee Soohyun-ssi, right?”
Chaeho’s father stopped Soohyun, who was about to leave early in the morning. Examining Soohyun’s face carefully, he smiled with a good-natured face and opened his mouth.
“I don’t want to take fate lightly. It’s also the first time I’ve seen Chaeho follow someone else like that. If it’s not rude.”
“Yes?”
“How about living together at our house? There’s an empty room on the second floor and also—”
“But… but I’m—”
A proper person would naturally refuse such kindness. But Soohyun wasn’t in a position to do so. With the money he had now, it was nearly impossible to find a house where he could stretch out his legs and sleep since it wasn’t even enough for a deposit. For Soohyun, who had been planning to find a cheap goshiwon or semi-basement monthly room, Chaeho’s father’s proposal was so grateful it brought tears.
“I should refuse to be proper but…. Until I work and save up some money, may I impose on you?”
“I always come home late anyway, and Chaeho is lonely too. Chaeho’s mom will come soon, but it’ll be hard for her to get up right away. So I’m being shameless but—”
“I’ll take care of Chaeho. I also took care of younger ones at the facility. I did all the housework too. I’ll pay room rent… too. Though I probably… won’t be able to pay much.”
When Soohyun brought up money, Chaeho’s father was startled and waved his hands.
“Rather, I’m the one asking a favor, so I can’t accept money on top of that. Chaeho seems to like you, Soohyun-ssi… Please make yourself comfortable.”
“Thank you. Thank you.”
Soohyun repeatedly bowed. And when Chaeho woke up late, hearing that he would be living with Soohyun, he jumped up and down like a rabbit in joy. Seeing Chaeho’s innocent face after a long time, his father shed tears secretly.
* * *
Soohyun had thought of imposing on Chaeho’s house for only about a month. But he spent two years at Chaeho’s house. Chaeho’s mother, who was discharged from the hospital, had a pleasant personality and liked Soohyun very much, whom Chaeho also followed closely, and took care of Soohyun attentively as if she were his mother.
“Soohyun, you keep coming home late these days. Aren’t you working too much?”
“Ah… no, ma’am. Actually….”
At her worried words, Soohyun blushed shyly and murmured in a small voice.
“Actually, I’m coming home late because I’m on a date. I’m sorry.”
“A date? Oh my… you have someone you’re seeing?”
Soohyun, who had blushed both cheeks, nodded. Chaeho’s mom was genuinely happy and asked what kind of person it was, and only then did Soohyun confide about Jeongwon, whom he’d been seeing for nearly half a year.
“He’s five years older than me. A very good person.”
“What does he do?”
“Well… he works at a company….”
Seeing excitement mixed in Soohyun’s face and voice, which had always seemed calm and gentle, Chaeho’s mom smiled happily. Because he was such a pretty and kind child, she, who truly hoped Soohyun would be happy, even held his hand while listening to Soohyun’s story.
“That’s so wonderful. That he treats you so kindly.”
“Yes. Really… he’s such a good person, more than I deserve.”
And Chaeho, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation between the two, pouted and went into his room. Soohyun, who stayed in the room next to Chaeho’s, even on days when he was busy and tired from work, would talk with Chaeho after work, read books to him, and sometimes help with his homework. When Soohyun talked with Chaeho’s mom and knocked on his door, no sound came from inside.
“Chaeho, are you asleep?”
Since it was well past 10 o’clock, thinking he might have fallen asleep early, Soohyun was about to turn away, but wanting to see Chaeho’s sleeping face, he gently opened the door.
“……”
Chaeho was covered with his blanket. The moment he heard that Soohyun had someone he was seeing, a strange feeling came over him. He thought hyung would always only look at him, but his face smiling happily while talking about another person was too unfamiliar.
“Chaeho, good night.”
Soohyun gently stroked Chaeho’s body over the blanket and went back out of the room. Chaeho stayed up all night with his eyes open that day.
* * *
For a while, Chaeho deliberately avoided Soohyun. Soohyun confided to his mom that Chaeho seemed angry at him, but Chaeho’s mom consoled Soohyun by saying that Chaeho would soon be entering puberty so he could be like that. Feeling hurt that he, who had followed him like a real younger brother, was suddenly distancing himself, Soohyun tried buying food or things Chaeho would like and giving them to him, but it was of little use.
“Why is he like that? Is it really puberty….”
Soohyun’s relationship with Lee Jeongwon deepened. He, who had frequently visited the place where Soohyun worked part-time, made a clumsy confession to Soohyun, and Soohyun, who had pushed him away at first, eventually had no choice but to accept him who approached at his own pace and said he loved him. And one day, Soohyun blushed in front of Chaeho’s parents, saying he had something to tell them.
“Soohyun, you have something to say?”
“Yes… Jeongwon-ssi and I… decided to get married.”
