Ha. This is fucking hilarious.
The venomous words kept coming, unrestrained, past all reason. Yeon Haejeong, listening quietly, let out a thin, bitter laugh.
Why are you taking it out on me when you’re the one who did something wrong.
— You——!
Yeon Haejeong continued, his tone as flat and cutting as ever.
It was Mom who rolled around with Uncle without a second thought and had me. Why are you taking that out on me.
His eyes flickered with something unhinged as he tore into the person on the other end. As if that still wasn’t enough, Yeon Haejeong smiled — a cruel, low smile — and without hesitation, drove straight into the other person’s most sensitive spot.
It would be quite a sight if Dad found out.
The person Dad loves most is Uncle and Mom.
And I’m the child Dad treasures most.
So I’m not Dad’s child?
He spat out a secret that ought to be carried to the grave no matter what happened to the world — and through the phone, his mother’s vicious screaming came through. Yeon Haejeong ignored it and hung up. At the same time, he kicked the scattered sports equipment aside and let out a “Fuck!” to vent his rage.
It was a time when he wanted to kill everyone. A period when rebellion and confusion had shaken even his sense of identity. His mother’s affair. The man she’d had it with. His own bloodline — robbed of meaning. And his mother, who hated and kept her guard up against him because of the mistake she herself had made. His mother.
Yeon Haejeong brought a cigarette to his lips with a hand that wouldn’t stop trembling. Fuck. Maybe I should just die. That was probably what Mom wanted most. Yeon Haejeong let out a hollow laugh and scraped the lighter’s flint roughly — and at that moment, his hand refused to cooperate and the lighter clattered to the floor. There was so much filthy equipment scattered around that he couldn’t see where it had gone, and just as he moved to search for it, his face twisted viciously at the sight of someone crouched in the corner.
You…… what are you doing here?
At the sight of Im Munyeong — hiding himself there like he didn’t exist, his face covered in wounds — the color drained from Yeon Haejeong’s face. If he was here, that meant he’d heard the entire call.
Shit, you——.
This was the first time he’d run into Munyeong since that day. The first time since the day he’d heard that absurd confession — and turned it away without a second thought.
For some reason his face was a mess of injuries, his uniform filthy with dirt and dust all over. Just from the state of him, it was obvious he’d been beaten by more than one person.
I, I, I didn’t hear anything. Didn’t hear anything.
Munyeong continued, his face a wreck. The way he shook his head with his expression frozen stiff — anyone could see that he had heard. Yeon Haejeong couldn’t tear his eyes away from that battered face, and ground his teeth.
Like you didn’t hear. Shit.
……Sorry.
Can you stop with that goddamn “sorry” already?
Yeon Haejeong snapped at the word Munyeong kept reflexively repeating like a habit. Munyeong shut his mouth without a word of protest.
If someone’s there, you make yourself known!
Yeon Haejeong vented his boiling fury on the wrong person, irritably crushing the unlit cigarette with all his strength.
……I thought…… you’d hate seeing my face……
Munyeong murmured quietly, with an uncomfortable look. Since the confession incident, they hadn’t so much as acknowledged each other’s existence, so of course Munyeong had no choice but to hold his breath when he showed up.
At that thoroughly crestfallen look, Yeon Haejeong finally realized he’d been taking his temper out on the wrong person, and let out an irritated sigh.
…Whatever. Get out.
…Huh?
I’m in a shit mood, so get out.
Wanting to be alone, Yeon Haejeong waved his hand dismissively as if even responding was a bother. Munyeong nodded slowly and hurried to get to his feet.
……gh.
The moment he tried to take a step, a suppressed sound of pain escaped Munyeong’s lips — and Yeon Haejeong, who had been about to light up, felt his brow twitch. He turned his gaze without thinking toward the retreating figure — limping, the back of him covered in shoe prints — and his mouth opened without meaning to.
……Did you get beaten up?
He didn’t look good at all. He was limping, his face was a complete ruin, and with every step he took, his expression crumpled with pain.
…Huh?
You got the shit beaten out of you. Are you stupid? You walk around getting your ass kicked every day?
……Yeah, I guess.
At Yeon Haejeong’s words thrown like an angry jab, Munyeong let out a faint smile. What the hell are you smiling about. Every little thing he did looked idiotic, and Yeon Haejeong shook his head in exasperation.
A guy, getting beaten around every single day.
……I’m not good at fighting……
Fighting is about spirit. If you can’t fight, charge at them anyway and at least scream. Are you going to spend your whole life getting the shit kicked out of you?
Yeon Haejeong still couldn’t get the lighter to work and kept talking, as if venting his irritation through the words. He couldn’t understand why, every time he saw that sight, something burned inside him. What burned even more was the way Munyeong remained composed despite everything that had been done to him.
……Yeah. Got it.
Munyeong answered readily. Even though it had been a dismissive, belittling remark, Munyeong took it seriously — as genuine advice. At that, Yeon Haejeong exhaled an absurd breath and once again waved his hand for him to leave already.
Just go now.
……Okay.
And.
……
……What you heard today.
……
……If you go around running your mouth about it anywhere, you’re dead.
Yeon Haejeong spoke harshly — but his eyes, looking elsewhere, were hollow in a way that didn’t match his voice. There was a strange resignation and exhaustion settled into him. After learning the secret of his own birth, Yeon Haejeong hadn’t been sleeping well, and the constant friction with his mother on top of that was wearing him down to nothing. Of course this was something people couldn’t know — but somewhere in the back of his mind, there was a thought that said it didn’t really matter what happened anymore.
……Um, Haejeong.
A careful voice followed. Expecting Munyeong to simply leave, Yeon Haejeong turned his head with a slightly puzzled look at the sound of him speaking instead.
That…… I……
Having opened the door, Munyeong hesitated for a long time. Whatever it was he wanted to say — he opened and closed his mouth, stumbling over his words, slowly piecing them together.
I…… don’t have…… parents.
Yeon Haejeong’s brow furrowed in an instant. His face said so what do you want me to do about it?
Is there anyone in our class who doesn’t know that?
Haha…. Yeah, I guess……
……If you’re going to talk nonsense——
But.
At the somewhat firm voice that cut him off, Yeon Haejeong narrowed his brow again and fixed his gaze on Munyeong. On that face covered in wounds — lips split open, the skin around his eyes bruised red, one cheek badly scraped — he added:
But…… I’m doing fine.
With all his wounds still on him, Im Munyeong spoke with steady eyes.
……Living fine, getting by fine.
……
……Don’t…… worry.
……
No matter how hard things are…… no matter how difficult…… they can’t easily break a person.
Even as he spoke, Munyeong was embarrassed and uncertain, watching Yeon Haejeong’s reaction for cues — but he didn’t stop. In that moment, Yeon Haejeong, at a loss for words, stared back at him with a look that was almost blank.
After saying everything he’d come to say, Munyeong walked out of the storage room at his own quiet pace — and Yeon Haejeong couldn’t take his eyes off his retreating figure for a long time. In the end, not having smoked a single cigarette, Yeon Haejeong stood there with only the lighter in his hand and let out a belated, incredulous laugh. It wasn’t until long after Munyeong had gone that he was able to understand what those words had meant.
