# Chapter 50
This year, Parents’ Day fell on a Sunday. Mo Eunje, who woke up around 11 AM, quickly got ready and left the house with Tae Igyeol. The plan was to stop by a flower shop to buy carnations, then go to Tae Igyeol’s family home for lunch.
“Let’s buy two carnations to pin one on each of them, and should we also get flowers for the dining table? Auntie likes bright things, doesn’t she?”
“Do as you like.”
“Then you buy the carnations. I’ll get the flowers for the table.”
There was a flower shop in an alley about a 5-minute walk from home. Since it was awkward to briefly park there, it was better to walk. The weather was so sunny that it was hard to believe they had been wearing padded jackets not long ago.
“Here.”
“Yeah.”
Upon arriving at the flower shop, Tae Igyeol handed over his card. It seemed he wanted to smoke while Mo Eunje bought the flowers. Mo Eunje went into the flower shop alone, selected the two freshest carnations from the pile, and paid with Tae Igyeol’s card. Then he asked the florist to wrap a few more stems for the dining table and handed over his own card.
“Do you have any color preference?”
“Hmm… please mix them well in peachy-yellow tones.”
After a moment’s thought, Mo Eunje chose colors that matched Song Yeonhwa’s image. Song Yeonhwa had a soft and gentle appearance, while his own mother, Han Seola, had a more elegant and glamorous presence. That’s why he had chosen coral-red tones for the flower basket he’d sent to their home in Busan, scheduled to arrive this morning.
Since they had already visited Busan two weeks ago, he had only called his own parents and sent them each a mobile department store gift card. In his early twenties, he used to buy and give gifts directly, but after learning that Tae Igyeol simply sent mobile department store gift cards, Mo Eunje started doing the same. It was incredibly convenient not having to worry about what gift to choose every time.
As he left the flower shop holding two carnations and the wrapped bouquet, Tae Igyeol extinguished the cigarette he had been smoking in the smoking area of the parking lot on the first floor of the villa across the street. Though Mo Eunje did dislike the smell of cigarettes, there was no need for Tae Igyeol to go to such lengths every time, but that’s just how he was—always considerate as if it were only natural.
“How is it? It’ll match Auntie perfectly, right?”
Mo Eunje grinned. Tae Igyeol, who had been looking back and forth between the flowers and Mo Eunje, nodded briefly. Then he started walking without a word. Now they needed to return to Ritz Ville, get in the car, and head to Tae Igyeol’s family home.
After arriving at the family home and parking in the underground garage, they entered the apartment building by pressing the common entrance passcode and took the elevator.
“Your mom and dad will be so surprised, right?”
“Well, I haven’t come home for Parents’ Day since I turned twenty.”
“Our Igyeol is going to get all the love thanks to his Eunje hyung, huh?”
Mo Eunje said this to take credit as they exited the elevator. However, no matter how many times they rang the doorbell, there was no response from inside. When there was no reaction at all, as if no one was home, Tae Igyeol entered the passcode. Even after entering the foyer, only a profound silence greeted them.
“Auntie! Uncle!”
“…”
“What’s this? It seems like no one’s home. Did they say they were going out today?”
“I think it’s been a week since I last called.”
Come to think of it, Tae Igyeol never contacted Tae Hyunseok or Song Yeonhwa first, always waiting for them to call him. It wasn’t just with his parents either. Looking back, Mo Eunje realized he was always the one to contact Tae Igyeol first.
“Did your fingers break? You should reach out to your mom and dad sometimes, you know.”
“I’ll handle it my way.”
At this indifferent response, Mo Eunje clicked his tongue and placed the bouquet and two carnations on the dining table. Since Tae Igyeol showed no sign of taking out his phone, just standing there blankly, Mo Eunje was about to nag him but instead decided to call Song Yeonhwa himself. After the ringtone continued for quite a while, the call went to voicemail without connecting. Thinking it strange for someone who lived with her phone in hand, he next tried calling Tae Hyunseok.
“Oh, yes. Eunje.”
“Uncle, where are you? Why is no one at home? Auntie isn’t answering her phone either.”
“Where are you? Are you at our house?”
“Yes. It’s Parents’ Day today. I came to pin carnations on you and Auntie. And to get a delicious lunch, of course.”
When they were young, the two families would spend Children’s Day together, but Parents’ Day was celebrated separately. They each took care of Parents’ Day and their respective parents’ birthdays. But this time, since Mo Eunje’s family home had moved to Busan, and today happened to be Sunday, it was the first time he had come to Tae Igyeol’s home together for Parents’ Day. He had arrived with a beaming face, expecting Tae Hyunseok and Song Yeonhwa to be delighted and touched, but the house was empty.
“You should have called ahead.”
“How can I call ahead for a surprise? So where are you and Auntie now? Should we come to you?”
“Oh no, we’re in Busan right now.”
“Busan? Why Busan? Did you go to our house?”
“We heard the hospital would be closed on Friday, so we came to Busan on Children’s Day. Iden is also about to start a new project, so he came along for a short vacation.”
This was unexpected. Mo Eunje covered the speaker of his phone with his hand and whispered to Tae Igyeol, “Your mom and dad are in Busan right now. Iden is with them too.”
“Let me see… Children’s Day was Thursday, so we came on Wednesday night.”
“Really? I just talked to my mom and dad, but why didn’t they tell me?”
“Because you didn’t ask? We were with them too. We had just woken up late, eaten breakfast, and were having tea. Right now, your mom and Auntie have gone for massages. The flower basket was beautiful. Auntie was quite envious.”
“And I bought a bouquet that matches Auntie’s style to gift her…”
The surprise had failed. This is why one shouldn’t do things they don’t normally do.
“You did? Auntie will be grinning from ear to ear, what a shame she can’t see it. If you leave it at home, I’ll take a picture of your Auntie’s reaction and send it to you.”
“Yeah. I’ll leave it on the dining table. When are you coming back?”
“I think we’ll take the night train. I’m sorry you came all this way thinking of your uncle and aunt. Is Igyeol with you too?”
“Of course! Igyeol suggested we come, and I just tagged along for the free meal.”
“So our oldest son only becomes nice once a year?”
The cheerful laughter coming through the phone was pleasant to hear. He could faintly hear his father’s voice saying something in the background, but couldn’t make out what it was.
“From now on, I’ll always give you a heads-up before doing something nice, no more surprises.”
Mo Eunje gestured to Tae Igyeol that they should leave and started walking.
“What a shame. If we had been home today, your uncle would have been so surprised he might have fallen over. Is our Eunje still not interested in acting?”
“Oh, Uncle. You still haven’t given up? I know I fit your ideal actor image, but not just anyone can act, you know?”
As he was putting on his shoes in the entryway, he noticed that the laces on Tae Igyeol’s sneakers were about to come undone. He gestured for Tae Igyeol to put his shoes on first, then wedged the phone between his shoulder and ear as he crouched down. He couldn’t understand how someone who rarely went out could have their shoelaces come undone so often.
“You’re perceptive, have good empathy, and a good sense for things, so I’m not worried about your acting. Kids like you pick up acting quickly. I bet you’d get the hang of it after just one or two projects. Yeongwoo says he agrees.”
“My dad would agree with whatever I do. But I don’t think acting is in the cards for me in this life. Anyway, Uncle, enjoy your trip. We’re leaving now!”
“Alright. Thank you for thinking of your uncle and aunt.”
The call ended just as he finished tying both knots. He tapped Tae Igyeol’s instep a couple of times as if to tell the laces to hold firm, then stood up.
“I told you we should have called before coming. We’ve made a wasted trip.”
Tae Igyeol grumbled as they got into the elevator.
“What do you mean, wasted trip? They’ll be happy to see the flowers. Oh! Uncle sent us a restaurant gift card to apologize for making us come for nothing.”
“So it was a wasted trip after all.”
“…”
Finding every word he said vexing, Mo Eunje glared at him with intensity. In response, Tae Igyeol draped his arm over Mo Eunje’s shoulder as if to improve his mood.
“It’s because you called. If I had called, they would have asked why on earth I was coming home on Parents’ Day.”
“…”
“So how much did they send? Since we’re already out, should we use it for lunch before heading back?”
There was a hint of repentance in Tae Igyeol’s tone as he tilted his head slightly, made eye contact, and spoke kindly. So Mo Eunje decided to forgive him with a generous heart, and by the time they exited the elevator with arms still around each other’s shoulders, he was smiling again.
“I knew Uncle was generous, but I’m still surprised every time. This is enough for us to eat until our stomachs burst. Should we call Ban Hajun and Gye Minho to join us?”
“No.”
“Then? Should we go home and eat? You said let’s use this for lunch before heading back.”
“I meant let’s not invite Ban Hajun and Gye Minho.”
“Why? Look at this. This is enough for the four of us to eat with plenty left over.”
He showed Tae Igyeol his phone, displaying the amount on the family restaurant gift card. Though Tae Igyeol glanced at it, instead of giving an affirmative answer, he headed toward the parking area. He then released their shoulder embrace, got into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and expressed his opinion.
“Don’t they have parents too? They might be having meals with their families, why call them out on a day like this?”
“Ah… I hadn’t thought of that. Gye Minho lives with his parents, so he’s definitely a no-go. Should I try calling Ban Hajun?”
“He went to Ilsan.”
The group chat that had been buzzing about Parents’ Day gifts just a few days ago was quiet today. Apparently, Tae Igyeol had heard separately that Ban Hajun had gone to his family home in Ilsan.
“Then let’s just the two of us eat until we burst. We don’t have to use it all at once anyway. We can use it again next time.”
The amount was enough for the two of them to eat today and still have enough left to bring Ban Hajun and Gye Minho next time. Mo Eunje smiled, feeling satisfied that, thanks to Tae Igyeol, they had honored his parents’ Parents’ Day.
