“But sunbae, do you know what happened to Namsu? How was he in Incheon? Why did the accident happen?”
“Well, about that. It’s kind of…”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“No. This isn’t something to talk about here.”
“Sunbae.”
I was urging sunbae asking what was wrong when suddenly from behind, there was a crash of dishes breaking along with a loud shout.
“What do you mean, the insurance money is 500 million. 500 million. Why do you think that bastard took out life insurance? It was all for times like this. It’s not just mom who lost money. I lost 100 million too. Plus, there’s over 300 million in debt left. 300 million. Even if mom holds onto it, it’s not like it becomes mom’s.”
“You bastard. What about other people!!”
“Then what about me? Should I just sit with my hands folded? Mom, think about it too. Is family important, or are other people important?!”
A fight was breaking out in the back. A man whose face had turned red with excitement was confronting a middle-aged woman in mourning clothes. It seemed to be Namsu’s mother and older brother.
“Mom knows too. My back’s about to break from paying off debts. Should I pay it all back? I’m not even asking you to pay it all back. I’m just asking you to reduce it a little so I can breathe!!”
“No. Do you know what kind of money this is?”
“What kind of money is it? It’s money the creditors will come running for.”
“I said no!!”
The internal atmosphere sank coldly at the harsh argument. A woman who appeared to be the younger sister tried to stop them, but she was pushed away by the excited man’s hand and fell to the floor. At Jinchul sunbae’s signal, several people and I rushed over together to separate the two. Namsu’s older brother went outside shouting loudly, and the mother sat down and wailed, calling out for Namsu.
Jinchul sunbae helped the mother inside, and I returned to the seat where Gyeongsu sunbae was sitting.
Seeing the family fighting over money left a bitter taste in my mouth. I felt this even more because I had experience with it. If I hadn’t given up back then, I might have fought like that over my father’s insurance money. I was praising myself for doing well even though the money was a bit unfortunate, when Gyeongsu sunbae sneered.
“Hehe. It’s a mudslinging match. Well done.”
“Sunbae.”
“If there’s money to distribute to family members, they should save me first. Damn it. You, me, and Jinchul and Taemin—does money pop out of our heads?”
“Lower your voice.”
“What, did I say something wrong? Aren’t you upset? You broke up with Huijeong because of that. She also this time, ugh.”
Jinchul sunbae hit Gyeongsu sunbae hard on the back of the head, causing Gyeongsu sunbae to stop mid-sentence.
“There are things you should and shouldn’t say here.”
“Damn it, what did I say wro—ugh. Why do you keep hitting me?”
“Let’s move. We don’t need to be here anymore either.”
Because of the commotion just now, not only us but other people were also preparing to leave. Mixed in with them, we left the funeral hall and got into Jinchul sunbae’s car.
Jinchul sunbae, who had kept in touch with Namsu’s mother occasionally even after Namsu disappeared, knew a lot about the various circumstances. Namsu’s home was in Seoul, but because Namsu died in another region and due to family problems, they held the funeral hall in Incheon. He said Namsu had borrowed money from his siblings too.
“Actually, Namsu’s mother can’t hand over that money.”
“…?”
“Namsu also used loan shark money.”
“He’s crazy. That bastard.”
Curses immediately flew from Gyeongsu sunbae’s mouth as he was sprawled in the back seat. I looked at Jinchul sunbae, who was driving, with surprised eyes.
“He did terrible things to us to pay off those debts. Bank interest is at least better.”
“Fuck. If he was going to go bankrupt anyway, why do such things?!”
“And this is just between us, but I heard there are suspicions that Namsu’s death from a traffic accident is questionable.”
“Suspicious?”
“It was a hit-and-run, and with all that debt, the police are suspicious. They came to the funeral hall earlier too. There’s no physical evidence, but they said this kind of thing happens quite often.”
“This kind of thing, you don’t mean…”
“That’s right. They said the place where he had the accident was a deserted area, and the fact that it was early morning is also suspicious. It’s not a big deal that Namsu had an accident in Incheon since he was hiding around, but these days loan sharks apparently cause accidents on purpose to get their money. So they’re conducting a formal investigation, and the insurance money will only come out after the investigation is over. If it’s fabricated, insurance money won’t be paid.”
Jinchul sunbae’s voice sank gloomily. Damn it. Gyeongsu sunbae, who muttered curses softly, didn’t open his mouth anymore.
We remained silent the entire way back to Seoul, and following the words of the wise ancestors that alcohol makes one forget life’s worries, we drank and drank and drank more. Gyeongsu sunbae, who was already quite drunk, was the first to plant his nose on the table. Leaving that sunbae behind, Jinchul sunbae and I continued drinking, filling and emptying our glasses back and forth.
“This reminds me of the old days. When we drank at Yunsu’s room for the freshman welcome party, weren’t you and Jaehwan the ones who survived to the end? Right?”
“Yes. It was Jaehwan.”
“Jaehwan’s in Busan now. Did you know?”
“No. I didn’t know. Why did he go to Busan?”
“He said he moved his job there this time. He’s living alone, and since it’s his first time living alone, he’s having a hard time.”
Jinchul sunbae, who had even been department president, was famous for being good with people. Even now, he kept in touch with many seniors, juniors, and classmates and checked up on them. Besides Jaehwan, sunbae told me about the recent news of friends whose whereabouts had changed. Someone found a new job, someone got married, someone moved.
During the nine months or so that I had closed my ears, so many things had really happened.
“Seyoung got married last month. But you didn’t come.”
“Ah, I got the contact but couldn’t go. I just sent congratulatory money through Chaemin. But sunbae. What was it that Gyeongsu sunbae was trying to say earlier?”
“Hm?”
“Earlier at the funeral hall, the thing he was trying to say but couldn’t because you hit Gyeongsu sunbae on the head. Did something happen to Huijeong?”
I felt like Jinchul sunbae had deliberately interrupted Gyeongsu sunbae’s words. Of course, I also tried not to hear about Huijeong if possible, but something was a bit strange.
“Just… I thought you wouldn’t like to hear news about Huijeong.”
“What happened?”
“Well…”
“What is it? It doesn’t really matter anymore, so you can tell me.”
After making me curious, Jinchul sunbae took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and stalled. I had a bad feeling. During the past nine months, I didn’t even go to alumni gatherings to avoid hearing news about Huijeong, but I felt like I had to hear this one.
“Sunbae.”
“Huijeong… I heard Huijeong got divorced.”
A long stream of cigarette smoke flowed from sunbae’s mouth. The strong scent stung my nose, but I didn’t have the leisure to frown.
“They said the man hit her. That bastard. What was there to hit on such a small girl? She was hospitalized this time and eventually got a divorce by agreement.”
Without being able to respond to sunbae’s words, I took a long breath. It had only been nine months since she got married. If it was going to be like this. After abandoning me. Live well. In that brief moment, all sorts of thoughts came to me. But no thought became a sound and came out, and I just let out a deep sigh.
“Are you okay?”
“All sorts of thoughts come to mind… I don’t know.”
“It hasn’t even been a year since she got married, right? I can’t tell her to live long with such a bastard, but still, I feel a bit strange.”
Saying that, Jinchul sunbae poured me alcohol. I didn’t respond at all and just drank it. When the alcohol was empty, he poured again, and I drank again. Still, I didn’t get very drunk.
It was a terribly unlucky day.
*
Huijeong was two years behind me in college. After coming back from the military, we took the same year’s lectures together, and we became familiar with each other’s faces while doing school events and group projects together. Unlike her slender and delicate appearance, her spirited actions were what caught my eye the most. She was brave, spirited, cheerful, and laughed well.
I think I fell for her first, but Huijeong confessed first and we started dating. Until graduation, we were busy with grade management and part-time jobs, and with each other’s job preparations, but we dated as much as others did. We went to amusement parks, bought 100-day rings, went to valleys to play, and spent such enjoyable moments that I wondered if it was okay to be this happy.
We continued dating after getting jobs, and after dating for five years like that, talk of marriage naturally came up. We knew each other’s family situations well from when we were dating. Huijeong grew up in a single-parent household, and I had been living as if severed from my family. I liked Huijeong’s kind mother, and Huijeong said it was good that she didn’t have to deal with in-laws.
However, about a year ago, we had a big fight when my father passed away. Huijeong questioned why I gave up the inheritance. She got angry asking why I couldn’t take care of what was mine. With the gap that had opened between us, Namsu’s business failure created massive debt, and Huijeong was the first to suggest we break up.
She said her father, who passed away when Huijeong was nine years old, left a lot of debt. So she and her mother suffered a lot. They had to flee in the night and spent winter in a cold room without heating, and had only drunk tap water for two days. So she hated poverty. Her confession was a word of farewell.
