Yujeong, who he thought would keep his mouth shut after that, began to add a bit more. Perhaps his tension had risen now that the story of his past unrequited love had come up.
“I went to see the concert he said he was going to attend a little while later, things like that. To be honest, I’m not the type to be moved by listening to performances, so I just went for the sake of going.”
With the final remark that thanks to that, there were still quite a few pieces he remembered, he had nothing more to say.
He knew it would be better for both of them to stop here. Interrogating him about an old crush was somewhat impolite, and frankly, even if he heard more, it didn’t seem like Seongjo’s own mood would be particularly good either.
“What kind of person were they?”
That being said… wasn’t this much fair to ask? Well, what kind of person were they to have received the quiet affection of a man like Jeon Yujeong? It was a story that would make anyone curious, not just Seongjo.
Upon hearing the question, Yujeong seemed to fall into thought. It appeared he wasn’t contemplating whether or not to answer, but rather how to answer. Soon, he slowly produced his response.
“They were really different from me. They liked meeting people, had pride, were fun…”
Then did Yujeong think of himself as that kind of person? Someone who disliked meeting people, had no interest in asserting pride, and was boring?
People do say that you’re attracted to those different from yourself. But the fact that this applied to Yujeong was still fascinating. Since he liked quiet things, Seongjo had thought he would like someone quiet and calm like himself, someone who didn’t easily show signs of boiling over. It seemed he had liked someone quite outgoing and confident.
Seongjo added a brief comment to Yujeong’s sincere answer.
“From what I can see, you’re definitely interesting.”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard something like that from you, Lee Seongjo-ssi.”
After all, Seongjo was probably the only person who found this side of him interesting. Even that remark was amusing, so Seongjo let out a small laugh.
He felt he’d heard enough at this point. If he asked more, answers would probably keep coming, but he no longer felt like asking more. Seongjo stretched in place and spoke as if it were no big deal.
“Well anyway, hearing about someone you used to like on a date is unpleasant. Let’s stop now.”
Since Seongjo himself had told him about Jo Yeongbeom, Yujeong had plenty he could nitpick about. After all, Seongjo had been the one to ask first. But graciously, he simply answered “Alright” without making any objections.
When that conversation ended, silence descended between them once again. The car continued to move forward smoothly without any congestion, and just sitting still made drowsiness begin to pour over him. Soon, noticing Seongjo slightly furrowing his brow to fight off sleepiness, Yujeong spoke.
“If you’re sleepy, don’t hold back and go to sleep.”
“Isn’t it bad manners to sleep in the passenger seat and leave the driver alone?”
Though he answered playfully, there was no change in Yujeong’s expressionless face.
“I’m not sleepy, so it doesn’t matter.”
Without listening to Seongjo’s answer, he lowered the radio volume on his own. Indeed, there wasn’t a hint of drowsiness visible on Yujeong’s face. If they were both sleepy, he’d have to force himself awake and be a conversation partner, but at this rate, even if he stayed awake, it didn’t seem like he’d be much help to Yujeong.
“Hmm… this is also strange. I’m not usually the type to sleep well in cars.”
That had been a longstanding habit since childhood. Both Kyeonghun, who was now his executive secretary and dedicated driver, and the chauffeur who had driven before him were professionals at driving smoothly, but even so, Seongjo had never once fallen asleep in a car.
Was Yujeong better at driving than them? Or did he really have some special talent for putting Seongjo’s mind at ease?
“Hearing you say that makes me feel a bit responsible…”
He heard Yujeong murmur softly. At those words, Seongjo let out a light laugh and from then on didn’t particularly resist the sleep washing over him. As soon as he willingly closed his eyes, it didn’t take long to fall asleep.
* * *
Seongjo opened his eyes again because of the shaking he felt in the car body. As soon as he woke up, his body separated from the backrest and jolted up and down.
Though he was flustered in his half-awake state, his hands moved faithfully. Seongjo looked around while tidying his slightly disheveled hair. Seeing the sun shining brightly just as it had been when he fell asleep, it seemed not that much time had passed.
But the car was traveling on an unpaved road rather than the highway. Outside the window, he could see houses with a rural charm and fields stretching out in long rows. With his gradually clearing head, he recalled the last road sign he’d seen before falling asleep. He definitely remembered entering Gangwon Province… but he couldn’t tell specifically where they were.
When he glanced at Yujeong’s phone, which had been serving as the navigation, the screen was off. He’d definitely been looking at the map and finding the way until Seongjo fell asleep—was it no longer needed now?
He wasn’t even surprised anymore. Seongjo muttered in a sleepy voice as if incredulous.
“Where in the world is this?”
“Did you wake up?”
Yujeong’s reply came back. When he turned his head to examine his face, he too was in a jolting state just like Seongjo. His expression still seemed peaceful, but a slightly tired look could be glimpsed on his face. It made sense he’d be tired, having driven for a while and now traveling on a rough road.
Though his desire to ask where on earth they were continued to be urgent, Seongjo decided to keep his mouth shut, if only for the sake of the tired Yujeong.
Instead, he carefully observed the scenery. Unlike on the highway, they were traveling slowly on the rough road, so he could take in each sight outside the window one by one.
Seongjo was born in Seoul and raised in Seoul. Since Seongjo’s birth, not only his father but his grandfather and close relatives had never left the metropolitan area, so far from having memories of a rural hometown like others, he’d barely even visited such places.
Was that why it felt this way? Or was this really a village with particularly good scenery? Seongjo was feeling as if he had walked into a beautiful video on his own two feet. When he lowered the car window, the smell of grass and earth rushed in abundantly. He completely forgot his disgruntled mood from just moments ago and focused only on the scene before his eyes.
In the tranquil landscape, one traditional tiled-roof house caught his eye in particular. Even at a glance, it looked quite spacious. Though traces of time could be felt, it was well-maintained and didn’t give the impression of being old. It looked like it would fit right in at a traditional Korean village.
Yujeong stopped the car in front of it.
Seongjo alternately looked at Yujeong moving the gear and unbuckling his belt, and the house outside the window. Had he planned to come here from the beginning?
Yujeong, who had turned off the engine, pressed a button to unlock the car doors. Before getting out of the car, Seongjo looked back at Yujeong. As if confirming whether it was right to get out here. When their eyes met, Yujeong nodded. Having confirmed that, Seongjo opened the door halfway with a bewildered feeling. It was then that he sensed signs of people from inside the house.
“Oh my! Jeong, is that you?”
The voice reached him before he could see the person. It was a woman’s voice with a bright, gentle tone. It sounded middle-aged to elderly. Upon hearing that voice, Yujeong immediately opened the car door and got out of the car first. The person who came out from inside the house approached Yujeong happily.
Only then did Seongjo realize that “Jeong” was an affectionate nickname for Yujeong.
“I thought you wouldn’t come until tomorrow, but you’re already here. It wasn’t too hard getting here, was it?”
“We left early today so the roads weren’t congested.”
Yujeong answered calmly, then bent down familiarly and naturally embraced her between her widely opened arms. His manner of speech was dry as usual, but he looked quite affectionate.
Soon after, another person appeared from inside the house. It was a man with upright posture, and though his graying hair showed his age, he was tall and well-built, just like Yujeong.
Caught off guard by the unfolding situation while opening the car door, Seongjo froze awkwardly, then finally gathered his surprised heart and observed them. The man greeted him warmly like the woman and pulled Yujeong into an embrace. Just watching that scene gave him a rough idea. When he heard Yujeong saying things like “Have you been well and healthy, Mother, Father…” it became certain.
He didn’t know whether to call it unexpected or not unexpected. It was unexpected that Yujeong was quite an affectionate son to his parents, and the appearance of his parents was not unexpected. His height and build, and somewhat sharp impression came from his father. And his overall facial features seemed to be inherited from his beautiful mother.
But regardless of what his impression of Yujeong’s parents was, the fact that Yujeong had brought him before his family was truly not even slightly, not at all, not one bit a situation he had anticipated.
An introduction… to his parents?
Already?
