“What’s going on?”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“We met two days ago, what’s with the concern? Did I catch some terminal illness?”
“I can’t sleep worrying about you.”
Just a few months ago, this bastard had fierce weasel-like eyes and poured out all kinds of words, and now he’s saying things like this. What kind of expression is Seo Hanryul making on the other end of the phone while saying such affectionate words? I feel strange remembering the warm touch that kept caressing my forehead.
“…You’re not getting beaten up there or anything, right?”
“What kind of place did I go that I can’t handle? This is my home too.”
“If anything happens, you need to contact me right away.”
“What kind of world do we live in that you’re worrying about all sorts of things?”
Laughter escapes me. When was it that he was growling like he’d devour me, and now what’s bothering him so much that he’s buying unnecessary worries?
“Right. You came to the house yesterday and got chased out, right? What were you thinking coming all the way here? You saw the Executive Director’s face at the hospital. After seeing his face, you still thought to do that?”
“Because I missed you so much.”
“….”
“I mean it literally. I nursed you all night at the hospital thinking you’d gotten better, but then your house snatched you away completely. From my perspective, you were stolen from me.”
“What? What are you talking about? Let’s hang up now.”
Sensing something strange in his excessively gentle attitude, I pressed the call end button. I know he changed after the contract ended. But his attitude became even stranger after I got hurt. My heart began to waver along with Seo Hanryul’s emotions that I can’t quite grasp.
‘Could it be…. No, right?’
An absurd suspicion began to form. It can’t be. This is ridiculous. I briefly entertained an absurd hypothesis, but this doesn’t seem worth thinking about any further.
He must have decided to try to be nice. There’s no reason to think deeply about his changed attitude. Let’s stop thinking foolish thoughts.
“Me too, really…. What am I even thinking?”
My mood churns unnecessarily because of random thoughts. I should just close my eyes and rest quickly….
* * *
“Uncle, what are you thinking about?”
I try not to think about it, but idle thoughts keep coming. The ticklish conversations I had with Seo Hanryul today kept disturbing my mind. I was sitting alone at my desk frowning when Cha Taeha came into the room holding a pillow.
“I’m not thinking about anything.”
“I want to sleep with uncle.”
We slept together yesterday, and today without fail he came to my room again. Cha Taehan weighs on my mind a little, but seeing that he didn’t say much even after seeing his son enter my room yesterday, it seems he won’t make a big deal even if he knows we’re sleeping together.
“Good. Taeha, you’re getting more handsome by the day.”
“Hmph, stop saying weird things.”
Cha Taeha stuck out his lips and naturally lay down next to me. I feel bad that I couldn’t let the kid who wanted to sit on my lap yesterday actually sit.
“Taeha-ya, when we went outside yesterday, you couldn’t sit on uncle’s lap. Doesn’t it upset you when dad does that?”
“Dad loves me, so it’s okay.”
He answers nonchalantly with a plucky expression. It’s not good for a kid to mature too early either.
“Dad is lucky. Having such a smart son.”
When I lightly pinch the child’s cheek, he innocently giggles. It’s such a pity that he doesn’t show such childlike behavior in front of Cha Taehan.
“Uncle.”
“What?”
“Dad says uncle seems to have changed. Uncle was right. Dad’s heart must have softened too.”
‘What is he talking about?’
“…Actually, I didn’t like uncle either. Uncle seemed like a bad person. Dad thought so too.”
It’s a known fact, but hearing it from the mouth of a 7-year-old makes me feel strange. I’m not quite sure what to say in response.
“I see that happened.”
“Now that I look at it, dad’s words aren’t all right either.”
I’m reacting stiffly to his sudden confession, but he opens up his inner thoughts with a knowing face as if he’s a full-grown adult. Seeing the little kid act like an adult just makes me laugh.
“Cha Taeha, do you know how hurt uncle was when you called me ‘hey’ at first?”
I brought up the story of our first meeting because I wanted to tease the child acting mature. I’m curious how he’ll react to my teasing.
“…I’m sorry. Uncle, can you forgive me? Oh, you know what? Uncle always has a good scent.”
‘This kid, he’s a complete player.’
Of course I thought he’d be flustered or suddenly get angry asking why I’m saying such things. But as soon as he heard my words, he changed the subject, gave me a cheek kiss, then snuggled right into my arms. Acting so cute like this, my heart feels like it’s melting. This is cheating.
This young one already flirts so naturally. How many people’s tears of blood will he make flow from their eyes later….
By the way, what did Cha Taehan say about me? Did he really decide to believe that Cha Jaehyun changed? Then does that mean he decided to hate Cha Jaehyun less? Cha Taehan’s changed attitude is also unusual. What does he want to do with Cha Jaehyun? I held the child in my arms tightly and fell into thought.
* * *
“Thank you, Chairman. There won’t be such an accident again.”
“Tsk, if you couldn’t even speak….”
‘The day I leave is actually coming.’
A month has already passed since I came to the main house. Time just flows by so smoothly. At first, the time spent at home felt suffocating and restless, but they treated me as a patient more than I expected, so there wasn’t much difficulty in staying.
The Chairman called me this morning, so I went straight to the study. After checking my condition, he was the first to say that if I wanted to leave, I could go ahead and leave. Every time I recalled him getting furiously angry seeing my injured head, it was difficult to ask if I could leave first, so this really worked out well.
“Ha, are you so happy to be told to leave the house? Why, is the main house some unbearable place? Keep in mind that this place is also your home.”
I thought I had controlled my expression, but I guess I couldn’t hide my happy complexion. The Chairman glanced at my face and gave me a sharp word.
“No, Chairman. If I’m here, the family is also uncomfortable….”
“The uncomfortable one is you, isn’t it? Even if you leave, from now on you must come to the main house once a week without fail. This is an order.”
“Pardon?”
“Pardon? Did you hear something you shouldn’t have? Come and study with your hyung, and play with Taeha.”
“….”
The road ahead is bleak. It seems it’ll be difficult to distance myself from the father and son. Once a week. Meeting with Cha Taeha is actually a good thing, but what does he mean about studying with Cha Taehan?
“Do you want to go to America that badly? All this America talk since last time….”
When I made a sullen expression with the heart of staging a protest, the Chairman threw out an enticing bait first. Did he have a change of heart about sending me again? Then I should seize the opportunity right away.
“Yes, Chairman.”
“Not until you’re fully recovered. Even if the doctor says it’s okay, in my eyes you’re still a patient. Stay in Korea at least until the end of this year.”
Until the end of this year. In the end, that means I can’t go to America. I had hopes even for a moment, but only a hollow laugh comes out at the disappointment.
“You immature fellow. I’m saying all this for your own good. Don’t be hurt and listen to me. There’s nothing bad about listening to adults.”
The Chairman spoke as if gently admonishing me. Seeing him keep looking at my head, he must be genuinely worried about my health. I thought it wouldn’t be right to keep bringing up America to someone who’s worried.
‘Alright, let’s look for an opportunity next time.’
“Uncle, don’t go.”
After finishing my brief conversation with the Chairman, I was preparing to leave when Cha Taeha grabbed onto my leg and hung on. Seeing the child holding on telling me not to go, I feel various emotions simultaneously—cuteness, pity, and more.
“He’ll come again next week, so don’t be troublesome. And Cha Jaehyun, you must have already heard from father about coming once a week, right?”
“Yes.”
I was comforting the whining child when I heard Cha Taehan’s voice. When did he come to my room? Even in front of his dad, the child didn’t stop whining.
I’m just curious about Cha Taehan’s inner thoughts, showing no reaction even with this scene before his eyes. It’s become routine now for Cha Taeha to cling to me without caring about Cha Taehan’s notice.
I too have become quite accustomed to such situations, so even with Cha Taehan standing right there, I lifted the child and gave him a light cheek kiss. After receiving the kiss, the child relaxed his expression and hugged me tightly.
“You’re really coming next week, right?”
“What a truly sad sight.”
Cha Taehan looked at the two of us and smirked with an inscrutable smile. Leaving the house is good, but parting with Cha Taeha is quite regrettable, so his words aren’t wrong. To be able to spend such a peaceful daily life in front of Cha Taehan—the feeling of comfort and anxiety coexisting is very unfamiliar.
‘It’s already July.’
As I left the main gate, quite hot sunlight shone on me. After opening my eyes in this hopeless body around this time last year, a whole year has already passed.
If I live well during the remaining time, won’t I be able to continue a life like today’s at Daejin? I had a futile meddlesome thought that I hoped Cha Jaehyun would live well at Daejin. I didn’t know that a life rejected by family would be this lonely. Aside from him being bad, I often felt sorry for him.
‘Who’s worrying about whom?’
The face of that bastard whose eyes wavered when he heard the Chairman’s words came to mind, but I didn’t want to think long about that not-even-pretty bastard, so I shook my head vigorously and moved my steps.
