Euiju, who had arrived home by taxi, smiled brightly when he saw the twins who were unusually out in the yard.
“Twins! Were you waiting for me by any chance?”
“Hyung!”
“Euiju oppa!”
The children who had been playing by passing a ball back and forth in the narrow yard rushed over as soon as they saw Euiju. Euiju also put down his bag, knelt on one knee, and matched eye level with the children.
“Where’s Roun? Why isn’t he playing with you?”
“Roun is stuck to noona inside right now. But hyung. You know……”
“Hm?”
Euiho hesitated as if gauging the situation and couldn’t continue his words. Euiseong, who had been watching that appearance, suddenly interrupted and spoke instead.
“Oppa. Right now there’s some ahjussi we don’t know inside the house.”
“…An ahjussi you don’t know?”
“Uh-huh. But that ahjussi seems to be a bit scary. Unnie didn’t like him very much……”
“Really?”
At Euiseong’s words, Euiju tilted his head as if puzzled.
A guest? All their relatives had lost contact, and there were no separate creditors or acquaintances who would visit, so who could have come?
“Was it an ahjussi Euiseong and Euiho were seeing for the first time too?”
“Uh-huh.”
Euiju, who slightly furrowed his brow as if questionable, brushed off his knees and stood up. While opening the front door, he spoke to the children.
“It’ll be time to eat dinner soon, so play just a little more and come in. Don’t go too far. Got it?”
“Okay!”
Euiju, who had entered the house, passed through the narrow living room and headed straight to the master bedroom. If it was a space to receive guests, that place was at least spacious and neat.
Creak—.
“Noona. A guest, who on earth is it……”
“Hyung-ah!”
Roun, who had been held in Euiyeon’s arms, jumped up and suddenly ran to Euiju. Roun clung to Euiju’s thigh and jumped in place, asking to be held.
However, Euiju couldn’t move even at Roun’s reaction begging to be held. His pupils looking at the figure in front rapidly constricted.
“It’s been a long time.”
The moment he faced the familiar figure before his eyes, childhood memories he had forgotten came rushing in like a tidal wave and engulfed Euiju. Euiju shut his mouth as if he had forgotten how to speak.
***
Once upon a time, the life of a certain general who had betrayed his lord during wartime, opened a path for the Japanese bastards, sold out the country and prospered, living and eating well before passing on, must surely be his past life—Euiju had always thought so.
It was a thought that naturally arose since he had experienced in a short time all of the sam-jae that supposedly came once every nine years.
The first calamity that came brought a major environmental change of downfall and poverty to Euiju, who had been growing up preciously in an affluent environment.
The swing and toy horse he rode every day as a child, the vegetable garden the couple cultivated for fun, the spacious yard that didn’t seem cramped even after playing with his siblings for a long time. All of this was instantly transformed into someone else’s property due to the betrayal of a close friend whom Euiju’s father, Lee Seongho, had considered family.
Thanks to that, Act 2 of Euiju’s life modestly began in a small apartment with a low ceiling stained with water marks, grimy windows, a rusty sink, and a sofa that had lost its elasticity—that was all there was.
Even though the place they lived became old and cramped, Lee Seongho and Kim Yeonhwa did not despair. They gave their children abundant love as usual and didn’t show that things were hard. Lee Seongho, who had only worn stylish suits, and Kim Yeonhwa, who had never gotten her hands wet, worked odd jobs for their children even in difficult situations. They took charge of cleaning other people’s houses whenever positions opened up, and at home they did side work folding pizza boxes.
Even in difficult situations where both their hands became calloused and their backs gradually bent, they always gave smiles to their children. Their existence was as solid and enormous as a great mountain, enough not to cause rickets for the children.
Until the car they were in met the great mountain called a traffic accident and sank into the earth, things were really okay.
Calamity was sudden, and despair was deep.
After sending their parents away emptily, the eldest Euiyeon became strong. What Lee Seongho and Kim Yeonhwa left behind was just the old apartment and some condolence money. A younger brother who had turned twenty, twin siblings who had just entered elementary school, and even a baby who was barely two years old. The heavy responsibility of having to feed everyone weighed down Euiyeon’s shoulders, but she did not despair.
Rather, she just smiled mischievously, saying wasn’t it good there was no debt?
She quit her poorly paid civil service job and turned her steps to a factory where she worked standing for 12 hours every day, and endured without a single day off, becoming a solid pillar for her siblings in place of their departed parents. Even when Euiju, feeling guilty about Euiyeon’s sacrifice alone, tried to give up studying, she was firm.
Because he attended the best university in this country, she didn’t allow Euiju any economic activity and didn’t burden him financially. Even after late shifts, she held her young siblings in her arms and read them fairy tales, and firmly pressed into Euiju’s hand pocket money that was small but infinitely heavy.
The hoop of the Euiju family’s life, which had been rolling along in a decent shape thanks to one person’s sacrifice, finally toppled over with a clatter only after Euiyeon had four fingers cut off at the factory.
There was no way heaven would give such trials to an innocent human being.
Euiju always thought that he must have been a heinous human being who committed great sins in his past life.
***
“It’s been a long time.”
The voice of the man who had betrayed his lifelong friend and smoothly risen to the position of vice chairman of a company by ruining a family had a profound and weighty power that represented a life lived confidently, just like that.
If you had any interest in current affairs or economics, you couldn’t not know him, but even if you had no interest in that, if you had watched the news even once, there was no way you wouldn’t know this man.
Jeong Gwangho. Precisely, his father’s friend of 40 years who had betrayed Euiju’s father and plunged the entire family into the abyss.
That very person was right now in the middle of the master bedroom of Euiju’s house.
Unlike before, his attire was very presentable. The suit that didn’t tolerate a speck of dust or a single wrinkle had creases pressed sharp as a knife as if it had received consistent care, and it also exuded a nice fragrance.
It was an appearance far too different from the 10 years ago that Euiju knew.
“Leave.”
“Euiju-ya.”
Euiyeon blocked Euiju’s front. Euiju, who had already gotten extremely excited as soon as he saw Jeong Gwangho, avoided Euiyeon and shouted.
“I said leave. What gives you the right to come here!”
At Euiju’s shout, Roun, who had been hugging his thigh, hiccupped in surprise. His eyes widened, perhaps startled by seeing his hyung’s appearance for the first time.
“Euiju-ya. Calm down first.”
Euiyeon embraced Euiju’s shoulder and patted him. Gently, pat pat, just like Euiju did with Haeseong. If Haeseong had been in this place, he would have been able to know where Euiju’s affectionate behavior originated from.
“Roun, go out to the yard. Play with hyung and noona for just a bit. Got it?”
“Uh-huh… Hic.”
When Euiyeon patted his bottom, Roun went outside the room. In the master bedroom with only three adults remaining, only a dizzying silence remained.
With what kind of face could he appear before his own family? Euiju’s fist curled up white.
Regardless of his will, Jeong Gwangho in his preserved memories was always friendly. Although he wore work clothes with the smell of oil coming off them and had a shabby body with nothing to eat, to Euiju he was always a friendly and kind uncle, and truly cared for his siblings.
That person, that person he had trusted, had plunged the family into the abyss.
Strangely, his parents didn’t hate Jeong Gwangho. They didn’t dig too deeply into cause and effect, and silently accepted the situation that had come.
Even in difficult circumstances, they didn’t say a single bitter word or pitiful word to their children, and endured kindly and affectionately. It would be more accurate to say they tried not to pass on that anger and resentment to their children.
“……”
“……”
Even though the silence continued, no one opened their mouth. How much time had passed? Jeong Gwangho deeply bowed his head and quietly began first.
“The last time I saw you, Euiju, was when you were in middle school. Since it was almost 10 years ago, I didn’t think you’d remember my face. Thank you for recognizing me.”
“……”
Euiju almost let out harsh curses he had never uttered in his entire life.
Even if not frequently, he was a person who occasionally appeared in the news. It wasn’t like he was annoying someone—he was talking crazy.
Euiju’s father, Lee Seongho, who had greatly expanded his personal business with exceptional skills and sales ability, gave an opportunity to Jeong Gwangho, who was living with elderly parents in difficult circumstances. He called him to the company and taught him work, spread techniques, and passed on everything so he could establish himself. He also invested generously in financial aspects.
Because Jeong Gwangho had also once saved his father when he was young. His father had simply returned what he had received.
If only Jeong Gwangho hadn’t leaked all the company’s secrets to competitors and disappeared, the close relationship between the two wouldn’t have been broken.
How could he so ruthlessly betray the friend who had helped him get back on his feet? His father had questioned Jeong Gwangho until the moment he passed away. Not anger, but just questions.
Euiju, who had been coldly staring at Jeong Gwangho’s sleek complexion, lowered his gaze to Euiyeon, who was grabbing his hand.
She shook her head slightly. As if telling him to endure.
“Please listen to what I have to say.”
“Leave. I don’t want to hear……”
At Jeong Gwangho’s voice that flowed out quietly, Euiyeon and Euiju’s heads turned simultaneously.
“They say I have cancer.”
