“…When I said I can’t live without ahjussi, that wasn’t a lie. Don’t do the same thing as those people. Please don’t do that……”
Haeseong’s breathing began to tremble intermittently.
“Can’t you not go…? I’ll listen to whatever you say from now on. I won’t go against you……”
“……”
“Even now, when I think you’re not here, I can’t sleep. I’ve only not seen you for a few days and it’s this painful, so sending you away, that, there’s no way that could……”
As if dizziness had struck while speaking, Haeseong’s head dropped onto Euiju’s shoulder.
Euiju couldn’t stop the flowing tears. Euiju, who roughly wiped them away, began patting Haeseong’s back.
“Don’t leave without me. Never……”
Being held in Euiju’s arms, the familiar and missed patting gifted sleep to Haeseong, who hadn’t been able to sleep for days due to mental distress. Haeseong’s eyes, which had been resting on Euiju’s shoulder, quickly closed.
“Sleep, Haeseong-ah.”
“Ahjussi. I’m sleepy……”
With those final words, Haeseong’s body went limp.
A spacious living room with a high ceiling and marble floors. However, a place where the only furniture was the sofa. It was a very good environment, but Euiju and Haeseong were collapsed together in this place that anyone could see was hollow and had many empty spaces.
Euiju poured out tears that welled up for quite a while. Due to crying, Haeseong, who was overlapping on top of his trembling chest, shook along with him.
However, the deep sleep he’d welcomed after such a long time didn’t break from just that. Thanks to this, Euiju cried for a long while with Haeseong on top of him.
How much time had passed? Euiju, who had roughly gathered his tears, carefully lowered Haeseong. Not wanting to leave him on the cold floor for long, he put in strength to lift him, but it wasn’t as easy as before.
Euiju somehow gathered up the limp Haeseong and carried him on his shoulder. He went to Haeseong’s room, not far from the living room, and carefully laid him on the bed.
Since he hadn’t slept or eaten, there was a high possibility he’d collapsed from dehydration or overwork. Euiju, who brought water, lifted Haeseong’s head and gave him water very little by little. He also wet a handkerchief with water and carefully wiped his parched lips.
Even while sleeping, Haeseong’s furrowed brow didn’t smooth out. Since he couldn’t sleep comfortably at ease, he was clearly in pain even while sleeping.
Euiju’s eyes sank more gloomily than ever. How could he leave this child behind? His heart began to ache painfully once again.
If he’d known he’d suddenly leave the child like this, he would have kept his distance. If he couldn’t take responsibility, he shouldn’t have given his heart. He shouldn’t have let the child open his heart to him.
-If you can’t take responsibility, you shouldn’t even start.
Since his father’s words from the past weren’t wrong in the slightest, Euiju’s eyes reddened again at the endlessly rushing guilt.
He didn’t know things would turn out like this. Still, he thought he’d be able to stay by Haeseong’s side at least until he became an adult.
A child who didn’t know parental love. His body had grown but his heart was still in the process of growing, and when he thought of Haeseong, who would end up left alone and lonely, tears came. He felt like he wanted to die from guilt.
After pouring out tears like that for a while, Euiju called Kim Jaeho. Was it because he’d been crying all along? A lowered voice that had become hoarse flowed from Euiju’s throat.
“Team Leader-nim. This is Lee Euiju.”
[Oh. Euiju-ssi. What’s the matter?]
“Haeseong collapsed. I think we need to call a doctor.”
[…Whew. He was overdoing it without sleeping like that. I’m actually on my way now, so I’ll bring Haeseong’s attending physician. I stepped out for some external business, and in the meantime, trouble happened, it did.]
“……”
[But why are you there, Euiju-ssi? Did… Haeseong call you out?]
“…Yes.”
[What? Did he… did he say he wouldn’t let you leave or that he’d confine you? Right. He didn’t say that. Haeseong has grown up enough now, so such dangerous and wicked thoughts…]
“……”
[……]
“……”
[Right. He did, I see. I really didn’t think he’d actually carry out those words. Just wait until I get there. I’m sorry, Euiju-ssi.]
Euiju, who had been looking down at the disconnected phone, laughed weakly.
‘I really didn’t think he’d actually carry out those words.’
Seeing that Kim Jaeho also knew, it seemed Haeseong had seriously contemplated confining Euiju in his own way.
To think he’d confine him when he trembled so much at his scolding. It was truly a thought only possible because he was young, and it must have been a feeling that arose because he was desperate.
Euiju, whose heart became troubled again for no reason, sat on the edge of the bed, held Haeseong’s hand, and carefully caressed it. He could feel that the child’s skin had become haggard in just a few days. Since he’d visibly lost a lot of weight, he must have suffered a lot in the meantime.
Then, a faint presence was heard from outside.
Someone had come to this house.
Shocked, Euiju jumped up from his seat. Before long, Haeseong’s bedroom door swung open.
Euiju’s eyes widened as he was about to greet who he thought was Kim Jaeho. What appeared after opening the door was none other than Jin Yeongseol.
“…Director.”
Jin Yeongseol didn’t even look at Euiju and pushed past his shoulder to enter. She scanned the barely sleeping Haeseong with displeasure.
“Look at that state.”
Soon a man meeting her for the first time and even Kim Jaeho entered. The man who appeared to be Haeseong’s attending physician began checking various parts of sleeping Haeseong’s body. Jin Yeongseol, who had been watching that with a pathetic gaze, turned her body and stared at Euiju coldly.
“I don’t understand why Lee Euiju-ssi is here. What are you doing here right now?”
“Let’s go outside first……”
“If you notified him you were leaving and left, you should go without lingering attachment. Isn’t the kid ending up in that state and condition all Lee Euiju-ssi’s fault? With what shamelessness are you showing your face here……”
“I would appreciate it if you didn’t raise your voice here. He’s a child who fell asleep with difficulty. If you have something to discuss, let’s go out. Haeseong will wake up.”
Euiju, who firmly cut off Jin Yeongseol’s words, answered quietly and softly yet clearly. At his audacious attitude, Jin Yeongseol let out an incredulous laugh.
“Fine. Follow me.”
The two crossed the spacious living room and headed to the terrace at the very back.
“Sit.”
It was an extremely uncomfortable and sudden meeting. Jin Yeongseol was looking at Euiju with displeasure, and Euiju silently received that gaze. It was Jin Yeongseol who broke the not-short silence.
“So. Is it fun playing with a kid?”
“……Excuse me?”
Jin Yeongseol took out a cigarette from her handbag and put it in her mouth. Without lighting it, she blatantly looked over Euiju sitting in front of her. His decent appearance enough to be mistaken for a rookie actor, proper posture, sincere attitude, and precise work handling made not only herself but also the company people view him favorably.
She thought he’d coaxed and led around her nephew who was excessively going through puberty. But this wasn’t just coaxing…….
“Ha, really.”
Thinking about it again, Jin Yeongseol, who was dumbfounded, irritably threw away the cigarette in her mouth. It hit Euiju’s chest and fell to the floor.
“Do you know what that child said to me a few days ago?”
“……”
-Then, I should just confine that ahjussi directly. In my house.
A week ago, her nephew had spouted that in front of her.
“When I tried to stop him from following you, he said he’d confine you instead. The idea is truly audacious and wicked. With that child’s personality, he’d carry it out and more. So isn’t it that you’re here now just as that child said?”
“……”
“I don’t know what that bastard spouted to bring you here, but when it’s not even enough to cut off all lingering attachment that bastard has for Euiju-ssi, you shouldn’t be here. How about it. Am I wrong?”
Euiju’s mouth shut tight. Jin Yeongseol was right. If he was going to cut off lingering attachment, he shouldn’t have answered the phone or set foot in this house again in the first place.
“I don’t want things to escalate. Since you’re going to leave and disappear anyway, not giving the kid hope is the right thing to do.”
-I’m not acting.
-I said I won’t do it anymore.
Jin Haeseong quitting acting was something that absolutely couldn’t happen for Jin Yeongseol. Once that child properly succeeded through Director Charlie, whom she’d met with in England, and J Entertainment established itself more globally than now, the future chairman position of J Group might change.
Jin Yeongseol absolutely couldn’t back down.
“If there are any items you’ve personally given to Haeseong until now, retrieve them all, and if there are items you’ve received from that child, return them all. I’d prefer you absolutely didn’t contact him, but since you’re going abroad anyway, just don’t tell the kid your changed number.”
At Jin Yeongseol’s words, Euiju’s pupils, which had been silently listening, instantly became hazy. As if doubting his ears, he frowned and asked her back.
“…What did you just say?”
“I don’t know what brainwashing you did to the kid, but he didn’t originally act this stupidly. You should take responsibility for daring to make the kid reach that state, Lee Euiju-ssi.”
“…What do you…”
Under the table, Euiju’s hands positioned on his knees began to tremble more and more. Jin Yeongseol’s sudden order was far too out of the blue for Euiju, and it was a strange order he absolutely didn’t want to follow.
“What do you mean cut off contact? Haeseong relies on and leans on me. I’m leaving temporarily because of my younger brother, and as soon as I settle down there, I’ll immediately be with Haeseong……”
“Don’t you know what cutting off lingering attachment means? For someone from Hankuk University, you’re not understanding too well.”
Jin Yeongseol was firm.
“The kid is sick, you said. Call for as much as you want. If you accept the condition of not appearing in front of Haeseong at all from now on, I’ll give you everything.”
