Park Jun-wan, this bastard who wouldn’t be enough even if I tore him apart. How dare he toy with me?
Curses spilled out inside. The characteristically vicious eyes of the Hwaryeong Kim Clan shone even brighter.
***
Rejecting all of his parents’ devoted attention, Yu-shin went into the studio at the Main House.
There was nothing better than calligraphy to calm his cluttered mind. He sat in a reverent posture and held the brush. He spread out Jeong Cheol’s <Hunminga> and copied the verses.
The lines that should extend straight kept veering here and there. Moreover, most of the phrases written on the rice paper were elaborate curses directed at Park Jun-wan.
[Park Jun-wan, this vulgar bastard. There’s no worse scum of humanity. Being tied to you as a married couple is my eternal regret. I will never forget this day’s humiliation.]
Sparks flew from the eyes glaring at the brush tip. The sparks that flew from there could burn the paper. Eventually, Yu-shin put down the brush. As an alternative, he began grinding ink.
Grinding ink on an inkstone was also a good act for clearing idle thoughts. Though it looked easy, if done wrong, the ink would turn out worse than cheap paint.
I guess he kisses anyone and everyone when drunk? No wonder he was good at it. He’s no different from an animal.
Crack— A sound rang out. Unable to withstand his grip strength, the precious pine soot ink stick broke in half. Yu-shin looked down at the broken ink with a devastated face. Ink had also splattered on his hands, making a mess.
He put down the ink as it was. He tried to regulate his breathing, but all that came out were sighs.
“Nothing’s working.”
Yu-shin sat down on the floor and glared at the disaster he had created. This is foolish. This wasn’t anger that could be controlled overnight. He decided to just accept reality.
I’m so pissed off, really.
Yu-shin rubbed his lips with the back of his ink-stained hand. The still-vivid sensation made him even more irritated.
It had been his first kiss. Not only was it infuriating that a drunk person stole it, but the other party didn’t even remember.
If it’s going to be like this, I’ll pretend it never happened too. Moreover, he would treat Park Jun-wan as worse than a dog from now on.
When he rubbed his face, the black ink dirtied his lower face. His clear eyes blazed with venom. That appearance was somewhat like a young general preparing for war.
***
Jun-wan was resting at home.
He had a late lunch and came out to the living room to open an academic book.
Despite it being a rare leisurely weekend, the text wouldn’t enter his eyes at all. The hangover that had clung to him like a leech had disappeared, and since he was alone in the house, it was an environment where he could concentrate fully. It was unusual for Jun-wan.
What is… this uncomfortable feeling?
Even mulling it over, nothing seemed wrong. That’s why it felt even more bothersome.
As he rolled his tongue, there seemed to be a soft sensation remaining somewhere. Even when he smacked his lips, he couldn’t find a suitable reason.
His lowered gaze turned to the phone thrown beside him. Kim Yu-shin had been at the Main House for two days now. Since yesterday’s phone call, he had been out of contact.
It wasn’t anything special. They weren’t the type to contact each other affectionately anyway.
He could just assume he was busy strengthening family harmony. Jun-wan stared at his phone for a long while before slowly moving his thumb.
While I’m thinking about it, I should give Mother a call. Coincidentally, Father’s birthday was coming up soon.
—Oh, Jun-wan.
His mother responded with a very warm voice. Since her indifferent son rarely called first unless it was something important, she was even more pleased.
“Is everything all right?”
—Of course, we’re always the same. How about you? Has it gotten less busy?
One simple greeting returned double the questions. Jun-wan pressed and smoothed his furrowed brow with his thumb.
“I called to ask what you’re planning to do for Father’s birthday.”
Jun-wan immediately threw out the main point.
Since this wasn’t the first or second time, Jun-wan’s mother leisurely recited the plan. They would just have a simple meal at home. She said that his hyung Jun-seo had taken the day off work, and subtly asked about Jun-wan’s schedule.
“It’s a weekday, so I don’t know if I can make time.”
—Just come and have dinner before you leave. If you’re late, at least show your face.
“All right. I’ll come as soon as I finish work.”
—Um, you know.
His mother slowly drew out her words. Usually in cases like this, she was bringing up a difficult request.
“Please say it.”
—…Could you bring Yu-shin to Father’s birthday?
“Won’t that be difficult?”
They hadn’t discussed that yet. No matter if they were married, attending each other’s family gatherings wasn’t something that could be easily suggested.
—I see, yes… I just asked in case. Don’t worry about it. I’ll explain it well to Father.
She tried to speak calmly, but her mother’s voice dripped with regret. Jun-wan pressed his deeply furrowed brow with force.
“I’ll ask. I can’t give you a definite answer.”
—What does Yu-shin like? Are there things he doesn’t eat? I don’t know what to prepare.
“It’s Father’s birthday, so why are you picking apart Kim Yu-shin’s tastes?”
—He’s a precious guest. He’s our family now too.
“……”
The usually calm woman’s speech rarely became faster. His mother seemed to have already decided that Kim Yu-shin would come.
Jun-wan slowly closed and opened his eyes. His feelings were complicated, and a sigh came out naturally.
“He doesn’t eat much because he has a small appetite.”
Slowly and calmly, he began to critique Kim Yu-shin.
“Maybe it’s because he grew up eating only good things his whole life, but his tastes are also picky. There are many things he won’t eat. He doesn’t like spicy, salty, or stimulating flavors, and he even picks about texture. He won’t eat eggplant either, like a child.”
After saying it, it felt like he was badmouthing Kim Yu-shin. But it was the truth, wasn’t it? She asked about his eating habits, so he was just answering.
“Korean food would be safe. He avoids seafood with a fishy taste. He has a peanut allergy, so please be careful. He eats all kinds of fruit well. Sometimes he substitutes it for a meal… You know how much sugar is in fruit, right? And yet he doesn’t gain weight. I don’t know where everything he eats goes. He only eats dinner properly when I prepare it for him. Otherwise, he would have either eaten carelessly or gone hungry.”
—Oh my, Jun-wan.
His mother let out something like an exclamation and laughed. Jun-wan immediately raised his eyes and asked why she was laughing.
—You’re unexpectedly very interested in Yu-shin.
It was an absurd reason. Jun-wan couldn’t even respond and let out an empty breath.
—To be honest, I was very worried. You’re rather indifferent, to put it nicely. But it seems you’re getting along better than I thought.
“……”
—Jun-wan, you’ve never paid this much attention to another person. If you really had no interest, you wouldn’t even look into it, and would taking care of him even be possible? It means Yu-shin is that important a person to you. At least that’s how Mom feels.
“Are we done?”
Jun-wan mercilessly hung up the phone. He tilted his head at an angle and swallowed a hollow laugh. Even thinking about it again, it was an absurd statement.
He was just doing the minimum duty toward Kim Yu-shin. Does that look like putting in effort to others’ eyes? That’s ridiculous.
Holding the phone that had heated up warmly in his hand, he surveyed the living room. It had been fine for a while, but he suddenly thought this house was needlessly spacious.
The quiet space was a perfect environment for concentration, but it seemed the book wouldn’t be readable anymore. Leaving his troubled mind behind, he closed the book.
It was the third day Yu-shin had been away from home, there was still no news, and the house was quiet.
He had never been bored spending time alone, but Jun-wan felt the day was strangely long. Time that had stagnated flowed slowly no matter what he did.
He brewed a cup of coffee and went out to the terrace. He leisurely sat in the wooden chair that was practically Kim Yu-shin’s exclusive seat and appreciated the garden scenery.
It was now full summer. If there hadn’t been an awning covering his head, his crown would have been cooked by the hot sunlight.
“……”
Looking out at the green lawn, he understood a little why Yu-shin sat here and wasted time. The leisurely scenery of the garden brought peace of mind in itself, and his cluttered mind also settled down calmly.
Meow—
Suddenly, an animal’s cry was heard. A fat cat came in through somewhere and boldly strode across the lawn, trampling it.
As if it were its own home, it sprawled on the lawn, stretched greatly, then rolled around playing by itself. Because the beating sunlight was too strong, even that didn’t last long, and it left to find shade.
The cat stealthily approached beneath Jun-wan’s feet. The shameless cat was bigger than most dogs, having probably gotten its fill of snacks here and there. Jun-wan only lowered his gaze and watched what the cat was doing.
Since it was a famous resident of this neighborhood, Jun-wan couldn’t help but recognize it. Of course, he had only heard about the stray cat from Yu-shin, and this was the first time seeing it directly.
The brown-furred cat was what they called a beautiful cat. At first it seemed wary, but gradually approached and started rubbing its head against Jun-wan’s ankle. Its aegyo was no joke.
“There’s no one here to play with you.”
He lowered his hand and gently scratched the cat’s small head. As if it really liked the touch, the cat settled in completely and rubbed its body against the top of Jun-wan’s foot.
May I ask when this will be unlocked? Thank you!