Even though he wasn’t a student, Miro had even put a desk in the room. The books on the bookshelf were puzzle books that Eunchan had bought for Miro before. Eunchan suddenly noticed that Miro’s belongings were mixed into his room.
The doll that Miro loved so much he cherished it dearly was also placed on the bed, and the books Eunchan had given him were also on the bookshelf. Surely he doesn’t mean for them to share a room?
When he drew back the curtains, sunlight poured in without filtering. The trees that had grown wildly were now well-organized, as if someone had tended to the garden in the meantime. It felt like he was gradually becoming attached. Rather than that studio apartment where he’d lived alone, this place felt like his own space. Though he still couldn’t return to his original home because one of the brothers who had attacked them hadn’t been caught yet, even if they were caught, he wanted to continue staying here.
As he stretched while basking in the warm sunlight, he remembered that he’d left the ice cream at the entrance. He hurried to leave the room, but just then, the phone he’d forgotten about started ringing.
“Hello?”
– Kim Eunchan-ssi? This is Han Inju.
A call came from the person he’d been putting off contacting while thinking he should. Eunchan scratched his eyebrow and briefly explained the circumstances.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t go silent on purpose—there was an accident and my phone broke. I was actually planning to contact you.”
– It’s fine.
He’d been prepared to be scolded, but what came back was a simple answer. After breathing a sigh of relief, Eunchan asked about future plans. Though he’d even gone on a business trip, there still hadn’t been any significant results.
“Are you going down to Muan again?”
– That’s why I contacted you. I want to withdraw the commission.
“What?”
– You don’t need to return the contract deposit. Then I’ll hang up now.
“Excuse me, Han Inju-ssi?”
The lawyer, having said what he wanted to say, hung up first. He was dumbfounded by the sudden contract cancellation. Why on earth? Is it because we were suspicious? Eunchan held his phone and spun around in place, trying to think.
“Did he find Kim Noeul?”
That’s the only answer that makes sense. Eunchan immediately started pressing numbers to call the boss.
“E-Eunchan.”
“Yes?”
“You’re hungry, right? I-I’ll prepare dinner.”
“Let’s do it together.”
Since they’d eaten a late lunch, he wasn’t hungry at all. However, seeing Miro even wearing an apron, he couldn’t say he was full, so Eunchan put down his phone and stood up.
“Did you eat lunch, Miro-ssi?”
“Yeeees.”
“Don’t lie.”
It had been an uncomfortable commission. He felt like he should be relieved that they were pulling out on their own like this, but somehow it didn’t feel right at all.
“What did Eunchan eat?”
“Braised chicken with Hyungsik.”
“……Hyungsik?”
“Hyungsik, the boss, and me. The three of us ate. That’s a pretty apron.”
Since Miro disliked it, Eunchan hurriedly changed his words and switched topics. When Eunchan admired how even the apron suited him so well, Miro smiled and showed off his apron.
“There’s one for Eunchan too.”
“There’s one for the doll too, right?”
“Mm-hmm, I’m hungry.”
“What, there really is one?”
He’d asked just in case, but he didn’t know they’d even match aprons. When Eunchan made a surprised face, Miro urged him to hurry to the kitchen. Miro’s laughter filled the house. Seeing Miro looking stable, Eunchan decided to accept positively that he no longer had to work with Han Inju.
Right now, he didn’t have time to go down to Muan to find Kim Noeul, whoever they were, and get unnecessarily caught up in feelings about his older brother. He had to stand by Miro’s side, get rid of the stalker, and help him live a complete everyday life.
Right, this actually worked out well. Eunchan held the hand Miro offered and organized his thoughts.
The boss had a very positive reaction to Han Inju canceling the contract. And for good reason. Han Inju had left behind a tremendous amount as a contract deposit before leaving.
After the three office employees divided up the penalty fee, Eunchan declared to the boss that he would use the vacation time he’d been saving. Strictly speaking, staying at Miro’s house, who was his client, was the same as working, but since he found it bothersome to commute to the office every day, Eunchan applied for vacation without hesitation.
The boss, who had become relaxed after getting a large sum of money for free, readily nodded. Though Hyungsik looked at Eunchan with regretful eyes, there was nothing he could do since Miro was waiting for him alone at home right now. Instead, he soothed Hyungsik by saying they should go camping together next time.
The two-week vacation was peaceful. At the news that Eunchan was taking a break, Miro was happy as if it were his own matter. Eunchan and Miro decided to decorate the house during the vacation. Though a housekeeper Miro hired visited every morning to organize the house and prepare side dishes, the overall management and decorating had to be done by Miro, the homeowner.
Miro’s sense was good. At Eunchan’s opinion that the living room was too empty, Miro brought in various appliances. A TV, audio system, even a recliner sofa. The sparkling chandelier that brightened the center of the house and the artwork by a famous new artist hung throughout the corridor matched each other well. They also placed tall plants inside.
Since there was no need to go to the second floor, most of it was left empty. Occasionally, Miro used a room on the second floor as a dressing room where he organized the clothes he’d purchased for Eunchan. At first, he’d tried to stop Miro, saying not to waste money, but after learning that choosing and buying things for Eunchan was one of Miro’s pleasant hobbies, he just let it be.
Instead, Eunchan decorated Miro’s room. He filled the empty room by selecting carpets and paintings that Miro had purchased and left there. He also tried to create a warm atmosphere by hanging orange-colored curtains.
However, the place where Miro spent the most time was Eunchan’s room. Every night, Eunchan and Miro closed their eyes in the same bed. The subtle night light and magnolia-scented candles presented a peaceful air just for the two of them.
Once they started decorating the large house, there were many places here and there that needed attention. Especially, tending to the wildly overgrown garden was the biggest problem. Though Eunchan’s room side was organized, there were still more trees that hadn’t been tidied. Eunchan, who had done field work following his grandmother when he was young, eventually rolled up his sleeves and started personally caring for the trees and plants.
Sometimes pulling weeds, sometimes pruning branches. As if there had been someone managing the garden separately, various plants had taken root at regular intervals. Eunchan wore matching straw hats with Miro and tilled the dirt floor of the garden. Of course, it was usually Eunchan, who was skilled, who did the work. Miro just played in the dirt beside Eunchan with a happy face.
They also decided on new flowers to plant in the garden. To the question ‘What kind of flower do you like best, Miro-ssi?’, Miro answered roses without a moment’s hesitation. Saying he liked things that resembled himself, Eunchan bought rose seedlings of various colors and types. They planned to plant climbing roses at the gate and fence.
On clear days, they sat in rocking chairs and shared watermelon, and on rainy days, they watched old movies together with Miro. It was a movie with beautiful exotic scenery set by the sea. Though it was a calm romance without major ups and downs, that gentleness was good.
The male lead was affectionate and the female lead was spirited. The outdoor wedding ceremony held at the beach where they first met was the movie’s ending. The fluttering wedding dress and the deep blue sea matched so well.
‘Shall we go see the ocean sometime too?’
At Eunchan’s suggestion, wanting to walk along the sea together like the protagonists in the movie, Miro couldn’t hide his excitement. From that day on, Miro started collecting swimming items one by one, and within a few days, he began sticking postcards with printed photos of the sea on the wall of Eunchan’s room.
However, before they could go to the sea, Eunchan’s vacation ended first. It was partly because they couldn’t go out due to the continuous rainy season, and also because at Hyungsik’s sudden request for help, Eunchan had to give back his remaining vacation and prepare to go to work.
And so autumn was approaching.
* * *
“Don’t organize the garden alone, wait for me.”
Was it European roses? Anyway, it was the day rose seedlings imported from abroad were arriving. Eunchan ate the breakfast Miro had prepared and told him not to work alone.
“Okay. When will Eunchan come back?”
“I’ll come as quickly as possible.”
Miro’s condition had been at its best lately. Except for the day he came back from meeting Jang Heewoo, he hadn’t shown any signs of anxiety or nervousness. After consulting with the psychiatrist, Eunchan had observed Miro closely. Was he sleeping well at night, was he eating enough? Also, whether he was taking medication.
Contrary to his worries, Miro became increasingly vibrant and healthier. Since Eunchan showed interest in golf, Miro personally held Eunchan in his arms and taught him how to grip and even the swing posture. However, when Eunchan entrusted his whole body to him, the excited Miro was too busy satisfying his own greed by kissing his nape and hugging his waist, putting posture correction on the back burner, so it wasn’t very effective.
The student’s enthusiasm was great, but the teaching instructor’s intentions were impure. In the end, Eunchan, who decided to learn by watching the posture Miro took with his eyes, expressed admiration after seeing Miro’s skills. Though he said the golf clubs weren’t his, his form looked better than most players.
The two, who often played golf together in the garden, soon put down their golf clubs only after Eunchan accidentally hit a rose seedling. Miro seemed to want them to go to a golf practice range together, but Eunchan, who learned the price of the golf club Miro had given him to use, refused. Golf just wasn’t his taste.
