“Aaah!”
At the sight of Miro standing right in front of the door, Eunchan flinched his shoulders in surprise.
“Was it Heewoo?”
“What?”
“The person you just talked to on the phone…”
He’d deliberately come all the way into the boss’s office to answer the phone without Miro knowing, but he was caught right away. After thinking for a moment, Eunchan nodded and answered honestly. If he was hospitalized, it seemed his health had gotten bad again, and in any case, since it was his younger brother’s matter, Miro needed to know too.
“Why does Heewoo know Eunchan’s number?”
“I gave it to him when we met last time. Wait, that’s not what’s important right now…”
“Why are you two on the phone?”
As Miro took a step forward, Eunchan took a step back.
“W-when we met last time, he got my number. That was the first time we talked on the phone besides then.”
Somehow it had become an interrogation atmosphere. Eunchan kept waving his hands, emphasizing that he had nothing going on with Miro’s younger brother. He didn’t know why he had to emphasize such things to Miro, but first he had to appease Miro, who looked upset.
“D-delete the number.”
“Alright. And your younger brother was hospitalized at the hospital. Should we go visit?”
There was no mention of coming alone. Maybe he means to bring hyung too. While wondering what to buy and bring for this hospital visit, he asked Miro.
“No, Eunchan try on the vest.”
However, contrary to his thoughts, Miro showed a lukewarm reaction. It looked like he didn’t care whether his younger brother was sick or not. Miro took Eunchan’s hand and returned to his seat. On the desk lay an unfinished vest.
“It seems like he’s getting sick again, are you really sure you don’t need to go?”
“Yees. Heewoo probably wouldn’t l-like it either.”
Miro answered while measuring Eunchan’s left shoulder with his hand span.
“Really? …Then I’ll just go alone, you go home first.”
Since they called, it was courtesy to go. Even if he didn’t like it, he was Miro’s family, and he didn’t want to behave badly toward a sick person for no reason.
“Then I’m c-coming too.”
When Eunchan said he’d go alone, Miro readily followed along. After neatly folding the half-knitted knitwear into his bag, Miro soon took out the car keys.
“You said you weren’t going earlier.”
“I h-have to be next to E-Eunchan.”
He knew Miro would follow if he said he’d go alone. Eunchan smiled looking at Miro who came over to him. After writing on a memo pad that they were going out and leaving it on Hyungsik’s desk, the two came out of the office.
“What would be good as a hospital visit gift?”
He wouldn’t accept vitamin drinks. He asked thinking Miro could probably match Jang Heewoo’s high-class tastes. However, instead of answering, Miro only raised the corners of his mouth in a small smile.
“…Should we just go?”
“What should we eat for d-dinner?”
Miro asked while opening the car door for Eunchan. It seemed like he was taking care of his younger brother but also not really. Eunchan looked at Miro’s puzzling attitude then soon shook his head.
“Anything.”
Anyway, since he was Miro’s younger brother, he figured Miro would handle it.
When they arrived at the hospital, as if Jang Heewoo had given advance notice, the ward manager was waiting for Eunchan. While getting on the elevator following the manager’s guidance, Eunchan asked if Jang Heewoo’s condition was okay.
“It’s not good.”
Had he said he was in the process of the myelodysplastic syndrome he’d suffered from for a long time progressing to leukemia? While listening to the explanation, Eunchan glanced to check Miro’s expression. Miro was leaning against the elevator wall with languid eyes, looking at Eunchan. When Eunchan’s eyes met his and he forced a smile, Miro’s eyes also drew a round arc. He seemed to have no interest in his younger brother at all.
The floor they arrived at was a quiet place with few people. It was somewhat different from where Miro had stayed. Eunchan, who was walking down the hospital room corridor following the manager, soon felt Miro taking his hand.
“It’ll be okay.”
Eunchan held Miro’s hand in return. Even Eunchan didn’t know what would be okay, but he hoped Miro wouldn’t be hurt.
“Please go in.”
The manager who had guided them to the front of Jang Heewoo’s room greeted the two and turned around. The front of Jang Heewoo’s room was full of flower baskets sent from here and there. Among them was also the JNE company he’d heard about from Choi Hanul before.
“…Myeongjin?”
Eunchan checked the card stuck in the flower basket. Seeing the name of Myeongjin, with whom he’d been frequently entangled recently, naturally made him frown. Was Jang Heewoo acquainted with Myeongjin?
“E-Eunchan?”
“Let’s go in.”
He said he was a conglomerate president, so well… he could know them. Let’s not be too sensitive. While repeating this to himself, Eunchan followed Miro into the hospital room. The inside was neat. Like Miro’s hospital room, it was a room with a sofa, table, bed, and refrigerator and TV. Jang Heewoo, who had been leaning against the bed table reading a magazine, raised his head and checked the visitors.
“What, why did you bring that bastard?”
Jang Heewoo frowned at seeing Miro who had come.
“You didn’t say to come alone.”
So it wasn’t to bring Miro. Seeing Jang Heewoo’s intense reaction, Eunchan realized his thought was wrong.
“Hello, Heewoo-ya.”
Eunchan shrugged his shoulders and Miro calmly greeted his younger brother. Though there was no invitation to sit, Miro and Eunchan naturally took seats on the sofa.
“Who said you could come?”
“I was w-worried…”
“Are you acting? Cut it out.”
Along with the shout, Jang Heewoo threw the magazine he’d been reading at Miro. Fortunately, since he had no strength, the magazine didn’t reach Miro and fell at his feet. Startled, Miro hunched his body and leaned on Eunchan’s shoulder.
“Why are you getting angry?”
Eunchan scolded him while picking up the magazine that had fallen on the floor. Looking at it after picking it up, it wasn’t a regular magazine but exhibition promotional material. Looking at the year of the exhibition, it was more than 5 years old. On the cover of the promotional material stood Jang Heewoo, who looked healthier than now, and a middle-aged woman close to him. As if it was Jang Heewoo’s work, the two standing in front of it looked close to each other.
Is it his mom? They don’t look alike though. Eunchan thought while placing the book on the table.
“Did you come to check if I’m dying well?”
“Jang Heewoo-ssi.”
“What more do I have to do here? I’m keeping my mouth shut and staying like I’m dead, just like you wanted!”
Seeing Jang Heewoo’s excited appearance, Miro shrank his body. Eunchan hid Miro behind his back and looked directly at Jang Heewoo.
“You said you had something to tell me. Let’s send Miro-ssi outside and talk with me.”
With Miro present, Jang Heewoo would just keep getting angry, and Miro would probably tremble in fear. Not wanting to see that sight, Eunchan suggested sending Miro out. Then Miro hurriedly grabbed Eunchan’s wrist.
“Y-you can’t.”
“You send him out before I call someone.”
Miro’s refusal and Jang Heewoo’s consent fell simultaneously. Eunchan wrapped his arm around Miro’s shoulder and whispered in his ear.
“Wait outside. I’ll come out soon.”
At Eunchan’s coaxing, Miro hesitated and looked at Jang Heewoo. Since he didn’t seem reassured, Eunchan promised he’d also tell him what they talked about. Only then did Miro nod and walk toward the door, dragging his feet.
“Y-you have to come q-quickly.”
“Yes.”
Soon the door closed and only Eunchan and Jang Heewoo remained in the hospital room. Eunchan got up from the sofa and approached Jang Heewoo. He definitely looked worse than last time.
“Are you okay?”
“Do I look okay to you?”
“No.”
It was a word of concern, but Jang Heewoo, who took even that as a quarrel, rolled his eyes upward and asked back. If he killed some of the anger in his body, he might get a lot better. Eunchan stood at Jang Heewoo’s feet and asked why he’d told him to come visit.
“Why did you tell me to come?”
“What’s your relationship with Jang Miro?”
“Well, we’re close.”
He could say it with certainty now. Eunchan straightened his shoulders without hesitation and expressed his relationship with Miro.
“Are you living together in that house, or are you coming and going?”
“…Why do you ask that?”
Perhaps because they’d run into each other at the house, Jang Heewoo suddenly asked about Eunchan and Miro living together. Eunchan thought for a moment about whether it was okay to reveal the truth.
“I have my things in that house. Bring them to me.”
“You can just ask Miro-ssi.”
“Like that bastard would do me a favor. Just bring them.”
Whether even speaking was too much effort, Jang Heewoo soon let out a long sigh. Eunchan massaged the back of his neck then soon nodded. Bringing things, that much wasn’t difficult.
“What should I bring you?”
“One of my paintings and exhibition promotional materials with that person’s photo in it.”
Jang Heewoo pointed to the pamphlet placed on the table.
“Who is that person? It doesn’t seem like it’s your mother.”
She didn’t resemble Jang Heewoo and wasn’t a person who had been in the family photo he’d seen before.
“How do you know our mom?”
“Well, you don’t look alike.”
“…She’s someone who raised me since I was young. The painting should also have ‘nanny’ written on the back of the canvas. Find that and bring it.”
“Where in the house is it?”
“Either my room or the storage. That bastard probably put away all my stuff. Check the storage first.”
He didn’t even know where that storage was. Eunchan roughly thought of the unused third floor and nodded. If push came to shove, it would be okay to ask Miro.
“Alright.”
“Keep it secret from Jang Miro. I don’t want to have even that taken away.”
“Why, no…”
Eunchan repeatedly opened and closed his mouth in frustration.
“What?”
“MK isn’t only for Miro-ssi, so stop asking hyung for it. What you’ve been given so far should be enough.”
With impure adoption purposes to begin with, he hated seeing him continue to demand. This much should be enough, what more could he want?
“What’s it to you, fuck. And we already paid him the price!”
“What price? Drawing blood and hitting him?”
Getting heated at the shameless attitude, Eunchan caught his breath and began to question him.
