Eunchan, with his bag slung over his shoulder, arrived in front of Jang Heewoo’s hospital room and realized once again that he hadn’t brought a get-well gift. No wait, this painting was as good as a gift. His heart had been pounding so hard, worried that Miro might find out. It seemed like it wouldn’t matter even if he got caught, but since Jang Heewoo had asked him to bring it secretly, he had to do it that way for now.
Knock knock.
At the same time as Eunchan’s knock, permission to enter came from inside. When he opened the door and entered, Jang Heewoo, looking even paler than last time, was leaning against the headboard of the bed.
“Did you bring it?”
“Hello.”
Isn’t it polite to greet someone first when you meet them? After looking at Jang Heewoo with a disgruntled expression, who seemed to welcome the painting more than him, Eunchan sat down comfortably on the sofa.
“I asked if you brought it.”
“Just a moment, let me rest.”
After carelessly asking for just one rolled omelet, Eunchan had to receive a grand spread of food from the morning. Only after eating until his stomach felt bloated did Miro, with a satisfied face, take Eunchan to the dressing room.
‘He didn’t like it.’
No wonder he just smiled when Eunchan came out after changing clothes. In the end, Eunchan could only receive the car keys after putting on the clothes and shoes that Miro had chosen for him. But there was a problem here too. Eunchan, now driving an expensive car, had to drive slowly, trembling with fear that he might get into an accident.
His stomach felt heavy and his body was stiff from tension. With a tired face, Eunchan opened his bag. This bag too—Miro had stared at it so intently that even though it was autumn, it felt like cold sweat was flowing down his back.
“Is this the right painting?”
When he showed the painting while sitting on the sofa, Jang Heewoo frowned.
“Bring it closer.”
He’s acting like a master with his servant. Eunchan lifted his legs and approached Jang Heewoo.
“…That’s right.”
“Huiwon?”
“Heewon, you idiot.”
He sure knows how to embarrass someone. Eunchan felt a bit awkward as he handed over the painting. Contrary to his sharp words, Jang Heewoo received the painting with careful hands.
“You must be very close.”
If he drew someone other than his parents and went looking for it, they must not be ordinary acquaintances.
“……”
Jang Heewoo ignored Eunchan’s words, blankly running his fingertips over the canvas.
“I couldn’t find the pamphlet. And it’ll be hard to find anything from now on. Be satisfied with just the painting.”
“Fine. There’s a wallet in the drawer. Take as much as you want.”
“It’s okay.”
Eunchan, who had planned to just consider it as doing a favor for a sick person, waved his hand and refused.
“Take it. Don’t regret it.”
However, at the repeated offer, Eunchan decided to roughly take enough for one meal. I should order something delicious with Miro-ssi. Soon, Eunchan found the wallet in the drawer and swallowed a hollow laugh at the sight of the bundle of checks inside.
“Why are you carrying so much around?”
It would be a big problem if it got stolen. He had only planned to take 30,000 won at most, but now it looked like an extra zero would be added. Eunchan searched through the wallet to see if there were any other bills, but couldn’t find even a single 1,000 won note. In the end, Eunchan took one 100,000 won check and closed the wallet again.
“Take more.”
“It’s fine. By the way, isn’t this person coming to visit?”
Folding the check and putting it in his back pocket, Eunchan casually threw out a question. Could it be someone Miro knows too?
“He’s dead.”
“……The weather is nice today, aren’t you going for a walk?”
If needed, I can even push a wheelchair for you, Eunchan joked. Why is everyone dead?
“Jang Miro put away all the paintings at home, right?”
“Well, he just stored them.”
“That’s putting them away. Now he’s completely become the homeowner.”
Jang Heewoo, who had placed the painting with the art museum promotional materials, smiled a twisted smile.
“He raised you since you were young? Wow, Heewon-ssi is a beauty.”
In the awkward atmosphere, Eunchan clapped lightly and turned his attention to the person called Heewon.
“How do you read that as Huiwon? He’s not even Chinese.”
“It could happen. You’re really giving me a hard time. But if he appeared in a magazine together, was he a painter too?”
“He worked at an art foundation. Unlike you, he had excellent artistic sense.”
“Ah, yes.”
So what if I don’t have artistic sense? Eunchan scratched the back of his head and cursed Jang Heewoo inwardly. He was someone impossible to get close to.
Eunchan smiled bitterly as he organized his bag. Jang Heewoo repeatedly stroked and caressed the painting with a longing face. It somehow looked lonely, so Eunchan briefly paused his steps that were about to leave the hospital room.
“How are you feeling?”
“Why, did Jang Miro send you to find out when I’m going to die?”
“What, no. Miro-ssi dislikes you if anything, so why do you hate Miro-ssi so much?”
Miro had already done his duty. Looking at Jang Heewoo who still hadn’t come to his senses, Eunchan crossed his arms and frowned.
“I told you. I’ve already given everything I could. He took away even what wasn’t given. Is wanting to live a sin? I have nothing more to lose now.”
“……It’s not just Miro-ssi who’s MkMk. You’ll be able to get blood soon.”
“That’ll happen after I’m dead. Jang Miro will block it. I’m completely unnecessary now.”
“Miro-ssi is a good person.”
He was such a gentle person who couldn’t even get angry once. Eunchan earnestly defended Miro and emphasized his good nature.
“Stop talking shit. You don’t know him. Do you know how our parents died?”
“……”
“They were hit by a truck and died at the same time. The driver was drowsy while driving.”
“That was an accident.”
How could that be Miro’s fault? It was a sad story, but that was all it was.
“That day was the day Jang Miro’s adoption was decided to be annulled. And that driver survived. He caused the accident just right so that only he was safe.”
“Ha, adopting and annulling adoption sure is easy for you.”
“He agreed to it too. Out of consideration for the affection we’d shared, they gave him a lot of money. But right after the accident, that bastard immediately brought a lawyer, took all the inheritance, and threw me in the fucking hospital.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
It would be more credible to call it a karmic justice ending. And even though he was adopted, Miro was also a child, so it was natural for Miro to inherit his share.
“When I came to my senses, Jang Miro had taken all the people around me and I was left alone. Even the last remaining ajumma died three years ago. Now it’s my turn.”
His face, clearly showing signs of illness, was full of emptiness. Eunchan, not wanting to hear anymore, moved his stopped feet again. There was no need to get involved in the brothers’ relationship. Moreover, Eunchan firmly believed in Miro’s purity.
“I’ll be going. Take good care of yourself.”
There was no response. Eunchan left the hospital room, leaving Jang Heewoo alone behind. His stomach felt stuffy somehow, just like he had indigestion. Eunchan took in the sight of the flower basket still in the hallway. Myeongjin and JN. JN was Jang Miro and Jang Heewoo’s pharmaceutical company, but Myeongjin was…
Thinking of Han Inju, who had canceled the commission and cut off contact, Eunchan got on the elevator. Should I contact him once to ask how he’s doing? He didn’t really find Kim Noeul and do something to them, right?
While worrying about Kim Noeul inwardly and thinking about Myeongjin, his forgotten cell phone rang insistently, asserting its presence.
It must be a contact from Miro asking when he was coming. Eunchan smiled faintly and took out his phone from his pocket. However, the number on the screen wasn’t Miro’s but an unknown number. Could it be voice phishing? Somehow it didn’t feel right. Eunchan hesitated to answer, but since there was a high possibility it was work-related, he accepted the call.
And soon Eunchan regretted answering the phone. The bad feeling was right on target.
‘Hello, this is Dong District Office. You’re the son of Kim Jongsu-ssi, right? We’re calling about body delivery.’
It was a contact that reminded him once again of the existence of his father whom he had forgotten.
Eunchan immediately bought a train ticket to Gwangju. Even as he boarded the train and went down to his hometown, it didn’t feel real, as if he was dreaming.
As soon as he arrived in Gwangju, Eunchan met with the district office official and received the body from the hospital. Facing his father who was sleeping covered with a white cloth was a somewhat difficult and terrible thing.
He didn’t even know what state of mind he was in when filling out the documents. Only after arriving at the crematorium and leaving his father there did Eunchan finally realize that his hands were shaking.
“……Fuck.”
The word ‘cremation in progress’ next to his father’s name felt strange. He was someone he had hated and despised so much. After the divorce, he was a father who meant so little to Eunchan that he didn’t even think about looking for him.
He thought he’d be living somewhere. Maybe he’d reformed his temperament and remarried, or maybe he’d been living alone and lonely, paying for the sins of tormenting Eunchan and his mother. He had never once imagined this kind of ending. Eunchan rubbed his face with his hand and wiped away the cold sweat that had formed on his forehead.
The cremation was quickly finished. The weight of the urn was so light that Eunchan had to hold it tightly in his arms to avoid dropping it. Since there were no family or acquaintances he knew, he skipped the funeral. He didn’t want to enshrine his father where his grandmother and mother were, so he decided to simply place him in a columbarium run by the city. The cause of death was lonely death. Eunchan enshrined his father, thinking he was fortunate there were no overdue hospital bills or debts.
Each and every thought was burdensome. It was disgusting that he had to worry about money first when it came to death, and he was annoyed at his father for contacting him like this. Why couldn’t the fact that he was this person’s child be erased from the records? He hated the fact that no matter how much he denied and pushed away, he couldn’t replace the blood that flowed.
What should he do from now on? With the feeling that all his limbs had been torn off, his consciousness kept becoming hazy. Sitting in the rest area inside the columbarium and just looking out the window, he suddenly thought of Miro who must be waiting obediently at home for him to come. He had planned to just meet Jang Heewoo and return home right away. Busy taking care of himself due to the sudden death, he hadn’t even thought of Miro.
