Chapter 134
After visiting the family elders to pay respects, many things changed in Eunseong’s life. The first change was that he could now go outside. Of course, it wasn’t possible alone, but he was allowed to go anywhere accompanied by Director Nam and security guards. He could go to movies, department stores, and even meet friends.
Eunseong, who loved tteokbokki, spotted Choi Jung-eon waiting inside the tteokbokki buffet franchise restaurant and raised his hand high. His voice jumped loudly with excitement. The people dining in the restaurant glanced at the boisterous pair.
“Hey! Choi Jung-eon!”
“Huh? Shit! Seo Eunseong!”
Shouting “Eunseooooong,” Choi Jung-eon ran over and hugged him tightly. It had been several months—actually just over half a year—but it felt like more than a decade.
“Hey, shit, what the hell happened? Couldn’t contact you, you bastard! I told you what I’d do if you cut off contact. I thought you were ignoring my calls and was going to kill you, seriously. I really missed you. I thought you’d forgotten about me!”
Choi Jung-eon buried his face in Eunseong’s shoulder, hugging him so tightly it could have crushed him, and only let go when Eunseong cried out that his waist was about to break.
“Whew, damn. I thought you’d been sold off as a prostitute or something. I was going to report to the police when I couldn’t reach you. My dad stopped me though.”
As he spoke, Choi Jung-eon looked around as if searching for someone.
“What’s wrong?”
“Huh? Nothing. Anyway, why did you ignore my messages?”
“I had a lot going on.”
“Are you still living with that uncle or whatever relative?”
“Of course. Where else would I live? Ah…”
Eunseong paused as they moved to the seats Choi Jung-eon had reserved, suddenly remembering his father had passed away. Choi Jung-eon motioned for him to sit, moving his bag, and asked when he saw his expression darken:
“What’s wrong?”
“Uh… my dad died.”
“What?!”
“I told you I had a lot going on. My dad passed away.”
“…When? Why suddenly? Didn’t you say you couldn’t contact your dad?”
Choi Jung-eon’s eyes widened in surprise. The death of a parent wasn’t common for people their age. His face immediately crumpled with concern for Eunseong. Regret and self-blame seemed to wash over him for not being by Eunseong’s side during the most difficult time.
“I couldn’t reach my dad for a while. My uncle helped find him, but when they did…”
“He was already gone when you couldn’t contact him?”
“Yeah…”
“That must have been a huge shock. Are you okay?”
Choi Jung-eon moved next to Eunseong, patting his shoulder and the top of his head as he asked. Perhaps because it had been so long since he’d talked with a friend his own age, honest words flowed easily.
“I cried so much. I was shocked… and also felt sorry.”
“Damn, why would you feel sorry? Everyone in the neighborhood heard you crying every night. I wanted to kill your dad. Don’t you remember? Are you a complete idiot? Did you forget getting beaten?”
“Stop talking nonsense. He wasn’t the best father, not like your dad, but still… he didn’t abandon me. And in the end, he sent me to my uncle. If dad hadn’t sent me then, I wouldn’t have met my uncle.”
Just the fact that he enabled Eunseong to meet his uncle meant that Eunseong’s father had fulfilled his duty—or rather, accomplished it admirably.
“I guess that rich relative treats you well?”
“Yeah, he takes good care of me.”
“Not just because he’s rich, right?”
“There’s no need to dislike it just because of that.”
He could never reveal anything beyond that. It was a relationship that would look strange from an outsider’s perspective.
Eunseong had realized that Yoo Siwoon was his relative in an unexpected situation. He felt somewhat embarrassed and couldn’t look Choi Jung-eon directly in the eyes. He fumbled to change the subject.
“What kind of tteokbokki should we make?”
“Yeah, I heard something about him being super rich. Tons of money, they say. My mom told me those mushrooms were really expensive. Like tens of thousands of won each. For something the size of a dick. Just this size, worth tens of thousands of won.”
He was referring to the gift Yoo Siwoon had sent to his home when Eunseong first ran away, apologizing for being rude to Choi Jung-eon’s parents. Choi Jung-eon held up two fingers, saying a mushroom just this size cost tens of thousands of won. He said he only got to taste two pieces, and his parents grilled and ate one each day.
“But they really smelled amazing. Very fragrant. I’d never smelled anything like it before.”
Choi Jung-eon smiled, recalling the aroma, making an “mmm” sound as if he had a mouthful of flavorful mushroom. It must have been incredibly delicious.
“I’ve eaten those too. Not a lot, but they sometimes appear on our table.”
“Wow, you’re so rich. Damn, now that I look at it, aren’t those really good clothes? Designer brands, right?”
“Uh… my uncle really enjoys buying me clothes, so he does it often. We went to the department store recently too. You should come sometime. Want to hear something else amazing? When we shop, they close the department store. When there’s nobody around. After business hours.”
Eunseong covered his mouth with his hand and whispered like he was sharing a secret that no one else should hear.
“Shit, for real? Really?”
Eunseong waved his hands, telling him to be quiet and not overreact.
“I was shocked too. I didn’t know my uncle was that rich. Oh! I’m going to America soon. I think we’ll fly first class. There’s a university there that my uncle graduated from. He wants me to study hard and become his fellow alumnus.”
“Your relative went to an American university? Where?”
“Cornell University. Have you heard of it? It’s super famous. An Ivy League school.”
“Ugh, didn’t he smoke weed and do drugs in America?”
“Hey, I told you he was a really good student. He loves raising dogs and is so responsible.”
“Yet a guy like that has those flashy tattoos all over his hands. I totally thought he was a gangster.”
Recalling Yoo Siwoon who had barged into his home, Choi Jung-eon clearly remembered the tattoos on the back of his hands.
“That’s just his unique taste. You should learn to respect other people’s preferences.”
“Wow, our Eunseong is so lucky. Going to an American university, though I’m not sure if you can get in. No wonder your complexion has improved. You’ve become prettier.”
“You got into a good university too.”
“Shit, I was terrified when I got rejected from early admissions. Let’s eat. Get whatever you want. My treat today.”
Eunseong and Choi Jung-eon went around the buffet, scooping up tteokbokki ingredients.
Director Nam’s face was clouded with concern as he watched Eunseong laughing and chatting happily with his friend while eating his favorite tteokbokki. When he sighed softly, an executor standing next to him as a security guard asked in a low voice:
“Why do you keep sighing?”
Director Nam was startled. His eyes turned to the executor in shock, as if asking if he could actually speak. The executor gave him a look of disdain, as if to say of course he could speak, being human.
“I’m asking because you always sigh when looking at Eunseong.”
The executor’s forehead showed faint anger, suggesting it was disrespectful to keep doing that. His already creepy eyes became threatening as they distorted.
“Does that look like some great being to you? To my eyes, I just see an immature kid.”
“Watch your words.”
It was similar to Yoo Siwoon’s reaction when he learned that Lee Joon-seung had insulted Eunseong. The executor gave Director Nam a sharp warning look, as if unwilling to tolerate any further disrespect.
“He’s smiling so beautifully…”
The snake-like eyes of the executor, which seemed devoid of emotion, softened as they watched Eunseong laughing and chatting. Eyes filled with reverence were gazing in wonder at the embodiment of a miracle.
“Have you forgotten the CEO’s instructions? He doesn’t know his own identity, so treat him normally. Don’t ever forget that.”
“…”
Though he had heard such instructions, his eyes were openly venerating Eunseong as if he couldn’t put them into practice. Director Nam rolled his eyes, looking exasperated by the executor’s reaction.
It wasn’t just this man. All the believers around Eunseong behaved this way, so obviously that even Eunseong had noticed something was strange. From their perspective, it was like seeing the Virgin Mary reincarnated walking before their eyes, so it wasn’t incomprehensible.
“Aren’t there any pretty girls at school? Someone you’re attracted to?”
“Nope. No matter how hard I look, there’s no one prettier than you.”
“Stop it. I told you I have someone I like.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
