87.
The man who had been crying absentmindedly for quite some time, seemingly untiring, finally stopped crying only after losing consciousness.
Some attendants who had been waiting with Won, looking around, moved the unconscious man back to the car with flawless skill as if they had rehearsed it, while others guarded the scene to prevent the C-class Esper and remaining people from returning or escaping.
Won watched the situation being efficiently handled in a somewhat dazed state, tilting his head awkwardly.
It was awkward to continue staying here, but also awkward to follow the man. It seemed that the best choice for now was to ask where they were staying, return to his lodging, and then show his face again early tomorrow morning.
“Ah, Guide.”
It was when Won was about to take a step back with that thought. One of the attendants who appeared to be the leader somehow noticed Won’s intention and hurriedly approached him.
“I apologize for the late notice. It seems our schedule will be extended, so could we increase the reservation period from the initial three days? If possible, we’d like to employ you continuously for about a month or two.”
“That long?”
“Yes. Of course, we will cover all payment as well as room and board during that period.”
At that moment, Won thought about a schedule he had set for the week after next, but when he recalled someone’s pathetically trembling back, he didn’t have the courage to refuse.
“…Alright. I’ll do that.”
“Thank you for understanding. Then starting today, you’ll stay with us at our accommodation. Please follow me.”
“Ah, yes.”
The man, who introduced himself as one of the personal secretaries serving Choi Jae-won’s father, spoke in a tone that was not particularly sociable but not completely bleak either, just the right temperature, as he guided Won.
According to him, it was unclear when Choi Jae-won would regain consciousness, but based on his past behavior, he would likely start moving as soon as he woke up regardless of the time, so Won, who was in charge of communication and geographical guidance in this area, needed to be on standby nearby at all times.
As they would calculate the full 24 hours as hourly pay, including personal rest time when not attending to Choi Jae-won, it wasn’t a losing deal for Won.
The accommodation arranged by the group was a luxury resort overlooking the sea. Just how rich were they? They had rented the entire resort. It was a luxurious place that Won wouldn’t even dare to stay at for a single night.
It was also the first time he realized that the sunset over the sea could be so dreamily beautiful. Seeing Won constantly looking around with his mouth agape, the secretary asked if this was his first time here. Somehow it was a bit embarrassing. No wonder Choi Jae-won might have misunderstood, thinking Won’s eyes had gone wild at the sparkle of jewels.
“…Yes. It’s my first time inside. I’ve only come to the entrance a few times to pick up clients.”
“We’ve designated your room to be closest to the young master’s. Please stay nearby without moving elsewhere, and respond immediately when called.”
Following the secretary’s instructions, when he arrived at the room, there was even a meal set up that seemed quite substantial for one person. These were foods he had never seen or heard of in the three years he had been living in this area.
Despite harboring the grand ambition of moving to downtown Tumbes, Won had to live frugally, as he repeatedly had half of his earnings taken away by the C-class Esper as something like a tribute.
During periods when Korean tourists were scarce, he sometimes bought discounted dog food to solve immediate meal problems. Even then, he couldn’t eat his fill and had to carefully distribute the amount, putting just enough in his mouth to not starve to death.
“A life like this for a month or two…”
It wasn’t a bad prospect for him. Being immersed in a dream that wouldn’t last long in this strange new world brought by an unusual client.
After finishing his meal, Won went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and was surprised. It was just a series of surprises. For someone who had only washed visible parts at public water taps or cheaply rented shower facilities at guesthouses, the spacious bathtub and clean shower booth were luxuries that left his mouth hanging open.
It had been so long since he had enjoyed washing himself alone, not mixed with others. For once, he took off his clothes without looking around.
The burn marks and other scars covering his entire body were all equally hideous, so he had always had to be mindful when washing to avoid making others frown.
He took off the hat that had been obstructing his view and removed the mask he had pulled up. His own face in the mirror… was still grotesque. Won turned his eyes away and hurriedly entered the shower booth.
After washing leisurely, even his voice, which had been as rough as sandpaper, had a bit more luster. The leg muscles that had started trembling from accumulated fatigue also regained some flexibility.
One regrettable thing was having to put his limbs back into the clothes he had been wearing. He could wear the provided robe while hand-washing his clothes and waiting for them to dry, but that would expose his chest and lower legs, which he disliked.
He always kept his entire body, covered with scars everywhere, completely wrapped in long-sleeved tops and bottoms. If he could have his way, he’d want to wear a scarf and gloves too, but that would be too hot and too suspicious looking, so he gave up on that idea.
It was still suspicious now, but when people saw the scars on his exposed hands or nape, they usually understood his circumstances.
Time passed quickly while he briefly rested on the soft bed that somehow felt like a cozy cloud. Before he knew it, the sun had set and it was night.
Won went outside out of habit. The water rippling in the private pool shone blue even under the night sky. After looking around, he carefully rolled up the hems of his pants and dipped just his feet into the water. The cold water felt good. Swinging his calves in that state and looking up, the night sky looked exactly the same whether above this luxurious resort or above his shabby lodging, always looking down at Won in the same way.
That obvious fact strangely provided comfort.
“…?”
How long had he been there? Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him. He immediately turned his head back.
“…Ah.”
“……”
Having apparently regained consciousness, Choi Jae-won with a blank expression and pale complexion had just come outside. Won hurriedly pressed his hat down over his hair, which was still a bit wet. It was unfortunate that he hadn’t brought his mask.
Choi Jae-won approached with steady steps without saying a word. Won quickly rolled his eyes.
“Are you awake?” seemed strange. “Good evening?” was even more so.
He finally said “Hello…” in a shrinking voice. It seemed right to move away. He was about to pull his legs out of the water and hurriedly lower the hems of his pants that he had rolled up, when Choi Jae-won bluntly spoke in an emotionless tone.
“The scars are worse than I anticipated.”
“…Ah, yes.”
“Did you have some kind of accident?”
There must have been a very big accident of some kind for him to lose his memory and be found alone collapsed in that thicket. Won, despite not knowing much about the accident he had experienced, nodded nonetheless.
Choi Jae-won, as if trying to start his still hazy mind that wasn’t working well, continued to ask insignificant questions.
“People just call you Won. Is your name foreign? Or is it a company name you’ve thought of?”
He didn’t know. Because his Korean pronunciation was so natural, clients typically thought Won was a Korean with a single-character name, but in fact, he didn’t even know what country he was originally from. Whether his name was actually Won or not, what his surname was – he didn’t properly know any of these things. As much as he wanted to answer, he had nothing to offer.
“……”
As he maintained an awkward silence, unable to speak immediately, Choi Jae-won, perhaps not having asked the question out of genuine curiosity, also just stared into space before speaking again.
“I apologize for earlier.”
This was probably his real purpose for the conversation.
“My words were harsh. I’m sorry.”
“…It’s alright.”
Even though he hadn’t thought about wanting an apology, actually receiving one first made him feel strange.
“It’s a very important item left behind by someone I loved very, very much.”
Not knowing how to respond, he just quietly breathed. This seemed to be the right approach. The confusion in Choi Jae-won’s eyes had diminished considerably by then.
“For almost ten years, I’ve been wandering like a madman wanting to find even a single strand of that person’s hair. Today, I finally barely touched that trace.”
Even though Won had no intention of blaming him, Choi Jae-won, like someone who felt guilty in advance, mumbled such self-justifications that were close to talking to himself.
Won once more said it was alright and quietly left the place. It was because he thought it would be more uncomfortable if the man started crying again while they were together.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
