Chapter 95
“Why do you two always fight? Can’t you get along nicely? You like each other so much that you don’t want to be apart, so why on earth do you act like that?”
Seo Won stared blankly at Yu Sol, who was scolding him and Baek Rak. The words she could say because she was still pure felt particularly unpleasant to him.
He wanted to tell her that it wasn’t because they liked each other so much they didn’t want to be apart, but because they had a purpose for traveling together – at least that’s how it was for Baek Rak. But since he had to keep the secret, he couldn’t bring himself to say such things.
Still, what needed to be corrected should be corrected.
“Yu Sol.”
“What.”
“……Baek Rak and I aren’t dating.”
“Huh?”
“I left it alone because I figured you wouldn’t believe me even if I told you, but I think I should correct what’s wrong, so I’m telling you now.”
To Yu Sol, who just blinked with an expression of incomprehension, Seo Won continued speaking.
“Baek Rak has never had unrequited love for me, and he never will. So from now on, don’t say things like Baek Rak and I are dating or that we like each other.”
“What are you talking about? Baek Rak doesn’t like you? That can’t be.”
“……He said it himself.”
“……What?”
Now that he had voiced it out loud, it really was absurd. Yu Sol would feel the same, but so would he. It felt like they had both been played by Baek Rak.
“Yoon Seo Won, wait a minute. Baek Rak… what did he say?”
“He said he doesn’t like me and never will.”
“Those words came out of Baek Rak’s mouth?”
“Yes.”
Yu Sol became even more serious than before. Was she shocked to learn that what she believed wasn’t true? Looking at her like this, she wasn’t so different from him.
“So now stop…”
“Yoon Seo Won. Wait, wait a moment.”
Yu Sol, who had spread both hands and gestured for him to wait, soon let out a sigh. After doing so for a while, she finally seemed to make some decision, put strength in her eyes, and grabbed Seo Won’s hand.
“Listen, you need to listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
“……What?”
Seeing Yu Sol’s earnest appearance, Seo Won unconsciously stepped back hesitantly. However, Yu Sol didn’t let go of Seo Won’s hand and moved a little closer.
“It’s about Baek Rak.”
“Never mind…”
“It’s something you absolutely must hear, so don’t avoid it.”
“……Why should I listen to stories about that guy?”
“Don’t you want to know the reason why Baek Rak rejects you?”
At Yu Sol’s question, Seo Won tried to argue back but couldn’t say anything and closed his mouth again. The reason Baek Rak rejected him. The story Yu Sol would tell him was probably about Baek Rak’s past.
‘That’ story he had hidden and hidden so much.
But he wondered what would change now if he knew about that guy’s past. Hadn’t Baek Rak cruelly notified him that he had no intention of opening his heart to him?
The past was just the past, but it was also a pillar supporting the present. If past events were still valid for the current Baek Rak, then even if he knew the reason, nothing would obviously change.
If not that, then perhaps…
Seo Won asked Yu Sol warily at the ominous thought that suddenly occurred to him.
“Why? Do you want me to understand Baek Rak unconditionally?”
Then Yu Sol shook her head vigorously.
“That’s not my intention. The reason I want to tell you about Baek Rak’s past is because I want you to clear up the misunderstanding.”
“……What misunderstanding?”
“You’ll know if you listen to the story. Please listen.”
Yu Sol bowed her head deeply and took a big breath. Then she carefully opened her mouth.
“Baek Rak has one older brother. No, had one.”
“……”
“He died 7 years ago… From my memory, the two were incredibly close. His older brother, Baek Hyeon, was a physical enhancement type hunter like Baek Rak, and I remember he was quite strong. Baek Rak awakened around that time and probably learned a lot from him.”
“……”
“Anyway, that Baek Hyeon had a very long-time lover.”
Seo Won was still wondering whether he should listen to Yu Sol’s story. She said it was to clear up misunderstandings, but after hearing the story, he would obviously try to understand Baek Rak.
So he should tell her to stop even now, but strangely his mouth wouldn’t open.
But then, an amazing story flowed from Yu Sol.
“That lover was Yu Song Ha, my oppa.”
Seo Won unconsciously raised his head with a start.
“Oppa and I had quite an age gap. Fifteen years, I think. So he practically raised me on his back. Baek Hyeon helped such an oppa and completely acted like family, you know? Once he even told me to try calling him dad. ……Looking at it now, he was a complete smooth talker.”
Yu Sol smiled gently while recalling the past.
“Baek Hyeon, like Baek Rak, mostly went outside the shelter and came back each time. Every time he did, he would stick to oppa and wouldn’t let go. There was no barnacle like that barnacle. Completely devoted.”
“……”
Yu Sol, who had caught her breath for a moment, carefully stroked Seo Won’s hand that she was still holding.
“My oppa was the most gentle person I had ever seen. He was so gentle that there wasn’t a person at Yeongdeungpo Station who didn’t love oppa. Even ‘that’ Baek Hyeon would die at oppa’s every word.”
“……”
“But one day, the relationship between the two started to get strangely rocky. Baek Hyeon was avoiding oppa for some reason.”
“……Why?”
“I still don’t know why he did that. Later they even fought. No, rather than fighting… Baek Hyeon would plead and oppa would shake his head. Every time that happened, Baek Hyeon got angry.”
“……”
“After continuing like that for a while, their relationship got better again, but it wasn’t the same joyful and happy atmosphere as before. Both Baek Hyeon and oppa – I saw them secretly crying in places where they couldn’t see each other several times.”
Just listening to Yu Sol’s explanation, Seo Won could naturally picture the situation at that time. Their appearance from a child’s perspective was poignant and pitiful. He couldn’t help but be curious about what had caused all that.
“A few months passed like that? One day suddenly oppa… disappeared. On the first day, I thought he had gone somewhere and didn’t think much of it, but when he wasn’t visible the next day either, and there was no news on the third day, I realized something had gone wrong.”
From then on, the smile disappeared from Yu Sol’s face. She even bit her lips as if she had reluctantly brought up memories she didn’t want to recall.
“……All of Yeongdeungpo Station was turned upside down. Everyone ran around like crazy trying to find oppa, but we couldn’t find him anywhere in the shelter. No one had seen him go outside, and there was no one who had seen him last, so it was too strange. I thought he might have been possessed by a ghost.”
“……”
“While everyone was working together to search like that… strangely, only Baek Hyeon showed no reaction at all. I was so sad about that, I got really angry asking why he wasn’t looking for the person he loved. But Baek Hyeon just smiled faintly. I felt something was strange then, but I was too angry so I just ignored it.”
Yu Sol, who had been gently stroking Seo Won’s hand, slowly stopped talking and carefully opened her mouth.
“And a few days later, Baek Hyeon went outside alone… and got himself eaten by creatures.”
“……!”
“Oppa went missing, Baek Hyeon committed suicide. Yeongdeungpo Station was unsettled for a while. What Baek Rak said then is still vivid in my ears. He said he would never become like Baek Hyeon. That he would never like anyone or take his own life.”
“……”
“After that, Baek Rak distanced himself from people and cut off conversation itself. There are only a few people at Yeongdeungpo Station who talk to Baek Rak now.”
“Sol, you…”
“I know too. That Baek Hyeon’s death wasn’t my fault.”
That wasn’t it. It wasn’t about blame. It was just that he couldn’t imagine how heartbroken Sol must have been losing her only blood relative. On top of that, she had to experience the death of Baek Hyeon, who had lived with them like family.
“The biggest reason was because of oppa who disappeared. Baek Hyeon couldn’t endure after the one and only person for him disappeared. Of course, I wasn’t without guilt either, but… back then Baek Rak told me that Baek Hyeon was already dying even before oppa disappeared.”
“……”
“So he said he would never waver, but… you appeared, Yoon Seo Won.”
“What.”
“The person who made him vow again that he wouldn’t like anyone and that such a thing would never happen in the future – that’s you, Yoon Seo Won.”
“……”
“Don’t you understand what I mean?”
Seo Won gulped down his dry saliva. He seemed to vaguely understand what Yu Sol was saying.
“Actually, until just now I thought Baek Rak’s feelings would be somewhat light. Just a bit of liking from human fondness. Honestly, even that much is amazing. After all, he moved Baek Rak’s heart even a little. But now it’s deepened to the point where he has to reject you even while hurting you.”
“……!”
“Baek Rak doesn’t make excuses. He doesn’t give advice to people he has no feelings for. He’s someone who doesn’t approach first or show interest in anyone. That’s who Baek Rak is.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
