54.
— “By the way, boss, can I ask you one quick question?”
“Director.”
— “Ah, right. Director. Do you like Lee Haseo?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Choi Mujin was momentarily at a loss for words. Do I like Lee Haseo? It was true that he had feelings for him, but there were complications that made him hesitate to definitively call it “liking” someone. So he gave an ambiguous answer.
“I’m not sure.”
— “Haseo clearly seems to like you, though.”
“Haseo does?”
— “Yes, otherwise who would bend that much?”
“I’ve given him a fair amount of money.”
— “Aigo, this is why people who’ve never been in love are hopeless. I guarantee that Lee Haseo likes you, Director. Even I can tell, though I’ve barely met him.”
“He likes me and that’s why he’s acting that way?”
— “You’ve suspected it to some extent yourself. Even if someone likes you, they might act differently.”
Mujin tapped his desk with his fingers.
— “Still, he did something wrong, so he should be punished. If you spoil him too much, he’ll start climbing all over you later.”
“That’s not for you to decide.”
— “Ack, you’re right. I’m sorry!”
That ended the conversation with Kim Chunbong. Later, when Mujin learned that Haseo was going crazy trying to break the glass, he rushed to the villa. And there, he confirmed what Kim Chunbong had said.
Seeing those pretty upturned eyes trembling, Mujin finally became certain of Haseo’s feelings. Why hadn’t he recognized such obvious emotions until now? He had only thought Haseo felt gratitude for his help. But it was love. And the moment he realized this, Mujin was able to define his own feelings as well.
“Haha.”
So that’s why he’d been strangely drawn to Haseo. He wanted to take care of the things Haseo liked, wanted to make him smile when he was depressed. Wanting to do everything for him, yet only now realizing it. His mind must have been too rigid all this time. Or perhaps his first love, Seo Jaewoo, had been so deeply embedded in his mind that he couldn’t imagine a new love coming along.
Either way, it was a pathetic reason. Now that he was thinking about liking Haseo, he kept seeing his face in his mind. There were similarities to Seo Jaewoo, but he was ultimately a completely different person. Mujin liked Haseo, and Haseo liked him back. In a way, you could call it a happy ending. Right now Haseo was in shock, but if Mujin confessed his feelings, perhaps his attitude would change too.
‘When people’s hearts align like this…’
They would spend happy days adjusting to each other. That wouldn’t be bad. Isn’t that how Seo Jaewoo and Choi Hyunjin were living together? But Mujin couldn’t imagine such a future.
Ordinary love is too weak. Look at reality. Even people who exchange rings and get married often choose divorce. It meant that even love where you felt you couldn’t live without someone could degrade.
Haseo was the same. He liked Mujin now, but how long would that last? His love, unlike Mujin’s, was closer to an illusion. He had met someone who extended a hand to him for the first time in a dangerous situation and mistook that for love. Yes, Haseo’s love could be interpreted that way.
‘Poor thing.’
Of all people, he had to meet a man like him. Mujin had no intention of letting Haseo go. The saying that you let someone go because you love them was bullshit. If you love someone, you should hold onto them. You should grab them so they can’t look elsewhere and keep them by your side forever. That’s why Mujin had no immediate plans to whisper words of love to Haseo. When he was pushed to the edge, pushed even further to the point of mental vulnerability—that’s when Mujin planned to seize him.
That was how Mujin defined love. It was the same with Seo Jaewoo. In the end, Mujin had stepped back for his sake and gained nothing as a result. All that remained was a miserable emotion he labeled as “pure love.” So this time, he absolutely would not do that. For Haseo’s sake, he was prepared to accept that Haseo would be hurt. It might be painful right now, but because of that, the two of them would be able to stay together forever.
* * *
Even after evening came, Haseo remained shut in the basement, not coming out. The door was open, but he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to leave. So he curled up, glaring at the open door, thinking and thinking again. He tried to figure out why Choi Mujin was doing this, but nothing came to mind.
Grumble.
His empty stomach made a noise. If he got out of here and went upstairs, there would be food in the kitchen. Thinking about that made his mouth water.
‘Even in this situation, I still get hungry.’
As he was thinking this, he heard someone’s footsteps on the stairs leading to the basement. Who could it be? Mujin? Or someone else he had brought? The answer came soon enough.
“Haseo.”
Choi Mujin was holding a tray.
“It’s dinner time.”
On the tray was yellowish egg porridge with soy sauce.
“It’s instant porridge, but it’s edible.”
Mujin put the tray down in front of Haseo and sat beside him. Then he calmly placed a spoon in Haseo’s hand.
“Can you eat?”
Instead of answering, Haseo threw the spoon away. Clang! The spoon made quite a loud noise as it hit the floor.
“Hmm.”
Mujin looked at the spoon and then shifted his gaze to Haseo. Then he got up and picked up the fallen spoon. There was a bathroom in the basement too. Opening the door attached to the left wall revealed a sink, shower, and a strange large iron tub. He washed the spoon at the sink, dried it, and handed it back to Haseo.
Haseo tried to turn his head away and ignore it, but he couldn’t overcome Mujin. Once again, he found himself holding the spoon.
‘Should I just flip the tray?’
Hesitating with that thought, he glanced at Mujin. He still had a smiling face, which was even more frightening. Haseo couldn’t read his thoughts. He nibbled on his lips, then gently placed the spoon back on the tray.
“I won’t eat.”
“Why? Aren’t you hungry?”
“I am hungry. But I don’t want to eat.”
“Don’t like porridge? Should I bring something else? Or would you like to tell me what you want to eat?”
“Why.”
Haseo’s breath caught at Mujin’s question.
“Why are you doing this?”
He now knew that Haseo liked him. Yet he had this attitude. It felt like his heart was being trampled, making his chest tighten.
“Why are you doing this! Am I that funny to you? Because I have nothing? Because I’m someone you can do whatever you want with! Do I seem that worthless to you?”
Haseo raised his voice, then belatedly covered his mouth. But words once spoken couldn’t be taken back. At some point, his emotions had become uncontrollable. He constantly wanted to shout, while at other times he wanted to maintain silence and stay calm. Still, he thought Mujin would respond somehow. But what Mujin did was completely different from what Haseo expected.
Mujin scooped some porridge with the spoon and brought it to Haseo’s lips.
“You’re like this because you’re too hungry.”
“T-that’s not it.”
“Eat.”
Though there was no particular pressure, Haseo found himself opening his mouth and accepting the porridge without realizing it.
“Does it taste okay?”
He couldn’t taste anything at all. All Haseo could do was chew the porridge with difficulty and swallow it. Mujin stroked his head as if pleased, but Haseo didn’t feel happy about it.
“If you eat well, I’ll let you see your grandmother.”
It was an offer he couldn’t refuse. After that, Haseo quietly ate the porridge Mujin gave him. After finishing the bowl, Mujin handed him a cup of water and medicine.
“It’s an anti-inflammatory.”
Haseo swallowed the medicine without resistance and asked.
“What about my grandmother?”
“You really do love your grandmother, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“Hmm.”
Anxiously looking at Mujin, wondering if he might break his promise, Mujin extended his hand to Haseo.
“Then shall we go see your grandmother?”
“What? Yes.”
Haseo followed Mujin from the basement to the first floor. The porridge he had forced himself to eat seemed to be working, as he felt better than earlier in the day. When they reached the living room, Mujin handed Haseo the tablet PC he always carried.
‘What am I supposed to do with this?’
As he hesitated holding it, Mujin took it back and turned it on. Then he tapped one of the icons on the screen, and a bed appeared. On the wide, white bed lay a person—it was his grandmother.
“Grandmother!”
Haseo grabbed the tablet and shouted.
“She can’t hear you from this side.”
“Where, where is this?”
“A hospital.”
“That’s not what I mean!”
His voice, which had been loud, gradually grew softer.
“I want to meet her in person. I want to see her.”
Haseo clung to Mujin and sobbed.
“If you want to meet her, I can arrange that.”
Hearing a different answer than expected, Haseo hurriedly wiped his tears and looked at Mujin.
“But Haseo, this time you really have to keep your promise. Let’s see. This would be the fourth promise.”
“I’ll keep it!”
“You don’t even know what I’ll ask.”
“I won’t leave here, and I’ll pay back the debt. I can pay it back like I said.”
“There will be interest too.”
“E-even so.”
“Alright, then it’s a promise.”
Mujin held out his pinky finger to Haseo. Haseo had expected him to present loan documents or something. But all he wanted was a pinky promise. Considering everything Mujin had done so far, it was very strange, but he couldn’t question it at the moment.
Haseo hooked his pinky finger with Mujin’s.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
