55.
Choi Mujin kept his promise. After quite some time, Haseo was able to leave the villa. Choi Mujin got into the driver’s seat of the now-familiar car. As Haseo took his place beside him, the familiar scenery receded. The hospital they arrived at was larger than the previous one. And grandmother’s hospital room had been upgraded as well.
“Oh, Director, you’re here?”
When Haseo entered with Choi Mujin, a woman by his grandmother’s side greeted them warmly. Haseo looked at Choi Mujin with curiosity, who whispered:
“Caregiver.”
Upon hearing this, Haseo immediately bowed his head.
“Hello!”
“Hello. And who might this be?”
“This is the grandson I mentioned before.”
“Ah, your grandson, I see.”
Perhaps because she had a caregiver, grandmother looked cleaner and more comfortable than when she was in the previous hospital.
“Thank you for taking care of my grandmother.”
“No need for thanks. I’m just doing my job for pay.”
The woman said this with a light smile as she stood up.
“I’ll leave you alone for a while so you can have family time. If you need anything, please call me.”
“Thank you!”
Haseo’s expressions of gratitude seemed endless. Though he had always tried his best when visiting his grandmother, it was never enough. Haseo was always busy and lacked know-how. He had received help from nurses, but there probably hadn’t been enough care on a daily basis.
‘Come to think of it, I’ve received help from many people.’
Though the administration office had pressed him about hospital bills, not everyone had been harsh with Haseo. There were those who had helped him out of pity for his situation. To realize this only now. It seemed unlikely that he would become the good person his grandmother had spoken of.
‘Still, it’s fortunate that she has a caregiver.’
Now his grandmother could live without discomfort. After approaching his grandmother and checking on her, Haseo immediately bowed his head to Choi Mujin as well.
“Thank you.”
“No need for thanks. This is all part of your debt.”
“Even so.”
What did it matter if it was debt? His grandmother could live like this now. It didn’t matter what kind of person Choi Mujin was. Haseo sat close to his grandmother and gazed at her for a long time. Although Choi Mujin was beside him, he didn’t hold back what he wanted to say. Haseo chatted about his daily life as usual. He had tried playing a game about decorating a village, but something felt off. He probably didn’t have talent for drawing.
“These days, paints come in such diverse colors. I never knew there were so many colors of paint.”
Some of these were actual experiences, but there were also lies mixed in. Haseo only shared stories that would please his grandmother. The last time he had seen her, he had told troubling stories, so he wanted to make up for that. Despite this being a scene that might break someone’s heart, Choi Mujin calmly kept his seat.
How long had he been chattering? Around the time his throat began to dry, Choi Mujin said to Haseo:
“Visiting hours are almost over.”
“Yes.”
Haseo tightly held his grandmother’s hand one last time before letting go.
“Grandmother, I’ll come again.”
Though he didn’t know when the next time would be, he didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye. Haseo kissed the back of his grandmother’s dry hand and stood up. It seemed like this memory alone would be enough to endure whatever came next.
After passing through the hospital lobby and going outside, Choi Mujin checked the time and said:
“Shall we have dinner before going back?”
Can we eat outside? Haseo wondered briefly but quickly dismissed the thought. With his grandmother completely in Choi Mujin’s hands now, there was no way he could escape.
“Yes.”
Obediently answering, Haseo followed Choi Mujin. Choi Mujin took Haseo to an upscale sashimi restaurant. Though there was a menu on the wall, it didn’t clearly list prices. Haseo knew nothing particular about fish, so he just watched Choi Mujin order.
“So I’ll order these. Haseo, is there anything specific you want?”
“No.”
“Nothing at all?”
“I’ve never had sashimi before.”
“What’s on top of sushi is sashimi.”
Ah, that’s right. Though he had enjoyed eating sushi, he didn’t know the specific names of the fish on top. As he hesitated, Choi Mujin sent away the employee who had written down their order.
“Then let’s try a variety today.”
Before long, the table was filled with food. Some side dishes were familiar, but others weren’t.
“Eat.”
At Choi Mujin’s command, Haseo picked up his chopsticks as if entranced. Whenever Haseo tried an unfamiliar food, Choi Mujin would tell him its name. He hadn’t even voiced his curiosity aloud, so it struck him how perceptive Choi Mujin was.
By the time they had gone through about half of the first dishes, the sashimi arrived. White, red, orange. The sashimi in various colors felt somewhat different from what had been on top of sushi.
“Which one tastes the best?”
“They’re all delicious.”
The white flesh was delicious as it melted in his mouth, the red flesh had an interesting texture. And the orange one, which he said was salmon, had a pleasant nutty flavor. After not eating properly for days with just a bowl of porridge, it was too delicious to eat in moderation.
‘Am I a glutton?’
The fact that food tasted so good even in this situation meant his appetite was extraordinary. Well, Haseo had liked eating since childhood. It’s just that his family circumstances hadn’t allowed for it.
“Eat moderately. We can come again next time.”
“What? Yes.”
As soon as Choi Mujin said that, Haseo put down his chopsticks. Though Choi Mujin acted comfortably, he shouldn’t do the same. Right now, Choi was someone Haseo couldn’t go against.
“I didn’t mean stop eating.”
“Yes!”
Picking up his chopsticks again, Haseo took a piece of sashimi. But somehow it didn’t taste as good as when he first ate it. His stomach was somewhat full, and as his mind cleared, he felt pressured. So in the end, he just nibbled on the food in front of him before stopping.
“Are you done?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go.”
Moving according to Choi Mujin’s words, Haseo felt like a puppet. Like a puppet tied with strings, unable to move as he wished. While Choi Mujin was paying, Haseo left the restaurant first, avoiding passing people.
Looking up at the dark sky, not a single star was visible. Occasionally something would twinkle, but he had heard those weren’t stars. Lights from passing airplanes or launched satellites. Though they were artificial lights, he stared at them as if entranced.
Slide.
The sliding door opened, and Choi Mujin came out. It was time to return to the villa. Haseo dragged his feet, which felt heavy, towards Choi Mujin.
“Hey! Lee Haseo!”
At that moment, someone called Haseo’s name.
‘Ah, I really don’t want to create more problems here.’
The people Haseo had come to know as he grew up were invariably not decent human beings. After hesitating briefly, Haseo turned toward the direction of the voice. And just as he was about to speak, the man who had called his name ran up and embraced him.
“Huh?”
Haseo was greatly confused by the sudden hug.
“Who are you?”
When he blurted out the question, the man released the embrace, looked at Haseo, and smiled.
“Don’t you know me? Jeong Heejun!”
“Jeong Heejun…? …Ah, aah? Could it be that little kid?”
“Little kid! How long ago did that nickname stick?”
The man, Jeong Heejun, held Haseo’s hand tightly. But his face was very familiar. He was the person Park Dongsu had guided to Choi Mujin’s officetel, saying he was an important guest.
‘How is this possible?’
The Jeong Heejun that Haseo knew was a small, cute child. He had a gentle personality and was often bullied by other kids, so Haseo had helped him several times. And through that, they had become quite good friends. Until Jeong Heejun moved away when they were older, he had always been together with Haseo.
“You, why are you here?”
“I was living in Daegu and came up to Seoul.”
Jeong Heejun said this with a bright smile. That small child had really grown well. He was taller than Haseo and looked sturdy. Plus, with his handsome face, he probably was quite popular. As he was thinking this, suddenly someone from behind pulled Haseo away and struck down Jeong Heejun’s hand.
“Excuse me.”
The person who intervened was Choi Mujin.
“Shouldn’t physical contact have the consent of the person involved?”
A chill ran down Haseo’s spine at the quiet voice.
‘Is he angry?’
He wanted to check Choi Mujin’s face immediately, but being held firmly, he couldn’t see.
“That’s what I wanted to say, Director Choi.”
The boy who used to cry easily countered Choi Mujin’s words with a rather firm face. Since he had been visiting the officetel, they probably knew each other, but no matter how you looked at it, they didn’t seem to have a good relationship. Jeong Heejun was growling at Choi Mujin warily, and Choi Mujin was glaring at him with a cold gaze.
“Why is Haseo with you?”
“As I think I said before, I have no obligation to tell you that.”
“Then I’ll ask Haseo. Haseo.”
“Huh?”
“Why are you with someone like him?”
What does “someone like him” mean? No, no need to ask—I already know.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
