89.
Life abroad wasn’t particularly different. A person called Ryu Cheolchik, a relative of Ryu Jiyeon, gave Haseo a guest house located a short distance from their main residence. The guest house was a small home with a bedroom, kitchen, living room, and bathroom, which Haseo quite liked. He would wake up late, lounge around in a drowsy state, eat brunch at a reasonable time, and then sit idly in front of the house.
The lively son of the homeowners would visit occasionally, but only to take him fishing. He would cook and eat the fish they caught, and spend the rest of his time peacefully.
Perhaps this was the kind of time he needed. Haseo rested without any worries for the first time in a long while. And just when he had gained some weight and adapted to the peace, memories he had buried deep inside resurfaced.
Choi Mujin supposedly had his grandmother. What could that mean—where and how was he keeping her? While thinking about this, he glanced at the phone lying on the table. The phone given to him by Jeong Heejun had roaming enabled, so he could easily call Korea.
Thanks to this, he occasionally talked with Jeong Heejun. From the lack of energy in his voice lately, it seemed something had happened. But seeing that he was determined to overcome it somehow, Haseo felt he could leave that matter to him.
‘Not that I have the ability to help anyway.’
Living in Finland, Haseo had learned a few things from Jeong Heejun—stories about his father Chairman Jang, the relationship between Toho Construction and Isaac Finance, and Choi Mujin’s reputation in the industry. At first, Jeong Heejun didn’t want to talk about it, but somehow when pressed, he sighed and revealed information.
He said the current state of Isaac Finance was concerning.
─ Choi Mujin has joined hands with my father’s wife and is replacing board members. Even though there weren’t many to begin with, more than half have already switched sides. It seems the combined authority of that person and the wife exceeds my father’s.
“Is Toho Construction just sitting idle?”
─ Even if they want to intervene, what can they do? The situation is moving so quickly that there seems to be no opportunity to get involved.
“But if your father steps down from the chairman position, what about you?”
He had already heard about how Jeong Heejun had met Ryu Jiyeon.
“Will things be okay with Ryu Jiyeon-ssi?”
─ I’m planning to talk about that part soon.
“Hmm, but you.”
─ Yes?
“You do like Ryu Jiyeon-ssi, right?”
At Haseo’s question, Jeong Heejun fell silent for a moment.
─ I’m not sure. I think she’s a good person, but the person I originally liked was someone else.
“You had someone you liked?”
Then, laughter came through the phone.
─ I did. I’ve liked them since I was young.
“Since what age?”
When Haseo used to hang out with Jeong Heejun, he never got that impression.
─ How old do you think?
As he mentioned the age, it was around the time he first met Haseo. Although Haseo wasn’t particularly perceptive, listening to him, he had a feeling he knew who Jeong Heejun liked. There was only one person who had constantly been around him back then. Still, Haseo didn’t mention it.
‘At this point…’
What would change by saying “I’ve learned about your feelings”? Haseo changed the subject. After making some casual jokes, he ended the call. Actually, there was something more he wanted to ask Jeong Heejun today, but he couldn’t even bring it up.
“Choi Mujin.”
He softly uttered the name. In fact, he knew Choi Mujin’s phone number. Somehow, by chance, he had memorized it. However, he didn’t have the courage to make the call. It wasn’t because he was afraid Choi Mujin might abandon his fight with Chairman Jang and rush here to catch him. If he were going to do that, he would have come already.
A month had already passed.
“Tsk.”
He clicked his tongue, got up, and took out a wine bottle from the cupboard. It was given to him, almost dumped on him, by Jesse, the son of a relative, earlier that day.
‘It’s good wine. Sometimes getting drunk is nice too.’
He had winked and disappeared after saying that. Although Haseo wasn’t knowledgeable about wine, he wanted to get a bit drunk today. So he took out a glass, filled it with wine, and gulped it down. Thanks to the distinct fruit aroma and subtle sweetness, it was quite drinkable. After emptying half the bottle, he began to feel elated.
“Hmm, hmm.”
They say courage wells up when a person gets drunk. Haseo, sprawled in his chair, picked up the phone and tapped the screen. Then he pressed each digit of the familiar number on the screen that appeared. It took the rest of the wine to gather the courage to press the call button.
“It’s okay.”
Just ask about grandmother and hang up. Since no one was around to hear anyway, he put the phone on the table and switched to speaker mode. The dial tone rang for a while before stopping abruptly.
─ Who is this?
A voice he hadn’t heard in a long time. A low, husky voice threateningly asked for identification. Haseo held his breath and then blurted out without thinking:
“Who do you think?”
Would Choi Mujin recognize who he was talking to? With this thought, he caressed the empty wine bottle when the voice came again.
─ …Haseo?
“Ding dong deng dong!”
Silence flowed between them for a moment. Choi Mujin also seemed to be searching for words in response to the sudden call.
─ What’s the matter?
At the calm voice asking, spiteful feelings bubbled up inside him. He was about to spit out all the curses rising from within when he belatedly remembered his purpose.
“Grandmother. What about my grandmother?”
─ In the morgue at ○○ Hospital.
The hospital name was unfamiliar. It didn’t seem to be the hospital he usually went to.
“Where is that hospital located?”
Surprisingly, Choi Mujin readily gave him the address. Well, it was obvious. If he went there, Choi Mujin’s people would undoubtedly be waiting.
─ I’ve found a good burial plot. Let’s bury her when you return.
“Who said I’m returning? You’re counting your chickens before they hatch.”
As he blurted out whatever came to mind, Choi Mujin spoke as if trying to soothe him.
─ You can’t even speak English, you know.
“Have you ever seen me speak English?”
─ No, but your school grades were terrible.
He had wanted to do well in his studies to make his grandmother happy, but unfortunately, Haseo wasn’t good at studying. He wasn’t last in his class, but he wasn’t above average either. Especially English and math—he was really bad at those.
‘No, that’s not the point.’
How did he know about his school grades?
“Did you investigate me?”
─ I did.
“Right, I thought so. I had a vague idea. But it’s too unfair. I hardly know anything about Choi Mujin.”
─ What do you want to know?
“Were you good at studying?”
─ Not particularly. I dropped out of middle school.
“Then what about high school?”
─ I took the GED.
“Did you pass?”
─ Yes.
“Why did you take the GED?”
─ I thought it was better to complete high school education somehow. I even considered going to college at one point. But I gave up on that.
I see. Haseo listened blankly to Choi Mujin’s story. Then he occasionally tossed out questions that came to mind.
“Why didn’t you go to college?”
─ I became too busy. It was when Isaac Finance was rapidly growing.
Whether Isaac Finance grew or not, Choi Mujin would have been young at that time. Even now, he wasn’t particularly old for his position, but Haseo tried to imagine Choi Mujin in his early twenties and found it difficult. It was strange to think of someone whose childhood was so unimaginable. Somehow, it seemed like he had been this way since birth.
“I want to see pictures of you when you were young.”
─ I burned them all.
“Not even one left?”
─ Not even one.
“What about pictures from when you were twenty?”
─ If you look, you might find some group photos from that time.
Why would gangsters take group photos? It was absurd, but he was still curious about Choi Mujin back then.
“Show me.”
─ Should I send you some as attachments?
“Yes.”
─ Alright. But what will you give me in return?
The voice expecting something in return as if it were natural made him uncomfortable.
“What would I give you?”
─ My photos are quite precious, you know.
“If you don’t want to give them, forget it.”
Haseo pouted and hung up anyway. He had learned where his grandmother was, but there wasn’t much other benefit. He hadn’t been able to ask if his grandmother had really died because of his father, or if it was because of Choi Mujin.
It seemed one bottle of wine wasn’t enough for this. Haseo hugged the empty wine bottle and rested his forehead against it. Perhaps he had drunk too much, as his vision was spinning.
“But it feels good.”
The alcohol had given Haseo courage. So if he got a few more bottles, maybe he could ask about other things too. That thought occurred to him.
“I’ll ask tomorrow.”
Haseo mumbled softly and rested his head on the table. Drowsiness was gradually overtaking him. This level of conversation wasn’t enough to dispel the lump blocking his chest.
“I hate him.”
When he first came to Finland and spent nights alone, he thought about it. The days of repeated self-harm, wanting revenge on Choi Mujin. Every time Haseo hurt himself, even though Choi Mujin pretended not to care, his expression darkened.
So in truth, he knew.
Choi Mujin really liked Lee Haseo. But his love was so selfish that Haseo couldn’t keep up with it. That’s why hatred arose, and it turned into loathing.
“Idiot.”
Yet why couldn’t he completely forget Choi Mujin? If this was love, perhaps it would have been better never to have known it at all. Haseo let out a deep sigh.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
