Chapter 21
As Cheong-yeon began walking forward, Do-heon followed slowly with his hands behind his back.
“Both.”
“You collected several works too. I remember you being quite interested.”
“I just pretended to like them because I didn’t want to appear like an uneducated Recessive Omega. If I had a few expensive paintings, people might think, ‘Maybe he does know something,’ and find me somewhat admirable despite looking down on me.”
For revealing a secret he had kept hidden for three years, Cheong-yeon was surprisingly calm. He felt neither particularly relieved nor guilty.
Do-heon, who had been following behind Cheong-yeon, suddenly moved beside him and started walking alongside him.
“If you’re saying all this because you don’t want to go with me, you can go alone.”
His tearful consideration somehow made Cheong-yeon want to laugh.
“No. I really am not interested. Back then, I wanted to impress you and get your attention, so I pretended to like things I didn’t. I even lied about disliking things I actually enjoyed.”
Cheong-yeon, disliking walking side by side with Do-heon, paused briefly to let him go ahead.
“And I also thought it was for your benefit, Director. The truth is, I don’t know a damn thing about appreciating paintings.”
“Why?”
After Cheong-yeon had graciously given him the lead, Do-heon abruptly turned around and looked down at him.
“How was lying for my sake?”
“…”
For a moment, as their eyes met directly, Do-heon’s face looked so remarkably handsome that Cheong-yeon felt queasy inside.
Cheong-yeon was weak for his neat and precise features. It was a perfect face with no flaws to criticize anywhere.
He felt foolish and pathetic for having such thoughts at this moment, despite having divorced Do-heon because living with him had become unbearable.
“Tell me. I never asked you to do that, so why did you?”
Right. I knew you’d speak so rudely. Perhaps because he had no expectations to begin with, Cheong-yeon wasn’t even angry at Do-heon’s cold words.
“You’re right, Director.”
Instead of getting angry, Cheong-yeon burst into laughter.
“Looking back, I wasn’t lying for your sake, but for mine.”
Do-heon was momentarily speechless at Cheong-yeon’s bright, childlike laugh. In the bright sunshine, Cheong-yeon’s hair sparkled like gold. His pale, oval face looked as white as wax.
Just as he was about to open his lips to say something, an employee approached the two.
“She’s awake.”
Cheong-yeon checked the time. Already thirty minutes had passed since grandmother had fallen asleep.
Cheong-yeon quickly retraced his steps to go see grandmother.
This time, there was no sound of footsteps following behind.
*
“Please drop me off here.”
Cheong-yeon pointed to the subway station that had begun to appear in the distance.
“Is your house near the station?”
“It’s about a fifteen-minute walk from here.”
The newly rented house was located down a path so winding and narrow that it was impossible to drive there. Walking was actually faster.
“That’s quite far.”
Do-heon, who was about to turn the steering wheel, hesitated upon hearing Cheong-yeon’s words.
“Just stop right here. You can’t drive all the way there anyway.”
“Which direction is it?”
Do-heon stubbornly asked for the exact direction.
“Over there, down that narrow path.”
The place Cheong-yeon pointed to was visibly much more remote and cramped than the alley leading to Ji-han’s house.
Cheong-yeon had thought Do-heon would give up and leave after seeing that a car couldn’t go there, but Do-heon looked at the dim path and said nothing.
Contrary to Cheong-yeon’s request, he parked the car by a commercial building on the main road. Being a weekend evening, the space in front of the closed businesses was ample enough to park several cars.
“Why, why are you getting out?”
When Do-heon silently got out of the car, Cheong-yeon looked around in confusion. Moments later, Do-heon came around to the other side of the car and opened the passenger door for Cheong-yeon.
“I’ll take you to your doorstep. It looks dangerous, so I can’t let you go alone.”
“…There are so many people around, what could be dangerous?”
Cheong-yeon frowned in disbelief as he got out of the car. Do-heon gestured with his chin toward the alley Cheong-yeon had mentioned.
“There’s no one over there.”
“…”
Only then did Cheong-yeon stare at the secluded path. While there were streetlights, it was true that walking alone at night was still uncomfortable since he wasn’t familiar with the neighborhood.
Moreover, his house wasn’t even in that alley but required going further inside. And it got darker and more desolate the farther in one went. Since Cheong-yeon himself had been startled and looked behind him every time he entered his rented house after sunset, he couldn’t adamantly deny Do-heon’s point.
When looking at properties through the real estate agency, it had always been daytime, so he hadn’t considered what the path would be like at night.
Do-heon opened the trunk and took out various bundles containing nutritional supplements and herbal medicines that grandmother had packed for Cheong-yeon. Knowing Do-heon’s personality as he did, Cheong-yeon knew he wouldn’t let him carry everything alone. No matter how much Cheong-yeon declined, Do-heon was the type to insist on taking everything to the doorstep somehow.
“Let me carry one.”
Cheong-yeon went to Do-heon’s side and extended his hand.
“It’s fine.”
Do-heon flatly refused. Cheong-yeon’s eyes narrowed.
He makes a fuss even when offering help. In retrospect, he truly has no redeeming qualities. Except for his face, body, and money.
“…Secretary Shim isn’t with you today.”
Disliking the awkward silence as they walked side by side, Cheong-yeon opened a conversation with a trivial topic.
“I gave him vacation this week.”
“Ah.”
“Why? Do you miss him?”
“Me? Miss Secretary Shim?”
“I wondered if you grew attached after spending a day together.”
Cheong-yeon turned his head toward Do-heon in surprise. He looked up at his face, but the alley was too dark to see his expression clearly.
Is he joking or serious? This wasn’t the type of man to make such lighthearted comments, so his statement was quite perplexing. They say when people suddenly change, their time is near.
“It’s quite dark around here. It would be dangerous to walk alone at night.”
Ignoring whether Cheong-yeon was startled or not, he murmured while scanning the densely packed, winding buildings.
“We’re almost there now.”
With each step, the path seemed to grow darker. This was because there were several broken, non-functioning streetlights scattered throughout.
“Ah, Director! Watch out for the poop here!”
Cheong-yeon, who had been walking diligently, suddenly recalled something and shouted. Do-heon stopped abruptly.
“Poop?”
“Yes. Some inconsiderate person was walking their dog and left without picking up after it. It’s been here for days.”
“There’s dog poop in the alley?”
Do-heon asked again as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Completely thoughtless. Who does he expect to clean up after his dog? Do you see that? That black lump is dog poop.”
“…”
Indeed, there was what appeared to be excrement from a large dog where Cheong-yeon was pointing. Do-heon’s lips stiffened slightly in shock. Perhaps finding it distasteful, he quickly averted his gaze.
Noticing his jaw muscle twitching strangely, Cheong-yeon felt like laughing.
“Director, have you never stepped in dog poop?”
Barely suppressing his laughter, Cheong-yeon asked in a calm tone. Then they started walking again.
“Let me think.”
Perhaps seriously trying to recall, Do-heon was silent for a few seconds.
“I don’t think so.”
Right. I figured as much. You probably only walked on silk roads.
Cheong-yeon snickered internally.
“Have you?”
“Plenty of times.”
“You must have thrown away a lot of shoes.”
“Why would I throw away perfectly good shoes?”
“You don’t throw them away?”
Ah, should I explain this in detail? Or not? Do I really need to explain what happens after stepping in poop?
After a brief internal conflict, Cheong-yeon’s desire to explain won out. He thought, when else would he get to show off his knowledge to Do-heon? Besides, Do-heon’s unusually active response was amusing.
“If it’s really bad or if the shoes are already worn out, I might throw them away… but for minor cases, I don’t. Everyone just washes them a bit in the school bathroom before going to class. Or puts them in a plastic bag and washes them at home.”
As he finished explaining, his new rented house finally came into view.
“We’re almost there now.”
“You said that earlier.”
“This time it’s true.”
After a short walk, the two arrived at their destination. As soon as they stood in front of the villa entrance, Cheong-yeon extended his hands toward Do-heon as if asking for the packages. He had absolutely no intention of inviting him inside.
“Thank you for escorting me. I’ll go in on my own now. Drive carefully on your way back… oof!”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
