Chapter 53
Just as Hyojin had said, there was one more person in the director’s office besides Misook. A man with natural brown hair and even lighter brown eyes. Despite his gentle impression, he had a large build.
“Hyung.”
The one calling Yuwon with apparent joy was none other than Minhyeon.
“You…”
Instead of Yuwon, who was too surprised to continue speaking, Misook opened her mouth.
“Yuwon must be very surprised, right? Come sit here first. I’ll explain everything.”
“No, Director-nim. I should be the one to explain.”
“Still, I was the one who called him. Yuwon, sit here. Okay?”
With Yuwon standing dumbfounded at the door, Misook and Minhyeon took turns speaking. They were each saying they would explain, but he couldn’t understand what exactly they were going to explain.
When he was blinking speechlessly, the door opened behind him and Hyojin came in carrying a tray.
“Yuwon, why are you still standing? Are you surprised to see Minhyeon after such a long time?”
After placing barley tea on the table, Hyojin gestured for Yuwon to drink quickly and left the room again. With the click of the door closing, the atmosphere became quiet as if the flow had been cut off.
After the silence, Yuwon finally opened his mouth.
“Director-nim, was this what you wanted to ask me?”
“Ah, that’s…”
Misook continued with a forced smile, looking troubled.
“Minhyeon really wanted to see you, but he said he couldn’t reach you, so I had no choice. He kept pleading with me to keep it a secret…”
“Don’t say anything to Director-nim. I was the one who asked, and she was forced to do this because of me.”
Yuwon glared fiercely at Minhyeon, who had suddenly interrupted. Looking like he was about to cry any moment, Minhyeon had such a pitiful expression that it was absurd to see.
He had clearly said he didn’t want to meet. He had even blocked his contact information to signal that he shouldn’t contact him again. Yet he had selfishly arranged this meeting—he never imagined Minhyeon would act this selfishly.
He wanted to pour out all the words inside him, but he couldn’t do so in front of Director-nim. In front of her, they always had to be loving brothers. They should just be distant and awkward due to unavoidable circumstances, not let her know that their relationship had soured because of a hyung tainted with inferiority complex.
While he was suppressing his rising anger and keeping his mouth shut, Minhyeon said to Misook.
“Director-nim, I’m sorry, but could you step out for a moment? I want to speak directly.”
“…Alright then. I’ll be outside, so call me when you’re done talking.”
“Yes.”
Minhyeon smiled with a docile face. It was the expression he habitually made when he wanted to appear like a good child.
Misook, with her head bowed low, passed by Yuwon and left the room. Heavy air flowed in the room left with just the two of them.
“First, I’m sorry. For deceiving you, hyung.”
At Minhyeon’s apology, Yuwon immediately spoke sharply.
“If you know you’re sorry, why did you do this?”
“Like I said before… I missed you so much, hyung.”
“…”
“That’s why I did it.”
It was ridiculous. Just like during their phone call before, did he think everything could be resolved with just saying he missed him?
“If you’re done talking, I’ll go now. You can explain well to Director-nim.”
“Hyung.”
It was the moment he was about to turn around and take a step. Minhyeon jumped up and blocked Yuwon’s path.
“I’m alone again now.”
“What?”
Alone, out of nowhere. When he tilted his head, unable to understand what he was saying, Minhyeon exhaled briefly and opened his mouth.
“My parents divorced two years ago. My father had another woman. Instead of my infertile mother, he had been supporting an illegitimate child with another woman for life. As soon as that was discovered, they divorced, and I lived with just my mother. You remember her, right hyung? That woman who was so kind to me.”
Of course he remembered. That neat woman who worked as an art professor was quite favorable not only to Minhyeon but also to Yuwon. She had taught Yuwon, who had no talent for art at all, how to hold a brush step by step. When Minhyeon was initially shy, it was Yuwon who had taken the lead in connecting him with the couple.
“One day, she started saying her stomach was getting bigger. Since my mother was naturally small and thin, it was a bit strange. I just thought her constitution was changing with age.”
Minhyeon continued with empty eyes and a monotone voice.
“But it wasn’t weight gain—it was ascites.”
“…”
“They said it was ovarian cancer. Terminal stage, already beyond help. I’m an adult now, and I had gotten into the university my mother wanted so much, so I thought I’d finally be able to show some filial piety.”
Yuwon’s brow gradually furrowed as he watched Minhyeon give a bitter smile.
Why are you telling me this? With a face that has lost everything, as if it’s already over…
“It’s been three months since she passed away.”
“…”
“My father didn’t even come to the funeral. I heard rumors that he lives somewhere in Europe, but I can’t reach him, so I don’t know for sure.”
It felt like his body was slowly stiffening from his toes up. At such tragic news that it was hard to even offer words of comfort, Yuwon felt the back of his neck grow cold.
“While living alone, I thought about you a lot, hyung. Actually, I wanted to contact you from the funeral… but I held back.”
Tears welled up in Minhyeon’s eyes.
“I was wondering when would be good to tell Director-nim too, but I thought I should confide in you first. That’s why I contacted you.”
Even as tears were already dripping down and his face was getting soaked, there was no trembling in his speaking voice. It was the appearance of someone already accustomed to crying.
“How hard it must have been for you when I was adopted… I actually know. I wasn’t purely happy when I left either.”
“…”
“How hateful and resentful it must have been to see me running away just to be happy alone. I felt sorry to you several times a day.”
He should say no, that there was no need for him to feel sorry. But Yuwon couldn’t deny Minhyeon’s words. Everything he said was right. He had hated Minhyeon and resented him.
He had thought they would never meet again for the rest of their lives. You, who were born with shining talent and became an only child in a good family, and I, who remained an orphan forever—we were now people living in completely different worlds.
“I should have just stayed with you, hyung. Even without parents, I would have been fine with just you.”
“…”
“I was being greedy. I was being unnecessarily greedy, so I’m being punished.”
Minhyeon finally buried his face in his hands and sobbed. He cried out loud so sorrowfully that it made even the observer’s heart ache. Tears flowed between his fingers and fell to the floor, creating small puddles.
“Please save me. If I don’t even have you, hyung… I feel like I’ll really die.”
It was the voice of someone standing at the edge of a cliff, crying out to be saved. Terrible loneliness was keenly felt. It was pain that penetrated the skin and pierced to the bone.
Yuwon put strength into his trembling lips and said.
“You should have just told me from the beginning. Why didn’t you say anything?”
If he had known something like this had happened, he wouldn’t have so coldly rejected Minhyeon’s contact. He would have met him right away and somehow comforted him and stayed by his side.
“I was going to tell you when we met. I felt sorry about suddenly calling after years and only telling you my troubles. But you wouldn’t meet me, hyung. You wouldn’t answer my calls anymore either.”
“…”
Even with ten mouths, he had nothing to say. He had indeed hung up the phone without having a proper conversation as soon as he answered Minhyeon’s call. After that, he had immediately blocked his contact.
Yuwon ran his hands through his hair several times with a frustrated heart. He tried to choose his words while sighing deeply, tainted with regret and guilt, but it seemed like no words would provide any comfort to Minhyeon right now.
Then Minhyeon wiped his tear-stained cheeks and asked.
“You’ll unblock me, right?”
“Huh?”
“My number. You’ll unblock it, right?”
“Oh, of course.”
Yuwon nodded vigorously. If he had known about this situation from the beginning, he wouldn’t have blocked him in the first place.
“Thank you.”
Satisfied with Yuwon’s answer that he would accept his contact, Minhyeon smiled brightly and continued.
“I’m going to come here every day for a while. To see Director-nim and teach art to the kids here. I think it would be good if I could focus on other things.”
“That’s good. It’s a good idea.”
“Won’t you come too, hyung?”
“Me?”
“You’re taking a break from work right now. I heard from Director-nim. I won’t take up too much of your time, so let’s do volunteer work together.”
Although Yuwon was a bit flustered by the unexpected proposal, he soon nodded. Since it was obvious that he was unemployed, and it was volunteer work, he had no excuse to refuse.
“Now that I think about seeing you every day, I feel like I can live.”
Despite still having tears hanging at the corners of his eyes, Minhyeon smiled brightly as if he had gained the whole world.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
