Chapter 72
How long had spring arrived? The midday sunlight was already hot.
Squinting slightly from the glare as he drew the curtains, Yuwon turned his head at the sound of singing from beside him. Minhyeon, who had been humming since earlier, was now nodding his head and getting into the rhythm in earnest.
“Are you that happy?”
“Huh?”
“Are you that happy about seeing Jaejoon and Seongcheol?”
Minhyeon, who had been organizing the colored pencils the children had used one by one, answered with a bright smile.
“Yeah, I’m happy. It’s been really long since I’ve seen the hyungs.”
Seeing his sparkling eyes, Minhyeon seemed to have already returned to his middle school days when he would follow Yuwon around calling him hyung. Yuwon naturally recalled Minhyeon from that time.
Minhyeon, who had a timid personality, was shorter than him and very shy around strangers. The type who stimulated maternal instincts, perhaps. Since he had particularly relied on him, Yuwon remembered taking especially good care of him.
Smiling faintly, Yuwon opened the window wide for ventilation. At the same time, a cool breeze swept in.
“The guys said they want to see you too.”
“I knew it would be like that. Especially Seongcheol hyung really adored me. Remember?”
“Adored, he just liked playing together.”
Yuwon chuckled and folded the legs of the floor desk with sharp taps. Beside him, Minhyeon spoke up indignantly.
“That’s the same thing. He probably had more fun playing with me than with you, hyung. Seongcheol hyung loved playing basketball with me so much.”
Unlike their friends who liked soccer, Seongcheol, who particularly loved basketball, got along well with Minhyeon and often hung out with him. They would meet at the school playground and nearby parks whenever they had time, playing with a basketball for hours, and on such days, Minhyeon would return home soaked in sweat as if he’d been caught in rain.
These were memories he had forgotten for a while, but thanks to Minhyeon chattering excitedly, those times came back vividly. He wondered how many more memories they would bring up when they met Jaejoon and Seongcheol—he hadn’t had any particular expectations, but his heart was inexplicably fluttering.
The two who finished organizing left the orphanage without having lunch. It was because of Seongcheol’s suggestion to meet early since it was a reunion after so long. Jaejoon also made a show of saying he had cleared his entire day. It seemed Minhyeon wasn’t the only one who had been looking forward to today’s meeting.
On the way to the meeting place, Yuwon took out his phone and sent a brief message to Jeonghyeok.
[I’m heading to the meeting place now. I’ll contact you when it’s over]
As soon as he put his phone in his pocket, he felt a buzzing vibration. It was obviously Jeonghyeok’s reply, but Yuwon just pretended not to know and kept his hands in his pockets without taking out his phone.
Since he had said he would contact him when it was over, he planned not to check his phone until today’s gathering was truly finished.
***
The blue sky spreading beyond the car window was clear, but somehow his vision kept blurring.
Jeonghyeok opened his stinging eyes wide. He also gripped the steering wheel tightly to focus his mind. His condition was a mess after having restless sleep last night. The reason was clear. It was because of that damn dream where Yuwon disappeared.
Stopping his car at a red light, Jeonghyeok briefly rested his forehead on the steering wheel. His head was throbbing heavily from lack of sleep.
Of all things, why did he have to dream that?
“Huu…”
The content of the dream itself was horrible, but the frighteningly vivid realism also contributed to this unpleasant feeling.
Normally, he would have dismissed it as just a nonsense dream and moved on, but this time he couldn’t do that. How could he easily forget that feeling of all the blood draining from his body and his empty heart dropping to his feet?
No matter how much he repeated to himself that it was just a dream, just an illusion he had created, the effect was minimal. Rather, the more he tried to forget, the clearer the dream’s content became.
His keen intuition was telling him that perhaps that dream might not be a complete illusion. That it might not be an absurd nonsense dream, but a prophetic dream showing the near future.
Jeonghyeok was not unaware that a person’s heart could flip in an instant for no reason at all, and that lovers changing their hearts was all too common.
Moreover, Kim Yuwon was still young. It had only been a little over two years since he graduated high school, he was experiencing his first romance, and he had his first sex with him—he was truly a greenhorn kid. He might find everything fascinating and fun now that his eyes had opened to a new world, but no one could guarantee how long that enjoyment would last.
If Yuwon eventually got tired of him and left. If he disappeared like a mirage without any proper farewell. Then he might really go insane.
Just then, a sharp honking sound rang through his chaotic thoughts. Jeonghyeok quickly raised his head, confirmed the green light, and lifted his foot from the brake. He needed to get his act together. He sighed and picked up speed.
The car, which had been driving on a quiet road after leaving the city center, entered the entrance of ‘Forest Village.’
Jeonghyeok parked his car in front of the gray wall, got out, and headed to the entrance of the house. After scanning the card key he had received in advance and passing through the gate, a yard that was even greener than when he had seen it before spread out.
Jeonghyeok took out a crisp contract from his jacket’s inner pocket and scanned it with his eyes. He stared at his seal stamped at the bottom, then put the contract back in his inner pocket.
Perhaps thanks to the real estate agent’s fuss, the contract was concluded much faster than expected. Of course, the seller was also proactive, and the fact that it was an all-cash purchase helped greatly. All processes were completed in just five days, including the weekend.
He planned to move here as early as this fall, or at the latest by winter. He intended to tell Yuwon around the time his orphanage volunteer work ended. Let’s go to a place where no one is and no one knows. Let’s go to a place where only the two of us can be.
He didn’t know what reaction Yuwon would show. He might say no. But even so, it couldn’t be helped. It was already decided and irreversible.
“Ha.”
A listless laugh burst out.
It wasn’t just any matter—it was about moving homes. Standards might differ from person to person, but it was quite a major decision, and he felt bothered that he had made the decision unilaterally. Actually, saying he felt bothered was ridiculous too. He was pushing ahead even though he knew everything.
Wondering what he should do if Yuwon firmly refused, Jeonghyeok stepped on the stairs leading to the second floor. When he was about halfway up, his phone rang briefly.
[I’m heading to the meeting place now. I’ll contact you when it’s over]
How does he know when it will end? Jeonghyeok typed and sent a reply with a displeased face.
[Contact me if you move locations]
Seeing that they were planning to drink from lunch, not even dinner, they would definitely be together with friends for quite a long time. They wouldn’t stay in one place the whole time and would surely move locations, and at least then he should contact him.
Of course, even if Yuwon didn’t tell him, he would receive location reports from Choi Seongsu, but what he wanted was for Yuwon to directly inform him of his location.
Jeonghyeok stood on the stairs and waited for Yuwon’s reply for some time. He had sent a reply as soon as the message came, but somehow even the read receipt didn’t appear. Jeonghyeok’s brow slowly furrowed as he looked at the message window that remained silent.
Just when the non-ringing phone was becoming quite resentful, the screen flashed. He had hoped it was contact from Yuwon, but Choi Seongsu’s name was displayed on the LCD. Clicking his tongue briefly, Jeonghyeok answered the phone indifferently.
“Hello.”
“Yes, President Moon. This is me. Kim Yuwon-ssi just left the orphanage and is currently moving toward the station. As you said, he’s not going straight home today.”
He had already told Choi Seongsu about Yuwon’s movements in advance. It was to make sure he didn’t slip away to somewhere else in the middle. Even though he knew it wasn’t the case, as long as he was with Kim Minhyeon, he couldn’t stop being suspicious.
Jeonghyeok climbed the stairs while responding in a stiff voice.
“Tell me the exact location when he arrives.”
“Yes. I’ll send you a message right away.”
The short call ended with Choi Seongsu’s cheerful voice. Waiting for Yuwon’s reply again, Jeonghyeok climbed the remaining stairs.
The second floor had rooms on both sides centered around a wide corridor. Among them, the room on the right was the one he had in mind as the bedroom.
Jeonghyeok strode into the empty room and stood in front of the window that filled one entire wall. The clear sky seemed to pour out through the curtainless window. When he lowered his gaze, the scenery visible from the first-floor living room came into view at a glance.
If there was one difference from the first floor, it was that he could clearly see from the garden all the way to the path leading to the gate. Since there was no back door, he would be able to tell who was coming and going by standing here and watching.
Clutching his still-quiet phone, Jeonghyeok turned his attention to the spacious garden. The midday sun was shining thoroughly on the green grass.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
