My Wonderland 80

Chapter 80

“Ajeossi.”

“…”

“Give me my phone.”

He hoped his ominous premonition was wrong. Surely it wouldn’t go that far—Yuwon couldn’t let go of his futile belief.

“My phone… please give it to me.”

Even though he repeated the same words, Jeonghyeok lightly picked up the tray as if he hadn’t heard anything. There wasn’t a trace of guilt on his face as he gestured toward the bedroom direction to Yuwon, who stood there dumbfounded.

“Are you really not going to give it to me?”

When he asked while suppressing the sigh that was about to burst out, Jeonghyeok hesitated and then put down the tray he was holding.

Actually, he had stayed up all night worrying. How he could keep Yuwon here during this time.

In a situation where all affection had already been lost, he couldn’t demand love. He could only wait for time to pass and for the anger directed at him to subside.

So the method he came up with was first, not taking a single step outside the house. He wasn’t just planning to confine Yuwon alone—he intended to be trapped together. That way, Yuwon couldn’t secretly escape while he was away from home.

The phone was the same. He couldn’t give him any opportunity to plot an escape by exchanging contacts with someone. Especially since this area was too busy. If he set his mind to it, it would be easy to move to distant places and hide among the sand-grain-like multitude of people.

Most importantly, if he found out that his biological parents had come looking for him, Yuwon would definitely meet them. It was a natural course for Yuwon, who had been curious about his family, and he had no right to prevent that.

The problem was what came after. Would Yuwon, who met the biological parents he had longed for so much, still remain by his side? Wouldn’t he want to return to the embrace of the parents he discovered late and form a ‘normal’ family?

Even if they lived separately, they could continue the relationship itself. But there was no guarantee that Yuwon, who had already decided to break up, wouldn’t speak of separation again. Everything was only difficult the first time—after that, it became easy.

Unpleasant tension rose. The anxiety that occasionally shook him came crashing like waves, covering his entire body.

“After we move. I’ll give it back to you then.”

At Jeonghyeok’s answer, Yuwon’s face crumpled as he sent a contemptuous look.

But Jeonghyeok didn’t budge. No matter how much he looked at him like trash, he had no intention of changing his mind.

After glaring with a hardened face for some time, Yuwon asked in a voice that seemed to give up.

“…When are we moving?”

Actually, the house itself could be moved into right now. It just needed time for appliances and furniture to be filled in. Jeonghyeok calculated that period in his head.

“About ten days should be enough.”

Ten days.

Yuwon repeated those words in his mouth. He felt like he had become a terminally ill patient with only ten days to live.

“Let’s go in.”

Jeonghyeok, holding the tray, leisurely headed to the bedroom. Yuwon quietly watched his back and then moved his steps.

He obediently sat on the bed, ate porridge, and swallowed a painkiller with water. As he stared blankly out the window, sleepiness poured over him before long.

“Lie down comfortably and sleep.”

When he nodded like a sick chicken, Jeonghyeok supported his chin and spoke. Yuwon, who twisted his head as if annoyed, leaned his back diagonally against the bed headboard.

Unable to watch Yuwon trying to sleep in an uncomfortable position, Jeonghyeok eventually lifted Yuwon up. He laid his body down properly and whispered close to his ear.

“Sleep well.”

His heart ached for a moment at the affectionate greeting. It seemed just like the Jeonghyeok he used to know.

But he mustn’t be fooled by this sweet voice. Yuwon squeezed his eyes shut and burrowed into the blankets. Meanwhile, he constantly pondered ways to escape in his head.

From the beginning, he had no intention of moving according to Jeonghyeok’s will. He had no intention of entering a new house he didn’t know the location or appearance of, nor of maintaining this strange relationship that was neither lover nor hostage any longer.

All decisions had been made unilaterally by Jeonghyeok. No matter how much younger he was, he didn’t want to be dragged around like a fool.

Even while his mind was hazy from the medicine’s effects, Yuwon pondered how he could escape from this house while avoiding Jeonghyeok’s eyes. However, no clear path was visible. Jeonghyeok had no intention of leaving the house and had even taken away his phone. He felt like he had been dropped in the middle of a battlefield with no way out.

At this rate, it seemed he would only get a chance to go outside on moving day, ten days later. Yuwon counted in his head. Ten days. Ten days later. He repeated it several times before drowsily falling asleep.

***

Yuwon, who had fallen into a deep sleep without dreams, quietly opened his eyes at the noise coming from outside.

“…I’ll be back, so you…”

“Yes… don’t worry…”

A stranger’s voice followed Jeonghyeok’s voice. At first he thought he might have heard wrong, but as he became more conscious, the sounds from outside came through clearly.

“The burial site is.”

“They say it’s being prepared in his hometown. His younger sibling still lives there.”

Yuwon eavesdropped on the two people’s conversation for some time before getting up. When he opened the bedroom door and went out, he saw Jeonghyeok talking with a man in the living room.

When Jeonghyeok acknowledged Yuwon upon discovering him, the man who had his back to Yuwon turned around. The flashy tattoo on his neck caught his eye.

“Ah.”

Dragon tattoo. The man who always went around with ajeossi. Though it was a face he had seen a few months ago, Yuwon clearly remembered Taeju’s face.

“Hello.”

When their eyes met, Taeju immediately bowed politely. Yuwon was slightly flustered by his behavior, as if he were addressing a superior.

“Ah, yes. Hello.”

When he awkwardly bowed his head, Jeonghyeok introduced Taeju.

“You’ve seen him a few times before, right? Jo Taeju. A younger colleague who works with me.”

When Yuwon nodded, Taeju smiled warmly. It was quite a different atmosphere from his external appearance with the tattoo around his neck.

“Wait here for a moment.”

“Yes, hyung-nim.”

Jeonghyeok left Taeju standing in the living room and took Yuwon into the bedroom. After firmly closing the door, Jeonghyeok said.

“I have somewhere to stop by, so I’ll be back in about an hour or two.”

“I heard you talking. Who passed away?”

“…That’s right.”

“So saying you were going to a funeral hall wasn’t completely a lie.”

It was just that the location wasn’t Busan—it seemed the story about an acquaintance having a death in the family was true. Though he deliberately used a sarcastic tone, Jeonghyeok wasn’t shaken at all.

“Taeju will be here until I come back. I’ll make sure you don’t have to worry about anything, so be comfortable.”

In the end, what he was saying was that he would leave someone at home to watch instead of himself. Yuwon’s face crumpled as he argued.

“How can I be comfortable? There’s a stranger in the house with me.”

“If you really feel that way, just stay in the room.”

“I’m already feeling stuffy, and you want me to be even stuffier?”

Jeonghyeok’s mouth shut tight at the sharp retort.

“I understand, so just hurry up and go.”

A sigh-mixed words flowed out. Talking more would be meaningless anyway. Ajeossi had just made another arbitrary decision, and he had to follow that decision.

“I know you’re angry at me. I know I was wrong too.”

“…”

“But absolutely no going outside the house.”

Is this what someone who knows they were wrong should say? Even though he stared at him incredulously, Jeonghyeok’s calm gaze didn’t change.

Yuwon lay back down on the bed. Instead of saying he didn’t want to talk anymore, he pulled the blanket over his head in protest.

Silence flowed for some time, and soon the sound of the door opening was heard. The sound of Jeonghyeok and Taeju talking came from outside, then the front door opened and closed, and it was quiet again.

Only then did Yuwon throw off the blanket and get up. He frowned at the feeling of tightness in the center of his solar plexus and got up. It was because the thirst he had been holding back came rushing in.

When he left the room and headed to the kitchen, Taeju, who spotted Yuwon, jumped up from the sofa.

“Is there anything you need?”

“…No. I just came out to drink some water.”

Yuwon answered while pressing the water purifier button firmly. Taeju’s excessively polite attitude since earlier was awkward, making it difficult to even make eye contact.

He had definitely heard some explanation from Jeonghyeok, but he was curious about what exactly he had been told to treat him with such deference. Eventually, Yuwon couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked Taeju.

“Did ajeossi tell you everything?”

“Pardon?”

“You know what kind of relationship ajeossi and I have, right?”

Taeju didn’t say anything, but his troubled expression was answer enough.

“What did ajeossi say? That if I try to leave the house, you should beat me up and lock me in the room?”

“Ah, no. That can’t be.”

At the rough words that suddenly burst out, Taeju uncharacteristically even stammered.

“Just, your physical condition isn’t good, so he’s worried about leaving you alone… He asked me to take care of you just while he’s away from home.”

Take care of me while he’s away from home. It’s not like I’m some dog or cat.

Yuwon, who was grumbling inwardly, spread both his arms wide and said.

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine. I sprained my leg a bit, but after taking medicine and sleeping a little, it got much better.”

“That’s fortunate.”