Yeojun turned to look at Dogyeong, who had just appeared. She shrugged as if to say, What’s the problem? Isn’t it true? Yeojun didn’t want to argue, so he looked back at Haneul. Just then, Euntae let go of Haneul, and he rushed into Yeojun’s arms. Despite everything, Haneul had missed his dad. Yeojun felt the same, hugging him tightly and patting his back. To Euntae, Yeojun’s face looked peaceful. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen him look so content.
“Did you tell the CEO?”
Dogyeong asked Yeojun. Now that they’d seen Haneul, it was time to leave, but Dogyeong had something to discuss—their divorce. Yeojun handed Haneul to Euntae without a word. He and Dogyeong needed to talk privately. It wasn’t something a six-year-old should witness.
“Haneul, it’s cold. Why don’t you wait in the warm car with Uncle? There are snacks you like in there.”
“Okay.”
Haneul agreed easily. Euntae was surprised—Haneul wasn’t usually so trusting of others, but he seemed to like Euntae. As they walked toward the car, Yeojun watched them go. Once they were far enough away, he turned back to Dogyeong. Euntae, carrying Haneul, glanced at a car parking nearby. Someone familiar got out—Han Seungju. He didn’t need to think long to recognize him.
Dogyeong’s phone rang before they could start talking. She asked Yeojun for a moment and answered. Without saying much, she seemed to be looking at something, then told the caller she was with Yeojun and would be up soon. Yeojun had a feeling he knew who it was. There weren’t many people who would visit Dogyeong’s place, but his intuition told him it was Seungju. And sure enough, Seungju ignored Dogyeong’s instruction to go home and appeared in front of them.
“Long time no see.”
Seungju extended his hand first. It felt odd to see him standing so naturally next to Dogyeong, but Yeojun didn’t show it. He shook Seungju’s hand with a polite smile. Dogyeong lightly scolded Seungju for not listening, and he replied that since Yeojun was there too, he wanted to greet him while he had the chance. Were we ever that close? Yeojun almost laughed.
Yeojun and Seungju had an ambiguous relationship. Both had started acting young and were the same age, so they could have been close if they’d wanted to. But something always felt off. Maybe their cycles were different. Yeojun had risen quickly early on, while Seungju had struggled in obscurity for years. Then, in his late twenties, Seungju’s career took off, while Yeojun’s began to decline sharply after 29. Yeojun never compared himself to Seungju, whether he was doing well or poorly. He would have preferred to get along, but Seungju didn’t seem to feel the same. In the past, he had envied Yeojun’s position, and now, even though he was in a better place, he still seemed guarded, as if his old habits had stuck.
It was a strange coincidence that Seungju and Dogyeong had formed a new connection. Seungju now held the positions Yeojun once had—the roles he’d coveted, and now even his wife was reaching out to him. Neither Seungju nor Dogyeong had intended this, but that’s how things had turned out. In the end, Yeojun had lost everything to Seungju.
“I heard from my manager. You’re doing Seven Falls, Eight Rises too.”
“Yeah… the project looks good.”
“Right? That writer’s really popular these days. I didn’t even hesitate when they called me.”
Seungju boasted. Everyone knew he had delayed confirming the lead role, deliberating over everything, but he exaggerated to emphasize that the writer had wanted him as the lead. Yeojun didn’t care. He knew Seungju was one of the hottest actors right now, and he didn’t need to brag to make himself look good. But his pride stung a little.
There was no good or bad when it came to choosing projects. He had heard a rough synopsis, but he hadn’t considered how well-written or good the story was. He had never planned to refuse the role. Still, he didn’t want to look weak in front of Seungju.
“Do your best. You know a project doesn’t succeed just because the lead works hard. Everyone has to pull their weight to make it shine.”
Seungju’s words weren’t wrong. Yeah, not wrong at all. Yeojun took a breath and smiled.
“I’ll do my best to support you. Just don’t self-destruct.”
Seo Yeojun wasn’t one to back down.
“It’s getting late…”
The cold wind blew as Yeojun and Euntae faced the others. Euntae stayed in the warm car with Haneul, who was adorable, inheriting Yeojun and Dogyeong’s good looks. Euntae couldn’t resist poking Haneul’s chubby cheeks. Haneul, holding a small bag of snacks, looked at Euntae as he munched away. Their eyes met, and Euntae smiled softly, reaching out to gently stroke Haneul’s hair.
“What did you do at kindergarten today, Haneul? Did you play with your friends?”
“We practiced for the school festival.”
“Festival?”
Haneul nodded and added that it would be on Christmas Eve.
“What are you doing for the festival, Haneul?”
“A musical. They said singing and acting together is called a musical. Do you know, Uncle?”
“Of course I know. What’s the musical called?”
“The Wizard of Oz.”
Euntae thought it might be a bit advanced for a six-year-old, but the teachers must have adapted it. More importantly, Haneul seemed excited. He said he was playing the Cowardly Lion, and Euntae imagined the lion’s mane around his chubby face, already finding it adorable. He wasn’t usually fond of kids, but he liked Haneul. Maybe it was because he saw him often at Yeojun’s place and had grown attached.
“Uncle, you have to come see it.”
“Can I really come?”
“Yeah. You can come. You’re someone I like.”
Most kids were cute, but Haneul was especially charming. Euntae promised he would. Haneul even insisted on a pinky promise, and Euntae easily linked his finger with Haneul’s tiny one. He patiently repeated his promise as Haneul emphasized how important it was.
“Daddy didn’t come. He said he would, but he didn’t.”
Haneul’s excitement faded as he put down his snack and lowered his head. He must have been talking about last year’s festival. Euntae didn’t know the details, but he assumed Yeojun had been busy with work. He felt sorry for Haneul and patted his back again.
“Let’s make Daddy pinky promise too. And if he doesn’t come, Uncle will—”
Euntae almost said he’d half-kill him, but stopped himself. Haneul looked up, his eyes still sad.
Euntae quickly shut his mouth, having almost said, “I’ll kill him.” He changed his words with a smile instead. “Uncle will scold him real good.” His words seemed to work—Haneul nodded eagerly and went back to munching on his snacks with renewed vigor. Euntae watched him for a moment before looking out the car window. He knew Yeojun could handle himself, but he still worried.
***
The car slowed to a stop at a red light. Euntae drummed his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. It wasn’t a big movement, but he didn’t seem particularly calm. Yeojun, sitting beside him, was quiet, and Haneul was asleep in the back seat. Euntae glanced at Yeojun, who had his eyes closed—almost as if he were asleep. A heavy silence had settled between them since earlier.
Euntae had no idea what Yeojun and Dogyeong had talked about. He didn’t know if Seungju had been there, or what he might have said. It was a private matter, but he couldn’t help being curious. Worried might be a better word. He knew he shouldn’t care—it wasn’t his place—but he couldn’t shake the feeling.
“If you want to ask, just ask.”
“Weren’t you asleep?”
“You know I wasn’t.”
Yeojun, now with his eyes open, gazed out the window as the car started moving again.
“I was pretending not to notice.”
“Pretending not to notice what?”
“That you were all tense and couldn’t sleep.”
“You really can’t go a day without cursing, can you, Euntae?”
“Our Euntae? Since when were you so affectionate with me?”
“I’ve always been affectionate—by telling you to get lost.”
“Where’s the affection in that?”
“Then I’ll just change the front door password without a word next time.”
Euntae panicked. “No, that’s not what I—”
Yeojun smirked. The joke lightened the mood, though his heart hadn’t exactly been heavy to begin with.
Contrary to what Euntae thought, Yeojun wasn’t in a particularly bad mood. It was true that Seungju had gotten under his skin, and seeing his ex-wife standing next to another man wasn’t exactly pleasant. But after years of being tossed around and beaten down, he wasn’t as easily shaken. The discomfort had lingered while the three of them were together and even on the drive back, but the moment he saw Euntae and Haneul, everything melted away.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
