#125
That day also started no differently. Yeo Na-kyung left the house with Ho-woo. It was the day when Lee Ho-yeon had even contacted to say he would take Ho-woo.
Recalling Oh-yul’s pale face from the previous evening, Ho-woo walked more briskly. For Oh-yul, who couldn’t even go out to the garden these days due to his illness, Ho-woo brought a storybook from home. The storybook with a large beach illustration was Ho-woo’s second favorite after “The Ugly Duckling.”
Upon arriving at the mansion, Ho-woo let go of Yeo Na-kyung’s hand and ran with all his might. From the main gate to the front of Oh-yul’s room, Ho-woo leaped up the stairs and caught his breath after arriving. Oh-yul, who usually came out to greet Ho-woo at the slightest sound, was nowhere to be seen.
Could he be sick again?
Strangely, the house was chilly. A faint breath misted in the air. It wasn’t even winter. The small hand grasped the doorknob of the tightly closed room door.
It was too cold. Colder than the metal equipment at the playground in the dead of winter.
It was a childlike comparison. The adult Lee Ho-woo inside realized that this coolness resembled the coldness of the black door blocking his memories.
Ho-woo opened the door. Instantly, cold air poured through the open door crack. Young Ho-woo curled up in the air that was so bitterly cold it felt like his lungs would freeze.
“Big brother?”
Oh-yul was there under the light hitting the bed. The child, who had been sitting with his eyes closed leaning where the sunlight fell, slowly opened his eyes at Ho-woo’s voice. His eyes were caked with fatigue.
“You came.”
Oh-yul smiled weakly as he welcomed Ho-woo. His face was pale, and his bangs were damp with cold sweat. He looked like he could barely move a finger. Although it was clear to anyone that he was sick, Oh-yul didn’t want to show young Ho-woo that he was unwell.
Ho-woo approached with small steps, pretending not to notice Oh-yul’s forced smile. Oh-yul made room for Ho-woo on the wide bed. Ho-woo burrowed into that space and pressed his body close to Oh-yul.
Oh-yul didn’t push away Ho-woo, who was wriggling and clinging to share even a little warmth with the cold body, but hugged him tightly. Even in his small sigh, there was a terrible chill. Ho-woo shrugged his shoulders at the breath brushing his nape but didn’t move away.
“Big brother, are you cold?”
“No.”
Oh-yul blinked rapidly as if his vision was blurring due to the persistent headache. There were deep teeth marks on his lower lip. He hid his trembling hands by gripping the sheets tightly.
Liar.
Young Ho-woo pouted. Although Oh-yul never lied to Ho-woo, he was a liar when it came to his own condition. Ho-woo didn’t bother to point out that clumsy lie. Young Ho-woo was more mature than his peers and knew how to be considerate.
Ho-woo closed his eyes and listened to the slow heartbeat with his head resting on Oh-yul’s chest.
I wish big brother wasn’t sick. And later, we’ll go to the sea together.
Strangely, sleepiness washed over him. Ho-woo rubbed his sleepy eyes and curled up into a ball.
“You’ll feel better soon after a short nap.”
Really? You’re not lying again, are you?
Young Ho-woo’s lips moved, but the question didn’t come out as a sound. Even as his vision blurred to darkness, young Ho-woo gripped Oh-yul’s clothes with all his might in his small hand. The cold body temperature remained.
Immersed in darkness, Lee Ho-woo caught his breath. When they were young, they clearly wanted each other.
It wasn’t a gloomy emotion, but one that showed off its beauty like a polished gem. The way Oh-yul appeared to him hadn’t changed from when he was young to now. He had just become a little more cunning, but the feelings directed at Lee Ho-woo remained the same.
He felt that it was almost the end now. His instincts whispered that he would face the most important part of this memory.
The darkness surrounding everything slowly shattered like a torn tent and scattered. Through the gaps, Ho-woo met Oh-yul’s gentle gaze. His face was still pale, but he looked much better than in the morning.
“I like the sea.”
In the room where the evening glow was sinking below the horizon, young Ho-woo whispered softly as if revealing a great secret.
Ho-woo liked the sea. And mom had said that you go to places you like with people you like. So young Ho-woo wanted to go to the sea with Oh-yul.
“Let’s go to the sea together, big brother.”
“Sure.”
Oh-yul promised, linking their pinkies. Ho-woo, wanting to make the promise more certain, insisted firmly.
“You promised.”
“I promised. Don’t worry, even if you forget, I won’t.”
Young Ho-woo nodded slightly at Oh-yul’s answer. His slightly flushed cheeks turned peach-like.
It was young Lee Ho-woo’s innocent first love.
Ho-woo, who was smiling shyly, secretly puffed out his cheeks at Yeo Na-kyung’s words as she came in to take him away.
“Young master, I hope Ho-woo wasn’t a bother today?”
She asked Oh-yul the same question every day. Young Ho-woo wanted to protest that he absolutely wasn’t, but he held back. He liked that Oh-yul gave the same answer for him every time.
“It was fine. More importantly, it seems you finished work early today.”
“Yes… I’ve prepared dinner on the table, so please make sure to eat it.”
Oh-yul replied calmly. Unlike when he was alone with Ho-woo, his cool, composed expression seemed unnaturally mature for a child. Of course, young Ho-woo, with his childish perspective and rose-colored glasses, didn’t notice this subtle difference and ran to Yeo Na-kyung in one stride to hug her.
It was to boast that Oh-yul had accepted his date proposal.
“Mom! I’m going to the sea with big brother later!”
Yeo Na-kyung’s expression hardened as she reflexively hugged Ho-woo protectively.
“Let’s go together, mom!”
Since they were going to a nice place, it would be even better to go with all the people he liked. How great would it be if mom, dad, and big brother Yul all went to the sea together.
However, contrary to Ho-woo’s expectations, Yeo Na-kyung answered firmly.
“The sea is dangerous, so we can’t.”
“Eh, why? The picture book said it was really wonderful.”
Surely such a beautiful place couldn’t be dangerous. Young Ho-woo clung to Yeo Na-kyung’s clothes and whined.
“Let’s go together~! We’ll go together, right?”
Yeo Na-kyung lifted Ho-woo, who was almost half-lying on the floor stamping his feet, and replied, “Alright, let’s go together.” Young Ho-woo didn’t notice, but she seemed very troubled.
Whether Yeo Na-kyung was uncomfortable or not, young Ho-woo was just happy. Joy overflowed, tickling his throat to the point where it was hard to contain.
Feeling like he would burst if he didn’t release this joy right away, Ho-woo shouted towards Oh-yul.
“Big brother! Mom said she’ll come with us too!”
According to Ho-woo’s expectations, Oh-yul should have been happy too, but he was quiet. There wasn’t a trace of emotion in his gaze as he stared blankly at Yeo Na-kyung.
But that expression passed in just a moment, and young Ho-woo didn’t notice that brief instant. Just as he was about to call out to Oh-yul in confusion, Oh-yul took a short breath and curled up his body. His fiercely contorted face was pale.
“Big brother!”
Yeo Na-kyung grabbed and hugged Ho-woo as he reflexively tried to run to Oh-yul. Even though Ho-woo struggled with all his might, she held him tightly and didn’t let go. She even stepped back, retreating.
“Mom! Big brother, big brother is in pain!”
Ho-woo tried to move forward, but Yeo Na-kyung desperately pulled him back. Even as her legs gave way from instinctive fear, making her stagger, she held on with all her strength.
Oh-yul’s blurred gaze fell on them. A blue tinge slowly seeped into the purple eyes that Ho-woo usually praised endlessly as beautiful. Shaking all over, Oh-yul gritted his teeth. With a face deeply etched with pain, the child barely a hand span taller than Ho-woo moved his lips.
‘R-run… run away.’
The plea that didn’t become words faded meaninglessly. The fleeting moment to escape became despair that engulfed them.
White frost that froze the lungs instantly swallowed up the room.
“Ho-woo!!”
A scream sharply clawed through the space. Ho-woo watched Oh-yul, who was in more pain than anyone, for the last time. His blue-tinged eyes were filled with despair. The desperately outstretched hand couldn’t reach young Ho-woo. The white breath that escaped through his teeth scattered. Oh-yul rolled Ho-woo’s name in his mouth. That whisper was very small and faint.
Pure white ice rushed in instantly. Ho-woo felt Yeo Na-kyung hugging him with strong force. A white storm swept around, taking away all warmth.
Mom was too cold. She was also hard.
“Mo…m?”
There was no answer to Ho-woo’s weak call. Young Ho-woo lost consciousness in the cold embrace, shedding the hottest tears.
The memory cut off, and Ho-woo stood dumbfounded in the darkness.
