#128
Having adopted a new family member, and unable to continue living in the Eden room forever, Yeon Tae-soo acquired a mansion in a quiet area on the outskirts of Zone 2.
It was originally one of his safe houses, but since there seemed to be no danger for the time being, he had converted it into an ordinary home.
The political situation was stable. The former minister and his associates had all received due punishment. Relations with the European Union remained largely unchanged. People were beginning to recover from the shock and return to their daily lives.
The two-story detached house in a quiet location didn’t look particularly luxurious from the outside. It seemed almost unlike something that would belong to Yeon Tae-soo.
However, the interior was extremely cozy with a warm atmosphere. Yoo Seong-woo was touched as he saw signs that Yeon Tae-soo had put careful thought into designing a home where they could truly “live” together.
“You seemed to have been busy lately, so this was the reason.”
“Of course. Do you know how hard I worked to select everything from the flooring to each decoration?”
Yoo Seong-woo took off his shoes and went inside. The refreshing smell of grass flowed through the windows from the nearby mountain greeting early summer.
The house, decorated in ivory tones, was clean and fully furnished, ready to move into immediately.
In the living room, there was a house for Meongdoli, a small playground, potty pads, and more. There was also a soft cushion where Popo could rest while charging.
As Yoo Seong-woo looked around the spacious living room, his gaze suddenly stopped at one spot. It was the largest wall in the living room.
The center of the wall was filled with frames. At a glance, each frame contained photos that seemed out of place in this warm and quiet home.
They were the star photographs he had seen at the public exhibition hall.
“How did you… get these…?”
“They were going to dispose of them, so I just took them.”
Dispose of them? Yoo Seong-woo glared at Yeon Tae-soo with suspicious eyes at this unbelievable statement, and sure enough, Yeon Tae-soo avoided his gaze.
“…I bought them with money. They were destined to be stored in a warehouse anyway, so I rescued them.”
Somehow, that seemed more likely.
“You did well.”
Instead of getting angry or saying anything else, when Yoo Seong-woo said this, Yeon Tae-soo’s eyes widened.
“No, thank you.”
Yoo Seong-woo approached one of the frames and reached out his hand. What his tactile sensors felt was the cold touch of glass, but somehow he felt like he could sense the heat of the stars.
“I’m happy that I can live surrounded by photos I love. Truly.”
Yeon Tae-soo, unconsciously staring blankly at the profile of Yoo Seong-woo who was looking at the photos with dreamlike eyes, awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.
“…I thought I’d get scolded.”
“You will, later. For now, let’s tour the new house first.”
Yeon Tae-soo burst into laughter at his calm words.
“Haha, alright. Let’s do that.”
The mansion had everything they needed. Yoo Seong-woo was particularly surprised by the second floor. Not far from the bedroom was his workshop.
A large table set up for sculpting, clean new sculpting knives on top, a grinder, sandpaper, wire, and other craft items, along with quality wood. There was also a small daybed in one corner of the workshop where he could rest.
“If we fight, come sleep here.”
Yeon Tae-soo said mischievously, noticing Yoo Seong-woo’s gaze on the bed.
“I don’t want to. Why should I come here? You should be the one to leave the bedroom.”
“…Is that so?”
Though he had only countered the joke with another joke, Yeon Tae-soo nodded vigorously as if he had realized something. He also muttered nonsense like, “As expected, our Seong-woo is so smart.”
Yoo Seong-woo explored every corner of the new house. In the bedroom, bathroom, study, and throughout the hallways, Yeon Tae-soo’s consideration, expectations, and excitement were evident. There was even a fairly large teddy bear in the corner of the bedroom.
“A teddy bear, that’s unexpected. I like it because it’s cute. How did you come up with this idea?”
When he asked while stroking the large teddy bear’s head, Yeon Tae-soo’s face turned slightly red.
“…Well, it’s a kind of, how should I say, position aid?”
It was hard to tell if he was serious or just joking.
Yoo Seong-woo lightly slapped his back and went to the living room. Sitting on the sofa, he could almost visualize Meongdoli and Popo running around this spacious living room, and Yeon Tae-soo lying leisurely on the rug.
As summer deepened, the smell of greenery would fill the living room, and in winter, they could watch the snow falling through the full-length windows. It was a place where ordinary, warm daily life would continue.
“The house is really beautiful. I love it.”
“I’m glad you do.”
Yeon Tae-soo approached him sitting on the sofa, knelt down in front of him. His upward gaze was sweet.
“Let’s fill this house with things you love.”
A large hand reached out and grasped Yoo Seong-woo’s hand. Yoo Seong-woo looked down at their hands, one made of metal, one of flesh.
“And let’s put the things I love next to them.”
Blue prosthetic eye and black pupil also faced Yoo Seong-woo.
“Let’s live here for a long time. No, if we get tired of it, we can move. Together with Meongdoli and Popo.”
Yoo Seong-woo nodded. Yeon Tae-soo stood up and embraced him.
It was fortunate. That they could finally fulfill Yeon Tae-soo’s promise to “live together.”
***
Before summer ended, the two moved to the house Yeon Tae-soo had prepared.
Perhaps having grown attached to Eden, Yoo Seong-woo thought he might miss the magnificent golden building a little. The big guys working at Eden insisted they should host a housewarming party at least three times, but were scolded by Yeon Tae-soo. Kim Ji-heon, who had finally driven his boss out of the workplace, looked relieved.
They continued to operate Byeolbyeol Animal Hospital. However, they reduced the business days, making it much less busy than before. This was also because Yoo Seong-woo had found something he wanted to do.
It was studying astronomy.
“It might seem a bit odd to start studying now… but I still want to try.”
Yeon Tae-soo, of course, supported him.
“Odd? If you want to do it, you do it. If you’re going to do it, let’s go all the way to university.”
“That would be nice.”
Although he had been interested in astronomy before, he had never studied it seriously. He had only read the book kept at Byeolbyeol Animal Hospital so many times that the edges of the pages had turned yellow from handling.
Of course, he had studied astronomy at a basic level, but he had a desire to learn more formal academic knowledge.
Since there were no places that taught only astronomy, he enrolled in an academy where he could learn basic physics, and based on what they taught, he slowly self-studied by reading books. Every day when Byeolbyeol Animal Hospital was closed, he went to the academy and then immersed himself in books and video lectures.
Fortunately, studying on his own wasn’t difficult so far. If he wanted to learn astronomy at a level that would be challenging to self-study, he could go to university then.
Yoo Seong-woo decided not to make grand plans. Without any elaborate schemes or lofty ambitions, he just wanted to let each day flow by.
And he hoped Yeon Tae-soo would be by his side. That was enough.
Don’t they say that any water course, after flowing and flowing, eventually reaches the sea? Although the sea is now polluted and pushing humans away, that sea is not the end either.
The sea doesn’t stagnate. It flows again. The universe is the same. It’s an endlessly expanding darkness. When he first learned this fact, Yoo Seong-woo actually felt relieved.
He had no desire to understand his own existence through study. He just wanted to know about this world.
About the world in which he and his lover lived. And about the vast place that embraced that world.
Perhaps that’s why he was easily drawn to astronomy. The more he studied, the more he felt he had made the right decision to start.
Yeseon said she was studying for entrance exams. Occasionally, Yeon Tae-soo would bring her over to play. It seemed she had made quite a few friends at the academy as well.
Sometimes he would sit and study with Yeseon. She said that Yoo Seong-woo and Yeon Tae-soo were heroes among her academy friends. At those words, Yoo Seong-woo could only smile shyly.
There were days when Yeon Tae-soo helped with Yoo Seong-woo’s studies.
He was initially skeptical upon learning that Yeon Tae-soo had done quite well in school, but he dismissed his doubts after seeing him solve a few problems.
Yeon Tae-soo helped with his studies in every way. The study in their home had now become almost exclusively Yoo Seong-woo’s room.
“Hey! That’s cheating, you know?”
– …Popo is an honest robot!
“You’re lying. Show me your wrist, no, your robotic arm properly. If cards come out of there, I’m pulling off your arm. Meongdoli, catch her.”
– Popo’s robotic arm is an excellent part with 315 functions! Meongdoli is Popo’s friend!
…Of course, there were times when he was interrupted like this.
When Yoo Seong-woo bolted up and went downstairs, he saw the living room in disarray. Yeon Tae-soo, Popo, and Meongdoli were all tangled up, playing with each other.
“…Please… when I’m studying, go outside to play.”
As soon as they heard Yoo Seong-woo’s voice, Yeon Tae-soo jumped up. Popo raised her antenna stiffly, and Meongdoli wagged his tail vigorously.
“Oops, Seong-woo is angry. Guys, let’s get out quickly…”
As Yeon Tae-soo took them outside, the house finally became quiet. Yoo Seong-woo considered cleaning up the living room, which still showed signs of their play, before going back upstairs, but decided to leave it as it was. After all, a home sometimes gets dirty and messy.
Still, his resolve to keep those three from coming inside until he finished today’s studies remained unchanged.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
