“……What?”
“I said leave. You’re no longer needed.”
Lim Haeyul’s eyelids blinked slowly. Cha Jae-woo’s words were unexpected, and he struggled to comprehend them.
Of course, Cha Jae-woo’s meaning was clear. It wasn’t that Lim Haeyul didn’t understand the words; he just couldn’t believe that Cha Jae-woo would say such a thing.
“I called your friend because you’re not in your right mind. I was worried you might not be able to get home.”
“You bastard, why is Haeyul like this—!”
“Wait, wait, Geon-ung.”
“Ha…….”
“Should… Should I go? Leave here?”
But no matter how he thought about it, Cha Jae-woo’s words meant he had to leave. The contract was terminated. So, he had to go.
Cha Jae-woo wasn’t threatening to kill him. In fact, he had deliberately called Kim Geon-ung. Because Lim Haeyul wasn’t in his right mind. So, he called Kim Geon-ung in case he couldn’t get home.
“……Liar.”
It was too kind, an act of generosity that Cha Jae-woo would never show.
That’s why it was unbelievable. Whether he wanted to believe it or not was a different matter. As soon as he understood Cha Jae-woo’s words, his heart started pounding for a different reason. Ignoring this, Lim Haeyul shook his head.
“He said to leave. What do you mean, liar? Come on, Lim Haeyul, let’s go.”
Kim Geon-ung shook Lim Haeyul, seemingly frustrated. Lim Haeyul quickly shook his head at him. Something was off, and he had to be cautious until the end.
Fortunately, Kim Geon-ung remained silent at Lim Haeyul’s gesture. He just wiped his wet face and sighed.
“……Why are you doing this?”
Lim Haeyul still couldn’t look directly at Cha Jae-woo. His voice was strained, but at least he could speak.
Should he apologize again? Would Cha Jae-woo stop this cruel joke if he begged? Would he let him go peacefully, or would he continue this torturous hope?
He couldn’t trust Cha Jae-woo. Knowing that Cha Jae-woo had no intention of letting him go made it even harder to believe. Of course, Lim Haeyul was useless now.
But he didn’t think Cha Jae-woo would give up so easily. If he wanted to, he could have discarded him long ago and found another Guide. The fact that he had endured this long meant he had no intention of letting Lim Haeyul go.
“I, um, I haven’t been trying hard lately……. So, if you’re threatening me with Geon-ung……. Please don’t……. I’ll try harder…….”
He knew he had to guide, but part of him didn’t care anymore. But involving Kim Geon-ung changed everything. He had to do something, anything.
He didn’t want his loved ones to get hurt. Cha Jae-woo was smart. By involving others, he forced Lim Haeyul to act.
He didn’t want anyone to get hurt, especially those he cared about. If that’s what Cha Jae-woo wanted, then he had to do his job properly.
“Why are you just standing there? I told you to leave.”
Cha Jae-woo didn’t respond. Lim Haeyul, anxious, urged Kim Geon-ung to move. Why was he just standing there? Wasn’t he afraid of Cha Jae-woo?
But Kim Geon-ung didn’t know Cha Jae-woo well, and maybe it was better that way. Lim Haeyul tried to urge Kim Geon-ung to leave again.
“If you try harder, can you do it?”
But Cha Jae-woo’s cold voice stopped him.
“Haven’t you been trying hard already?”
Lim Haeyul clamped his mouth shut. It wasn’t that he had no response, but he found it hard to reply to Cha Jae-woo’s words.
He wanted to say he had been trying, but he would try even harder. His mind raced for a response, but his lips wouldn’t move.
Before he could speak, Cha Jae-woo continued.
“You’re useless. That’s why I’m telling you to leave.”
“…….”
“How long do I have to see you in this state in this house?”
“…….”
“You’re noisy and annoying. I’ve waited long enough. There’s no reason to wait any longer, so just leave.”
The sharp words flowed quickly from his mouth. In the end, it was just a command to leave. Nothing more. All the worry and anxiety seemed pointless now.
Outside this house. If not by Cha Jae-woo’s side, it might be dangerous. For a brief moment, a rational thought crossed his mind. He didn’t know what had happened to Jo Gyeong-hoon and Lee Jae-hoon. Therefore, there was no guarantee that something similar to last time wouldn’t happen again.
But he had no desire to refuse Cha Jae-woo’s order to leave. They were scary, but right now, Cha Jae-woo was much scarier. If Cha Jae-woo let him go, if he terminated the contract and let him leave, it would be the most grateful thing.
“…….”
As the thought that it might be sincere crossed his mind, surprisingly, his senses began to clear. If that was the case, he needed to leave the house before Cha Jae-woo changed his mind.
He hesitantly grabbed Kim Geon-ung. The man moved closer to him. He quickly spoke, his gaze fixed on Kim Geon-ung’s arm.
“There’s… there’s nothing to take.”
“…….”
“I won’t take anything. So, can I just leave like this?”
Even as he asked, his steps moved cautiously. He was anxious now, fearing that Cha Jae-woo might change his mind. He thought he should run out now while Cha Jae-woo said he could leave.
“Go.”
Soon, Cha Jae-woo’s brief voice pierced his ears. Simultaneously, Cha Jae-woo turned around. He seemed to be returning to his room.
His heart pounded. He shook Kim Geon-ung again. Cha Jae-woo’s footsteps were growing distant.
“Let’s go……. Let’s go quickly, home…….”
“……Okay.”
Kim Geon-ung didn’t get angry like before. He seemed to understand Lim Haeyul’s anxiety.
He followed Kim Geon-ung, who was pulling him along. His legs trembled as he descended the stairs, but his steps quickened. Kim Geon-ung supported him but didn’t tell him to slow down.
The house, which was already large, felt even more vast as they made their way out. They crossed the garden and got into the car Kim Geon-ung had parked outside. The time it took felt excruciatingly long.
As he sat in the passenger seat, he realized he was drenched in cold sweat.
“Are you okay?”
Kim Geon-ung asked with concern, but he had only one thing to say.
“Let’s go quickly.”
His eyelids closed tightly. Kim Geon-ung didn’t ask anything more. The sensation of the car moving roughly was vivid, but he felt no great disturbance.
The contract with Cha Jae-woo was over.
Cha Jae-woo had let him go safely. The fact still felt unbelievable, and he felt a surge of emotion that almost brought him to tears.
Whether it was relief and freedom, or the unstable waves he felt from Cha Jae-woo, he couldn’t tell.
He tried to erase the memory of the sad and painful waves he had felt last. Waves couldn’t convey emotions. Those were not Cha Jae-woo’s feelings. It was obvious. Cha Jae-woo wouldn’t feel such emotions.
“……Huh.”
Only after the car had been driving for a while did a sob escape his lips.
……The relief of being alive. That seemed to be what brought the tears.
* * *
Kim Geon-ung took him not to his own house, but to his family’s home. Being alone at home seemed scary, so he gratefully accepted the kindness.
He stayed at their place for quite a while. They were all kind, just like when they had worried about him before.
He couldn’t go to school after it reopened, but that was okay. He gradually got better. Of course, there was always a lingering anxiety and worry in the back of his mind. Sometimes he would lose his senses and act crazy, worrying Kim Geon-ung’s family.
Fortunately, all the symptoms gradually subsided as he spent time with ordinary people in his original world.
Now, half a year later, he had finally returned to his own place. He had moved out of his old apartment, but this was a new place where he could live alone, away from Kim Geon-ung’s family’s care.
“What a mess…….”
He had kicked out everyone who had been drinking under the pretense of a housewarming just 10 minutes ago. They seemed to want to stay the night, but he declined. He had caused them enough worry. Now, they needed to see that he was doing better.
“Haah…….”
Instead of cleaning the messy house, he leaned against the bed and sat on the floor. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
As he did, Cha Jae-woo’s face, which he had tried to push away, vividly resurfaced in his mind.
Now, half a year later, he understood. Cha Jae-woo had terminated the contract to save him.
If he had stayed by Cha Jae-woo’s side, he would have eventually lost his mind completely or died. Cha Jae-woo had let him go to prevent that.
Of course, he wasn’t particularly grateful. Cha Jae-woo could have prevented it from happening in the first place. That’s why he resented him. Because of Cha Jae-woo, he had suffered for too long, and he would continue to suffer occasionally in the future.
Yet, ironically, he sometimes worried about Cha Jae-woo. He knew there was no reason to, but the thought would cross his mind from time to time.
Perhaps it was because the memory of Cha Jae-woo’s waves, which he had felt as he fled the house, was so strong.
The waves filled with sadness and pain. He had foolishly mistaken them for Cha Jae-woo’s emotions, and that memory lingered. He still felt a pang of sadness when he recalled those waves, and sometimes he would imagine feeling them again.
“…….”
It was a useless emotion. He opened his eyes and stood up. There was no need to dwell on someone he would never see again. It was pathetic to still feel this way.
