Chapter 18
Neither Hyun-oh nor the people around him had ever verbally abused Eunsol or acted threateningly towards him. Instead, they looked out for Eunsol and provided him with what he needed.
Everything was getting better, but Eunsol remained the same.
He was in a situation where he had been saved by Hyun-oh. He knew how fortunate it was for him to marry Hyun-oh instead of a man old enough to be his grandfather.
That’s why Eunsol also wanted to be someone who could help Hyun-oh. But Eunsol had nothing to offer. Nothing but his insignificant body.
And he couldn’t even give that body properly to Hyun-oh. Realizing that fact made him feel an endless sense of self-loathing.
There wasn’t a single warmth in the house. When Hyun-oh was there, even if he didn’t talk to Eunsol, the whole house was full of vitality.
The space where only Eunsol remained was like a faded watercolor painting. He missed Hyun-oh. Even if he might not want to see his own face now, Eunsol missed the cold gaze he used to give him.
***
“Already three months have passed…”
Eunsol let out a deep sigh. There was a meal that looked delicious on the table, but he had no appetite.
The wrist revealed under his sleeve was noticeably thinner than when Hyun-oh first went on a business trip.
Even though the employees tried to take good care of Eunsol’s meals, it was not enough. Eunsol had barely touched his food and put down his fork.
After putting the dishes and utensils in the sink, Eunsol went to the living room. Even the scenery outside the large window showed the passage of time since Hyun-oh left, faintly reflected.
The season of harsh winds had turned into a season where fresh buds grew and flowers bloomed.
Eunsol pulled up the cardigan he was wearing. They were clothes made to fit him before he left. Clearly, they were made to his size, but they kept slipping off his shoulders as if he were wearing clothes a size too big.
Standing blankly in front of the window, watching the passing scenery, he faced his reflection in the glass.
“…I look ugly.”
He wasn’t particularly handsome to begin with. The fat on his cheeks had always been Eunsol’s complex, as it made him look younger, almost like a teenager, when he wore a school uniform.
That’s why Eunsol always wanted his cheeks to slim down. But now that his cheeks had thinned, his face looked particularly gaunt and sickly.
As if proving that the body and mind are connected, Eunsol’s appearance was withering day by day.
“Should I contact him now…”
It was a daily worry since that day. The phone in his hand was slippery with cold sweat.
But he couldn’t muster the courage to contact Hyun-oh first. As his mind darkened like the black screen, Eunsol’s phone screen lit up.
He had hoped it was the call he had been waiting for, but his eyes, which had widened in anticipation, sank with a gloomy light.
It wasn’t the call he had been waiting for. Hyun-oh hadn’t sent a single message to Eunsol, but Kang Ye-ryeong and Ryu Jeong-woo occasionally contacted him.
After hesitating for a moment, Eunsol pressed the call button and brought the phone to his ear.
“…Yes.”
—Have you eaten?
“I just ate.”
—You probably just dipped some salad greens, as usual.
“…”
Since it was true, Eunsol remained silent in response. It was because of his nature that he couldn’t lie.
—Be in front of your house in two hours. Wait at the main entrance.
“Today?”
—Yes. Let’s go shopping.
With that, the call ended. Eunsol blinked as he looked down at his phone and hurriedly moved towards the dressing room.
Among the clothes hanging on the rack, he picked out ones that would be okay to wear in the current weather.
If he went out wearing just any clothes, he would hear nagging disguised as concern throughout the trip.
‘If you dress shabbily, it’s a disgrace to Hyun-oh.’
Her reproach was bearable, but the words she had once casually said were embedded in Eunsol’s heart like a thorn.
Although Hyun-oh was currently living with Eunsol like a show window couple, in reality, to others, they were seen as people in the same boat as long as Eunsol was his legal spouse.
“This one doesn’t fit, and this one is too dark…”
While Hyun-oh was away, Eunsol had made many efforts to at least appear as his decent spouse.
Most of the time, he spent his days as if he were wearing himself down, but he didn’t neglect his efforts.
His relationship with his family didn’t change no matter how much effort he put in, but he wanted to create a different future with Hyun-oh.
Eunsol hadn’t given up hope yet.
Choosing clothes that suited him was one of the efforts he was making. He looked through the clothes hanging in the dressing room one by one to find clothes that would complement his weaknesses and highlight his strengths.
The outfit he finally chose was a light sky-blue shirt with light beige slacks. After preparing accessories, socks, shoes, and a bag that matched the clothes, he went into the bathroom.
“…I’m doomed.”
Choosing clothes and accessories was fine. But trying to use wax to style his messy hair was a mistake.
He had learned how to apply wax to style his hair from a hair designer several times. But the reflection of Eunsol’s hair in the mirror was a mess.
The teacher had easily styled his hair, but even after 30 minutes of struggle, Eunsol’s result was not good.
There was no time to wash his hair again. The appointment time was just around the corner. In the end, Eunsol took out a hat and pressed it firmly on his head.
The effort he had put into his outfit was in vain. With each step towards the main entrance, his restless heart showed.
As a familiar car came into view, his throat dried up. With an anxious heart, he bit his lips and approached the car.
“Hello.”
“Yes, hello.”
The person was not the one he had seen last time. The man who politely bowed his head to greet him looked more like a well-trained bodyguard than a driver.
After passing through the door opened by the man and getting into the car, Eunsol bowed his head slightly.
“I’m here, Mother.”
“Today’s fashion is really…”
“I tried to do my hair, but it didn’t work out…”
He had prepared himself for a scolding, but the gaze that examined him from head to toe was sharp. The hand that had been fiddling with the phone also stopped.
Today, her lips, painted red, were half-open and stiffened. As if she had seen something unsightly, her trembling eyes made Eunsol clench his fist on his knee.
Kang Ye-ryeong closed her eyes and sighed. She, who had turned off her phone screen, gave instructions to the man who had gotten into the car.
“Go to a shop, not a department store.”
“Which way should we go?”
“Cheongdam-dong.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Eunsol glanced at Kang Ye-ryeong. Her eyes, lined with black eyeliner, were sharp. It seemed as if she was expressing her displeasure because of Eunsol.
“…I’m sorry.”
In the end, Eunsol apologized to Kang Ye-ryeong. Among those who helped Eunsol improve his sense of dressing, Kang Ye-ryeong was the one who cared the most.
Others were all employed to do their jobs, but Kang Ye-ryeong was almost showing goodwill towards Eunsol.
Sometimes, she would send Eunsol pictures of outfits that would suit him. Sometimes they were pictures of celebrities, and sometimes they were pictures of models from magazines.
“Tsk. From now on, you’re not allowed to say sorry to me.”
“Sorry, ah… I mean…”
Eunsol bit his lip as he tried to apologize reflexively. What word should he use instead of sorry?
No matter how much he racked his brain, no words came to mind. The more he mumbled, the more his lower back felt damp.
“How did the chairman raise you? You seem to have a habit of saying sorry for everything.”
When Kang Ye-ryeong brought up his father, Eunsol had even less to say. Unable to face her, he lowered his gaze, and that’s when it happened.
As she said, Eunsol’s habit of apologizing was greatly influenced by his family. Many of the confrontations with his family ended with Eunsol apologizing for his wrongdoings.
Often, he didn’t even know what he had done wrong, but he would apologize until his lips were worn out.
The traces of the past were still affecting Eunsol’s current life. Even though he wasn’t seeing his family and living a comfortable life, their influence was still strong.
“Straighten your shoulders. I’m not scolding you for doing something wrong. I’m saying this because I’m worried you might apologize to insignificant people.”
Contrary to Eunsol’s worries, the voice coming from beside him had a quite gentle tone. Eunsol’s eyes widened.
The more he thought about what Kang Ye-ryeong had said, the more it seemed like words of concern for him. He had thought he would be severely scolded, but her words, which deviated from his expectations, made him feel flustered.
“I often call you to think of me comfortably, but why do you seem more intimidated every time we meet?”
Eunsol cautiously lifted his head. The gaze that had been looking at him met his eyes immediately, making his shoulders twitch.
“Let’s go to a shop, get your hair redone, and then go to a department store. I’ve also reserved a nearby restaurant, so you have to spend the whole day with me today.”
“…Yes.”
Eunsol answered softly with a more relaxed expression. The blush on his white cheeks made Kang Ye-ryeong lift one corner of her mouth.
It felt like watching a wary puppy slowly come to her side and lick her fingertips. At first, she had taken Eunsol out with a light heart. But as she got to know Eunsol, Kang Ye-ryeong found herself liking her new daughter-in-law more than she had expected.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
