Chapter 11: An Unexpected Weekend Request

At the same time, a surge of envy washed over me for Yoon Heesung. ‘She must really care for him…’

My own mother didn’t even wonder if I had friends, yet the Madam had memorized my name simply because I was close to Yoon Heesung. Had Yoon Heesung experienced this kind of affection his entire life?

It was then that the Madam spoke, as if a sudden thought had just occurred to her.

“By the way, Yunwoo. I have some business over the weekend and won’t be able to come home. Would you be able to stay with Heesung during that time?”

“Over the weekend…? This weekend? Are you talking about tomorrow?”

“Yes. I’m worried about leaving Heesung alone.”

Anyone listening might think Yoon Heesung was a five-year-old who couldn’t be left unsupervised. I couldn’t hide the sheer absurdity that was etched across my face.

Yet, the Madam simply sealed the deal with a bright, unwavering tone.

“I’m counting on you.”

“……”

Her voice carried an undeniable certainty that I would comply. It was the kind of voice only someone utterly convinced their request would not be denied could produce.

Why was this person so brazenly ordering me around, telling me what to do? The question was obvious, and the situation utterly preposterous.

…But I couldn’t easily refuse.

It was because of my mother. My mother, who had conveyed the Madam’s words. Her voice, urging me to look after Yoon Heesung well, echoed in my mind. Then, Yoon Heesung’s disappointed voice, asking me to stay for dinner, followed.

In the end, I nodded, just as I had done to my homeroom teacher a few days prior.

“…Alright.”

“Good. Then come visit again tomorrow. It was so nice seeing you and Yunwoo today. See you next time.”

As if she had expected nothing less, the Madam grinned, waved her hand, and disappeared inside. She didn’t forget to add, “I’ll tell Heesung that Yunwoo is coming tomorrow!”

A man in a suit followed close behind her. I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck before turning to leave. I had always found excuses to refuse their invitations to stay longer, but now, out of the blue, I was practically sleeping over tomorrow.

I trudged back home. The moment I opened the door, the rich aroma of food wafted out.

My mother stood before the stove.

“Mom?”

“Did school just finish? Is this usually when you get out?”

“No. I just came from Yoon Heesung’s place.”

At my words, my mother asked in a high-pitched voice.

“Yoon Heesung? The son from the villa?”

“Yeah.”

“So you’re still getting along well with him!”

I knew she’d be pleased if I became close with Yoon Heesung, but her ecstatic reaction far exceeded my expectations, making me falter.

“Well… I guess so.”

“You were there the whole time after school?”

“Yeah.”

“Right, be nice to him. He’s in such a pitiful situation, isn’t he? His mother is sick, so he had to come all the way down here with her, you know.”

At the mention of “pitiful,” the grand, sprawling villa automatically floated into my mind, but I simply shrugged, offering no counter-argument.

“Yeah. I get it. …You’re going to eat now, right, Mom? I haven’t had dinner yet either.”

“Okay. Set a spoon and chopsticks for yourself too.”

I unfolded the small table that served as both my desk and dining table. My mother moved the stew pot. Setting out my utensils, I sat across from her. It had been a long time since I had sat face-to-face with my mother like this.

“Did you get off work early today too?”

“Yeah. The Madam told me to leave early because she was coming.”

It was the same last time. It was certainly peculiar how that household, despite hiring her, sent her home early every time they visited.

“Speaking of which, I ran into the Madam earlier when I was leaving the villa.”

“Oh? Did you say hello?”

“Yeah.”

I hesitated, then spoke.

“But she didn’t look like she was sick.”

“She doesn’t look like a patient, does she? Still, what you see isn’t always the whole story, so she must have something wrong with her.”

That was true, of course. Who knew what was truly happening inside her?

However, there was another reason I had brought up the Madam to my mother.

“But the Madam told me to sleep over at the villa this weekend. She asked me to stay with Yoon Heesung while she’s away.”

Though I had agreed in a daze, it felt like an excessive request to make of her son’s friend. I stole a glance at my mother.

Perhaps, like the Madam, my mother would worry about me. She might even take my side, asking why the Madam would ask such a thing of me. After all, she was my mother, just as the Madam was Yoon Heesung’s mother.

I wished that were the case…

“Oh? Go ahead, then.”

My mother’s reply was utterly nonchalant. It was so cool, it felt cold. Unable to abandon my lingering hope, I asked.

“Are you really okay with that, Mom? You’ll be sleeping alone if I’m not here.”

“Oh, you silly child… What does it matter to me? Just go and stay over.”

Moreover, her follow-up remark sounded more like a request.

“You should go and look after Heesung a bit. It must be so hard for the young master to adapt, especially after coming down to this countryside.”

She was even dropping his surname now. His name had become remarkably familiar on her tongue.

‘And she said she’d never even seen his face.’

Yet, as if she knew quite a bit, my mother rattled off stories about Yoon Heesung.

“He has an older brother and sister, and there’s more than a ten-year age gap between them and Heesung. Growing up with siblings so much older, he must have been showered with so much love.”

“How do you know all that?”

“I overheard it while working. Apparently, both of them are overseas. They work abroad.”

Her next words were laced with pity.

“That’s why I feel so bad for him. And for the Madam too. Wouldn’t it be nice if he studied on his own and did well in school, like our Yunwoo, without being told?”

My mother subtly praised me. It was her way of subtly putting down Yoon Heesung and the Madam. In truth, neither of them seemed pitiful at all.

But if I said anything like that, my mother would only get angry, saying, “I can’t say a thing in front of you.”

“Is he still skipping school these days?”

“Yeah. He doesn’t come much.”

“Why does he keep skipping school? Maybe you could subtly ask him sometime.”

“He wouldn’t tell me.”

His voice, saying “just because,” came back to me. I had asked twice, but he had only ever replied “just because.”

Perhaps he didn’t think we were close enough to discuss such things, or maybe he didn’t trust me. Or perhaps he simply didn’t want to voice it aloud.

I hadn’t pressed further because of that last reason. I was afraid of hurting him more unnecessarily.

‘…Still, aren’t we quite close now? He could probably tell me…’

Just then, a feeling I couldn’t quite name surged through me, swelling like the tide.

“Yunwoo. Is he perhaps being bullied?”

“……”

“I was wondering if that’s why he’s not going to school. There are so many cases like that these days.”

Her words made my mouth feel rough, as if I were chewing paper. A part of me wanted to ask, ‘Do you think your own son would never go through something like that?’ while simultaneously, the thought, ‘So even in Mom’s eyes, Yoon Heesung looks like that,’ left me feeling conflicted.

I didn’t know what had happened precisely because I had been absent on the day Yoon Heesung transferred. Still, I hadn’t been so bad that I couldn’t go to school; I could endure it even if I didn’t want to go. Was it different for Yoon Heesung?

Something had definitely happened that day.

With that thought, Yoon Heesung’s sudden appearance and help on the sports field made sense. It must have been the same reasoning behind my current interest in him. He probably wanted to help because he felt we were in similar circumstances.

A few scattered puzzle pieces in my mind neatly aligned themselves. A single picture, drawn in the corner, came clearly into view.

As if she never tired of it, my mother once again urged me.

“You know we live like this thanks to the Madam, right? So be good to him.”

“I know. I get it.”

I pretended to answer dismissively, but internally, I was more pensive than anyone.

****

My mother had to go to work even on the weekend. Left alone at home, I procrastinated for a long time. I had agreed to go this weekend, but since no specific time had been set, I wasn’t sure when I should arrive.

Should I go now? No, isn’t it too early? What if Yoon Heesung isn’t awake yet? After agonizing for a while, it was already noon.

I hastily ate lunch, then dallied again. This time, there was a reason: my clothes. I barely had any clothes to begin with, so choosing something suitable took a long time. It even crossed my mind to just wear my school uniform.

Truthfully, it was my first time visiting a friend’s house, and, of course, my first time sleeping over. Even packing my middle school gym clothes, which I wore to sleep, felt awkward and unfamiliar. Still, I couldn’t delay any longer, so I finally stepped out of the house.

Despite my haste, the outside world was bright, almost violently so under the scorching sun. After walking about ten paces, I was already sweating.

The air was humid and heavy, and sweat poured off me. I hadn’t walked far, but I was already exhausted. It was as I trudged up the hill, utterly drained, that I saw it.

As always, the main gate and the inner door were wide open. Except for the very first day I came to the villa, Yoon Heesung always left the door open. Thanks to that, there was no need to ring the doorbell.

I put strength into my legs and strode across the garden towards the annex where Yoon Heesung resided. The annex door, as usual, had its lock disengaged.

Just as I reached for the doorknob, the door suddenly swung open on its own.

“Lee Yunwoo.”

Suddenly, Yoon Heesung emerged. I stopped wiping the sweat from my brow, my eyes widening.

“You startled me… Where are you going?”

“Nowhere.”

Yoon Heesung was dressed so neatly, I might have thought he was going out. Today, he was wearing a short-sleeved knit sweater. I asked him, his face flushed.

“Then why did you come out?”

“I came to meet you.”

“How did you know when I’d arrive?”

A bewildered laugh escaped me at his absurd remark. So, if I had been late, would he have just kept waiting? He was truly impossible…

Yet, at the same time, a refreshing sensation spread through my entire body. Was it the air conditioning from inside the annex? In any case, I was relieved to have arrived just in time, and followed him inside.

Several books lay on the sofa. He must have been reading before I arrived.

Before Yoon Heesung could open a book again, I quickly made my move. I plopped down in front of the table and pointed to the opposite seat.

“Today, don’t lie down. Sit here.”