Chapter 35: Unsettling Pieces

I pulled all the pieces apart. I meticulously realigned them, one by one, into a new order. The puzzle I assembled then depicted an entirely different image.

And then.

‘He’ll listen if it’s you.’ The homeroom teacher’s parting words also echoed within me for a long time.

The teacher had said that last time, Yoon Heesung would listen if I came to explain, which was why they sent me. At the time, I’d felt uneasy but dismissed it, prioritizing the immediate comfort I received from Yoon Heesung.

How much truth was there in what I believed I knew about Yoon Heesung? Upon reflection, Yoon Heesung had never told me anything directly. It had all been mere conjecture on my part.

By the time classes ended and I was heading home, my head throbbed. I found myself indulging in the absurd fantasy of wanting to turn back time. Naturally, I had no intention of going to the villa.

Fearing he might contact me, I even turned off my phone. I did not want to see Yoon Heesung. I lacked the confidence to face him.

****

The next day, Yoon Heesung did not come to school. Unlike yesterday, I felt a sense of relief.

For once, my wish was granted. Yoon Heesung did not appear at school the day after that either. Only then did Park Byungjoo’s words begin to make sense.

Yoon Heesung, who had beaten someone and even had them transferred, yet faced no suspension himself—and now wasn’t even coming to school. It was understandable why the class atmosphere had devolved into chaos. I felt utterly dejected.

I, of course, stopped going to the villa. If I saw Yoon Heesung… I wouldn’t know what to say.

What could I possibly ask? ‘Is it true you beat Im Namwoo and had him transferred?’ ‘Did you do the same to Kim Youngseok?’ ‘How could you?’

The answer was already clear.

Ever since I’d known Yoon Heesung, I hadn’t needed to escape into my studies, but now, for the first time in a long while, I fled to my textbooks. Concentrating intently on problems, writing equations, and finding answers allowed me to forget everything else, if only for a moment.

When I used to get angry because of my mother or Lee Sunwoo, I would often escape into my workbooks. After meeting Yoon Heesung, whenever I felt distressed, I could simply seek him out, rendering this method unnecessary.

That felt like a distant past.

“…….”

As soon as class ended, I packed my bag. I skipped both afternoon and evening self-study sessions. I lacked the energy to go home, eat, and then return to school. It was better to study at home.

Even though it had been three days since I last saw Yoon Heesung, walking home alone still felt unfamiliar. It was ridiculous. I had commuted to and from school alone for years.

Only recently had I started walking with Yoon Heesung. Yet, I had grown so accustomed to his company that being alone now felt strange.

It was the same with the old apartment building.

‘That smell…’

Again today, the stairwell of the building reeked of stale odors. I wished someone would open a window, but the sills were rusty and thick with dust. The villa wasn’t like this; it always smelled pleasant and was spotless.

However, this familiar scene was what I *should* be accustomed to. I mulled over this undeniable truth.

It was at that moment that a sudden shout pierced through my head.

“Hey! What are you doing down there? Hurry up and come up!”

The sharp voice, echoing through the damp space, made me forget my worries.

“…Yeon Hoyoung?”

Yeon Hoyoung’s face peeked out from above the stair landing. Yeon Hoyoung, whom I had completely forgotten about for a while, was here—right in front of my house.

While I stood there, bewildered, Yeon Hoyoung clattered down the stairs to my floor.

“I’ve been waiting forever! Let’s go up quickly. I’m dying of heat.”

He started pushing my back. Having been exposed to the heat for a long time, his palm radiated a scorching warmth.

“What’s with the sudden visit? Why are you here?”

“I told you I was coming!”

“…….”

Come to think of it, that had happened. I had given him my address because I was curious about the story Yeon Hoyoung had promised to tell me about Yoon Heesung. That time felt so long ago now.

Back then, nothing like this had happened.

“I really didn’t think you’d actually come.”

“Is this what I get for coming all this way? Do you want to die? I’ve been waiting for ages, so open the door quickly.”

However, whatever Yeon Hoyoung had to say, it likely wouldn’t be more shocking than what had happened recently. Perhaps Yeon Hoyoung would be surprised if I told him what had transpired at school a few days ago.

Yeon Hoyoung didn’t seem like the type to leave obediently if I tried to kick him out, and I had no energy for an argument. I docilely pulled the key from my bag.

“What kind of era is this where you’re still using keys? It’s seriously fascinating. Look.”

“Just come in.”

As I opened the front door, the stagnant, stuffy air inside the house rushed out. Our house was cool because it didn’t get much sunlight, but it also lacked proper ventilation, meaning humidity didn’t escape easily.

“Ugh, damn it. You scared me. Why does the door close so violently?”

Yeon Hoyoung flinched dramatically at the sound of the front door, then kicked off his shoes and walked inside before me. “Oh, it’s damn small here?” he muttered, clearly wanting me to hear. Yeon Hoyoung truly had no manners.

“Turn on the air conditioner. I’m dying of heat. This place, seriously, there’s nothing to see but the ocean. It’s just damn hot… And what kind of building is this that doesn’t even have an elevator?”

‘Should I just kick him out now?’ I debated internally.

Yeon Hoyoung likely didn’t realize he was receiving special treatment from me solely because he was Yoon Heesung’s cousin.

It would have been nice if, being cousins, he shared even a slight resemblance to Yoon Heesung. Laden with disappointment, I followed Yeon Hoyoung through the sliding door into the room.

Yeon Hoyoung shuffled the bedding aside with his foot, sat on the floor, and looked around.

“What kind of house doesn’t even have a sofa? And there’s no air conditioner either!”

Shouting this, Yeon Hoyoung grabbed the fan from the corner and frantically pressed its buttons. When the fan blades failed to turn after several presses, he finally slammed his fist against it in frustration.

“Hey, turn this on. It seems broken. Damn it, why does nothing work properly here?”

“Plug it in.”

“Ah. You had it unplugged? How embarrassing.”

With that, Yeon Hoyoung painstakingly managed to turn on the fan and reveled in the breeze. He flapped his school uniform shirt, grinning broadly. He looked genuinely happy.

“Ah. I feel alive.”

Watching Yeon Hoyoung, who had barged into someone else’s house and was now delighting in the fan’s breeze, felt somewhat peculiar. He truly was a different kind of person from me. I would never dare to complain about the heat, let alone show up uninvited at someone else’s house.

Perhaps misunderstanding my gaze, Yeon Hoyoung said in an aggrieved tone,

“I waited for you for over an hour outside. Can’t I enjoy the fan for a bit? You’re glaring at me like hell.”

“An hour?”

Come to think of it, I had come straight home today right after regular classes ended. Yeon Hoyoung was wearing his school uniform. I calculated the time in my head.

“Did you take your finals today?”

“No?”

“Then school?”

“Didn’t go!”

Yeon Hoyoung defiantly denied it, then chuckled and pointed a finger at me.

“Hey. Studying is for people like you who have nothing.”

“If you know that, then leave quickly. I need to study.”

“You arrogant bastard.”

Yeon Hoyoung instantly bristled at my retort.

“Anyway, it’s annoying. Is that all you learned from being next to Yoon Heesung?”

I flinched at the name ‘Yoon Heesung’ amidst the baseless criticism, but what I had wanted to ask Yeon Hoyoung was now a hazy memory. All I could recall at that moment was Yoon Heesung, smiling like a boy as he looked at me, then asking, ‘Should I punish them?’…

“…….”

I truly wished Yeon Hoyoung would just leave.

Then Yeon Hoyoung spat out his words harshly, like chewing gum.

“Damn it, I can’t hit you because of Yoon Heesung.”

“What does Yoon Heesung have to do with it?”

“If I hit you, do you think Yoon Heesung would leave me alone?”

I couldn’t let that comment pass.

“Leave you alone? Is that… because I’m close with Yoon Heesung?”

“Close? What are you talking about? He’s not the type to get close to anyone else.”

Last time too, Yeon Hoyoung hadn’t believed me when I said I was friends with Yoon Heesung.

“The reason I don’t hit you is because Yoon Heesung told me not to. Why? I don’t want to mess with that bastard either.”

What did that even mean?

“Anyway, just wait until Yoon Heesung gets tired of you; I won’t let you off then.”

I weakly tossed out a joke.

“If I were to ever fight with Yoon Heesung, would you hit me then?”

“Why would you fight with Yoon Heesung?”

Yeon Hoyoung’s eyes widened as if he had heard something utterly astonishing.

“Hey. Fights are only for people who are evenly matched. You’d just…”

He carefully chose his words.

“…be abandoned.”

“…….”

What was that supposed to mean?

Before I could even respond,

“There were many kids like you.”

Yeon Hoyoung repeated something similar to what he had said before. He had mentioned seeing many kids like me, which was why he had been confused.

“It’s not like Yoon Heesung’s family has only kept kids like you around for a day or two.”

I should just ignore him again, as I did before. I should, but strangely, it felt wrong to do so now. I found myself inadvertently listening to Yeon Hoyoung’s words. Perhaps I just lacked the strength to argue.

“And no matter how I think about it, there’s no way Aunt didn’t deliberately put you there. Otherwise, do you think you could have lingered around Yoon Heesung? Do you think just anyone can be by his side?”