Chapter 45: A Strange Conversation

Yoon Heesung glanced at me, oblivious to my inner turmoil, as if trying to gauge my mood. He often did things that were out of place, but today, it was particularly grating.

It was so irritating that it brought tears to my eyes. Truly, I felt as though I might cry.

I hadn’t called him because I wanted to see him get hurt like this. It was just that Yoon Heesung was the only person I could think of to help me.

“More importantly, Lee Yunwoo.”

As Yoon Heesung called my name, my lengthy thoughts abruptly ceased. My mind went blank.

And at his subsequent words, I found myself speechless, just as I often did.

“You didn’t call me first, did you?”

“……”

“I told you to tell me first if anything happened. Don’t make me feel neglected.”

Our clasped hands were covered in blood. This was not the time for such a conversation. The sand, saturated with blood, looked black.

I stammered in response.

“……Now, now you’re curious about that? What does it matter? Why are you curious about that…?”

If he had chastised me for calling him, I might have understood. But asking if he was the first person I called…

I had nothing to say, even if I had ten mouths. I hadn’t contacted him in ages, only reaching out when I needed him. And now, he was hurt because of me.

“Still, it’s nice to see your face like this, isn’t it?”

He smiled like a boy as he spoke. His even teeth gleamed, a dazzling smile that was utterly out of place with the situation.

I couldn’t say a single word to Yoon Heesung.

‘What should I say to someone like this?’

What words could possibly repay this heart? Even at my age, I still had no immunity to such situations. Yoon Heesung readily cared about things that weren’t worth bothering over, yet felt no guilt for actions that should have warranted it.

I was afraid of this Yoon Heesung. So afraid that I even started avoiding him. Yoon Heesung was different from me. Too different to spend time together.

****

Yet, there was clearly a realm reserved only for me.

I was rooted to the spot, unable to move as if nailed down.

Rarely had I ever looked up at the setting sun. I never had the luxury of observing the sky. It was only after moving here, commuting between my home and the villa, that I realized how the sky’s light shifted with the time of day.

As the sun slowly dipped below the horizon, a dense light seeped onto the land. Before the sun completely vanished and darkness descended, the sky took on a bluish hue.

Sometimes it was a deep indigo, other times a grayish-blue. It was here that I discovered I loved the sky at this hour—neither too bright nor too dark.

I looked down at the swirling water beyond the window. I could see the seawater, twisting and untwisting in its currents.

The sea was similar to the sky. Depending on the time and weather, the ocean water would change from deep blue to jade, then to a soft sky blue.

But that wasn’t all. The sea possessed an extraordinary capriciousness, largely due to its waves.

The waves would hiss as if they were about to reach my feet, only to recede right at my toes. At other times, they would behave gently, as if they would never come close, then suddenly surge forward, drenching me up to my thighs.

Yet, no matter how unruly the waves behaved, they were beautiful enough to embrace all those quirks. If the good points outweighed the bad, perhaps one could endure it. Especially if the dislike was so strong it would erode and blow away like dust.

‘I dislike Yoon Heesung, but I like his aunt. His aunt always suffers, having given birth to someone like him. I should help her, at least.’

I could almost understand Yeon Hoyoung’s feelings, coming to see Yoon Heesung because he liked his aunt. A person hitting another person was truly the worst. I knew it from experience. I never wanted to feel that helpless again after being beaten.

I disliked Kim Youngseok too, of course. But what happened to him was too much.

Nevertheless, I wanted to defend Yoon Heesung. Why? Was it because he saved me today? That couldn’t be all. If we had never gotten along in the past, I might have easily distanced myself from Yoon Heesung.

In the darkened room, I sat blankly, replaying those thoughts.

“When will he come back…?”

Yoon Heesung, who had gone to the hospital, still hadn’t returned.

Earlier, while I was mesmerized by his sudden smile, Yoon Heesung had made a phone call. Soon, a car arrived, speeding as if flying. The driver was someone I’d never seen before, but Yoon Heesung seemed to know them, speaking casually and commanding the destination.

‘Go to the nearest hospital.’

Yoon Heesung seemed accustomed to it. As if he had been in dangerous situations many times before, or someone had taught him what to do if such a thing occurred.

‘I, I’ll go too—’

‘Don’t get in.’

I naturally tried to follow him into the car, but Yoon Heesung merely placed a pair of shoes, handed to him by the driver, at my feet. It was only then that I realized we were both barefoot, only wearing socks.

Yoon Heesung calmly persuaded me.

‘Go upstairs and hide.’

“……”

‘Hide.’ My heart pounded wildly at those words. Relief and anxiety simultaneously occupied a corner of my mind. Emotions sometimes took on such a dual nature. Things so different that one wondered if they could coexist would suddenly pour out all at once.

The man had said that if he touched someone unrelated, he wouldn’t escape the law either. He probably didn’t want to touch Yoon Heesung. I had many weaknesses he could exploit, so I would have stayed quiet no matter what he did, but Yoon Heesung was different.

So, it seemed unlikely he would chase us to the villa, but if we returned to my house… we might encounter him again. That’s why I went up to the villa, wearing new sneakers that fit perfectly.

Woo-woong—

How long had I been sitting there, feeling as if I was flailing in water? My phone rang. When I hastily pulled it out, just in case, the name on the screen was not the person I expected. It was someone completely unforeseen.

“Hello.”

–Yunwoo. It’s been a while. How have you been?

“Yes. Hello…”

The voice on the other end of the line belonged to the Madam. I was startled as if struck by lightning, and straightened my posture, even though she wasn’t in front of me. I was as nervous as a child whose turn for a scolding was fast approaching.

The Madam spoke.

–Heesung’s surgery just finished.

“……”

I hadn’t known it would require surgery. It felt as if all the blood in my body was gushing out. I remembered our clasped hands, covered in blood. Unconsciously, I was biting my lips. I tasted metal in my mouth.

“Was Heesung badly hurt…?”

–No. It was a simple suturing procedure.

Suturing procedure. My heart sank at those words. I braced myself for the impending scolding. However, the Madam’s voice remained cheerful.

–He’ll arrive before evening, so wait for him at the villa. You wouldn’t want to miss seeing Heesung’s face, would you?

It was truly… cheerful.

Only then did I realize that this wasn’t an atmosphere for scolding. Yet, her words carried a subtle threat. I lowered my head. It was natural for a parent to be angry if their son’s hand was torn and required surgery. Even if she didn’t show it, the underlying emotion was surely that. Such was a parent’s concern for their child.

–His hand will be uncomfortable to move because of the injury, so take good care of him. I’m counting on you.

“Yes…”

I replied, utterly dejected.

At that moment, words of praise, entirely out of sync with the situation, flowed into my ears.

–I knew I was a good judge of character.

“Pardon?”

–Heesung seems to really like you a lot.

She wasn’t being sarcastic. There was even a faint cheerfulness in her tone.

I had thought my perception of her voice as cheerful was a misunderstanding… but it might actually be true. No, that couldn’t be. Her son was hurt and had even undergone surgery; the Madam couldn’t possibly be pleased.

My jaw dropped when I even heard her humming. Did the Madam perhaps not know how Yoon Heesung got hurt?

Feeling that it was better to get the scolding over with, I confessed.

“Heesung getting hurt like that… it’s all because of me.”

–I know. Do you think I’d say such a thing without knowing?

The Madam’s reply was concise. She acted as if what I said was trivial. I found no other words and fell silent.

Yet, she was so composed? I couldn’t understand the Madam’s true feelings either. Were Yoon Heesung and the Madam similar even in this regard?

The Madam spoke in a subtle voice.

–Yunwoo, I hope you stay by Heesung’s side for a long time and get along well together.

“……”

–I’ll hang up now. If anything happens, contact me anytime. Keep a close eye on Heesung so he doesn’t do anything else foolish. Stay with him as much as possible.

The call ended with that strange request. I held the phone for a moment, staring blankly.

The biggest problem right now was that Yoon Heesung was hurt. Nothing was more significant than him being injured and undergoing surgery. Yet, the Madam spoke as if my staying by Yoon Heesung’s side was the most important thing.

A sense of déjà vu washed over me. It was the same feeling I got when I looked at Yoon Heesung. The things that were most important to me seemed utterly unimportant to them. What should have been prioritized was pushed aside, replaced by other concerns. Yet, they were confident and showed no doubt.

‘Is that even possible…? It’s too strange.’

I lowered the blinds halfway and went to sit curled up on the sofa. I rested my arms on my knees and my forehead on my arms.

How long had I been there? Finally, I heard footsteps ascending the stairs, and the door opened.

Even as I heard every sound, I stubbornly maintained my posture. The soft footsteps stopped near me.

The spot next to me on the sofa dipped. Yoon Heesung murmured.

“What brings you here?”

I didn’t know what he meant by ‘what brings you here’. It was when I lifted my eyes with that thought. Our eyes met.

“What’s the occasion? You haven’t gone home?”

“……You told me to stay at the villa.”

“I didn’t actually think you’d come. You haven’t been coming lately.”

If not for his sparkling eyes, I would have thought he was being sarcastic.

“I’m saying I’m glad you’re here.”