Chapter 282: Staying Out Overnight (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 282: Staying Out Overnight (2)
By the time I finished introducing myself to his older sister, Park Ju-woo was looking around the living room.
“Where’s Si-hu Hyung…? Did he go out?”
“He’s in his room. Hold on.”
His sister marched over and threw open a closed door. Then, she let out a thunderous shout.
“Heo Si-hu! Ju-woo is here!”
The extraordinary volume stirred signs of life from within the room. A man in a tracksuit emerged with a slouching posture. Upon seeing Park Ju-woo, he broke into a bright smile and spread his arms wide.
“You’re here. It’s been a while.”
“Have you been well, Hyung…?”
Park Ju-woo leaned down and buried his head in the embrace of the man, who was significantly shorter than him.
After their hug, Heo Si-hu turned to greet me.
“Hello, I’m Heo Si-hu. I heard you’re two years younger than me, is that right?”
“Yes, Hyungnim. Please, feel free to speak comfortably!”
“Only if you do the same, I-wol.”
Heo Si-hu gave a sly grin. After I practically begged him, insisting I couldn't possibly speak informally to him, we settled the crisis with only him using casual speech.
The feast prepared by Ju-woo's aunt began with rice cake soup. The servings of dumplings and rice cake soup in the large bowls were incredibly generous.
“Auntie, my diet…”
“Eat and then go exercise. There’s a riverside right in front of the house. It’d be great if you took Si-hu with you while you’re at it.”
“Why me?”
“Why do you think? Because you won't budge from the house! Mushrooms are going to start growing on your clothes at this rate!”
Silenced by the aunt’s sharp tongue, I didn't even try to speak and focused on diligently eating my portion of the soup.
After finishing the meal, we headed to a nearby gym, bought day passes, and did some strength training to burn off the carbohydrates. Si-hu stayed home to work on his "finger strength." Park Ju-woo, who might lack endurance but never falls behind the other members in terms of raw strength, also had a productive session.
When we returned to the house, the aunt and the sister were talking in the kitchen.
“Mom, why are you slicing so many cucumbers?”
“Ju-woo doesn't really eat fruit and things like that. I have to give him plenty of the things he actually likes.”
“The kid’s going to turn into a rabbit.”
The thoughtful conversation between mother and daughter ended upon our arrival.
Instead, a five-person conversation circle formed around a table that looked ready to burst with cucumbers, strawberries, and sweet potatoes.
“Ju-woo used to be the tallest in this house, but today, I-wol is the tallest, huh?”
“There isn’t a huge difference. Ju-woo might even end up taller than me before long.”
I’d read up on this after the incident when Jeong Seong-bin’s parents visited—apparently, in situations like this, you shouldn't just be happy about formal compliments; you should praise their son in return.
“Ju-woo, if you get any taller, give some of that height to your hyung.”
“It’s pathetic to beg your younger brother for height when you’re the one who didn't grow because you slept in late.”
“Your sister is right. If you’d spent even half the time you spend on those games on growing, you’d be as tall as Ju-woo’s shoulders by now. Am I right or am I right?”
At Heo Si-hu’s single comment, the sister and the mother began to nag him as if they were going to tear him to pieces. Park Ju-woo and I kept our mouths shut and just ate our cucumbers.
Just then, someone’s phone rang. When the aunt answered, a familiar male voice could be heard.
— Are the kids there?
“Yeah, they’re here having a snack.”
— What should I buy for them to eat?
“Are you buying dinner? I already made braised short ribs.”
— They can eat the ribs and something else. Look how many mouths there are to feed.
The aunt looked at us and asked if there was anything we wanted to eat. I shook my head vigorously and shouted that what we had was already plenty. If things got desperate, I was willing to go out and eat Yangpyeong hangover soup at a 24-hour place.
“Is there anything I-wol doesn't eat?”
“As long as it doesn't have chocolate or coffee in it…”
Park Ju-woo answered softly on my behalf. Thanks, Ju-woo. Because of you, I won't end up being carried out of a stranger's house in an ambulance.
“They say they’ll eat anything. But we should still feed them a proper meal, so maybe some tteokbokki…”
“Isn't tteokbokki really fattening? Or am I wrong?”
The sister cut in and asked us. Supervisor Song had mentioned that tteokbokki was the enemy of dieting.
But was this a time for a guest to be picky? I should eat whatever I’m given.
“I’m really fine with anything!”
“Me too. …As long as it’s the mild flavor.”
Park Ju-woo added, his face flushing slightly. A short while later, Ju-woo’s uncle returned home with a massive container of tteokbokki.
After eating a delicious dinner followed by the tteokbokki loaded with extra toppings, I went for a run along the riverside with Park Ju-woo. When we returned, a pile of blankets was stacked high in the living room.
“I-wol, Ju-woo’s room is a bit cramped for two people, right? You sleep in Si-hu’s room. We can just tell Si-hu to sleep in the living room.”
“No, I’ll sleep in the living room!”
“We don't make guests sleep on the floor. Heo Si-hu, did you change the bed covers like I told you to?”
At the aunt’s scolding, Heo Si-hu hurriedly came out holding a bed cover.
Because of my visit, Heo Si-hu was being kicked out of his room, and the aunt had to wash a new set of bed covers. How could I ever repay this debt?
“Auntie, I’m really okay with sleeping in the living room.”
“Are you worried Si-hu will be cold? We have an electric mat in the living room, so it’s fine. Don't worry about it.”
The aunt waved off my concerns. The weight on my conscience continued to grow.
Seeing me crying on the inside, Park Ju-woo spoke up cautiously.
“Auntie… Can I-wol Hyung and I sleep in the living room together?”
“The two of you?”
“Yeah. I’m fine with sleeping in the living room…”
It was a good compromise that would let Heo Si-hu stay in his room and satisfy the aunt. In fact, the aunt readily agreed, perhaps thinking it was because we were such close friends.
A moment later, two sets of bedding were laid out in the living room: Park Ju-woo’s white set and my set, which featured an abstract pattern. The uncle came by several times to check if the electric mat was turned on, warning us that our faces would twist if we slept without it.
It was overwhelming kindness. I had looked after Lee Cheong-hyeon because of his composing and Jeong Seong-bin because he worked so hard as the leader, but I hadn't looked after Park Ju-woo much, which made this feel even more burdensome.
I told them I’d wash up first and escaped to the bathroom. Hot water poured vigorously from the showerhead.
‘Don’t you just hate it when there’s no hot water in the bathroom even in winter?’
‘It’s like, if I want to stay clean, I’ll get frostbite, and if I want to avoid frostbite, I’ll be filthy…’
‘That’s why when I wash my hands, I immediately tuck them under my armpits.’
‘How much hot water could the employees possibly use… Is the company really that broke?’
‘You think they’re broke? I heard the management is grinning from ear to ear because that new app business did so well.’
Old memories rose up, mingling with the steam.
When I turned the valve, water droplets dripped from the showerhead. Even the very last drop was warm.
I was about to get dressed and head out when I heard a muffled argument outside.
“Who just sends this much money out of the blue? If you worked hard to earn it, you should use it to buy the things you wanted.”
“But still…”
It seemed Park Ju-woo had given a portion of his settlement money to his aunt. He sounded hesitant.
“Auntie, you spent so much money because of me…”
Mm, this sounds like a conversation that’s a bit too deep for me to overhear.
I was considering filling the washbasin and scrubbing my face until the skin came off, but the aunt’s words struck my ears.
“What kind of parent takes back the cost of raising their own child?”
Suddenly, I remembered the words that had been thrown at my back the day I left my parents' house with my sister, dragging a single suitcase.
‘After we raised you this much, you should at least know how to be grateful.’
And the words of my sister, who had taken my backpack and led the way.
‘As if they actually did anything for us.’
All the way to the bus stop, my sister had pleaded with me.
To never, ever feel sympathy for those people, no matter what happened to them. That it was something she would handle on her own and not something I needed to worry about.
To live my life as if I had no family.
Who did she mean by "on her own"?
Mom and Dad? Or… did she mean herself?
Splashing cold water on my face cleared away some of the stray thoughts. Instead, my face felt numb. My reflection in the mirror showed a face turned red from the cold.
I still remember my sister looking back at me as I dragged my suitcase.
“It’s so hard on a cold day like this.”
Maybe my face looked exactly like this to her back then. My younger self, heading toward a new home, frozen bright red because I didn't have a proper winter coat.
Park Ju-woo and I lay side by side in the living room. Once all the lights in the house were turned off, the surroundings became quiet, as if the earlier bustle had never happened.
I turned on my phone, which I hadn't checked for a while while talking with the aunt and uncle. Messages had piled up in the group chat.
Mental Pillar Jeong Seong-bin
[What is everyone doing?]
King Cute Kang Gi-yeon
[I’m talking with my mom and dad.]
20-Year-Old Metal Jade Bead Park Ju-woo
[I’m going to go wash up now]
[And I-wol Hyung is busy chatting]
Cute Pretty Visually Lee Cheong-hyeon
[Lying in bed lol]
Center Emperor Choi Je-ho
[Sleeping]
Good grief. How much "chatting" did he think I was doing?
But something felt off. For some reason, Lee Cheong-hyeon’s message caught my eye today.
He wasn't the type to be late in checking messages. Especially during a time when he had no schedule.
There were no tildes, no emojis, and no loud exclamation marks. Usually, he’d be the first one to jump in and pester the others to send photos of what they were doing.
“Ju-woo.”
“Yeah.”
“Can you check if it’s just me, or does Cheong-hyeon’s message look weird?”
I lowered the brightness of my phone and showed it to Park Ju-woo. He stared at the screen quietly.
“You’re right. Did something happen…?”
A shadow fell over Ju-woo’s face.
Just in case, I sent a short private message to Lee Cheong-hyeon.
Me
[Everything okay?]
[Call me if anything’s up.]
The "1" didn't disappear for a long time.
Cute Pretty Visually Lee Cheong-hyeon
[Don’t worry~]
The reply that finally came back was brief.
Perhaps because of the light from the phone, Park Ju-woo tossed and turned beside me, unable to say what was on his mind. I quickly turned off the phone and pulled up the covers.
‘I’ll have to contact him tomorrow.’
Maybe it was because this was my first long-distance trip since the one to Busan, or maybe it was because it had been a while since I’d been surrounded by strangers.
Sleep soon found my body as I finally relaxed.
And the next day, before lunchtime.
— Hyung, can I go back to the dorm a bit early?
A call came from Lee Cheong-hyeon.
In a voice drenched in tears.