Chapter 352: Family Affairs (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 352: Family Affairs (5)
"……Hyung?"
Lee Cheong-hyeon knocked softly and opened the door to the room right by the entrance.
"You're here."
Choi Je-ho, who was sitting in a chair he’d pulled up next to the bed, greeted the two of them. His hands were busy massaging Kim I-wol’s sleeping right arm.
"Is he sick, Hyung?"
Lee Cheong-hyeon scanned Kim I-wol’s face. His complexion was deathly pale, with only the areas around his eyes flushed red.
"And what happened to his neck?"
There was gauze and medical tape stuck onto his white neck. The patch was large enough that it would take two palms to cover it, and Lee Cheong-hyeon couldn't hide his bewilderment.
"It’s not a serious injury," Choi Je-ho replied flatly.
"……Is his arm hurt too?"
"Just... helping the circulation."
His expression was as stoic as ever, but the aura he gave off was different. It wasn't irritation or indifference, but a third kind of emotion.
I know I shouldn't pity him recklessly. But still…
The words Jeong Seong-bin had just spoken lingered in both their minds.
"Lee Cheong-hyeon, Kang Gi-yeon."
"Yeah?"
Choi Je-ho called out his younger members' names. His gaze remained fixed on the sleeping Kim I-wol.
"I figured you guys would handle this better than I would, but…"
Choi Je-ho continued to press down on Kim I-wol’s arm, his voice low and heavy as he gave them a warning.
"Don't do anything to stress Kim I-wol out for the time being."
It was the moment they realized why Im Chan-yeong had told them to contact him if they needed anything. Kang Gi-yeon managed a brief reply and walked away with heavy steps alongside his friend.
I don't want to open my eyes.
That was the first thought that came to mind upon waking.
I was exhausted. It felt as though every ounce of energy had been drained from my body.
With my eyes closed, I tried to recall yesterday’s events, but most of it was a blur. Toward the end, my mind was a total blank, as if the film had snapped.
The only things I remembered were…
‘Noona did so much for you people. How could you do that to her?’
‘I forget things easily, but Noona remembers everything.’
…Only the things that had cut deep because I couldn't say them.
Even though I’d lived my life thinking it would be better if a family like ours didn't exist, after finding out that Noona had been abandoned, I selfishly thought, ‘At the very least, they should have fulfilled their minimum responsibility.’
What if she can't forget being discarded like that?
What if it remains a painful memory for the rest of her life?
Trapped in these thoughts, the unbearable sadness remained in fragments throughout my mind.
Was I wrong to expect anything from my parents in the first place?
Even though I knew they weren't people I could rely on. How pathetic.
My head throbbed. I pulled the blanket up over my head and curled into a ball.
‘Noona, what are you doing right now?’
When I asked the empty air, the System appeared.
+
[SYSTEM] ‘Welfare Service’ Usage History
▷ Relationship: Blood relative
▷ Health Status: Good
▷ Psychological State: Good
▷ Others: Sleeping
+
‘Really?’
I asked, even though I knew no answer would come. If I didn't do at least that much, I felt like I would go insane.
"I guess she’s sleeping in because it’s the weekend…"
I muttered softly, but my voice sounded dry and brittle, as if I’d swallowed sand.
I lay there still for a long time. I didn't want to get up at all.
I was staring blankly at the ceiling when the door opened.
The dorm was so quiet I thought no one was home. I must have been mistaken.
As I debated whether to pretend to be asleep or just say I was awake, an unexpected person appeared.
"I-wol? Did you sleep well?"
It was Manager Dae-yeon.
I tried to get up to greet him, but he desperately stopped me. Suddenly, I was in the awkward position of lying down while he sat there.
"Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?" he asked, looking at me.
I wondered how deep Manager Dae-yeon’s kindness went. To tell someone who had basically fainted "did you sleep well" instead of asking "are you okay," and to avoid asking where it hurt—how much heart must one have for that to come out so naturally? Especially when my own so-called family was only busy talking about my "illness."
I told him I was fine and stayed still. With a polite "excuse me," he placed his hand on my forehead. His knuckles felt cool against my skin.
"……."
"Your fever has mostly gone down."
He then began writing something in a notebook. The scratching sound of the pen filled the room.
He’s such a mature person. Unlike me.
I watched him in silence. I thought of the adults who had always felt out of reach. People like Deputy Head An, Noona’s friends, and Noona herself—who had been the greatest adult in my life.
"How can I become more of an adult?"
"Pardon?"
The question slipped out of its own accord. I locked eyes with the bewildered manager.
"No, I mean…"
I felt my face heating up. I wondered if my fever had actually gone down.
"In just three years, I’ll be twenty-five. If you round that up, it’s thirty, and they say thirty is half of sixty, so…"
"Hmm."
Even after hearing my absurd explanation, the manager didn't laugh. Instead, he asked seriously, "Do you want to be more of an adult, I-wol?"
I wasn't sure.
Whether I wanted to be an adult, or if I just felt pathetic for not being the adult I felt I should be.
"I think I should be able to take care of myself."
"……."
"But I’m not very good at that."
The truth I wanted to hide leaked out. Admitting that I was a lacking person felt depressing no matter how many times I did it.
"On the contrary, I think you’re very mature for your age."
"Is that so…?"
"In terms of being 'adult-like,' you’re almost too much of an adult."
Manager Dae-yeon closed his notebook.
"That’s why I worry."
"……."
"I worry that you might not have many places to lean on."
"Do adults need a place to lean on too?"
"Of course."
His tone suggested it was the most natural thing in the world. Wasn't an adult supposed to be someone who could take responsibility for everything on their own? Both financially and mentally?
"Whether you’re thirty, in your late twenties, or twenty-two, you need a place to lean on."
Manager Dae-yeon neatly straightened the blanket I’d messily pulled around myself.
"Seong-bin and Ju-woo are adults, but they rely on you a lot. I also received help from Ju-gyeong when I was changing jobs. For work matters, I consult with the Representative or Chan-yeong frequently."
"……."
"It might look like a grown adult hasn't achieved independence, but I believe that as you grow older, you shouldn't find it difficult to accept help."
I thought of Noona’s friends who had come to the funeral. Those people who knew Noona’s weaknesses.
"The things you have to take responsibility for increase. It’s too hard to endure it all alone."
Seeing them act as a support system for Noona, who had no one in her family to lean on, Noona must have felt that I needed people like that too.
But Noona’s little brother wasn't as confident as she was. He didn't know the value of deep friendships.
Is that why you tried to open the door for me? To create an opportunity for me to change?
"Maybe that’s why they say humans are social animals."
I think I understand now.
The business card for the clinic that Noona had been holding at the end wasn't just because she pitied me.
It was because she wanted my life to change in some way.
It was a kindness born from the hope that I would find a place to rest my heart and find even a little bit of peace.
Manager Dae-yeon smiled and asked if I needed anything. After a moment of thought, I asked if I could sleep a bit more.
"I’ll go to the practice room when I wake up."
"You don't have to overdo it."
At the manager’s words, I shook my head, hoping my intention was clear even if I was slow.
"I think I’ll feel more at ease if I do."
Simply because I wanted to see everyone.
Saying he understood, the manager drew the curtains. As the room darkened, drowsiness washed over me.
It was the first time I’d ever said I wanted to sleep more of my own volition. Even as I drifted off, that one thought remained clear.
After Kim I-wol fell asleep, Pyeong Dae-yeon quietly closed the door and stepped out.
He then sent a text to Min Ju-gyeong, asking her to call him when she was free.
The reply came in two minutes.
— Yeah, what’s up?
"Can you talk? Isn't it lunchtime?"
— I have some work to do, so I said I’d eat later. What about you? Did you eat? Is I-wol awake?
"I’m going to eat in a bit too. I-wol woke up for a moment but went back to sleep. He must have been exhausted."
He heard Min Ju-gyeong let out a sigh of relief over the phone.
— ……How is I-wol? Min Ju-gyeong asked cautiously.
"He wasn't like he was yesterday. Yesterday must have been exceptionally hard for him."
— I see…
Min Ju-gyeong, who had acted as the intermediary, had been blaming herself until the end of the workday yesterday. He had comforted her, saying that since both parties wanted to meet, there was no way for them as employees to stop it, but she felt guilty for not being able to persuade them and letting the kid get hurt.
Nevertheless, Pyeong Dae-yeon had something to ask of Min Ju-gyeong.
"The members currently receiving psychological counseling are I-wol and Gi-yeon, right?"
— That’s right. Why?
"I think it would be good to talk to the other members as well."
Pyeong Dae-yeon took a seat at the kitchen table.
"It’s not easy to go about your daily life after seeing someone collapse. Je-ho and Seong-bin witnessed it from very close by."
— Yeah…
"I heard something similar happened before, so I’m worried. Even if it’s not specifically because of this incident, it’s a difficult environment to work in at such a young age. I think we should look after them in that regard."
Pyeong Dae-yeon added that he wasn't blaming her. Min Ju-gyeong gave a small laugh.
— You don't have to come back to the office today, right? Except for bringing the kids back to the dorm tonight.
"I promised to take I-wol to the practice room when he wakes up."
— He’s coming in? You should have told him to rest. I-wol listens to you well.
"Does he?"
— Out of everyone in the company, he probably listens to you the most.
Pyeong Dae-yeon smiled silently.
"Anyway, so I’ll probably head to the office in the afternoon. And like you said, I’ll pick up the members in the evening."
— You’re working hard.
"It’s nothing."
Listening to his colleague’s dejected voice, Pyeong Dae-yeon checked the time and spoke.
"So you’re eating lunch late today?"
— Yeah. I’ll probably be working late tonight anyway, so it’s fine.
"Let’s have dinner together if you have time. My treat."
Min Ju-gyeong laughed, asking if this was a return favor for the meal celebrating his hiring. Telling her to think of it however she liked, Pyeong Dae-yeon hung up the phone.