Let's Live Together
“Thank you for coming, Eunhye unnie. I know you’re busy.”
“...It’s only natural.”
Aju thanked Eunhye for arriving before any of the other relatives. Eunhye smiled and moved toward her.
I stepped between them.
“You’re too close. Back off.”
“That’s not for you to say.”
No matter what, the last image I had of this girl was her keeping Aju trapped. She had stopped that behavior after our fight, but since I hadn’t seen her since, my impression of her remained exactly as bad as before.
“It’s fine, Riha oppa. I already told you. Eunhye unnie hasn’t interfered too harshly since that day.”
“I believe you because you’re the one saying it, Aju. But you’re way too kind. That part still worries me.”
“Why are you the one worrying? I’m her blood relative. What are you to Aju?”
“A closer relationship than blood.”
“That’s hilarious. You’re the one who made things hardest for her.”
What the hell was she talking about? What had I ever done to Aju?
She hadn’t reached out to Daeho or Aju even once all this time, yet here she was acting all high and mighty.
“A-anyway, unnie. What about Uncle and Aunt?”
“They’ll be here soon. I had business nearby so I came straight over.”
“Okay. Then I’ll show you to the funeral hall first.”
“Sure.”
Just having that woman here filled me with dissatisfaction, but on a day like this I couldn’t put my own feelings first. I followed Aju.
Once we reached the funeral hall, Eunhye finished greeting Aju, then stood in front of Daeho’s portrait. She glared at the photo and let out a long sigh.
“Haah. Those words you said when you left our house with Aju… I still remember them even now. So this is how it ends?”
“...” / “...”
The words Daeho had said—the ones Eunhye was referring to. Both Aju and I had heard them, so we could only stay silent.
“It wasn’t because the house was uncomfortable… From now on, both Aju and I are going to help each other live on our own strength.”
The determination in those words had been a vow to live by their own power from then on. But the person who had shown such resolve… had ended up like this.
“Talking like you’ll protect them forever and then leaving anyway—you and your friend are exactly the same.”
“...What?”
“Riha oppa…”
When she said Daeho’s friend, she could only mean me. Actually, before that—Daeho didn’t have any other friends.
More importantly, when had I ever left Aju behind? The past year was unavoidable because of the military, and I had come straight to see her the moment I was discharged.
“Unnie, thank you again.”
“...We’re family, after all. But Aju.”
“Yes?”
“After this… what are you going to do?”
“...” / “...Tsk.”
Aju immediately understood the meaning behind Eunhye’s question and closed her mouth for a moment. I felt strangely annoyed that Eunhye had asked first, so I clicked my tongue quietly behind them.
“I’m still thinking about it. For now… there are memories with oppa, so I want to keep living in that house, but…”
“No matter how much Daeho worked or how much money he saved, it’s not enough to live there indefinitely, is it?”
“...No.”
“You know that, right? This isn’t the time to be stubborn.”
“...”
“Once the funeral is over… let’s go back. To our house.”
“That’s…”
Eunhye drove Aju into a corner with words she couldn’t refute in her current state. Aju could only lower her head.
Even so, it was obvious to anyone that Aju didn’t want to return to that house, and Eunhye seemed to have noticed.
“I know why you don’t want to. But I won’t treat you the same way I did before, now that you’re about to become an adult.”
“...It’s not really because of that.”
“Is it the same reason as Daeho?”
“Yes…”
“What are you planning to do all by yourself when you’re not even an adult yet? At least Daeho had prepared himself to take responsibility. But you? After relying on Daeho for everything until now, what exactly can you do?”
“...”
At Eunhye’s words, Aju clenched her fists tightly and stayed silent. She must have thought there was nothing wrong with what Eunhye was saying.
Yes. Until now, Eunhye had only ever spoken the truth to Aju.
…Truth that hit hard enough to hurt.
“Hey. Are you done talking?”
“This isn’t your place to interrupt.”
“That’s my line.”
I had planned to say those exact words from the beginning. Who was she to cut in line and then act like the victim to the person who was waiting first?
“A stranger with no blood relation should stop meddling in our family’s problems.”
“You’re the one who didn’t even show up in front of Aju all this time, and now you’re suddenly meddling.”
“...You don’t even know anything.”
What? Eunhye had muttered something under her breath, but I couldn’t quite catch it.
…For now, I decided not to worry about it.
“Just so you know, Aju choosing to stay in that house isn’t only because of stubbornness. That house itself… is the very embodiment of their resolve to take responsibility for themselves from now on.”
“And you said Aju only relied on Daeho. But having watched the two of them closest, I know the truth. Their relationship wasn’t one-sided dependence.”
“They each had things they lacked, things they couldn’t do alone. So Daeho and Aju helped each other and moved forward together.”
You, who don’t even understand that… don’t you dare speak about the two of them, about Aju.
Now that the person who understood Aju best in this world is dead… the one who understands her most right now is me.
…The cat doesn’t count as a person.
“So? Aju is alone now. Even if she has the resolve you mentioned, the one who could fill her shortcomings—Daeho—is already dead.”
“I know. That’s why… I already told you. The person who understands Aju the most right now is me. And I have no intention of leaving her with someone who understands her less than I do.”
“What? You don’t mean—” / “Riha oppa?”
Aju, who had been listening to us, looked at me with a slightly startled expression. I met her eyes and finally said what I needed to say.
“Aju. I’m not trying to replace him. I just… want to help you when things get hard. If there’s something you want to do, I don’t want you to give it up. So—”
“…Let’s live together. I’ll fill in your shortcomings. In return, you fill in mine too.”
It sounds like a proposal.
The words were so easily misunderstood that even I thought so. But there was no other way to convey this feeling to her.
“Ah…”
After hearing me, Aju clasped both hands over her chest and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, as if trying to hold back every emotion inside her.
When her slightly trembling shoulders finally calmed, she stepped closer.
“I’m sorry, oppa.”
She carefully grabbed my shirt and looked up at me. In her eyes… a few tiny tears had gathered.
“To be honest… I was secretly hoping for it. That maybe Riha oppa would say something like that. That he would help me…”
“It’s really pathetic, isn’t it? I kept insisting I could do it alone, but I was taking your help for granted the whole time.”
“It’s exactly… what Eunhye unnie said. I can’t do anything by myself. In the end, I’m still someone who has no choice but to rely on others.”
I didn’t think it was pathetic at all.
If our positions were reversed, I would have secretly hoped for help from Daeho or Aju too. And they would have definitely helped me.
That was the relationship we had built and nurtured all this time.
This bond couldn’t even be compared to one with a woman who only shared blood.
So my actions would feel natural to both me and Aju.
“Eunhye unnie. I’m sorry. I won’t go back to that house either.”
“…Because it’s uncomfortable after all?”
“I won’t say it isn’t. But in this situation, if Riha oppa is reaching out his hand… I… No, not just me—Daeho oppa would also choose Riha oppa’s hand over anyone else’s.”
Because that’s the relationship we’ve built all this time.
Hearing those final words, I couldn’t help but smile faintly. Even though I had known how we both felt, hearing it directly still felt good.
“So that’s settled. I’ll take care of Aju’s situation.”
“…What can a guy who hasn’t even graduated college yet possibly do?”
“There are plenty of ways. No need to explain them to you.”
Now the outsider here wasn’t me—it was Eunhye. Realizing that, she simply stared at me in silence.
She must have understood that nothing she said now would change our minds.
“Riha. Just so you know, I don’t trust you anymore.”
“I’ve never trusted you even once, and I’ve never wanted you to.”
I shot back at Eunhye without missing a beat. She glanced at Aju, but it didn’t seem to carry any particular meaning.
“Aju, I’ll say it as many times as I have to. If you ever want to come back, come back. That place… is your home too.”
“…I’m sorry, Eunhye unnie.”
“I see…”
This time Eunhye nodded at Aju’s words. She shot me one last glare, then quietly left the funeral hall. Aju, who was still holding my shirt, gripped it even tighter.
“…Thank you, Riha oppa.”
“No need. I was planning to help from the start. I just said it a little late.”
“Still… thank you.”
“Yeah.”
I had thought there was no need for thanks between us.
But Aju really was diligent.
“By the way, Riha oppa. When you said let’s live together… is there any other reason besides wanting to help me?”
“Ah, that?”
“…Gulp.”
Aju, who had somehow moved even closer, swallowed nervously and waited for my answer. Hmm. No matter how close we were, living alone with a guy must still make her nervous…
I should reassure her.
“It really is just to help you. I have no intention of doing anything weird, so don’t worry.”
Even though I had broken up with my girlfriend today, Aju was different… We had years of time together.
Besides, she had just lost her brother. I wasn’t a scumbag.
Of course Aju already knew I wasn’t that kind of trash, but like I had done earlier, saying it directly helped it sink in better.
“Ah… I see…”
But why did Aju suddenly look so deflated?
And why did she let go of my shirt and step back a little?
“Idiot.”
And why was Eunhye cursing right outside the funeral hall?
I really didn’t get it.