Chapter 95
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 95
As is true of any group, its members are bound to be more interested in a newcomer than in the existing members. This tendency only intensifies when the newcomer has an air of being different, of not quite fitting in with the established crowd.
Dokyun watched Eun-seol as she was surrounded by his relatives, fielding a barrage of questions.
As always, she was a person who seemed to exist in a world of her own. A gentle, amiable smile graced her face as she kindly answered every question thrown her way.
“So how did you meet our Dokyun?”
“At a café I used to frequent. We kept running into each other and grew fond of one another.”
“Oh my! City folk meet in such different ways! How romantic, so romantic!”
Eun-seol let out a small laugh at his mother’s excited fussing.
Dokyun felt a smirk escape his lips as he listened to her answer.
Of course, it was a lie mixed with a bit of truth.
…Well, it’s not a complete lie.
An online community could be considered a type of internet “café,” so in a way, she was telling the truth. After all, the meaning of words could change with the slightest twist of phrasing.
Eun-seol deftly deflected the endless stream of questions with such clever replies.
His youngest uncle was particularly inquisitive. He was so full of curiosity that the moment she finished one answer, he would fire off the next without waiting even a second.
His father cut in to block any potentially awkward questions, but it was still mentally exhausting.
After some time, the questions began to die down. Just when Dokyun thought he could finally catch his breath…
“So, when are you two getting married?”
The most difficult question of all was thrown at them.
Dokyun’s gaze shot to Eun-seol. Her eyes met his.
Of all the difficult questions, this was the worst.
He wished his father would cut this one off too, but it seemed he was also curious, as he remained silent, stealing glances in their direction.
It was a tense moment. As Dokyun’s lips parted, his mind racing to come up with an excuse, Eun-seol spoke first.
“We’re thinking sometime this coming fall or winter. Both Dokyun and I feel we’re not quite ready yet…”
The words flowed out naturally. Belatedly, Dokyun nodded in agreement, backing her up.
“Ah, that’s right. Next winter…! Marriage is no small matter, you know?”
“Of course, it isn’t. Marriage is a huge deal.”
Dokyun watched his youngest uncle nod in agreement and let out a long, internal sigh.
It was brilliant improvisation.
“Ah, in that case…”
Another question began. Dokyun decided he had to put a stop to the interrogation right there.
The longer the tail, the easier it is to get caught, isn’t it?
Having made up his mind, Dokyun took Eun-seol’s hand and stood up.
“We’re just going to step out for some fresh air.”
“Oh my!”
His mother let out a delighted shriek at his words. Dokyun narrowed his eyes and shot her a glare, but she just continued her gleeful fussing.
“Ah, to be young and in love~!” she teased, covering her mouth with her hand. Seeing his other relatives burst into laughter, Dokyun sighed deeply and left.
If he stayed any longer, he felt like he’d lose his mind.
*
Out in the yard, Dokyun sat on a chair, took a deep breath, and spoke to Eun-seol.
“You worked hard. Answering all that couldn’t have been easy.”
“It’s fine. It wasn’t that difficult.”
Dokyun looked at Eun-seol, who answered as if it were nothing and closed her eyes.
Her face was etched with a deep-seated fatigue she couldn’t quite hide. He realized then that the situation had been quite taxing for her as well. Thinking how she was once again pretending to be fine, he let out a faint smile and opened his mouth.
“By the way, did you prepare those answers beforehand?”
“To some extent.”
“Oh… That’s amazing.”
“It’s nothing.”
An exclamation of awe escaped Dokyun’s lips. He had expected as much from someone so thorough, but hearing her confirm it was still surprising.
She was a thoughtful person. And considerate, too. Looking at her, who had been dragged here against her will yet was still playing her part perfectly, he thanked her once again.
“Thank you. We can leave after the ancestral rites tomorrow, so just hang in there a little longer.”
“Alright.”
As expected, her reply was short. So like her, he thought. As Dokyun chuckled at how quickly she lost interest in him, Yeon-ji, who had come outside at some point, spotted Eun-seol and ran over.
“Princess!”
She cried out happily, clinging to Eun-seol’s leg.
Dokyun flinched, swallowing nervously.
“Yes, Princess.”
Eun-seol smiled faintly and stroked Yeon-ji’s hair. Dokyun’s eyes widened at her reply, and he studied her expression. It was completely different from how she’d been with the adults. She was facing Yeon-ji with a warm smile.
For a moment, Dokyun thought, So she can make a face like that.
Ah, now that I think about it.
He recalled her expression last Christmas when she had asked him to take Eun-ji out.
It was a look that seemed both desperate and apologetic.
She must have a soft spot for kids.
Seeing her current attitude, Dokyun came to that conclusion and nodded to himself in understanding.
Just then, Yeon-ji, who had been looking back and forth between Eun-seol and Dokyun, asked Eun-seol in a suggestive tone.
“Princess, are you getting married?”
Had she overheard their earlier conversation? As she asked the question, her face full of suspicion, Dokyun tensed up slightly. Eun-seol answered.
“Yes, this princess is going to marry Uncle.”
“Why?”
“Huh?”
A sound of confusion escaped Dokyun’s lips at Yeon-ji’s question.
Yeon-ji and Eun-seol’s heads turned toward him. After a brief silence, Yeon-ji spoke again.
“A princess is supposed to marry a prince, right? Uncle isn’t a prince.”
Stab—.
Her words dug deep into his heart.
“Uncle is too ugly to be a prince. He should be a Dol-soe.” [A brawny, simple-minded servant from old stories.]
“Stop…”
Dokyun squeezed his eyes shut and muttered at the words that were gutting him.
There was so much he wanted to say. Did a prince have to be handsome? Couldn’t a prince be ugly? And besides all that, did it matter if he wasn’t a prince? What was so wrong with being a Dol-soe?
Countless rebuttals flashed through his mind, but Dokyun held them back.
He concluded that a seven-year-old cousin couldn’t possibly understand the greatness of a Dol-soe.
The knowledge of Dol-soe’s legendary stamina, which made even the lady of the house swoon, was too advanced for a child.
Swallowing the rising tide of sorrow, Dokyun was forcing a pitiful smile when Eun-seol, her shoulders trembling slightly as she held back a laugh, answered Yeon-ji.
“To me, Uncle is the most handsome prince in the world.”
Hearing Eun-seol’s reply, a look of pure adoration washed over Dokyun’s face.
He knew she was just making an excuse, but her words were a comfort nonetheless.
As Dokyun beamed with emotion, Yeon-ji, who had been looking at Eun-seol, tilted her head in confusion.
“Huuuh…?”
She scrunched up her face, clearly unconvinced.
Un-scrunch your face.
Dokyun barely resisted the urge to give her a flick on the forehead. When he shot her a glare, Eun-seol pinched his side before speaking to Yeon-ji again.
“Ghk…!”
“You’ll understand when you’re older, Princess.”
Her tone was warm. Yeon-ji nodded, though she still looked skeptical. Dokyun nodded as well.
Yeon-ji would understand when she grew up. She would understand just how great a Dol-soe was.
In any case, kids were terrifying.
How tragic it was that they could hurt someone so deeply with words they spoke without any awareness.
This was why education was so important.
As Dokyun was lost in these thoughts, glaring at Yeon-ji, a van approached his house from a distance.
The van rattled as it drew closer. Dokyun tilted his head, narrowing his eyes to get a better look.
On the front bumper, in pretty pink letters, were the words [Seong’s Mill].
[Seong’s Mill]
The moment he saw the name, Dokyun felt a familiar dread wash over him.
What more was there to say? This was the family business of his eternal nemesis, the one who had stolen his number one childhood treasure, the SSR Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and had made him cry with countless acts of bullying thereafter.
Seong Geun-tae…!
It was Geun-tae’s family shop.
It seemed the rice cakes they’d ordered for the ancestral rites were from his place.
Squeeze—!
Dokyun’s fists clenched tightly.
Of course, now that they were adults, the guy had matured and no longer tormented him, but Dokyun still couldn’t forgive him. Bullying truly ends only when the victim forgets, not the perpetrator.
Every time he saw someone with tan skin, an athletic build, and bright blond hair, he was seized by PTSD.
The sight of someone who looked like the epitome of a delinquent would involuntarily remind him of his number one treasure. How lamentable it had been, how painful.
Dokyun glared at the truck with his eyes wide open. I will resent you. I will curse you. His gaze, filled with such feelings, remained fixed on the truck for a moment.
Clunk—!
The truck door opened, and Dokyun’s jaw dropped at the sight of the figure getting out.
“…Geun-tae… hyung?”
“Huh? Oh, Dokyun! Heard you’re getting married!”
Geun-tae greeted him cheerfully, but the words didn’t properly register in Dokyun’s ears.
Geun-tae approached him, carrying a box of rice cakes. Still, Dokyun’s mouth remained agape.
“Wow, has it been another six months? You get more handsome every time I see you, Dokyun!”
His words were affable.
But Dokyun’s gaze remained glued to Geun-tae’s head.
Perhaps sensing it, Geun-tae ran a hand over his conspicuously receding hairline and chuckled.
“Huh? Oh, this? I think it got damaged from bleaching it so much. Guess I’ll have to take a break from dyeing for a while.”
No.
“You be careful too. They say hair damaged by bleach takes at least a year to grow back.”
It’s not damaged. It’s evaporated.
“Well, you don’t dye your hair or anything, so you don’t have to worry… Huh? Oh, this must be your fiancée? Nice to meet you.”
“Ah, yes. Hello.”
That was, without a doubt, hair loss.
How…
How can he not know?
No…
He must know.
That is…
He’s in denial…!
He was in denial about his own hair loss. He was turning a blind eye to the harsh reality.
His eternal enemy, the object of his hatred, was averting his gaze from the curse of baldness that had befallen him.
Suddenly, Dokyun felt a sense of pity welling up from deep inside him. He didn’t want to feel this way. He wanted to hate him more. But seeing that the color shining on his head was no longer gold but the copper of his scalp, his hatred subsided.
Dokyun watched Geun-tae, who, while he had been spacing out, had finished greeting Eun-seol and was now teasing Yeon-ji.
“Yeon-ji, you get prettier every time I see you!”
“Hmph! That’s because Yeon-ji is a princess!”
“Hahaha! That’s right, Your Highness! Please look out for me when you’re successful later!”
“I’ll think about it!”
He laughed with a good-natured face.
Ah…
He’s gone.
The object of his hatred was gone.
Before him stood a simple country boy who had shed all his malice along with his hair.
“Oops! I got distracted again! Well, Dokyun! I’m gonna go drop this inside, so make sure you send me a wedding invitation!”
“Ah, yeah…”
He walked away with the confident stride of a merchant, the boxes of rice cakes balanced on his shoulders.
Watching him, Dokyun couldn’t bring himself to feel any resentment.
Ah…
Was it just his imagination, or did the retreating figure look strangely pathetic? As Dokyun let that feeling wash over him, Eun-seol glanced at him and asked a question.
“A close friend?”
“Ah…”
Another groan escaped him.
Is he a close friend?
No, they still weren’t close.
Is he someone I resent?
No, that wasn’t it either.
He pondered for a moment, and then, having found a fitting answer, he gave a small nod.
“…He’s someone I might be able to get close to from now on.”
Dokyun looked at Eun-seol, who tilted her head slightly at his answer, then turned his gaze back to Geun-tae’s retreating figure.
The resentment fades.
The anger scatters.
The long, long history of hatred had scattered away, along with his hair.