A Door Held Open
Knock, knock. I snapped back to my senses and stared at the door. No one should have been knocking. My stay was still paid up for plenty of days, and I'd told them to clean only if I asked.
"Eunsu, are you in? It's Eun-kyung."
Ah. Eun-kyung. I dragged myself over and opened the door. Old habits die hard. Checking outside before opening had become second nature.
A hotel staff member and Eun-kyung stood in the hallway.
"Is something wrong?"
"Whew... The staff said no one had come out for days. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine."
I answered and moved to close the door, but Eun-kyung caught it and held it open.
"Why are you doing this? I know it might seem nosy, but it's better than someone dying, isn't it?"
She said it, then turned to the staff and told them in French that everything seemed fine and they could go. She strode inside, opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and handed it to me.
"Drink. You look like you haven't had a sip in days."
"Have you eaten anything?"
"Not hungry."
She sighed, rummaged through the bag she'd brought, and pulled out some snacks—chocolate and candy.
"Eat this at least, then go get a proper meal. What are you doing, a grown man like you?"
"Thank you, but I'd appreciate it if you left."
I declined politely. She sighed again and muttered something under her breath, then looked around, grabbed one of the room keys from the table, and said she'd be back in the afternoon before walking out.
What was she up to? I had no strength left to question it after days without food, so I just watched her go in a daze. Sitting on the sofa, my eyes drifted to the chocolate and candy she'd left on the table.
Damn... The moment food appeared, my body started demanding I eat. Senior Ban-jjak and Mr. Gonzales probably wanted to eat but couldn't anymore.
"Eat it already."
Now I was hearing things. Was that Senior's voice? Or Mr. Gonzales's?
I reached out, picked up a piece of chocolate, and tore open the wrapper. Then everything went black.
When I opened my eyes, a white ceiling filled my vision. I looked around. It looked like a hospital. I must have collapsed. As I sat up, I noticed an IV line attached to my hand.
"You're awake?"
Eun-kyung noticed and came over.
"Yes. Thank you."
"Honestly... I didn't expect a guest to be this much trouble."
"I'm sorry."
"I don't know what's going on, but you should let it out. It's a waste, this youth of yours."
"All right."
I explained what had happened. That morning, she'd gone to pick up a group of hotel guests for a lesson when the front desk called her over. They mentioned a guest who'd taken lessons with her the previous week hadn't been seen in days and asked if she knew anything. So she'd gone up with them. She couldn't stay long because of her lesson, but as soon as it ended, she came back to the hotel, picked up the guests, and returned to the room. When she opened the door, she'd found me crying in front of the chocolate before collapsing.
"Oh, and sorry for saying this to a patient, but..."
"I had no choice but to bring you to the hospital when you collapsed. You should check out as soon as possible."
"What?"
"You don't have insurance. Swiss medical costs are brutal."
"I have enough money for that."
"You look like you do. Still, it's a waste. I've paid some in advance—can you reimburse me later?"
"Of course. Thank you."
She told me to rest and to contact her if I needed anything, then left.
The next day, I tried to handle the discharge myself, but it was too complicated. Since I couldn't communicate with the medical staff, I had no choice but to message Eun-kyung.
Eun-kyung, it's Eunsu. Sorry, but could you help me with the discharge?
Yes, I'll be right there.
About an hour later, she arrived. She handled the paperwork at the desk, then took care of the payment at what would be the billing department back home. I asked how much it was and transferred the money, including a tip. I felt grateful.
"Change your clothes. Let's go get something to eat."
I nodded without a word, changed, and followed her out.
Outside the hospital, the Swiss sky was overcast. Soon, snow began to fall lightly. In the parking lot sat the pickup truck that shuttled between the ski resort and the hotel. It had been days since I'd seen it—somehow, it felt welcoming. Eun-kyung waved me over.
"Get in, quick."
"Since you're in Switzerland, you should try the local food."
"All right."
After about twenty minutes in the car, we pulled up to a restaurant. We got out and went inside. The interior was clean, and there were quite a few families dining.
"I'll order for us."
I nodded, and she called the waiter over and ordered several dishes.
"Eunsu, do you know why I'm doing all this?"
I was curious too. Teaching me to ski for a few days didn't seem like enough reason for this level of involvement.
"I don't know."
"The last time I saw you at the ski resort, you reminded me of my brother."
That was a pretty weak pickup line.
"He died."
My mind still wasn't fully clear. She kept talking. Her family had lived in Korea when she was young before returning to Switzerland. Her parents were busy making a living, and her brother was focused on his studies, so she'd spent a lot of time alone. Skiing and snowboarding became her only hobbies. Racing down the slopes gave her a sense of freedom, like the world was embracing her. After finishing elementary school and entering puberty, she learned why they'd moved back to Switzerland—her mother's health. Her mother, who hadn't been well, felt guilty that her husband had never returned to his hometown after marriage because of family opposition, so she wanted to spend her final days there. Her father said it wasn't necessary and wanted to stay in Korea, but her mother insisted. He'd told her they'd planned to stay only a year or two, but whether it was the Swiss environment or her careful health management, they'd stayed much longer. In the end, time caught up with her mother, and she passed away. After that, the three of them had to keep living, but her brother started going astray. It was a common story. A mother was such an important presence in a family. If the younger sibling was going through puberty, the older brother was too.
"Boring, right?"
It was a common story. And a painful one. When the food arrived, she stopped talking and introduced the dishes. They looked as clean and appetizing as she'd described.
"This is cheese fondue. You can probably find it in Korea too, but Swiss cheese is famous. The flavor's excellent."
"And this is stir-fried pork with vegetables. It might not suit your taste—the spices are pretty divisive."
"Want a glass of wine? Is it okay to offer it to a patient?"
"It's fine. Let's drink together."
She ordered a bottle of wine and continued her story. I listened while eating, feeling awkward. It had been so long since I'd eaten that my body urged me to hurry up.
"After my brother started high school, I noticed more and more injuries on his face and body. He must have been getting into fights. One day, I saw a report card that had been delivered to the house—it wasn't my brother's usual grades. As far as I knew, he'd been doing well in school. Our mother had pushed him hard, after all. I didn't understand what was happening, so I just nagged him about not studying and wasting his time. I probably said a lot of hurtful things. The next month, I saw him in the bathroom while he was showering. His body was covered in bruises and tattoos. I was shocked and demanded to know what was going on, but he got angry and told me to mind my own business. Then he ran away from home. After a few days, when he still hadn't come back, we filed a police report, but they couldn't find him. It was a day with heavy snow. My father got into an accident at work. Five years later, I saw my brother again. I asked why he'd only come back now and hurled every insult I knew at him. He just listened quietly. After the funeral, he sorted through our parents' belongings and assets and gave everything to me. It wasn't much—just the house we live in now. We'd been living together for about a month when he suddenly suggested we go to the ski resort. That's how siblings are. They fight all the time but always make up. After spending another month together, it felt manageable, and I started relying on him. Because if he left, I'd be alone again."
She paused and took a sip of wine by herself.
"So I went down the slope just like before. It was the same as always. I got a coffee and went to find him, but he was sitting there with a serious expression. He didn't answer when I asked what was wrong. Then he told me he had to go somewhere for a while and left. A week later, I had to send my brother off too."
She looked at me.
"Eunsu, there are people waiting for you. People who want to see you."
"I wish I'd said that to my brother. That I wanted to see him. Maybe he would've come back. He wouldn't have left me like that, would he?"
We finished the meal, and I returned to the hotel. The next day, I packed my things and left.
It's been a while. I miss you. Come to the Philippines.