Chapter 138
Chapter 138
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Back to the Village
-----------------------------------------------------------------
By the time we arrived, it was already 11 o'clock.
Even though I thought we'd left earlier than expected, we'd stopped at a rest area along the way to use the bathroom and grab some snacks, so time had flown by.
We could have gotten there sooner, but with Daeun still so young, it was tough for her to stay in the car for long stretches, so we had no choice but to take it easy.
Still, thanks to the other two being so considerate of Daeun, we made it without any major issues, and the sight before us drew gasps of admiration from everyone.
"Wow, this place hasn't changed a bit."
"Yeah, it's still stunning."
The scenery unfolding below the serene village was nothing short of breathtaking.
Just as I remembered it from back then.
It was the kind of view that healed you just by looking at it.
Amid this landscape, I chuckled in disbelief and said,
"Was this place always this nice?"
"You probably wouldn't know. Back then, even during the MT, all you did was paint in your room. No way you'd have noticed stuff like this."
"Oh, right."
While all my other friends were out enjoying the MT, I'd holed up in the room, just painting.
That's probably why I'd brushed off Hyorin's letter like that, too.
"Let's head over there first. That's probably where we stayed back then."
Nod.
With that, I followed Jungeun Park toward the direction of our old lodging.
The inn we reached after passing through alleys with wide-open views as a backdrop was unfortunately shuttered tight.
"Is this place out of business now?"
"Well, that was ten years ago already. They say ten years can change rivers and mountains— no surprise an inn would close."
It had held some decent memories for me, but now, ten years later, it was an overgrown ruin covered in vines.
"What a shame."
A place from my memories vanishing like that.
It was pretty sad.
Not just because it marked how much time had passed, but because it felt like all the memories tied to that spot were fading away too.
"Can't be helped, even if it's disappointing."
At Jungeun's words, I turned to look at Minji Gong.
"If there's no lodging here, we'll have to scout somewhere else."
"Yeah. The location was perfect, though. I'm even more bummed."
Clean air, great views.
Finding a healing spot like this for students stressed from their graduation exhibition wasn't easy.
"Let's look around more. There might be new places nearby."
Nod.
"Oh, and let's check out that tree where Hyorin said she'd wait."
"Okay."
Ten years had come full circle.
We'd rushed here like this to confirm the feelings Hyorin had buried for those ten years.
I didn't want to waste any more time.
I just wanted to verify what Hyorin had felt back then, as quickly as possible.
Crunch.
And so, we headed toward the sacred village tree, retracing our past memories.
And then we...
"Uh... this place looks kinda different."
"Yeah, I remember there being nothing around it back then."
"No way... it's not gone, is it?"
At Jungeun's words, I hurriedly scanned the surroundings.
I checked inside the thick trunk, poked around the ground.
I even spun around the tree, inspecting every inch in case something was carved into it.
But unfortunately, there was nothing.
"Ah..."
I felt like an idiot for assuming it would still be there.
Ten years wasn't a short time—plenty could have happened.
Of course, whatever feelings Hyorin had left behind ten years ago would be long gone.
Just then, Minji Gong glanced around hopefully and said,
"What if it's buried underground? Like a time capsule or something."
"Oh, that could be."
That's usually how these things are hidden.
If she'd hidden it hoping it'd be found someday, she'd have buried it for sure.
With that thought, we...
"Hmm... we'd have to dig, right?"
"Y-yeah, but that feels kinda iffy."
"Totally. And it's not just any tree—it's the village's sacred tree."
Strangers from who-knows-where suddenly digging under the village guardian tree?
If no one caught us, fine, but with Daeun watching, I didn't want to stir up any trouble.
If some villager spotted us, we'd probably get an earful.
If that was the case, then...
I turned to the two of them and said,
"Just in case, I'll head down and get permission."
"You?"
"Yeah, we're here because of me, right? I'll find the village chief if he's around and ask. About digging under the sacred tree."
Jungeun looked a bit worried and asked,
"You sure? Want me to come with?"
"Nah, I'm good. I'll go alone."
Right then, Daeun shot her hand up and said,
"Daeun wants to go with Daddy!"
"Daeun too?"
It might lead to a scolding, even if unlikely.
I wondered if it was right to bring her along, but seeing her face, leaving her behind seemed like the bigger issue.
In the end, I smiled and extended my hand to Daeun.
"Alright, then just Daeun comes with me."
"Yeah!"
With that settled, I turned to the two and said,
"I'll be right back, so wait here a bit. If you want to look around, go ahead. If you're not here when I get back, I'll call."
Jungeun glanced at Minji Gong.
Minji Gong looked back at Jungeun.
After exchanging looks, they both nodded at the same time.
"Okay."
"We'll wait."
Their response gave me a slightly odd vibe, but since it was just a feeling, I nodded and replied,
"Alright, I'll be quick, so hang tight."
"Yeah, see you."
"Uncles! Daeun will wait!"
"Got it, be careful."
"Yeah!"
And so, I headed down to the village with Daeun to get the chief's permission.
Kanghyeok Lee and Daeun Lee walked down the path.
With the sacred tree up on the hill, the two descending naturally came into view.
Minji Gong, watching them go, asked curiously,
"How've you been all this time?"
"...Me?"
"Yeah, you."
Jungeun Park paused for a moment before answering,
"Fine. Nothing special, just the same old routine every day."
"Sounds boring."
"Hmm, not terribly boring, though."
"But you said every day was the same."
"That's my life. But work? Every day felt like a movie. Tons of incidents, even a close friend in a car accident turned vegetable for years, then watching that same friend's daughter be born and grow up, and..."
"It's all Kanghyeok stories."
Jungeun gazed at Kanghyeok's receding back and said,
"Yeah. Most of my life has been Kanghyeok's story."
The dark shadow hidden behind the genius in the spotlight.
The kind of presence you wouldn't notice unless you looked, but one that absolutely had to exist.
Jungeun knew that's what he was.
And he had no real complaints about it.
"I wasn't asking about Kanghyeok."
"Then?"
"I meant you. How you've been living."
At Minji Gong's question, Jungeun thought it over, tilted his head, and said,
"I told you. Boring."
It was true.
After college graduation, he'd had zero interest in anything but the job he'd chosen.
No dating, no personal time.
Just work, work, work.
Life for Jungeun Park was simply his job.
"Why live like that? You could've spiced things up. You had the ability."
Heh.
Jungeun chuckled and replied,
"Ability? And what's wrong with this life? I like the path I chose, this reality right now. No complaints."
Minji Gong let out a long sigh.
"The professor was right."
"Huh? Professor?"
"You haven't changed a bit. You're exactly the same as graduation day."
"Ex... exactly the same?"
"Yeah. On graduation day, you said to me, 'Let's date.'"
Jungeun's cheeks flushed beet red at the sudden topic.
"W-why bring that up now?"
"Did you or didn't you?"
"I-I did, but I was young, immature, didn't think it through..."
"Do you remember what I said back then?"
"What?"
"What I said."
At her question, Jungeun recalled her words.
"That you don't like people without life goals."
"Right. So why are you still like that?"
"Huh?"
Jungeun couldn't comprehend.
What was Minji Gong even saying?
"No, back then you clearly said you didn't like me."
"Did I?"
"No."
"Think carefully. What did I say?"
"People without life goals are unattrac—"
Jungeun's expression changed.
"No way... it wasn't that you disliked me."
Minji Gong shook her head.
"They say friends start to resemble each other, and you two are identical. Both so steady, both clueless about feelings."
At that, Jungeun fully turned to her, asking again.
A hint of anger in his voice.
"Why tell me now?"
"You never asked."
"What?"
"I'm saying I should've grabbed you back then."
"..."
Jungeun had to clamp his mouth shut at her words.
Honestly, she had no reason to hold onto him.
After all, he'd been the one to first suggest dating, and the one who'd misunderstood and walked away alone.
Maybe that's why she'd built up so much resentment.
She unleashed her feelings like a machine gun.
"I thought you'd come back. That you'd return, say you'd set a goal, become a man with purpose, and ask to date again. But days passed, weeks, a year, and you never came. That's when I realized—oh, he never really liked me."
"No! I... I mean, I liked you..."
Jungeun couldn't spit out the words rising in his throat.
Her feelings poured out first.
"But get this—at the time, I liked you too. So I waited, just in case..."
Minji Gong smiled bitterly and continued.
"That's all ancient history now. Don't sweat it. Sure, I regret the past, but no one knows better than me that we can't turn back time."
Can't turn back time.
Jungeun's chest ached.
But he had nothing to say.
The misunderstanding, not seeking her out again, giving up—it had all been his choices.
With that, Minji Gong fell silent.
Instead, she stood and looked down at the village, saying,
"Honestly, I came along this time to get this off my chest. It felt too unfair to bury it after all that waiting. Curse me out if you want; I get it. So, like you said, forget it. Pretend it never happened."
Whoosh!
Jungeun shook his head vigorously and said,
"No."
"Huh? What?"
"No, I can't do that."
He stood up and faced Minji Gong directly.
And said,
"I misunderstood back then. But I regretted it too. I should've talked more, pushed harder, shown my feelings better. I've lived with that regret every day. But I don't want to anymore. I prayed to the heavens—if you give me one more chance, I won't let go. So I won't miss this chance now."
With desperate eyes, Jungeun said to her,
"Minji, will you go out with me?"
One sentence, after ten years circling back to the starting point.
But...
She shook her head instead of answering.
"Too late."
'Ah...'
Her response tore at Jungeun's heart.
Just like she said, ten years was far too long.
So Jungeun had to ask,
"Is it... you have a boyfriend? Or, w-wait, are you m-married...?"
He could barely get the words out.
He'd regretted every day, and now the chance to fix it all had come.
But he'd really been too late.
Way too late to turn back...
"You idiot!"
At his question, Minji Gong yelled.
"How are you still such a fool?!"
"...What?"
Stunned by the sudden shout, he looked at her, and she enunciated clearly to avoid any misunderstanding.
"Too late, you idiot!"
Ah!
Only then did Jungeun understand what she meant.
"M-Minji..."
As they gazed into each other's eyes, sharing the feelings they'd held back all this time.
"Ow! Don't push, Daddy!"
"Shh! D-Daeun, q-quiet, they'll hear."
"Oh! Sorry."
"Hee hee hee, young love, such young love."
At the sudden voices,
Both Jungeun and Minji's faces turned crimson.