Brother's Silence
The next morning, I double-checked yesterday's text with Jeongsook and arranged to meet Yeojeong unni after work. Then I sent a message to Joohee unni from [Delma]. Her personal number was always open, so even a morning call was possible.
After lunch, Joohee unni contacted me. She said everything could be arranged exactly as I wanted. I thanked her, gave her the time and place, and that settled it. I could finally focus on afternoon work.
After work, Jeongsook and I headed to Yeojeong unni's clinic. She had finished her schedule and was waiting alone. Since she had already spoken with Jeongsook, Yeojeong unni greeted us with barely contained excitement.
Over tea, I told them I had arranged a hypnotist through [Delma]. Yeojeong unni looked surprised; she had clearly assumed she would be the one hypnotizing Jeongsook.
"It's not that I don't trust your skill, unni. I just thought we needed a way to bind the two of you together. If you hypnotize Jeongsook, she can't do the same for you. So it seemed better to have both of you work with an outside professional."
My explanation seemed to satisfy her, and she didn't argue further. Relieved, I asked again whether she truly wanted Changhee involved and made it clear that even I didn't know how far Changhee would take them.
"If unni is okay with it, so am I. If this can bring us closer, I'm willing to go as far as it takes."
Jeongsook, gripping Yeojeong unni's hand tightly, showed even stronger resolve than she had that morning. Crazy bitch... The thought rose again, but I kept it off my face.
"Me too. I won't think of it as Changhee tormenting me. I'll think of it as her loving me. Jeongsook and I have already talked enough, so I trust she won't get jealous."
"Of course. You and Jeongsook will only love each other more. Think of the hypnosis as something we're doing to make that happen. I remember you once said some people respond well to hypnosis and others don't, and that still worries me a little, but I believe this will turn out well for both of you."
The three of us clasped hands, feeling like resistance fighters preparing for battle.
"I hope you don't think I'm shallow or vulgar, Sohyeon. If you call me shameless, I'll accept that much—ho ho..."
"I don't. I've heard enough from Changhee to know this world is far more varied than I ever imagined. It's not just about tying people up, hitting them, or humiliating them. It's a world that can't exist without trust and affection. So please stop trying to paint yourself that way, unni."
She nodded and smiled just as the doorbell rang. Jeongsook went to greet the visitor. It was the professional I had requested: a tall, striking lesbian hypnotist. After a brief explanation, we moved to the hypnosis room next door. I stayed beside the specialist, passing notes to fill in the finer details.
The time had come. If Yeojeong unni could not claim a piece of Changhee, she was willing to become a piece of her instead—and Jeongsook had followed her into depths neither of them had expected. People might call them reckless or foolish, but I felt no such judgment. They were about to become my wife's maids, and for that I was already grateful for their stubborn, foolish devotion.
19. Changhee's younger sister Mira greeted us with an even brighter face than usual. Though we hadn't met in a while, she and Changhee had grown close through frequent texting, and Mira now comfortably called her "unni." She still called me "unni" as well. When I teased her about it, she burst into laughter.
"Ho ho, when are you ever going to show me your husband side? Isn't it funnier that you want me to call you 'brother-in-law' while looking this pretty? Ho ho..."
"I was thinking of toning it down a bit, but Changhee threw a fit and told me not to. Ha ha... You seem to think I'd look fine as a man, huh? Hu hu..."
"Please don't say things like that, unni. It sounds like you'd actually listen if Mira encouraged you. Mira, you stop too. Right now unni looks exactly like the person I love—ho ho..."
Even Changhee joined in with a playful glare, and the coffee shop grew briefly noisy. I felt grateful for this "sister-in-law" who could make us laugh until tears came.
"How's oppa doing? Still the same?"
Our parents stayed in regular contact, so there was no need to ask after them, but Changhee's older brother—who had cut off all communication—required a question.
"Well... it doesn't sound good. His company is shaky..."
Concern clouded Mira's face at once. Changhee's expression matched hers. No matter how much he hated her, a brother was still a brother.
"The economy has been rough lately, so a lot of companies are struggling. Ours included..."
"It seems things got bad enough that the company started forcing unpaid leave. Mom and Dad have been helping with living expenses, but he went down to the provinces saying he'd at least earn enough for his newborn niece's formula. These days he only replies to messages once in a while, like we're strangers."
A heavy silence settled again. I realized this was why Mira had wanted to meet. Sensing she was hesitating to ask for help, I offered a solution first.
"I don't know if I can help, but we'd probably need to meet him first, wouldn't we?"
Legally I was Changhee's wife, so I should have called Mira "Miss" and her brother "brother-in-law," but our lives had become so chaotic after the transition that we usually just called her Mira or "sister-in-law" and referred to Changhee's brother simply as "hyung."
"I'd really appreciate that, but..."
"I know. He doesn't want to see us. But if we never meet, no good solution will appear. Since Mom and Dad are already covering his living expenses, I don't need to step in right away. What we should focus on is finding him work or starting a small business together. For that, we have to open up and face each other."
Mira pressed her lips together and lowered her head. Changhee urged her from the side to contact her brother.
"It's no use. I call him almost every day, but he only answers when he feels like it. He says he's busy, but it feels more like he just doesn't want to. So lately I've stopped calling too."
"Why didn't you say anything sooner? When did this start?"
Changhee's voice trembled. The rest of us, who had been smiling happily moments ago, now wore the same worried expressions.
"It's been a while. Probably around the time you two got married."
Roughly two months ago. Back then, her brother had asked Mira to tell us he hoped we would be happy. Now that happiness seemed to have added to his stress. If it weren't for the company troubles, maybe he would have been more understanding.
I remembered a story Father once told about his own hard times—eating grass roots and tree bark, scooping water from streams with his hands. When he spoke of Grandfather saying it was harder to watch your child starve than to starve yourself, Father had wept. Thanks to that, I grew up without knowing hunger. I wanted to help Changhee's brother in some way, if only because I remembered those tears.
"Whether he replies or not, send him a message right now. Tell him I'm going to create a job for him somehow and that he should come up to Seoul so we can talk."
Seeing how serious my expression was, Mira sent the text on the spot. Without waiting for a reply, we moved to have dinner. But even by the time we finished eating, there was still no answer. Mira, who had clearly been hoping, looked crushed, tears welling in her eyes. Changhee patted her shoulder, worry etched on her face. I deliberately spoke in a bright voice to lift their spirits.
"It's not wrong that he only contacts people when he wants to. When your heart is heavy, sometimes just letting others know you're alive feels like enough. So don't make those faces. And give me his new number too. I'll try reaching out when I get the chance."
I hadn't even told Changhee yet, but I was already planning to locate Lee Changguk. Rather than let him ruin his health doing menial work for little money, it would be better to find him quickly and set him up with something proper. I also wanted to surprise both Changhee and Mira once I found him.
Running a business meant meeting all kinds of people and hearing all kinds of stories. I remembered hearing about someone who had fled with money to an island in Jeolla Province and was tracked down in two days using only a phone number. That memory gave me hope.