Chapter 68
Chapter 68
It was just a fleeting glimpse on screen, but he knew for sure. It was definitely Lee Hee-yeon.
[Jae-gyu. QBS is doing a trot audition program next year. I'm going to go on it.]
The words she'd spoken while they were eating gukbap a while ago came back to him clearly.
But it was strange. The broadcasting station for the program Hee-yeon had just appeared on was the newly established KNET, and she'd said it would air next year, yet she'd already auditioned and seemed quite far along. What on earth was going on?
“Uncle.”
Jae-gyu, deep in thought, belatedly noticed Han-gyeol emerging from the kitchen. He hastily pressed the power button on the remote, turning off the TV, and averted his gaze.
“What were you so engrossed in? Soljjak?”
“Uh, just commercials and stuff.”
Fearing the quick-witted Han-gyeol might notice something, Jae-gyu cleared his throat. Glancing at Han-gyeol, Jae-gyu caught the spicy aroma wafting into the living room.
“Kimchi jjigae?”
“Uh-huh, good, right? Want me to make some rolled omelets too?”
“Wow, that smells delicious.”
“It should be ready in about five minutes. Just stay here for a bit.”
Han-gyeol sat on the edge of the sofa, pulled out his phone, and briefly scrolled through trivial entertainment news.
Jae-gyu, watching Han-gyeol out of the corner of his eye, suddenly realized this wasn't something he could hide just by turning off the living room TV.
In a world where simply opening a phone would bring up news articles detailing who said what on an entertainment program and how the panelists reacted, it wouldn't be long before Han-gyeol stumbled upon news of Hee-yeon.
Of course, he wouldn't remember his mother's face, but that, in itself, was unacceptable. He couldn't let the blood relative he'd so desperately sought appear right before his eyes only for him to know her as just another passing contestant, could he?
Jae-gyu slowly opened his mouth.
“Ah, do you remember that kimchi jjigae incident back when you were in middle school?”
They hadn't spoken of it until now, but it was something neither of them could forget.
“Why bring that up all of a sudden...? I was young back then. You know that, Uncle.”
At the mention of it, Han-gyeol's face flushed red. He lowered his head and rubbed his face with his hands. Jae-gyu let out a hearty laugh and provoked him once more.
“You threw a huge fit, saying it didn't taste right.”
“Ah, Uncle!”
“You glared, pounded the floor, and wailed that the taste was different.”
“Stop it!”
Han-gyeol's voice grew louder as his embarrassing past was brought up after so long. Jae-gyu looked at Han-gyeol, whose ears were flushed red with agitation, and calmly continued.
“You were something else back then. A middle schooler running away on a motorcycle, tearing out to find his mom – my heart dropped to my feet. Seriously.”
“Ha...”
That was right after Han-gyeol had just started his third year of middle school.
[Uncle. I got something called a deungbon, but what is this? Mom's name is on it?]
[That... Ha.]
[Why didn't you tell me? You said Mom was dead. Why did you lie?! Did Mom abandon me?]
[That's absolutely not true.]
[Then I want to meet Mom. Tell me where she is. Uncle, why aren't you saying anything!]
The once docile child went astray in an instant, and Jae-gyu was at a loss.
The suddenly rebellious Han-gyeol would routinely run out to find his mother, and he'd torment Jae-gyu by complaining that the kimchi jjigae he cooked didn't taste like his mom's.
Even though the kid couldn't even remember his mother's face and was throwing a tantrum, Jae-gyu silently kept cooking him kimchi jjigae.
Until Han-gyeol no longer said it was different from his mom's.
“When it comes to kimchi jjigae, I'm a master. Admit it.”
“Yeah. Yours is the best, Uncle. Maybe because I ate so much of it back then, it's the most familiar.”
The image of young Han-gyeol, pounding his chest and searching for his mother, was still deeply etched in Jae-gyu's mind.
“Seon Han-gyeol, do you still...”
Jae-gyu swallowed dryly. He slowly asked, observing Han-gyeol's expression, which still seemed largely untroubled.
“...want to find her? Your mom.”
His mouth kept going dry, wondering why this was so hard to say. Unlike him, who simply tried not to think about painful things, Han-gyeol had a delicate side and was rather sensitive.
“Suddenly...”
Perhaps he'd stirred up something unnecessarily. Jae-gyu's insides twisted with anxiety as he waited for an answer.
“Why would you ask something like that, Uncle?”
Han-gyeol replied lightly, put his phone away again, and slipped into the kitchen.
“He's all grown up.”
Han-gyeol was no longer provoked by the word 'mom.' Perhaps it was because the prolonged absence had become too familiar.
Jae-gyu checked if the selfie he'd asked Bom for had arrived, or any other message, but finding nothing, he closed the window. Then he opened a search app.
⋆★⋆
After the typhoon passed, the midsummer heat was in full swing.
Bom stood in front of the mirror, dressed in a thin, loose blue striped T-shirt and cotton shorts.
“This should be right, shouldn't it...?”
Today was the day they were finally leaving for their trip, which had been postponed due to the swollen river after last week's typhoon incident.
For days, Bom had diligently searched for 'valley fashion' and 'valley date.' But neither yielded any results. Searching for 'valley trip' brought up several blogs, but each one was completely different.
Some wore swimsuits, others were just in short-sleeved tees and shorts, playing in the water. There were people who'd pitched tents, and people who were car camping.
‘He said it was an overnight trip...’
Bom was packing her backpack with a sense of helplessness. For now, she packed a few changes of clothes and a swimsuit. As she packed extra underwear, Bom paused to think.
Jae-gyu had told her it was a private valley that people didn't know well, with a new caravan nearby. If that was the case...
Bom packed more underwear, put it in a pouch, and zipped up her backpack.
Vroom, vroom.
“Oh, Jae-gyu. When are you getting here?”
“What?”
Startled, Bom grabbed her backpack and came out to the living room. Jae-gyu couldn't possibly have come inside, but she still looked around.
“Ah, I'm coming out now.”
Bom adjusted her backpack, called Bom-sik, and opened the front door. Under the dazzling sunlight that stung her eyes, Jae-gyu was sprawled out on the pyeongsang.
“...”
Jae-gyu's outfit today was exactly what Bom had seen on blogs. He wore a long-sleeved orange T-shirt made of cooling fabric with a zipper at the neck, and wide navy shorts with a loud Hawaiian pattern.
“Bom!”
Jae-gyu instantly sat up, his face already tanned, as if he'd been there for a while.
Jae-gyu stood up completely, gave Bom a quick kiss on the top of her head, and took Bom-sik. Then he slung Bom's backpack over one shoulder.
“Let's go.”
As soon as the car left Cheongseol-eup, Jae-gyu's phone rang. He immediately put it on speakerphone.
“Uh-huh, I'll be there soon.”
The voice from the receiver belonged to Gu Philip, an employee at Jae-gyu's company. Today, Bom would have to rely on Philip for a bit.
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“Got it.”
“Uh-huh.”
Bom, who was listening, gaped. Both Philip, calling her 'madam,' and Jae-gyu, casually agreeing, left her dumbfounded.
She thought she'd have to explain herself when she met Philip, but once they arrived at the company, Bom was so captivated by Jae-gyu at work that she couldn't focus on anything else.
Leaning back in a luxurious leather chair, frowning as he flipped through the quote, he reminded her once again that Jae-gyu was not unemployed.
‘He does actually work...’
The contract review finished a little over ten minutes later. Jae-gyu showed Philip a few things he'd checked, told him to stall for time to negotiate the price down, and then left the office.
“Please take good care of Bom-sik.”
“Yes, I'll feed him raw food for the day, and even teach him 'sit' and 'stand.' Have a safe trip.”
With Philip, she felt at ease. Bom and Jae-gyu, now completely unburdened, headed for the valley.
It was their first trip together as a couple.
“...?”
“...”
Arriving at the 'private' valley Jae-gyu had spoken of, Bom was speechless. Jae-gyu was no different. Breaking the long silence, Bom asked,
“This is private?”
The valley was more crowded than a famous water park in the metropolitan area. There were many family visitors, and people sat on every rock, fanning themselves.
In front of Bom and Jae-gyu, a dozen or so children were engaged in a massive water gun fight, spraying water into the air.
“This is strange.”
Jae-gyu scratched the back of his head and called someone.
“We're here, but I don't see it. Uh-huh, there's no caravan or anything. This is the right place.”
Jae-gyu, holding Bom's hand – whose soul seemed to have left her body amidst the chaos – continued his call while searching for the way. Weaving through the valley, Jae-gyu found a path overgrown with fresh, tender green trees and let out a long breath.
“Ha... here it is.”
Jae-gyu hung up the phone and led Bom into the forest. Pushing through the thicket ahead, Jae-gyu stopped and pulled Bom's hand closer, tucking it against his side.
“What do you think?”
“Wow...”
On a flat area, sparsely dotted with magnificent trees, stood a white caravan with its awning fixed. Beneath it, a long wooden pyeongsang was set up.
A short distance away, a clear stream flowed between large rocks. Under the brilliant blue sky, surrounded by the lush green scenery, Bom's heart quickly swelled with joy.
“Shall we really start having some fun now?”
Before Jae-gyu had even finished speaking, Bom dashed to the water's edge. Dipping her feet straight into the shallow, clear valley water, Bom waved her hand.
“Jae-gyu! Come in quickly!”