Chapter 95
Chapter 95
He had scoured movies, dramas, and the internet to find them all. The problem was that out of this mountain of options, he wanted to pick the absolute best one, but he had no idea which one that was.
Hmm, should I review what I’ve written so far? Jae-gyu looked over his notes and started jotting down the concerns he had for each one.
Hire a professional event company
└ Might look like I’m lacking sincerity.
A fancy meal at a restaurant with a great night view. Hide the ring in the dessert.
└ What if my Bom-Bom swallows the ring while eating?
Go out on a yacht and sing on the scenic sea.
└ The weather’s chilly lately; she might catch a cold.
Make a heart out of candles in a hotel room.
└ The whole hotel might go up in flames.
“……”
He had written down everything other people usually did, but every single one bothered him for some reason. As Jae-gyu scanned the records in his notebook, his confusion eventually spiraled into a headache.
“Ugh, my head’s splitting.”
He dashed to the kitchen, poured a glass of cold water, and took out an Omega-3 supplement and a vitamin, swallowing one of each.
It wasn't that the headache vanished instantly, but the moment he swallowed them, he felt a surge of vitality as if he’d taken a miracle drug. Well, of course—look who gave them to him. As he closed the caps on the supplement bottles, Jae-gyu’s chest swelled with pride.
These were precious supplements Bom had gifted him the day after his health checkup. He’d received infused liquor that was supposedly good for the body before, but this was the first time he’d been given proper health supplements.
[It’s too precious to eat, so I’m gonna put it on display. It’s my Treasure No. 3.]
[Don’t say such silly things and make sure you take them. I’m going to check in a month to see if you’ve finished them.]
He thought of Bom, who, with her slender, deer-like frame, worried over his house-sized body. The realization that they were now close enough to look after each other’s health made the back of Jae-gyu’s neck turn a shade of reddish-pink.
“At this rate… we’re basically a married couple. It’s certain, almost. Ninety-nine percent.”
“Who’s a married couple?”
“ACK!”
The pill traveling down his esophagus got stuck in his throat. Jae-gyu sputtered and coughed, gulping down water frantically. Heavens. I almost died.
“Seon Han-gyeol, you were home? You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“I’ve been here for a while. Se-jin is upstairs, too. Didn’t you see the message I sent?”
He’d been so focused he hadn't checked his phone. While Jae-gyu’s eyes darted around, Han-gyeol opened the kimchi refrigerator, checked the upper and lower compartments, and frowned.
“Uncle, where did the apple mangoes go? The ones I bought two days ago.”
“…Well, ya see, about that.”
The refrigerator door snapped shut. Han-gyeol stood at an angle with his arms crossed, narrowing his eyes as he silently demanded an explanation.
“……”
Not long ago, the boy had said his uncle was all he had, yet here he was, glaring over some apple mangoes like the most unfilial son in the world. Jae-gyu bit his lip, feeling a wave of betrayal.
“You gave them to our homeroom teacher, didn’t you? I saw her eating a fruit lunch box under the wisteria tree yesterday.”
Se-jin, who had come downstairs at some point, entered the kitchen.
“Oh, Sam-jin, you’re here?”
“Hello. Han-gyeol, give me something cold to drink.”
“Got it. Want me to blend some tomatoes?”
“Yeah.”
Han-gyeol pulled out a chair for Se-jin to sit. He grabbed three large tomatoes and an ice bucket, headed for the blender, and set out three glasses in advance.
Jae-gyu watched him for a moment from behind, then pulled out a chair and sat diagonally from Se-jin.
“Did the teacher eat it all without leaving a scrap? That fruit lunch box of love.”
“I don’t know about that, but I saw her take about a hundred photos the moment she opened the lid.”
Jae-gyu’s mouth split into a wide grin. Bom, who rarely took photos of anything, had taken that many? Satisfied, Jae-gyu chuckled to himself before suddenly remembering what he’d wanted to say to Se-jin.
“That’s right, Sam-jin. Your sense that day was top-notch.”
“The day of the shoot?”
“Yeah. The best.”
Worrying his voice might be drowned out by the noise of the blender, he gave her a big thumbs-up.
The day Han-gyeol filmed with the broadcasting station people—thinking back on it now, Jae-gyu had done so many stupid things it was embarrassing.
He’d pretended to be asleep even though he knew Han-gyeol was leaving in the morning, and he’d acted all cool when Bom asked if he really wasn't going to follow them. He’d said it was Han-gyeol’s choice, but in truth, his heart had been aching…
Just as he was forcing himself to think he was fine, his phone had rung.
[Han-gyeol’s uncle! Something terrible happened. Our homeroom teacher is hurt. I think she sprained her ankle!]
[Where, how bad, where are ya!]
[She can’t move right now, so my brother sat her down at Pipi House for a bit.]
[If someone’s hurt, you should take ‘em to the hospital! Is Choi Yi-jun crazy?! Tell ‘em to stay right there.]
Bom hadn't answered her phone, and neither had Choi Yi-jun. That was how he’d ended up rushing straight to Pipi House, hearing the PD’s shouting from outside, and making his perfectly timed entrance. It was all thanks to this girl.
“The teacher just asked me to make sure you got there by ten, and I just set the stage. I figured you’d get there faster if I said my brother was with her, and my prediction was spot on.”
“I thought your brother still hadn't gotten his head on straight. You’re amazing, Sam-jin. Your acting was top-tier, too!”
“…Please stop using that nickname. It’s strangely catchy.”
“Once it’s catchy, it’s yours for life.”
The blender noise stopped. Han-gyeol brought over the finely blended tomatoes and ice, pouring them into tall glass tumblers.
The three of them sat around drinking the tomato juice. Perhaps because of the honey, the sweet aftertaste was exquisite. Jae-gyu didn't hold back his praise.
“Whoa. How many spoonfuls of honey did ya put in? Half a spoon? The ratio is perfect.”
“About ten ice cubes, one whole tomato, and a quarter-spoon of honey makes exactly one cup of this flavor.”
I should make this for Bom. Since the day she had to return to Seoul was drawing near, he felt like no matter what he did for her every day, it was never enough. Was this the fate of a weekend couple? Swallowing tomato juice instead of a sigh, Jae-gyu questioned the kids.
“Sam-jin is a hundred percent going to a university in Seoul. How about you, Han-gyeol? How’s it going lately?”
“Well. I’m working on it.”
“Even if it’s just in the metropolitan area, it’s fine since you two will be close.”
It was both strange and admirable to see the kid, who had always been dead last, suddenly studying like this. It must be thanks to having a good homeroom teacher. Plus, he’d found a good partner.
“Han-gyeol was always good at it. Uncle, actually, you know, he—”
“Don’t, Se-jin.”
Han-gyeol, who had been smiling, furrowed his brows and shook his head. But Se-jin ignored him and continued.
“He said he failed on purpose. He’d just mark the OMR cards in a straight line to get last place. You didn't know? If he’d just solved them with his actual skill, he would’ve been in the upper-middle tier.”
What is she talking about? Jae-gyu tilted his head, his eyes fixed on Han-gyeol.
“I just…”
“Just what?”
Come to think of it, Han-gyeol had been first in his class in elementary school. When he’d brought home his first report card, Jae-gyu had been so surprised and proud that he’d given him a piggyback ride.
But his grades had plummeted when he hit a severe rebellious phase in middle school. It had been the same in high school.
In truth, Jae-gyu hadn't cared what Han-gyeol’s grades were. Once he graduated high school, Jae-gyu could just teach him the ropes at his company. And having lived a bit, he knew there were so many things one could do in the world. Being good at studying wasn't the only path.
Since he had plenty of assets to support the boy, low grades hadn't been a concern. But the fact that he had received low grades on purpose was a completely different matter. Jae-gyu’s face hardened.
“What’s this all about, Han-gyeol?”
“……”
“Was it rebellion? Explain yourself.”
Han-gyeol, who had been silent and looking troubled, let out a long sigh and toyed with his empty glass.
“A long time ago, I…”
“Yeah, you. Why’d you do it?”
“I saw a diary you wrote, by accident.”
“I’ve never kept a diary,” Jae-gyu retorted bluntly. His kid didn't lie, but he really didn't keep anything like a diary.
“You’ll know when you see it.”
While Jae-gyu sat there with a scowl, Han-gyeol left the kitchen and returned with a framed photo from the living room cabinet. It was a photo of the boy’s middle school entrance ceremony.
“Why this… Ah!”
He saw the photo every day, so how could he have completely forgotten? Han-gyeol flipped the frame over, undid the latches, and pulled the photo out.
When he turned the photo over, there was writing that had become faint and blurred. It was the "diary" he had just remembered.
Our Han-gyeol became a middle schooler as of today. The uniform looks incredibly good on him. Han-gyeol even gave the entrance oath as the student representative because he entered with the highest marks. I’m glad he didn't take after me in that regard. He’ll probably go to university in Seoul. I’ll be alone again. It’s okay. It’ll be okay. There are still several years left.
He occasionally wrote notes on the back of photos he liked, but since he’d put it in a frame after writing it, he’d never dreamed Han-gyeol would see it.
“I wanted to stay by your side, Uncle. That’s how I felt back then. And honestly, there wasn't anything I particularly wanted to be even if I studied.”
“Because of me…”
“But now you have the teacher by your side, and I’ve found something I want to do. Even if I can’t fix my GPA, I’ll get in through the national exam, so it’s okay, Uncle.”
Jae-gyu silently gripped both ends of the photo and stared down at it. In the photo, a very young-looking Han-gyeol and a younger version of himself with a sharper impression were both wearing faint smiles.
He couldn't believe this was already five years ago. Time was something that flowed by too quickly to catch.
Time was that precious. And he was supposed to spend the next year or two away from the people he loved? He realized anew that he couldn't afford to waste a single day. Right, I can’t let things stay like this.
⋆★⋆
TheVideoCallIsntWorkingHere
Receiving the text, Bom chuckled and quickly moved her fingers to reply. It was the text from Jae-gyu she’d been waiting for all day.
You’re later than expected?
ThereWasABusAccidentNothingSeriousJustLateWillArriveAtLodgingSoonPleaseSendMeASelfie
A selfie, of all things. Bom took her phone and went to the mirror, tidying her hair and straightening the collar of her T-shirt that had slumped to one side. Her face was bare of makeup, but she’d shown it to him many times, and he’d said she was pretty, so…
Click. At the same time she pressed the shutter, a new text arrived as a pop-up.