By Zephyria “Auntie, I’m here.”
“Tae-kyung! Welcome!”
I approached Auntie, who stood up and opened her arms wide, and hugged her tightly.
“Did you wait long?”
“No, I just got here a little while ago.”
I sat down and watched Auntie order the menu from the manager. Because she was wearing an office look, I saw a new side of Auntie, a cold-hearted businesswoman.
I heard that Auntie runs a lodging business….
“Tae-kyung.”
After the manager closed the door and left, Auntie leaned back on the sofa and looked at me. It was an unfamiliar look that I was seeing for the first time from Auntie.
“I heard you heard about how Se-han grew up? From Kang Robin?”
Auntie’s personality was originally cool and straightforward, so she got to the point quickly. I quickly agreed.
“Yes, I heard. I want to hear more details from Auntie.”
Auntie took a sip of water, as if she had a lot on her mind in response to my answer. I looked around the spacious room and then looked back at Auntie.
“Tae-kyung, I can’t tell you anything until I get permission from Se-han.”
“Ah… Yes. I understand, Auntie.”
I readily agreed because I fully understood Auntie’s position. But then I wondered why she had called me.
“I wanted to see you because I had something to tell you.”
Auntie changed her posture, crossed one leg, and looked at me. It was an unfamiliar look that I was seeing for the first time from Auntie.
“Director Park Jin-seok and PD Lee Cheol-hyeon, who forced you to get a sponsor, will be stepping down from their positions within a month.”
“……!”
I didn’t expect to hear about something I had completely forgotten from Auntie. Before I could even feel embarrassed, Auntie continued.
“Director Min Hyo-jeong of Samjeong Construction is actually someone I’m close to, so it’s become a bit difficult.”
I could only open and close my mouth, and I couldn’t decide what to say, so I didn’t say anything rashly. Auntie smiled as she watched me for a while. It was an awkward smile.
“If I had known in advance that you were like my nephew, I wouldn’t have approached you.”
“Um, Auntie. I’m a little embarrassed.”
I nervously stroked my forehead and then looked up.
“It’s already in the past. I’ve already forgotten everything. Why are you saying this…?”
“Se-han.”
Suddenly, Auntie sighed deeply.
“Tae-kyung, the truth is that Director Min Hyo-jeong is someone I’ve been getting along with for a long time. She made a big mistake with you this time, but she’s definitely not a bad person.”
“Auntie, I don’t understand what you’re saying…”
Auntie drank the rest of the water and then looked up again.
“Se-han usually listens to me, but when you’re involved, he doesn’t listen.”
“……”
I waited for Auntie’s words with my mouth open.
“I want you to persuade him. Tell him not to touch Director Min Hyo-jeong.”
“Um, Auntie.”
I pulled my body forward to the table, then swept my hair back up again and organized my thoughts. But there was nothing I understood.
“Se-han is only twenty years old now. No matter how angry he is… how can he do anything to someone in that position?”
“I’ve done everything Se-han wanted so far. That was also my mother’s will, and I wanted to do anything for him.”
Auntie crossed her legs and tapped her knee with her finger. The smile on her face had disappeared.
“But that was all within the limits of what the law allows, and only for mild things.”
I listened to Auntie’s words without even swallowing.
“Kang Robin isn’t the type of person who cares about the law in the first place, but he’s completely lost it since he met his son.”
Ah, it seemed like I could see the picture to some extent now that she said that.
“Auntie, I was also very… upset after hearing about Se-han. It would be stranger if Kang Robin Sunbae was in his right mind.”
“Yeah… Tae-kyung. You’re right.”
Auntie’s lips seemed to tremble, and then she covered her eyes with one hand as if in pain. I waited quietly until Auntie’s heart calmed down.
“Tae-kyung, Se-han was… a child with a lot of anger. When he was young, he couldn’t control it well, so he would break things and hit people.”
I pressed down hard on my cold fingertips under the table.
“That’s nothing. I think it’s amazing that Se-han is doing social life to this extent.”
“You’re right about that too. But, Tae-kyung…”
Just then, there was a knock and then the door opened. Auntie raised her hand to stop the manager who was trying to serve the food.
“We’ll have the meal in a little while.”
The manager bowed and quickly closed the door and disappeared. Auntie’s gaze turned back to me.
“Tae-kyung, I really tried to raise Se-han in accordance with social norms. But Kang Robin is different. He’s the kind of person who would give Se-han a knife if he said he wanted to kill someone. If you love Se-han, you shouldn’t do that.”
I was squeezing my hands so tightly that I couldn’t feel the blood flowing. I clenched and unclenched my fists and then looked up.
“Auntie, why are you only forcing social norms on Se-han? Is that Auntie who asked me, who is young enough to be her son, for a sponsor living in accordance with social norms? If it’s not me, she’ll ask other kids for sponsors, right? If they don’t have a reliable family or friends like me, they’ll have no choice but to accept it. Is that the social norm that Auntie is talking about? Is raising a young child locked up in a room an act that conforms to social norms? And if Kang Robin Sunbae gets angry about that, he’s out of his mind?”
Auntie’s expression seemed to distort, and then tears quickly welled up in her eyes. I quickly pulled out a tissue and handed it to Auntie.
“A, Auntie! I’m sorry. I got too excited…”
“I’m really ashamed and sorry, Tae-kyung.”
After dabbing her eyes with a tissue, Auntie returned to her calm expression.
“If it weren’t for Director Min Hyo-jeong, I would have turned a blind eye to whatever Se-han did. Tae-kyung, you’re also a very precious nephew to me.”
I poured water into Auntie’s empty cup and pushed it forward. Auntie took a few sips of water and continued.
“Director Min Hyo-jeong… she was the one who comforted and protected me when I got divorced and had a miscarriage. I’ve always thought of her as an Unni and relied on her. I think that’s why my judgment got clouded. I’m really sorry.”
I was speechless and had to shut my mouth. Divorce and miscarriage. Auntie’s personal matters, which I had never known about, weighed heavily on me.
“I had no idea that Auntie had gone through such things…”
They weren’t things I could dare to comfort her about. Auntie reached out and patted my hand.
“Tae-kyung, I can’t trust Kang Robin. So, please keep a close eye on Se-han for me. I’m begging you.”
“Yes…”
If Auntie can’t trust Kang Robin Sunbae, then she shouldn’t trust me either. Because I’m the kind of person who thinks Sung Se-han can do whatever he wants.
But looking at Auntie’s worried expression, I couldn’t say such a thing.
My head was so complicated that I couldn’t eat anymore afterward. In the end, Auntie and I only drank water and got up from our seats.
“Tae-kyung, I’ll contact you again.”
“Yes, please do.”
Even while returning in the car that Auntie had provided, my head wasn’t clear. Rather, it was getting more and more of a headache.
I’ve said so many times that I’ve already forgotten about being called in by Director Park Jin-seok.
I don’t know why Sung Se-han can’t let go until the end.
“Ah, this really gives me a headache…!”
I held my head with my hand because of the headache and opened my phone. While skimming through the piled-up messages, I found a photo posted on the Perfect Puzzle’s official account.
Without realizing it, I leaned back in my seat and looked at the photo. It was a group photo taken by the members in the practice room, and comments and hearts were exploding.
Sung Se-han, who was the tallest, and Roy were making hearts in the front, and the rest of the members were clinging to them. The atmosphere was very warm, so the reaction seemed to be particularly good.
“You son of a gun, you’re really something.”
Seeing Sung Se-han with a pleasant smile, I couldn’t help but smile. It felt like all the distracting thoughts disappeared and my heart was floating.
The world is so happy, so why does one corner of my heart ache?
I stared at the photo for a long time, then closed my eyes and carefully brought the phone to my lips.
*
When I arrived home and entered the front door, I received a call from Sung Se-han. I didn’t even think about taking off my sneakers and immediately opened my phone.
“Oh, Se-han.”
―Tae-kyung, I think I’ll have to be in the practice room until dawn today.
It was something I had roughly expected. Sung Se-han is leaving for Japan the day after tomorrow for the BCS cable broadcast station’s 20th-anniversary performance.
Since arrangements and new choreography will be added to match the celebratory performance, the scheduled practice time was meaningless from the start.
I knew that well, but an answer didn’t come out easily.
“I didn’t sleep well either… It must be hard to practice until dawn. Make sure to eat well, okay?”
―…….
When Sung Se-han didn’t answer, I pressed the phone tightly to my ear.
“Sung Se-han?”
―Lee Tae-kyung must not want to see me.
He makes me nervous in an instant and then makes me laugh. I slowly took off my sneakers and entered the house.
“We were together until this morning. How long has it been since we parted that you already miss me?”
―Wow. That’s cruel, Lee Tae-kyung.
“But, I miss you.”
This time, I made Sung Se-han speechless. I felt somehow satisfied, and the corners of my lips went up.