KTS 211

70

At the sound of a deep sigh, the man sitting next to him at the bar immediately frowned. The man who had sighed ignored the annoyed gaze and emptied the glass, which was half-full of whiskey, in one gulp. Only after putting the glass down with a clattering, grating sound did he open his mouth. Even then, he hesitated for a few more seconds before speaking.

“What went wrong?”

“Haaa.”

This time, the man who had been silent sighed. Loudly, as if to be heard.

“Winston, if you’re just going to keep repeating the same thing, it doesn’t have to be me, does it?”

The man genuinely seemed displeased with the situation. Well, anyone would be in the same situation. Winston didn’t say it out loud, but he also glanced at him with a less than pleased look.

“I’ve really wasted my life if you’re the only person I can call out in this situation.”

“What?”

He said it as if to himself, but the volume of his voice didn’t decrease at all, so of course, the man couldn’t help but hear it. But Winston continued in a still displeased tone.

“What can I do? You’re the only one who’s living properly. It’s my loss, so I can’t help it.”

The man’s eyebrows twitched briefly. The gaze he cast at the coat placed on the stool next to him clearly revealed his inner thoughts. Should I just leave?

Regardless of the man’s thoughts, he muttered as if lamenting.

“It’s really strange. Keith, you’re the biggest piece of trash among us. How are you living so well without any problems? I don’t understand, is your partner Mother Teresa or something?”

Keith remained awkwardly still for a moment. He was trying to figure out if this was a compliment or an insult, but it wasn’t easy. Considering he felt dirty after hearing the truth, maybe it was an insult.

After pondering for a moment, Keith let out a short sigh and emptied his glass. Anyway, it was clear that he was hundreds of times happier than this man right now, so he should show some generosity. He desperately suppressed the urge to see his partner and child right away and opened his mouth instead.

“The important thing is whether the other person is willing to forgive you. If they’re not, you just have to wait until they feel that way.”

But Winston couldn’t imagine that this man had that kind of patience. He had wanted to get some hope from how he was living so happily now, but he was only getting unhelpful words.

“I know that too. I called you on purpose because I thought you might know something else.”

He didn’t bother to say that he was useless, but Keith already felt like he had heard it. This time, he didn’t hold back and asked.

“Why did you even think to ask me? Yeonwoo and I don’t have any problems.”

“That’s why I want to know how you got to this point. What did you do to make your partner forgive you?”

A vein popped out on Keith’s temple. He growled lowly through clenched teeth.

“Why does the conversation always end with the conclusion that I’m the one who did something wrong?”The pheromone scent intensified along with the threatening voice, but Winston answered nonchalantly, without any particular reaction.

“Of course you’re in the wrong. If your partner had wronged you, you would never have let him get away with it.”

It was so true that there was nothing to refute. Instead, Winston brought up another fact and shoved it in his face.

“I’m giving up a precious dinner with my family for you and sitting here, and you don’t have any gratitude at all?”

“It’s just one dinner.”

Winston said it casually, but unexpectedly, Keith looked at him with a serious expression.

“Kids grow up, Winston. Today’s Angela is only today.”

Winston couldn’t mock or ridicule him any longer because of his more serious tone than ever before. Also, he was right. When he thought about it, Winston couldn’t even imagine how many cute moments of Angela he had missed.

“Okay, I’m sorry.”

Keith stared at him in surprise at the easy apology. Reading the self-reproach on Winston’s face, his anger subsided, but that didn’t mean he had anything to say. In fact, he hadn’t done anything special either. He was just lucky, really lucky, that Yeonwoo loved him enough to forgive all his faults.

“There are things in the world that money can’t buy.”

Winston turned to him with a surprised look at the mumbling, which sounded like a soliloquy. Keith, who was about to empty the remaining alcohol, also stopped moving and stared at him with a frown.

“What? That unpleasant look on your face.”

Keith’s face was full of displeasure. Winston trailed off, “No…”

“It’s just surprising to hear you say that…”

Instead of answering, Keith called the bartender and ordered another whiskey. Winston noticed that he was avoiding the answer, but didn’t bother to point it out.

“So, what’s the problem between you and your partner?”

At Keith’s change of subject, Winston was silent for a moment before giving a bitter smile.

“If your partner suspects you and gets angry, be grateful. It’s proof that he loves you.”

At those words, Keith immediately frowned. As if an unpleasant memory had come to mind, he spat out irritably.

“If he loves me, he should trust me.”

Winston glanced at him and retorted nonchalantly.

“There must be a reason why he can’t trust you.”

It was such an obvious point, but Keith wasn’t generous enough to readily agree with it.

“Thanks, thanks for telling me that even you don’t trust me.”

At the immediate sarcasm, Winston raised his glass as if to toast.

“You’re welcome. I can do this much anytime.”

Keith watched Winston empty his whiskey as if he was dumbfounded. Winston, who put down the empty glass, said self-deprecatingly.

“Nothing happens without a reason. Everything eventually comes back.”

“Are you talking about fatalism? You?”

Keith asked with a frown. Winston chuckled and replied.

“I’m saying it from experience.”

After that, the two only emptied their drinks without saying much. Each thinking in their heart that they were wasting time.

* * *

“Hoo-ahhh.”

After finishing the kindergarten field trip, Angela took a deep breath in the car on the way back with a flushed face. Winston found his daughter so lovely that he immediately picked her up from the opposite seat and held her on his lap. He realized what he had done only after the child’s round cheeks came right in front of his eyes. He was momentarily afraid that Angela would be scared or angry, but fortunately, she didn’t show such a reaction. Rather, seeing the child wriggling her butt on Winston’s lap and being so happy, the corners of his mouth naturally went up.

“You like it that much?”

When Winston asked, Angela nodded, “Yes.”

“After going to kindergarten, I’ll go to school next, right? I want to be a cool elementary school student like Phoebe! I’ll wear a uniform and a hat on my head!”

Angela seemed to have completely fallen for Phoebe’s mature appearance. In Winston’s eyes, there was no difference between elementary school students and kindergarteners, but the world of children seemed different.

“I hope you make a lot of friends in kindergarten.”

Those children will go on to elementary school as they are. Children from similar environments tend to go to similar schools. This exchange will probably continue for the rest of their lives. Just like Winston did.

Thinking that far, Winston turned his head and paused. Yu-jin, who was sitting in the passenger seat, had a pale face and was closing his eyes tightly.

“Are you okay?”

Yu-jin was startled by Winston’s question and opened his eyes slightly. Oh, no, Winston immediately regretted it.

“Is it better to take a helicopter after all? From now on…”

“Ah, no, I’m okay.”

Yu-jin hurriedly shook his head. He continued to stammer with a still pale face.

“It’s almost here, so don’t worry. I can handle it.”

In fact, the helicopter wasn’t much different. It was noisy, and the vibrations and shaking made him nauseous. It might be better to close his eyes and try to forget that he was in the car as much as possible. It was all the same anyway, but he had no choice but to choose the less hectic option.

“Put Angela in the seat. It’s dangerous.”

Yu-jin pointed out in a trembling voice. He said it bracing himself for a fight, but unexpectedly, Winston followed his words without saying anything and even fastened Angela’s seat belt.