By Zephyria 
It was a day like any other. Although he felt that Eun-ha’s complexion didn’t look great from the moment they met in the morning, Yeon-jun merely observed him closely without mentioning it. After all, his Hyung was the type to quietly recover his condition soon after, as if nothing had been wrong. Yeon-jun figured he would bring it up if the state persisted.
That evening, they went out for dinner. He headed straight to the meeting spot after staying late at school. After the meal, they went for a light drive and walked along the Han River. As he watched Eun-ha, it seemed that whatever it was had been nothing serious, as he appeared no different than usual. A slightly vacant, lethargic, expressionless face.
And then, he heard those words.
“Yeon-jun.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s break up.”
And so.
“……What?”
It was a sudden sentence. At the same time, his voice was calm, as if he were talking about some trivial daily matter.
Yeon-jun’s eyes widened as he looked beside him. Upon checking, Eun-ha’s face remained entirely composed. With that expressionless face, he calmly spoke a few more words, staring only at the ground. He told him that he would pack the things in his house and leave them outside the front door, so he should take them. He said he was sorry for saying this so suddenly. He added that since it would be awkward for both of them, he would leave first… and then he truly left.
Left alone, Yeon-jun stood there blankly, wasting a great deal of time. He stared vacantly at a point in the air, like someone trying desperately to understand an incomprehensible situation.
Naturally, it was impossible to understand. What was the problem this time?
The first floor he arrived at was filled with the savory smell of food. Family gatherings were held at least once every two weeks, and they generally saw each other about once a week. It wasn’t based on a specific promise or agreement; he simply complied every time his older sisters called him to stop by the house. Having been practically raised by them, he followed their lead well. Unless he missed Lulu terribly, Yeon-jun didn’t usually visit the house of his own volition.
His parents were sometimes there, and sometimes not, but they were overwhelmingly absent. It was because they were busy. Not with work, but simply because they were enjoying their leisure time.
Today was a day they were home. The people he was seeing for the first time in a month were sitting at the table, all peering into a single phone together. From the look of it, they seemed to be looking at photos. Yeon-jun gave them a passing glance and took a seat. The meal that followed was ordinary. Ordinarily noisy, ordinarily harmonious.
Then came a certain moment. While the conversation was centered on the parents’ most recent trip, Mom suddenly picked up a shopping bag she had hidden under the table as if revealing a surprise. She pressed it into Ju-hee’s arms.
Upon seeing what was inside, Ju-hee couldn’t hide her sudden surge of joy and hugged Mom tightly. She showered her with affection, saying she didn’t know she’d actually buy it and that Mom was the best. It seemed Mom had bought something as a gift that was only sold at the main store abroad.
It was around the time the eldest sister was nagging them not to make a fuss at the dinner table. Mom, who had been chatting with Ju-hee with a girlish smile, looked at Yeon-jun as if she had suddenly remembered something.
“Come to think of it, Jun, isn’t there anything you want? Or something you need?”
“Nothing.”
“I’m asking because I don’t think we’ll be in Korea for your birthday.”
His father followed up by explaining the reason in a kind tone. Ah. Yeon-jun counted the dates. Had it already been that time?
Blinking, he repeatedly declined. He said he was truly fine. The mere fact that they remembered what day his birthday was was enough. That alone was already a surprising thing and a sufficiently thoughtful gesture.
In his life, Yeon-jun had never spent a birthday with his parents. At least, not as far as he could remember. It wasn’t because of some grand incident, nor was it due to malice or discord; it was simply because they lacked the time. Whether they were working or vacationing.
And Yeon-jun harbored no regrets about it. He felt nothing. He wasn’t sad, nor was he disappointed. It was because the emotion of expecting something from one’s parents never developed. It was a feeling that had been absent since he was very young.
In other words, he had almost no attachment to his parents.
He didn’t hate them, but he didn’t love them either. He couldn’t really feel any specific emotion toward them, and Lulu felt much more like family than his parents did. In reality, that was the truth.
Lulu is definitely family… I should play with Lulu after eating. Just as he was thinking simply and clearly while taking a sip of water, it happened.
“Oh, right. It’s also Grandmother’s birthday soon. Just so you know, we’ve decided to all gather then.”
“Do I have to go?”
“Of course you have to. Grandmother, and especially Grandfather, miss you so much.”
“…….”
“Since we’re on the subject, try calling them more often. You know how much Grandfather cherishes and likes you.”
To the man mentioning the grandparents’ affection, Yeon-jun only gave an ambiguous smile. His mood had instantly turned unpleasant.
“I understand.”
He gave his answer obediently, as he didn’t want to prolong the topic. His father was the first to react, as if telling the other not to interfere too much.
“He’ll handle it well on his own. Usually, when you nag someone to do those things, it just makes them want to do it even less.”
“That’s true. Well, our Jun always handles everything well on his own anyway…”
Mom responded sweetly. Yeon-jun smiled vaguely again. Of course, he had absolutely no intention of calling.
Unintentionally thinking of his paternal grandfather, Yeon-jun felt his appetite vanish. There was no need to force himself to endure something he disliked. Yeon-jun immediately put down his utensils.
“I’ll be leaving now.”
“Why? You’re not eating more?”
“I’m full.”
After politely explaining his reason, Yeon-jun stood up and left the dining room. His second sister watched his retreating back as if she were concerned.
Returning to his room, Yeon-jun peacefully played hunting games with Lulu. After Lulu left the room, having enjoyed himself enough, Yeon-jun lay on the bed and spent some time in boredom. As he lay still with the back of his head against the bed, his mind naturally filled with one person.
Ah. I miss Hyung…
Rolling half a turn to lie face down on the bed, he looked into his phone again with his cheek pressed against the mattress. He read the chat history that had stopped a week ago and entered the album app to look at the photos of Hyung he had taken. His mood improved instantly.
What is he doing? I wonder if he’s off work by now. I wonder if he ate lunch. He’s not skipping meals while feeling depressed alone, is he? He’s not just eating snacks and drinking coffee, is he? He shouldn’t lose weight…
Throughout this, Yeon-jun was entirely peaceful. Like a person who had not been broken up with for even a single minute.
Of course, that was how he thought. He did not believe that they had truly parted ways. He accepted it as simply taking some time apart for a while.
Yeon-jun found Eun-ha puzzling and difficult, but he knew at least that Eun-ha hadn’t brought up a breakup because he truly wanted to end things. Although it was still difficult to interpret why he would ask to break up when he had no desire to do so.
Eun-ha liked Yeon-jun. Quite a lot, in fact. It was a precious emotion obtained after long effort. He could be certain of this without a shred of doubt.
Then why did he say they should break up? What was the reason for acting in direct opposition to his true feelings? It was a phenomenon that Yeon-jun simply could not grasp.