By Zephyria 
-The phone is turned off and is being connected to voicemail. After the connection is made-
Hee-shin let out a sigh and looked out the window. It wasn’t even summer, yet rain was pouring down in torrents. The reason he had been clinging to his phone for a while now was none other than his younger sister, Kang Min-hye.
About an hour ago, his mother had called. She said it was past the time Min-hye should have arrived home after her academy classes, but she couldn’t get in touch with her. Their family home was far from the city center, and the buses stopped running early. When he called the academy, they said they had witnessed her leaving after finishing her class. His mind was so unsettled that he couldn’t focus on his work, and the words on the page wouldn’t register.
Chief Oh, who had been watching him, asked subtly.
“Is something wrong?”
“I haven’t been able to reach my sister for a while.”
“Try calling a close friend of hers.”
“I did, but they said they parted ways right at the academy.”
“Oh dear, you must be worried….”
Even as he rolled a pen in his hand and tried to concentrate on his duties, his mind was entirely elsewhere. Because this had never happened before, he was burning with anxiety. Then, he remembered a location-tracking app he had installed when she was in elementary school. Upon checking, the battery was dead, and the movement had stopped in a place far from home.
Had she taken the wrong bus? There was no reason for her to be there at this hour. Eventually, he figured out the bus routes, contacted the company, and spoke briefly with a driver. Upon hearing that the driver had seen a schoolgirl getting off hurriedly at Yuldong-ri, he finally couldn’t take it anymore and stood up from his seat.
“Chief. I’m sorry, but I need to head to my family home.”
“Yes. Go on, hurry. Kids are like that sometimes, so don’t worry too much. They say it’s raining hard, so be careful.”
In truth, he was even more anxious because it hadn’t been long since his Hyung had passed away. Even though he knew it probably wasn’t the case, his thoughts kept drifting toward the worst-case scenario. Since moving to Seoul, he had kept in touch occasionally, but he hadn’t been attentive, using the excuse of being busy with work.
As for “keeping in touch,” it was always the same questions, like whether she was studying hard. He hadn’t even thought to consider how much her young heart might have been hurt. A man who has never received love doesn’t know how to give it. Contributing to her academy fees, buying her clothes, and letting her do what other kids did were his only expressions of affection.
As he hurried down the hallway, his phone vibrated. The caller was none other than Im Gyeong. He had been unilaterally avoiding his calls since their encounter at the hotel, but the man was calling persistently. He ignored it and headed for the car, and just as Chief Oh had said, raindrops began to fall.
Just then, someone abruptly stepped in front of him.
Surprisingly, Im Gyeong, holding an umbrella, was looking down at him with a furrowed brow.
“I thought you weren’t answering because you were busy, but you were just ghosting me?”
“What are you talking about? And how did you get here?”
“I saw everything. How you scowled the moment my number popped up and shoved the phone back into your pocket.”
Is this bastard an eagle? Is his vision like 5.0? As he tried to step aside to pass, Im Gyeong blocked his path again. Because he tilted the umbrella toward Hee-shin, rain fell onto one of Im Gyeong’s shoulders.
“Why are you avoiding me?”
“Let’s talk later. I have somewhere I need to go urgently.”
“Where?”
“None of your business.”
He hurried to the driver’s seat and opened the car door. As he got in and started the engine, Im Gyeong quickly hopped into the passenger seat. When Hee-shin glared at him with a scowl, Im Gyeong casually brushed off his wet shoulder.
“Get out before I drag you out.”
He held his ground with his mouth shut tight, and Kang Hee-shin’s insides were burning with impatience. When he asked if he was really going to be like this, Im Gyeong simply closed his eyes. Having no more time to argue, he started the car. As he drove out onto the road, the drizzle turned into a downpour. Dammit. It poured so hard that he could barely see ahead, causing his neck and shoulders to tense up.
“Why don’t you ask? About who the mastermind behind the photos was.”
“Did you find out?”
“No. Still searching.”
He acted like he’d find out immediately…. On the other hand, talking about that would bring back memories of what happened at the hotel, so he kept his mouth shut. A heavy silence stretched between the two, and to break it, he turned up the radio volume. The news reported that sporadic rain had led to heavy rain advisories in several regions.
“Are you angry? Did I make a mistake that day?”
He was trying to bury it, but this man insisted on bringing it up. He responded with as nonchalant an expression as possible. He felt that if he seemed emotional, the man would enjoy it even more. As if he’d ever let that happen.
“Put yourself in my shoes. How would you feel if another guy waved his dick in your face?”
“Why? If Kang Hee-shin climbed on top of me and did the same, fuck, I think I’d love it to death.”
Screeech— He finally slammed on the brakes, and the car came to a halt on the shoulder. When he glared, Im Gyeong shrugged. His expression said, You asked, and I answered, so what’s the problem?
“Keep your mouth shut for the rest of the trip. Unless you want to be kicked out of my car.”
Im Gyeong readily made a gesture of zipping his lips. It was the same that day. This bastard wouldn’t have gone around telling people, would he? His subordinates called him Young Master, but looking at his behavior, he was nothing more than a street thug.
As they neared the destination, the rain gradually subsided. The last signal had been caught near a quiet bus terminal. He parked the car beside it and took out his phone to contact Min-hye. A message appeared saying it was still turned off. Im Gyeong also got out and scanned the surroundings.
Starting from the last known location, he moved busily to find his sister.
“Kang Min-hye! Kang Min-hye! Min-hye!”
Im Gyeong followed behind him.
“Let’s split up and search. This place is too wide.”
How much time had passed since they split up? Suddenly, a torrential rain began to fall. As he ran back to the car, soaking wet, he saw a faint figure reflected inside a shopping arcade in the distance. When he shone his flashlight toward it, Im Gyeong also came and stood beside him.
“It’s a schoolgirl.”
“Do you see her?”
“Plaid skirt. Is that her?”
Without further question, he crossed the road. As he got closer, he saw Min-hye, soaking wet from the rain and shivering violently from the cold. She had earphones in her ears, as if she were afraid of something. Although it was spring, the temperature still frequently dropped below freezing at night. With the rain, today must have been even colder. Seeing her like that, something hot surged up in his chest.
“Kang Min-hye!”
At the sound of her name, Min-hye looked up and jumped to her feet.
“Oppa!”
“You brat, what is this! Why are you here? Why is your phone off again! There’s a limit to how much you can make someone worry! Are you a child?”
With an expression as if she were about to cry at any moment, Min-hye took out her earphones.
“I’m sorry. I took the wrong bus. My phone battery died, the bus kept not coming… there were no payphones… and I kept hearing strange noises, so I was scared…. I was so scared….”
“How old are you that you can’t even take a bus properly!”
While he was scolding her, Im Gyeong came over and grabbed his shoulder. Stop.
“I think it would be better to get her into different clothes first. Do you have any in the car?”
Only then did regret wash over him. He had been so angry that he had only pressed her, ignoring his sister’s state. Belatedly, feelings of apology and pity flooded in. It would have been better if they had proper parents…. He hurried to the car to get a shirt and a blanket, and when he returned, Im Gyeong was in the middle of a conversation with Min-hye.
He subtly blocked Im Gyeong and handed over the shirt.
“Go change.”
Then, he blocked the entrance and stared at Im Gyeong.
At that attitude, Im Gyeong’s brow gradually furrowed.
“Your sister is a dummy.”
Where did he learn to talk like that? Min-hye, having changed her clothes, soon came outside. During the drive back, he was able to hear the detailed story. She had dozed off on the bus and gotten off in a hurry, only to realize she was in the opposite direction of home. The bus wouldn’t come, and of all things, her phone battery had died, leaving her with nowhere to ask for help. Meanwhile, the car entered the entrance of the neighborhood. He stopped the car a short distance from the house.
“Hurry, go inside. It’s cold, so take a warm shower and go to sleep as soon as you get in. Heat up some Ssanghwa-tang just in case.”
“…What about you, Oppa? Are you leaving now?”
“Yeah.”
Min-hye looked at him tentatively and said one thing.
“I’m sorry about today…. I made you come all the way down here when you’re busy….”
Her voice trailed off as she got out of the car. Drive safely. Then she walked toward the house with quick steps. He didn’t know how many times she had waved with a bright smile as she walked. After his sister disappeared and the front gate closed firmly, Hee-shin remained frozen in place.
As he just gripped the steering wheel, Im Gyeong reached out and tapped the back of his hand.
Only then did he snap out of it and look back at him.
“Go back in.”
“…….”
“Go and tell her. Tell her you weren’t angry, but that you did it because you were worried.”
“…Forget it. She’s not a child.”
“She’s still a child. Is it that hard to hug her and ask if she was scared?”
When he didn’t answer, Im Gyeong urged him with his eyes. Hurry. He bit his lip hard and got out of the car. When he pushed open the gate and entered, Min-hye was sitting blankly on the wooden platform in the yard. When she looked back, her eyes were brimming with tears. Even though she had been smiling brightly and saying goodbye just a moment ago.
As he approached and sat beside her, Min-hye quickly wiped her face.
“Rain got in my eyes, that’s why….”
He hesitated, then carefully hugged her and patted her back. Oppa is sorry…. I wasn’t attentive. At those words, Min-hye’s small back heaved. I was really scared…. Her voice trembled as she spoke. But I’m glad you came, Oppa….
Listening to her, his heart felt heavy.
Over Min-hye’s shoulder, he saw the room where his Hyung used to stay.
Looking at the room that had lost its owner, a wave of sorrow washed over him as well.
…We grew older, but in the end, we became adults who never grew up.