Vol 5 Ch 5

Wooyeon gazed silently at the sleeping Inseop, exhausted from crying. Inseop, who couldn’t say his goodbyes, felt lost as if his grandmother’s death was his fault. His heart was heavy. Inseop’s family was large and unusually close-knit to the point of resembling characters from a fairy tale. In the end, it meant that they had to repeat this cycle every time someone died.

 

Wooyeon cautiously stroked Inseop’s swollen eyes.

 

It would be less troublesome and smoother if they all just died at once anyway.

 

Thinking of something he couldn’t express, Wooyeon pulled the sheet over Inseop. At that moment, the sound of a car outside was heard. It seemed like the funeral was over.

 

Wooyeon stood up from his seat. As he left the room and descended the stairs, he encountered Aaron.

 

[Are you leaving now?]

 

It was a question asking what he had been doing until now. Wooyeon responded with a smile,

 

[What about my brother?]

 

[He’s asleep.]

 

Aaron, as if to confirm, went up the stairs. Wooyeon blocked his way.

 

[Since he just fell asleep, let him rest.]

 

Wooyeon said, looking down at Aaron. Aaron looked dissatisfied, glared at Wooyeon for a moment, then sighed. Then he grumbled roughly.

 

[…Thank you for today.]

 

Damn it, seriously.

 

What you dislike is what you dislike, and what you should be thankful for is what you should be thankful for. It was Inseop’s brotherly way of thinking. Wooyeon swallowed the curse and responded inwardly, “You’re welcome.”

 

[I didn’t really do anything to deserve thanks.]

 

[No. You took care of him instead of our family.]

 

“Instead of family.”

 

Wooyeon’s smile widened.

 

[We’re planning to have a family dinner tonight. As a memorial and offering]

 

[Okay.]

 

F**k. So what?

 

[My mother wants to invite you as a token of gratitude.]

 

[I see.]

 

Though Wooyeon cherished and liked Choi Inseop more than anything else, there was no reason for him to pour his heart out to his family. He could pretend convincingly enough, but he didn’t want to. Especially not today.

 

[I’m sorry. I have a prior engagement for dinner tonight.”]

 

[I see. I’ll convey that to my mother.]

 

Aaron responded with an expression of relief.

 

Damn jerk. Someday, I’ll strip Inseop naked and show him off in front of that jerk.

 

[And for the time being, my brother should take some rest here.]

 

[What?]

 

[I think he’s in shock from today’s events. You might not have noticed, but he had a special relationship with our grandmother. I think it’s better for him to stay with family for a while.]

 

Wooyeon descended the stairs with a hmm.

 

“Since Inseop has chosen his own life, he’ll take care of it himself.”

 

He deliberately replied in Korean.

 

[It’s natural to worry about family.]

 

Aaron, with his serious eyes, looked straight at Lee Wooyeon and said. It must be sincere. 100% pure sincerity without any selfish intentions. A pure kindness towards others that he can never imitate.

 

The twisted emotions that he had deliberately ignored surged up. The miserable sense of deprivation that he should have felt when he saw Inseop, who seemed to belong to a family, chewed at him…

 

[So, for the time being…]

 

“F**k, seriously.”

 

Aaron, who didn’t quite catch the curse word he spat out, asked, “What?”

 

Should he just tell cal him a fucking bastard straight to his face?

 

As Wooyeon lifted his head, Aaron blinked his eyes in surprise.

 

“Wooyeon?”

 

Inseop, standing on the second-floor landing, appeared.

 

[Are you feeling better? Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?]

 

Aaron asked as he ascended the stairs.

 

[I’m fine.]

 

Aaron touched Inseop’s forehead with his hand.

 

[Your fever’s gone down,] he said. Inseop smiled faintly. Aaron playfully tousled Inseop’s hair.

 

The expression on Wooyeon’s face disappeared.

 

Every time that jerk acted like that, he felt an urge to break his wrist.

 

Maybe he’d feel a bit better after seeing the white bone fragments tearing through his flesh and popping out.

 

“Are you leaving?” Inseop, who had descended the stairs unnoticed, asked.

 

“Yes. I should go soon.”

 

“You should eat before you go. You probably haven’t eaten because of me,” he said, worrying with that expression on his face. What’s the point of worrying like that over skipping a meal?

 

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

 

He could have a meal here. Putting on a socially acceptable face and pretending to be polite was something he had always done.

 

[Uncle and aunt will come later. They’re all worried about you.]

 

Aaron said. Inseop smiled silently in response. Wooyeon lowered his gaze and swallowed his laughter. He absentmindedly fiddled with the ring on his finger.

 

“Mr. Wooyeon, then…”

 

As Aaron spoke from above, he made a surprised sound. Inseop wondered why.

 

Aaron responded with a wide smile when asked.

 

[Areum is coming?]

 

[Areum? Why? How?]

 

[Oh, she started her PhD in the US. I contacted her just in case, and it turns out she’s arrived at the airport now. She said she probably won’t be able to attend the funeral. I really couldn’t predict it.]

 

A smile crept onto Aaron’s lips. Finally, Inseop chuckled softly at his brother’s rare reaction.

 

The sensation of metal clinging to his finger felt unusually cold. Wooyeon called Inseop.

 

“I’ll be going now.”

 

As Wooyeon descended the stairs, Inseop urgently stopped him by grabbing his sleeve.

 

“Why?”

 

Perhaps the response sounded a bit cold.

 

“If you’re not tired, why don’t you join us for a meal? After the funeral, we’re planning to gather as a family…”

 

Although not tired, he felt irritated. It was torture to see people casually embracing and comforting Inseop, and pretending to mourn the death of an old woman they had no real connection with. Above all, thinking about Yoon Areum, who would be joining them for the meal without a care in the world, made him feel disgustingly dirty. That’s why.

 

“I’m fine. Funerals are just not my thing.”

 

Wooyeon exposed his true feelings, which he would have usually skillfully concealed.

 

“…”

 

Inseop’s face turned pale. Aaron, who had been listening to the conversation from the stairs, froze in place with the same expression.

 

Ha, f**k…

 

Wooyeon’s jaw muscles tightened. Without even looking at Inseop, he said, “See you later,” and left the room. Inseop didn’t follow.