PA 32

“…Ah, Yejun.”

At the sight of Yejun shouting coldly, Junhyuk’s mind went momentarily blank. He looked at Yejun with the eyes of a deeply wounded beast.

This isn’t the Yejun I knew.

In that moment, Junhyuk’s gaze dropped to the ground. Yejun spoke even more coldly.

“To succeed, I needed the help of a powerful person like your father, and I still do.”

“……”

Junhyuk shook his head with a look of disbelief. But Yejun continued without backing down.

“I asked Chairman Cha myself to save my father. Besides, he even said he’d pay off my father’s gambling debts, so what reason do I have to refuse?”

“Ha…”

“So to me, you, Junhyuk, are just a hindrance. What if Chairman Cha stops seeing me because of you? What about my career? My life?”

Junhyuk’s hands, which had been gripping Yejun’s shoulders tightly, dropped down along with his gaze.

“So to you, Yejun, your idol activities are more important than anything else.”

“…That’s right.”

“And I was just a passing breeze.”

“……”

Yejun did not deny Junhyuk’s words. In that moment, a fat teardrop fell from Junhyuk’s eye. Along with that hot tear, Junhyuk let go of the last shred of hope he had been holding onto. A desolate silence began to envelop them.

The heavy silence that had been flowing between them for a long while was broken by the small vibration of a phone.

[It’s a 9 a.m. flight in 3 days. If you, Junhyuk, get on it, I will not touch that child.]

Junhyuk laboriously lifted his gaze from the ground and looked at Yejun. Yejun avoided Junhyuk’s gaze. Junhyuk let out a smirk, then slowly turned his back and walked out of the house.

If you… if that career is so important to you. If so.

Junhyuk gritted his teeth and managed to hold back the pouring tears. As if she knew how, a gleaming black sedan sent by Director Min slowly stopped in front of Junhyuk, and Section Chief Park got out and tried to speak to him.

“You can get in he…”

Section Chief Park was momentarily surprised to see Junhyuk’s blood-soaked hand. However, he quickly composed his surprised expression and opened the back door of the black sedan.

“I will call Doctor Park.”

“……”

Junhyuk gave no answer. Junhyuk’s deep eyes looked vacant, and the vibrant energy that used to emanate from him had completely cooled. In the chilly air that made it hard to even breathe properly, Section Chief Park couldn’t say a word.

Once the car carrying Junhyuk disappeared from view outside the window, Yejun felt the strength drain from his entire body. At the same time, he couldn’t hold back the tears that burst forth, and he sobbed endlessly, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

After crying himself to exhaustion, Yejun slid down the wall and sat on the floor. He didn’t want to think about anything. Yejun thought that he wished someone would erase all his memories of Junhyuk, and he let out an incredulous laugh.

The last consideration I can give you.

Yejun decided to become a dirty whore who only cares about money. He would forget him after spitting once along with a vulgar curse. Yejun nodded, thinking that would be enough, and roughly wiped the still-flowing tears with the back of his hand.

Lying in his small room, he fell into a deep sleep. Hoping that when he woke up, he wouldn’t remember anything.

☂︎

It seemed to be a time when he could fit perfectly in his mother’s arms. The young Yejun was sniffling continuously in Eunseong’s embrace. But Eunseong, with a bright smile, held up a mirror to Yejun and continued speaking.

“Hasn’t our Yejun become a complete angel?”

“No!”

That afternoon, Yejun had followed Eunseong to the hair salon, and his hair had become completely curly. Yejun burst into sorrowful tears upon seeing himself in the mirror, but the adults, including Eunseong, couldn’t help but burst into laughter at Yejun’s adorable appearance.

“Give me my hair back.”

“Mommy thinks our Yejun is pretty enough to die for, but it seems Yejun is very upset.”

“Mommy, waaah!”

Eunseong hugged Yejun, who was now wailing loudly, and whispered in the child’s ear.

“Let’s sleep with Mommy tonight. That’ll be okay, right?”

“Really?”

“Of course, have you ever seen Mommy lie?”

It was then. Hyungyu, just drunk enough to be in a good mood, came home humming a tune and abruptly held out a black bag filled with pork belly.

“It’s a pork belly party today!”

“Dad!”

Yejun ran to the entrance and threw himself into Hyungyu’s arms. Hyungyu smiled sweetly upon seeing Yejun’s hair and complimented him.

“Oh my, our little prince has become an angel this time.”

“Am I really an angel?”

Yejun asked Hyungyu with a doubtful look.

“Of course! No angel could ever beat our Yejun.”

“Really?”

Even though he knew it was a dream, Yejun prayed and prayed not to wake up. The tears flowing from his eyes trickled down his temples and soaked his pillowcase.

But cruelly, his sleep grew lighter and lighter, and Yejun’s eyes slowly fluttered open.

Yejun sat up and stared for a moment at the dazzling sunlight coming through the window, then murmured softly.

“I should go see Mom today.”