PA 7

“You guys, really!”

“Yejun! This time, Hyunseok is going in.”

Wonyoung pushed his department classmate Hyunseok’s back hard with a mischievous look on his face. Hyunseok, who lost his balance from the sudden attack, fell into the water. Yejun laughed out loud at the sight of Hyunseok floundering in the water that didn’t even come up to his chest.

“Yejun, you’re gonna laugh like that?”

“Hey, hey! The one who pushed you was Wonyoung! It wasn’t me!”

Hyunseok started splashing water at Yejun, who had laughed at him, and began to chase him. Yejun dodged the chasing Hyunseok here and there, shouting loudly as if it were a little unfair.

“This time, Hyoseong is going in.”

“Ah! I’ll go in on my own two feet! Don’t push, don’t push! It’s scary, I tell you.”

The economics department sunbaes, who were grilling meat or resting under the shade canopy, smiled fondly as they watched their juniors playing and having fun.

“It’ll be cold when they get out of the water.”

“Just tell them to change their clothes. What’s the worry?”

Junhyuk, sitting comfortably in a camping chair, had his eyes fixed only on Yejun, who was having a blast playing in the water. Junhyuk was very bothered by the sight of Yejun’s skin showing through his white T-shirt.

“Cha Junhyuk, eat some meat.”

“Yeah.”

Junhyuk only gave a listless reply to his economics department classmates’ words, his gaze still directed toward the swimming pool.

“You should go in too.”

Minhwan approached Junhyuk, smiling from ear to ear. Just then, Junhyuk shot up from his seat, and Minhwan, startled by this, exclaimed dramatically.

“Ah! You scared me.”

Junhyuk took off only his shirt, strode toward the swimming pool, and shouted loudly.

“Everyone, let’s eat some meat.”

“Let’s play a little longer.”

Yejun, who was in the middle of having fun, splashed water at Junhyuk. Junhyuk’s black short-sleeved T-shirt and cotton pants got completely soaked. It was at that moment. Wonyoung, who was outside the pool, held up Yejun’s phone high and shouted.

“Yejun! You have a call.”

Yejun hurriedly got out of the pool. Coming out of the warm water and meeting the cold air made his whole body tremble, his teeth chattering.

“Hello?”

— Yes, Yejun!

His mother’s wailing voice came from over the phone.

“Mom, what is it? What happened?”

— Yejun… Sob, sob!

Yejun rushed inside the villa to answer the phone in peace. Junhyuk quietly watched the back of Yejun, whose expression had suddenly darkened, and then followed him.

“Mom, did Dad come over?”

— That man… that man….

“I’ll come home right now. Just wait a little.”

— Yejun….

Yejun ended the call and hurriedly changed into dry clothes. Spotting Junhyuk, who had just come into the room, Yejun spoke in an urgent voice.

“I think I have to go up to Seoul.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

“Will a taxi come here if I call one?”

Yejun had an unfocused look in his eyes and was rushing without making sense.

“Yejun, Yejun.”

“Ah, ah….”

“Calm down and let’s be composed for a moment.”

Junhyuk held Yejun by the shoulders, made eye contact with him, and spoke to Yejun in a firm voice. Yejun was able to calm his trembling heart a little thanks to Junhyuk’s soothing gaze and voice.

“Yejun, wait just a moment.”

“I, I have to get to Seoul quickly.”

“I’ll take you. So just wait a moment.”

Junhyuk made a call to someone and left the room.

“Mister, I need to use the car in the garage, could you please bring the car key to the backyard?”

When Junhyuk went out through the door at the end of the kitchen, the backyard appeared. A man who looked to be of advanced age approached Junhyuk, who was waiting there for a moment, and handed him the car key. Junhyuk hurriedly went back inside the villa and opened the small door next to the stairs where Yejun was.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah….”

Yejun, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, met the gaze of Junhyuk, who had opened the door and was looking at him. Junhyuk slung not only his own bag but also Yejun’s over his shoulder, then took Yejun’s hand and went out to the backyard.

“Get in.”

Junhyuk said as he tossed the bags into the back seat and opened the passenger door. Yejun got into the car with a dazed expression, and Junhyuk, after personally closing the passenger door, immediately got into the driver’s seat and spoke.

“What happened?”

Yejun couldn’t even answer and just hung his head low. Then he began to shed big, fat tears. Just as before, Junhyuk fastened Yejun’s seatbelt for him and then started the car.

“I’m heading out now.”

Junhyuk gently pressed the accelerator and started the car.

☂︎

During the entire drive up to Seoul, the two of them didn’t say a single word. Yejun seemed to be in a daze, and Junhyuk began to grow more and more worried.

“We’re here.”

As soon as Junhyuk finished speaking, Yejun jumped out of the car. Without even grabbing his bag from the back seat, he went up to the second floor of a shabby residential building. Junhyuk leaned against the car door and watched Yejun with a worried expression.

“Mom! Mom!”

“Yejun!”

As Yejun entered the house, the sight of the completely trashed interior met his eyes.

“Give me the money, the money! You must have received the cancer insurance payment!”

“Father!”

Yejun’s father, Hyungyu, crumpled the insurance policy in one hand and approached Yejun’s mother, Eunseong, menacingly. Then, just as he raised his arm high to strike Eunseong’s cheek, Yejun, without even taking off his shoes, quickly ran to Hyungyu and grabbed his wrist. At that, Hyungyu screamed like he was going berserk.

“You little bastard, you think you’re all grown up! Can’t you even see your own parents?”

With that, he shoved Yejun with all his might, and Yejun fell backward.

“Yejun’s father!”

Eunseong ran to Yejun and helped him up. Yejun’s palm had been pierced by a piece of broken glass and was soaked with blood. Yejun wrapped his arms around the waist of Hyungyu, who had opened the closet door where he had hidden the bankbook with the cancer insurance money, and shouted loudly.

“Father! Mom will die without this cancer insurance money!”

“Fuck! A wife who’s been sick her whole life and can’t even earn any money! How nice would it be if she just collected the insurance money and died!”

“Father!”

Hyungyu finally threw Yejun aside and grabbed the bankbook hidden in the closet. Then he passed by Eunseong, who had collapsed and was wailing, and grabbed the doorknob to go outside.

“Police.”

“Wh-what’s going on?”

“We received a report of domestic violence.”

Four or five police officers were standing in front of the door.

“Who are you to meddle in other people’s family affairs?”

“Sir, please come with us to the station.”

Hyungyu, on the contrary, pointed his finger at the police with brazen audacity. Yejun quickly approached and snatched the bankbook from Hyungyu’s hand.

“Yejun, you bastard!”

Hyungyu shook off the hand of the police officer trying to lead him away and struck Yejun’s cheek. The police officers grabbed Hyungyu, who was about to beat Yejun indiscriminately, and dragged him out, shouting loudly.

“If you keep this up, you’ll be charged with obstruction of justice as well.”

“Let go, let go! Of me!”

After that commotion ended, the house became dead silent. Yejun approached Eunseong, holding the blood-stained bankbook he had barely managed to protect.

“M-Mom, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Eunseong said, her face a mess from being hit by Hyungyu several times, as she held Yejun’s blood-stained hand.

“Let’s go to the hospital right away.”

“No. This is nothing. I’ll take care of it myself.”

It was at that moment. Junhyuk carefully came in through the open door.

“Yejun.”

“Ah….”

Yejun was so ashamed that Junhyuk had seen him in such a state that he couldn’t say anything and just hung his head low. Junhyuk saw Yejun’s hand, soaked with blood, and ran to him.

“What is this? Let’s go to the hospital so you can get it treated quickly.”

“It’s fine.”

Yejun said irritably, shaking off Junhyuk’s hand. But Junhyuk wrapped Yejun’s hand with a handkerchief and spoke carefully to Eunseong.

“Yejun’s mother, I’ll take Yejun to the hospital.”

“W-would you do that?”

Junhyuk took Yejun’s uninjured hand and led him outside. But Yejun pulled his hand out of Junhyuk’s and stopped in his tracks.

“Junhyuk, just go. I’ll go to the hospital on my own.”

“You, you have a recognizable face. How are you going to go to the hospital by yourself?”

“Cha Junhyuk!”

“No more talking, get in the car.”

Junhyuk took Yejun’s hand again and, as he continued to resist, half-forcibly dragged him, put him in the car, and said.

“I’ve asked some people I know to clean up your house now.”

“Cha Junhyuk.”

“Your mom must have been frightened too, so I’ll take her to the hospital. Let’s get her checked out for various things.”

“Junhyuk.”

Yejun truly felt like he wanted to hide in a hole if there was one. Not only had his family situation been exposed to Junhyuk, but he was also now indebted to him. Moreover, Junhyuk was taking care of him meticulously.