PA 9

Old events passed quickly through Yejun’s mind like a panorama in a black-and-white film. Hyungyu, having lost all his money gambling, would drink all night and only return home at the pale dawn when the surroundings turned bluish. Then he would take out his frustrations from his gambling losses on Eunseong and Yejun.

Everything Hyungyu got his hands on became a cruel club. Eunseong, to protect the very young Yejun, would chase him out of the house, and she would be brutally beaten for hours. The young Yejun, unable to bear the screams erupting from inside the house, would cover his ears with his hands and burst into tears.

The nightmarish childhood years passed. Yejun grew as tall as his father, Hyungyu, and from then on, Yejun desperately protected his mother from Hyungyu. Whenever his mother saved even a little money from doing rough work, Hyungyu would find out about it as if by magic and come looking for it.

On days when Yejun was home, he could protect the money, but if Yejun was not there, Hyungyu would rummage through the entire house and run away with any money or the bankbook. Yejun hated his father to death. He needed money to move away as if fleeing from his madman-like father, Hyungyu. Although Yejun was young, he wanted to earn money quickly, one way or another.

Ahead of his middle school graduation, Yejun was so-called street-casted on his way home from school. So he chose the path of an entertainer, where he could earn money even at a young age. And so, after a two or three-year trainee period, Yejun debuted as an idol singer, and from then on, he began to pay off the gambling debts his father had accumulated, step by step.

Just as he was about to pay off nearly all of the loathsome gambling debt, a bolt from the blue struck Yejun. Stage 2 stomach cancer, was the diagnosis given to his mother, who had lived a life of nothing but hardship.

“I’m going to make sure my mom is completely cured.”

“…Right.”

Junhyuk let out a small sigh while holding Yejun.

“Yejun, let’s spit out all the words you couldn’t say until now.”

“Ah… why me… why our mom…. By that beast-like bastard….”

“……”

“I want to let my mom live comfortably in a safe house too. Without being beaten by that beast of a husband. I was going to succeed as an entertainer and build her a pretty house… but they say she has stage 2 stomach cancer. If my mom passes away too, I, I….”

All this time, Yejun couldn’t even show he was hurting when he was, and always just shed sorrowful tears in silence. Yejun had lived such a hard life because of the person who was his biological father. That was unfair enough, but he was gripped by the fear that his mom might die much sooner than he thought, and bit his lower lip hard.

☂︎

Yejun, who liked the feel of the soft and fluffy blanket, hugged it. Feeling good from the faint but gentle scent of skin, Yejun snuggled into the firm and warm embrace.

“Uh….”

Yejun, with a strange premonition, lifted his head and opened his eyes to a slit. Junhyuk was looking at Yejun and smiling gently.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Huh, huh?”

Yejun shot up and stared at Junhyuk, who was lying next to him, with a dazed look.

Uh, I cried so much last night… and then what happened?

Junhyuk lightly pinched the cheek of the half-dazed Yejun and handed him the water cup placed on the bedside table.

“…Thanks.”

“Drink that and have more. You cried too much yesterday.”

“Ah….”

“You, you must have fallen asleep right after your tension eased from crying.”

Junhyuk threw open the blackout curtains. Dazzling sunlight poured into the room. Yejun was so embarrassed about last night, when he had cried so much, drenched in a sudden rush of sorrow. Yejun quickly got out of bed and went into the bathroom.

Entering the bathroom, Yejun let out a hollow laugh at his reflection in the mirror. Both his eyes were swollen shut, and the oversized clothes looked baggy.

“I look like a complete idiot.”

Yejun first turned on the cold water and washed his face. The swelling seemed to have gone down just a little compared to before.

“Yejun.”

“Y-yeah?”

Yejun, who was looking at his reflection in the mirror from various angles, answered Junhyuk’s call in a flustered voice.

“I’m leaving the clothes you’ll wear in front of the bathroom.”

“Thanks.”

Yejun peeked the bathroom door open and checked whether Junhyuk was in the bedroom or not. After confirming he wasn’t in the room, Yejun picked up the clothes left in front of the door. Then he started to shower with a light heart.

“You’re out?”

“Yeah.”

Junhyuk’s hair was wet, as if he had also showered while Yejun was in the bathroom. Yejun kept looking in the mirror, as if his still-swollen eyes were bothering him. Junhyuk watched Yejun for a moment, then went into the kitchen and took an ice pack out of the freezer.

“If it’s bothering you, try holding this to it for a bit.”

“Thanks.”

“And let’s disinfect the wound.”

“Y-yeah? No, I can do it.”

“Come here.”

Junhyuk pulled out a tall chair and gestured for Yejun to come closer. Yejun sat in front of the island countertop with the ice pack pressed to the area around one eye.

Junhyuk carefully unwrapped the bandage on Yejun’s hand. Yejun, constantly conscious of Junhyuk being too close to him, pushed his chair back a little. At that, Junhyuk took half a step closer. In the end, they ended up even closer than before. Yejun was very conscious of Junhyuk’s leg touching his knee.

“Your swollen eyes are cute.”

“Ah, don’t tease me. How can swollen eyes be cute? It’s ugly.”

“No, it’s true.”

“Ouch, that stings.”

When Junhyuk applied a disinfectant that reeked of alcohol to the wounded area, Yejun’s shoulder flinched, as if it stung. Junhyuk, as if to soothe him, blew on the wound and asked.

“Does it sting a lot?”

“Ah… it’s okay now.”

Yejun answered, placing the ice pack on the countertop as the skin he had been holding it to had become too cold. Junhyuk moved closer to Yejun’s face and said teasingly.

“The swelling really did go down on just one side.”

“Hey, don’t look.”

“Why? It’s cute.”

“Ah! Really.”

The two bickered as they finished disinfecting his hand. Junhyuk gently wrapped his hand with a new bandage and said.

“I found some croissants I’d bought. Let’s have those for a quick breakfast and go see your mother.”

“…Okay.”

Only after hearing Yejun’s timid reply did Junhyuk stand up. The knee that had been pressed right against Junhyuk’s suddenly felt empty. Yejun was even more conscious of that empty feeling.

“Come to think of it, these clothes fit me perfectly.”

“It definitely looks better.”

Junhyuk chuckled as he placed a croissant and orange juice in front of Yejun. Yejun held the ice pack to his other eye and asked Junhyuk while eating the bread.

“By the way, how do you have clothes in my size?”

“Ah… that?”

“Yeah.”

Junhyuk was momentarily flustered by Yejun’s unexpected question. Junhyuk took a large bite of bread and thought of an excuse.

“I bought the wrong size last time, but I didn’t exchange it because it was a hassle.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Still, thanks.”

Yejun recalled all the favors he owed Junhyuk. He smiled brightly as he said thank you.

“Let’s get going now.”

In the meantime, the two who had finished a simple breakfast stood up. Junhyuk put an arm around Yejun’s shoulder and led him outside.

☂︎

Yejun, led by Junhyuk’s hand, got on the VIP-only elevator at Taejin Hospital. The VIP ward had only a few patient rooms. Each room came with a guardian’s waiting room and a private lounge. Yejun’s eyes widened, and he looked around as he followed Junhyuk into a hospital room.

“Your mother must have gone for her tests.”

“Uh….”

The VIP-only room was decorated like a hotel. The patient used a queen-sized adjustable bed, and opposite the bed was a sofa area for watching TV. In addition, there was a spacious bathroom with safety features installed in every corner. Yejun slowly looked around the room, then spoke to Junhyuk with a worried expression.

“I… my financial situation isn’t good enough to use a VIP room yet.”

“We came here because we had to get a room suddenly. They said the general wards are all full these days. I decided to use this one on my own, so you don’t have to worry about the money.”

“Junhyuk, but this is too much.”

He couldn’t use a VIP room that cost several million, or even tens of millions of won per night for free. He was about to carefully decline Junhyuk’s kindness.

“Are you the guardian of patient Ji Eunseong?”

“Yes, I am patient Ji Eunseong’s guardian.”

Eunseong, lying on a patient gurney, entered the room with the medical staff.

“Mom.”

“Ah… Yejun, you’re here?”

Eunseong’s complexion had noticeably worsened, perhaps from the shock of Hyungyu’s rampage yesterday. In that moment, Yejun felt his heart sink. The medical staff laid Eunseong on the hospital bed, then took Yejun to the guardian’s waiting room.

“She had a gastrectomy and is currently undergoing chemotherapy, correct?”

“Yes.”

The medical staff continued to speak to Yejun with a serious expression.

“The next round of chemo is in about 10 days. This is exactly the time when her white blood cell count starts to drop, but due to stress, her neutrophil count is less than twenty percent. We absolutely have to raise this level to make chemotherapy possible.”

“Ah… yes.”

Yejun clenched his fists and answered a beat too late. For Yejun and Eunseong, home was not a very safe place. One never knew when Hyungyu might storm in.

“Before the next, third round of chemotherapy, you must block all sources of stress the patient might receive and build up her stamina a lot. So, to prevent a situation where she has to go into a sterile room, it seems advantageous to receive management here.”

“Yes… I see.”

Junhyuk, who had entered the guardian’s waiting room at some point, gently patted Yejun on the shoulder. After the medical staff left, Junhyuk spoke carefully to the still-standing Yejun.

“Just be in my debt this once. For you too, Yejun, your mother’s health is the top priority. Let’s just think about that.”

“Then let’s move to a general ward.”

“No one can just walk in here, not even your father.”

At Junhyuk’s persistent persuasion, Yejun had no choice but to yield. In particular, the words that no one could just enter the VIP ward were the most reassuring. Hyungyu wouldn’t be able to cause a scene. After long deliberation, Yejun looked at Junhyuk and nodded.