Ch 57

<57>

 

The Beginning of a New Time (18)

 

When Eunho opened his eyes in the morning, the first thing he saw was Yoonjae engrossed in organizing documents with his laptop. His fingers, rippling and flying over the keyboard, were so skilled that it was hard to believe he had taken a month off work. Yoonjae stretched out his arms and gestured for Eunho to come over. Like a magnet, he fluttered over and clung tightly, emitting a sweet-smelling pheromone as if craving affection.

 

After breakfast, Yoonjae came upstairs with the car keys in his hand, grabbed Eunho’s hand, and looked down at him intently. Eunho’s eyes sparkled like light-kissed pebbles.

 

“Where are we going?”

 

“For a drive.”

 

Eunho thought that a classic suit was a bit much for a drive, but he didn’t want to complain about his outfit. Yoonjae, who was fastening his cufflinks, approached Eunho and fiddled with his left hand, checking the proposal ring on his ring finger.

 

“It’s gotten a bit loose.”

 

“I’ll gain weight again, so it’s okay.”

 

Eunho didn’t think much of the fact that his finger had thinned so much that the ring was spinning around. Once the morning sickness subsided, he would gain weight like a storm, so it might be a good thing that there was space left and it was spinning now.

 

As Eunho went outside for the drive, he saw Yoonjae carrying something into the trunk of the sedan parked near the entrance and expressed his curiosity.

 

“What are you putting in the trunk?”

 

“Things we need for a drive?”

 

Was it food? There were several gift boxes with ribbon wrapping. Yoonjae opened the passenger door and urged him to get in first, so Eunho got into the car without any further investigation.

 

Even though it was morning, the sweltering heat of summer hadn’t subsided. Unlike the heat rising like a mirage above the hood, the sky was deep and blue enough to hurt the eyes.

 

“The weather is always clear here. I wonder if Korea is the same.”

 

“Yeah, the weather’s nice these days.”

 

Isabella’s mansion was so wonderful and magnificent that Eunho doubted he would ever encounter such a luxurious house again in his life. However, as much as the overwhelming scale impressed him, the emptiness in his heart grew during his stay. Perhaps because he felt like a guest, Eunho found his officetel in Seoul and Yoonjae’s master bedroom more cozy and welcoming.

 

“Do you want to go back?”

 

“I want to go back.”

 

He felt empty at the thought of going back soon. It had been like this since he arrived here, but he longed for his parents’ house, which was an hour away from Bel Air.

 

Should he visit now? The shareholders’ meeting is over, so should he ask? Eunho passed the cityscape that flashed by on the side and pressed his lips with his fingertips.

 

“But, there’s a place we have to stop by before we go back, right?”

 

A low voice slipped in. Eunho, who had been blankly lost in thought, erased his expression and narrowed his brows, repeating his words.

 

“Could it be?”

 

Yoonjae smiled, drawing out the corners of his eyes. Responding positively to the word “could it be,” Eunho ran his hands over his face in disbelief and checked the road signs ahead. Only now did he realize that they were going to his hometown, Downey.

 

“Are we going to my house?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“……Oh my god.”

 

“I have to visit and tell them we’re getting married.”

 

Tears welled up in his eyes at Yoonjae’s sweet and tender words. It had already been two years since he said he would visit. As his Adam’s apple trembled with excitement, the hand that had been holding the steering wheel slid down and grabbed Eunho’s hand.

 

“Actually, I contacted them in advance before coming here. They’re running a store… I thought it would be right to give them a heads up.”

 

“Haa.”

 

“I’ll be clumsy, so coach me well.”

 

The items he had loaded into the trunk were gifts he had prepared separately for his family. Warmth flowed to Eunho through their clasped hands. The moment Yoonjae smiled comfortably, his eyes were so warm and soft that his heart melted away. Eunho nodded his head, round droplets hanging from his eyes.

 

Before getting out of the car, Eunho racked his brains at Yoonjae’s firm demand to call him by his name instead of his title. He should have practiced this sooner. Yoonjae-ssi. The pronunciation itself felt awkward and embarrassing, and his ears flushed, but as he said, it would be a bit difficult to call him by his title in front of his parents.

 

As soon as he got out of the car, the pouring heat of the summer sun dried the moisture on his skin and made it hot. Eunho shielded his forehead with his hand and ran to the trunk of the car, pressing the button to take out the gift packages one by one.

 

“Eunho!”

 

His mother, Heesu, must have heard the car sound, as she opened the door and shouted, filled with emotion. Eunho, who was unloading the luggage with Yoonjae, immediately put down what he was holding and sprinted forward as soon as he saw her running across the garden in her slippers.

 

“Mommm.”

 

Yoonjae gazed at Eunho, who had become a child in front of his parents. Seeing him hugging her and not knowing what to do with joy, he felt a new emotion.

 

The funeral before the regression, which he didn’t even want to remember now. When Secretary Han contacted his parents to inform them of Eunho’s sudden death, the sound of their wailing tore at the hearts of the nearby staff and Yoonjae. Today, which overlapped with that day, was even more beautiful and dazzling.

 

“Welcome.”

 

Eunho’s father, who had followed, approached Yoonjae and extended his hand first. He patted him on the back with his wrinkled hand, saying that he must have had a hard time coming a long way, and Yoonjae, who was very nervous, awkwardly smiled and bowed. Meaningful conversations that didn’t seem like a first meeting continued to reach Eunho’s ears. What was the reason why the two of them felt so friendly? Eunho turned his head and approached Yoonjae.

 

“……Do you know each other?”

 

“I’ve greeted them a few times over the phone.”

 

He thought they had only coordinated the date and time for the meeting, but that wasn’t the case. After sending Eunho to the United States, Yoonjae had even deployed security personnel to his parents’ house, just in case. Yoonjae, who contacted Eunho’s parents directly without going through Chief Yoon, briefly introduced himself, explained in detail what was happening, and even announced that he would visit them soon with Eunho.

 

“What is this? You should have told me sooner. I was worried that…”

 

Somehow, it was strange that he hadn’t contacted his parents even once during the month he stayed at Isabella’s house. Of course, Isabella had said that she had contacted Eunho’s parents in advance, but it would have been difficult to believe only that, but it turned out that Yoonjae had even stepped in to consult with his parents and quietly moved on. Eunho, who found out the truth late, smiled helplessly and stuck out his lower lip.

 

“I was worried about how to introduce you for nothing.”

 

Eunho had grown up relatively well-off because his parents owned two properties and a restaurant, but it was on a scale that couldn’t be compared to Yoonjae’s, so he had been worried all along. Eunho’s parents had repeatedly emphasized that people of similar levels should meet to live comfortably.

 

There were various reasons why he was suspicious and not very trusting even when Yoonjae showed interest in him in the early days of his employment, but at the base of it was the influence of the values of life that his parents had emphasized. To them, Yoonjae was someone who lived a very different life.

 

“Come on in.”

 

As they carried in the gift packages they had brought, his older brother’s family, who had married early, greeted them. The mischievous nephews seemed more interested in the gifts they had brought than in Eunho, and they followed behind them, giggling. After introducing Yoonjae to his brother, sister-in-law, and nephews, shaking hands with all of them, hugging them, and finishing the greetings, he was exhausted and fatigue washed over him.

 

“Why have you lost so much weight?”

 

Heesu stroked Eunho’s back, and her expression darkened at the sight of the thin bones. It was obvious to anyone that he had lost weight quickly because he couldn’t eat, and he had become unattractively thin, so anyone would ask with concern. Eunho turned his head to Yoonjae and whispered as if he didn’t know what was going on.

 

“Didn’t you tell them about this?”

 

Eunho gave him a signal with his eyes, and Yoonjae, whose face was close enough to touch, nodded, saying that he hadn’t said anything yet. Heesu, who was watching the two of them from the side, joined the conversation.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Ah…. That’s…”

 

Can I show them? Eunho, who had exchanged signals with his eyes, took out his cell phone, found a recent ultrasound photo that looked like a gummy bear, and handed it to Heesu. She immediately knew what the photo was, covered her mouth, and checked the photo and Eunho alternately before handing the cell phone to the rest of the family, who were staring at them with blank eyes, as if they were riding a wave.

 

“Oh my god, really?”

 

“I’ve caused an accident. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

 

Yoonjae, who had placed his fists neatly on his knees, carefully spoke to Eunho’s parents. Yoonjae’s stiff facial muscles hesitated, not knowing whether to smile or not. Eunho felt that Yoonjae, who was standing up straight and tense, was so cute. Eunho, who was holding back his laughter, placed his hand on the back of his hand.

 

“It’s okay. Don’t worry.”

 

As Eunho said, Eunho’s family, who came into view, were overjoyed, as if they were having a festival of joy.

 

His family hugged Eunho and Yoonjae. They said that it was a new life created by the two of them because they loved each other, and what could be happier than that, so the nephews, who had been rolling around on the floor, shouted and ran around without knowing why.

 

Yoonjae, who was experiencing the boisterous atmosphere for the first time, felt as if his soul was leaving his body and his mind was dazed, but thanks to Eunho, who was holding him from the side, he regained his senses and tried to go with the flow.

 

The large family meal was also refreshing. It was the first time since his vague childhood memories that three generations had gathered for a meal. Yoonjae was unfamiliar with the fact that the 10-person table was full and that the long table was filled with food without any empty seats, so he didn’t know where to put his eyes and wandered around.

 

“I didn’t know what you liked, so I prepared this and that, but I don’t know if it will suit your taste.”

 

“I eat everything well. Thank you. Mother.”

 

It was a strange harmony of Korean food that he enjoyed eating at home, as well as Western food such as salad, gambas, and turkey roast. When Heesu got up from her seat and rearranged the braised short ribs and dried corvina towards Yoonjae, the older brothers booed.

 

“Isn’t mother abandoning all her children and taking care of brother-in-law?”

 

“Mother, honey will drip from your eyes.”

 

“Why are you guys like that when you’re always getting free food?”

 

Heesu, whose heart had already been pickled like candy with the one word “Mother,” didn’t take the joke as a joke and patted Yoonjae on the back, telling him not to worry about it.

 

“Brother-in-law, would you like a drink?”

 

“I’ll pour it.”

 

After skillfully removing the cork with a wine opener, he filled the empty glasses halfway, and one bottle was immediately emptied. As the meal became more ripe, the eldest brother, who was sitting across from him, put his elbow on the table and pulled his upper body forward. The older brother, who had thick lines unlike Eunho, held up his glass and poured the little remaining wine into it at once.

 

“What did you like so much about our Eunho?”

 

“Honey, isn’t that too cliché?”

 

“This is the basics.”

 

The sister-in-law, who was putting olives in her mouth and chewing, shook her nose, saying that she couldn’t stand the trite question. Yoonjae smiled slightly at the couple’s bickering and placed his finger on his sideburns.

 

“From one day, he was in my heart. I get anxious and worried when I don’t see him.”

 

“……”

 

“So I grabbed him. I thought he would disappear if I didn’t.”

 

When Yoonjae opened his mouth, the boisterous noise disappeared at once and attention was focused on one place. Even after finishing his words, the silence continued, so he wiggled his eyebrows as if he was embarrassed and emptied the wine glass in front of him.

 

“Was our Eunho such a charming person? I don’t know even after watching him for 19 years.”

 

“Ah, hyung!”

 

Eunho narrowed his brows and got angry, and the eldest brother smiled and put his hands together and begged. I was very wrong. The eldest brother, who was hit by popcorn flying from here and there, raised his hands, saying that he surrendered.

 

After the meal, the three brothers and Yoonjae gathered in the living room, leaving the children who had scattered in groups of three or five. The second brother, who had brought two more bottles of wine because the wine they had drunk for lunch was not enough, handed an empty glass to Yoonjae.

 

The two brothers were curious about the handsome man sitting upright and asked him about economic editorials, and Yoonjae answered diligently and built up goodwill. In between, the brothers recalled Eunho’s snotty childhood and chewed on it like snacks, and Yoonjae laughed coolly as if he liked it so much.

 

“Hyung, feed him moderately.”

 

“Hey, are you already taking sides? Oh, you can’t even see the hyungs you’ve met in two years.”

 

“How can you put someone in a pot of alcohol from the first meeting?”

 

Eunho snatched Yoonjae’s glass, worried that he would get drunk from broad daylight. He was angry for no reason because he was accepting everything he was given without refusing, even though his eyelids were half-closed due to the alcohol. In just two hours, they had drunk more than one bottle of wine per person.

 

“I’ll take him upstairs. Is my room still the same?”

 

“Yeah, your mother has been sweeping, wiping, and washing like crazy since the day before yesterday because you two are coming… Anyway, take him upstairs. Brother-in-law, go and rest.”

 

“Then I’ll go up first.”

 

When Eunho put one of Yoonjae’s arms around his shoulder and used it as a lever to lift Yoonjae up, he staggered for a moment and then smiled, saying that he was okay.

 

Okay, what’s okay. He was so drunk that the smell of wine was flowing thickly from his hot breath. Yoonjae himself acted as if he was fine, but his breathing was rough as he went up the stairs. He had been drinking slowly during the meal, but the speed at which they emptied the wine at the drinking party with the three brothers was too fast, as if they were watching a company dinner.

 

“You should have drunk moderately while reading the room.”

 

“I liked it, why.”

 

Even the bickering between the brothers was just one of the envious sights for Yoonjae, who had grown up alone. If Eunho hadn’t stopped him in the middle, he would have wanted to talk, rest, and drink all day long.

 

“Still, how can you accept everything they give you?”

 

“Why, Chief Yoon doesn’t have a call on the weekend. It’s okay.”

 

Come to think of it, today was Saturday. The reason why Eunho had forgotten that today was the weekend was because he had been watching Yoonjae become one with his laptop from the moment he opened his eyes until he fell asleep, processing Chief Yoon’s reports. It was a time when he had to pour energy into reorganizing the organization and re-establishing the disrupted discipline after the shareholders’ meeting had just ended, so there was no time to play around leisurely.

 

“Did you calculate the date and come?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Yoonjae, who was drunk to the top of his head, answered half a beat late. Seeing the end of his speech dragging on and the intonation going up and down, he only thought that he should put him to bed quickly, but he asked just in case.

 

“Then, do you want to go down and drink more?”

 

“……No.”

 

The center of gravity shifted sharply towards Eunho, and Eunho staggered and held Yoonjae’s waist tightly. He stopped walking, breathed a hot breath that reeked of alcohol, and whispered in Eunho’s ear. He liked the voice full of affection, and his cheeks flushed red.

 

“……I like being alone with you more.”

 

He didn’t know how long it had been since he had seen him so relaxed. He remembered that it had been like that the day before his parents’ death anniversary and when he had to be separated for a while until the shareholders’ meeting. If he had drunk alcohol both times to relieve the pain, this time the atmosphere was quite different. It was the first time he had seen him smiling all the time, with the corners of his lips thinly curved upwards.

 

As soon as he entered the room, he sat him down on the bed, and he mumbled as he untied the tie that was strangling his neck.

 

“It’s stuffy.”

 

Eunho came closer and sat down because the hand that was grabbing the locked button kept fumbling. Yoonjae seemed to want to take off the protector because his body was hot from the alcohol. Eunho quickly unbuttoned his shirt and took it off.

 

When he tore off the shoulder velcro of the protector that was tightly constricting his pectoralis major, Yoonjae, who took a deep breath, inflating his rib cage, wrapped his arms around Eunho. The body heat, which was higher than usual, passed over the thin fabric. He hummed as if he was in a good mood and lowered his head to rub his lips on Eunho’s forehead, which was clinging to his shoulder.

 

“It’s like a dream.”

 

“It’s not a dream.”

 

“I know…. So I’m glad.”

 

The brown eyes fluttered softly, looking up at Yoonjae with love. The emotions that had been built up beautifully, layer by layer, permeated deeply into his heart. The love that boiled in his heart just by looking at him. That love was right in front of him.

 

Yoonjae fell asleep as if collapsing. Although it was because of the alcohol, it was a rare sight to see him sleeping comfortably without any worries, so Eunho brought his finger to Yoonjae’s philtrum to check several times whether he was breathing.

 

His long, sunken eyelashes were gathered neatly as if they had been combed, so he reached out his hand because he wanted to touch them for no reason, but he turned back again.

 

Should I let him sleep a little longer? To be sleeping for over 4 hours during a nap, not even nighttime sleep. The mischievous nephews were running around on the first and second floors, making quite a racket, but seeing him sleeping so soundly, he wondered if this was really the Choi Yoonjae he knew.