Ugyeong, who had been staring absently up at the towering apartment complex, suddenly felt a chill and rubbed her arms. It was then that she remembered the clothes she hadn’t returned to him.
“Ah, about the clothes you lent me last time. I haven’t been able to wash them yet. I’ll make sure to wash them and return them to you later.”
“Just keep them. If you don’t want to wear them, you can throw them away. Don’t worry about it too much.”
“Ah, sure.”
Feeling awkward, Ugyeong lightly tugged at the corner of her lips, then released it. His reaction was so nonchalant that she wondered if she had said something unnecessary. Thinking back, he hadn’t even hesitated in the moment he took off his clothes to give to her. It seemed she had momentarily forgotten that he was someone without constraints in anything he did, someone natural, and had gotten too serious.
“Take this.”
While Ugyeong was lost in various thoughts, Taeheon took a shopping bag out from the trunk. Taking it reflexively, Ugyeong stole a glance inside the bag with bewildered eyes.
“It’s a watch.”
“A watch? Why are you giving this to me…?”
“It was on sale, and I thought it was pretty, but it turned out to be a women’s watch.”
“Then you could just return or exchange it.”
“Ah… they said I couldn’t. Because I opened the free gift.”
As if asking if there had been another free gift, she reached deep into the bag and fumbled for the box. The so-called free gift was so large that the phrase “the belly button is bigger than the belly” came to mind.
Ugyeong scrunched the space between her brows tightly and made a suspicious expression. Her wristwatch had happened to break, but the timing was so perfect that it felt even more suspicious.
As her gaze clung to him persistently, Taeheon flinched and quickly opened his mouth.
“That’s a headset, it blocks out external noise.”
“This is a free gift?”
“I know, right? They gave that as a free gift. Maybe they were trying to promote it while they were at it. Ah, you said there are sounds you don’t want to hear. This works out perfectly. Take it.”
Saying it really worked out well, he closed the open bag neatly and hung it on her wrist. The hand that brushed against hers and fell away was damp. His face was flushed like never before, and the way his eyes rolled around in every direction was thoroughly suspicious.
“You’re so fidgety.”
“Huh?”
“Like a robot.”
“….”
As if struck in a vital spot, he fell silent in an instant.
From the words he had cobbled together about sales and free gifts, there had been a suspicious air about them. Unless one was a child, anyone who couldn’t see through such an obvious ploy was a fool.
Ugyeong let out a deep sigh and looked down at the bag with a burdened gaze. Receiving a gift was awkward enough, but having received such an expensive item out of the blue without having given him anything, she was quite at a loss.
While she felt it was right to draw a line by returning it immediately and telling him not to do this again, ignoring his sincerity—having looked at the item, chosen it, and pieced together a suitable excuse—also didn’t seem like proper manners. Besides, it was quite a sight to see him acting clumsy when he was usually so adept in every situation.
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
Setting aside her many worries, Ugyeong asked the question.
“Tomorrow?”
Taeheon, who had been watching her reaction with an uncharacteristically anxious face, was left bewildered by the sudden question. It was then that he remembered the phone call from his older brother.
*‘We’re having dinner in Pyeongchang-dong this weekend. Grandmother summoned us, so don’t even think about skipping.’*
A meal in Pyeongchang-dong meant that the whole family would be turning out in full force. Unless one was staying overseas or had personal issues, it was beneficial in many ways to attend unconditionally.
*Well, I just have to go to Pyeongchang-dong before dinner.*
Finishing his brief deliberation, Taeheon looked at her with a bright expression.
“I don’t have any plans, why?”
“Ah, do you like movies, by any chance?”
“Movies?”
“A lot of movies are coming out this weekend. I’m not saying we have to go together, but if you have time, I wanted to treat you. You bought chicken for me today and helped me with so many things. Ah, I can buy you popcorn too.”
“Popcorn, huh.”
Taeheon, who had been giving simple answers as if he were very free, suddenly made a profound expression. As his deliberation dragged on, Ugyeong’s heart grew uncomfortable as well, and she quickly spoke up.
“I was just asking in case. Don’t worry about it.”
“I don’t care for movies, but popcorn sounds tempting. Shall we go tomorrow?”
“…Really?”
Her face, which had sunken in disappointment, bloomed brightly.
“Yes, then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“But.”
“Huh?”
Ugyeong, who had been bowing her head and turning around, looked back with a face brimming with smiles. Taeheon gently furrowed his brows and clicked his tongue.
“What’s with you. Aren’t you going to ask for my number? How are you going to contact me tomorrow?”
“Ah.”
“Ah?”
“I forgot, just a moment.”
Snapping to attention, she stepped quickly toward him and held out her phone. Taeheon looked down at it with skewed eyes, then shook his head in disbelief and took the phone.
While eleven digits were being pressed, Ugyeong didn’t take her eyes off the screen. After receiving her phone back, she pressed the call button to double-check that it was his number.
“Now it’s fine. Then, get home safely.”
“Yeah, you go first.”
“No, oppa, you go first.”
“I’ll be gone as soon as I get in the car. Go, hurry.”
Their locked gazes refused to fall away easily. Tangled together stubbornly, as if wagering on who would turn their head first, they colored each other’s cheeks red for a long, long while.
It was a strange night, after all.
Weren’t the stars shining especially bright? Wasn’t her heart fluttering at his scent? Weren’t the man and woman, unwilling to part, gazing at each other dearly?
* * *
Beep beep beep beep beep, click. The door lock disengaged. Pulling open the solid metal door and reflexively looking down, she spotted the sneakers placed in the entryway and froze stiff.
“Ugyeong’s back?”
Her aunt, Hong Mijeong, spoke in a languid voice.
Somehow managing to get inside, Ugyeong bobbed her head at Hong Mijeong, who was taking a bottle of alcohol out of the fridge and carrying it to the living room. Hong Mijeong glanced at her sideways, as if finding it strange that she was acting so stiff and unlike herself.
“What are you doing? If you see a person, you should greet them properly.”
Sure enough, Seol Gicheol, who had been drinking with raw tofu and kimchi as side dishes, exploded in anger.
Ugyeong flinched, hunching her shoulders, then slowly dragged her feet toward her uncle. Her pounding heartbeat echoed in her head, and for a moment, she felt dizzy.
“Uh, when did you get here?”
“Whenever I come, do I have to report to you every time I come to my own house?”
Seol Gicheol spat out sharply and tilted the bottle to fill an empty glass. Throwing back the drink in one gulp, he shot a contemptuous look at Hong Mijeong, who was offering him side dishes.
It was because she had been sprawled out sleeping despite knowing her husband was coming home after a long time. She had belatedly come to her senses and brought out a drinking table, but Hong Mijeong’s attitude was half-hearted.
*Had this woman gotten herself a lover or something in the meantime?*
He had been watching her with displeased eyes when Ugyeong returned home. The way she looked at people with lukewarm contempt, no different from Hong Mijeong, was unbearably irritating.
“These people are openly rubbing me the wrong way. Hey!”
In the end, Seol Gicheol overturned the drinking table and stood up.
“Oh my,” startled, Hong Mijeong’s eyes went wide.
Terrified, Ugyeong forgot even to make a sound and pulled her foot back.
Rustle. The shopping bag in her hand crumpled.
“Agh, fuck.”
Seol Gicheol put his hand on his waist and jerked his chin at Ugyeong, who had distanced herself, beckoning her to come here. When she didn’t move, he twisted his mouth in self-mockery as if asking what kind of person was like this.
“Seol Ugyeong, you have less than half a year left. You know what that means? Independence, independence.”
“….”
“Honestly, at your age, you could do anything if you went out right now. Earn money, and whether you get a house or go to school, figure it out yourself. It’s not like I can clean up after you forever. Right? Honestly, I’m someone who doesn’t care whether you graduate or not. To me, you’re nothing but a parasite living off my money.”
Heat rose to his face, and his reddish eyelids slowly closed and opened. Drowsiness crept in along with the drunkenness, and Seol Gicheol swept a look around the living room, then turned his steps to leave.
“How is that your money?”
Ugyeong’s voice echoed through the space filled with silence. Halting, Seol Gicheol furrowed his face in displeasure and looked back.
“It’s Mother’s money. I heard everything from Grandmother, that Mother left money in my name. Grandmother told me everything before she passed away. But how did it become your money? If you want me to leave, give me the money. The money Mother entrusted….”
“Who’s your mother! Fuck, the more I think about it, the angrier I get.”
Flying into a rage, Seol Gicheol grabbed Ugyeong by the collar and yanked her forward in an instant.
“Hey, you little shit, why don’t you call me uncle, huh? Even the bitch who only gave birth to you and died gets called mother, so why do you ignore me! Who do you think you are, you think you’re so great?”
“I’ve lived more honestly than you.”
“What? What did you say!”
“If you hadn’t shown up, I could have been adopted into a better home than this. Someone had offered to raise me before Grandmother passed away. But you ruined it. You took me to get money from Grandmother, didn’t you?”
“Hey, shut that mouth.”
“If I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have had to hear things like daughter of a swindler. I could have just gone to school normally like other kids….”
Smack—a sharp noise split the air.
Seol Gicheol’s hand dropped, red. The palm that had caused the friction was boiling with heat and trembling.
Ugyeong straightened her bent head and calmly looked up at him.
“Have you visited the hospital where I Gyeong is admitted?”
At the name “I Gyeong,” Seol Gicheol’s eyelids twitched.
“No, don’t go. She should be comfortable while she’s in the hospital. Perhaps, for I Gyeong, the hospital might be a better place than home.”