My throat suddenly tightened, and I couldn’t respond. I would have preferred if I had lost my voice. If that were the case, I would have blamed him for not answering on time, wondering why he didn’t pick up my call. Since I couldn’t say anything, he spoke first.
[You should be in class at this time, but did you skip class to call me?]
His usual voice was calm and soothing. Suppressing the words I wanted to pour out, I responded with a nonchalant tone.
“Yeah. I skipped class.”
[What a surprise.]
He chuckled softly. His voice felt like a gentle touch, easing the tension in my head that felt like it might explode.
“Why? Are you sick?”
“…”
Getting sick used to be a daily routine, but should I complain now and say I’m skipping class because I’m sick? Afraid I’d say something that might backfire, I remained silent.
[How’s your health?]
“It’s… much better than yesterday.”
[I’m getting tired of hearing that. How many more days until you can say you’re completely healed?]
His laughter sounded youthful, and it made the tension in my shoulders subside. Straightening my hunched body, I walked over to a nearby bench and sat down.
“I guess the cold lasts for a long time this year.”
[It’s not that, it’s because you’re weak. Did you get the medicine I sent?]
“Ah. That. Yes, I got it.”
[Take it well. I’ll check it.]
He said that he will check, and I wasn’t sure why he said that, but it felt good to hear him say it. Despite the caution about taking herbal medicine, he seemed to have thoroughly researched everything. Quite meticulous, I must say. Thinking of the herbal medicine box that looked quite impressive, I unconsciously let out a sigh of admiration while nodding my head. I didn’t know how he planned to conduct the checking, but hearing him say it made me feel better.
I kept my lips tightly shut, I nervously rolled a small stone under my foot and cautiously asked him.
“Are you busy right now?”
[Not yet.]
Then I was going to ask if we could talk a little more, but I heard a man moaning over the phone. I wondered if it was just my feeling, but the sound of ‘Ugh, ugh.’ was faint, but I kept hearing it.
“What are you watching?”
[Why?]
“I can hear some sounds.”
[Hmm, I’m watching a movie.]
“You’re watching something racy.”
[I’ll lower the volume.]
However, despite saying that, the man’s gasping sounds were still audible, though somewhat suppressed. I frowned, wondering if he was teasing me again.
“It’s still audible…”
[Does it bother you?]
“A little?”
[Then I’ll just turn it off]
At the same time, the sound abruptly disappeared, and the surroundings became quiet. I let out a short sigh, then scolded him.
“Don’t watch weird stuff since the morning.”
[Weird stuff?]
Suddenly, Tae Seong-je burst into laughter and playfully retorted.
[What’s so weird about it?]
“Don’t tease me…”
I mumbled, trying to avoid a direct response, and Tae Seong-je chuckled softly. After that, I brought up random topics like the good weather or how the book I was reading was going, killing time with small talk. I didn’t mention anything about friends, family, or school, thinking he wouldn’t like it. Now, unlike Tae Seong-je in part 2, I didn’t think he would be angry after hearing a talk about them, but I was still worried that I might accidentally scratch an old wound, so I avoided bringing them up as much as possible.
[Hyung has to go now.]
“Ah…”
[I’ll call you again when I have time.]
“Okay…”
I tilted my head back, expecting him to hang up now, but Tae Seong-je kept talking without disconnecting as usual. I sat up straight and listened to his voice.
[Right. If you’re tired, just go home and rest.]
“Ah… Yes, I will do that.”
[If I have time at night, I’ll come over. But don’t wait for me; just go to sleep.]
“Yes. Hyung, please don’t overexert yourself.”
I was a bit worried about him coming all the way from his workplace to my house at night. I didn’t know where he was starting from, but I still worried about him being tired. In response to that, he complimented me in his gentle voice with a hint of laughter.
[As expected, Seung-won is the only one who cares about me. The other employees don’t care at all and just do whatever they want…]
“Why are they like that… Hyung, don’t let them take advantage of you, and be firm with them. If you just let things go, they’ll keep making mistakes and such.”
[Is that so?]
“Yes. Give them clear instructions and be firm with them.”
Maybe it was needless worry, but I felt a bit sorry that unlike in Part 2, he lacked a certain coldness. It seemed like his subordinates might easily take advantage of him when he was so lenient and indifferent to their antics… He should just handle it well. It would be difficult to find a boss as good as Tae Seong-jae now.
We continued talking for about five more minutes, and although I felt disappointed when the call finally ended, I realized my splitting headache and upset stomach had improved. I got up from my seat, thinking it was fortunate, and looked up at the sky while doing some light stretching. But once again, I heard the ringing of my phone. Knowing it couldn’t be Tae Seong-je, who had no business with me at the time, I assumed it would be Park Kang-woo, but it turned out to be Seung-won’s mother.
Seo Seung-won’s mother. I hesitated at the word that I couldn’t get used to, and I couldn’t ignore it, so I reluctantly answered her call.
“Yes, hello.”
[Yes. Seung-won, it’s mom.]
“Ah, yes… Hello…”
[Mm, are you doing well? Are you enjoying the side dishes I sent?]
“Yes, I’m enjoying them.”
[I see…]
Feeling awkward, I hesitated at that moment before finally sitting back down quietly.
[Oh, summer vacation is coming soon, right? When are you coming home? Mom will make your favorite galbi and japchae this time. And also… your favorite…]
“I… I have a lot to do during this summer vacation…”
[…]
The guilt made it difficult for me to continue listening to her. Perhaps she could guess what I was going to say, as she remained silent until I broke the silence first. Gripping the phone tightly, I forced myself to speak.
“I don’t think I can come home. I’m sorry.”
[Ah… I see. You’re just in your first year, so you must be busy… Don’t push yourself too hard…]
She mumbled and slurred her words. It was an awkward silence that wouldn’t end, but she tried to speak and yet hesitated as if she wanted to talk a little more. I was about to say that I would contact her the next time when she suddenly raised her voice.
[Oh, I almost forgot. Seung-joon said he would go see you again and went to your place.]
“Yes? again?”
[But this time, he said he’d call before coming. I just saw the message now because I was busy… He should have arrived around now, haven’t you met him yet?]
“I’m at school…”
[What is it? Were you in class? Did mom interfere with my eldest son’s studies?]
“Ah…”
Despite the fact that I was attending school on a scholarship, I felt guilty for skipping class when the person who gave me housing and pocket money to send me there said so.
“No… It’s break time now…”
It was just a feeble excuse to say it was break time. I felt embarrassed, and my ears turned red.
[Well, that’s a relief… sigh]
“What’s wrong?”
At the sound of the faint sigh, my heart shook suddenly.
[Ah. Oh. No… I’m just worried about Seung-joon lately. The child doesn’t smile much and seems depressed… It could be because he’s going through puberty, but I’m worried that something is bothering him.]
“Don’t worry too much. He may seem a little moody, but he’s naturally a bright kid. He’ll be fine soon.”
[…]
Despite my words telling her not to worry, she remained silent. In that silence, I understood what she was truly concerned about. She feared that her second son might end up like her first son. Losing memories, being diagnosed with an incurable illness, becoming a stranger to family and friends… Knowing that I felt a mix of pity and sympathy for her. That’s why I decided to speak up.
“Mom… he’s not like that. I know. He’s perfectly fine.”
[…]
When she heard me, she gasped in surprise. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke with a trembling voice.
“Seung-won-a, Mom is sorry.”
It couldn’t possibly be her fault, yet she apologized to me. Feeling frustrated and choked up, my voice lowered.
“No, I… I’m sorry.”
[Why are you apologizing for something you didn’t do?]
She asked what I was apologizing for. I had been searching for that answer for over a year, but I couldn’t find it until now. I bent down, grasped my throbbing head, and wiped the tiredness from my eyes. With so many thoughts colliding, my whole body tensed up and started to ache.
“Seo Seung-won!”
When I raised my head at the voice of the student rep coming from somewhere, a cold sweat dripped down my cheek that had formed before I knew it. In the distance, I could see the figure of the student rep approaching. Unconsciously, I felt relieved that there was a natural excuse to explain myself to her.
“I’m sorry, but I think I’ll have to hang up because my friend called me.”
[Sure, that’s fine. I feel like I’ve been keeping you too long when my son is busy. By any chance, are you feeling unwell because of me? Son, I’m sorry… I won’t call you too often. Take care of yourself, eat well, and don’t overdo your studies…]
“…”
Her words left me speechless again. It hurt my heart that she was worrying about me when even a little bit of stress made me show signs of discomfort. And yet, in these moments, I still didn’t know what her real son, the one she was truly concerned about, was doing or how he was.
I hung up the phone and stood dazed, and the student representative who had been running towards me abruptly said,
“Your younger brother is here.”
My throat suddenly tightened, and I couldn’t respond. I would have preferred if I had lost my voice. If that were the case, I would have blamed him for not answering on time, wondering why he didn’t pick up my call. Since I couldn’t say anything, he spoke first.
[You should be in class at this time, but did you skip class to call me?]
His usual voice was calm and soothing. Suppressing the words I wanted to pour out, I responded with a nonchalant tone.
“Yeah. I skipped class.”
[What a surprise.]
He chuckled softly. His voice felt like a gentle touch, easing the tension in my head that felt like it might explode.
“Why? Are you sick?”
“…”
Getting sick used to be a daily routine, but should I complain now and say I’m skipping class because I’m sick? Afraid I’d say something that might backfire, I remained silent.
[How’s your health?]
“It’s… much better than yesterday.”
[I’m getting tired of hearing that. How many more days until you can say you’re completely healed?]
His laughter sounded youthful, and it made the tension in my shoulders subside. Straightening my hunched body, I walked over to a nearby bench and sat down.
“I guess the cold lasts for a long time this year.”
[It’s not that, it’s because you’re weak. Did you get the medicine I sent?]
“Ah. That. Yes, I got it.”
[Take it well. I’ll check it.]
He said that he will check, and I wasn’t sure why he said that, but it felt good to hear him say it. Despite the caution about taking herbal medicine, he seemed to have thoroughly researched everything. Quite meticulous, I must say. Thinking of the herbal medicine box that looked quite impressive, I unconsciously let out a sigh of admiration while nodding my head. I didn’t know how he planned to conduct the checking, but hearing him say it made me feel better.
I kept my lips tightly shut, I nervously rolled a small stone under my foot and cautiously asked him.
“Are you busy right now?”
[Not yet.]
Then I was going to ask if we could talk a little more, but I heard a man moaning over the phone. I wondered if it was just my feeling, but the sound of ‘Ugh, ugh.’ was faint, but I kept hearing it.
“What are you watching?”
[Why?]
“I can hear some sounds.”
[Hmm, I’m watching a movie.]
“You’re watching something racy.”
[I’ll lower the volume.]
However, despite saying that, the man’s gasping sounds were still audible, though somewhat suppressed. I frowned, wondering if he was teasing me again.
“It’s still audible…”
[Does it bother you?]
“A little?”
[Then I’ll just turn it off]
At the same time, the sound abruptly disappeared, and the surroundings became quiet. I let out a short sigh, then scolded him.
“Don’t watch weird stuff since the morning.”
[Weird stuff?]
Suddenly, Tae Seong-je burst into laughter and playfully retorted.
[What’s so weird about it?]
“Don’t tease me…”
I mumbled, trying to avoid a direct response, and Tae Seong-je chuckled softly. After that, I brought up random topics like the good weather or how the book I was reading was going, killing time with small talk. I didn’t mention anything about friends, family, or school, thinking he wouldn’t like it. Now, unlike Tae Seong-je in part 2, I didn’t think he would be angry after hearing a talk about them, but I was still worried that I might accidentally scratch an old wound, so I avoided bringing them up as much as possible.
[Hyung has to go now.]
“Ah…”
[I’ll call you again when I have time.]
“Okay…”
I tilted my head back, expecting him to hang up now, but Tae Seong-je kept talking without disconnecting as usual. I sat up straight and listened to his voice.
[Right. If you’re tired, just go home and rest.]
“Ah… Yes, I will do that.”
[If I have time at night, I’ll come over. But don’t wait for me; just go to sleep.]
“Yes. Hyung, please don’t overexert yourself.”
I was a bit worried about him coming all the way from his workplace to my house at night. I didn’t know where he was starting from, but I still worried about him being tired. In response to that, he complimented me in his gentle voice with a hint of laughter.
[As expected, Seung-won is the only one who cares about me. The other employees don’t care at all and just do whatever they want…]
“Why are they like that… Hyung, don’t let them take advantage of you, and be firm with them. If you just let things go, they’ll keep making mistakes and such.”
[Is that so?]
“Yes. Give them clear instructions and be firm with them.”
Maybe it was needless worry, but I felt a bit sorry that unlike in Part 2, he lacked a certain coldness. It seemed like his subordinates might easily take advantage of him when he was so lenient and indifferent to their antics… He should just handle it well. It would be difficult to find a boss as good as Tae Seong-jae now.
We continued talking for about five more minutes, and although I felt disappointed when the call finally ended, I realized my splitting headache and upset stomach had improved. I got up from my seat, thinking it was fortunate, and looked up at the sky while doing some light stretching. But once again, I heard the ringing of my phone. Knowing it couldn’t be Tae Seong-je, who had no business with me at the time, I assumed it would be Park Kang-woo, but it turned out to be Seung-won’s mother.
Seo Seung-won’s mother. I hesitated at the word that I couldn’t get used to, and I couldn’t ignore it, so I reluctantly answered her call.
“Yes, hello.”
[Yes. Seung-won, it’s mom.]
“Ah, yes… Hello…”
[Mm, are you doing well? Are you enjoying the side dishes I sent?]
“Yes, I’m enjoying them.”
[I see…]
Feeling awkward, I hesitated at that moment before finally sitting back down quietly.
[Oh, summer vacation is coming soon, right? When are you coming home? Mom will make your favorite galbi and japchae this time. And also… your favorite…]
“I… I have a lot to do during this summer vacation…”
[…]
The guilt made it difficult for me to continue listening to her. Perhaps she could guess what I was going to say, as she remained silent until I broke the silence first. Gripping the phone tightly, I forced myself to speak.
“I don’t think I can come home. I’m sorry.”
[Ah… I see. You’re just in your first year, so you must be busy… Don’t push yourself too hard…]
She mumbled and slurred her words. It was an awkward silence that wouldn’t end, but she tried to speak and yet hesitated as if she wanted to talk a little more. I was about to say that I would contact her the next time when she suddenly raised her voice.
[Oh, I almost forgot. Seung-joon said he would go see you again and went to your place.]
“Yes? again?”
[But this time, he said he’d call before coming. I just saw the message now because I was busy… He should have arrived around now, haven’t you met him yet?]
“I’m at school…”
[What is it? Were you in class? Did mom interfere with my eldest son’s studies?]
“Ah…”
Despite the fact that I was attending school on a scholarship, I felt guilty for skipping class when the person who gave me housing and pocket money to send me there said so.
“No… It’s break time now…”
It was just a feeble excuse to say it was break time. I felt embarrassed, and my ears turned red.
[Well, that’s a relief… sigh]
“What’s wrong?”
At the sound of the faint sigh, my heart shook suddenly.
[Ah. Oh. No… I’m just worried about Seung-joon lately. The child doesn’t smile much and seems depressed… It could be because he’s going through puberty, but I’m worried that something is bothering him.]
“Don’t worry too much. He may seem a little moody, but he’s naturally a bright kid. He’ll be fine soon.”
[…]
Despite my words telling her not to worry, she remained silent. In that silence, I understood what she was truly concerned about. She feared that her second son might end up like her first son. Losing memories, being diagnosed with an incurable illness, becoming a stranger to family and friends… Knowing that I felt a mix of pity and sympathy for her. That’s why I decided to speak up.
“Mom… he’s not like that. I know. He’s perfectly fine.”
[…]
When she heard me, she gasped in surprise. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke with a trembling voice.
“Seung-won-a, Mom is sorry.”
It couldn’t possibly be her fault, yet she apologized to me. Feeling frustrated and choked up, my voice lowered.
“No, I… I’m sorry.”
[Why are you apologizing for something you didn’t do?]
She asked what I was apologizing for. I had been searching for that answer for over a year, but I couldn’t find it until now. I bent down, grasped my throbbing head, and wiped the tiredness from my eyes. With so many thoughts colliding, my whole body tensed up and started to ache.
“Seo Seung-won!”
When I raised my head at the voice of the student rep coming from somewhere, a cold sweat dripped down my cheek that had formed before I knew it. In the distance, I could see the figure of the student rep approaching. Unconsciously, I felt relieved that there was a natural excuse to explain myself to her.
“I’m sorry, but I think I’ll have to hang up because my friend called me.”
[Sure, that’s fine. I feel like I’ve been keeping you too long when my son is busy. By any chance, are you feeling unwell because of me? Son, I’m sorry… I won’t call you too often. Take care of yourself, eat well, and don’t overdo your studies…]
“…”
Her words left me speechless again. It hurt my heart that she was worrying about me when even a little bit of stress made me show signs of discomfort. And yet, in these moments, I still didn’t know what her real son, the one she was truly concerned about, was doing or how he was.
I hung up the phone and stood dazed, and the student representative who had been running towards me abruptly said,
“Your younger brother is here.”
