Chapter 57 (1/2)
Chapter 57.
Eejun said to Shin, “That was quick. You got here so fast.”
“I took the rest of the day off to get here.”
Shin was taking his coat off, and he smelled of the wind. Eejun stared at Shin pushed his hair back with his fingers and sigh. For some reason, Shin reminded Eejun of a wild beast. Eejun said to him, “So you believe a stranger’s words that easily?”
“I had a feeling that this was real.”
Suddenly, Eejun realized the truth. Jihoon Kang could never win against Shin Kim. Everything about Shin made him a winner in this case. Shin was hurt before, but rather than hiding it, Shin was honest about it. His warmth, smile, tears, and anger… All of them came from his honesty and sincerity.
Woojin and Shin looked so different, but inside, they were very similar.
“He is Jin Yoo, isn’t he?”
“So you remember.”
“I didn’t… not really…”
“…”
“At the time, his face was so swollen… He looked very different.”
“…”
“At one point, I thought he was dead.”
At the time, everyone at the school thought so. They thought he was dead. He bled so much that the entire swimming pool turned red. Woojin’s heart also stopped for a moment; the paramedics had to perform CPR.
Eejun was in the US at the time, but when he heard the news, he returned to Korea immediately. Eejun remembered the first time he saw Woojin after the incident. It was at the hospital and Woojin was in very bad shape. His wrists… were mangled. And as soon as Woojin regained his consciousness, he began to scratch himself. The trauma of it all was too much for Woojin.
Shin asked Eejun, “He didn’t commit suicide, did he?”
“You are very quick.”
“He didn’t seem like he wanted to die.”
“Well, you know him very well, I think. Woojin Choi isn’t greedy for life, but he also doesn’t want to die either.”
Eejun nodded. In front of them, two cups of camomile tea rested. They were from Dr. Yoonil.
Shin asked, “Where are we? Whose house is this?”
“Dr. Yoonil’s home.”
“… And who is Dr. Yoonil?”
“He is Woojin Choi’s doctor and Woojin’s mother’s good friend.”
“I have something I want to ask.”
“And I think I can guess what it is.”
“But I think I should be asking Woojin Choi and not you, Mr. Eejun Bae.”
“…”
“Waiting is very hard though.”
The ominous desperate feeling that things wouldn’t end well…
Eejun thought of Jihoon and bit his lips. He said to Shin, “Woojin Choi has been very good at being alone, even as a child.”
“…”
“He is a quiet and careful type. His face always looked very blank and it was very easy to tease him.”
“…”
“I liked Woojin since we were just kids. He was quiet, but he always said what needed to be said. He kept his distance from everyone, and I felt comfortable around him.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“Woojin Choi is unwell.”
“… The genetic disorder you mentioned earlier?”
“No, not that. But he has been so worried about getting that illness that the worry itself is making him sick.”
“…”
“On top of that, that accident made Woojin weak too.”
“And who did that to him? At the swimming pool.”
“Woojin’s aunt.”