CHAPTER 13
On their way to Seoul.
With Chung-Hee.
Business class, he realized vaguely. The seat had converted into a full bed, a soft blanket covering his body. Chung-Hee sat beside him wearing noise-canceling headphones, reading a business book while listening to music. The meal in front of him was untouched; beside it, a glass of wine.
“Mr. Lee,” Noeul said softly, not wanting to disturb the other passengers.
No response. Chung-Hee continued reading.
Noeul’s hands, clenched into rigid fists, throbbed beneath the bandages. His body trembled; muffled sobs escaped his lips.
“Mr. Lee,” he said again, louder this time.
Nothing.
“Please, Mr. Lee,” he repeated insistently.
Still no reaction. Another passenger noticed his condition and alerted Chung-Hee, who immediately turned his attention to Noeul.
“Mr. Lee,” Noeul murmured, sweat dripping down his forehead. “I can’t move. The pain in my hands is unbearable.”
“The effect of the painkiller must be wearing off,” Chung-Hee said calmly. “Let me give you something for the pain.”
He stood and approached him, holding two pills and a small bottle of water. He slid one arm beneath Noeul’s neck, lifting him gently, while keeping his hands hidden beneath the blanket.
“Come on. Drink,” he said, bringing the pills and water to his lips.
“Thank you,” Noeul whispered, closing his eyes.
“Try to get some more rest,” Chung-Hee told him before returning to his seat. “Your body needs it.”
He appeared cold and distant again.
Noeul woke sometime later as the medication began to wear off. Chung-Hee was asleep on the flat bed beside him, so he tried not to disturb him, but a low groan escaped before he could stop it.
He stared at the ceiling.
How would he face his family?
And Ji-Woo?
The money Chung-Hee had interfered with wasn’t only his. Part of it had been meant for Ji-Woo’s university fees.
His mother’s cries returned to him.
Beside him, Chung-Hee stirred awake.
Noeul turned his head toward him. “You can’t keep me with you forever.”
Chung-Hee sat up and returned the bed to its seat position. “This isn’t a conversation we should have on an airplane.”
He pressed the call button for the flight attendant, then looked back at Noeul. “We’ll discuss it properly when we have some privacy.”
A brief pause.
“And you can stop calling me Mr. Lee. Call me Chung-Hee.” He watched Noeul carefully. “Or hyung, if you prefer.”
Noeul stared at him for a moment before giving a small nod. “Hyung,” he said quietly.
Something shifted in Chung-Hee’s expression, but only for a second.
The flight attendant approached before either of them could say anything more.
The rest of the flight passed quietly, Noeul drifting between sleep and the movie Chung-Hee had put on for him.
San was waiting for them in the arrivals area. The ache in Noeul’s hands had intensified, making him restless. He walked beside Chung-Hee, drawing the attention of passersby. His hands were hidden beneath the loose black hoodie Chung-Hee had made him wear when he took him out of the hospital.
As soon as they got into the car, Chung-Hee was the first to speak.
“San, please take us to my house for now. Proceed with the arrangements for the apartment as I instructed you. I’ll return to work tomorrow after lunch. I want an update on my schedule as soon as I arrive at the office.”
San’s eyes widened at the instruction.
Noeul, however, reacted immediately. “Mr. Kim, please take me to a hotel. It’s not appropriate for me to stay with Chung-Hee hyung.”
San glanced sharply toward Noeul when he called Chung-Hee hyung.
“Staying at a hotel isn’t a feasible option at the moment,” Chung-Hee replied, giving nothing away.
“It would be if you stopped interfering with my money,” Noeul insisted, raising his voice slightly.
Chung-Hee raised his hand as though he were about to strike him. “Who do you think you’re talking to like that? Do you want to get hit?”
Then he let his hand fall.
“I have a proposal for you, Noeul. Since you don’t want to come to my house, how about we go to your parents’ apartment instead?”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
Noeul stared at him in horror. His gaze dropped to his hands beneath the loose sleeves of the hoodie.
Returning to Korea was bad enough.
But facing his parents like this paralyzed him.
“Try me and see whether I will or not.” Chung-Hee’s attention never left him. “In fact, it would be quite interesting to see your reaction when you meet them for the first time. What do you think? Which expression will dominate your face? Remorse? Grief? Anger?”
He turned toward San. “San, I’ve changed my mind. Take Noeul to his parents’ home.”
Noeul collapsed forward, his eyes brimming with tears.
How cruel could this man be?
“No, no, please. They can’t see me like this.” He struggled to get the next words out. “Hyung, please. I’ll come with you. I’ll be obedient. Just don’t let them see me with these hands. I’m not ready yet.”
“That wasn’t so difficult, was it?” Chung-Hee said. “San, take us to Cheongdam-dong.”
He leaned closer, speaking almost in a whisper meant only for Noeul. “Noeul, the expression on your face just now completely captivated me.”
A faint color touched Noeul’s face against his will.
There was something about his reluctance to surrender that made Chung-Hee want to see more. If life weren’t so cruel, he would never let him go.
Noeul wondered how he would survive under the same roof as the man he had spent his high school years loving.