Read the first part of the chapter here (nsfw)
***
Seo Kangwoo was unusually persistent today. Normally, he would have stuck to his mealtime routine, but today he broke it and kept clasping into Heewoon’s body.
By the time Heewoon returned home, he was completely exhausted. Both physically and mentally.
“I’m back.”
He tried to sound as casual as possible, but it ended up making his voice sound higher than usual. As he opened the sliding door, his mother got up from where she was lying.
“Hmm. You’re back.”
Fortunately, it seemed like his mother hadn’t sensed anything unusual. Heewoon avoided her gaze as he put down his backpack.
“What did you do earlier?”
“…Studying.”
Hmmm. As his mother changed channels on the TV and nodded, Heewoon quietly went to the bathroom and washed his face to calm his emotions. When he returned to his room, he could put on a face that was no different from usual.
Changing into his pajamas and getting under the blanket, Heewoon felt that the atmosphere in the room was subtly awkward. It was probably because his own heart was feeling uncomfortable. So, he deliberately tried to sound cheerful and asked,
“Mom, where did you go earlier?”
“…Just… ”
His mother’s response seemed reluctant, Heewoon thought. The moment he had that thought, it hurt him. Maybe his mother was just tired because she went out today. That’s how she usually was.
Heewoon lay down without saying anything more and stared at the ceiling.
“About that, Heewoon.”
“Yeah?”
Heewoon turned his head. His mother’s face was covered in the shadows as she lay down and gazed at the TV where a drama rerun was playing.
“Nevermind. Go to sleep now.”
Heewoon couldn’t see her expression.
***
A few days had passed. His mother was going to his aunt’s house in Cheonan in two days. She said she would stay there for about five days, so Heewoon would have to stay home alone for those five days.
If he had some free time, Heewoon thought it might be good to go to his aunt’s house and help with anything. Going there to spend the night and returning back immediately didn’t seem right, so he thought about bringing a gift as he was visiting his aunt for the first time in a while and congratulating Sunyoung noona too.
As Heewoon was coming down the stairs after his class, he thought about it. But what kind of gift should he buy? Not only for his aunt and for his cousin too. He had decided not to attend the wedding because there were many people uncomfortable with Heewoon and his mother, who had illegal loan debts.
Maybe because it was time for the sun to set, it felt a bit chilly when he stepped outside the building. Even though he was wearing a thermal long-sleeve t-shirt and a thick fleece hoodie over it, he still felt cold. He rubbed his nose and zipped up his hoodie all the way to his neck. He felt better once his neck was covered.
His upper body was now more or less settled, but this time, his ankles felt cold. He looked at his ankles exposed below his jeans and realized that he hadn’t washed his shoes yet, noticing the remaining mud stains. Heewoon thought he should wash his shoes when his mother went to his aunt’s house.
Heewoon glanced at his watch. It was 4:35. Normally, his class would last until 4:50, but it finished early, so Seo Kangwoo might not have arrived yet. So, he planned to walk around the school slowly and then go to the parking lot by 5:00.
As he walked past the wide expanse of grass, he felt a vibration in his pocket. He wondered if it was from Seo Kangwoo and his heart sank for a moment, but then he confirmed that the caller was his aunt and breathed a sigh of relief. He wondered why his aunt was calling.
“Hello?”
– Oh, Heewoon. Are you doing well?
“Yes, Auntie. Are you doing well too?”
Heewoon greeted her warmly as he looked around and went to the bench. With each step he took, the dry autumn leaves crackled beneath his feet. They exchanged pleasantries, and then the conversation shifted to his sister’s wedding. The call was going to become long.
The conversation continued into topics about his school life and recent updates. When Heewoon wanted to give congratulations and ask if there was anything he could do to help, he brought up his earlier thought.
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