SEVEN

Chanwoo stared tenderly at the smiling photograph of his mother who was looking directly at the camera lens with soft, dark brown eyes and the most beautiful and adoringly smile that adorned her small, red lips. She was laughing. She was happy. And Chanwoo smile as he heard his memory play her laughter and echoed inside of him, rumbling his heart with floods of sentimental feelings of his mother. He reached out and pressed his thumb gently over her face, caressing it as if he was touching her face for real.

“Omma, it’s me. Chanwoo,” Chanwoo spoke, his voice low and soft. He waited for a beat as if he was waiting for his mum’s replied. “I’m back for good now. Grandfather wanted me back so I came back. Not sure if it’s the right decision, though. Anyway, I’m sorry it took quite a while to see you – it’s just that I’ve been really busy. I hope you’re not too upset about it.”

He noticed a familiar white business card placed neatly next to the urn. “Looks like hyung came to see you recently. So, I guess hyung has told you about his new restaurant. I’m so proud of him, Omma. Hyung did it all by himself – and it’s a great restaurant! It’s always so busy…people really like it!” Chanwoo grinned widely, “See – what did I told you? You don’t have to worry about hyung – he’s got great people besides him – especially me – and his dream came true.”

“Anyway, how are you?” He gave a laughing smile, “I bet you’re doing really good up there in Heaven, huh? With all those free time, you can do the things that you love that you couldn’t while you were down here. Especially gardening, right? I know how much you love gardening. What are you planting? Flowers? You really love flowers. I bet you’re planting all of the flowers that are exisiting… Oh! I brought your favourite flower – daisies.” Chanwoo held the flowers that were held in his hands and gently laid them next to the photo frame. “I hope you like it – I asked the florist to arrange it nicely. Although, the daisies that you have in your garden in Heaven are probably more beautiful than this… Right?”

Suddenly, his heart thump with achiness and his throat clogged; Chanwoo looked away as he tried to stop the tears that had alarmingly gathered in his eyes, from its release. He can’t let his mum see him cry. He promised to never cry in front of her. It took a while but eventually he breathe it away and turn to look back his mum. He smile again.

“Omma, I miss you. Every day. But it’s okay because I know that you’re in a better and happier place.” His voice shook a little but he forced himself to steady it. “So, don’t ever feel bad about leaving me and hyung here because Omma… it’s okay. Really.”

He let out a strong exhale and stand up straight. “Now that I’m officially back living here, I can visit you more often. I promise. I gotta go now but I’ll see you later okay. Say hi to grandpa and grandma for me. Saranghae, Omma.”

******

As Chanwoo turned the corner, he saw a familiar figure exiting one of the Columbarium’s rooms in front of him. “Donghyuk!” he called.

Donghyuk halted in his steps and swivelled around. “Chanwoo!” Donghyuk smile.

Chanwoo fasten his pace to stand next to Donghyuk. “Hi!” he greeted, happily.

Donghyuk giggled and grasped his hand warmly. “Hi! It’s so weird to see you dressed in a suit!”

Chanwoo gave a shy and sheepish smile. “Really? I guess it’s a little bit weird, huh?”

“It made me realised how you’re not a kid anymore but a man now. A very handsome man.”

“I know,” Chanwoo winked cheekily and Donghyuk laughed out loud at that.

“Did you come to see your mum?” Donghyuk asked.

Chanwoo gave a small smile. “Yeah.”

“I came to see my dad.”

“Oh?” Chanwoo’s eyes widened slightly. “Your dad is here as well?”

Donghyuk nodded his head. “Hhmm.”

“Who knew your dad and my mum are at the same place all this time,” Chanwoo said.

“I know, right,” Donghyuk scoffed a smile. They turned and began to walk down the hallway towards the main exit; Donghyuk’s hand still holding Chanwoo’s hand. “I have a free teaching period this morning so I decided to see my dad. It’s been a really long time since I visited him, anyway,” Donghyuk said.

Chanwoo nodded lightly. “I see. It’s my first visit to my mum since I’ve come back…”

Donghyuk glanced at Chanwoo with sympathy as he heard a small wave of guilt in his words and squeeze his hand. “You’ve been busy. I’m sure your mum understand,” Donghyuk gently reassured. “Sometimes I’m like that as well; I get so caught up with work and never seem to have the time so visit. Infact, last year I only visited my dad twice and I feel guilty. But I tell myself that even though I rarely visit him that doesn’t mean I don’t think about him. I think about my dad every day, how much I love him and miss him. And at the end of the day that’s all that matters, right?”

Chanwoo gave a small nod, his eyes casted down on the floor. “Yeah,” he sighs. Donghyuk smile gently at him and squeeze his hand again in comfort.

They continued walking in soft silence. Donghyuk’s warm hand soaking into Chanwoo’s and spreading upwards like a wildfire through his arm and then pleasantly settling in his heart.

As they near the main entrance, Chanwoo glanced at Donghyuk, his eyes blinking furiously and he bit his lips nervously. Sensing it, Donghyuk looked at him curiously.

“What is it?” Donghyuk asked.

Chanwoo rubbed the back of his neck – an unconscious habit he does whenever he’s nervous or embarrassed. “I’m sorry if this might be sensitive,” Chanwoo said, sheepishly. “…but how did your dad died?”

“It’s natural to ask,” Donghyuk smiled kindly at him. “My dad died in a car accident – a hit-and-run.” Donghuk’s eyes clouded and his voice turned lower. “My dad likes to go hiking really early in the morning on the weekends. He said that it helps to clear his mind. One morning, on his way… while he was crossing the road…” Donghyuk trailed off quietly, unable to continue as the he felt his throat closed and Chanwoo gently halted their steps.

Chanwoo hesitated to ask his next question. “Did…they get the one who did it?”

Donghyuk shook his head. “No,” he breathes out. “Because it was really early in the morning, there were no witnesses either except the person who called the ambulance – and by the time he got there the car was already gone.”

Chanwoo frowned. “The police never found him? Didn’t get anything?”

“Nope. The police tried but…nothing,” Donghyuk said and then shrugged his shoulders. “To be honest, I think it was for the best really.”

“Not knowing who the driver was,” he added at Chanwoo’s confused face.

“Wae?”

Donghyuk looked at Chanwoo, his eyes reflecting a hint of darting turmoil that Chanwoo found strangely intriguing. “I don’t want to hate anybody. If I knew who it was – I would hate him forever.”

And Chanwoo didn’t know how to reply to that.

At the corner of his eyes, Chanwoo saw a figure appearing at the entrance and he turned to it and his eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh…Ahjussi!” Chanwoo cried.

Ahjussi, at the call, froze and squinted at Chanwoo in confusion.

“Ahjussi, it’s me, Chanwoo. Jung Chanwoo,” Chanwoo clarified as he took a few steps towards Ahjussi. The Ahjussi’s face cleared and turned into a soft surprise.

“Ah! Chanwoo!” Ahjussi laughed. “Aigo! You’ve grown so tall and handsome that I almost didn’t recognised you!”

Chanwoo chuckled. “Yeah, it’s been some time since I last saw you. You’ve been well, right, Ahjussi?”

Ahjussi laughed heartily, “Of course!” Then his eyes darted from Chanwoo to Donghyuk who was standing a little behind Chanwoo. His smiling face dropped slightly and his eyes widened and he took small steps forward. “And..who is this?”

Chanwoo followed his gaze and gasped lightly when he saw that he was looking at Donghyuk. “Ah! This is my friend, Donghyuk.”

Donghyuk walked forward and bow politely. “Annyeonghaseyo, I’m Kim Donghyuk.”

“Kim Donghyuk?” Ahjussi said, his voice suddenly turned lower and raspy…like he couldn’t believe it. He gave a small smile as his eyes soften. “You’ve grown up well.”

Both Donghyuk and Chanwoo was stunned. “De?” Donghyuk let out, not sure if he heard the words correctly.

Ahjussi shook his head and let out breathy laugh. “Aniya… You’re very handsome, Donghyuk.”

“Thank you,” Donghyuk replied and gazed at the old man in front of him in full detail. He tiltled his head slightly in thought. His face looks familiar…

“Ahjussi, I guess you came to visit someone,” Chanwoo said.

Ahjussi tore his eyes from Donghyuk and nodded at Chanwoo. “Yes, I’ve come to visit someone.” He gazed back at Donghyuk. “Someone I’m indebted to.”

“Well, I guess we shouldn’t keep you,” Chanwoo said. “We should let you go.”

Ahjussi nodded his head slowly. “Yes…I better go.”

Chanwoo gave a genuine warm smile. “It was really nice to see you again, Ahjussi.”

Ahjussi nodded and this time he was looking and smiling at Chanwoo. He reached out and squeezed Chanwoo’s shoulder. “Take a really good care of yourself, Chanwoo.”

Both Donghyuk and Chanwoo watched him walked past them and down the corridor.

“Who is he?” Donghyuk asked.

“Ahjussi used to work for my father. He’s retired now,” Chanwoo said. “He was really nice to me when I was kid.”

“I think…I’ve seen him somewhere before,” Donghyuk said, hesitantly.

“Really?”

“Yeah…his face…” Donghyuk trailed. “…it seems familiar…But I can’t remember where though…”

“Maybe you’ve seen him around here before,” Chanwoo suggested.

Donghyuk bit his lips. “Yeah…maybe…”

Then, Chanwoo’s phone rang and he shot an apologetic look at Donghyuk as he pulled it out of his blazer’s pocket and answered it.

“Yeoboseyo? Yes, this is he speaking.”

Donghyuk bounced lightly on his heels as he watched Chanwoo.

Chanwoo frowned as he listened to the speaker’s words and then let out an exasperating sigh. “Yes. I can be there in twenty minutes. Okay. Thank you.”

Chanwoo tuts in annoyance as he ended the call causing Donghyuk to smile in amusement. “I’m sorry but I gotta go, Donghyuk,” he said. “There’s…something I gotta take care of.”

“That’s fine,” Donghyuk replied. “I better get going to school as well. My free period will end soon.”

“Okay.”

They hug and smile at each other before separating and going their own way.

******

Chanwoo sighed as he (tried to) calmly walked into the police station. Once he announced himself at the reception desk, a police officer led him to the Detectives’ work station and as soon as he stepped into area, he saw a familiar figure jumped up and waved his arms high up in the air from a desk near the end of the room.

“Hyung! Over here!”

Chanwoo narrowed his eyes and glared at the person before gritting his teeth and forced himself to walk towards him. The figure seeing Chanwoo making his way to him happily flop back down on his chair and turned to the person sitting behind the desk, who regarded him in amusement, in front of him.

“My hyung is here,” he said, arrogantly. “He’ll vouch for me.”

When Chanwoo reached the desk (ready to release his anger), he was greeted with another familiar face who also looked at him in surprise.

“Chanwoo?”

“Jiwon-shi?” Chanwoo said with wide eyes.

The other person blinked in confusion before his eyes darted furiously between Chanwoo and Jiwon. “Hyung…you know Detective Kim?”

“Er…we’ve met,” Chanwoo said as he sat down on the other chair.

Jiwon grinned. “So Chanwoo is your hyung?” he said to the other person whilst nodding his head in Chanwoo’s direction.

“Yes.”

“No.”

Jiwon grin deepened at their simultaneous answers.

“I’m not Chani’s hyung,” Chanwoo said through locked jaw as he stared daggers at him to which Chani sulkily pouted at. “He’s just a donsaeng that I know – although I’m beginning to regret that now.”

“Why is Chani here, Jiwon-shi?” Chanwoo asked.

“Hyung,” Jiwon corrected as he sat up. “Well… Mr Kang was found trespassing –”

“I wasn’t trespassing!” Chani exclaimed.

Chanwoo slapped the back of Chani’s head (and Chani rubbed the back of his head as he whined). “Is he being charged?”

“No,” Jiwon said, holding back his laughter at the scene he’d just witnessed. “Lucky for him, the owner of the property doesn’t want to press charges so we’re gonna let him go with a warning.”

“Of course he won’t press charges! Because I wasn’t trespassing!” Chani cried, desperately.

Chanwoo slapped the back of his head again. This time harder. “Quiet!” he scolded and Chani scowled furiously at him but nevertheless obeyed.

“It won’t happen again,” Chanwoo remarked and glared at Chani. “Right?”

Chani folded his arms against his chest and sulked as he mumbled a “…right…”

Jiwon nodded his head approvingly. “I’m gonna take that as a promise,” he said. “But next time, it won’t be a warning anymore. Well, since you’re here, you can take him and go.”

“Thank you Jiwon-shi,” Chanwoo said as he stood up and hauled Chani up to his feet by his collar.

“Hyung,” Jiwon drawled. “It’s Jiwon hyung.”

“Jiwon hyung,” Chanwoo repeated, sheepishly. “We’ll go now.”

Still holding Chani by his collar, Chanwoo swivelled them around and walked them to the main door.

“Why do you always get in trouble?” Chanwoo hissed.

“I told you! I wasn’t there to…”

Jiwon watched them walked away bickering with each other, in amusement, and shook his head as he saw Chanwoo playfully shoved Chani forward and who in return shoved back.

******

“What were you doing there in the first place?”

“I told you,” Chani sighed exasperatedly and fiddled with the car’s seat belt in annoyance. Why won’t he listen to me? “I went there to interview him –”

“For what?”

Chani threw his palms up into the air frustratingly. “For a story that I’m working on! I’m a journalist, remember?”

“An amateur one,” Chanwoo muttered to which Chani glared at for. “So, if you went there to interview him why did that person reported you for trespassing?”

“Well, obviously,” Chani emphasised the word with a long dull drawled at which Chanwoo almost slapped his head for because he knew Chani was mocking him. “…it’s because he didn’t want to answer my questions and wanted to make sure I never come back!”

Chanwoo took his eyes from the road and quickly glanced at Chani. “Who is this person that you were interviewing?”

“Kim Moon Ho.”

Chanwoo frozed at the name and felt a sudden lump in his throat. Kim Moon Ho. He was one of his father’s acquaintances. “What kind of story are you working on?” he asked, carefully. He doesn’t know why but suddenly he felt uneasy and his heartbeat increased a little.

Chani shifted in his seat so that he was facing Chanwoo and wiggled his eyebrows excitedly. “Corruptions and possible embezzlements, of course!” he giggled. “What other stories could there be connected to a mogul businessman other than that? And you wanna know what I found out so far, hyung?”

“Not really.”

“Through the researches that I’d done,” Chani continued, pointedly ignoring Chanwoo’s protest. “Kim Moon Ho has a sponsor. A very wealthy and powerful sponsor.” His voice escalated to a full excitement. “Think about it hyung –”

“I don’t wanna think about it.’

“– Kim Moon Ho was just like me – except of course I’m much more talented than him –” Chanwoo scoffed at that. “- a young, inspired journalist. But then suddenly, within a period of four years he went from being just a journalist to owning what-now-is-one-the-most-influential newspaper company in Korea. And I checked his background – he doesn’t come from a rich family infact a complete opposite. He was average, nothing outstanding. So, how the hell did he get to being one of the richest man in the country so fast?”

He purposely gave a dramatic pause but when Chanwoo (annoyingly) didn’t respond to it, he hit his palm against the car seat in a loud thump.

“Yah! Don’t hit my expensive car seat!”

“He has a sponsor,” Chani said in a melodramatic voice. “But you see, hyung, people like him don’t get sponsors because they’re hard-working and passionate – they get it because they have something on their sponsor: a secret. And I think I know who the sponsor is…he’s a businessman. Jung Ba–” He was cut off by a swift smack to the back of his head by Chanwoo.

“Stop it,” Chanwoo scolded with a scowl. “Kim Moon Ho is a man who has many connections not only to businessmen but also to politicians. Politics are very dangerous. Don’t get involved in it, Chani.” He glanced at Chani sternly. “I know these people; I’ve lived with them and are acquainted with them all my life. These people are the type who doesn’t like people digging about them so don’t dig.”

“I’m big a boy, I can handle myself,” Chani said.

“I’m serious, Chani,” Chanwoo warned. “Drop that story and stop investigating it. Alright? Stick to writing about global warming or something.”

Chani tuts in annoyance. “Global warming or something,” he mimicked under his breath.

“Yah!” Chanwoo called out. “You listening to me?”

“Yeah, I’m listening,” Chani muttered angrily.

And Chanwoo hope to God that Chani was listening to him because the last thing he wanted was Chani to fall into the horrible clutched of that world. He swallowed. His world.

******

Hanbin tapped his index finger on his desk rhythmically like a woodpecker bulldozing a tree bark as he impatiently waits for his laptop’s digital time to turn from 16:59 to 17:00; each seconds that passed by, the rhythm of his finger-tapping increased.

He counted the seconds down.

Three seconds.

Two seconds.

One second.

17:00

He felt his heart lurched at the change of the numbers and the finger-tapping instantaneously stopped. He peeked over his laptop, carefully, and saw that Ju-ne, whose desk was situated on the other side of the small office that they shared together, was still engrossed in his own work; and so, he casually turns off his laptop and tidied up his work papers into their respected files, and slid them to the corner of his desk. Despite all of his actions, Ju-ne still hasn’t noticed them.

He stretched his arms out and faked a small yawn as he pushed his chair backwards with his feet and stood up. “Yeah, okay…so it’s been a long day and…I’m gonna get going,” he announced as nonchalantly as he could.

Ju-ne, who was typing on his laptop, froze his fingers and looked up at Hanbin. His eyebrows furrowed deeply when he saw Hanbin’s neat desk. “You’re…going home…on time?” he asked, sceptically.

Hanbin nodded his head. “Yeah.”

“You…a workaholic is actually going home on time? Five o’clock on the dot?” Ju-ne mocked as he leaned back on his chair and folded his arms. “In the years that I’ve worked with you, this would the very first time that it’s happening. I should mark the calendar – this is a historic moment in the life of Kim Hanbin.”

Hanbin scowled at his mockery. “Shut up.”

Ju-ne laughed. “There’s something going on…what are you going on a date or something?”

Hanbin’s eyes slightly widened at the question but quickly brushed off the panic feeling and slipped his arms through his jacket that was hung carelessly on the back of his chair. “No,” he scoffed, trying to divert the topic but when he looked at Ju-ne he was greeted with a pointed look from him. He immediately sighed and crumbled. “Yeah…I have a date.”

Ju-ne burst into a laugh, “I know you have a date. I was teasing you.”

“How did you…?” Hanbin asked, surprised.

“Jinhwan hyung told me,” Ju-ne said, carelessly. “He set you up with the receptionist from his veterinary. Apparently you like her but is too shy to ask her out.”

Hanbin groaned and pinched his nose bridge. “Aahh…I hate you both,” he muttered. Recovering from his embarrassment, he shook his head and square his shoulders. “Whatever, tease me all you want. I have a date so I’m gonna go.”

“Oh! A piece of advice,” Ju-ne said, stopping Hanbin in his steps to leave their office. “It is accustomed and encouraged to talk when you are on a date.”

Hanbin immediately threw a pen in Ju-ne’s head direction which landed lamely on the floor before storming out and slamming the door behind him. Ju-ne cackled watching him leave. Then his phone rang and Ju-ne grinned when he saw the displayed name.

“Jinhwan hyung,” he answered, cheerfully. “Hanbin hyung just left to go on the date that you set up for him.”

“You about it didn’t you? Can’t you just for once let him live?”

“Hey! I was just doing what normal friends would do!” Ju-ne defended and he could hear Jinhwan shook his head over the phone.

“Anyway, tonight I’m thinking on catching up with some TV drama and takeaways – wanna join me?”

Ju-ne shrugged his shoulders, “Sure, it’s been sometime since we’ve hung out.”

“Great – come over to my place then.”

Tucking his phone between his shoulder and his ear, Ju-ne stood up and began to tidy his desk. “I’ll get the takeaway, it’s my turn to buy – what do you want, hyung?”

“Anything’s good. Surprise me.”

“Okay, I’ll see you later then.” And Ju-ne ended the call. As he gets ready to leave, his brain began to swirl as he tried to think what he’ll get for dinner and then quickly remembered the delicious, skewered meat that he ate with Chanwoo at Mangwon Han River Park when he had gone to meet him. He smile and thought that Jinhwan would enjoy it and so decided to get it for dinner.

******

It didn’t take long for Ju-ne to get to Mangwon Han River Park and when he arrived, he was relieved to find that the food truck was still parked and running at its usual spot. Memory of the day he had eaten at the food truck with Chanwoo played in his head as he waited for his ordered food to be pack and found himself unable to stop the smile forming on his face. He decided to take a picture of himself at the food truck and send it to Chanwoo – wanting him also to remember that day.

It took about five selfie and few dozen poses and angles before he was thoroughly pleased and send it to Chanwoo.

To: Chanwoo

[Pic]

Message: At the skewered meat food truck that we ate at together…This time I’m having a takeaway and eating it with Jinhwan hyung…

He smiled and felt his heart squealed with excitement at seeing the sent message and immediately began to wonder what Chanwoo replied would be. He rocked on his heels slightly and jumped when he felt his phone vibrate in his palm. But, his face fell when he realised that instead of a message, it was a call. The name Minhyuk flashed mercilessly on his phone screen.

Ju-ne stared at the name as emotions that he could not decipher came rushing to him and his thumb hovered over the green button. Hesitantly and indecisive.

Before he could register, his thumb pressed the answered button and he carefully held it up against his ear. He took a deep breath.

“Yeoboseyo?”

“Ju-ne. It’s me.”

Ju-ne exhaled deeply. “I know.”

“Where are you, right now?”

“Out.”

“You haven’t been replying to my messages.”

“Yeah.” He wanted to say more but found his brain is unable to deliver other than monosyllabic words.

“Listen, ever since that night at the club…I can’t stop thinking about you and our relationship.”

Ju-ne immediately felt his heart jumped to his throat and he froze, his breathing suddenly uneven.

“Ju-ne…I miss you.”

Ju-ne closed his eyes as he let out a heavy, shaky sigh. I miss you. The dull ache that used to plague him returned in full strength but this time it’s accompanied by emotions that he didn’t expect would come: longing and relief. And it felt heavy. Really heavy.

Ju-ne shook his head. “You know what…I can’t do this right now, Minhyuk,” he sighs painfully. “I gotta go.” And he ended the call quickly.

His arm that was holding on the phone swung tirelessly down while his other hand rubbed his face, his fingers pinching tightly at his nose bridge.

His phone vibrated again in his palm and as if he has no energy left, slowly lifted his arm up. A green banner flashed. It was a message from Chanwoo.

From: Chanwoo

Message: Really? I hope Jinhwan hyung likes it too. We should go there again together.

As he read the message, he immediately let out a small smile and his heart fluttered at the remembrance of being with Chanwoo. Then his smile faded as he felt his heart fluttered at Minhyuk’s I miss you as well.

He groaned in frustration when he realised that his heart fluttered at two different emotions of two different people. At the same time.

What is going on? What the hell is happening to me?