22nd October 2024

2013

Sunlight having long invaded the room, Hwajae tosses and turns in bed. He growls, then reaches for his phone, which informs him that it is already 11:30 in the morning.

“Damn it,” Hwajae mutters as he drags himself out of his bed and into the living room.

“Anyone home?” He calls, with an expression that betrays his expectation that no one will reply. And he is promptly greeted with radio silence, “they all have schedules. So it’s just me.”

He checks his phone, and there’s a message from the manager hyung. He opens it with no hesitation, and his face falls, “damn it. Damn it, Hwajae.”

-

Hwajae runs on the treadmill with incredibly heavy footfalls, breathing hard, and cursing himself. Time ticks by on the nearby analog clock, until Hwajae finally gives in to exhaustion and collapses on the bench.

After thinking about it for some time, Hwajae punches the familiar number into his handphone, “please pick up.”

“Hello? It’s Hwajae.”

“Hwajae hyung, I’ll get you Hyesu?”

“Sujeong noona, please.”

“Sujeong noona!” says N on the other end of the line, and Hwajae hears a few muffled sounds.

“Hello? Hwajae?”

“Sujeong noona, it’s Hwajae. Would it be convenient if I dropped by today?” he speaks with more intensity and urgency than normal.

“Sure it’s fine. Hyesu’s been asking if you were going to come over.”

“Thanks Sujeong noona, I’m coming over now.”

-

“Hi Sujeong noona,” Hwajae greets as he steps into the familiar house.

“Hwajae oppa!” squeaks Hyesu as she barrels into her brother.

Hwajae bends down to pick her up, “Hyesu-yah.”

“Oppa, I missed you,” she says with that beaming smile of hers. If Hwajae could melt, he probably would have.

“I missed you too, Hyesu.”

But it’s not long before Hyesu returns to her spot around the dining table, where the five children were playing, what else? Monopoly of course.

“Not that darned game again,” Hwajae mumbles in distaste before going off to find Sujeong preparing dinner in the kitchen.

“They like Monopoly don’t they?” Hwajae observes in an attempt to get some conversation going.

“Indeed they do, and it’s probably it’s because they played it a whole lot while growing up. It’s something very familiar to them, and I guess with so much change going on around them, anything’s that familiar is good.”

“Their mothers like Monopoly too,” Sujeong adds in a much softer voice, “they would like them playing Monopoly.”

“Oh.”

“And is anything the matter?” her voice is laced with concern.

“Why?”

Sujeong hesitates, “just, you sounded like you really wanted to come over.”

“I always really want to come over. Why would I not want to come over and spend time with five adorable children?”

“Is anything the matter?”

Hwajae scratches his head, “can’t hide it, can I? I’m honestly so stressed, and this is my happy place. I mean where else can I get five adorable children and a pretty noona to pass the time with.”

“Go on twitter, and ask for applications for five adorable children and a pretty noona to pass the time with. The response will be hot.”

“If anyone even remembers that I exist. You know I haven’t had a schedule in six months. Half a year, I’ve gone without a single schedule.”

“Explains why you