The sudden news for his aunt and uncle came when they were about to go to bed after finishing dessert.

 

“Yes, yes, if you tell me the location of the funeral home, I’ll go right away.”

 

His aunt’s face, who was ordinarily answering a call from a neighborhood acquaintance, quickly darkened. Hyeseong, who was arranging bedding in the room, also felt that something was off and slowly came out.

 

“Did something happen?”

 

“Ah, Hyeseong-ah. They said an elderly person in the neighborhood passed away. I think your uncle and I should go now.”

 

Perhaps because there were many elderly people in the neighborhood, it occasionally happened that when a resident passed away, the entire neighborhood would visit. Moreover, the deceased grandmother was a longtime resident of this neighborhood and was respected by the residents, and she had apparently helped his aunt and uncle in various ways to adapt when they moved here.

 

“I’ll go with you.”

 

“It’s okay. Don’t worry and go to sleep.”

 

He said he would at least drive if he wasn’t going together, but the two firmly refused. With a word that they might be late and asking him to take care of the house, the two left through the front door. Hyeseong came out and confirmed that the car had left safely before going back inside.

 

“…”

 

As the door lock closed with a loud sound, what greeted Hyeseong was a chilly silence. He had never once thought this house was quiet since coming here. The two rarely left the house empty, and even when something came up, one of them would always stay home and spend time with Hyeseong.

 

Only now did Hyeseong realize that it was an act stemming from the two’s consideration and love. They probably didn’t want to leave him alone, who had hurriedly come down here with a troubled heart.

 

Hyeseong turned off the living room light, entered the room, and closed his eyes under the blanket. The sound of the old clock ticking echoed evenly in the room, and the house was so quiet.

 

Strangely, he couldn’t fall asleep. He even tried counting sheep, which he hadn’t done even once since he was young, but it was no use.

 

In the end, Hyeseong got up. When he turned his head, the darkness seeping in through the window was in its place as always.

 

He didn’t dislike quietness. If he had to say, he preferred a calm and tranquil atmosphere. But now, all of that was just a hindrance to him. This moment of nothing, not stimulating his nerves, tended to bring thoughts.

 

Hyeseong began to recall the agony over the things he had been diligently putting off, like a child bringing out the piled-up homework the night before school starts after vacation.

 

Inside that box of memories, Ihyeok was still widening his eyes as if in shock, and he himself was still crying.

 

He knew well that avoiding it wasn’t the way. He knew well in his head that it was a foolish action, and that it was something that had to be resolved someday. But it took a lot of effort to truly realize that and act on it.

 

To face Ihyeok, deliver a proper apology, have a conversation, and then put a final period to this relationship, it would probably require a tremendous resolution. It might be a much more difficult thing than everything Hyeseong had done in his 26 years of life so far.

 

If that were to happen, what kind of expression would he have afterward? The 6 years he spent with Ihyeok might be just a part of his life, but that time had already become everything that made up the person named Cheon Hyeseong. So even though things had twisted in the worst way possible, he was more aware than anyone that a proper closure was needed.

 

Hyeseong turned his head and looked at his phone. He had kept it turned off since coming here. He slowly reached out his hand and picked up the phone.

 

“…”

 

He put his hand on the power button but couldn’t muster any strength. Does the closure have to be right now? Thinking such a pathetic thought, Hyeseong put the phone down again.

 

It was because he vaguely knew. If he were to completely shake off that time and emotions that were his everything, he would have nothing left.

 

Perhaps that was why he couldn’t desperately stop Ihyeok from following him to the countryside and living next door, even though he knew it.

 

“I was a coward.”

 

He had only been deceiving himself by quitting the company he was doing well at and leaving the city to come to the countryside. Thinking this was enough. When in fact, he had no intention of cutting off his feelings for Ihyeok.

 

Seongjin often praised Hyeseong’s maturity and sharpness, saying he wanted to emulate him, but that was all wrong. In the end, inside his shell, there was nothing but the essence of a fugitive and a coward.

 

Hyeseong eventually left the room and went to the living room. He felt like he couldn’t sleep in this state at all. He went into the kitchen and mixed cocoa powder into warm milk. He didn’t particularly like sweet things, but strangely, he wanted to eat something like this now.

 

On the naturally turned on TV, a movie that seemed to have been filmed quite a long time ago was playing. Whether to say the timing was good or not, the genre of the movie was romance. He tried to change the channel to something else, but Hyeseong’s hand paused. Perhaps it was because of the happy smiles of the two main characters on the screen.

 

He was going to watch only for a moment and then change it, but before he knew it, Hyeseong was immersed in that movie. To the point of being engrossed in the movie for the full 2 hours. A bright light was reflected in his pitch-black pupils. The couple in the movie met like fate, loved each other, went through trials but overcame them well, and finally achieved a happy ending.

 

Hyeseong, who was taking in the sight of the main characters looking at each other with fulfillment, got up as if possessed and walked to the room. He picked up the phone he had hesitated with earlier and turned it on.

 

Then the phone vibrated several times and began pouring out an enormous number of notifications.

 

[Hyeseong-ah, I passed the company documents I told you about last time! I need to prepare for the interview now, can you help me?ㅠ.ㅠ]

 

[Hyeseong-ah? Why aren’t you replying to my texts!!! Is your phone broken by any chance?]

 

[ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠHyeseong-ahㅠㅠ You didn’t block me, did you…?]

 

The most noisy contact was Dohyun. He was almost crying through texts using all sorts of emoticons. He must have thought it was indeed strange not to read a single text for several days.

 

[Hyeseong-ssi, I passed the final interview. It’s all thanks to you. I tried calling but you didn’t answer! I want to meet with you and your younger brother sometime.]

 

The next thing he saw was a message sent by Lee Pilhyun. Fortunately, it seemed the interview consultation had worked well. A smile had already formed on Hyeseong’s lips.

 

[Hyeseong-ah, I’m worried.]

 

The hand that had been scrolling down the screen nonstop paused. As the last text Ihyeok had sent caught his eye, the smile slowly disappeared.

 

There were dozens of missed calls, one of which was from Lee Pilhyun, two were spam. And the rest were all Kwon Ihyeok. The times he had called were also very diverse. Was a person who was the head of a company not working and only looking at his phone?

 

Hyeseong took a short deep breath and pressed Ihyeok’s number.

 

– …

 

The other person answered the call before the ringtone even rang twice.

 

“Ahjussi.”

 

Judging by the rumbling noise coming through the phone, he seemed to be in the car.

 

– …Yeah. Go on.

 

“I have something to say to you. We also… need to talk, right?”

 

Hyeseong clenched his teeth. Strangely, his eyes had gotten hot.

 

“I’ll come find you when you have plenty of time.”

 

– There’s no need for that.

 

“…Pardon?”

 

It was an unexpected answer. Was he perhaps angry? Did it mean he didn’t even want to talk?

 

– Come out. I’m in front of where you are now.

 

“What do you…”

 

Hyeseong ran out of the house as if sensing something. As he crossed the yard, he felt the distinct sound of a car outside. The light from the headlights was also seeping through the cracks of the gate. With a thought of it can’t be, Hyeseong flung the door wide open.

 

“…”

 

That can’t be was right. Ihyeok was standing there, tightly holding a phone and looking at Hyeseong.

 

“Ahjussi? Why are you here? No, more than that, how…”

 

Hyeseong approached Ihyeok as if possessed. He had made the decision to solve this problem, but this was something he hadn’t anticipated at all. He never thought he would meet him this quickly, and he had no idea Ihyeok would be standing here.

 

“Do you think there’s anything I can’t find out if I set my mind to it?”

 

It was something he had heard before. He had said something like that when he moved next door to him too.

 

“You investigated me again?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“You’re not even hiding it now.”

 

Hyeseong smiled as if resigned. Hyeseong’s head automatically turned toward the ground.

 

What should I do? I haven’t organized what I need to say yet. I should probably apologize first. About the rut and what else was there?

 

It felt like his head was spinning around in circles.

 

Ihyeok’s sneakers slowly entered the view that only showed the dirt floor. As soon as he lifted his head, Ihyeok took off the cardigan he was wearing and wrapped it around Hyeseong. His body tensed up without realizing it.

 

Even though things had gotten to this point, was he that important to take off his cardigan when he had come out wearing just a short-sleeved T-shirt?

 

“Ahju…”

 

Before Hyeseong could even open his mouth, Ihyeok pulled his arm and hugged him tightly.

 

“If you’re angry that I investigated you, curse at me. You can hit me and criticize me.”

 

“There’s no way I would do that.”

 

“I don’t regret it. Because thanks to that, I found you like this. But Hyeseong-ah, please… Please don’t do this again.”

 

Hyeseong’s eyes widened slightly. What he felt from the embraced body was an unexpected trembling.

 

Kwon Ihyeok was trembling. It was a sight even Hyeseong, who had been with him for 6 years, was seeing for the first time.

 

“I’m begging you. Please don’t disappear in front of me. Okay? It’s all my fault. If you do this, I’m really afraid I might lose my mind and do something to you.”

 

It was starting to hurt because Ihyeok was applying a lot of strength. The emotions conveyed were unfamiliar yet familiar. Because just earlier, when Hyeseong had picked up the phone, he was trembling just like this. Because he was scared of the thought that he might completely lose Ihyeok.

 

Ihyeok was trembling the same way now. Only then did Hyeseong think of a supposition he had never thought of in his entire life.