"Brother Lee ...."
Behind the light in the distance, I could vaguely saw the shadow of someone waving and be heard continuing to call my name. His voice was so familiar. When he called my name softly, I could only keep silent and didn't want to conclude that he was someone I knew.
"Brother Lee ...."
A person slowly emerged from behind the white lights, and slowly approached me, who was standing without a word when I heard his pathetic voice, like a sob that had been buried for a long time.
However, before that person was right in front of me, the hollow light had already spread like it was piercing into my eyes and seemed to be swirling around, bringing me to a different dimension.
A second after, the light disappeared, and clearly, I was already in another place!
Currently I was in a large building, with many people sitting regularly with a few books on a long, slightly curved table, also terraced. Then, there was a deep voice of someone breaking the silence in this quite spacious and old hall.
I immediately fixed my gaze to the voice, then saw an old man standing in the middle of the hall and explaining about Graphic Science in front of people who showed serious looks.
I frowned, and muttered softly, "Professor ... Jun?"
Feeling strange, I turned my head to the side carefully and ... Huh?!
"Chunghee?"
It's Chunghee. Judging by his look, he was still in his twenties at this moment.
Hearing my voice, he immediately turned to look at me with a smile on his face that looked cute. He then spoke, "As usual, the explanations of Professor Jun are always fun, right?"
I froze for a moment, then swept my eyes back towards the people in this hall and turned my gaze back to Chunghee who was sitting beside me.
Seeing the atmosphere in this room, I believe that I was currently at the time when we were at university.
"Donghwa, are you okay? Are you feeling good?" he touched my hand with his soft slender hand. "Are you still mad at me about yesterday? That person is my friend. Don't be mad anymore."
My hand suddenly gripped his tightly, as if I didn't want to let go of his thin and pale hand, worried that I would lose him once again. I really wanted to say something; by asking him to come back; and forbidding him to leave, but I couldn't as if my lips were locked by something I didn't know the cause.
At the same time, before I could say a word, the white lights appeared again from various angles and looked dazzling. It started as tiny dots of light, then it grew and spread out in all directions to produce a sparkle that couldn't make me open my eyes.
Everything turned into a dazzling white color as if it pierced my eyes instantly.
And ...
"Huh!"
I gasped and immediately lifted my head.
With panting breaths and cold sweat pouring down my temples, this state of affairs engulfed my feelings of disorder. Restlessness, worry, fear, confusion, all of them combined into one chaotic feeling!
The dream seemed so real ...
Then, while calming myself from my current feelings, I took a deep breath and leaned my back in a sluggish, staring blankly at the ceiling of my room, with my head continuing to think about a dream that made me have a bad feeling.
Chunghee, are you okay?
I miss you so much ...
Today, it had been a week since Chunghee left me. However, let alone just seeing his face, I had never even heard his voice. I didn't know how many hundred times I tried to call him, but the only voice I heard was the operator's voice saying that the user I was trying so hard to contact every day wasn't activating his cell phone.
I just wanted to ask him to come back and start all over again, but why were things so much harder than I thought?
Yes, I admitted all my mistakes and wanted to kneel to apologize to him for all the things I had done, which had hurt him all this time. If he came back and wanted to punish me, then I would let him punish me as hard as he wanted. Even if he wanted to kill me even then, my life was his.
I would risk everything for him alone ...
"Brother Lee, here ... have a drink first. Did you have a bad dream?" A familiar voice was heard. While saying, he put a glass of water on my desk.
Hearing that voice, I immediately dropped my gaze towards someone who was standing in front of my desk and made me immediately straighten my back.
"Since when were you here?" I glared at him angrily.
"Since a few minutes ago." With a pause, he explained, "I knocked on your door earlier, but you didn't answer. I thought you were back in your apartment, but when I grabbed the doorknob and it wasn't locked, I immediately came in and saw you asleep. I didn't dare to wake you up, so I decided to wait for you till you wake up."
I leaned my back lazily and stared at him for a moment before I got up from the chair, walked to the toilet in this room, asking, "Then, what's the matter? I've told you that I don't want to see you again. I've even taken care of your transfer to another company and also gave you some guarantees. Is that not enough for you? If so, go to Hoonsik because he manages my finances. I have nothing to do with you."
Cho Sunyeon apparently followed me from behind. As soon as I cleaned my face in the sink, I saw his reflection in the mirror. His eyes began to fill with tears. He spoke in a trembling voice, "I don't need any of that. I came here because Jay said that you look unwell these days, so I'm worried about you."
I turned my head back, glared at him. "Then what? You want to be a mother who wants to take care of this abandoned child?"
There was a pause for a few seconds before he replied, "Come back home. You have a cardiac issue. You can't ignore that. If you don't want to talk to me, never mind, as long as you come home with me."
Hearing his words, I rolled my eyes, stood tall, then walked out.
During this week, he kept coming to me whining like that. Even though I had thrown him out, yelled at him, and hit him, all of them didn't deter him, and even more persistent with his foolish hope.
"Home? If you just want to talk nonsense, get the hell out of here right now before I drag you out." With a pause, I said coldly and slightly threateningly, "I'm in a really bad mood today. I wouldn't hesitate to throw you off this floor. I would—"
Before finishing my sentence, my cell phone suddenly rang. I took my cell out of my pocket, then answered indifferently, "Hell what?"
"Haven't you seen the news about Kim Daehyun on TV? He made headlines for two days." Yunhee chuckled.
I frowned. "I don't have time for such things. Just tell me, what the hell is wrong? Do you have any information about Chunghee?"
"Hmm, maybe yes or maybe not." He laughed. "But, just come to my place right now. I'll give you a piece of shit."
"Fuck off."
I immediately hung up the phone, then put the cell phone back into my pocket.
Even though he was joking, hearing his words, seemed like there was something important he would tell me. Then, with great hope in my heart, I was hopeful that it would be a good thing for me.
After that, I stood up and put on my coat, then started walking towards the door.
However, a few steps after passing Sunyeon, he immediately grabbed my arm and made me stop walking. I turned for a moment, saying, "I have a business. I have to go."
In that instant, he grabbed my arm even stronger, and spoke haltingly, "Come home tonight, please."
Now, I didn't know what to do so that he didn't show his sickening face in front of me again.
I had been thinking about a lot of things in my head, but he always came to me like a disturber.
His presence was sick me off. I clenched my fists so tightly, trying to hold back the emotions that had been settling in my chest.
I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. "Sunyeon, don't come to me again."
However, instead of listening to my words, he immediately hugged me tightly while groaning behind my back. Suppressing my anger, I spoke with forced gentleness, "Don't make me angry. Don't make me abuse you one more time."
Stifling his voice, he said, "Doesn't that mean you still care about me?"
I froze for a moment instantly. He didn't understand what I was saying.
"You're not an adult yet. You can't understand what adults say." With a pause, I continued, "Sunyeon, you're still young. You can find someone better than an old man like me."
When I thought about it, made me want to laugh and wonder at the same time.
Why is he still chasing an old man like me?
Why did he stupidly want to be beside me when he knew I was attached to someone else?
Everything made me feel like bursting out laughing. However, on the other hand, I also feel pity and sorry.
Why did I allow him to stay with me for these three years?