CH 14.3

Yeon Woojeong looked up as it was already time to go home. He was focused on doing his work today in order to go home early. Massaging his neck as it was sore, he picked up his phone.

There was no call. He wondered if Kim Jiho couldn’t think of anything he wanted to eat. Yeon Woojeong organized his files and grabbed his coat.

“I will go home first.”

“Yes, take care, sir.”

There was a lot of work. The case that Kim Jiho was involved in was still ongoing, and he wasn’t just working on that case, so he was overloaded with work. It had been a long time since he had been so busy. And the timing was not good. He would have to work overtime for a while after they moved.

Yeon Woojeong called Kim Jiho while waiting for the elevator. He was immediately greeted with a message saying that the phone was off. He frowned. Why did he turn off the phone?

He thought as he stepped into the elevator. He might haven’t charged his phone. Well, he didn’t have time for that. Thinking about what happened yesterday, Yeon Woojeong sighed. The band-aid that had been loosely attached to his palm had slipped off again and fluttered. He decided that he would have to think about whether or not it would be better to cover it on the way home.

The thought of Kim Jiho trembling and not knowing what to do made him angry again. He wondered how long he would have to suffer because of the bastard who didn’t deserve to be called a father. But it was also his fault. He was complacent. He thought it would be easier and faster to get consent first, but he was wrong. He should have just put him in jail.

Getting into his car, Yeon Woojeong drove away from the prosecutor’s office. He clenched the wounded palm that bothered him, then he opened it and called Kim Jiho again. His phone was still off. Maybe he didn’t know that his phone was off, or maybe he was still sleeping.

The way he, with his eyes red, was clutching the book was both heartbreaking and cute. Sometimes, Kim Jiho looked like he would disappear, and that made him always curious about him. Although the fact that the boy, who always slept early, couldn’t sleep and was clutching the books, made him angry again…

Tapping on the steering wheel, he thought about what food he should give to Kim Jiho. Something energizing. He likes meat, so maybe bone broth or potato soup. Yeon Woojeong looked around to find any restaurant that sold those, but he decided to just bring Kim Jiho to eat out. And while they were eating out, they could get some fresh air. He thought about watching a late-night movie, or maybe eating some snacks in a night market.

The fatigue that had been weighing on his shoulders had eased as he made plans. He liked this kind of moment. Making him engrossed once he started to think. Making his life bright through thinking about someone.

Yeon Woojeong turned on the radio. The music playing on the radio cheered him up. This song fits Kim Jiho. I think Kim Jiho won’t like this song. As he judged the songs alone like that, he reached the officetel before he knew it.

The officetel was his first house, given to him by his teacher, and although he bought a new house, he thought he would never move into that house. He thought it was better to live in a house for one person. And even if he did move into that house, he made up his mind to return the officetel to his teacher. However, he changed his mind while living with Kim Jiho.

Sometimes, it might be better to just accept what was given. If he gave it back, it might make his teacher think that he also returned his teacher’s good intentions. Of course, it was too valuable to just take it, but he would think about it gradually. Thinking about it made him realize that it had been a while since he said hello to his teacher. Making up his mind that he would call him this month, Yeon Woojeong opened the door.

The house was dark, and Kim Jiho’s shoes couldn’t be found in the entrance. Yeon Woojeong stopped for a second, looking around the empty entrance, then he walked inside.

“Kim Jiho?”

He turned on the light in the living room. His eyes caught the phone on the coffee table. Did he go out without it? Where?

Yeon Woojeong slowly turned his head to the dark second floor and moved his steps. There was no one on the second floor. Is he still in the book room? He went downstairs and opened the door of the book room, but there was no one there either.

Suddenly, he felt as if his blood was being drained from under his feet. No, I must be wrong. Yeon Woojeong ignored the hunch that tried to weigh on him, and lastly, opened his bedroom door. He saw a silhouette on the bed in the dark room, then he turned on the light.

On the bed was a navy scarf and a watch. Yeon Woojeong stared at them blankly, as if he had been hit on the head, and then slowly walked forward.

A scarf, a watch, and a memo paper. Yeon Woojeong picked up the yellow memo.

[Don’t worry. I will live well.]

Ha. Haha.

Yeon Woojeong laughed wryly. The shaky, scribbled words seemed to speak for Kim Jiho’s heart. He brought down his hand, and the memo fluttered down to the floor.

Yeon Woojeong’s cold gaze landed on the scarf.

The scarf. He accepted it from a child in the facility. He clearly remembered the child’s voice, saying he opened the wrapper because he thought it was food, but it turned out it might be Kim Jiho’s, and asked him to give it to Kim Jiho. As soon as he saw the scarf, he realized it might be a gift for him. It was too big for children, and normally, people don’t wrap things for themselves.

Nevertheless, he pretended to not know because he hoped Kim Jiho would give it to him himself when he felt better. It was fine even if he didn’t give it to him. He already accepted his heart after all.

But…

“This bastard really…”

Yeon Woojeong brushed up his hair roughly. He was angry uncontrollably. He was sure that now, there was no one else besides Kim Jiho who could make him this furious. His heart was boiling. He clenched his fists tight, opened them, then strode to the kitchen.

He poured the cold water into a cup. His anger didn’t subside even though he had drunk cold water. What made him angry the most was the fact that Kim Jiho kept hiding this moment from him.

He couldn’t even hide his stealing glances and expressions that expressed he liked him and didn’t know what to do. He didn’t even think of hiding when he was upset or angry… But the moment he should have needed him the most, he hid it. The clumsy kid was overly talented at this kind of thing.

Yeon Woojeong fumbled with the empty cup and raised it to his head. He wanted to throw it on the floor, but gritted his teeth and set it down on the table quietly.

He is a child who grew up under an abusive father. It’s time to fix this habit.

He found it funny that he felt like he could completely fix this habit after Kim Jiho left. Yeon Woojeong sighed coldly and picked up his phone. It wasn’t the time to stay idle. He shouldn’t lose the golden time. He left the empty house and walked outside.