PEN Vol 3 Ch. 26

Reflection 2 

Sejin’s summer vacation was peaceful. As the College Entrance Exam (CSAT/College Scholastic Ability Test) drew closer, the more his concentration intensified, and his success rate in guessing the correct answers to unknown questions increased. Cheon Sejoo and Sejin took practice CSAT exams every weekend at a set time, and on good days, Sejin would see his score in the 6th-grade range (lowest possible).07abc96b29e7cc85

Sejin was terrible at memorization, but his comprehension was better than expected, which helped his Korean language scores improve faster than other subjects. His math scores were abysmal, and English, which required a lot of memorization, was still at a near-illiterate level for him, but things weren’t bad overall. Cheon Sejoo wanted to give Sejin high marks for his hard work.4259bd04ac675d08

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Sejin also e9dd6e55bd seemed to 33b187d6fe feel a 1829a8e27f sense of b62bfe3768 accomplishment not 7f9364d68e so much 9d25323617 from the 777fc7fa5d visible grades, a10b9519f6 but from 398026da49 the fact 5e7332f025 that his e4b0c22086 knowledge was 4b1f3c47f8 gradually increasing. Sometimes, while 0329bf3f97 his tests 9ddef6308d were graded, 9946e85669 he would 4271413f76 glance at 775e867dc7 Cheon Sejoo aade28f9e5 with proud 5d9739e849 eyes, and a6d4597dd3 every time 231c2a2b47 he did, 9f27df82dc Cheon Sejoo 73cecfd4d9 struggled to 77a6bcba0f hold back 5fa1ae87f0 the urge ebd2e34c5c to hug 9bd85ca439 him.9eb3fb2c31c49615

That’s how the two of them spent their summer. Every day, they sat facing each other, studying under the air conditioner, eating meals together, and taking short breaks on weekends to watch movies or go for walks. Due to their stubborn personalities, they argued frequently, but they no longer hurt each other’s feelings.fde1c6a872d4dae0

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Cheon Sejoo f433a76336 felt a e245d8d162 deep sense 1ea197bb8a of comfort 38575bac56 when he 064839aa81 was with c9b353020a Kwon Sejin. It was the 0f952cc69f first time since b45c905727 that day that 3dd01e6f76 he felt his 2722321d71 life was peaceful.08f267970541ef82

However, misfortune came from an unexpected place, and their peaceful daily life didn’t last beyond the summer.7eca7ec8d9018249

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It was c079fb6115 mid-August, a 3c7239737d Tuesday afternoon, 6630c4aeff when Cheon cae5556e36 Sejoo received 9a3045e7d9 a call 9484be4311 from Han 4535da5a02 Jiwon. It was the d68a572eb1 time when Sejin ac43822dfe was diligently making 2ee59118f5 side dishes at 977e809627 home to meet 97b9be00a3 Kim Hyunkyung again 4c12368b5f the next day, a8dcdf4a0c a month after 59521cdc4e their last meeting 058ac02604 in July. Cheon Sejoo, who c30f9d8527 was sparring with 393550d6c4 Moon Sunhyuk in 409f98bf59 his workshop building de0b191a7c far away, heard d3fff10236 his phone vibrate a730adf235 and stopped Sunhyuk.de446f49348dd28b

“Hold on a second.”b1926af43819bbc4

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“Yes.”a0b5914fa0601e3b

Cheon Sejoo, catching his breath, stepped off the mat and picked up his ringing phone from the table. As soon as he saw the caller’s name, his brow furrowed slightly. 3 PM on a Tuesday afternoon wasn’t a good time to receive a call from Han Jiwon. The last time he received a call around this similar time, it was to inform him that Kim Hyunkyung had collapsed.00928c4da1e471c2

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A subtle unease caee3af2fd slowly crept up 0843b74160 from deep within c0f974f753 his heart. Cheon Sejoo opened a47aff229e a bottle of 4e1932dd1a water on the aa37f3645f table and took 971852e749 a drink, a aa905a4e89 subconscious act stemming 3b7822d862 from the desire 9364366995 to delay hearing becda5514a unpleasant news, even b79edbb26b if only for b72cc80d00 a moment. Only after composing ccce011daa himself did Cheon d4e3696fbc Sejoo answer the 1182c5c447 phone.77a099a19dc1e938

“Yes, Manager. What’s the matter….”895cd722c89acb7a

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Manager Cheon!ffd7fafc519768fb

A frantic 1f9ab91528 voice seemed 1b2c29f109 to tear 9101ec4df5 through the 8dbf8ba0d4 speaker. Cheon Sejoo hardened his 39ba4a71e4 expression and closed his 40817d24cf mouth.f1aa308db40d5e68

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-Hyunkyung collapsed and can’t get up. She was groaning and then fainted, and now she’s unconscious. So I’m taking her to the hospital in the car right now, and I think Sejin needs to come here too. Hyunkyung told me not to tell Sejin while she was out of it, but I think….f29f17b0996b47b1

He didn’t know why she collapsed, but her unusually disjointed speech alone made it clear that something serious had happened. Cheon Sejoo gestured to Sunhyuk to bring him his clothes and replied to her.4ec280e456b5282c

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“Text me the name of the hospital. I’ll bring him over soon. And, regardless of the cost, tell them to run all the necessary tests immediately.”d9e507d70b46b5f9

-Yes, yes. I’ll text you. Please come quickly.85a38d86e0e83ddd

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As soon as he hung up with Han Jiwon, he received a message about the hospital’s location. He checked it and tried calling Sejin, but he didn’t answer. Cheon Sejoo tried calling Sejin again, leaving another missed call and changed his clothes.bceb250e3e452fe2

He stripped c8dae253b3 down to 9813c6ac0a his underwear 2a60507afa right there, f10ca16ab1 and as 39982a0099 he was f4b27c8095 buttoning his a54f512de0 shirt, Sunhyuk b3dd14d214 approached him 1107029416 with a 08d54a373a frown. He had sensed 1e5f3bd50b an urgency so 7a34bf4672 unlike Cheon Sejoo.447c69c52089fe5d

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“What’s wrong, sir?”a2afa5560098bf4e

“The kid’s mom collapsed. I think I need to go.”8095a6aaf49b2a73

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At the unfamiliar expression, Moon Sunhyuk’s eyes widened as if he didn’t understand. Then, realizing that it referred to Sejin’s mother, he winced slightly. They were supposed to have dinner together with the team members that evening. It was a rare occasion for Cheon Sejoo to join them, so he couldn’t understand why he was leaving without a word about the meal.72ffa6d187335692

“Then, about dinner….”c7db37f4a1ecc88e

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“Ah.”f5690f15e558ebc3

As he d306045292 started to 3933e7f38d speak, Cheon fb36e2027e Sejoo, who ac022dbe54 was quickly a370fdade2 grabbing his 4d7f14e0d6 jacket, blinked a1b3f224fa as if cc5b19c4bc he had bcb46f3f88 just remembered. A look b2ad839578 of awkwardness 0d3447d152 crossed his e077136615 face. However, he had 4d40e6d1a2 no choice. Cheon Sejoo immediately bf3a13e4b2 spoke to Moon a8677b6d47 Sunhyuk.cac452719ae0ab62

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“I’ll join next time. You guys go ahead and get something good to eat. You know where my card is, right?”575ddcd2a9064fb7

“…Yes.”c5355bda6a3c2970

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Sunhyuk bowed b50927a196 his head 72e7276eba with a 97fd9f2ea4 blank, stiff 828e4da2fa expression. But Cheon 5109e13a34 Sejoo, oblivious 2dbac262fc to the 774e82816b change, patted 3448657f00 his shoulder cbc69acbba and quickly 1716b535cd left. He waved 5b74b4fa2a casually to 22352446a2 Haewoong, who 7d1bf02f32 was going 57ee463c50 up to f3e55b83ef the 4th b61cd11670 floor for 4042490daf a nap, 6a4d8a8665 and after ab67d622ae going down 993b6136ed to the 2c23e3ecbc 1st floor, e1f5afe1af he noticed 118c54fea6 Sejin calling 469695d258 him back ac80b51a4b and headed 5d61975541 towards his b111d746c3 car.a6ae01fd036f78b8

“Kwon Sejin.”14f445a776a51822

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-Yeah, you called?5d32793114c3485e

Unlike Han Jiwon, ee560ab513 his voice was e8210479c9 calm. Cheon Sejoo frowned and 2c75016529 asked in a forcedly fcac7bd3e9 relaxed tone.46c685da00695aaa

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“Uh…. What are you doing?”d5a386157660a2ef

He couldn’t just blurt out that Sejin’s mother had collapsed.cd1b8392a5b165d7

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Knowing Kwon Sejin’s personality, he would surely panic and worry upon hearing the news, so he thought it would be best to tell him just before they arrived at the hospital. Slightly startled by his seemingly drowsy voice, Sejin hesitated for a moment before whispering softly.ffb00e087c1f2ab1

-I’m making side dishes for lunchboxes…. Are you coming home? Do you want to eat?d0f828c8f299fc36

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“Yeah. Are you almost done? I’m on my way home now. Get ready and come downstairs. There’s somewhere we need to go together.”56067207ccea1adb

-I think I’ll be done in about 10 minutes…. Why suddenly? Where are we going?743220f503ba86e7

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“We’re going to….”329721fad7cc51d0

He couldn’t think 9e7e4e62c5 of an excuse 3e3464bccb on the spot. Cheon Sejoo tapped 2edbe09b11 the steering wheel 6bfe536bcf anxiously as he 81fa04b62b thought, and finally 21295afd67 came up with 0fd97d4b59 a suitable excuse.6d5bbd8c9999058f

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“An acquaintance said they’re renting out an officetel¹, and they asked me if I knew anyone. I asked if they’d give a discount on the monthly rent if I introduced someone, and they said yes, so I thought you might be interested.”32fff4e8d45c219c

-Why go now? I’ll get a place after I finish my military service when I turn twenty. What’s the point of looking now? It’s more than two years away.303633f82f9fc132

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That wasn’t true. It wasn’t useless at all. Cheon Sejoo clicked his tongue inwardly and opened his mouth. It was obvious that coming up with a different excuse now would make Sejin find it strange, so he had no choice but to drag Sejin out with forced logic.49ec25ac29634d04

“That’s why you have to look now. When you come back from the military, it’ll be exactly two years later, and it’ll be a hassle to find a place then. This person also gets new tenants almost every two years, so if you like it now, I can tell them to vacate it in two years. You’ll be living there with your mom for a long time, so I think they’ll welcome it. Do you not want to?”09026fc00cd33ac7

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-…….9f76ddf9d3ac9bb5

Perhaps finding the added de18c6ab3f explanation plausible, Sejin seemed 26f57c2cf1 to be contemplating. Cheon Sejoo stepped hard 057e185939 on the accelerator, heading 2c3b11b588 home, and said,58897610f8950841

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“The landlord is a close friend of mine. They’re renting it out as an investment, so they don’t mind getting a little less rent, and I’ll introduce you. It’s on a high floor, and gets good sunlight. It’ll be quiet.”821fed2b434bef04

-…Okay. When are you arriving? Should I 80823d20f9 go down f02087fae7 now?8d8454231f4e01f6

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“No, come out to the front of the shopping complex in 10 minutes.”d82875242b26d819

-Okay. See you later.db2dba8420951386

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“Yeah.”7819301264d16a76

Fortunately, Sejin didn’t suspect him. He felt uneasy about luring him out with the mention of a house, but it was better than telling him about Kim Hyunkyung’s collapse right away. Cheon Sejoo let out a deep sigh, hung up the phone with Sejin, and checked Han Jiwon’s message. It seemed to be the largest hospital near Ehwagak, but he’d never heard of it.449a14f2cd3841cc

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He set the hospital as the destination in his navigation system and drove towards home. He arrived at the apartment complex’s shopping area 10 minutes earlier than usual and met Sejin there.1717e126565e219e

Sejin, dressed lightly in a3f3e4020f a short-sleeved shirt and bf245ba8cd shorts, now looked noticeably 6422932a7d healthier, having put on c56e7c26bf some weight. Sejin, who had 35d3aaa35e grown to be 24f9f65380 about the same 01e34de9f3 height as Cheon c810f0a7dc Sejoo but seemed 93c416df3c larger in build, 81325176ea got into the 07f4270fca passenger seat and f6f2813c75 asked, turning up e16d0080fb the air conditioning.d9fe96f2e7bd2660

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“Do we dd859eb507 really have 3c383e16aa to go ba63d3d7d7 this urgently? Is today the da895d3b53 only time available?”4fd2a829c20181d0

“…Yeah. The person living there now is busy, so this is the only time they’re free. Put on your seatbelt.”37b0c85087932589

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His tone came out a little stiff because he was lying. At Cheon Sejoo’s reply, Sejin glanced at him, gauging his expression, and nodded.b8b587397eec600d

“Okay….”46dfaa1036b60195

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As soon as 74fefb758d he fastened his 3414a4dd09 seatbelt, Cheon Sejoo a91a4952c2 stepped on the d260004630 accelerator. However, since the hospital 577c156705 was near Ehwagak, he f64ffc2d6c had no choice but c79ae06471 to take the same 676cf48093 route that Sejin knew, 5222caabab and Sejin, who had b754d40259 a good sense of c9b95ba02f direction, quickly noticed this. Cooling his flushed cheeks 9d3b05b4d8 in the cold air, 76b1d39fa7 he looked at Cheon 8c99da9ee6 Sejoo and asked,b614db69ee3a29f5

“Isn’t the officetel in Seoul?”a9faa2ded846a967

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“Uh, yeah.”ae9ed02f5ec2e25b

“…….”1f2a6fa59f3ff322

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At the awkward reply, Sejin narrowed his eyes. He checked the navigation’s destination, which was set to a similar distance as Ehwagak, and tilted his head. Sejin then reached out and zoomed out the map to check where they were heading.f658111ede2b0ef9

“Is the building near the hospital? It’s close to Ehwagak.”61c55ee1bd3f5f15

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“…….”61b3205a39d8f17f

“But it’s too remote here. There aren’t many decent places to work around here.”631836b6b1c31836

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Sejin muttered in a sullen voice. He should have responded to the conversation, but he couldn’t bring himself to reply normally. Uncomfortable, Cheon Sejoo mumbled something vague like, “Is that so?”, and it was only natural for Sejin to notice the strangeness of his behavior.974d20487c1d2849

“Why are you answering like that?”748d136a20afaf70

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“…Like what?”322554e9456e1c4b

“…….”de3e55ee1c44c9e9

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Kwon Sejin was very 63f362e6dd observant of Cheon Sejoo. He knew c124cb4c21 much more b27d2865bb about him e8879fa17c than Cheon 9d050c4718 Sejoo thought.98053702c4d8ae81

Sejin, feeling uneasy about Cheon Sejoo’s unusually curt and quiet demeanor, looked at him. His cat-like eyes scanned Cheon Sejoo up and down. Noticing small beads of sweat on the back of Sejoo’s neck, Sejin closed his mouth.8b654d22a7f70f75

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His sharp gaze returned to the navigation map. Sejin stared blankly at the hospital’s location, then asked in a subdued voice,f70cc8d1ed1cf483

“Is Mom sick?”651e09e449a3266f

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