TRWBU Ch 3 part 2

PR by neji

Taewan tucked a blanket over Jaewon’s sleeping body. Then he gazed at him.

A few years ago, Taewan had happened to hear that Jaewon had gotten a divorce. Jaewon acted as if he wasn’t bothered, but he had gotten into a slump for a while. Today, Taewan was able to hear the full story about the divorce.

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His wife was the first one to bring up the divorce. Jaewon desperately tried to change her mind, but he told Taewan that his wife remained adamant. 

When his wife asked him to grant the divorce, claiming that she didn’t even need any alimony from him, Jaewon realized he couldn’t hold onto her anymore. He realized that the only thing he could do for her now was to go through with the divorce. And his children followed his wife as if it were to be expected.

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“There’s no use in raising children. If I don’t contact them first, they don’t even care to know if I’m still alive. I told them I was sick, and they told me to go to the hospital near my house. And when I tell them that I’m shooting a new drama, they only ask me to send them autographs from the actors on set… Haa. And it isn’t as if they want to receive the autographs in person. They ask me to have it delivered to them instead. Because they’re busy… How busy can they be…? I only want to see their faces.”

Jaewon’s eyes grew damp as he said these words. Once he was completely drunk, he took out his phone and began to look at his children’s pictures on their social media pages.

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“When I was living with them, I didn’t realize I was busy. I didn’t realize what a blessing it was to see them grow up, see my wife grow old…”

Tears dripped from his eyes as he spoke. This was the first time Taewan saw Jaewon cry. He silently filled Jaewon’s empty cup with soju.

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“The moments that didn’t matter were the ones that were the most precious…”

He continued to repeat these words. Then he slumped over the table and fell asleep.

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Taewan stared at the sleeping Jaewon before silently leaving the office apartment building. He sat down on the bench in front of the building and pulled out a cigarette he had remembered to bring with him. He put it in his mouth and lightly bit down. A voice he had momentarily forgotten drifted into his head.

“Why did you learn something like that in the army? I don’t like the smell of cigarettes. And it’s not good for your health either. If you don’t quit smoking, I won’t even peck you on the lips. And I definitely won’t be giving you any kisses either.”

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HaYeon had said this to him a long time ago. They had been in their early twenties, and he remembered how HaYeon’s face hadn’t shown any annoyance but was filled with worry. Her frowning face was so cute that Taewan had considered teasing her a bit longer, but he thought against it in the end.

After that day, a cigarette never touched his lips unless he had to smoke for a specific role or scene. Because it would be a lot more difficult for him if HaYeon withheld her kisses, Taewan found quitting very easy.

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Remembering that day, a smile formed on Taewan’s lips before fading away like smoke.

Where did that brilliant, beautiful love go?

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His mouth tasted bitter. Now that they’d broken up, no one was around to tell him not to smoke. However, Taewan couldn’t light the cigarette. He turned on the lighter one more time and tried to bring it to the tip of the cigarette, but he failed to do so. His hand holding the lighter fell back onto his lap.

He felt that if he smoked, then it would be a sign that it was truly over.

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A dark shadow cast over his sleek face. The winter breeze blew above him. It was cold, but he couldn’t move. Smoking, going back home… None of it was easy anymore.

“It’s cold. Let’s hurry.”

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He heard someone’s voice travel through the winter wind. Usually, he would have quickly walked away in fear of being noticed by strangers. However, Taewan remained sitting as still as a statue. He felt that it wouldn’t matter if someone recognized him now.

“I’m okay. Let’s just take our time. I like holding hands and walking with you in the cold.”

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“Still…”

He didn’t plan on overhearing their conversation, but his surroundings were so quiet that he could hear them clearly. The man urged her to hurry, but the woman pressed back because she wanted to spend more time with him.

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“Don’t you like being with me, Oppa?”

The woman whined as she asked.

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“It’s not that. I’m just worried you’ll catch a cold. I better hurry and earn a lot of money so that I can buy a car. That way, we don’t have to date in the cold like this.”

The man spoke in an apologetic voice. 

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“No, I’m fine. It’s not good for you to get into the habit of driving a car already. We can see each other longer if we slowly walk together. What’s there to feel sorry about, Oppa? Don’t you think so?”

The woman spoke with laughter in her voice, but the man merely chuckled apologetically. The couple continued to murmur affectionately as they walked further away.

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HaYeon also said something similar whenever he felt sorry for being unable to do anything for her.

“It’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s only natural.”

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“It’s okay. We can just do it together.”

“But I’m not cold. From now on, whenever we feel a cold breeze, we might remember this exact moment. `Remember that time when we were twenty-three and had to walk because we didn’t have any money to take the bus?’ Just like that.”

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Na HaYeon had spoken to him like this hundreds of times.

She’d always smile at him as if it were all okay.

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Leaning his back against the bench, Taewan bit down on the cigarette. He bit down too hard, and it burst open. The scent of the cigarette filled his mouth. A darkness settled within his eyes.

HaYeon always told him she was okay, but he always felt nervous. He didn’t like saying or hearing that it was okay.

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Some considered their bitter, poor past to be an illuminating light, but for him, it was a mark of shame. 

He didn’t want to let HaYeon experience even a fraction of it. He didn’t want someone he loved to have to cope with any hardships in the name of love.

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However, the only kind of work he could do had its limits, and HaYeon silently watched over him as he went through these difficult times. No, she led the way so that she could get him out of it.

At his grandmother’s wake, HaYeon stayed with him for three straight days as if she were part of the family. The funeral hall was empty, and none of his remaining family had come, but HaYeon never left his side.

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And she was the one who had given him a nameless envelope full of cash as condolence money. He grew angry and told her not to do something like this, but HaYeon denied it was from her until the very end.

“It’s not me.”

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“Then who is it? Judging from the people who’ve come by, it’s obvious. If it’s not you, who could it be?”

“It must be someone you know. It’s really not me.”

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She continued to shake her head in denial. Taewan was sure it was her, but he couldn’t return that envelope to her.

He didn’t have any money to cover the funeral expenses. The money inside the envelope contained just the right amount of money he’d need. Only several years later did he find out that it had been a portion of the money HaYeon had saved up from her paychecks.

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By coincidence, he happened to see her bankbook in a drawer. That’s when he knew. On the last day of his grandmother’s wake, there was a withdrawal of the same amount as the money in the envelope.

After the wake was over, he couldn’t get rid of the nameless envelope. Instead, he put it deep within his desk. As he closed the drawer, he made a pledge.

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He would never become someone like his parents. If he loved someone, he would never let them suffer. He would let them enjoy life to their heart’s content. He would never let HaYeon have a taste of the excruciating life of poverty.

He put his all into his work. And as if it were a reward for all the effort, the money started rolling in. The first thing he did was put down a downpayment for a larger office apartment rental.

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He hoped it would be a home where HaYeon could live comfortably. HaYeon jumped up in joy as if they’d bought it. It was only a little bigger than their last place, but she was so happy…

Although he felt that he was too pathetic for her, he was glad he could do something for her. So he had a smile on his face as he slept the following days.

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This is enough. We can take our time and grow everything just like this. We can just live a steady life.

Taewan was renting the large office apartment for now, but he planned on buying an actual apartment when they were ready to get married. He hoped the apartment would have a master bedroom and a room for their children. He hoped that they wouldn’t live in debt.

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And when the time came, he wanted to hold hands with her and go on trips together. If there was something they wanted to eat, he didn’t want them to worry about it and just go straight to the restaurant. He wanted to share a decent, normal life with HaYeon.

And around the time he was gaining recognition and debuting as a supporting actor…

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“Are you Kang Taewan?”

Someone came to see him at the set. He wasn’t sure how this man got in, but the staff didn’t take him away. Taewan turned around. The director gestured to him with his eyes.

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“Yes, I am.”

He didn’t seem to be someone from the industry. If it had to do with work, they’d call him on his cell phone. It was strange for them to go directly to the set. The two men were on guard as they faced each other. Then the man spoke.

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“I’m HaYeon’s father. If you have some time, I’d like to speak with you…”

The filming for the day had just ended, so Taewan was exhausted, but he didn’t show it as he followed behind HaYeon’s father.

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As he sat across from HaYeon’s father, he couldn’t help but see similarities between them. Pale skin, tall height, upright posture, and especially the graceful eyes.

HaYeon’s father handed Taewan his business card. He was the president of a well-known hospital. He knew that HaYeon came from a well-off household, but he didn’t know it was to this extent.

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“Nice to meet you. My name is Kang Taewan.”

“I know. I heard that you were the man dating HaYeon, so I came to see you. Of course, HaYeon knows nothing about this. I came of my own accord, so I’d like for you to keep it a secret from her.”

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“Yes, I understand.”

“I wanted HaYeon to get married at an early age and set her up for various marriage meetings, but she rejected them all. I wondered why, so I looked into it and discovered you.”

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Taewan realized that HaYeon’s father had been having her investigated. And he had been included in the resulting report.

“I won’t take up too much of your time. I’ll get straight to the point. I apologize if this may seem too direct, but I would like my daughter to be married into an adequate household.”

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So break up with her.

He knew what HaYeon’s father was trying to say. Taewan’s heart sank. He expected to hear something like this, but it was a lot more painful than he imagined. Taewan calmed his trembling gaze and directly met HaYeon’s father’s eyes.

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“I’m not making much now, but I am steadily making a way for myself. If you’d just wait a little longer…”

“You’re twenty-seven and you’re renting your home. I know that you’re an orphan that doesn’t have any family. I saw that your monthly rent is quite high, and your deposit was relatively low. I heard you were attending college and dropped out. I also heard that the stability of an actor’s career is unpredictable… Am I wrong?”

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HaYeon’s father asked in a cold voice. After listening to someone’s objective evaluation of him, Taewan felt pathetic. Until now, he’d done his best, but in the end, the result was ‘orphan, drop-out, unpredictable career’. 

“Am I wrong?”

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HaYeon’s father asked again.

“…You are correct.”

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Taewan’s throat was sore from holding back the emotion that threatened to burst out. Suddenly, HaYeon’s father’s eyes grew cold. He did his best to stay calm, but he couldn’t stop the contempt from oozing out towards Taewan who sat across from him.

“The man I’m trying to introduce to HaYeon has a house and a car. He comes from a family with a sizable fortune. If anything, if she is with this man, she won’t suffer economically. But what can you do for her?”

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“I can make sure she lacks for nothing.”

“I can also do this for her. That’s not what I want for my daughter. I want her to live a rich, plentiful life.”

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Taewan kept his mouth shut.

He did his best all his life, and he loved her more than anyone. If HaYeon was in a situation where she had to die, he’d die in her stead. However, none of this mattered to the man sitting across from him.

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To HaYeon’s father, a loving heart wasn’t important. He cared more that she live a comfortable life.

Taewan clenched his fists.

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“Did you start seeing HaYeon knowing that she came from a wealthy household?”

Taewan felt as if he was suffocating in this man’s contempt.

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“…No. That was never the case.”

“Well, I’m sure you’d answer that way regardless.”

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“……”

“Because you’re both so young, you feel that love is enough. Most young people feel this way. However, you’ll come to understand once you grow older. Rather than losing everything you have because of love, it’s a lot easier and more comfortable to just fall in love in a state where you have everything already.”

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“……”

“I would like my HaYeon to have a comfortable love like that. I don’t want her to strive to survive because of love only to realize she will have to struggle for the rest of her life.”

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“……”

“I think I’ve said enough. I’m sure you feel that my words were wicked and evil, so feel free to curse me and hate me. I’m happy to receive your curses if it means that my daughter will live a comfortable life. So please don’t misunderstand. I hope the next time we meet, it will be for a much better reason.”

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HaYeon’s father stood up.

“…I’ll become even more successful.”

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Taewan spoke up. Although he blurted this out, he didn’t really know what he was saying. He just felt that if he just let things go like this, he’d lose HaYeon forever. Taewan lowered his head and continued.

“I’ll become successful so that everyone around you will know my name, sir.”

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“……”

“I’ll make sure that I have more than the other man you spoke of, sir. I’ll make it so that HaYeon can… love comfortably. So please give me a chance. Five years, no, give me three years.”

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“Kang Taewan-ssi.”

“I’m begging you, sir.”

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“Huu, I’m not so foolish as to invest three years into someone I don’t know. It seems that you didn’t understand me, so just do what you want. And I’ll do what I want.”

HaYeon’s father coldly brushed past him. It was a warm, spring day, but the breeze from the man’s movement was incredibly chilly. Taewan kept his eyes on the cold cup of tea on the table.

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He thought everything was finally okay, but he had returned to the destitute Kang Taewan of the past.

…The wretched Kang Taewan who didn’t have anything to offer. The Kang Taewan who felt sorry for being in love.

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He felt as pathetic as the day a group of strangers had grabbed him by the collar because of his parents’ and grandmother’s debts. 

After meeting HaYeon’s father, Taewan delved even deeper into his work. Whenever he saw HaYeon’s exhausted face after returning from a family dinner, his heart would sink.

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At some point, she stopped all contact with her family. He asked her if they’d fought, but she’d deny it. However, it seemed to him that she’d been cut off.

HaYeon had lost her family because of him. Guilt began to suffocate his heart. Although he knew it was selfish of him, he didn’t let her know how he felt. He looked the other way like a coward.

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Because of this, he began to search for better roles. He put his all into his roles, even the ones where he’d only appear once. As his popularity grew, so did his income.

The things he could do for HaYeon began to increase. He could even purchase a nice apartment. He lived on the floor above, and he helped HaYeon rent out the one beneath. He wanted to buy it for her, but HaYeon persistently rejected his offer.

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If he tried a little harder from here on out, he could give her everything. He was so close. But instead, she asked to break up.

Why…

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He mouthed the word.

Why? Why did our love end? I really did my very best. No matter what hardships came his way, he never gave up and continued to love Na HaYeon. So why did she leave him?

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What was the reason?

No matter how many times he asked himself this, he never found an answer.

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Taewan slowly closed his eyes. His eyes were cold from the chilly wind and began to sting. He covered his eyes with his large hand.

He thought their farewell had occurred when HaYeon broke up with him.

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…But that moment was merely the beginning.