Ephphatha Chapter 16

“What?”

 

A gasp escaped her lips, and she quickly shut her mouth.

 

– “I’ve only ever used that handkerchief.”

 

His voice, lower than usual, was accompanied by a deep sigh, carrying a sense of genuine disappointment. Seul-ah’s anxious eyes wavered and landed on the urn holding her mother’s ashes on the living room shelf. A single chrysanthemum was placed inside the lidless urn.

 

“Ah, um… Kwak Chi-gyeom, I’m sorry, I…”

 

– “It can’t be helped.”

 

“……”

 

– “Don’t worry about it. What’s done is done.”

 

“Um… I mean… Kwak Chi-gyeom, it’s just…”

 

Too flustered to notice, Seul-ah failed to hear the faint sound of the wind through the phone.

 

– “I’m hanging up.”

 

“……”

 

Chi-gyeom’s voice abruptly disappeared. Beep, beep, beep. Only after the call ended did Seul-ah weakly lower her phone.

 

Of all things, it had to be his mother’s memento. If it was so precious, why didn’t he take better care of it instead of using it to wipe someone else’s spit…?

 

She grumbled to herself in vain, but in truth, she had no right to complain. Someone like him, who would normally ignore such things, had gone out of his way to lend that precious handkerchief.

 

Since when had he ever been kind? Seul-ah pouted as her gaze returned to the urn.

 

“……”

 

Still, thinking about it, he could be mischievous but never outright cruel. He had driven her to scatter her mother’s ashes, and he never smoked in front of her. Of course, that wasn’t because he was considerate, but because he had to open Ephphatha.

 

Regardless, rubbing silk with soap without a second thought had been an obvious mistake. Holding the ruined piece of silk in her hands, Seul-ah’s face twisted in distress.

 

What should I do…?

 

Meanwhile, completely unaware, Kwak Chi-gyeom was smirking while chewing on a cigarette.

 

***

 

Regular exercise was good not only for her health but also for clearing her mind, so every day at the same time, she would take three laps around the nearby park. The day after scattering her mother’s ashes was no exception, and she never missed a day afterward. Stopping by the flower shop next to the park to buy a chrysanthemum had become a newly added routine.

 

However, today required a different kind of outing.

 

At ten minutes to three, Seul-ah let out a long sigh as she put on her sneakers. She tapped the toe against the floor to fit her shoes properly and looked at the handkerchief in her hand with a troubled expression.

 

“……”

 

Despite carefully drying it with a hairdryer just in case, the handkerchief had inexplicably shrunk. There was no brand label, so she had no idea where it came from, but considering the original quality and Kwak Chi-gyeom’s thick wallet, it was undoubtedly an expensive luxury item. Now, however, it was in worse condition than a crumpled tissue.

 

Exhaling deeply, Seul-ah left her apartment and got into a taxi. Her destination was the nearest department store. She intended to check if a luxury store carried the same handkerchief.

 

Folding the handkerchief neatly and tucking it into her bag, she took out her phone. As soon as she opened the search engine, the words she had looked up yesterday appeared in order.

 

“……”

 

The moment she saw the word ‘kidnapping,’ Aunt Chae-young came to mind, making her heart heavy, but she swallowed the thought and moved her fingers.

 

Luxury handkerchief. Orange handkerchief. Orange silk handkerchief. Orange silk luxury handkerchief. Expensive handkerchief. Men’s handkerchief.

 

She tried various search terms until she arrived at the department store, but nothing matched Kwak Chi-gyeom’s handkerchief. Even after visiting five different luxury boutiques, the result was the same.

 

The experienced store clerks examined the ruined handkerchief and tried to identify the brand, but without a logo, it was impossible to determine its origin. Instead, they recommended several similar ones in color and fabric. Eventually, she purchased the most expensive option among them.

 

“Whew…”

 

By the time she finished, two hours had passed.

 

Exhausted from the unexpected long outing, Seul-ah sat down on a lobby bench to catch her breath. She glanced between the shopping bag containing the new handkerchief and Chi-gyeom’s ruined one, sighing silently.

 

Truthfully, she hadn’t expected to find an identical one. Even if she did, something his mother had given him and something she bought anew could never hold the same meaning. She only hoped to make up for it in some way.

 

Tucking both handkerchiefs securely into the bag, Seul-ah took another deep breath and exhaled. Having wandered from store to store without rest, she had no energy left to move. Leaning against the backrest, she idly watched the passersby.

 

Perhaps because it was a Sunday afternoon, the area was bustling. She absentmindedly observed the lively scene, regaining her energy bit by bit.

 

“Oh?”

 

Her upper body instinctively leaned forward at the sight of a familiar face in the crowd.

 

She stared wide-eyed in that direction, and before long, Seo Han-seong turned his head, sensing her gaze. When he spotted her, his eyes widened in surprise as well. Without hesitation, he started walking toward her.

 

As she attempted to rise, her legs wobbled, and she sank back down. Seo Han-seong quickly reached out a hand to stop her and closed the remaining distance between them.

 

“Stay seated.”

 

“Hello.”

 

Still, she couldn’t just sit there, so she straightened up again and bowed slightly. He responded with a smile.

 

Then, as he naturally took a seat and gestured for her to do the same, Seul-ah sat back down and glanced at him.

 

“I didn’t expect to see you again like this. Did you get home safely yesterday?”

 

Seo Han-seong began the conversation in a gentle tone. In truth, a series of unfortunate events had occurred after she parted ways with him, but Seul-ah nodded without revealing anything.

 

“Are you here for shopping?”

 

“Yes. What about you?”

 

“Me too.”

 

He let out a small sigh.

 

“My mother got upset because I had to leave for work yesterday, so I’m here to buy her a gift to make up for it. Today is her birthday.”

 

“Oh….”

 

“What about you, Seul-ah?”

 

“I just needed to get something….”

 

Feeling a slight sense of camaraderie as they were both here to buy gifts, she hugged her bag containing the handkerchief. Just then, her eyes widened even more as she spotted another familiar face.

 

“…….”

 

From the direction Seo Han-seong had come, Kwak Chi-gyeom was walking toward them. Dressed in a green Hawaiian shirt covered in palm tree prints and wearing red-tinted sunglasses perched on his nose, he stood out so much in the crowd that she recognized him instantly.

 

Why is he here? She stared in confusion at his appearance, which made him look as if he had come alone on a resort vacation. Just then, Chi-gyeom met her eyes.

 

With his hands shoved into his pants pockets, he swaggered as he walked, then suddenly stopped and pointed his index finger directly at Seul-ah. Then, he flicked his finger back and forth between Seo Han-seong and her, before forming a circle with the other hand.

 

He inserted his index finger into the circle and withdrew it repeatedly, making an odd gesture. Seul-ah frowned slightly at the sight, but before she could react further, Chi-gyeom swiftly slipped away and disappeared from view.

 

At the same time, Seo Han-seong called out to her.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

It seemed like Chi-gyeom had deliberately hidden himself from Seo Han-seong’s sight. Seul-ah, pretending nothing had happened, responded calmly, but she still glanced toward the spot where Chi-gyeom had been.

 

Did he come here for shopping too? Maybe he came to buy a handkerchief? Various thoughts ran through her mind when Seo Han-seong’s voice drew her attention again.

 

“If you have some time, could you help me out?”

 

“Huh?”

 

When she finally turned her full attention to him, he was scratching his eyebrow with an awkward expression.

 

“I came all the way here, but I have no idea what to get. I’m wandering around because I lack a sense for these things.”

 

“Oh….”

 

Seul-ah’s gaze unconsciously shifted toward Chi-gyeom once more. By then, he had reappeared, silently clapping his hands in the air. She didn’t need to guess what that meant. It was obvious that he was signaling this was a good opportunity since she had coincidentally run into Seo Han-seong in a personal setting.

 

Feeling a pang of guilt toward Seo Han-seong, who was smiling at her with innocent sincerity, Seul-ah forced an awkward smile.

 

“Then, I’ll help you pick something.”

 

His face brightened as he nodded.

 

***

 

She saw Kwak Chi-gyeom again while Seo Han-seong was paying for the scarf she had helped him choose.

 

Glancing idly outside the store, she flinched when she saw the man from earlier striding past with the same swagger. Seo Han-seong, waiting for his purchase to be wrapped, noticed her reaction and asked what was wrong. Seul-ah shook her head slightly to indicate it was nothing, then discreetly searched for the direction Chi-gyeom had disappeared to.

 

Since he was still around, she decided to hand over the handkerchief after parting ways with Seo Han-seong. Just as she was fiddling with her bag, making a small resolution, Seo Han-seong finished his transaction and approached her.

 

“If you’re free, would you like to have dinner together before heading home?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I want to return the favor since you helped me. What do you think? I did say I’d buy you a meal yesterday.”

 

Seul-ah looked up at him with slightly surprised eyes.

 

– “You really don’t get it. That guy doesn’t make empty promises about meeting up with women.”

 

If that were true, then this situation wasn’t so bad. Seul-ah’s eyes flicked once more in the direction Chi-gyeom had gone. Then, after some hesitation, she slowly nodded.