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).

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.

Sejin also seemed to feel a sense of accomplishment not so much from the visible grades, but from the fact that his knowledge was gradually increasing. Sometimes, while his tests were graded, he would glance at Cheon Sejoo with proud eyes, and every time he did, Cheon Sejoo struggled to hold back the urge to hug him.

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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.

Cheon Sejoo felt a deep sense of comfort when he was with Kwon Sejin. It was the first time since that day that he felt his life was peaceful.

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

It was mid-August, a Tuesday afternoon, when Cheon Sejoo received a call from Han Jiwon. It was the time when Sejin was diligently making side dishes at home to meet Kim Hyunkyung again the next day, a month after their last meeting in July. Cheon Sejoo, who was sparring with Moon Sunhyuk in his workshop building far away, heard his phone vibrate and stopped Sunhyuk.

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“Hold on a second.”

“Yes.”

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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.

A subtle unease slowly crept up from deep within his heart. Cheon Sejoo opened a bottle of water on the table and took a drink, a subconscious act stemming from the desire to delay hearing unpleasant news, even if only for a moment. Only after composing himself did Cheon Sejoo answer the phone.

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“Yes, Manager. What’s the matter….”

Manager Cheon!

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A frantic voice seemed to tear through the speaker. Cheon Sejoo hardened his expression and closed his mouth.

-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….

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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.

“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.”

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

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.

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He stripped down to his underwear right there, and as he was buttoning his shirt, Sunhyuk approached him with a frown. He had sensed an urgency so unlike Cheon Sejoo.

“What’s wrong, sir?”

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

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.

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“Then, about dinner….”

“Ah.”

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As he started to speak, Cheon Sejoo, who was quickly grabbing his jacket, blinked as if he had just remembered. A look of awkwardness crossed his face. However, he had no choice. Cheon Sejoo immediately spoke to Moon Sunhyuk.

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

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“…Yes.”

Sunhyuk bowed his head with a blank, stiff expression. But Cheon Sejoo, oblivious to the change, patted his shoulder and quickly left. He waved casually to Haewoong, who was going up to the 4th floor for a nap, and after going down to the 1st floor, he noticed Sejin calling him back and headed towards his car.

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“Kwon Sejin.”

-Yeah, you called?

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Unlike Han Jiwon, his voice was calm. Cheon Sejoo frowned and asked in a forcedly relaxed tone.

“Uh…. What are you doing?”

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

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.

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

“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.”

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

“We’re going to….”

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He couldn’t think of an excuse on the spot. Cheon Sejoo tapped the steering wheel anxiously as he thought, and finally came up with a suitable excuse.

“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.”

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-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.

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.

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“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?”

-…….

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Perhaps finding the added explanation plausible, Sejin seemed to be contemplating. Cheon Sejoo stepped hard on the accelerator, heading home, and said,

“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.”

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-…Okay. When are you arriving? Should I go down now?

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

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-Okay. See you later.

“Yeah.”

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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.

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.

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Sejin, dressed lightly in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, now looked noticeably healthier, having put on some weight. Sejin, who had grown to be about the same height as Cheon Sejoo but seemed larger in build, got into the passenger seat and asked, turning up the air conditioning.

“Do we really have to go this urgently? Is today the only time available?”

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

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.

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“Okay….”

As soon as he fastened his seatbelt, Cheon Sejoo stepped on the accelerator. However, since the hospital was near Ehwagak, he had no choice but to take the same route that Sejin knew, and Sejin, who had a good sense of direction, quickly noticed this. Cooling his flushed cheeks in the cold air, he looked at Cheon Sejoo and asked,

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“Isn’t the officetel in Seoul?”

“Uh, yeah.”

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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.

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

“…….”

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

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.

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“Why are you answering like that?”

“…Like what?”

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“…….”

Kwon Sejin was very observant of Cheon Sejoo. He knew much more about him than Cheon Sejoo thought.

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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.

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

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“Is Mom sick?”

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