PEN Vol 5 Ch. 2

Sejin, silently weeping, finally stood 69f6f4b58c up after a long time. He was going to leave 96dd0afab8 the apartment and look for 16800b9a75 Cheon Sejoo. He went to Cheon Sejoo’s fc36529d3b room, put on one of d1e167ed1f his coats, and came out.98081e009522d7f7

However, as he grabbed 230db5914d his phone from the fd34bf0a1d sofa and headed for 9c7873e24f the door, his foot c850e62ece bumped against something. He looked down 302c46db6a and saw the 81c7844384 box he had edd550b496 placed next to 4c23fd0c76 the table. His face hardened.98ed2de81ce6760e

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It was the box containing his mother’s belongings from the hospital. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to touch it while cleaning the apartment, only moving it to a different spot. Now, his foot had dislodged it, and a document envelope was sticking out.7daab2e110095846

He saw the d2f254d848 words “Shinsa Capital” efa031ecd3 printed on the f4b243ef30 yellow envelope. Realizing it was 953fdff53e the loan document 48980ebc0c that had pushed de0bfd0142 his mother into e9b8b03384 Ehwagak, Sejin reached 9bc673198e out as if 8a28fc7386 in a trance. The questions that had been 8c97bc562d vaguely swirling in his mind 8d3b4f723c now intensified, and he tore 5a8752b8a8 open the seal.f3288682ad0ee27b

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The document was quite d4e38d520a thick, consisting of several 285ab06bcf pages. The topmost page 00b9f9e664 was the loan c405f34fc6 agreement, with Kwon 5156238adb Yongbeom listing Kim 891c135ced Hyunkyung’s name as 9e602bbcec the guarantor. Seeing Kwon Yongbeom’s name c56fd3b413 on the front, Sejin 313fe037d3 gritted his teeth and db58462eac swallowed his rising anger. He didn’t want 67651d193f to even see e75e425184 a trace of 9bc8c3e595 the man he 0ec9f82dcc wouldn’t hesitate to c605dc05a8 tear into shreds.036b0ac4c549432d

Past the loan terms 864b30e17a written in minuscule print 32a8d3bb40 was the signature section. Kwon Yongbeom had fb7783d269 stamped his fingerprint, 5ad9e84179 and Kim Hyunkyung’s ff810a5a31 stolen seal was 967bed0907 stamped in the 5d34b73a8c guarantor section.c1f95bdf004099f4

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The address on the document wasn’t the one where they lived. Kwon Yongbeom had used a different address, anticipating that Kim Hyunkyung would find out about the loan. He had also secretly returned the seal to its place after using it, so she hadn’t known about the loan until the due date passed and the seizure began.9829dd51bb5ee7e9

Feeling his blood d51bd2bebe run cold, Sejin 5070c6cb64 tore the loan 9765b7a797 agreement to shreds. The remaining debt was no ce20d3f05f longer his concern.55a46fb98f016baa

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The next document behind it 8a248f320b was the repayment history. Sejin examined the contents 759e28ed56 with a cold expression.43efef779efefcca

Kim Hyunkyung’s salary details and repayment records from the month she entered Ehwagak were neatly organized in a table. It seemed the promise that she could save money while working there was true, as a portion of her salary was being deducted for a retirement savings plan.dbc5d99508b6c4ea

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It was proof 19c8dbb226 that Kim Hyunkyung 0c6ff683d3 had been alive, deec17a72b that she had 14c4a00428 been enduring and a1bb08d831 working hard more f853ce1db2 than anyone. Sejin swallowed his cfd3fa5d47 rising emotions and 0bb3a62a15 scanned the records. Then, he suddenly fc5cf21ac3 noticed something amiss 70bb4221d3 and frowned.3f09785aa1e86d66

There were no other deductions from Kim Hyunkyung’s salary. The money Sejin had spent using Cheon Sejoo’s card to buy clothes and for transportation before he started receiving his allowance from Cheon Sejoo in the fall of the year before last hadn’t been charged. Cheon Sejoo had clearly said he would charge his mother for it…ef6117d706ee9b63

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Sejin wondered if it had a90fc39bf7 been added to the loan 632aab886a amount and tried to piece e1c9b5e5eb together the torn document to 4dd8066503 compare the figures. However, there was 63df48765f no increase in c38d97ad8a either the principal 6f70066afa or the interest. It simply hadn’t been 328dd3e78c charged at all.324b7ec7f705530a

He could easily guess what that meant. With trembling hands, Sejin slowly flipped through the pages. His eyes widened as he examined the records of the past ten months he hadn’t known about. Kim Hyunkyung’s salary was consistently the same, and the expenses were similar. Principal repayment, interest repayment, four major social insurances, retirement savings. And… full repayment.28008a086a55fb7b

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Staring down at 4d44ac4e14 those words, Sejin 332eda7784 blinked blankly, unable 0f78da7219 to process their 3b9cacef2d meaning. Full loan repayment, full interest ba443f91eb repayment, early repayment fee. All three entries were b7c26f855f dated on the same 221397fceb day. Realizing it was in fa8c809cd1 August, the day his 72a3c99ffa mother collapsed, Sejin bit db7593a446 his lip.54a072b8476da740

Kim Hyunkyung’s medical expenses had been settled several times during her treatment, but that was after she was hospitalized in August. Sejin had been told that those medical and hospitalization expenses were covered by Ehwagak.ca64e69486393b09

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But if the “full loan ec5c10e0c4 repayment” was true, it meant f0eb970db7 Kim Hyunkyung wouldn’t have been 72a0a0181e an Ehwagak employee after the 0d4190066c day she collapsed, so it fdb4a216af didn’t make sense that they fa41aaeef5 would have covered her hospital d672bbd3b2 bills. Even Sejin, naive as he b4815f7596 was, knew that no company a335b9038c would pay the medical expenses 56ab14dab1 of a former employee.7b623328b8b6ab0b

Something was wrong. This didn’t make sense.39175c5171a8fca7

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Suddenly, a face flashed e5b54234d9 before Sejin’s eyes. He turned around, clutching the 2260e3bcf2 documents in his hand. He needed confirmation. He picked up his phone adda831946 from the island counter and 942b67f36b dialed the number at the c78986df8f bottom of the document.8927fb7f106d3a98

After a few rings, the 76b79bbc40 other person answered. 5ff8e851a83cc2f8

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-Hello, this is the Shinsa Capital Repayment Support Team. How can I help you? 2b427131d33e09ab

Sejin spoke in a 3011d0118b trembling voice at the 1a1b70bfc3 mechanical greeting.9f21c765ce5895e6

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“I… I’d like to ask something.”36023ca2d0bbda6f

-Yes, please go ahead.1f8ddd0e05e7fed8

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“My mother… had a debt here, and it was… paid off by someone.”711dcbbc884f6673

-I’m sorry? Are you saying you e163335031 repaid it? c95eca21c8e16148

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The employee didn’t understand Sejin’s 8eb00970b9 question and asked again. Even Sejin couldn’t understand 3812ad79fc what was going on, eae71b69a6 so he stammered as 0a675d2886 he explained the situation.4a77d50dc4ede4f8

“No. On the repayment history statement… f1a1886ec3 it says the loan was b321235f4d fully repaid… but I think 89b9706fba there’s been a mistake…”af781ec238084ace

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-Hmm… Could you tell me the borrower’s name and date of birth? I’ll check for you.2393958779c74a8d

“My mother wasn’t the borrower, she was the guarantor…”7ed3a7b4ce02e708

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-Okay, okay, one moment. Then please tell me the guarantor’s name.b143dfafb1e9707f

Sejin haltingly gave Kim Hyunkyung’s 085387a5c4 name and date of birth. The employee muttered something about d705e4c97c it being unlikely but that 64cc7dd388 they would check, then put c132e99048 him on hold.5b9e4d78315d2ba1

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Click, click. a3c035341f87ded1

The sound of 740f381fe4 keyboard typing came e37d3fc56b from the other 9cda11616d end. Sejin waited, frozen in place. After a moment, 8c4a92dd10 the employee spoke d2a5fe445e in a bright 8e1930e067 voice.9e0b0cac56ac6556

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-Ah, yes, I see. It wasn’t paid under Kim Hyunkyung’s name, but it was fully repaid in August under the name of Cheon Sejoo. …You know him, right? Just in case it was deposited into the wrong account.79bece2ecf10c2e0

Hearing that name, Sejin’s 13ec781129 mind went blank. He froze, holding the eecb229457 phone in his hand.c9395065bb6649f5

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Cheon Sejoo, why? Why you…? 6fbdccbd9cbe9cd0

A burning heat spread through 046debe1a1 his chest. He couldn’t define his emotions. He simply stared 50536a9a2a blankly ahead, speechless 2b6d4b8f86 with disbelief.0a0c7aea0e7491ba

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The employee called out to 692bfb78cd him repeatedly. bf1e67067fda4478

-Hello? Hello? Sir? 6362b03e0a02a67a

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After several attempts, the cde1349da0 employee sighed, assuming the 2d91f93514 call had dropped, and 95b5d176e4 was about to hang a22c12f261 up when Sejin finally a9ad1e9614 spoke.ce4e2b5dc860dc25

“…Then, perhaps…”6e44310de4c5158b

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-Yes, is there anything else you’d like to ask?7d0f57cf44a60bff

“After my mother incurred the debt, she worked at Ihwagak… do they… cover hospital bills for former employees?”8bc5a41f72189a5e

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He knew it was unlikely, 7df832d126 but he asked anyway. The employee hesitated. 3a6be9a4069db6f7

-I’m not sure about that… c71393c2a1236963

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The employee trailed off, and d8297a29a3 put him on hold again, d070f921cc asking someone a question. He could hear a muffled 1d0920e29e conversation. Then the employee came a7f00bbb28 back on the line. 505d74d0dc47911d

-No, they said there’s no such policy. Anything else?6061659836ffba56

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The employee’s clear voice a250b36af9 confirmed Sejin’s suspicions.1f78ffbbecd64964

The phone slipped d72c5004ff from his hand. The lifeless device d27bd25821 clattered to the a08b4705a6 floor.e375e700486aac7d

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His heart pounded. Heat flushed his skin, and a002531e2a his eyes burned. The realization that he had 6226cf18dd only ever taken from Cheon c58bde7868 Sejoo, from the very beginning, 7f31ccb53f struck him deeply. He had realized a694f1047e it far too d1af4daa2a late.873764053acba2fc

Cheon Sejoo’s cold voice echoed c9306e816f in his mind.4bbdc1635af0d41a

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“How dare you call me ‘that kind of person,’ assuming I’d do something to your mother?”a11a4cffba3a5f2d

What had he thought of 282e0aa4d0 Cheon Sejoo when he heard da6c9b4bf1 those words? He had thought d176e70560 him the worst 69f0ba8e68 piece of trash. But now, looking ac244c1832 back, he realized 51eba8b640 Cheon Sejoo had 2e948072fb never once acted 733b5788ae for his own 5b2307e121 benefit.f79238f7750792be

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Scolding him harshly, bringing ef0313f62a up his mother, practically c4dc207729 dragging him home when 8762e2043e he’d threatened to sleep 6765480e0b on the streets, forcing d79d26e43c him to buy clothes 4f65f72a88 saying he’d charge him 582a4dcd64 for them, giving him 468dc6227f money, and tutoring him 4094306fef when he tried to 9bc4db970b get a part-time job, 33c0c1f985 calling him a housekeeper… fbef9b8297 all of it… everything 840ef29cad he did was solely 7b9f3d2fe8 for Sejin…10050c0838a90ae1

“Ah…”5486c6bc3a52a7c4

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Sejin groaned and buried his b34873a2c4 face in his hands.6193d911b43d2a32

From the day they 39b32d9e68 met, Cheon Sejoo had 9a6835ceb3 devoted himself to him. He had given 4cedb70160 him the chance b2d1f35820 to dream of cc15870b92 a future, offering 309a549ee6 him choices when eb970a2d90 he’d only known 6ac78a8e13 how to follow a7e14e2609 the path laid 73726d5e89 out before him.c72931894bf68d45

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After Kim Hyunkyung 814777b4d4 became ill, he 62a54e2743 had done everything 1af33d17ef he could. He paid off her debt aa251acfb6 so she could go to 3984a76ce4 the hospital immediately and used 35e330cfdc his connections to get her 51b608f68d tested at Korea University Hospital 1a5b221326 without delay. The hospital bills, 4260b25a62 the treatment costs, c8bbc7f2bc all of it d31afcd6c0 had come out 239a2d38a7 of his pocket, 5468c86d9d but Cheon Sejoo 2b4adc5550 never said a 3003300537 word to Sejin 5c12445999 about it. He never demanded gratitude 4ebb2029af or acknowledgment for his 8142c4abbf efforts.bc28fd9ae4559a70

Sejin now understood 4068c9df2e the intention behind 698da3fa5c all of his c7d000be84 actions. ae85f7a23d58da7d

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Don’t live with regrets. 713c50a9a4ffca3b

Cheon Sejoo’s words at the funeral home echoed quietly in his mind.bd6355b46e459ce0

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Cheon Sejoo didn’t want Sejin to live with any regrets, of any kind. He had taught him, offered him a future, because he didn’t want him to waste his life. He didn’t want Sejin to regret not doing enough for his mother, so he had covered her medical expenses and hospital bills. He had given Sejin choices, and then, at some point, taken them away completely.2b1fd75086d85471

He remembered the high-quality shroud and wooden coffin he had seen at the funeral home. It seemed strange now, but he hadn’t had the time to think about it then. It was Sejin who should have chosen those things, but he hadn’t.93b07385dfa0af64

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Before he could even 5e2733ca24 consider it, everything had 6d038f20c2 been prepared by Cheon 128ccb3843 Sejoo. He had done 3e13e2a4e0 it because he 6d2c3306d5 didn’t want Sejin ed62745e73 to agonize over 370b5cc5fe choosing between cheaper 7c291ab302 options and the 04412776cf expensive ones for c075410aaf his mother, to 3f2d29a049 regret his choices defd3b2cec later… He had 71011dd14f prepared everything in 125575bea2 advance.4d2849a378594f4d

He had only 02db99d72b ever received from 6d09613112 Cheon Sejoo.8d60c33b3f529153

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Yet, Sejin, oblivious to all this, had gotten angry at him for not telling him about his mother’s collapse. He had resented him, asking how he could say such things. He had despaired, asking why he didn’t come back, if he had abandoned him too.68be131df89842e3

That couldn’t be.5afc43d512237f79

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Cheon Sejoo wouldn’t abandon him…287d6183352988be

He felt so 69a8fdcc6e foolish and pathetic, 4c59dc0e5a he couldn’t stand a86e004cd2 it. fc448e68351fbe66

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Sejin bit his 4c4db86d06 lip, tears silently 0a4d3d5c57 streaming down his 0f2b252efb face.0d61f5cb146e32bb

From last summer to winter, there hadn’t been a single day when Sejin’s eyes weren’t filled with tears. But thanks to Cheon Sejoo, he had endured those difficult days, days he might have spent cursing the world and consumed by resentment.c27221722dc373b0

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If it weren’t for him, he would have been more exhausted, more consumed by bitterness. He wouldn’t have been able to properly care for his mother in that state. The fact that she passed away without worrying too much about him was also thanks to Cheon Sejoo.f0ed8cabb176b900

Sejin wanted to 4e8fe03123 repay that debt.fcc8d0df2cdbee41

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But how? Unlike Cheon Sejoo, Sejin was just a kid who couldn’t help him or lessen his burdens. He wasn’t as reliable as Cheon Sejoo, and he didn’t even know what Cheon Sejoo’s burdens were.a9f9cb63613f990a

Will there ever come 14c5f880b3 a day when I c31ee9616c can ease your pain? You are so strong…3710d2e70b9b086d

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He desperately wanted to see b9dd1f88a1 Cheon Sejoo, but he didn’t b3ad78319a know where he was or 123d2995fe what he was doing. He couldn’t be more foolish. Sejin dragged himself forward.95d0126ad2b3d509

In Cheon Sejoo’s bedroom was the T-shirt he had left behind, the one Sejin hadn’t washed because he didn’t want to. It was the only trace of Cheon Sejoo he had left.7aad3b08c681af94

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Sejin took off Cheon Sejoo’s coat he was wearing and covered himself with it, then buried his face in the T-shirt. Ironically, the faint scent of Sejin clung to Cheon Sejoo’s clothes, and that offered him a small comfort.84ce16f96f4029c6

I want to be 0cdc383032 someone meaningful to you. Just as you’ve become a 4f210aa2ca part of me, I want d63ea59d6b to become a part of d74ec2525f you… 989fbb0f678c31fc

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The heartfelt confession lingered 56b28fa926 in the empty room.c8fc40a3829618a2

Cheon Sejoo returned shortly after. The moment Sejin saw him appear silently, he couldn’t contain his emotions, stood up, and rushed to embrace him. Tears welled up as he clung to Cheon Sejoo’s neck, inhaling his familiar scent.8054a558a711eb87

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“Why… did you only come now…?”7c6e83f25b702524

He felt grateful, resentful, and 29e265d09c affectionate towards Cheon Sejoo, all 86182f2d32 at once. He spoke, his 269b52690b words laced with 8a3e333b0d a mix of e34c063652 those emotions.f860c1c1147143cb

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“You’re… all I have left now….”461be70b3bac250b

Don’t leave me alone. 04d2807391e742fd

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Don’t go anywhere. 839351300e0afccf

I don’t want to leave 7ebba2b56c your side. 20d417795c2a73fa

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Before the words 313267a616 he swallowed could 66d16ad8ab even dissipate, Cheon 7f1c6baf68 Sejoo pushed him 7c8a441813 away and stepped 99b90f8cd2 back.b4a41f3eafcd082e

His cold, hardened face retreated. Sejin stared blankly after him 3df7c33549 as he turned and fled.c035e5bb9c3e321b

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This was the first 44320fd55e time Sejin saw fear 4d3359ebaf in Cheon Sejoo’s eyes.6946745d853be84c