MDQ Ch 46

Kang Kimoon answered without hesitation, as if he had long decided to tell me everything, “Lee Hyunwoo. Of course, I know him well.”

Before I could even ask how he knew my brother, Kang Kimoon continued, “He was older than me, but we were friends. He was a bright, warm, and considerate friend.”

With his gaze lowered slightly, Kang Kimoon’s face looked sorrowful. It seemed like he was remembering someone who no longer existed in this world—someone he would never meet again.

My brother who was bright and warm. Hearing him described that way, I couldn’t help but recall him myself. Just like always, the corners of my eyes burned when I thought of him.

“Hyunwoo was the only person I could truly call a friend. I’m not good at trusting people, so I’ve always been clumsy at forming relationships.”

“…”

“To be honest, you reminded me of him the moment I saw you on the bus. You two look quite alike, and even the atmosphere around you feels similar.”

I found it hard to believe that I gave off the same kind of presence as my brother, who had always been praised for being bright, warm, and considerate.

According to my father, I was nothing but a gloomy, useless fool who couldn’t do anything right.

“Hyunwoo boasted about you a lot. How you looked, what your personality was like… He talked so much that I thought my ears might fall off. Sometimes, I even wondered if you were part of my own family.”

“He really said that…?”

“That’s probably why I recognized you right away.”

I missed my brother, who would talk about me even when I wasn’t around, the one who was proud of me. The old, buried longing swelled up and made my heart ache.

“I thought I’d never forget Hyunwoo’s face, but lately, it’s been getting harder to recall. Then, when I saw you, his image came right back to me. It felt strange, but also comforting. I was somehow glad.”

My brother was the only one who had ever loved me despite all my shortcomings.

I tried hard to picture his face, which I now had to struggle to remember.

I still loved him, but even so, the image of his face had slowly faded from my mind.

I’d been afraid of the day I wouldn’t be able to recall him at all.

“I used to fear that someday I wouldn’t be able to remember Hyunwoo’s face anymore… But now that I’ve met you, I’m grateful.”

“…”

“At least when you’re by my side, I can picture him clearly again.”

Kang Kimoon seemed to share the same feelings as I did.

He knew how heartbreaking it was to forget someone you could never meet again.

Because of that, he suddenly looked different to me. Though unseen, the bond between us felt as if it had deepened all at once.

“I’m grateful to you. I care about you as if you were my real family. That’s why I wanted to know what kind of things hurt you.”

Kang Kimoon glanced at me, then continued speaking despite my silence.

“You didn’t tell me yourself, but I ended up finding out anyway.”

It seemed he had realized I’d run away here after being dragged through the mud in the media.

“So… you already knew I was Lee Hyunseok, the manager accused of plagiarizing your lyrics, even before I told you, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I did.”

He had known all along but chose not to confront me. That, in itself, was its own kind of kindness.

“Hyunseok-ah.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you angry at me, too?”

He sounded like he was asking if I felt betrayed by his silence.

The answer came easily, “No.”

I couldn’t resent him—he had already cared for me enough. To expect anything more would be no different from what the members of Given had done to me.

I never wanted anyone to sacrifice themselves for me again.

“Actually… I’m thankful for not being disappointed in me.”

I let out a long breath, mixed with relief.

Every moment I’d spent with Kang Kimoon had been good, but at times I’d felt stifled by the guilt and shame of hiding my identity.

But now that I had finally told him everything, my body felt lighter, almost cleansed. Even the tangled mess in my head seemed to clear in an instant.

“So, Hyunseok, what will you do now?”

With my heart lighter than before, I answered playfully, “Guess I should work hard on the farm?”

“Huh?”

He let out a small laugh at my silly answer.

“I want to stay here for a month, like we agreed. Is that okay?”

Kang Kimoon replied readily, “Of course.”

“Thanks.”

“Let’s spend the remaining time working hard in the fields and getting along well.”

“Yeah.”

As I smiled back at him, the sound of rain that had been softly falling outside faded away.

The rain that had poured endlessly had finally stopped.

---

When Kang Kimoon said we should work hard in the fields, he wasn’t exaggerating.

Starting two nights after the rain stopped, we spent nearly three days helping out around various farms in the village.

It was possible only because my ankle had healed faster than expected.

Though Kang Kimoon told me to rest for a few more days, I said I was fine and followed him.

The labor that followed was on a completely different level from the small tasks I’d done before.

Kang Kimoon worked from sunrise to sunset like someone who’d come to Omyeon-ri not to write songs but to farm.

I had never realized farming could be this hard.

But it wasn’t all suffering.

While working, I found myself forgetting everything that had happened in Seoul.

The panic that used to hit me whenever I saw someone who recognized me began to fade.

Given enough time, I thought, maybe I could really be okay again.

When I looked at the crops we’d harvested, I felt a quiet pride. And when the villagers thanked us for helping, I felt genuinely happy.

We weren’t paid money—only received some of the produce—but it didn’t feel like a sacrifice.

It was simply… enjoyable. I even began to seriously consider rural life.

But what kept me from deciding for sure was Kang Kimoon.

Would I have enjoyed the work this much if I’d been alone? Probably not. It was because he was there with me.

Kang Kimoon not only knew everything about my situation but also shared memories with the one I miss the most.

I liked him. Or rather, I liked being with him.

If someone asked whether my feelings for him were romantic, like what I’d once felt for Jung Yohan, I’d say no. With Kang Kimoon, it was a sense of kinship—a bond that had deepened through shared understanding.

It was, in a way, what he had called “family.”

Just as he saw me as a family member, I began to feel the same toward him. In truth, he felt more like family than my own father ever did.

As I grew comfortable around him, he, too, seemed gentler after we’d shared our truths.

“Good work.”

Like now, after a long day’s labor, he casually ruffled my sweat-damp hair.

“Your face got a little tanned.”

Then he lightly pinched my cheek.

Kang Kimoon had started to touch me more. Not just physically, but in every sense. His gaze, his gestures, even the space between us had grown smaller.

‘Was he always this physically affectionate?’

When he leaned close enough for me to feel his warmth, I found myself a little uneasy.

It was a strange discomfort.

I clearly liked him and felt connected to him, yet his closeness made me tense.

“Let go. I’m not tanned.”

His fingers left my cheeks, but the places they had pressed still felt hot.

“You’ve got more flesh on your cheeks now.”

“You’re not checking that every day, are you?”

Kang Kimoon asked it brazenly, “I am. You were too thin… Still are, honestly. You need to put on more weight, Hyunseok.”

“Don’t worry. I plan to get healthier.”

There were still things I hadn’t come to terms with. I finally wanted to face what I’d been running away from.

Whether it meant confronting my father and telling him how I truly felt, or publicly declaring that I hadn’t done anything wrong.

To do that, I needed to strengthen both my body and my resolve.

Those were things I never could’ve even imagined back when I’d given up on everything.

Before, I’d just wanted to stay quiet as long as the CEO didn’t push me further. I was even foolish enough to think I’d just pay the penalties and walk away.

But after resting here, after confessing everything to Kang Kimoon, who believed in me completely, my thoughts had changed.

I’d decided to correct what was wrong.

Because until I did, I would never truly be free from my past.

And I didn’t want to disappoint Kang Kimoon, who seemed to be quietly waiting for the truth to come out.

If I ever did disappoint him, it would feel the same as disappointing my brother.

If my brother were still alive, he would have scolded me harshly for running away. He’d been gentle, but he never hesitated to call out what was wrong.

But I didn’t know where to start, or how.

The reason I hadn’t fought back against the CEO was simple. I didn’t have the strength to endure the long, ugly battle that would follow, even if I somehow won.

How could someone like me, with no backing or connections, possibly come out on top?

And then, just as I was lost in thought, a new voice interrupted between me and Kang Kimoon.