MDQ Ch 65

The moment Kang Kimoon went upstairs to get ready to go out, a sharp noise came from the kitchen. It was the sound of a dish breaking.

Wondering what had happened, I went into the kitchen and saw Jung Yohan standing there, frozen stiff, surrounded by fragments of a broken dish. He was staring down at the shards with a troubled expression, as if he were trying to figure out how to deal with something like that for the first time.

Unlike Park Saebit, who had never struggled a day in his life, Jung Yohan had grown up under the wealthy care of his grandparents but became independent fairly early and lived on his own. Even so, he probably hadn’t done dishes often.

His trainee period hadn’t been long, and since his debut, his career had taken off immediately. At Given’s dorm, there were always housekeepers who took care of the chores. And when necessary, I would often step in to handle household work and dirty tasks myself.

So it wasn’t strange that he had broken a dish. Household work is something you only get better at through experience. I had already found it surprising that Jung Yohan, who was so unfamiliar with housework, had volunteered to do the dishes in the first place.

At that moment, his stiff body tilted downward. He was about to pick up the shards with his bare hands.

“Don’t! Stop right there.”

I rushed over to stop him and stepped up to his feet. Then I immediately put on rubber gloves and began picking up the pieces.

“Are you crazy? What if you cut your hand when you’re picking it up barehanded?”

“…”

“Stay still. I’ll take care of this.”

Jung Yohan didn’t reply, but obediently did as I said. His hands were gathered together neatly, his eyes fixed on me like a large dog quietly following orders. Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, I quickly cleaned up the mess. Once the kitchen was tidy again, his voice came from behind me.

“Hyung, were you worried about me just now?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. I wasn’t worried.”

“Then why were you worried about my fingers?”

“If you get hurt, I can’t make you work harder. That’s all there is to it.”

Of course, the truth was that I had worried about him without realizing it. I wasn’t cold-hearted enough to watch someone get hurt right in front of me, even if that person made me uncomfortable.

“Hyung… you’re acting cold, but you’re still the same as always.”

His damp hand suddenly caught my wrist softly.

“Let go. I told you not to touch me without permission.”

I tried to shake his hand off, but the more I resisted, the tighter his grip became as if that brief moment of obedience had only been an act.

“Just say you were worried about me. Then I’ll let go.”

But there was one thing Jung Yohan had overlooked—I twisted my wrist sharply out of his grasp once more—I had enough strength to break free from his hold. The only reason I had let him do as he pleased before, despite his forcefulness, was because I’d wanted to stay close to him a little longer.

“Hyung…!”

He called out to me desperately, but I walked away.

“I have things to do today, so I’ll be out. Whether you go back to Seoul or stay here alone is up to you.”

As soon as I left the kitchen, I saw Kang Kimoon coming down from the second floor, ready to go. Before Jung Yohan could follow me out, I left the house with Kang Kimoon.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen with Jung Yohan?”

“It’s nothing. He broke a dish, and I helped clean it up. By the way, sorry. It might’ve been one of your favorite dishes, but it got broken because of me.”

“Hyunseok, you didn’t get hurt, did you?”

“Huh? No, I’m fine.”

“Why did you clean it up yourself? You should’ve let him do it, hurt or not.”

“…”

“And who cares about a dish anyway? What matters to me is that you didn’t get hurt.”

Right. This was the kind of person Kang Kimoon was. The kind who accepted me no matter what I did.

I couldn’t help but smile. The restlessness inside me calmed down. Maybe it was because Jung Yohan hadn’t followed us out that my heart settled so quickly.

“Get in. I’ll drive you to Mrs. Kim’s house.”

“Alright.”

Once I got into his car, I noticed his outfit was a little different from usual. Normally, he wore a plain white T-shirt and comfortable pants—something like work clothes. But today, he was wearing a light casual jacket. Just that small change in outfit made him look even more handsome.

If he were walking down the street dressed like that, he’d definitely catch the eye of a casting manager in an instant. If I were a casting manager instead of a regular manager, I would’ve probably handed him my business card in a rush and begged him to become a celebrity.

“What are you thinking about? You’re staring like you’re about to wear out my face.”

Maybe I’d been staring too much. Kang Kimoon asked with a light smile as he turned the steering wheel smoothly.

“I was just thinking—if I were a casting manager, I’d scout you right away. You’re seriously good-looking.”

“Anyway, Lee Hyunseok, you sure have a thing for faces.”

“Haha… do I? But what’s wrong with calling someone handsome when they are?”

“Then fine. Just say I’m the only one who’s handsome.”

“Maybe I will.”

While we were exchanging light jokes, we arrived at Mrs. Kim’s house. Kang Kimoon got out of the car to see me off in person.

“If anything happens, call me right away.”

“Got it.”

“Make sure to eat properly, and it’s hot today, so drink plenty of water.”

“Got it…”

“And wear a hat. You’ll get sunburned.”

“When are you actually leaving for Seoul?”

“I still have one more thing I want to say.”

He reached out and tousled my hair lightly, as he often did, before saying, “Think of me, too.”

Before I could respond to those words—whose meaning I couldn’t quite grasp—he climbed into the driver’s seat.

I waved at him as he left. It was only for a day or so, but I already felt reluctant to part with him.

---

Mrs. Kim greeted me warmly when we met again.

She said Kang Kimoon had called her, and that she was glad I came along because she’d been feeling lonely going alone. Her kindness made me feel completely at ease.

“Seoul lad, hold on a second. I’ll pack you some snacks before we go.”

“Yes, take your time.”

“By the way, how’s your ankle? Feeling better?”

“Sorry?”

So that rumor had already spread?

“I heard you twisted your ankle on the way back after helping out in the potato field! I felt bad, thinking I made you work too hard. I wanted to visit, but I thought it might make you uncomfortable, being from Seoul and all.”

It seemed she still remembered our previous conversation—that moment when she’d asked my name and I’d awkwardly avoided answering.

I stepped closer to her and lowered my posture.

If my mother were still alive, she might have been around this woman’s age. Maybe that’s why I suddenly felt a pang of tenderness I couldn’t quite explain.

“My ankle’s completely fine now. And it wasn’t your fault, ma’am. I twisted it by accident while walking.”

“Still… well, I’m just glad you recovered quickly.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you my name before. It’s nothing special, but I just didn’t have the courage to say it back then.”

“Oh, Seoul lad, don’t worry about that! What does it matter if I don’t know your name? Everyone just calls me Mrs. Kim, too.”

“No, I want to tell you.”

“Oh? You’re going to tell me now?”

I nodded. Now that I no longer had to hide anything from Kang Kimoon, I wanted to tell her, too. I wanted to tell her I was that boy’s younger brother. That my brother had loved this place dearly.

And that the brother who had loved it so much could never come back again.

“Do you remember the fair-skinned Seoul young man you once mentioned—the one who looked a lot like me? You said you hadn’t seen him in Omyeon-ri for years and wondered what happened to him.”

“Of course I remember. A kind and handsome young man like that isn’t easy to forget.”

“I’m his younger brother.”

“What…?”

Her mouth dropped open in disbelief, her brow furrowing as if she were trying to recall something carefully.

“My brother’s name was Lee Hyunwoo, and my name is Lee Hyunseok.”

“Ah, that’s why you looked alike.”

“Yes. That’s right. My brother always said this was such a wonderful place, so I came here to see it for myself.”

“You should’ve come with him! I’m starting to forget what Hyunwoo’s face looked like.”

“My brother…” I paused briefly, then continued, “My brother isn’t in this world anymore. He passed away a long time ago.”

I had thought it would be okay to talk about his death now. But the moment I spoke the words, my eyes began to sting. No matter how much time passed, my brother would always be the button that made me cry.

I lowered my head a little and waited for the tears to subside. Thankfully, they didn’t fall down my cheeks.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

But Mrs. Kim must have noticed the tremor in my voice. She reached out and rubbed my shoulder roughly but warmly.

“Seoul lad—no, Hyunseok-ah. You have to live well, for your brother’s sake too. Alright? He wouldn’t want you to die.”

It seemed the misunderstanding that I’d come to Omyeon-ri to die was still ongoing, but I nodded without hesitation.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And don’t call me ‘ma’am’ anymore! From now on, call me mother^[1].”

Mother. The word soaked into my heart as deeply as the grief I felt over my brother’s death. I gave a small nod and said, “Yes, Moth…er.”

The lips that spoke a word I hadn’t uttered in years trembled faintly.