PSY CH 4
by Lulu“Young-ah.”
“…”
“Young-ah!”
“Huh?”
Jooyoung snapped out of his daze to realize he was the only one left in the car. Everyone else had already gotten out. He glanced around—this was the hospital parking lot.
“Is the heat getting to you? You’ve been all spacey since yesterday,”
“I’m fine.”
His uncle clicked his tongue, saying, “Your body’s weak because you’re so thin,” Jooyoung just laughed it off.
It was the restaurant’s monthly day off, and he’d come with his uncle’s family to visit his grandpa. Just before leaving the house, his cousin Mingyu had thrown a fit, insisting he didn’t want to come. Now, scolded into submission, his lips stuck out in a pout. He grumbled the whole way there until his mom smacked him on the back of the head, after which he finally quieted down.
“You’re here.”
The nursing home sat just off the road leading into town. It was just the right amount of noisy and quiet. Grandpa looked a bit tired, but his face lit up when he saw Jooyoung. His age-spotted cheeks puffed up roundly.
Auntie and Uncle left to get coffee. Mingyu, wasting no time, pulled out his gaming console.
Feeling awkward, Jooyoung pretended to look around the hospital room. Though meant for two, the room felt especially quiet with just one occupant. Then his Grandpa suddenly grabbed his hand.
“Is the job going okay?”
“…”
“I told them you were coming, so if there’s anything you don’t know, don’t hesitate to ask.”
His Grandpa gently rubbed Jooyoung’s hand, the wrinkles on his fingers like a stiff old broom brushing against his skin.
“It’s not too difficult,” Jooyoung replied, shaking his head with a faint smile.
Even though they had lived together when he was little, it had been a long time. And they hadn’t kept in close contact since. Jooyoung liked his Grandpa, but it still felt a little awkward.
“Oh, right, Young-ah. I forgot to tell you something.”
“…”
“Do you remember Hwang Dohyun?”
Jooyoung looked up from his Grandpa’s yellowed, discolored fingernails, a little startled to hear the name Hwang Dohyun.
“Dohyun lives on the fifth floor. Can you stop by and check on him sometimes?”
“…”
“He lives alone, you see. Barely eats. Just drinks all the time.”
His Grandpa’s voice, thick with phlegm, carried a request Jooyoung hadn’t expected.
“If you could look in on him now and then, make sure he’s doing okay…”
“Me?”
“Why? Is that too much to ask?”
Jooyoung glanced at the floor before meeting his Grandpa’s eyes again.
“It’s not that… You just want me to check if he’s eating and stuff?”
His delay in answering came from recalling the encounter with Dohyun, but it seemed his Grandpa took the pause differently. With growing urgency, he began explaining the situation.
“He used to live with his Grandpa. After the old man passed, he’s been on his own up there. Poor kid…”
“What about his parents?”
A vague memory of Dohyun’s parents at a school sports day floated up. Their appearance had stood out, unlike anyone else in town, so Jooyoung remembered them clearly.
“Oh, them? They divorced ages ago. Both moved to Seoul and remarried. Left the boy behind.”
“Ah…”
“Anyway, Young-ah, I’m just asking you to keep an eye on him. You’re like an older brother to him, aren’t you?”
His Grandpa said that until he was hospitalized, he’d been the one checking in on Dohyun himself. Now that he couldn’t, he was counting on Jooyoung.
As Jooyoung gazed into his grandfather’s murky, half-lidded eyes, heavy with age, he lowered his gaze. The old man ran a hand over the back of Jooyoung’s hand, pleading once more. His voice was soaked in nostalgia, as damp as rainwater.
“Dohyun used to absolutely adore you.”
“…”
“Huh? He acted like you were the only person he knew.”
Jooyoung was just about to nod when the words slipped out before he could stop himself.
“Dohyun didn’t seem all that happy to see me…”
His Grandpa let out a wheezy chuckle.
“Really? He was a bit distant, huh?”
“…”
“Probably just shy. That boy used to talk about you all the time.”
Thinking about how cold Dohyun had been, it was hard to believe what his Grandpa was saying. But looking at the old man’s worn-out face, Jooyoung couldn’t bring himself to object. There had to be some reason behind the request.
“…Alright. I’ll check in on him. But how’s your leg? Do you feel any better?”
Trying to change the subject, Jooyoung gestured toward the blanket-covered limb.
“The numbness has gone down a bit.”
His Grandpa had developed a foot ulcer from diabetic complications and undergone emergency surgery. The operation had gone well, but with his high blood pressure and worsening kidney function, he’d be hospitalized for a while.
About thirty minutes later, Jooyoung’s uncle finally returned and tapped his shoulder, telling him that it was time to go.
Grandpa sat up from where he’d been resting and pulled out two envelopes from the drawer. Faint outlines of 50,000-won bills were visible through the thin paper.
Jooyoung waved it off immediately, trying to refuse. “One’s for Hwang Dohyun, the other’s for you,” his Grandpa said, scrunching the bridge of his nose. That familiar smile left Jooyoung with no choice but to accept the spending money his Grandpa offered.
“I’ll come by again soon.”
“Alright. Don’t skip your meals.”
Even in his weakened state, his Grandpa fussed over whether Jooyoung was eating properly. When he added that ice cream didn’t count just because it was hot outside, Jooyoung felt a dull ache rise somewhere in his chest.
“I’m leaving.”
Grandpa saw him off, telling him to be careful. His arm swayed weakly through the air—thin and frail, like a ripe yellow reed.
The dark clouds had looked ominous, and sure enough, heavy raindrops started pouring down just as they were leaving the hospital. Uncle, noticing Jooyoung didn’t have an umbrella, kindly drove him to the pawnshop.
“Dealing with people is the same everywhere. If you just quit whenever it gets tough, how’re you gonna build experience that way?”
He thought Jooyoung had quit a customer service job because he couldn’t handle the stress. That was what Mom had told him every time Jooyoung came down to Maeyang.
“Look at Seokyoung. She stuck it out, and now—”
“Alright, that’s enough! He’ll figure it out.”
His aunt cut in, clearly fed up with the nagging. Uncle let out an awkward cough and pulled the car closer to the sidewalk. Through the window, Jooyoung could see the familiar building. He got ready to get out.
“Bae Jooyoung, if your mom happens to call, watch what you say.”
Uncle turned toward him and gave a serious warning.
“You know how quick-witted she is, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll be careful.”
Jooyoung nodded as he stepped out of the car. The old Carnival eventually disappeared into the rain.
Once the car was fully out of sight, Jooyoung turned around. He walked down the damp hallway, thinking about his uncle’s warning. His mom still didn’t know he was working at the pawnshop. It was a secret shared only between Grandpa, Uncle, and Jooyoung.
And probably…
She wouldn’t find out until he went back to Seoul.
***
The pawnshop was sweltering, like a sauna, because the air conditioner wasn’t working properly. On rainy days like today, the added humidity made it feel even more suffocating.
Customers waved their hands to fan themselves and snapped about how unbearably hot it was. Each time, Jooyoung brushed it off by saying the landlord still hadn’t fixed the air conditioner. Then, the customers, after initially grumbling at Jooyoung, would curse the landlord for being so negligent.
“Thank you for coming.”
Jooyoung saw off a customer and dropped into the chair with a thud. He wiped the sweat under his chin with the back of his hand. The damp heat refused to let up. He flapped the hem of his loose sleeveless shirt and, thinking he might as well go to the convenience store, opened the drawer where he kept his wallet.
However, he stopped his fingers midair. Next to the wallet was a yellowed envelope with its corners messily folded.
“…”
He stared at it for a moment, then slowly reached out his hand. The envelope was damp, and its clammy moisture seeped into his skin.
After some hesitation, Jooyoung stepped out of the pawnshop. He figured it was better to get it over with than to let it weigh on him. He couldn’t fully believe everything Grandpa had said yesterday, but he was sure of one thing—Grandpa’s concern for Dohyun had been sincere.
Ding— A rush of cool air from the AC hit him as he pushed open the arcade door with the bell. But the scene inside was different from what he had imagined.
What overwhelmed his vision first were the flickering monitors and the haze of cigarette smoke. People sat hunched over in front of the machines. It was hard to believe they were even playing games—they barely moved and just smoked heavily. Contrary to what he expected, the arcade wasn’t noisy. It was oddly quiet.
Jooyoung slowly looked around and began walking. There was a counter straight ahead, next to the hallway leading to the bathroom. Someone was sitting there with his back turned.
Just then, the person spun his chair around and froze when he saw Jooyoung.
“Oh? It’s the pawnshop guy.”
He was a man with a head of wild, curly hair and ears full of piercings—an impression hard to forget.