Love Born of Pity Chapter 109

Having been all but kicked out of the main house, Do Yeonjae was bothered by the thought that he had shown Kwon Jiho a truly pathetic side of himself. Of all places to have it happen. Even after getting into the driver’s seat, the situation from just a moment ago kept replaying in his mind, making it difficult for him to leave.

“Hah… Shit.”

He had made a fool of himself in front of Kwon Jiho. Would it have been better not to have come? Still, it was good to see him.

He was plagued by conflicting emotions for a long while. Just as he was thinking, I should go now, I should go, and had remained there for several more dozens of minutes, the main gate suddenly opened.

He didn’t expect Kwon Jiho to come out anyway, so he checked who it was without any real anticipation. The person who had stopped on the landing and was gesturing to him was none other than his grandfather. Puzzled, he got out of the car and stood before him, and a face that was serious but full of annoyance looked down at Do Yeonjae.

“Why did you come out?”

“…”

“Now that you’ve seen me today, I won’t be sneaking in anymore. I’ll wait for you to contact me.”

“…You should consider yourself lucky.”

Do Seungtae, who had been pointing an accusatory finger at Do Yeonjae, let out a deep sigh. He muttered that he didn’t know what was so special about this punk to make him want to see him so soon, and told him to come back tomorrow.

“Tomorrow…”

“That’s right, you punk. Come tomorrow, tomorrow. Come when the day breaks.”

“Can I come see him in the morning?”

“Come whenever you want, whenever.”

Shaking his head back and forth, Do Seungtae repeatedly thumped his chest as if he were frustrated. Only Do Yeonjae smiled foolishly in front of him. He was happier that he wouldn’t have to sneak in than he was about being able to enter through the main gate.

Do Seungtae was still constantly thinking, was this decision really the right one? He couldn’t stop the boy since he said he wanted to meet him, but his first thought was a worry about what he would do if he got hurt again. He had cried and agonized for so long, yet his grandson was just acting immaturely. Maybe he should have told him to think about it a little longer. He was displeased that he seemed to be agreeing to meet him too easily.

That punk Yeonjae needs to suffer a little more, too. Compared to Kwon Jiho, his grandson had lived a life that was too easy and smooth, without a single worry. Even if one doesn’t experience tumultuous waves in life, a certain amount of ups and downs is necessary, and that boy Jiho had been in the middle of creating those ups and downs before stopping.

“Tsk.”

He clicked his tongue at Do Yeonjae’s face. No matter how much blood is thicker than water, Kwon Jiho was just too good for him, it was absurd. As he mulled over his dissatisfaction, the conversation he had with Kwon Jiho suddenly came to mind.

“By the way, I hear you have Jiho’s younger sibling with you. Heeyeon, was it? That kid, I mean. Jiho is worried, so bring him over sometime.”

Hearing a name that should not have been spoken come from Do Seungtae, who had been glaring at him intermittently, Do Yeonjae’s expression instantly stiffened. His bewilderment was brief, and he obediently nodded his head. He had planned to just let him make a few phone calls and be done with it, but his plans had gone awry. A surge of irritation shot through him, but he could not express it outwardly.

He thought he would have to visit Kwon Heeyeon soon and warn him sternly not to say anything foolish. Perhaps having him pester to be sent abroad in person would be a better method than a phone call. If Kwon Jiho saw him in person demanding an absurd amount of money and to study abroad, maybe his affection for him would wane, even just a little.

“I’ll do that.”

“He should greet us, too. We’ll be family soon, so there’s no harm in getting to know him beforehand.”

“He’s still young. And a bit different from Jiho. He’s immature.”

And has no manners. In any case, he was sure they would feel that part for themselves once they met Kwon Heeyeon, so he didn’t bother to say it. Do Yeonjae checked his wrist and told him he should go back inside.

“I was about to go in anyway.”

“I’d like to sleep over, but I’m leaving because I don’t think anyone would welcome me.”

“I’m glad you know that much. Now go. We plan to eat breakfast at 8.”

“I’ll be here by 9. Please go on inside.”

For once, he directly stated that he wouldn’t be coming for breakfast. Was he trying to become a better person, had his spirit been broken, or had he matured? Do Seungtae’s eyes narrowed. He stared intently at Do Yeonjae, then let out a long sigh and turned around.

“They say it will be cold tomorrow.”

“You be careful not to catch a cold too, Grandfather.”

Do Yeonjae stood guard in front of the gate until his grandfather’s back, climbing the landing, had disappeared, then turned away belatedly. His mood, which had hit rock bottom at the thought of showing such an unsightly side of himself, soared to不知何處的天高.

What should he talk about? Should he buy flowers? Did he like flowers? What did he like? He was frustrated that he didn’t know what Kwon Jiho liked besides the piano. It wasn’t like he could carry a piano with him first thing in the morning.

“Hah.”

It was a shame that he had never asked before when he had all the time in the world. Separate from his excitement, the thought that he was facing an opportunity to start anew with Kwon Jiho made his heart pound so loudly and quickly it felt like it was ringing in his ears.

Tonight, he wouldn’t get any sleep.

♬⋆.˚

The house, which he visited late, felt as if no one had come and gone for a long time, even though it was being consistently maintained. It was empty and somehow chilly. Do Yeonjae pictured Kwon Jiho’s withering form in various spots around the house, then shook his head.

The past had already flowed by. Memories are bound to fade. If he sincerely apologized for his wrongdoings and spent his whole life repenting and making it up to Kwon Jiho by his side…

“Shit, that’s too shameless.”

Do Yeonjae moved his hand to cover his eyes, then took it away. This was why he hated coming here. He kept remembering only the times he had hurt Kwon Jiho. He had a bitter taste in his mouth.

With a hardened expression, he packed the tea Kwon Jiho used to drink and the bottled water he used for brushing his teeth. He couldn’t bring himself to muster the courage to go into the bedroom, so he turned right around. On his way back to the residential hotel, he asked Chief Kim to bring him only the shampoo and body wash he used at home.

The memories he had pretended not to know and buried became vivid. His thoughts flowed from I must keep Kwon Jiho by my side no matter what, to What is the reason I must hold onto Kwon Jiho to this extent?

“…But what can I do when I still like him?”

No matter how much he thought about it, only a plethora of reasons why he couldn’t let Kwon Jiho go came to mind.

As expected, Do Yeonjae couldn’t sleep a wink all night. It was because Kwon Jiho’s image flickered before him even when he closed his eyes. And why was the night so long? As soon as the sky began to turn a pale blue, he washed himself for an unusually long time.

Despite having agonized over it all night, his heart had ultimately leaned toward staying by Kwon Jiho’s side. Do Yeonjae, with dripping wet hair and a hollow look on his face, stared into the mirror and squeezed his eyes shut. He would cover the past, which had already gone by, with the present and the future.

“I just have to start over.”

The thought of drying his wet hair didn’t occur to him. Nor did the thought of applying anything. It was because all the hair products he used were scented, which made him reluctant. He roughly towel-dried his hair and fiddled with his phone. He ordered a bouquet of flowers with a scent that wasn’t too strong from a flower shop that offered early morning pickup.

“I wonder if flowers will be okay.”

He had said he could tolerate scents that weren’t artificial, so he could only hope that was still the case. Thinking of Kwon Jiho, who was sensitive to smells, he checked the time. It felt like an hour had passed in a flash, but only a few minutes had gone by.

Do Yeonjae waited for the time to go see Kwon Jiho to arrive. He got fully dressed, left the bedroom, and checked the road conditions from the hotel window. In his mind, he mapped out the fastest route to the main house.

And then, 40 minutes before 8 o’clock, the time they said they would have breakfast, he couldn’t wait any longer and left the house.

It took less than 30 minutes to pick up the bouquet for Kwon Jiho and arrive at the main house. As Do Yeonjae got out of the car after parking under the wall, a spot that had become familiar from his frequent recent visits, he ran into his father’s executive assistant waiting for him.

“Good morning.”

“Hello, you’re hard at work so early.”

He exchanged a light greeting with him and pressed the doorbell. Not too rushed, not too leisurely. He pressed it once more before the sound of the doorbell faded, and the main gate opened.

“Drive safe.”

For a change, Do Yeonjae initiated the farewell. The assistant looked surprised for a moment before a gentle smile spread across his face as he gave a slight bow.

“Yes, thank you. The flowers are lovely. I’m sure the person receiving them will be very happy.”

Leaving the words “have a good day” behind him, Do Yeonjae climbed the stairs leading to the main building. Then, he immediately changed direction and headed for the annex where Kwon Jiho would be sleeping. I wonder if he’s awake. Unlike the worries that had weighed heavily on his mind all night, his footsteps were light. It would be nice if I could take him out, even for a little while. If he says he doesn’t want to go, there’s nothing I can do.

Do Yeonjae completely erased the worries he’d had all night. They were things that would become futile the moment he stood before Kwon Jiho anyway. Even if he had made up his mind to let him go, it was obvious he would have reversed his decision the instant he saw him.