Love Born of Pity Chapter 16

Eunsol pointed to a scab on the back of her white hand, comforting Kwon Jiho by saying she’d also been bitten by a dog. Kwon Jiho, pretending the injury was a dog bite and hiding his hand behind his back, asked her if she’d been doing well. Smiling at the noisy chatter of the children, all eager to answer, Kwon Jiho handed out the snacks he had prepared.

Only after ushering the children into the practice room one by one could Kwon Jiho finally take a breath. He briefly pulled down his mask, pressed the back of his hand against his hot cheek, and lowered the air conditioner’s temperature.

Despite the constant cool air, he felt feverish. The tightness around his neck was suffocating, so he kept pulling at his turtleneck with his fingers. The skin around the bandage covering his neck and jaw itched.

Still, he didn’t touch it. He felt like Kwon Heeyeon, whom he was meeting later that night, would ask what it was if it became redder. He wished Kwon Heeyeon, his younger brother, didn’t know about his relationship with Do Yeonjae. He was terrified his brother would find out. He knew it was wrong, just as Kang Gyumin had said when he’d visited.

His clear face darkened in an instant. Kwon Jiho’s expression hardened, and he dropped his hand from where it had been hovering over the bandage.

“…Ha.”

Thoughts tangled in his mind. At the time, there had been no other way, but would Kwon Heeyeon understand his choice? Kwon Jiho, sitting there with a pale face, stood up out of habit. He pulled his mask back up, covering his lower face.

He checked on each of the children practicing piano, playing the keys with those who asked for help, but his mind remained clouded.

“Let’s play it through just one more time.”

“Okay.”

He stroked the head of the child who was dangling their legs and drawing out the last syllable of their words, then stepped outside. Wiping down the neatly organized table, Kwon Jiho tried to calm his churning emotions. He hadn’t been caught yet, and he reminded himself that ending the relationship wasn’t his decision to make.

As long as Kwon Heeyeon didn’t know, wouldn’t that be enough? From his perspective, he didn’t have the time to worry about Do Yeonjae’s fiancé. His uncle had just visited, demanding money, which only added to his anxiety. What if he found out Kwon Heeyeon had woken up and went to see him?

As Kwon Jiho anxiously paced the hall, he was startled by the sudden ringing of the wind chimes and turned his head.

“Hello!”

“…Oh. Hello.”

It was Eunsol’s guardian. He entered with a slightly flushed face.

“The time… Eunsol’s lesson isn’t over yet. Did you come early?”

“No, no. I was just passing by. It’s incredibly hot today.”

He casually talked about the weather while observing Kwon Jiho. He asked with concern if Kwon Jiho was alright, seeing him covered up so thoroughly despite the heat.

“You have a cold? That’s the problem with summer. Air conditioning sickness.”

“Ah, yes. I guess…”

“You should take your medicine properly.”

Kwon Jiho awkwardly nodded. He started to lead the man towards the practice room, assuming he wanted to see his child, but the man waved his hands and backed away.

“No, no. I didn’t come to see Eunsol.”

“Then…”

“It’s so hot, I thought you could have this… Though, if I’d known you had a cold, I would have bought something warm.”

“Huh?”

The hand offering the drink trembled. The clinking of ice and the man’s flushed face made Kwon Jiho burst into laughter without realizing it.

“Ah, that was really out of the blue, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, a little…”

“Eunsol was so excited to finally come to the academy today… I’m happy too…”

He scratched the back of his head, muttering to himself, then erased the awkward smile from his face.

“Actually, Eunsol is just an excuse. I just… came to see you.”

“…Huh?”

“I’ve been worried. I was wondering if you were okay, Jiho… It’s embarrassing to use Eunsol as an excuse, but I’m also grateful I have one.”

The strange shift in atmosphere made Kwon Jiho’s expression stiffen. The man pulled out a business card he had prepared.

“I’m Lim Seonghun. I gave you one before, but I figured you’d have forgotten my name.”

“…”

“If you have time later—”

Just then, Kwon Jiho’s phone rang loudly. The awkward atmosphere shattered instantly.

“Ah, just a moment.”

“Yes, yes. Please answer.”

Lim Seonghun scratched the back of his head and gave a good-natured smile. Kwon Jiho excused himself and went into the consultation room, while Lim Seonghun, left alone, looked around the academy and then stood in front of Eunsol’s practice room, peering through the glass window.

As Kwon Jiho watched him making funny faces and joking with Eunsol, he checked his phone screen. It was a call from the man who rarely contacted him. His hesitant hand pressed the green button and he put the phone to his ear.

“Yes, Director.”

—What are you doing?

“…Excuse me?”

—I asked what you’re doing.

At the curt tone, Kwon Jiho glanced outside the door.

“I’m, I’m at the academy.”

—Like I wouldn’t know that.

“…I was supervising practice.”

—Ah.

“Why are you calling?”

At the quiet question, Do Yeonjae let out a hollow laugh over the phone. Something about the almost irritable sound made Kwon Jiho feel uneasy. His unusually large eyes darted towards the door again. He made brief eye contact with Lim Seonghun, who was looking at him with concern, and quickly lowered his gaze.

—Alone?

“Huh?”

—Are you alone? Besides the kids.

“Of course…”

Kwon Jiho unconsciously muttered a lie. He said he was alone. He was hesitant to tell Do Yeonjae that a parent had visited. Even that day, Do Yeonjae hadn’t reacted well when Lim Seonghun had called him by his first name.

Remembering the particularly difficult night, compounded by the rut, he knew telling the truth about someone else being present wouldn’t benefit him. Figuring Do Yeonjae wouldn’t know unless he said something, Kwon Jiho kept his mouth shut.

—I see. Mr. Kwon Jiho, I suddenly wondered what you were doing at this hour.

“…”

—You must be working hard teaching those kids. How much can you even earn doing that? It’s not even enough to cover the interest payments. Should we just close it down?

“…What? Why suddenly…”

—It’s not worth the effort, is it? And those kids are a handful.

At the low voice, Kwon Jiho shook his head, denying it. Being at the academy was much better than just waiting for Do Yeonjae at home. He could pay off a little more of his debt, and he enjoyed seeing the children. And he could still play the piano, even if it was just like this. Of course, since he was only taking a few students, he wasn’t making enough to satisfy Do Yeonjae…

“I, I can take more students…”

—What?

“I’ll try to get more students. I want to keep running the academy, Director. I can play the piano, and I like the kids. They’re not a bother at all… They’re not a handful. I’m really okay…”

—Is the real reason because you like the piano?

At the accusatory question, Kwon Jiho nodded vigorously. His anxious gaze wandered, then landed on Lim Seonghun, who was standing outside the consultation room, looking at him with concern.

—Mr. Kwon Jiho.

“…Yes?”

—If it’s for any other reason, you’re dead.

The low voice sent a chill down his spine. He was about to answer, to say it was the truth, when the call ended. With a dazed expression, Kwon Jiho clutched his phone and pressed his hand against his rapidly beating heart. He didn’t understand why Do Yeonjae had suddenly said those things. A wave of anxiety made his hands tremble.

Noticing the call had ended, Lim Seonghun knocked on the consultation room door. He gestured with his fingers as if asking if he could come in, but Kwon Jiho shook his head and went out to him.

“I’m sorry. The call went on longer than I expected.”

“I took up too much of your time when you’re busy. I should probably get going now.”

“Have a safe trip.”

“Oh, that’s not coffee, it’s iced tea. I thought you didn’t like coffee. Am I right?”

Kwon Jiho vaguely nodded at Lim Seonghun’s casual question about his drink preference. He was in no state to continue the conversation.

His mind was filled with Do Yeonjae. There had to be a reason why he’d suddenly said those things. Unless Do Yeonjae told him, he would always struggle to find the answers.

“Are you alright? Is something wrong?”

“No, no. I’m fine. I’ll enjoy this. But you really don’t have to bring anything next time.”

“…”

“Actually, I don’t really like sweet drinks. You can just visit without bringing anything. It’s okay.”

Lim Seonghun’s face brightened, perhaps misinterpreting Kwon Jiho’s words. He stared at Kwon Jiho with a flushed face, then nodded.

“I will.”

“I’ll see you this evening, then.”

“Yes, you don’t have to come out. I’ll see you later.”

Lim Seonghun bowed his head repeatedly, so Kwon Jiho had to bow several times as well until he left the academy. Once Lim Seonghun was finally gone, he finished the individual lessons and gathered the children to work on music theory. His anxious gaze kept glancing at the clock.