Actually, It’s a Messy Melodrama Chapter 87

“Yes, I will. Don’t worry. Then I’ll be going!”

Haeshin, whose heart had become much lighter, greeted him spiritedly and got out of the car. The stuffy and sticky summer air of the hillside slum instantly penetrated his lungs. It was air he had been tired of for a long time while simultaneously missing for a long time.

His mother’s coldly frozen corpse, the white envelope of money she had left for him like a last will, the guilt or resentment his mother must have held alone for a long time.

Haeshin climbed the narrow and bumpy stairs one by one, quietly recalling his mother’s hell that he once had no time to think about because his own life was too overwhelming.

In this cycle, Haeshin had hesitated a lot before coming to see his mother. If he could avoid it, he wanted to. If not for his mother’s illness, he actually would have avoided it for much longer.

But once he arrived here and climbed the stairs one by one, his heart strangely became more at ease and motivation gradually welled up.

There was only one reason Haeshin stood here. He wanted to protect his mother. He wanted to pull his mother, who had lived in hell as long as he had, toward life rather than death, toward hope rather than despair.

Cha Haeshin, who had been swept up in a terrible fate and had no capacity to even look after his mother, was finally trying to save someone else’s life instead of his own.

Because Han Taejun had given him hope, because he had poured unconditional support and affection on him, Haeshin finally gained the strength to see and care for life more long-term and broadly.

When his thoughts reached that point, hesitation and fear were pushed far away like a lie, and fighting spirit and courage filled their place. And finally, when he stepped on the last stair and stood at the top, his phone vibrated in his pocket as if by magic.

A smile appeared on Haeshin’s lips. Even without checking, he could tell who had called. As expected, the caller was Han Taejun, who had asked worriedly this morning if it would be okay even if he didn’t go together, the source of Cha Haeshin’s courage and hope.

“Mr. President. I’m in front of the house right now.”

—Mm, are you okay?

Genuine concern could be felt in Taejun’s voice asking carefully. The emotion contained in that voice slowly embraced Haeshin’s heart. A smile appeared on Haeshin’s lips.

“Yes! Thanks to Mr. President, I’m really okay!”

—What’s with the sudden flattery?

“There’s a reason for it.”

—Really.

Haeshin laughed along as he could feel the laughter in Taejun’s voice answering as if absurd. Taejun’s warm voice settled where the laughter had passed.

—Have a good conversation with your mother.

A kind of gentleness Haeshin had never experienced caressed his heart like spring sunlight.

“……Yes.”

—Don’t be nervous, and don’t be scared either. Whatever happens, I’ll solve everything for you.

“Okay. I’ll only trust Mr. President.”

—Yeah. Only trust me.

To strangers’ eyes, it might seem unnecessary to be this solemn about just having a conversation with his mother when it wasn’t even Jin Youngmin, but Han Taejun knew.

That in some ways, facing his mother was more difficult and harder for Haeshin than facing Jin Youngmin.

“I’ll see you at home later.”

—Okay. See you later.

Haeshin finished the call with Taejun and raised his gaze to look at the old and crooked gate. He was no longer afraid to cross this gate and meet his mother.

☂️

“Then I’ll come pick you up on the day you go to the hospital. If you need anything else, tell me. Got it?”

“Okay. Stop worrying about mom and take care of yourself first.”

Haeshin’s mother, Yu Seonghui, who had come out to the gate to see her son off, waved her hands at her son’s continuous worries. It felt shameless to receive even her son’s concern after he had scheduled a checkup for a mother who had never properly done anything for him in her life.

“I’m taking good care of myself already.”

Haeshin answered spiritedly and smiled. His mother’s terrible last appearance still flickered before his eyes, but it was okay. Haeshin had already moved past that past.

“But Haeshin.”

The moment Haeshin crossed the gate and turned around to say his final goodbye, Seonghui opened her mouth in a small voice.

“Yeah?”

“Um…… is it okay for you to stay at your friend’s house where you are now?”

What was that one question, Seonghui asked so very carefully. Haeshin bit down hard. He felt he knew all too well what was making his mother shrink before him.

His mother, who had been crushed under enormous guilt for so long, clearly felt that even daring to worry about her son was sinful.

Then Haeshin’s eyes saw his mother’s hands. His mother’s hands, much older and more wrinkled than her age, were trembling slightly. Had his mother been trembling like a sinner like this every time she faced her son, every time she worried about him?

When his thoughts reached that point, Haeshin’s emotions suddenly surged and he unconsciously reached out toward his mother.

“Ah……!”

Surprised Seonghui let out a small exclamation. She hadn’t expected at all that Haeshin would reach out to hold her hand. She couldn’t even remember when she had last held her son’s hand.

Haeshin was just as flustered. It was an action he had always wanted to do but had never attempted before. What was surprising was that even while being startled himself, he didn’t want to let go of that hand.

His mother’s hand was much smaller and rougher than it looked. He recalled his mother’s days when she was younger and more delicate than now, when she had to endure the violence of a demon-like husband while pregnant with a child.

The woman who must have used all her strength to protect the fragile life not yet born might have had no strength left to run away or to fight fiercely anymore.

“Mom, you really don’t need to worry about me anymore. Look at my face. I’m happy these days.”

“……”

“I was lucky enough to get a really good job, and the friend helping me now is also a really good person.”

Seonghui reflexively tried to pull her hand away. However, Haeshin did not let go of that hand. I should have held mom’s hand once, I should have told her it was okay, I should have approached mom first—crying with such regrets once was enough.

“My life is getting better and better. So mom, I want you to be that way too now.”

“Haeshin……”

“We don’t need to keep being unhappy in the future because of a bastard who was neither like a father nor like a husband.”

Her vision kept blurring, so Seonghui blinked her eyes rapidly. Because her son’s face, which she was properly facing for the first time in so long, was shining brighter than ever before, Seonghui felt like her long-blocked airways were opening up.

“Treat me better from now on. Like a mother. Worry about me, nag at me, and suggest we go eat delicious food together. Okay?”

“How can I, how can I……”

“I’ll be more like a son too. I’ll whine for you to make delicious food, and I’ll cause trouble too.”

Haeshin felt his mother’s hand, which had kept trying to pull away, squeeze his hand tightly with strength for the first time. That strength slowly pushed away the curse that had long stained Haeshin’s soul.

The curse left by the man who had destroyed their lives under the name of father.

Without even recognizing the tears flowing down his cheeks, Haeshin smiled brightly and said.

“Mom, let’s not be that piece of trash’s victims anymore…… let’s just live as an ordinary mom and son.”

That day, Yu Seonghui, who had wandered the world like a ghost, burst into tears in front of her son. Like a living human being.

☂️

“Ah, really……”

Haeshin, who was coming down the stairs constantly wiping away tears that wouldn’t stop no matter what was broken, pouted his lips at the familiar figure visible at the end of the stairs in the distance.

His vision was blurred from tears, but he could recognize that person—Han Taejun, who must have skipped work at this hour and rushed all the way to this hillside slum for him.

The sound of Haeshin’s footsteps kicking off the stairs became faster and faster. His heart beat faster and more violently in sync.

From the moment he exchanged a long goodbye with his mother and left the house, he had missed Han Taejun so much. He wanted to share with him the sense of liberation he was feeling now.

There were still many things left to resolve with his mother, but just from the conversation they had today, Haeshin felt like he had thrown off one of the chains that had bound his soul.

It was something he couldn’t have even attempted without Han Taejun, an effort that would have ultimately failed. For the very person who made this miraculous thing possible to appear right before his eyes just now. Haeshin couldn’t contain his overflowing emotions.

“Hey! Be careful!”

When Haeshin ran down too quickly, Taejun was horrified and contorted his expression. What other person in the world would treat Cha Haeshin’s pain as their own like this?

“Mr. President!”

Haeshin was so happy about it that whether Taejun was horrified or not, he ran all the way down to the bottom of the stairs in one breath. Taejun’s arms naturally opened wide toward Haeshin who wasn’t stopping, and Haeshin soon forcefully kicked off the last stair and leaped into Taejun’s embrace.

“You really have no fear……!!”

Taejun raised his voice while tensing his whole body and caught Haeshin’s body as it was practically flying. He naturally stepped back a couple of steps in case Haeshin might get shocked, while pulling Haeshin’s body tightly into his arms with both hands.

Their hot body temperatures tangled together as one, and Haeshin’s hot breath rushed against Taejun’s nape. Their two hearts touching each other beat violently.