hotmtlnovel Chapter 99
Chapter 99
About three days had passed since Hyeseong came to his aunt’s house. Actually, for someone who had come impulsively, Hyeseong was doing quite well in terms of eating and living.
Perhaps because he strangely felt at ease, he always slept in late in the mornings, and after waking up, he ate a late breakfast that doubled as lunch with his aunt and uncle. Afterwards, he spent time with his uncle watching the news and chatting about what was going on in the world.
From time to time, men who called themselves his uncle’s best friends would come to visit, and Hyeseong would chime in with a word or two on the various conversation topics that popped up. Then the men would widen their eyes and start asking this and that, saying his uncle had raised an incredibly smart kid.
Hyeseong had just come to greet them, but he was caught in an instant. Hyeseong sat next to his uncle and soon melted into the conversation. Eventually, it even led to him counseling the men on their concerns.
“No, so I’m saying I’m trying to decide whether to keep or sell that stock.”
“That stock is a blue chip, so it wouldn’t be good to sell it right away. Just leave it for now.”
“Ah, I see. That’s right, isn’t it?”
Starting from the trendy stock market talk these days.
“When I said that, my wife got angry at me! So now we’re in a cold war.”
“Don’t they say a fight between a married couple is like cutting water with a knife? And even if you fight, you’ll be the one losing more, Uncle. You said you couldn’t even have lunch before coming today. Just lower your head and apologize.”
“That would be the best thing to do after all, right?”
To advice on marital fights. His aunt yelled at them, asking what they were doing seating a young kid, but Hyeseong was enjoying it in his own way. Being like this reminded him of the things that happened in the Taeseong office in the past.
Back then, he used to gather with black-faced uncles like this and counsel them on their concerns. Doing that often made him tired and fall asleep quickly, and when he opened his eyes, he was always leaning on that person’s shoulder.
“Hyeseong-ah, you’ll become a star in this neighborhood. A star.”
When Hyeseong received praise, his uncle’s face bloomed with joy as well.
After spending time like that, when his aunt and uncle went out to work in the fields, he followed them. They insistently told him to rest at home, but he couldn’t do that. In the end, Hyeseong had no choice but to say that he felt like he had to do something to feel less troubled.
Then the two nodded their heads reluctantly. His aunt’s fields were much larger in scale than Hyeseong’s. Hyeseong’s was just an impulsive choice to escape to the countryside, while the two had come here for the purpose of full-fledged farming, so it was natural.
Hyeseong followed his uncle around and heard various advice and know-how about farm work. There was a reason why a veteran was impressive. Hyeseong was able to learn ways to do the work he had struggled with before more easily and efficiently.
After working like that and returning, his aunt would make dinner. Today’s menu was curry. The savory aroma of curry tickled his nose. Hyeseong assisted on the side and told his aunt that the first meal he had after moving was coincidentally curry as well.
Even while doing that, he had to constantly make an effort not to think of the person he had shared that curry with. After finishing the meal, he helped his aunt cut fruit in the kitchen.
His skills weren’t very good, but he wanted to help in any way he could. As he carefully peeled an apple with a knife, he accidentally cut his index finger slightly, causing blood to flow out.
“Oh dear, I told you that you don’t have to help! Let me see, are you okay?”
“Yes. It’s just a small cut.”
Hyeseong scratched his head a bit embarrassedly. His uncle also expressed concern and told him there was ointment and bandages in the bedroom, so he should put them on before coming out.
Hyeseong pressed a tissue to stop the bleeding and opened the first-aid kit. As expected, because of his sensitive skin, the flesh around the cut quickly swelled up.
At that moment, a familiar voice suddenly touched his ears and disappeared. Hyeseong’s hand slightly paused.
“Then what’s next?”
“I checked Hyeseong hyung’s card usage history, and on the day you mentioned, he bought a ticket at the terminal.”
Terminal? So he really moved to a completely different area? Ihyeok’s expression was getting darker and darker.
“But, this ties together!”
Deok-soo quickly continued.
“You told me to also look into the location of Hyeseong hyung’s family, right? But that place is Sokcho, Gangwon-do.”
Deok-soo widened his eyes and looked at Ihyeok.
“Terminal, Sokcho...”
“What do you think? Isn’t that the most likely possibility now?”
It certainly was. With Hyeseong’s personality, he wouldn’t have gone to a completely unknown place. So Ihyeok had instructed Han Deok-soo to find out about Hyeseong’s only family’s house along with Park Dohyun, and it seemed this was the correct answer.
“Should I go and take a look?”
“No need. I’ll go, so just text me the address.”
“Okay. But nothing happened to Hyeseong hyung, right?”
Deok-soo asked worriedly while tapping on his phone. Suddenly, Ihyeok’s sharp gaze landed on him.
“No, I’m just worried! Since you said he disappeared, I thought something might have happened...”
“It’s because of me.”
“Pardon?”
“Hyeseong disappeared because of me.”
Deok-soo gulped. He had a feeling that he shouldn’t ask any further.
“Um... Hyung, should I give you a cigarette?”
Ihyeok’s expression right now was exactly like that. A face that craved a cigarette. Deok-soo smiled awkwardly and slightly shook a cigarette pack from inside his clothes.
“No need.”
Ihyeok glanced sideways and soon shook his head. Hyeseong was a sensitive kid, so he would immediately notice even if he smoked a single cigarette.
“I’ll send you the compensation separately.”
Ihyeok opened the car door.
“Oh, where are you going?”
“Sokcho.”
The car door slammed shut, and Ihyeok’s car drove out of the park like crazy.