WWBU - 94

In the end, Hyun-soo covered her face with both hands and burst into tears. Even though she bit her lip and tried to hold it in, the sobs kept erupting, and she couldn’t stop them.

Guk, who had been watching Hyun-soo cry, got up from his seat. He approached Hyun-soo, reaching out a hand to pat her shoulder, but then stopped. He felt he couldn’t bring himself to touch her right now.

“Hyun-soo-yah.”

Calling her name once more, he took a long breath as if making a decision. Then, without hesitation, he knelt down on the floor beside the table.

“What are you doing? Get up quickly...!”

At the silent movement, Hyun-soo, who had turned her head, felt her heart plummet to her feet. It was Yoon Guk, none other than him, kneeling down in front of her.

“I’ll beg for your forgiveness once more. I’m sorry, Kim Hyun-soo.”

“Don’t do this. First, get up and let’s talk. I don’t like this.”

“I’m sorry, sincerely.”

Hyun-soo couldn’t bear it any longer and abruptly stood up. Covering her mouth with her hand, she breathed unsteadily, not knowing what to do.

“If you need an excuse, I’ll give you one.”

“......”

“This all happened because I’m a horny bastard. You know that.”

“Stop it.”

“I did it because I liked you. Because I loved you.”

“I said stop it!”

Unable to endure it any longer, Hyun-soo picked up a water glass. Just as she was about to pour it on Guk, who was still kneeling, she finally suppressed her emotions at the last moment and put the glass back down. Thunk, the glass hit the table hard, and water splashed everywhere. Hyun-soo’s hand was soaking wet.

“The world is meaningless without you, so I couldn’t let you go. That’s all.”

“Stop making excuses...”

“But I don’t regret it.”

“What...?”

“Despite all those things, I absolutely don’t regret meeting you.”

“......”

“The moment I first saw you in your living room, I knew. Ah, maybe she’s going to completely shake me up. Then what should I do?”

“......”

“What else? I have no choice but to be shaken up and go crazy with you.”

Even though he was kneeling and looking up at her, his gaze and intensity were so fierce that it felt like he had his hands around her neck. How could he be like this?

“You don’t seem to be in your right mind right now. Let’s talk again later...”

“No. I’m more lucid than ever, Kim Hyun-soo.”

“I said let’s talk again later!”

“Should I say it again? Even if I had to trade your life or my mother’s life to have you, I wouldn’t regret it.”

Slap. Hyun-soo slapped Guk’s cheek with all her might.

Guk, whose head had turned, slowly looked back at Hyun-soo. Contrary to her expectation that he would be angry, his face looked somehow sad. As if tears would fall from his eyes at any moment if pricked.

“So, Hyun-soo-yah.”

At his slightly trembling voice, Hyun-soo bit her lip.

“Let’s go with me.”

“......”

“Let’s stay together, please.”

Please, just that one phrase. More than any hundred words, Hyun-soo’s heart crumbled at that one phrase. She still didn’t understand him and believed there was an unbreakable wall between them, but despite that.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“I love you.”

“......”

“I love you, Hyun-soo-yah.”

Holding a knife that might slit her throat, yet saying he wanted to be by her side, Hyun-soo felt she had no way to deal with this pitiful beast. She couldn’t pull him closer, nor could she push him away. She had no choice but to face whatever came her way.

Her legs gave out, and she stumbled backward as if about to fall, but she tripped over a chair and sat down again. Then her eye level roughly matched Guk’s.

“I don’t know anymore either...”

At Hyun-soo’s whisper, Guk reached out his hand towards her.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

At Hyun-soo’s farewell, her fellow teachers in the staff lounge looked regretful.

“Hyun-soo Teacher, you’ve worked so hard too.”

“What did I do? The teachers who helped me worked much harder.”

“It’s a shame the kids couldn’t say goodbye, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is...”

This time, Hyun-soo couldn’t hide her somewhat bitter expression. These were children she had grown very fond of, and now she had to leave without even saying goodbye. It pained her heart.

“It’s not like today’s the only day. You can always come visit again later.”

“That’s right. Come visit Ideok when you have time, Teacher.”

Unless she made a deliberate effort to visit, there would be no reason to accidentally stop by Ideok, which was a rural area even among the countryside. But Hyun-soo nodded in agreement. Once Wan got better, she planned to definitely come back and say hello to the children.

“I really should go now.”

“Go carefully. Take good care of your health.”

“You too, teachers. I’ll definitely come visit next time.”

“Okay. We’ll be waiting.”

After exchanging final greetings and hugs, Hyun-soo left the academy carrying boxes filled with her belongings.

Bright sunlight was dazzling as she emerged from the simple two-story building. At the same time, a cool breeze that blew past gently fluttered her hair and the hem of her skirt.

After briefly looking around and taking in the scenery, Hyun-soo finally started walking towards the parking lot. It was then.

“Teacher! Hyun-soo Teacher!”

As she was walking across the parking lot, someone called out to her from behind, stopping her in her tracks.

“Teacher Ho-seok?”

Turning around, it was none other than Ho-seok. He came running, his tie fluttering wildly, and finally stopped in front of Hyun-soo, panting.

“What’s wrong? Why were you running like that...?”

“No, huh... just, huuh, I thought you’d left, huh...”

“Catch your breath first.”

“Yes, I will.”

Ho-seok took several deep breaths in front of Hyun-soo. Then, as if he had finally calmed down, he smiled again.

“It’s nothing much. It’s just this...”

Ho-seok scratched the back of his head and held something out. In his hand was a small rectangular box.

“What is this?”

“It’s a baby bracelet. The teachers and I pooled our money to make it.”

“Excuse me?”

“If it’s your son, Teacher, that makes him like a nephew to us, but we felt like we hadn’t done anything properly for him.”

Hyun-soo couldn’t speak and just stared blankly at the box. A lump formed in her chest, and it felt like tears would flow at any moment.

“Please give this to your son. And please take care of yourself, Teacher.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much, Teacher.”

Hyun-soo barely managed to speak, her voice cracking and trembling. Choosing to leave with a smile rather than tears, she looked at Ho-seok and smiled brightly.

“Wan will really like it. I’m sure of it.”

Ho-seok smiled back at her at her smile.

“Hyun-soo Teacher.”

“Yes?”

“Please live happily.”

“......I will.”

“Goodbye. Don’t forget Ideok.”

How could she forget? It was the home that had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go, and it was Wan’s hometown.

Hyun-soo nodded and accepted the box. The two, who had bowed in greeting, finally turned their backs to each other.

Now, Hyun-soo’s steps were directed to only one place, the place where ‘he’ was.

She saw a sleek black car parked ahead. The car, which had been running for some time, slowly began to move with a subdued hum, as if saying, “I’ll leave before you come.”

The approaching car stopped in front of her. Hyun-soo stood facing it.

Looking back at the academy one more time, she got into the car without any further lingering feelings.

It was a truly beautiful village with vast fields. Even the sound of dogs barking for no reason now and then felt warm and familiar.

Hyun-soo paused in front of the gate for a moment, looking around. She wanted to capture as much of this atmosphere and scenery in her heart as possible.

“Do you want to stay a little longer?”

At Guk’s question as he approached, Hyun-soo shook her head. If she kept hesitating, today’s departure would become tomorrow’s, tomorrow’s business would become the day after... she felt like she would want to postpone it forever.

“No. Let’s go.”

Hyun-soo, who had given a faint smile, started walking towards the car first. Guk followed right behind her.

“We’ll be departing now.”

Young-hoon said as the two of them settled in the back seat with Wan. Guk nodded. Now, the car heading for Seoul moved smoothly forward without any delay.

Hyun-soo’s feelings were inwardly complicated. How could they not be? But they were a little more so than she had expected.

Hyun-soo, who had let Wan grip her finger, stared blankly out the window. As they sped along the narrow road with no buildings, it felt like they were flying in the middle of a field.

“Here.”

At Guk’s firm and low voice, Hyun-soo turned her head. He was holding something out to her. It was exactly what they had already promised.

“Thank you.”

What Hyun-soo carefully accepted was none other than the card key to the house.

“It couldn’t have been easy for you to accept my decision.”

“Taking things slowly isn’t so bad either.”

At his smiling face, Hyun-soo also let out a sigh of relief.

The two had not divorced. Instead, Hyun-soo and Wan would live in the home Guk had prepared, not in the main family residence.

Guk was promised that he could visit them whenever he wanted. In fact, since Guk desired Hyun-soo every minute and every second, it could be said that the three of them would be living together.

However, rather than thinking, “I’m getting married again,” Hyun-soo chose to “slowly get to know him again.” This was because she realized that compared to how much Guk had come to know her, there were many things she didn’t know about him. So, perhaps she had decided to make up for the loneliness he might have felt by spending time together now.

The thick fog that had blanketed the rural village that morning seemed to have completely melted away in the sunlight. As if a drawn curtain had been lifted, there was nothing blocking their way forward.

“Hyun-soo-yah. Kim Hyun-soo.”

“Huh?”

“Thank you.”

“For what......”

“I love you.”

“......”

“I’m always loving you.”

He said again the words she had thought were meant to change her mind. I love you, I am loving you.

A smile slowly spread across Hyun-soo’s face as she looked at Guk. Seeing that smile, Guk also smiled gently and stroked her cheek.

Wan had already fallen sound asleep.

In the meantime, the car had completely entered a road from which it would be difficult to retreat.

The two set off on a road they would have to travel for a very long time to see the end.