Bye-Bye

Translated by Springlila

Edited by Springlila

“I adopted them when I was in elementary school. Aren’t they cute? Their names are yachae and chaeso. The big one is yachae. Should I bring him? Do you want to pet them?”

“No, let them play.”

Come to think of it, I think their photos were sometimes uploaded on Sung-hyun’s SNS. I’ll go home later and take a look.

We talked a lot while eating Japanese sweets.

Sung-hyun said his mother graduated from physical education after his father graduated from business administration. His father was the one who proposed.  Sung-hyun recently purchased a home close to the university. His father was disappointed that he only ate out with his family 13 times last year, and his mother asked Choi Sung-hoon to respond occasionally.

He even blew out about our good night call every day before I fell asleep. I was worried that I might have ruined the image of a lone beast in the family, but there was no sign of anger from Choi Sung-hoon, who sat silently next to me.

Choi Sung-hoon’s parents rarely asked me about my personal life. Except for Choi Sung-hoon… As for my family, they didn’t even ask a simple question about whether he had seen my parents even though it was a holiday.

After a few hours, the housekeeper asked as to whether she could prepare a meal. However, the Japanese sweets made me feel full, and the smell of rice made me nauseated. His mother then responded that she should prepare it right away. If I can’t eat it, I’ll have to ask for help from Choi Sung-hoon.

“Oh, Kim Jung-hee. Please bring me some German bacon. I need to feed Seo-yu because he is so thin.”

“Oh… Thank you very much.”

I thanked mother for taking care of me, but I doubted if I could eat it.

People rushed out from somewhere when the helper, Kim Jeong-hee, said, “I will prepare a meal.” There were two of them and both dressed in aprons. There had to be three housekeepers in total.

“Mom, did you buy bacon? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Did you have time to talk with me when I came in yesterday? Germany is great. I should go again in the summer.”

“What?”

His father jumped to his feet and exclaimed, “What?” He looked like a bear standing alone, with a rough appearance and a rugged body.

“Where else are you going? No more going abroad.”

“Then I’ll go around Asia, not Germany.”

“But I can’t wait any longer. I miss you so much and I want to hear your voice.”

“You do video calls all the time. You’re overreacting, just sit down.”

“Mom… Why did you say that? Dad is going to cry again.”

Sung-hyun stopped her late because his father was already crying.

Is it a sitcom?

Choi Sung-hoon wrapped his arm around my shoulder as I stared there with my mouth open and whispered.

“That’s why I left home early.”

“Yes…”

I nodded.

“I decide where and when I’m going.”

“We are a couple. You have to respect my opinion.”

“That’s why you put up with it for ten years until last year. I write a travel column…”

It was a sitcom with a twist.

“You can’t go! Take me if you want to go. I don’t know anymore. I’m full!”

His father ended up lying down in the living room. Mother raised her glasses and opened her mouth as she looked at her pathetic husband, who was lying with his arms crossed and a body the size of a house.

“Choi Sung-hyun. Bring a knife.”

“Huh?”

“Bring it to me quickly so she can’t leave me again. Look at me! If I am hospitalized, you won’t be able to leave! Bring it quickly. That’s just… ”

I sat next to Choi Sung-hoon and watched while eating virtual popcorn. Sung-hyun rolled his eyes as his mother stood up and said she would bring the knife with her own hands. At the same time, Choi Sung-hoon and I both stood up.

I thought he was trying to stop them, but Choi Sung-hoon grabbed my hand and led me into the living room. He showed me the stairs and took me up there.

“It’s noisy, can you come in for a while? The room on the right is my old room.”

“Yes, I’ll be inside. Please tell me the ending later.”

“…Yes, I understand.”

I was curious about the ending of the sitcom, but I also wondered about Choi Sung-hoon’s old room.

I went up the stairs while listening to his father’s screeching and carefully opened the door.

“…”

It was disappointing…

It seems that the furniture was removed after Choi Sung-hoon left. There was only one bed and an empty desk in the room.

I sat on the bed.

It seems to be well-kept because there was no dust.

Outside the window, white snow-covered branches could be seen.

Choi Sung-hoon grew up here.

In a home with friendly and open parents and a charming younger brother, with a view of the garden from the window.

He must have lived a harmonious life since he was a child.

I think he would have thought it was distracting when he had to study. Distracted… I think he’ll be shy to see others.

He must have suffered a bit because he was alone with such a reticent personality.

The older brother was always cool and cold, so maybe that’s why the younger brother was more lively.

The father and eldest brother addressed their mother formally, while the youngest son addressed her informally.

“…”

No… It was not weird.

It was due to the fact that the youngest son was so adorable. Because she loves the younger son who has a big age gap with the eldest.

An older brother who protects his younger brother from being scolded by his parents

I had one as well.

I also had a family like that.

I smiled sadly and at the same time felt a warm feeling on my cheeks.

It was tears.

Ever since I lost my family… I’ve never shed anything other than physiological tears… I cried during my first relationship, but it was only for a short time.

But now I can’t contain my tears.

Ah, ah, why am I crying? I must be crazy. This is Choi Sung-hoon’s home!

Shit, if I get caught, I’ll be screwed.

I hurriedly wiped my tears with my sleeves, but they didn’t stop flowing.

I hit my chest hard because I didn’t want to cry.

But I kept thinking only sad and regretful thoughts.

Would I be okay once I left this crazy, distracting house and returned to my quiet home?

A drawer where one of the kitchen doors had fallen off… The refrigerator that making noise.

The dusty bed in the master bedroom, the clothes that my brother left behind.

Too much cutlery for a single person, dirty toothbrushes, and shoes that no one wears on the porch.

The shopping cart carrier that my mother always brought to work.

The fur hat that my father used to make fun of for looking like a roasted chestnut seller after wearing it.

A laptop that my brother passed on to me to study.

Would I be okay in the midst of countless silent objects?

I don’t want to cry, but I keep thinking about it.

When I was playing on my cell phone in my small room and smelled delicious, my mother would laugh and say, ‘I knew this would happen’.

‘Our youngest. Did you come out knowing that the meal was ready?’

‘It’s amazing timing every day. Don’t leave any beans today.’

‘Yu-ya, don’t use your phone while eating.’

I had it too.

Mom, dad, and brother.

I had one as well.

Why not now?

They had gone. Everyone left me alone.

It felt like my heart had burst.

I couldn’t stop crying once it broke out, so I couldn’t hear it. The sound of someone coming up the stairs.

“OMG…” 

Someone yelped as I continued to wipe my eyes with my sleeve while crying.

Choi Sung-hyun was standing outside the open door in the hallway. He opened his eyes wide and made a strange expression that was difficult to put into words.

“Hyung, are you crying?”

“Oh no, I’m not crying. There’s pepper in my eyes-.”

I shook my head quickly as I groaned in the rising anxiety.

“Seo-yu hyung, are you crying?”

“Hey, be quiet, I’m not crying.”

“Seo-yu hyung is crying!”

“Hey…!”

“Mom, dad. Seo-yu hyung is crying!”

Ah…

“Sung-hoon hyung, Seo-yu hyung is crying! He is crying his eyes out!”

Looking at the back of Choi Sung-hyun, who disappeared shouting, “Seo-yu hyung is crying,” I swore that I would sprinkle pepper on his eyes one day.

Did Sung-hyun have no sense when he was born?

Should I jump out of that window now?

When I was thinking about it, I heard a heavy yet hasty step. Soon after, the person I was expecting appeared.

“…Seo-yu ssi.”

Our eyes met, and I felt a little embarrassed, so I hid my face behind my hair. Choi Sung-hoon hurriedly closed the door and walked over.

“Are you okay?”

“No…”

“…”

“I’m so embarrassed…”

There was no smile on Choi Sung-hoon’s face. He sat with his legs bent in front of me. Then he took my chin in his hands, looked around, and wiped my tears away with a soft tissue. Because I was still crying, the tissue quickly became wet.

He asked softly, but he seemed to have made the most affectionate and warmest voice he could make.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. I just suddenly burst into tears.”

“I am upset.”

I’m also upset. I’m not even 18, I’m a 28-year-old grown-up, and I cried so much in my sex partner’s house.

Haa… Choi Sung-hyun, I’m going to sprinkle pepper on your eyes. How should I look at his parents’ faces? I’m going insane because I’m embarrassed.

“Your tears are… like this… It’s upsetting.”

Choi Sung-hoon’s voice was like a very deep cave. It’s as if you can hear it with your heart rather than your ears. He threw away tissues and hugged me as I was crying, mumbling that he knew what he didn’t know so far.

“…”

He hugged me tightly without saying a word and patted my back.

Choi Sung-hoon’s expensive shirt was wet with my tears.

I also gave up on my tears, which would not stop but only made them flow even more.

I wanted to cry, and Choi Sung-hoon patted my back as if telling me it was okay to cry.

So I cried. The tears flowed endlessly, I barely managed to hold back my sobbing.

After crying so hard, I couldn’t lift my head for a long time.

Because I’m embarrassed.

When Choi Sung-hoon realized that I had stopped crying, he gently patted my back and asked me to drink some water.

I asked, putting my face on his shoulder. If we could climb down the tree through the window and go back.