The Unbelievers

Chapter 16

Eunseong took a sip of the coffee that Yoo Siwoon had carefully prepared, made a face as if it was tasteless and bitter, then bit into a sweet and sour apple with a crunch.

“By the way, about my old phone. Director Nam took it yesterday, saying I wouldn’t need it anymore. Could I have it back? I didn’t transfer all my photos and stuff.”

“It’s probably been thrown away.”

“What? Already?”

“I told them to dispose of it. It was too old. The screen was all cracked.”

“Ah, already…”

Eunseong sighed disappointedly and resigned himself, saying it couldn’t be helped. Although he had planned to keep it as a spare phone despite the spider-web cracks on the screen, he was told it had been discarded as soon as it was taken.

Glancing at the still taciturn Yoo Siwoon who was quietly eating an apple, Eunseong spoke again.

“By the way, ahjussi, you must be very busy. You haven’t been home at all.”

After bringing Eunseong here, he only provided necessities through Director Nam, but Eunseong hadn’t seen his face for days. Thanks to that, Eunseong had plenty of time before transferring schools and explored the garden, even finding a new bird’s nest.

“I have been home.”

“Really? When?”

“At night. I came in after midnight, so you probably didn’t know because you were sleeping.”

It meant he came in late and left early in the morning.

“I looked up your company on the internet.”

Yoo Siwoon’s gaze seemed to touch his brow.

“I thought it would be good to know in advance about the company I might inherit someday. Of course, I said I wouldn’t do it, but you never know how a person’s mind might change. I’m the type to always prepare in advance.”

“…”

He showed no particular reaction to the presumptuous statement that the company might someday be Eunseong’s. He seemed naturally reticent, extremely sparing with his words. He didn’t tell Eunseong what he should do in the future or what kind of life he would lead. He had just brought him here.

He said nothing about studying or college to Eunseong, who had less than half a year left until the college entrance exam. Eunseong had looked up the name of the school he would be attending, which he heard from Director Nam. It was a private high school for wealthy and academically successful students. The fact that there was no mention of private tutoring suggested that they probably already knew about Eunseong’s academic performance. They didn’t seem to care much if he just quietly attended school, graduated high school, and entered a mediocre university.

He had said Director Nam would explain the details, but Director Nam provided no explanation and avoided answering questions by saying he didn’t know much and to ask the CEO. And this CEO hadn’t shown his face for days.

As the time alone grew longer, Eunseong’s thoughts multiplied and doubts about him arose. He had said that people who greatly value bloodlines wanted Eunseong as a successor. That if he took that position, he would have to do terrible things. Yoo Siwoon had said he would protect and guard Eunseong to prevent such things from happening.

He said he would protect him, but what if he was trying to deceive Eunseong? What if he was plotting something? Buying him a new phone, an iPad, making him delicious coffee, gaining his favor, and then when Eunseong trusted him, manipulating him from behind using his position as a successor.

Because that’s what everyone does.

And feeling guilty about it, he’s keeping his distance to avoid getting too close.

Honestly, what benefit does bringing me here have for a distant ahjussi?

No matter how he thought about it, it seemed there was no benefit unless there was such a sinister intention.

Yoo Siwoon was savoring his coffee with a face that showed no sign of guessing what Eunseong was thinking.

“…”

“…”

He took a sip of coffee, and Eunseong took another bite of the apple, crunching. The sounds of drinking coffee and eating the apple were the only noises in the large space.

Neither Eunseong nor Yoo Siwoon knew each other well. After holding the coffee in his mouth, fully experiencing its aroma and taste before swallowing, Yoo Siwoon asked Eunseong, who was halfway through his apple.

“You didn’t have a girlfriend? Someone you liked at school?”

“What? No, I didn’t have anything like that.”

Eunseong’s words came out somewhat sharply. If he didn’t have a girlfriend, he should have just said no, but saying “I didn’t have anything like that” felt rude after he said it.

“Not even someone you liked?”

Ahjussi’s face turned serious, as if this was an important matter.

“No, I didn’t. I’m not interested in that kind of thing.”

“Isn’t this the age when you should be interested?”

“I was busy with part-time jobs. You need time to date, right?”

Far from having a girlfriend, there was a time when a guy came to his house, pestering and threatening him, saying they should live together independently after graduation.

Even before that incident, Choi Jung-eon had occasionally made subtle contact or playfully hugged Eunseong. At the time, Eunseong brushed it off as rough play, but looking back, he had been unusually physical with Eunseong.

If Yoo Siwoon hadn’t appeared, something would have happened to Eunseong, whether getting robbed or beaten badly by Choi Jung-eon. Thinking about it that far made Eunseong’s nape tingle. Whether he was deceiving him or not, the distant ahjussi before him had saved Eunseong.

What kind of expression did Choi Jung-eon make when he found out Eunseong had suddenly transferred schools?

If he knew Eunseong had vanished from that house.

Eunseong imagined the scene of him going berserk. It was fortunate just to have escaped from the unhinged Choi Jung-eon. That day, he had really lost his mind.

Far from having a girlfriend… Eunseong could never mention that there was a guy who said they should live together independently after college.

Afraid that Yoo Siwoon might ask about Choi Jung-eon from that day, Eunseong quickly turned the question back.

“What about you, ahjussi?”

“Hm?”

“Don’t you have a partner? It would be strange if someone your age didn’t, right?”

“…”

Yoo Siwoon didn’t answer Eunseong’s question and just gave a dry laugh. In the slightly dim interior, the smiling face of his distant ahjussi had something magnificent about it that made Eunseong’s heart flutter.

Eunseong swallowed a sip of the coffee that was just bitter and tasteless to him, and looked at Yoo Siwoon. Yoo Siwoon was tall enough to make Choi Jung-eon, who was bigger than the teachers, look small. He had large hands that could hold the coffee cup Eunseong was holding with both hands and still have room left. He had a cold but intelligent-looking appearance. He was handsome enough that it would be strange if he didn’t have a partner. When his tattoos were visible, he looked mysterious, and when they weren’t, he looked handsome.

“Are you going to work late today?”

He just nodded in response. Last night too, Eunseong had many distracting thoughts and stayed awake past midnight, but he eventually fell asleep without hearing Yoo Siwoon return.

“Then what should I do today?”

“You’re a student, so you should study, right?”

He said with an expression that seemed to say, “Isn’t that obvious for a high school senior?”

“It seems like your investigation of me wasn’t thorough. I’m not very good at studying.”

“Then you should work hard from now on.”

“I did well until middle school, but I couldn’t keep up when I stopped going to academies. Everyone learns at academies, so even the school teachers just skim through things. I told my dad I wanted to go to an academy, but he seemed to think it was a waste of money, so I never brought it up again.”

“…”

“If only dad had lived in a house like this, like you. Then I could have gone to academies too… and mom might not have passed away.”

Yoo Siwoon’s face became uncomfortable every time Eunseong talked about his family situation.

“Oh, right! By the way, ahjussi, have you ever seen my mom?”

“Your mother?”

“Yes.”

Eunseong asked excitedly, recalling a question he had been waiting for an opportunity to ask. He wanted to hear about his mother’s living appearance through someone else, since his father never talked about her.

Yoo Siwoon nodded, saying he had seen her. Eunseong’s eyes widened in surprise.

“When? At the wedding? Or after that? Or when? When?”

His voice, raised in excitement, pressed Yoo Siwoon.

“No, I’ve never seen her in person, only in photos.”

“Oh…”

Disappointed, Eunseong slumped back into his chair, his voice and expression deflated.

“It was probably not long after you were born. I first saw her in wedding photos.”

“Did the family oppose my parents’ marriage?”

“Well, I was young then…”

He trailed off, saying he wasn’t sure.

“I have a photo of mom and dad’s wedding. It’s only half, though.”

“…”

“I thought you might know. Dad never talked about mom. Whenever I brought her up, he would definitely drink that day, so I stopped asking.”

“…”

“I thought you might know.”

“All I’ve seen is photos.”

“…Was my mom pretty?”

“Yes, she was beautiful.”

“I heard she was incredibly beautiful. Dad told me that. He said she was the most beautiful girl on campus. Dad fell in love at first sight.”

“…”

Because his mother only existed in photos, she was like a dream to Eunseong. There was nothing but beauty. Because she wasn’t alive, there was nothing to remember her unpleasantly for.