Red Mansion

“What’s all this?”“What do you mean, what’s this? It’s a delivery. Open the door. There’s more in the truck.”These were items they hadn’t ordered. The plan had been to sell what they had and come up with a solution in the meantime. Boxes were piled up in front of the store. They had never had so many goods delivered at once. The delivery man seemed to share the same sentiment, speaking in an excited voice.“I think this is the first time we’ve had such a big delivery.”It was a place they had been dealing with since their parents ran the business. Manager Kim, wearing a vest with “Happy Distribution” written on it, smiled kindly. It was a smile you wouldn’t see from the residents of Red Mansion.“But we didn’t order anything.”Even if they scraped together every penny, they would barely have enough. Sung-kyung looked troubled. But the messy bangs covered their expression well.“Uh, it’s all paid for. The name is, wait a second.”Manager Kim fumbled in his vest pocket and pulled out a neatly folded receipt, holding it far from his eyes. Squinting, he slowly read the name.“Kwon, Chungrim?”“Wait a minute.”“Yes, Kwon Chungrim.”Manager Kim’s eyes widened, as if asking if there was a problem.Why did Kwon Chungrim send all this here? So much… Sung-kyung glanced at the boxes stacked high. Ramen, cigarettes, bread. Mostly items frequently sold at the store.Was it because they were worried about them not being able to pay off their debt, or pay the deposit? Was this to help them avoid selling organs? Or to prevent them from having to sell their body?“…”Sung-kyung bit the soft flesh under their lips. It became clear. They were becoming someone special to Chungrim. How should they record this in their notebook? That Chungrim now recognizes them? That he’s starting to act according to their wishes? It didn’t matter. Whatever was written, the fact that Chungrim was paying attention to them wouldn’t change.“Just. Maybe he’s finally interested.”The phone conversation overheard from the rooftop came to mind. Maybe it really was about them. Sung-kyung bowed their head and smiled shyly, even as Manager Kim glanced curiously while moving the boxes.After Manager Kim finished moving the boxes, Sung-kyung began placing the goods on the shelves. The once empty space was slowly filled. All of it was bought by Chungrim. Although there was nothing specifically for them, they were still satisfied. How could they sell this without feeling regret? They mumbled to themselves.“Ah, he asked me to give you this.”“Who?”“The person who ordered the goods, maybe? I don’t really know, I got it early in the morning too. Isn’t there a note inside?”Manager Kim handed over a shopping bag instead of the handcart. Sung-kyung accepted it with a puzzled expression. Inside was a cell phone and a note. They remembered Chungrim asking for their number yesterday.“Sign here.”Manager Kim abruptly handed over the receipt. Sung-kyung took the pen from the paper cup. The lower box of the receipt had a seven-digit number. The pen paused at the enormous price.“One more here.”Another receipt was placed beside it. Again, it had seven digits. They had never handled such a large amount of money.“What are you doing?”“Oh, I’ll do it.”It felt like a dream. Despite the pain from the wounds received yesterday, such thoughts crossed their mind.Kim Sung-kyungSung-kyung wrote their name under the receipt. It quickly went into Manager Kim’s vest pocket.“Take care, and make sure to put some medicine on your face. It’s a mess.”“…Okay, goodbye.”Unable to hold back his concern, Manager Kim left, massaging his stiff shoulder.Ignoring the mess, Sung-kyung sat at the counter and took out the item that had been on their mind. It was not a note but a business card. On the dark red card were Chungrim’s name and number. On the back, a line was pressed in pen.Repay for borrowing the name too.If it meant to repay for borrowing the name, did it also mean to repay for the logistics order? They hadn’t asked to borrow anything. The seven-digit numbers from the receipt flashed in their mind. They already had a lot of debt, so a little more didn’t bring a sense of despair. It felt more like resignation.“How much debt is there?”They might be buried under debt soon. Yet, they carefully placed Chungrim’s business card between the pages of their notebook. They would never throw this away. It was a note Chungrim had written directly for them. For once, Sung-kyung’s pale cheeks blushed. It was the face of someone who had received a loving gift from a lover.Holding the cell phone, they looked around. The one they used before was the cheapest foldable type. The one Chungrim gave had no keypad. They had never used such an expensive one. As they fiddled with it, the screen lit up.The familiar phone icon appeared on the home screen. Sung-kyung hesitated. The reason was simple. It was overwhelming. Living in Red Mansion, there was no way to know Chungrim’s number. But now, they knew Chungrim’s number.They also knew that Chungrim had many red business cards, that the pen ink didn’t smudge, indicating a high-quality pen, and that his handwriting was quite mature. These were details no one else knew, piling up in Sung-kyung’s notebook. The walls between Chungrim and them felt like they were crumbling.“Your handwriting is pretty.”Sung-kyung traced the business card with their fingers, imagining Chungrim’s large hand holding the pen, the firm knuckles, the tendons twitching with each stroke, and the neat handwriting that contrasted with his rough demeanor.“Oh.”The thrill Sung-kyung felt from just a single business card was overwhelming, but now something had changed. Now, he felt he belonged among those who could revel in such emotions. A giggle escaped him.Bzzz. His phone vibrated. It was an unsaved number, but not unfamiliar. It was the same number from the business card he had memorized. His hand hesitated above the screen before finally pressing the call button.“…Hello.”― Save this number.The caller didn’t identify himself, but there was no mistaking the voice. It felt even deeper, perhaps because it was the first time hearing it over the phone.“Okay.”Sung-kyung heard a faint murmur, “He recognizes my voice already.”― They can’t monitor you on the store phone.“Ah.”― Do you have a lot to repay me?Besides the original debt and interest, Sung-kyung owed Chungrim quite a bit, including the hundreds of dollars’ worth of store items and the phone. It meant he had received a lot from Chungrim, and this realization wrapped him in an exhilarating pleasure again.― I’m suspicious by nature. From now on, answer my calls immediately and call me on the hour, every hour. Whether I answer or not. Got it?“Got it.”Sung-kyung was more than happy to comply with Chungrim’s suspicion. Whether he was being watched or mistrusted, the important thing was that he would get to hear Chungrim’s voice every hour.Chungrim would seek him out whenever he desired, and Sung-kyung would call him on the hour. What could be more special? Though no one was watching, Sung-kyung lowered his head and smiled, the corners of his lips peeking through his long, messy hair.― If you break the rule… well, even I don’t know what will happen then.There was a chuckle at the end of the sentence, as if daring him to try breaking the rule.But Sung-kyung would never break the promise. He wouldn’t miss the chance to monopolize Chungrim’s low voice. No one else could listen in on this.“I won’t break it. Thank you for the goods.”There was a commotion on the other end of the line, as if Chungrim was talking to someone else. Then he answered curtly.― Okay. If you’re thankful, don’t break your promise.The call ended abruptly. Sung-kyung looked down at the phone and pressed his left chest. His heart pounded so wildly he thought it might burst.He hadn’t finished tidying up, but he opened the drawer and pulled out a familiar notebook. Though it was stained with footprints, crumpled, and had torn corners, the contents were intact. He flipped to a blank page and quickly jotted down notes.Kwon Chungrim thinks of me as special. He spent hundreds of thousands without a hint of regret. Maybe he’s been watching over me without my knowing. Maybe he hoped to talk to me, get closer, and become deeply involved, just like I dreamed.He buried his face in the notebook and shook with laughter. Others might think he’d lost his mind, but such whispers were easy to ignore. After all, surviving in Red Mansion without going a little mad was impossible.＊＊＊Sung-kyung called Chungrim every hour from the time he started work at the store until he returned home. Within a few days, he developed a compulsion to press the call button exactly on the hour. More than half the calls went unanswered, and there wasn’t much substance to the conversations. But the closer and more special the relationship, the more trivial things they shared. Thinking it was part of building that closeness made him genuinely happy.Reporting how many customers there were, how much he sold, and what he was doing continued until the store closed. The last call was made late at night while climbing the stairs drenched in rain.Wasn’t this really like being in a relationship? His damp, rainy thoughts grew wild.“Still 40 minutes left.”Only 20 minutes had passed since the last call. Chungrim had asked if he was hot. He had asked the same question once before. Sung-kyung recalled Chungrim’s cool living room that was so refreshing it gave him goosebumps. That house’s cat probably didn’t even know summer was hot. He envied the cat in his mind but said aloud that it was bearable.With the late rainy season starting, the humidity was more bothersome than the heat. Sweat dripped off him, making his entire body uncomfortably sticky. Occasionally, he felt as if bugs were crawling on his skin, but the heat overpowered that sensation.The oppressive, sticky air reduced the number of people in the hallway. The heat in Red Mansion had temporarily subsided.Sung-kyung checked the time repeatedly. Each time, only a minute had passed. He had gotten used to the phone Chungrim gave him. All he did with it was make and receive calls. The call log was filled with unsaved eleven-digit numbers. All Kwon Chungrim, Kwon Chungrim, Kwon Chungrim. They were his traces.Crash! Thunder rumbled. Rain pounded on the small window in the back of the store. The scene from 422 flashed in his mind. His father was lying just below the window. He had left it open, fearing it would be too hot if closed, with the table tray propped against the window frame. He worried that rain might have come in with such a heavy downpour.He wondered if his father had taken the porridge out of the fridge. He had been going to the bathroom less frequently these days. What if his mobility became even more difficult? Despite Chungrim’s increasing share, his worries about his parents persisted. Last night’s scuffle still weighed on his mind.“Should I stop by for a bit?”He considered using his meal break to go up to 422. He could feed his father and help him use the bathroom, which would ease his mind. If there was leftover porridge, he could eat that. That would save him from ordering food at the restaurant. Saving even 2,000 won was a good thing.Sung-kyung immediately picked up the receiver. Chungrim had told him to use the phone as he pleased, but he only used it to hear Chungrim’s voice, avoiding any other calls.― Hello, this is the restaurant.“This is Store No.3.”― Oh, right. We were going to send squid rice bowl today.They had the same dish yesterday. It was a bland stir-fry with more onions and carrots than squid. Sung-kyung, unwinding the tangled receiver cord, replied.“No need to send it today. I’ll eat at home.”— Oh? Today’s stir-fry turned out well. Will you take it tomorrow?The restaurant owner sounded quite regretful. Perhaps it was because there was no place to dispose of the leftover food. Sung-kyung fixed his gaze on the cash register, trying not to seem too interested.“Yes.”— Okay, I got it.After ending the call, he briefly stepped out of the store. The floor of the first floor, where people frequently walked, was filled with water from the rain sneaking in through the windows and wet footprints. No matter how much he wiped, it kept getting dirty again. The fact that there were stairs right across from the store meant that the spots where umbrellas had been were dotted with rainwater.Sung-kyung picked up the mop that was standing behind the store door and cleaned from the front of the stairs to the corner. He wasn’t obligated to clean beyond the store’s hallway, but if he didn’t, the store would get dirty, so he had no choice.The area the mop passed over was now streaked with water mixed with dirt and grime. It was hard to tell if it was clean or not. If it weren’t so humid, the water would evaporate quickly. Instead, the moisture just clung to the floor.He laid down some boxes under the open windows and in front of the stairs where many people walked. Even though paper was precious, doing this would save him effort later. It was only his second summer managing the store, but Sung-kyung had learned a lot of tricks. Like everyone else living in the Red Mansion, he had a weed-like ability to adapt and survive.After tidying up the floor, he locked everything from the freezer to the store door. He didn’t forget to check the clock either. With about 30 minutes left until the next scheduled call, he figured he had just enough time to visit home and come back.“Ah, the rain has come in.”Despite blocking the window with a table, the rain had managed to sneak inside. The thin blanket covering his father was spotted with rainwater.“You must be damp.”He had exchanged a few words with his parents in the morning, but now they were deeply asleep. First, Sung-kyung stood the table vertically against the window. This way, the window was almost entirely covered, preventing more rain from coming in.After roughly wiping up the wet floor, he moved quickly. He turned off the fan that had been running hot. He thought about heating the porridge in the fridge but decided against it. It would just cool down again anyway, so it seemed like a waste. Instead, he took out the pot of porridge, scooped half into a bowl, and sat down next to his mother.“Mom.”Her eyelashes trembled in response. She wasn’t in a deep sleep. Sung-kyung gently shook her shoulder, lifting her upper body.“Time to eat some porridge.”“…Ah.”A groan followed. Her thin face looked at Sung-kyung intently. The furrowed look in her eyes suggested she was in pain.“Is it a headache? Is your stomach upset?”She weakly shook her head. Sung-kyung didn’t fully believe her. He knew his mother wasn’t one to complain about pain. He touched her forehead to check for a fever.“You don’t have a fever… maybe it’s the rain.”She might have been feeling achy. She had mentioned that often in the past. Sung-kyung scooped a spoonful of the cold porridge.“Ah.”Her chapped lips opened silently. Sung-kyung slowly fed her the porridge. He waited until she had chewed and swallowed before giving her another spoonful.Neither of his parents finished even a full bowl, likely due to their lack of appetite. Still, he propped them against the wall to help with digestion.Sung-kyung took it upon himself to finish the leftover porridge in the pot. It wasn’t tasty since it had little seasoning, but it was enough to fill him up. Now more awake, his parents watched him in silence as he moved around.After putting the dirty dishes in the sink, he fetched two soda cans from near the front door. He crushed them in the middle and taped them to the fan’s motor. He was worried about the fan overheating and causing a fire while he was at the store.“Is this the right way to do it?”“…Yes, that’s right.”His father had told him that this would help release the heat. Every summer, his father would collect empty cans near the shoe rack. Sung-kyung didn’t know if it really worked, but every summer, they attached cans to the fan. Under his father’s watchful eye, Sung-kyung carefully taped the cans and turned the fan back on. It oscillated, blowing air towards both his parents. Despite this, the air remained muggy.Sung-kyung’s T-shirt was already soaked with sweat. The cut on his forehead stung from the sweat trickling down. He wiped the moisture from his forehead with his fingertips and quickly checked the clock. The minute hand was just about to reach the ’10’. He had a bit of time left thanks to his bustling around. Maybe he should splash some water on himself before heading back.Not wanting to waste any time, he quickly went into the bathroom. He doused his bruised and injured body with lukewarm water, washing away the heat. After changing into fresh clothes, he noticed a few pieces of laundry in the basket. Normally, he couldn’t stand leaving chores undone, but they would have to wait until the evening.“I’ll head to the store and come back soon. If you need to take your medicine, please take it and leave it under the sink.”“Okay.”The medicine was placed where the stove should have been. It had to be within reach of his parents while they were seated. The shelf was too high, and the floor was too dangerous. If they knocked it over, it would be a disaster.If his parents felt well enough to take their medication on their own, they would leave the medicine bottle under the sink. It was their signal to him. This way, they wouldn’t take it twice. With the price of medicine rising, taking double the dosage would drain their finances even faster.“Don’t lie down until you’ve digested a bit, even if your back hurts.”“Okay.”Leaving their faint reply behind, he headed out. The corridor-style hallway was wet with puddles from the rain. He walked close to the inner wall to avoid soaking his socks. He was just about to go down the stairs to the first floor when he heard a voice.“Hey, where are you going after closing the store?”“Home. Do you need to buy something?”A man going up the stairs called out to Sung-kyung. Hurrying past him, Sung-kyung gave a half-hearted reply.“No, it’s just that…”He heard the man muttering something behind him but didn’t bother to look back. It wasn’t until he passed through the wide-open emergency exit that he realized something was off. The air in the store’s hallway felt noticeably warmer.“…What?”It was Kwon Chungrim. Sung-kyung immediately noticed Chungrim sitting on a plastic chair in front of the store. A long cigarette on the table. The end of it dangled from a shoe that wasn’t touched by a speck of dirt. His sharply defined eyebrows. His intense gaze first landed on Sung-kyung, then on his wristwatch.“……”Boom boom. Why is he here? After handing over the phone, he had come back exactly every four days. Sung-kyung’s heart pounded, feeling almost like they were having a secret rendezvous. The voice he heard every hour now came from just a few steps away.“Lighter.”“Lighter?”Sung-kyung mumbled, fumbling through his pockets. He hadn’t smoked recently, so he didn’t carry one anymore.“Just a moment.”Sung-kyung quickly ran into the store, grabbed a cheap lighter from the side of the counter, and rushed back out. By then, Chungrim was already getting up, brushing off his wrinkled pants. He pulled out a cigarette from the pack and put it in his mouth. He glanced at Sung-kyung approaching with the lighter, his gaze cold.“Here—.”Slap! Before Sung-kyung could hand over the lighter, Chungrim’s large hand swung through the air and struck his cheek. The sudden violence made Sung-kyung fall to the ground. His entire left cheek felt like it was on fire. His whole body trembled, unable to even clutch his cheek. The skin where Chungrim’s hand had touched was burning hot.With his mouth open, it felt like the inside of his cheek had completely burst. The taste of blood filled his mouth instantly. Swallowing his spit, Sung-kyung remained frozen, unable to lift his gaze. The red plastic lighter lay on the cement floor, just like him.“How can you break trust already, boss?”Holding an unlit cigarette between his index and middle fingers, Chungrim bent down, meeting Sung-kyung’s eyes now lying on the ground. Then his large hand came down again with a loud smack. The blow was strong enough to make Sung-kyung’s upper body sway. Gasping for breath, he felt dampness under his palm on the floor.“Constantly ringing every hour. Why didn’t you answer the call this time?”Barely managing to lift his drooping head, Sung-kyung met Chungrim’s cold black eyes. It felt like time slowed down. His brain started working again. Chungrim was angry because Sung-kyung hadn’t answered his calls. But it wasn’t even the exact time yet, was it? He didn’t understand but began to stammer out an excuse.“I, uh, was at home, feeding my parents….”Sung-kyung felt unfairly treated. The last time he had checked, it was around 49 minutes past the hour. He had quickly washed up and come out. Even if it took a minute to go down the stairs, it still shouldn’t be the exact time.“Ah, you should eat, of course.”“……”“Within the given time, right?”Chungrim slightly turned his left hand holding the cigarette, his cold gaze shifting to his watch.“3:11:13, 14, 15, 16….”His voice, softly counting the seconds, conveyed no particular emotion. No anger, no concern, just the reality that the debtor, Sung-kyung, had broken their promise.“What?”Clutching his cheek, Sung-kyung’s eyes widened. Time couldn’t have passed so quickly. He was sure less than ten minutes had gone by since he last checked the time.“I thought the store had run away with the debt. Look, I got soaked in the rain.”Chungrim gestured with his chin towards his shoulder. There were only a couple of raindrops on his fancy shirt, much fewer than the drops on his parents’ thin blanket.“No, it’s not like that. The clock at home must be broken. I thought there was plenty of time left…. It was less than 50 minutes.”Every time he spoke, the bloodied corners of his lips stung. Closing his mouth to swallow, red blood streaked across his lips.“Whether it’s broken or not. I told you to carry it with you.”He remembered. It was during their second conversation. Chungrim had said, “You should even keep it by your bedside while you sleep.” Sung-kyung, flustered, looked down.“Store. Do you want to sell your organs?”Chungrim poked Sung-kyung’s chest with the unlit cigarette.“Or do you really want to sell your body?”“……It’s not like that.”He had no intention of selling his body. He still remembered Chungrim’s touch. The thought of mixing with someone else didn’t even cross his mind. If he had to sell something, it would be his organs.“Then why do your words and actions not match?”Chungrim breathed through his teeth.“That’s—.”“You act like you’d follow my every word. But you’re disappointing me.”Despite the slaps and threats about selling organs and his body, Sung-kyung showed little reaction. However, when Chungrim mentioned feeling disappointed, Sung-kyung’s eyelids fluttered. Chungrim noticed his reaction, a smirk forming on his lips.“Is it because you don’t need me anymore after sleeping with me?”Chungrim stood up lightly, brushing off his wrinkled pants, and put the filter back in his mouth. His persistent gaze followed Sung-kyung. Sung-kyung looked up at the standing Chungrim and then quickly got on his knees. He picked up the lighter lying nearby and stood up.Even then, Chungrim’s intense gaze didn’t waver. Not even when Sung-kyung brought the lighter to the cigarette.“Ah, it’s not that. I still need you.”Sung-kyung’s split lips moved slightly. With a click, the lighter ignited the cigarette’s tip. Chungrim tilted his head and took a deep drag.“I didn’t ask for a light.”Chungrim’s words were followed by a puff of white smoke. Even without saying it, Sung-kyung could feel it. Getting beaten and lighting his cigarette made the answer clear. Chungrim deliberately exhaled the smoke towards Sung-kyung’s pale face. Sung-kyung neither squinted nor coughed.“I am.”A low voice paused momentarily. A young man who was about to pass through the hallway saw Chungrim and froze, unable to move. The young man’s eyes, sharp and glittering without double eyelids, flicked back and forth, and then he turned around and retraced his steps. It wasn’t until the shadow disappeared that Chungrim continued speaking.“Contradicting and disobeying me.”“……”“I hate that the most. No matter who it is.”This information wasn’t written in the notebook. Until now, there hadn’t been any problems because Sung-kyung had diligently paid the correct amount on the designated dates. Had there been another instance where he’d gone against Chungrim’s words? Sung-kyung reviewed everything Chungrim had ever said or done to him.“Hitting you hurts me too, you know that, right?”“Yes, yes.”“I’m forgiving you this time because I care about you. Understand?”Sung-kyung’s gaze, which had been fixed on the floor, came alive and looked up. From the expensive shoes on the concrete floor, to the trousers with quickly fading wrinkles, to the unzipped zipper that had been easily opened, to the shirt that had already dried, to the cigarette burning with the flame Sung-kyung had lit, and finally to the intense gaze watching him. That one statement made all of Chungrim’s actions clear.“……I understand.”You also think I’m special, don’t you? Sung-kyung’s blood-stained lips curled into a smile.He didn’t know how he managed to work all day. Chungrim left after inspecting the shop, but Sung-kyung was still entranced by his words. “I care about you, specially.” The sweet whisper from those red lips was etched in his mind, and the pain left on his cheek turned into a thrill.He wished the swelling on his cheek would never subside. If a scab formed, he’d scratch it off to keep the wound fresh. Sitting at the counter, Sung-kyung constantly touched his swollen cheek, ensuring it had no chance to heal. The delusions born in the monsoon rain quickly engulfed Sung-kyung.By the time he finished work and returned home, the rain had briefly stopped. Yet, the air was still heavy and damp. The first thing Sung-kyung did upon returning home was rush to the bathroom. His phone, in his pocket, hit his thigh with each quick step.He looked into the bathroom mirror. More than any other scars, it was the swollen cheek where Chungrim had struck him that stood out the most. As if trying to memorize every wound Chungrim had inflicted, Sung-kyung studied his cheek and torn lips for a long time.After lingering by the mirror for a while, Sung-kyung finally washed up and came out. His parents, who usually lay in their usual spots, were now slightly shifted. He carefully wiped their sweaty bodies without waking them, then fetched their medications. Even then, he kept his phone within reach.Despite being busy for a long time, the wall clock was still stuck at “2:50.” The same position and time as in the daytime. Curious, Sung-kyung tapped the phone screen. The display showed AM 01:11.“Guess the battery’s dead.”Sung-kyung reached up and took down the wall clock. The edges and glass were coated with sticky dust. The clock had stopped long ago. How long had time in room 422 been frozen? Was it 2:49 PM, or 2:49 AM? Both were difficult times for Sung-kyung.“…You must have thought time wasn’t passing at all.”From where his parents lay, they could see the sink and the clock directly. Sung-kyung had moved the clock so his parents could check the time as soon as they regained consciousness. What did they think, looking at a stopped clock? With the sky always cloudy from rain, it was hard to tell if it was day or night.“But it’s good the medicine’s working well, right?”As he put the medication back in its place, Sung-kyung muttered. Recently, his parents had fewer seizure-like awakenings. They spent more time sitting up during the day. Perhaps it wouldn’t take long for them to get up on their own.Sung-kyung placed his phone gently by his bedside, ready to answer if it rang. Then he lay down beside his mother, his right shoulder pressing into the soft, yellow floor mat.“This medicine seems to be effective. Do you feel it too, Mom?”He lightly touched his mother’s exposed hand. The wrinkled fingers curled inwards like a snail retreating into its shell. Sung-kyung smiled. His split lips stung and burned, but he still forced a smile. His parents had always told him to smile when he could.“But I don’t think I can deliver the medicine anymore. Dad might still be able to, but I can’t. I was misunderstood for smuggling medicine. Chungrim said I shouldn’t worry about it anymore, but… Oh, Chungrim, he’s… well… You know the twin brothers? He’s their younger brother.”Of course, there was no response. Even so, Sung-kyung’s voice was excited. The cheerful tone didn’t mix with the heavy air of the house, floating around awkwardly.“He bought me a phone and supplies for the store. I do have to pay him back… He seemed angry because I didn’t answer his call. Or maybe… he was worried. Because, well…”He cares about me.Sung-kyung giggled several times between sentences. He continued talking to himself for a long time, as if reassuring himself that things were getting better. Talking like this made his parents’ presence more real.Lightning occasionally illuminated the small room. Though Sung-kyung chattered until dawn, the phone never rang.＊＊＊Meow. A cute cry sounded near his ear. Chungrim’s broad shoulders, buried in the pillow, trembled with a wheezy laugh. His voice was rough from just waking up.“Mero.”Meow, meow. The gray cat, recognizing its name, kneaded the soft blanket.“What time is it?”Chungrim pushed back his messy hair and grabbed his phone from beside the pillow. It was just past 9 AM. There were two missed calls from Sung-kyung. Chungrim chuckled.“Such an early riser.”As he reached out, Mero closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly, as if understanding. Chungrim petted the small cat affectionately.The air conditioner blew cool air over his bare back. Chungrim petted Mero a few more times before getting up.“Let’s get you some food.”The sound of small footsteps following closely behind him was endearing. After preparing the cat’s food and refilling the water dish, Chungrim made himself a cup of coffee and sat on the sofa. Mero followed him everywhere, meowing.“Alright, go eat.”At his words, Mero obediently headed to her feeding area. The cat lapped at the water with a gentle sound, while Chungrim sipped his sweet coffee.