When Your Pain Becomes Mine

A single-family house with a large garden. When he returned home, he petted a nasty-looking Pit Bull Terrier with his gloves on. Terry, the dog, which had been raised for about four years, was named after a species called the Pit Bull Terrier.

“Where the hell are you?”

He furrowed his eyebrows and murmured to himself. He had a lot of experience with women, so he could imagine the thoughts inside Sun’s head at once. He could read her feelings in her eyes as he tried to get angry at her.

“Please don’t leave me. It’s all my fault.”

In her eyes, he could see the frustration that she could not live without him. Thus, it didn’t make any sense. At first, he thought that she would last for less than a week. He was sure that she would return with frightened eyes and asked for forgiveness, as she always did, but a month had passed already. Besides, her phone was off, and he couldn’t even figure out where she was. At this time, the dog on the leash kept barking that he wanted to run. He deliberately let him off the leash. Then, with permission, the dog began to run around the garden. After looking at the dog for a while, Gyeonhui turned and stepped to the other side on purpose. The dog then dragged his leash and quickly returned to him. It bowed his head and began rubbing its nose on his feet. She had to be this way as well. No, it had always been…

“Why the hell won’t you return?”

His annoyance erupted.

“No, what happened? If you’re dead…”

He didn’t even think that she was not coming back. Thus, he felt that there might have been an accident.

“Ruff! Ruff!”

Then the dog, feeling a strange sense of somebody’s presence, barked. It was Ojae, his assistant.

“Terry, keep quiet.”

He was a breed used in dogfighting because of their aggressive tendencies, but he tailed off upon hearing Gyeonhui’s words.

“Oh my. I can’t get used to your dog even after seeing him for years.”

Ojae stood in a state of fright.

“What happened?”

Gyeonhui asked Ojae with a hint of nervousness.

“It was confirmed that she has been in France and then went to Spain, but after that…”

“Spain? Are you sure she was not in some kind of accident?”

He reiterated with an outraged look.

“What do you mean by accident?”

“Never mind.”

Gyeonhui sighed for a long time to calm himself down. It was funny that he was worried about her getting in any accidents, and because of that, he grew angrier.

“Find her right away.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do…”

“Find her. No matter how much you spend and whatever you use. Find her and bring her before me. Got it?”

“I will.”

Gyeonhui was an obsessive person, knowing this, Ojae was compelled to obey him even more as this obsessiveness grew more intense.

“And the woman named Eunyoung keep checking. If Sun returns, she’ll go to her first.”

“Okay.”

Ojae nodded as he wrote his instructions in his notebook.

“What are you doing? Go now… Ugh!”

At that time, Gyeonhui’s eyebrows were furrowed because of sudden abdominal pain.

“Hey, are you okay? Are you sick?”

Ojae, who confirmed Gyeonhui’s pale complexion, asked.

“No, I’m fine. Never mind…. Go ahead and find…”

Although Gyeonhui told him to leave, the pain that he had already felt in the morning was spreading beyond just abdominal pain. The strain was now reaching to his waist. Maybe it was because Gyeonhui was concerned, but the dizziness that came suddenly added to it.

“…Ugh.”

He fell into a cold sweat while enduring the unbearable pain, and he could feel his sweat dripping from his forehead.

***

The Los Arcos in France… It had been a month since she left for Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in southern France. The other pilgrims would make it in a few days, but Sun took almost a month. She thought she could just walk, but the complexity in her mind made it hard to take the steps. It was a journey that she wanted to do, so she could forget about Gyeonhui. However, the more she tried to forget, the clearer his face came to her mind. It was ironic.

“Hu…”

Sun struggled with exhaustion, and her menstrual cramps compounded her difficulty. The colossal octagonal tower was looking down on her with high spirits.

“This is the Cathedral of Santa Maria.”

It was also recommended in the brochure for one to see how the Romanesque style was changed to Baroque. Romanesque was not very impressive to her. The only memorable attributes it had were the arched windows and the baroque symmetry. She visited this place because of something else.

“There’s an entrance.”

Sun passed through a dark brown wooden door and entered the cathedral. The traditional interior welcomed her, but Sun only looked for a staircase leading up to the tower. Luckily, she followed a few pilgrims and found a stone staircase beside her.

“Ha…”

One foot in front of the other, she walked up the stairs without falling.

“Everything is meaningless.”

“I can’t live without him.”

“What does it mean to live in this world without him?”

The voice from within her shouted constantly. She wanted to go back to that man right now. She wanted to apologize to him, and she wanted to hang on to him. Eventually, her pace halted. She couldn’t move. She was like a broken doll with missing spring.

“… I thought it would be okay.”

How many times had she repeated this? Unbearable loneliness pressed upon her shoulders.

“Be quiet.”

“I can… I can beat this.”

She tried to calm her inner voice with endless devotion, but she was weak. At the moment, tears poured out of her eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Then, on the other side, she heard the voice of a stranger. A little surprised, Sun quickly turned her head to hide her tears.

“Eh? Are you Korean?”

The man from the other side asked in a friendly tone. Astonished by his familiar native language, Sun looked up at him. It was a man with a fresh, clean face and a soft smile.

“Are you okay?”

His voice was melodious, and his gaze was tender. He was the first person to see her, but Sun remembered his first impression just like that.

5. That Day

“Oh, yes.”

Sun turned and wiped away tears with her forearms. The man who watched her briefly pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket, handing it out to her.

“It’s okay.”

Sun shook her head, but the man held a handkerchief in her hand without saying a word.

“… Thank you.”

Sun, who quickly wiped away tears, returned the handkerchief.

“There. I’m leaving before things get more awkward.”

The man smiled at her and walked down the stairs past Sun.

“Oh, wait.”

He turned back and approached Sun again as if something had come to mind.

“This is a gift.”

The man held a small stone in Sun’s hand.

“Okay, let’s go up. You’ll feel a little relieved there.”

The man smiled warmly again and descended the stairs. As the footsteps faded, the staircase quickly relaxed once more. She looked at the rock in her hand. It was just a small stone that one would commonly see on the road.

‘What does this mean?’

She shook her head and didn’t realize the meaning of the stone. However, the unexpected encounter made her feel a little relieved.

“Ha…”

She slowly and loudly sighed. Once she took a deep breath, she felt a little calmer.

“… Okay. I’ve come a long way to get here, so I’ll go up.”

Sun began to climb the stairs again. She climbed the silent staircase that seemed never-ending.

***

She managed to climb the tower, which was higher than what she thought, a long time later.

“Ha…”

Sun, who was breathing up to her chin, raised her head and looked out over the landscape. The scenery of the secluded countryside was a magnificent sight to see. The brochure said that it is the tallest tower with a panoramic view of the road to Santiago. She walked every day, but she didn’t even know where she was going, so she wanted to come up and see it once. She turned her head and looked back. The countryside she had walked to was longspun. She remembered the pilgrim’s accommodation, the restaurants that she had been going to eat for a few days, and the pilgrims she encountered as she came and went. Sun turned again and looked ahead. There was an endless path before her that she needed to traverse. The curvy road was no longer visible as it crossed a gentle hill. She could not predict what way she would have, who she would meet, and where she would stay. She came to this high tower, but nothing changed.

“… Was this all worthless?”

Sun sighed with bitterness. At that time, she dropped the stone that she was holding in her hand.

“No! No way!”

She quickly chased the rock. The rolling stone, fortunately, stopped in front of the stairs.

“Ha.”

Sun sighed with relief and reached out her hand to pick it up.

“What?”

Then she noticed the words written on the other side of the stone.

In crude letters, a few words were written on the stone, “Go. You can.”

“Oh…”

She then realized why the man had given her this stone. Sun, who had been lost in thought for a moment, closed her eyes.

“Go. You can…”

IT was just a simple sentence in only three words. However, it was more comforting than anything she had seen. At the same time, it was her goal and reason for her visit to Santiago.

“Let’s go up. I’m going to feel a little relieved.”

She heaved, along with encouragement from this stranger. However, she managed to climb to the top without giving up on his support. If she had given up at that time, she would never see the scenery before her. She raised her eyes again and looked over the hill. She didn’t know what was waiting for her. However, all she had to do now was to take a step. It was maybe afterward when she felt fear and suffered from unbearable loneliness.

“Maybe…”

She didn’t know if she could become a little stronger if she crossed that hill. She couldn’t do it now, but she could do it then. Sun, who was still looking at the rocks, nodded slowly. With the stone in her pocket, she once again descended the stairs.

***

Two months later, at the Consencio building located on Dosan main street. The lobby was so spacious that one couldn’t see it at first sight. It was no surprise considering that it was the headquarters of Consencio, a top online retail company. At that time, the crowded lobby began to squirm upon someone’s appearance. It was a man with dark black hair and dark-squealed eyes, Woo, Gyeonhui, the CEO of Consencio.

“Wow, how is he so sexy?”

“That’s crazy.”

The skimpy suit and slim tie caught people’s attention at once. As he stepped forward, the other men made their way over, and the women did not block his way, sending only envious glances. However, he ignored the attention of many people and headed straight to the private elevator. Then, after that, his assistant Ojae chased him.

When he left the elevator and arrived at the office, he sat on a leather sofa. His gaze turned to a small pot at the window. Three years ago, it was a gift from Sun when she first came to his home.

“I grew it with the coffee seeds my dad left behind. The flowers are so beautiful, and I hope they grow well.”

However, there was still no flowers blooming in the coffee tree.

“Ha.”

With a sigh of relief, he poured water into the cup and approached the potted plant. Nervously watering the pots, he looked at Ojae and said.

“You still haven’t found her?”

“Well… I used all my connections to notify me as soon as she arrives here in Korea.”

After Ojae told this to him, Gyeounhui’s eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m tired of your excuses.”

“I’m so sorry.”

Ojae bowed his head as if he had nothing to say. He also hired his people around Sun’s company, but he couldn’t find her whereabouts anywhere.

“I’m done. Stop everything.”

Gyeounhui said in a cold, calm voice.

“What? No, wait a minute. I’ll find her. I’ll do whatever I can, just give me a little more time. You know, I need to get married soon, and I need a house. I’m sorry. I’ll do my best.”

Ojae begged him while holding Gyeonhui’s hand. However, Gyeonhui looked annoyed and said to let go of his hand.

“Not you, I mean stop looking for her!”

“… What?”

“I said, stop looking for her.”

“Oh… I thought you were firing me. Feww…”

Ojae, who understood his words, breathed a sigh of relief.

“Okay. I’ll stop it right away. I can do that in less than ten times if you want! Hahaha.”