Small and Fragile Things - Chapter 58

Irang stayed in the warm water for a long time. Her fingers had started to wrinkle by the time she finally came out, after absentmindedly tracing the marks he’d left all over her body. She slathered on the body cream he’d bought her, inhaling her own scent with a pleased sniff, and stepped outside, where she found him sitting on the edge of the bed.

She thought she heard him talking to someone on the phone a moment ago.

“Jung Yoon.”

Her eyes flicked to the phone in his hand, silently asking who it was.

His expression looked a little strange for a moment, but then a single word from his lips made her forget all about it.

“We’re going out.”

“Out?”

“The guys want to see for themselves that you’re still alive.”

When he added that Jung-pal and Gi-seon would be coming too, Irang got so excited she started bouncing on her feet.

“A—A… what’s it called? A picnic!”

“It’s not a picnic.”

“I’ve never been on one before! Where are we going? Far away? Are we spending the night?”

Mun-hyuk dressed her in the smallest clothes he owned and dried her hair himself. He’d done it enough times now to have gotten pretty quick at it, making the whole process smooth and easy.

When they stepped outside, the others were already waiting.

“Kid!”

“Damn it, you—! Why are you limping again? And what happened to your weight, huh?”

“Weight loss? Nah, she’s looking nice and plump to me. She’s just fine!”

The moment she saw them, her throat tightened.

It was strange, she’d never felt this way toward people she was actually related to by bl00d, but these two… just seeing them again made her eyes sting with tears.

If Mun-hyuk hadn’t pinched her cheek, warning that if she cried, he’d leave her behind, she might have burst into tears right there.

“Big bro, seriously, you’ve got to feed the kid. What is this—”

“And who was it that made her obsessed with bread, hmm?”

“What? Why’s everyone looking at me?”

As always, Gi-seon and Jung-pal were loud and all over the place.

She thought there were so many things she wanted to tell them, but when it came down to it, just being with them again made her forget everything and grin like an idiot.

Instead of their usual car, they took a van that could fit everyone, with Jung Yoon driving.

“Hey, don’t go scaring your big bro like that again, got it?”

“Okay. But… your eyes are red. Did you rub them?”

“Kid, you know how crazy Jung-pal went when you disappeared? He was about ready to cry. That big guy—”

“Hey! Yang Gi-seon, don’t go making stuff up! And what about you? The second you saw that tattooed bastard—”

“Ahem! Hey, kid, you know what that is? First time seeing it?”

“What? I know what a train is…”

Before she knew it, the city had disappeared behind them, replaced by open roads and peaceful scenery.

Irang kept gasping, laughing, and almost tearing up over every little thing.

She even chattered about how she could now read all the words on the blue road signs.

“Buk Yeoju! Gwangju! Wonju Expressway!”

She knew reading road signs wasn’t a big deal, but she couldn’t help wanting to brag. After all, these were the people who’d taught her. Especially Mun-hyuk, she wanted to show off to him most of all. Even when she looked up at him with all the pride in the world, he just raised an eyebrow in response.

“Oh, right.”

“What?”

“Gi-seon, could you bring me my pink notebook? I left it at the house…”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’ll get it for you.”

“Really? Thanks. It’s in the room I used to sleep in…”

Inside that notebook were Mun-hyuk’s business card and a note he’d written for her. There were also a few things written in it she’d be embarrassed if anyone else saw, so she was relieved Gi-seon would be the one to bring it. She’d have to copy the scraps of paper she’d been collecting back into it, too.

A yawn slipped out.

Whether it was from being with people she trusted or simply from lack of sleep lately, drowsiness crept in. Mun-hyuk seemed to notice and offered his shoulder, and she leaned against him, dozing off.

She wasn’t sure how long she slept before faint snippets of conversation reached her.

“Damn, what’s with this sunny weather…”

“Should be pouring… and why’s there no traffic on the highway?”

“Hyung, but—ah, never mind.”

“Keep your head straight. This is work.”

She was curious, but the nap felt too good to give up, so she kept her eyes shut.

The van sped smoothly along. Just the fact that they were going somewhere made her happy. Being with people she liked only made it better.

With the wind slipping through the cracked window, she let her thoughts drift back.

Now, without forcing herself, she could recall happy memories, pages flipping through her mind like a book.

I have so many precious memories now.

Not long ago, that had just been a wish. Now, it was real. Her life had finally been touched by luck, more luck than she’d dared to hope for.

This is enough.

I shouldn’t get greedy.

She swallowed the lump in her throat so no one would notice, and only after a while did she open her eyes.

That was when she realized it was… quiet. Too quiet.

Jung-pal and Gi-seon, who’d been talking non-stop earlier, were now staring out opposite windows. Hyun had been like that from the start, and Jung Yoon kept his eyes fixed on the road in front of him.

The air felt different somehow—subdued.

She tilted her head, then glanced out the window just as a sign reading Welcome to Heungin City flashed by.

Heungin City? That sounds familiar…

She searched her memory but couldn’t place it.

“Jung-pal oppa, where are we going? We’re in Heungin City.”

“Huh? Beats me. Gi-seon, you know?”

“I don’t. Don’t talk to me—I think I’m getting carsick…”

Her voice trembled, and when Irang looked over, Gi-seon’s face was pale. Jung-pal frowned in concern.

Maybe we should stop for a bit.

She glanced toward Jung Yoon to suggest it, but Hyun’s voice came from beside her.

“We’re almost there.”

He nodded like he knew exactly what she was thinking.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“The mountains? The sea?”

“A lake.”

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the van stopped.

They seemed to have driven up a mountain road, but when she stepped out, there it was, a lake, surrounded by a brilliant frame of summer green.

“Wow…”

The water was so clear, the mountains and sky reflected perfectly in it.

She’d never seen anything like it, not even in picture books. It didn’t feel real.

“It’s like a dream…”

Her feet moved on their own.

As she slowly approached the water’s edge, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sparkling surface.

It felt like all her senses had been woken up at once, the sound of birds in the trees, the scent of water, the wind slipping between her fingers, the glitter of sunlight on the waves. Everything felt more vivid, more beautiful, because it was all new to her.

She thought she’d just made another memory worth holding onto forever.

If a lake could be this big and beautiful, what would the sea be like?

She shook her head quickly to chase away the greedy thought, then realized she’d wandered ahead of the group.

Behind her, Jung-pal was talking with Jung Yoon, Gi-seon was squatting some distance away to catch her breath… and Mun-hyuk was leaning against the van, a cigarette between his lips.

It hit her then, she hadn’t seen him smoke in days.

Did he quit?

He was the kind of man who looked good just standing there, and she found herself staring before she knew it. He arched a brow, then gave her a small smile.

She smiled back and turned toward the lake again.

When she glanced over her shoulder later, he was still watching her, hands in his pockets, gaze soft in the way someone might look at a child playing by the water.

And for some reason, the sight made her chest ache.