I Became the Lousy Side Top - Chap 83
Despite his regrets, the days passed quickly. After having fun all week long, the final day of the trip had arrived. Once they returned home, the promised week would be over.
Just then, Jaewoo got a text message. Since there was nowhere else where he could be by himself, he went into the bathroom to check it. It was from Eunjoon.
– Your answer?
It was a short question. Jaewoo smiled bitterly and wrote out his response.
[I’ll do what you want.]
There was no answer, but Jaewoo could imagine Eunjoon was smiling over finally getting his way. Without realizing it, he clenched his teeth.
After a few moments, Jaewoo shut his phone off and looked at himself in the mirror. The expression on his face was grim. He ran his hands roughly over his face, afraid that Hyunjin would be suspicious if he went out like this.
‘Let’s think happy thoughts, happy thoughts.’
When he remembered all the fun things they’d done on this trip, his expression relaxed slightly. Like that, Jaewoo left the bathroom and re-joined Hyunjin, helping him to finish packing up their luggage. They had less to pack compared to when they’d arrived, since they’d eaten almost all the side dishes that Jaewoo had brought.
In the meantime, the children were also busy with their bags.
“Do you want to see the beach one last time before we go?”
“That sounds great. We’ve still got some time left.”
They left their luggage behind in the RV and headed towards the beach. The children stayed behind, busy playing with each other. There were more people out on the sand today, despite it still being winter. It was likely because the weekend was approaching.
Jaewoo stared out at the gently crashing waves blankly before turning his gaze towards Hyunjin.
‘It’s really the end.’
When he thought that, his heart felt tight. Jaewoo hesitated for a moment, then he reached out and took Hyunjin’s hand. Hyunjin appeared startled, but only for a moment before he grasped Jaewoo back firmly.
“We’ll come here again someday.”
Someday would never come. Even though Jaewoo knew that, he still managed to answer calmly.
“Okay.”
Hand in hand, the two walked along the beach. A few people stared at the sight of two men holding hands, but they didn’t pay them any mind. What others thought of them didn’t matter.
They walked and walked some more, until Jaewoo suddenly realized how much time had passed.
“We have to go back.”
It was disappointing, but the children were waiting for them. The two turned and headed back towards the RV. As they did, Jaewoo noticed a man walking their way. He was middle-aged and stumbling as though he was drunk, even though it was the middle of the day. He also looked strangely familiar to him.
‘Who is that?’
Jaewoo tilted his head. He walked forward a few more steps before realizing: the middle-aged man looked a lot like Hyunjin. As he stared at him, the man raised his head and glanced between Hyunjin and Jaewoo before letting out a nervous chuckle.
His red, bloodshot eyes darted around anxiously.
“Father?”
The second Hyunjin muttered that word, clearly surprised, Junghyun rushed towards Jaewoo. The light glinted off something in his hand, and it was only then that Jaewoo realized he was holding a knife.
Junghyun stabbed towards Jaewoo with the blade, but Hyunjin was just a little bit faster. He quickly pulled Jaewoo behind him, blocking Junghyun’s path. The knife grazed across his side.
A scream rang out.
“Hyunjin!”
Although Hyunjin’s jacket had served as protection, there was a limit. Hyunjin could feel the hot blood running down his side and shifted so that Jaewoo was further behind him.
The other people on the beach were terrified and ran away when they spotted what was happening. When he saw that, Jaewoo quickly came to his senses and shouted towards them.
“You over there, in the black jacket! Please call the police!”
The person he’d called out to stopped running away and hurriedly took out his cell phone. Only after seeing him dialing did Jaewoo turn his gaze forward again.
Why was Yoo Junghyun here? And why did he have a knife?
For a second Jaewoo thought that he was trying to hurt Hyunjin, his son. But after taking another look, it didn’t seem like that was the case: Junghyun was clearly targeting Jaewoo. If Hyunjin hadn’t acted quickly, Jaewoo might have been stabbed.
As soon as he realized that, someone came to mind.
‘Eunjoon.’
More than anyone else, Eunjoon earnestly wanted Jaewoo’s death.
‘I already told him that I’d do what he wanted!’
It looked like Eunjoon hadn’t believed him. Junghyun clutched the knife in his hand, and his eyes suddenly darted over towards Jaewoo again. Then he stepped forward once more and swung the knife through the air in a vicious blow.
This time, Hyunjin stopped him. As if he had no fear of the blade, he reached forward and grabbed Junghyun’s arm, breaking his wrist with one swift motion. In the process of disarming him, he took another blow from the knife, but this time it didn’t manage to penetrate his clothes.
“Uagh!”
Junghyun screamed, struggling against Hyunjin.
“Let go, let go!”
But Hyunjin didn’t let go. He grabbed the knife away and wrestled Junghyun to the ground. Coming back to his senses, Jaewoo quickly helped him. Junghyun’s body felt so brittle and limp underneath him that Jaewoo almost pitied him. In a few minutes, the police arrived.
“Is this him?”
As soon as they arrived, the police immediately detained Junghyun.
Once Jaewoo saw that Junghyun had been caught, he instantly started pulling off Hyunjin’s jacket. When he saw the blood seeping from his side, his face turned pale.
“W-Why did you do that?!”
Tears welled up in his eyes.
“You should have avoided it!”
“If I did that, you would have gotten hurt.”
Hyunjin answered calmly.
“It would have been better if I was!”
“But I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt either!”
Jaewoo wiped his tears and immediately tried to call 119, only to be stopped by Hyunjin.
“I can get myself to the hospital. You stay here and take care of Hyeonu and Woohee.”
Hyunjin had remained calm the entire time. Out of the two of them, the one that was the most upset and anxious was Jaewoo. Knowing that just made Jaewoo feel even worse.
“How can I let you go by yourself with an injury like that?!”
“It’s not that bad, I can still move. Please, Jaewoo.”
Jaewoo bit his lip.
“Alright. Call me the instant you get there.”
Once they explained their plans to the police, they also understood.
“In that case, I’ll go with you to the hospital.”
One of the police officers went off with Hyunjin. Now that everything had been settled, Jaewoo stood up and prepared to go find the kids.
Even though he was still trembling, Jaewoo was the only adult left. He had to come to his senses and take care of everything.
He extended their RV rental by a day, then explained the situation to the children. He told them they’d be staying another day because Hyunjin had been hurt, and they needed to see how he was feeling. He kept things general, not telling them about the details.
When they heard that Hyunjin had been hurt, the kids looked worried.
“Was he hurt badly?”
“No, it was only a little injury.”
To tell the truth, Jaewoo didn’t actually know how bad Hyunjin’s injury was. But in order to not alarm the children, he answered their questions calmly.
“But it was bad enough that he had to go to the hospital.”
Hyeonu said, his worry plain to see.
“Everything will be okay.”
Jaewoo hugged Hyeonu and Woohee, patting them on their backs. In the meantime, he still hadn’t heard from Hyunjin yet, and it made him uneasy.
Finally his cell phone rang as Hyunjin called him.
─ I’m at the hospital.
“How are your wounds?”
─ They just needed a few stitches, that was all. The doctor said it wasn’t as bad as we thought. I’m okay.
“You call needing stitches ‘okay’?”
─ It’s true. More importantly, are you okay?
“I wasn’t the one that was hurt.”
Jaewoo pressed his hands to his eyes, trying to physically hold back the tears that kept wanting to burst out.
─ Still, you must have been shocked.
“Don’t worry about me; focus on yourself.”
─ What if I’m always worrying about you?
“Dummy.”
After hanging up, Jaewoo scrubbed his hands down his face. Hyunjin’s wounds had been treated, but lots of problems still remained.
‘I wish I could stop time.’
First, he needed to let Mujin know what had happened and beg him for an extension. He just didn’t know if Mujin would listen.
After that, he had to contact Eunjoon. He was the one that Jaewoo was most suspicious of.
He left the RV and pulled out his cell phone, typing Mujin’s number in by hand. He hadn’t wanted to save it in his phone in case Hyunjin found out, so he’d memorized it instead.
Mujin picked up the phone after just one ring.
─ One hour left.
There was so little time remaining. Jaewoo took a deep breath.
“I need to ask for an extension.”
A low chuckle came through across the line. It didn’t seem like a laugh of joy.
─ An extension? Is this a motel?
“Hyunjin is hurt.”
─ That’s not my concern.
“He was hurt trying to save me.”
There was silence for a moment.
─ Tell me more.
Jaewoo needed to speak more eloquently than he ever had before. He swallowed hard and slowly began to talk. He told him about the middle-aged man lunging at him with a knife, and how Hyunjin was able to act quickly to save him, but had been hurt himself.
─ I don’t think you’re lying…
“I’m not. It’s all the truth.”
─ Alright, it’s the truth. But so what? What does that have to do with you needing more time?
“You know our situation. With the kids, how can I leave them by themselves?”
Jaewoo tried to speak as calmly as possible.
─ They’re not my kids.
“Please.”
─ What will you do for me in return?
“I’ll do anything.”
─ I’m looking forward to it. Alright, I’ll give you one more day.
Only then was Jaewoo able to breathe a sigh of relief.
─ But no more than that. And just in case, I’m sending someone over.
“Yes.”
Jaewoo knew he couldn’t possibly refuse that, so he was able to answer calmly. That ended the call with Mujin. Now only Eunjoon was left.
Unfortunately, Jaewoo had no idea what Eunjoon was thinking.
