Chapter 16: Coming Home

Screech.

An unpleasant sound echoed as I pulled the door handle. I stepped into the house, my frown refusing to smooth out.

The dark interior with its lights off created a gloomy atmosphere. It felt damp, probably because I hadn’t ventilated since the spring rain. I worried there might be mold growing on the wallpaper somewhere.

Anyway, I shoved my keys into my bag and went inside.

No need to announce I was home.

Because in this house, I was the only one living here.

It started on an ordinary day.

That day, I’d eaten rice with some decent side dishes before heading to my middle school. I remember meeting a friend on the way. We probably talked about nothing important.

During class, I diligently took notes as always. My efforts to stay at the top of the school for all three years, and my admission to my current school, were all thanks to this dedication.

Then I went home as usual.

Divorce papers lay on the dining table.

“Mom and Dad are going to live separately from now on. We’re sorry for showing you this side of us.”

Mom said this while patting my head.

Looking back now, she didn’t even look particularly sorry.

Glancing around, I saw Dad’s things were already gone.

What had been just another ordinary day for me must have been the last day for Dad.

If they’d told me beforehand, I could’ve at least said goodbye. That much seemed a bit too harsh.

Anyway, that’s how I ended up living with Mom.

And after entering high school, I started living apart from Mom too.

“Mom needs to live her own life too, don’t you think?”

That’s what she said, though I didn’t understand.

After that, except for occasional contact through my uncle, I couldn’t even hear her voice. Even then, she only asked how I was doing. We never had proper conversations.

This too seemed a bit too harsh.

The last thing Mom did for me was finding this house.

I looked around the interior anew after entering.

The kitchen and living room were the first areas past the door. There was a small refrigerator and induction stove, so I could cook if I wanted. Of course, I never would.

Inside was one small room. I hadn’t measured it, but it was probably smaller than my dorm room. Though it only needed enough furniture for the basics anyway.

Opening the window, the night breeze greeted me.

As I felt the stale air slowly escape, I walked to the room.

There wasn’t much in the room.

For furniture, just an empty desk, wooden chair, and small bed. Last year’s textbooks and various other books were stacked like towers on the floor. Without a bookshelf to put them in, this was how it ended up.

I carefully made my way to the bed, trying not to knock over the piles.

I put my bag down by the headboard and collapsed onto the bed.

“Haah…”

A sigh escaped unbidden.

It was fortunate enough just to escape from that prison-like school for a while. That’s what I thought as I came home. I still felt that way. Better to use the chance to go beyond the fence while I had it.

But actually arriving at this empty house made me feel somewhat melancholic.

The house felt cold with no one here. The silence that flowed when I stayed still rang painfully in my ears. It felt like I might fall into the illusion that I was the only person left in the world.

Though I slept alone in the dorm too.

If anything, I was freer here since there was no one to scold me for whatever I did.

I couldn’t understand what felt so lacking.

…Well, maybe it was just lack of sleep.

I’d stayed up all night studying, taken midterms, then come straight home. My body was tired, and my mind even more exhausted. It felt like I’d fall into deep sleep the moment I closed my eyes.

Maybe I should get some rest.

With this thought, I closed my eyes without even changing clothes.

Just as I was about to drift off.

As if perfectly timed, my phone rang.

At this point, I knew who it was without looking.

Checking my phone by the headboard, sure enough, So-yul was calling.

How did she never fail to be predictable? I let out a small laugh and answered immediately.

“Hello?”

I held the phone to my ear and greeted her.

I thought she’d respond with her usual playful “Hello?” like always.

But this time, my prediction was wrong.

What came through the phone instead… was the gentle, sweet sound of piano.

It was a piece I’d heard before. Where had I heard it? After thinking back briefly, I remembered. If my memory was correct, it was the piece So-yul had practiced when I first studied in the piano room at her invitation.

After the brief performance ended, there was some noise through the phone, then:

“Hello?”

Finally, So-yul’s characteristic playful voice came through.

I chuckled and asked:

“What’s this about?”

“Piano.”

Who does she think she’s fooling?

“I know that. I’m asking why you suddenly called to play for me.”

“What? Is that what you meant?”

Of course that’s what I meant. Before I could argue, So-yul let out a soft “hehe” laugh, then:

“The reason’s always the same. We promised to act like a couple, right? So today I called my faraway boyfriend.”

She answered in a tone tinged with annoyance, as if I should’ve known.

But well, I saw it differently. Putting my free hand on my forehead, I pointed out:

“Wasn’t the point to feel thrills by acting like a couple secretly from teachers and other students? I’m outside school now, so this isn’t really breaking rules.”

“Since I’m still in school, it is breaking rules. Stop being so nitpicky when you’re my boyfriend and just play along a bit.”

Oh. Sorry for being nitpicky.

But thinking about it, it was still breaking rules for me too, even outside school. Since dating was forbidden, if So-yul got caught talking to me, we’d both be punished. It was clearly still pushing dangerous boundaries.

In that sense, there was no reason not to play along.

Taking my silence as agreement, So-yul giggled and asked:

“What are you doing now?”

“I was about to sleep when you woke me.”

“Good thing I called then. It’s only 7 PM. You won’t be able to sleep tonight if you sleep now.”

“I’ll sleep fine since I stayed up all night studying. I might even sleep until morning if I sleep now.”

“Hmm, true. I sleep early too when I’m tired from practicing all day.”

So-yul sympathized in a light tone.

Come to think of it, So-yul had contacted me before saying she’d sleep early after playing piano all day. I figured she must have experienced this quite often.

So-yul continued asking:

“What about dinner?”

“Haven’t eaten. Just got here because of Friday night traffic.”

“What? Were you planning to sleep without eating dinner?”

“Why?”

When I asked briefly, So-yul made a “hmm” sound.

Right now, sleep felt more urgent than hunger. If I got too hungry to sleep, I could go out and eat something, but I wasn’t really hungry. I might wake up starving, but then I could just buy a convenience store lunch box.

Was there any reason I couldn’t skip dinner?

“No way.”

So-yul declared as if reading my mind.

“You’re at the age where you should eat a lot and grow. You need to eat proper meals.”

“It’s not convincing when you’re the one nagging.”

“Really, first earlier and now you’re complaining again.”

Though I’d given a proper rebuttal, So-yul complained in a tone clearly showing her annoyance.

Then:

“…Your girlfriend is just worried about you and nagging, dummy.”

She added this.

A girlfriend worried about her boyfriend, huh.

Our relationship was just temporary fake dating to break school rules. We were fake girlfriend and fake boyfriend. There was no reason to care about each other or give lectures.

Yet here she was worrying about me and nagging.

The thought that this was something a real girlfriend would do briefly crossed my mind.

Well, it probably meant she was just really into playing pretend couples. I decided not to think too deeply about it.

“Alright. I’ll eat dinner after we hang up.”

“Good. That’s better.”

She was acting more like a mom than a girlfriend.

As I was feeling somewhat incredulous, So-yul’s amused voice followed:

“Then before I hang up so you can eat and sleep, I’ll play one piece.”

You could just hang up now and I could eat and sleep earlier.

Of course, saying that might invite who knows what response. I’d already been scolded once for arguing earlier, so this time I decided to just accept it.

“Okay.”

At my response, So-yul made a “hmm” sound, then:

“I want to play something you want this time. Any requests?”

“Nope. I don’t know anything about piano or piano music.”

“Pop songs are fine too.”

“Don’t know those either. When I listen to music, I just put YouTube on as background noise.”

“What? Then…”

So-yul paused briefly, then:

“Tell me your current mood at least. I’ll pick a suitable piece.”

My current mood.

Well. It was annoying how So-yul was being so forceful. It was irritating how she interfered saying I had to eat dinner. It felt strange how she was suddenly being so kind.

But more than that.

If I had to express my current feeling simply:

“I feel lonely.”

Amusingly, just like when So-yul called last time, I felt lonely.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who found this amusing. So-yul burst out laughing too.

“…What? You’re lonely?”

“A little.”

“Because I’m not there?”

“As if.”

When I immediately denied it, So-yul chuckled for a while, then:

“Alright. Then I’ll play something that can comfort your loneliness.”

With these words, she began to play.

A gentle melody flowed through my ears.

The sound spread like flowing water, so peaceful it felt like I might drift off to sleep any moment.

Various worries and concerns grew dim, and my chest felt warmly comforted.

I’d expected some cheerful piece since she said it would comfort loneliness. But apparently not.

As I listened quietly, just as So-yul said, my lonely feeling seemed to gradually fade.

Though So-yul was forceful, showed her rough personality unlike in front of others, got annoyed easily, and was always looking for ways to tease me.

In front of the piano… she became a pianist who could touch people’s hearts like no other.

Unexpectedly, this evening made me realize this fact anew.