Chapter 23: Are you a masochist?

“A mere ID card is nothing to fuss about… Oppa, you brought that too, right…?”

Oh Cheongmyeong, who had been standing silently, nodded and took out a box from the bag he was holding.

“This has already been activated under Ms. Han Yeoreum’s name, so you can use it immediately.”
“It’s inconvenient without a phone these days… Don’t worry, I haven’t done anything strange… If you’re really suspicious, you can take it to a service center and have it checked…”

Han Yeoreum, who received the box, looked at me with a bewildered expression.

“You look completely baffled…? But Dojin, there aren’t many problems in this world that money can’t solve…”
“This doesn’t seem like something a little money can solve.”
“Come on, compared to what you’re about to show us, this is nothing… Right…?”

Oh Minseo smiled faintly at me and continued.

“Anyway, Yeoreum ran away from home… To escape her overbearing parents, she came to my place… But it was obvious she’d get caught if she stayed with me, so I left her at Dojin’s house… Why Dojin’s house, when there are other friends? Well… you two know each other… Yeoreum used to visit my place sometimes, and Dojin was there too, so you ate together, talked a bit, and got close… Don’t worry, I’ll tell everyone else a suitable story…”
“…May I ask something?”

Han Yeoreum, fiddling with the fake ID card, cautiously spoke.

“Yeah…?”
“Earlier, your brother said that I and…”
“You can call me unni…”
“Ah, yes. He said that unni and I are maternal cousins. Then shouldn’t our surnames be different?”
“That…? It’s because we happened to take our mother’s surname… Don’t worry about it…”
“Ah, okay.”

Oh Minseo twisted her body after answering with a yawn.

“Oppa, you can continue…”
“Yes, understood. Then, I will now explain what we need Mr. Yu Dojin to do.”

I nodded silently.

“Mr. Yu Dojin, you will respond to the young lady’s summons up to three times a month.”
“It’s up to three times, so I might call you only once or twice, or not at all…”
“Here, ‘summons’ refers to attending a place or event designated by the young lady.”
“So you’re like an actor… You just have to come to the set I designate on the specified day and participate in the filming…”
“Are you asking me to act according to your script?”

Oh Minseo wagged her finger at my question.

“No… I just want to see the natural story you and those kids create in an interesting situation… Oh, and I won’t create any dangerous or risky situations, so keep that in mind… And lastly, lastly… Revealing this is absolutely forbidden~… It won’t be fun if anyone finds out…”
“Okay.”
“Oh, you’re accepting this so readily…?”

Oh Minseo tilted her head, studying my face for a moment, then slowly spoke.

“Dojin, can I ask you something…?”
“Yeah.”
“Why are you accepting this so obediently…? Ah, is it because of that girl…?”

Oh Minseo’s gaze shifted towards Han Yeoreum.

“No, that’s just a secondary reason.”
“Hmm…? Then why…”
“I want to talk.”
“Talk…?”

Yes, in essence, she’s asking me to be a clown in the situation she creates, but that doesn’t matter.
All I need is to be able to talk to them.

“Come to think of it, I don’t think I know you guys very well. No, I had chances, but I ran away.”

Making excuses out of fear.

“And because of that, misunderstandings arose and escalated, and everything became a mess. I want to resolve that. I want to talk properly, apologize if I did something wrong, and improve if there’s anything to regret. And then—”
“Pfft.”

Oh Minseo covered her mouth with one hand.

“Ah, sorry, I couldn’t help it… I roughly understand what you’re trying to say… But still, isn’t that too foolish…?”

Laughter, devoid of any amusement, spread from behind her palm.

“You did your best… You kept talking to them, trying to improve your shortcomings… They’re the ones who ran away… Obsessed with their strange victim complex, ignoring what you were saying, and continuing…”
“No, if I had just made up my mind, it would have been resolved long ago.”
“That’s quite… stubborn of you… Okay, okay, let’s say it’s Dojin’s fault… But still, erasing all the women’s names from your contacts, suppressing your hobbies, recklessly throwing away things you cherished, cursing and attacking them as if you’d kill them if you accidentally saw a woman’s face, calling you incompetent, taking away your work, and finally resorting to violence to control your life—I think that’s going too far…? Or what, are you a masochist who enjoys such things…?”

Oh Minseo’s words stung.

“You finally ended it, you finally escaped… And you’re going back there on your own…? Really, even though I’m the one who asked you to do this, I don’t understand…”

She was right. I had tried to escape. I was trying to end it, even forcefully.
But…

“It’s not over.”
“What…?”
“It’s not over. And if it continues like this, it will never be over.”

Unless it’s properly resolved, it will remain in our hearts and torment us forever.
Just like I can’t escape the memories of that day.

“Really? That’s a tear-jerking story… But you know what…?”

Her icy gaze pierced me.

“If you really wanted to talk, you should have rejected my offer somehow… You’re just making excuses, clinging to me to create a pretext…”

Oh Minseo was right.
I had severed my ties with them. I insulted them, ran away, and forced an end.
And now, trying to talk to them again—how arrogant of me.

There would be people who had already made up their minds about me, people who rejected me because of my hurtful words.
It would be an incredibly difficult journey.

—Y-Yu Dojin. Listen to me. So…
—Then what have I been doing until now? I just, oppa…
—Dojin, Dojin. Don’t go. I was wrong. I’ll do better now. Please, I’m about to cry… Please.
—Dammit, look at me when I’m talking to you!

But that day, I clearly saw the resentment in their eyes.

“Right, so in the end, you’ll be lying to them, using me as an excuse.”
“Yeah… So stop with the pathetic lies and tell me your real purpose…”

And that goes for you too, Oh Minseo.

“Because I want to know you.”
“What?”

Oh Minseo’s eyebrows twitched at my words.

“Because I know you’re not the type to make such an offer without a reason.”

I know.
The gentle smile she sometimes showed while sitting on the sofa in the film club room.

That wasn’t something she could fake like now.

“So I’ll stay by your side and find out what your real intentions are.”
“Do you even know what you’re saying right now?”

A voice, cold as a winter wind, pierced my ears. That must be Oh Minseo’s real voice.

“Yeah.”
“It’s disgusting. Pathetic. Don’t drag me into justifying your garbage logic.”
“I’m sorry if you feel that way.”
“I don’t have any feelings for you or those idiots. I just want to see those foolish girls cry and regret. You’re just a clown for that purpose.”
“Okay.”

Let’s assume that’s the reason for now.

“No matter what, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re lying. The fact that you’re deceiving those idiots in a rigged game for a price.”
“I know. When it’s all over, I’ll properly apologize and pay the price. But I’m sincere about wanting to talk to them and improve our relationships.”

Silence descended. All I could hear was a faint breath from somewhere and the pounding in my chest.
Oh Minseo, who had been staring at me, suddenly lowered her head and then,

“…Ta-da!”
“…?”
“It was a hidden camera prank all along… Dojin is a fool, he didn’t even realize it was a joke and took it so seriously…”

Oh Minseo, her eyes crinkled into crescents, spread her hands wide. Her indifferent voice had somehow changed back to her usual playful tone.

“Wh-What!?”

Han Yeoreum’s foolish scream cut through the silence. I scratched the back of my neck with an exaggerated gesture and spoke.

“I almost had a heart attack.”
“Dojin is a fool… Oppa… you got it all, right…?”
“Yes, I captured it clearly.”

Han Yeoreum, leaning back in her chair, clutched her chest.

“Stop playing pranks that only you two understand. I don’t know how to react…”
“Hehe… Sorry…”

But I knew. That her mouth wasn’t smiling at all.

****

After the meal, we followed Oh Cheongmyeong outside. As we reached the entrance, Han Yeoreum sighed deeply, as if exhausted.

“Mr. Yu Dojin, are you heading straight home now?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“If it’s not too much trouble, I would like to offer you a ride in my car. Would that be alright?”

Oh Cheongmyeong bowed his head. His movements were so precise that they almost exuded a sense of dignity. He must be tired, having been standing since we arrived.

“No, it’s okay. I’d like to walk a bit to aid digestion.”
“If the food didn’t suit your taste, or if there were any shortcomings in the preparation, I will dismiss the chef who made the food immediately and completely overhaul the kitchen…”
“No. Actually, it was so delicious that I ate more than usual.”

Oh Cheongmyeong looked at my face with a worried expression.

“If you have indigestion, I can take you to the Beyond Hospital emergency room right now—”
“Really, I’m fine.”

I quickly changed the subject.

“Then we’ll be going now.”
“Yes, thank you sincerely for accepting my young lady’s invitation today. I look forward to seeing you again.”

Seeing Oh Cheongmyeong’s bright smile, I finally realized that they were siblings.