Return Home – 3

“That’s what happened.”

Late at night.

Of course, for Se-ah it would be daytime, but I had answered the welcome phone call with a light heart before going to sleep.

The content I heard through Se-ah wasn’t so light.

After hearing about the conversation Se-ah had with oppa earlier that day, about how oppa had been waiting for me with such feelings.

I thought I should ask this first.

“…Se-ah, is it okay for you to tell me this?”

“So you don’t like it?”

“No, I’m grateful, buut…”

I felt a bit uncomfortable learning about something oppa had kept secret from me through Se-ah instead of oppa himself.

Even so, oppa has his privacy…

Ah.

But since it’s between oppa and me, and we’re… in a relationship that will last a lifetime… I thought it might be okay.

…Uh, I’m sorry, oppa.

“Mmm, I really agonized over whether to tell you or not. I didn’t want to meddle in someone else’s relationship uninvited, and I didn’t want to seem like a gossip.”

Se-ah, who had her lips pursed, continued with “But—”

“I received help from oppa today. I thought it would be better for you to know, so I contacted you to return the favor as well. As you know, our oppa—”

“Would never tell me such things. Yes, thank you.”

It wasn’t that oppa never talked to me about his worries or showed weakness.

Just as I leaned on oppa when I was having a hard time, oppa would also lean on me when he had difficulties.

But.

“…Did oppa say he was having a hard time?”

“…Yes. But he emphasized that it was a little, a very little bit.”

“Hehe, what’s that…”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Se-ah’s voice emphasizing “a little,” putting strength in her pronunciation as if afraid I might take it too seriously.

If oppa said a little… he’s probably having a very hard time.

That’s the kind of person oppa was.

The one who, despite being more curious than anyone about when I would return, never once asked, “When are you coming back, exactly?”

That kind of oppa.

I had thought he would be having a hard time, but actually hearing that he really was made me a little…

No, a lot.

It hurt my heart.

The reason oppa was holding it in alone without telling me was surely.

For my sake.

He probably knew that the moment he mentioned it, I would feel sorry.

I hated myself for not being able to deny it.

**

…This won’t do.

After finishing my call with Se-ah last night, I tossed and turned in bed all night.

After a sleepless night of worry.

I made up my mind.

I would talk to my parents about returning to Korea. If the whole family couldn’t go, I could use Jin-hyuk oppa as bait and at least I could go.

Now that I knew for certain that oppa was struggling, staying like this would be…

No different from taking oppa’s consideration for granted. I didn’t want to be deceived by familiarity.

ㅡ …We’ve waited for a long time.

The study abroad period that was supposed to be at least three years had already stretched to three years and a half month.

When I told my parents I had something to say in the evening, they said they also had something to talk about.

So that evening.

The whole family gathered around the dining table.

While I was wondering if I should speak first, Dad cleared his throat and began.

“There’s something I need to apologize for.”

Just a moment ago, I was trying to think of how to persuade my parents, but Dad’s unexpected words made all of that disappear from my mind.

…No way.

“…What is it?”

Both Jin-hyuk oppa and I waited for Dad’s next words with dumbfounded expressions.

“Well…”

“…Well?”

“Well… we’re finally going back to Korea this March.”

……………Korea……………?

“W-wait. Dad. What did you just say?”

While I was blankly repeating “Korea, Korea…?” in my head, Jin-hyuk oppa spoke in an urgent voice.

“I said we’re going back to Korea this March, so in two months.”

“…But you said you needed to apologize?”

“No matter how much you wanted to go back to Korea, you’ve lived here for over three years. You’ll need to say goodbye to the people you’ve met here and prepare yourselves mentally, but I’m telling you so suddenly…”

“YEAAAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WE’RE SAVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Before Dad could finish speaking, Jin-hyuk oppa shouted and jumped up from his chair.

Not stopping there, he climbed onto the chair and shouted “HOOO-!!!!!!!!!!!!!” while jerking his waist in a posture I didn’t understand the meaning of, but it seemed like it would harm my eyesight just watching.

“Oh, really! You scared me by saying you needed to apologize! I thought we were going to Thailand or staying here for another 5 years or something!”

“I feel bad for you kids, since it was sudden when we came here, and now it’s sudden again when we’re leaving…”

“Not at all! What do you mean goodbyes or mental preparation! Two months? We’d be happy to go in two days! Oh, what a relief. Se-ah said she’d kill me if we didn’t come back by the fourth year!”

“What? Who dares to say such things to my son?”

“Se-ah! My girlfriend!”

“…That cute girl?”

My parents looked at Jin-hyuk oppa with an expression that said “surely not,” but.

I understood.

That what Se-ah said was sincere.

Having successfully extended his life, oppa ran to his room screaming “YAHOO-!!!” as if there was nothing else to hear.

He probably wanted to tell, no, report to Se-ah.

As Jin-hyuk oppa left noisily, my parents’ concerned gaze turned to me.

“Ye-rin, putting Jin-hyuk aside. Are you okay?”

“Was it decided suddenly…?”

“To be precise, we’ve been discussing returning to Korea for some time. The business has mostly stabilized. However, we didn’t want to tell you in advance in case we couldn’t go, as you might get too disappointed. We decided to tell you when it was certain.”

“…That means.”

“Yes, it’s certain now. If you’re okay with it, we can go in March to match the school enrollment timing. We’ve made all the preparations.”

“Really…?”

Drip.

“Oh my…”

“Oh dear…”

Patter.

Teardrops rolled down my face and fell onto the table.

My parents, who had been watching, got up from their seats in surprise.

Soon they came over and embraced me.

“…R-really, sniff, we can go…?”

“Of course it’s real. I’m so sorry our shortcomings as parents caused you such distress.”

“Oh, look at our daughter’s pretty face all messed up…”

“Hic, oppa, said, I, sniff, look pretty even when I cry…”

“…It seems Woo-jin has seen our daughter crying. Did Woo-jin make you cry? When?”

“Dear, is that what you want to focus on now? They probably watched a sad movie together or something.”

“No, honey, we need to be clear about these things. If that Woo-jin boy made our Ye-rin…”

“Hic, Daddy’s mean… Don’t say bad things about my oppa…”

“W-what…? Ye-rin, what did you just call Daddy…?”

“Ye-rin, don’t worry about Daddy. I’ll scold him later. Stop crying now!”

“Sniff, okay…”

After that, leaving Dad who seemed shocked behind, I asked Mom several more times.

If it was really true that we were going to Korea in two months.

Mom assured me it was definite, and although it wasn’t exactly the same house we used to live in.

She said they had secured a place in the same building where we used to live.

As I listened to other specific plans, tears began to well up in my eyes again.

I pinched my cheek slightly, wondering if this was a dream born from my desperate desire to see oppa, but my cheek just felt soft and I didn’t wake up from any dream.

ㅡ I miss you. I really miss you, oppa…

…Finally.

Finally.

Thinking that I could finally meet oppa.

Relief and happiness washed over me like waves.

Tears flowed down without me realizing.

After that day, I was really busy.

Although my only close friend was Aram, I couldn’t just say goodbye to her alone.

So I said my farewells to everyone while preparing for the move.

Aram was like.

“Waaah, don’t go, Ye-rin~!!! Who will I hang out with if you’re gone~!”

“I’m sorry… But when you come to Korea someday, let’s definitely hang out together, okay?”

“Will you come when I call you…?”

“Of course…!”

“Even if you have a date with your boyfriend?”

“…Can I bring oppa with me?”

“Wow, can’t you at least say you’ll come see me?”

“That was already a big compromise…”

“Ugh, I’m dying of sadness here while you’re dying of happiness thinking about seeing your boyfriend, I really hate you~!!!”

“…Is it that obvious?”

“Super obvious!”

…I wonder if it’s that bad, I thought as I touched the corners of my mouth, and indeed felt them curled up as Aram had said.

“I’m sorry, but…”

“Fine, I get it.”

Aram, who had been grumbling as if feeling left out, hugged me tightly.

“Don’t forget me. When you get there, live happily with that boyfriend you love so much. Send photos occasionally too. Ah, but not too often. I might get sick with envy. Got it?”

“…Yes. I will. Definitely.”

“And don’t send news like you got married right away or that you’re pregnant. Got it?”

“……..”

“…Ye-rin, why aren’t you answering?”

“…I tend not to make promises I can’t keep.”

“…What part of what I just said can’t you keep?”

“…There was something.”

“Seo Ye-rin, you’re crazy, crazy, crazy…”

Half-joking, but.

With a promise to meet again someday, I said goodbye to the precious friend I had made in America.

Now all that remained was.

To share this joyful news with oppa.