Parenthood

As he took the bowl of delicious food from the man, Bong-soo looked at it and remarked happily, "My mother always made this for me," before asking the man, skeptically, "Did you know I like this food?" Dae-hyun said, sitting at the table, "How should I know? I merely created something that was ready soon."

The boy nodded and said, "Thank you." and began to eat eagerly. Dae-hyun turned on the TV, picked up his chopsticks, and started eating. Bong-soo took a bite and asked, “Do you feel upset eating with me?”

As he was chewing his food, the man looked at him and asked him with his eyes what the reason was for this question. Bong-soo put down his bowl for a moment and said, "That day in the cafe, you were all focused on your phone. Now you are focused on the TV. Somehow, I feel that you don't consider me a person at all."

Dae-hyun took a bite and said, "It's not about you. I'm used to being alone, so I look at something like a phone or TV out of habit." He put his bowl on the table, picked up the remote, and said. If it bothers you, I can turn it off." The boy shook his head and replied, "No, no need; it is your home." He then changed the subject, saying, "We didn't buy drinks. Do you have any drinks at home? The man answered, picking up his bowl again, "Maybe in the fridge; go see for yourself."

Bong-soo nodded, got up, and went to the kitchen. After a few moments, he came back, and as he put the two cans on the table, he said, "That's all; it's alcohol-free." Dae-hyun said, "I don't drink alcohol; that's why I don't have any at home."

- Are you kidding? A man of your age does not drink alcohol? Of course, maybe you mean that you don't drink now or with me.

- No. I said it's not about you. I do not drink alcohol.

Bong-soo asked as he started eating again, “You mean you've never had an alcoholic drink before?” Dae-hyun turned his head to him and replied, "I drank. But in the last ten years, I didn't." The boy whistled and asked, "Ten years? That's a long time! Why? Does it bother you?" Dae-Hyun, whose head was starting to hurt from the boy's questions, answered "no."

Pausing a little, he patted his painful knee and added, "I don't have good memories of getting drunk." Just as Bong-soo was about to ask another question, the man suddenly said, “Can we please eat in silence?” The young boy paused for a moment, then nodded his head in agreement and continued to eat his food in annoyance and in silence.

***

As he sat in the living room with a full stomach, he looked at the man who, against his insistence, was washing dishes in the kitchen. The food was tasty and delicious; Bong-soo couldn't remember the last time he had a home-cooked meal.

When he was 8 years old, his father died in a car accident. A year later, his mother married another man, and shortly after that, the whole family immigrated to Austria. Bong-soo spent his childhood and adolescence in Austria, and in his last years of high school, he met Eujin, who had come to Austria for a few years, and they ended up participating in a talent audition for a Korean music company.

Despite his mother's objections, he followed his interest in dance and music, and as soon as he turned 18, he returned to Korea with Eujin to learn specialized dance and group singing under the cover of a scholarship from GYP Entertainment. Since then, his communication with his mother and half-sisters has gradually decreased. His stepfather did not care about him, and he did not have a close relationship with him; thus, he never felt homesick for the house.

But sometimes he missed his mother and sisters. They were always kind to him. During these years, he only had the opportunity to go to Austria and visit them five times, and most of the time he was in contact with them only through video calls, which was rare due to the time difference between South Korea and Austria.

After eating this food tonight, he missed his mother and her cooking again. He looked at the clock, which showed 23:38. Now it was almost evening in Austria, so he could call them. He asked the man who was drying the dishes, "Won't you mind if I make a call?"

Dae-hyun replied without looking at him as he continued his work, “Feel free." The young boy smiled, took out his phone, and called his mother. After talking for about ten minutes, he ended the call and put the phone on the small table in the room.

Dae-hyun asked with an unlikely curiosity as he sat down by the table with two cups of chamomile tea, "You were speaking in a foreign language? Of course it wasn't English," Bong-soo raised his eyebrows. "It was Austrian. I was talking to my mother and sisters."

"I didn't know you weren't originally Korean," Dae-hyun said as he took a sip of his hot drink. The blue-haired boy picked up his own cup, blew out the contents, and replied, "I am. My parents are Korean, and I was born here. When I was 8 years old, we immigrated to Austria. My sisters were born there, so they know very little Korean. My mother is also used to the Austrian language."

Dae-hyun said, "Interesting," and continued to drink, ignoring the fact that the boy didn't mention his father in his words. Bong-soo took a sip of his drink, then asked, "You said you're single. But what about your parents? Isn't your family in Seoul?"

Dae-hyun said as he looked at the cup in his hands, "I was born in Gwangju. When I was two years old, my father abandoned me and my mother. I don't remember much about my father. My mother raised me." Bong-soo asked curiously, "You're lucky, because your mom is still in Korea. Do you visit her? Does she still live in Gwangju?"

- Yes, I go to Gwangju once a year.

- Only once a year? Isn't it unfair? I am sure she would like to see you more. Don't be like me. If my mother were in Korea, I would visit her at least once a week.

- I think once a year is enough to perform the anniversary ceremony and clean her tombstone. I don't think she needs to see me anymore.

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Cha. I thought your mother was alive," Bong-soo said, completely shocked. The man took a sip of his drink and said, "it’s okay. It's been 5 years since she died of cancer." Then he added distractedly, "By the way, you don't need to call me formally; I'm only 6 years older than you; just say Dae-Hyun."

The boy, who was still shocked, composed himself a little and asked to change the atmosphere, "Did you come to Seoul to work or study?" The man, who seemed to be a little lost in his memories, answered, "About 12 years ago for..." but suddenly came to his senses, cleared his throat, and added, "I came to Seoul for work and stayed here."

Bong-soo put his empty cup on the table and asked, “Did you have an accident just then?” Tired of the boy's questions, Dae-hyun sighed and said, "You better get ready; it's getting late. I'm sure you have something important to do tomorrow." The blue-haired boy had noticed the man's refusal to answer, but he didn't want to be rude, so he got up slowly and said, "You're right, it's time to go."

As he put on his coat, Dae-hyun put on a sweatshirt and walked with him to the door. The boy smiled and said, "Well, thank you for the dinner. Although I was supposed to treat you, but that's okay too." He wants to shake the man's hand, but he says, "I'll walk with you to the car."

Bong-soo frowned and said, "I'm not a kid; I can go myself. Besides, your knee hurts enough; you don't need to come with me." But Dae-hyun ignored him, locked the door, put the key in his pocket, and said, "As I told you, this place is not like your neighborhood. You are a handsome young man with stylish clothes, so it is natural that you should be more careful in the middle of the night in lonely alleys."

Suddenly he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. It was an unpleasant feeling, as if someone were watching him secretly. As he looked around the alley with a frown, Bong-soo asked, “What are you looking at?” Dae-hyun took a deep breath and said, "Nothing, let's go; I want to go back and sleep soon." Then he started walking as he pushed the boy forward.

***

As he opened the car door, he said, “Thanks again for dinner; I had a great time.” Dae-hyun nodded as he looked around. “Don't mention it. Be careful on the way." Bong-soo smiled and sat in the car, but before starting, something came to his mind.

He rolled down the window and turned to the man standing on the sidewalk and said, "Actually, I'm going on a tour outside of Korea in a few days. I won't be here for about a month." Dae-hyun raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why are you telling this to me?" Bong-soo said with a forced smile, "Well, I thought if you don't see me for a while, you might think I'm ungrateful, and after one dinner, I forgot about you. That's why I wanted you to know."

The man sighed and said, "Don't worry, I don't think so. It was our intention from the beginning that we wouldn't see each other after the Thanksgiving dinner. I'm sorry, but it's better for both of us. Good night, and I hope you have success on your journey." After saying this, he put his hands in his pocket and walked away from the car.

Bong-soo looked at the man driving away in annoyance from the car mirror and said, "You damn fool! You should be happy to hang out with me! It's not your fault; I'm a fool for saying such ridiculous things!" Then he angrily started the car and drove off.

However, the whole time he was driving, his mind was busy. Although Dae-hyun's behavior was cold, it was not disgusting. Bong-soo could totally feel that he was trying to keep his distance from him, not because of the age difference but because of something else. Maybe it was due to social class differences.

As he entered the parking lot of the tower, he sighed and said to himself, "What can I expect? I was the one who got excited and stuck to him like an intruder. It's understandable that he doesn't view me in a positive light." He parked his car, got out, and walked towards the elevator with a heavy heart.

***

Dae-hyun cautiously walked all the way home. He had no idea why he felt like someone was observing him and the blue-haired boy as they approached the side of the car. He took another apprehensive glance at the dark lane before entering his house and locking the door.

As soon as he entered the living room, he sat on the floor and started rubbing his painful knee. Ever since he had come home with the boy and opened the splint, his knee had been hurting badly, but he had tried to hide his pain in front of the boy all night.

He slowly took off his pants and dragged himself on the floor until he reached the side of the small closet. He took out the cream from the closet and started rubbing his knee with it. Then he leaned against the wall for a few moments to absorb the cream well. But he fell asleep unintentionally.

Feeling the cold, he opened his eyes, looked at the clock, and realized that he had napped for about an hour. The pain in his knee had subsided, so he slowly got up and put on his pants, and after going to the bathroom, he made his bed. Just as he was about to lie down, his eyes fell on Bong-soo's teacup on the table.

He took it with a sigh and went to the kitchen. While washing the cup, he thought that despite his fame and wealth, the boy's behavior was childish, and his inner feelings could be seen from his face. Putting the cup on the cloth next to the sink, he remembered the last question the boy had asked: "Did you have an accident at that time?"

Unconsciously, his gaze fixed on the door to the house's only bedroom. The door had been closed for a long time. Of course, the blue-haired young man didn't realize when he entered the house that Dae-hyun had changed his clothing in the bathroom rather than the bedroom.

He slowly went to the door, took the key from the top of the cupboard next to the door, unlocked it, and opened the door. When he turned on the light, he discovered a dusty room. He grinned grimly, recalling the last time he entered this room after returning from his mother's funeral.

He looked at the dusty bed, the shelves full of awards with cobwebs tied between them, and the pieces of newspapers on the wall. This room was full of memories, full of pain, and full of sadness.

When he saw the headline in one of the newspapers, he fisted his hands. He felt the agony in his knee worsen as he recalled the memories. He swallowed his rage, turned off the light, closed and locked the door, and returned the key to its place on top of the cupboard.

He walked back to his bed and mumbled as he lay down, "I'm not that person anymore. I'm just a lame guard now. I'm just Cha Dae-hyun now." Then he closed his eyes and fell into a disturbed sleep with the sound of car brakes, screams, and a bone protruding from the wound.

***

Eujin asked with curiosity, "Where did you go last night, little Soo? Do you know how upset those girls were?" Bong-soo replied as he warmed up by stretching, "Don't call me like that. Besides, they were your guests, not mine."

The blonde-haired boy raised his eyebrows and said, "Are you still upset that I pushed that man away? By the way, what were you doing there? You left practice early yesterday and said you had work." Then he gave a mean grin and said, "Did you have a date?"

Bong-soo ignored him and resumed his moves, saying, "Maybe, who knows?" Eujin lifted his eyebrows, flung his arm over his neck, and exclaimed, "Oh, look who is maturing. My counsel to you, boy, is to avoid being involved in love. You're still extremely young, and you can make fun of any attractive girl. Love, and being in love, will bind you."

With a sigh, Bong-soo removed his hand from around his neck and said, "Come on, Eujin. I don't feel like arguing. Right now, I want to focus on the concerts we want to hold and our work." Eujin made a funny face for him and said with a mocking expression, "Oh, fiery and loud Phoenix wants to shine in concert."

Despite his ridiculous behavior, Bong-soo laughed and said, "You'll never stop playing pranks. Warm yourself up instead; Seso will be coming soon. If he sees that we're talking instead of practicing, he'll growl." Eujin gently moved his neck to the left and right and said, "As you wish, Captain Phoenix, Sergeant Eujin will return to his post." Then he took a few steps away from him and began to stretch.

***

The man shifted his glasses and looked at the photos on the laptop screen. He had spent more than ten years of his life photographing and reporting on the lives of celebrities. Maybe if he hadn't accidentally gone to N.Gill's restaurant that night to visit the emotional relationships of that ridiculous actor, he would never have been able to take such photos.

He could make a good report from these photos and increase his fame with them. He was immersed in his thoughts when suddenly someone knocked on the car window. He jumped up, quickly closed the laptop, and realized that it was the same man he had seen a few nights ago. As soon as he lowered the window, the man asked with a frown, "Do you have anything to do here?"

He gulped and replied, "Ah, no. I-I don't have anything special to do; I just p-parked here." The man smiled and said, "Can you please get out of the car for a moment?" He smiled back, put his laptop away, and got out of the car. As soon as he closed the car door, the young man grabbed him by the collar, slammed him to the car, and said, "Do you think I'm stupid?"

He was astonished and perplexed, saying, "W-What are you doing?! Let me go!" But the man gripped him tightly and shouted, "I know you're a damn reporter; I can tell by those foolish and inquisitive eyes of yours. So tell me, what is your name?"

He could feel his body shaking, but he replied gently, "Ko Jae-Bin." The man offered an unfriendly smile while maintaining his frown and said, "Well, Mr. Ko, I don't want reporters like you loitering around my house and spreading rumors with their silly illusions. So never make me see you here again, because if you're lucky, I'll merely call the cops for harassment, and if you're unlucky, I'll shatter your glasses in your face."

The man paused for his threat to take effect and then asked, "Understood?" The bespectacled man slowly nodded in approval while his face was wet with sweat. Dae-hyun gently let go of his collar, straightened the reporter's clothes with his hand, and said with a smile, "I'm glad we understand each other, Mr. Ko. Have a nice day."

Then he turned his back to him and slowly walked towards the door of his house. But the bespectacled man quickly ran to him and said, "Wait! I-I know you! You're Cha Dae-Hyun! The one known as Mr. JET! Now I understand why you look so familiar!"

Dae-hyun stopped for a moment and said without looking at him, "I think you're mistaken, Mr. Ko. I don't know the kind of person you're talking about. You better watch out for your imagination. Don't forget what I told you; I won't treat you so kindly next time." Then he opened the door of the house and entered his house without paying attention to the reporter.