Bring It On! - Chapter 90

Chapter 90.

The very first thing I did was clean up the trash inside and outside the house. From damp, stinking blankets to broken chairs, beer cans carelessly tossed over the fence, bricks, and cigarette butts. 

I sorted everything by size and stacked them neatly. For two full days and nights, I went back and forth to the hospital, dealing only with the trash. 

I couldn’t even straighten my back properly, but finally, a wide, open space emerged.

“Just by clearing the trash, it already feels like a completely different house.”

I wiped the sweat streaming down my face and let out a satisfied sigh. I did the wallpaper myself, and I paid a man in the neighborhood, reputed to be good at flooring, to lay down the floor mats.

As the gloomy house transformed day by day, the neighbors came by every day, praising and marveling at the changes. The more I was told I was good at something, the better I became at it. 

Immersed in a sense of accomplishment, I forgot my fatigue and threw myself into making the house beautiful.

I called people to fix the plumbing and connect the gas pipes, then sealed all the gaps where bugs could enter. In the chaos of working nonstop, even my previously tangled thoughts seemed to sort themselves out. 

I couldn’t admit it, but I even had the ridiculous thought that maybe hard labor was what I was meant for.

By the time Suho was discharged, the house was perfectly arranged. It was ready for him to move in without a single worry. After the move, I immediately looked for tutoring jobs. 

I was a little surprised that responses came faster than expected. I thought I’d have to wait at least a week. But earning money even a day earlier seemed better, so I dove straight into work with no break. 

My ambition even led me to apply for weekday closing shifts at a café.

“Hey, noona, noona.”

“What is it? Let’s lie here a little longer.”

“No, I mean… Can I go to a friend’s house tomorrow?”

I lifted my head sharply.

“A friend? Whose house?”

“To Hyunsoo’s. Choi Bada, Seong Haram, and…”

Counting on his fingers, Suho’s eyes sparkled with hidden excitement. Having been at the hospital so long, his skin, once sun-darkened from the deserted island, was slowly returning to its natural color. 

Still young, his recovery was remarkable. Thanks to this, despite the major surgery, he quickly regained his energy, and tests showed no other abnormalities, so he was safely discharged.

Suho started attending a comprehensive academy. Before entering school next year, he needed to bring his academic level up and gradually adjust to socializing with peers.

The night before sending him to the academy, I barely slept, worrying. Seeing him adapt well was a relief.

How could I say no to that shy, flushed little face full of anticipation?

“Did you get permission from Hyunsoo’s parents?”

“Yes!”

“Okay. I’ll pick you up before five.”

Suho cheered loudly. Choosing a house instead of an apartment building seemed like the right decision.

While having a late dinner with Suho, my phone rang. The eleven-digit number wasn’t saved, but I recognized it immediately. It was Cha Yoon.

“……”

The battery was low, and the phone eventually died, ending the call. Lately, he contacted me almost every day. We were poison to each other. 

Both of us needed to reclaim our lives. He without me, and I adjusting to a new life.

Determined to leave no room for compromise, I ignored all his attempts. Yet Cha Yoon never seemed to tire. 

What did he still want to say? Was it because of his insomnia? I recalled the last time I saw him. 

His eyes hollow, his face gaunt, devoid of any vitality, looking like he could collapse at any moment.

Though our parting was rough and we had many fights, having spent time together made me concerned for him. Perhaps because of his messages, I thought of Cha Yoon at least once a day. 

Was he sleeping well? By now, he should be able to rest without me.

Once the intense resentment and frustration I felt toward Cha Yoon faded over time, I even felt sorry for him. In addition to losing five months of memory, he had become someone who couldn’t sleep without an unfamiliar woman nearby.

“Noona, I’m sleepy.”

“Take your medicine, brush your teeth, and go to bed.”

Even after clearing the dishes, taking a bath, and lying down, thoughts of Cha Yoon lingered. Recently, even Director Park kept contacting me. 

I wondered if something serious had happened. Tossing and turning, I couldn’t sleep until dawn. Eventually, I quietly got out of bed and went to the living room. I needed a warm drink to calm my mind and clear my thoughts.

As I reached for a cup, I noticed a dark figure moving outside the small kitchen window. Had I imagined it? Cautiously, I stepped into the living room and slightly drew the curtains. I hadn’t been mistaken. Sure enough, something or someone was lurking around the house.

I quickly closed the curtains, feeling my heart hammering in my chest. My mind became sharper than ever. Right, by now, everyone in the neighborhood must know that this house is inhabited by just a woman and a child. 

Those strange pests who pop up everywhere like cockroaches must have caught the scent and come looking.

First, I needed to report this. Quietly, I crept back to my room. But my phone wouldn’t turn on. Realizing belatedly that the battery was dead, I was filled with a deep sense of frustration. 

I quickly plugged it into the charger and headed to the kitchen, holding a pot of seaweed soup I’d prepared earlier that evening.

Like a protagonist in a spy movie, I pressed my ear against the front door, moving silently and nimbly. Slowly closing my eyes, I listened to the footsteps approaching. 

They weren’t the erratic steps of a drunkard. Who would wander around someone’s house at this hour and then just stand in front of the door? If this wasn’t an intruder, I’d be sorry. 

Just imagine someone at the wrong house after getting beaten senseless by me. This wasn’t an abandoned, neglected house.

Resolute, I flung the door open. My winning strategy was to strike first, shocking the intruder before they could attack. I was about to pour the soup and swing the pot with all my strength. 

The collision of cold metal with something solid rang out—clang!—echoing through the night.

I was about to note the intruder’s features to report them to the police… when the pot slipped from my hand. Wide-eyed, I stared at the figure before me, no intruder, it was Cha Yoon.

“Y-you… why are you here…!”

His wet hair dripped seaweed soup, and the savory scent wafted from his clothes. He stood there, stunned, unable to resist the sudden attack. 

Then, blood began to trickle from his temple. I covered my mouth with one hand.

“Okay, okay! Come in.”

Instinctively, I dragged him into the house. Picking up the pot from the floor, I noticed it was dented in the middle. I quickly hid it behind my back, worried he might see it.

***

I quietly opened Suho’s bedroom door. He was sound asleep, oblivious to everything. I closed the door again and tiptoed back into the living room. 

The one who shouldn’t have been there was standing right in the center of the room.

Cha Yoon.

Was I dreaming? I rubbed my forehead with my palm and approached him.

“I didn’t expect you to welcome me like this,” he said slowly in a low voice. His deeply sunken eyes stared straight through me.

“…How did you know I was here?”

“Does it matter?”

“Do all of you just go around like this? Digging up personal info, showing up at night without notice…”

“Without notice?” 

He scoffed, repeating my words. My heart skipped a beat, realizing how guilty I felt. I cleared my throat and pretended to examine him, diverting the conversation.

“Y-your… injury…”

“Bad, huh? You should take responsibility, right?”

“It’s not bad enough that you need stitches. If you put on some ointment and a bandage, and it’ll heal.”

“So you’re telling me to leave?”

“…Yeah.”

I answered, avoiding his gaze.

“My head hurts.”

“……”

“I might faint.”

“……”

“I didn’t even bring a car. If I go back like this, I’ll catch a cold. It’s pretty cold outside.”

Every word of his pierced my conscience. Finally, covering my eyes with one hand, I pointed toward the bathroom.

“Go wash up.”