76 – Those who stopped
My hometown is Incheon. The place where they grew up now is nearby, and it appears that they even had a connection in the past.
“It’s so amazing.”
“Me too.”
Yumi looked at Hangyeol, who opened his eyes wide and smiled as if he was truly amazed, with a somewhat bitter smile. She was genuinely surprised.
No matter how small Korea is, what are the chances of a relationship continuing like this? These two met through the relationship of a hero and a villain.
“So, I often helped here. “I spilled coffee once-“
No, this is not a coincidence. Rather, if you think about it, it is probably inevitable. Maybe everything is just going the way he thought.
“I still come here often. “Sometimes, I get upset when the kids don’t come to see me.”
“…How is everyone doing?”
“Yes?”
“That local sister or Hoyoung-“
“Uh, older sister and older brother? “Do you know?”
“I remember the name. Of course, I don’t remember much anymore.”
As of now, it has been a very long time since we last met, but when Hangyeol answers the names of people he vaguely remembers, he smiles brightly. It was true that his vigilance had noticeably decreased, as if he was getting closer to the person who drew a line somewhere, like his reaction now.
However, if there is something the leader did not predict-
“My local sister is doing well now. “Maybe he got married?”
“…Marriage?!”
“Yes. “What is it? Why are you so surprised?”
“No, no. “Then what about Hoyoung?”
“…He died. Lately.”
The more I talk, the more agitated I become, so does Yumi feel the same way?
“-Are you going to die?”
“Yes, I got caught up in the villain’s terror attack.”
An orphanage that I visited with my parents in the past. The two were particularly close there. An obituary saying that one of them was killed by a villain.
Upon hearing that news, Yumi clenched her fists tightly, then closed her eyes and bit her lip.
Of course, whether they die or not doesn’t really matter at this point. She was also a villain, and she killed many people. Of course, even though it was all done by her leader, it did not change the fact that she died due to her own abilities, so her hands would have been dirty.
However, even if that were the case-
“…To whom?”
“They say it’s the evil brigade.”
Why does she feel that the fact that she killed someone she knew in the place she belonged to is no different from killing someone herself?
“I’m sorry…”
“That’s right.”
This is selfishness. The hypocrisy of someone who killed someone who was already precious to others feeling depressed about the death of someone they had a relationship with.
She already knew the truth, but she still kept her mouth shut and only mourned. Even if she already knew in her head, it wasn’t easy for her to fake her feelings.
“Really.”
Even more so now that I am overflowing with emotion, having been immersed in memories of visiting the only place in my memory that was close to happiness.
“Mr. Yumi. “Can I ask you a question?”
“…Yes?”
A shaken mind, unstable feelings. Rather than a villain, the image is closer to the human Jo Yu-mi. Was it because I was trying to sort out complicated emotions?
“Yumi, why hasn’t she come to visit since she was 13?”
She couldn’t answer Hangyeol’s sudden question right away and froze.
Why didn’t she come to visit after that? Actually, the answer to that question was simpler than I thought.
“…My parents passed away, and I was very busy with vocal music after that.”
“…Has he passed away?”
Since her parents died, she no longer had a reason to come here, and since she was taken away by the leader and became a villain right after that incident, there was no way she could come.
The former is not a problem. The problem is the latter. Her gap between the time she was taken away by someone and disappeared without a trace, and the time she appeared and revealed herself as a vocalist behind it, is a truth that no one can know and should not know.
When she remembered that, she was immediately embarrassed and was unable to say anything.
“I’m sorry. “Did she die because of that incident?”
“…Yes.”
She answered while observing Hangyeol’s attitude, but he only comforted her with his sincerity and comforted those who passed away. Did you just think that the moment of silence reminded you of the trauma?
Yumi sighed in relief, a smile on her face as she drank what little coffee was left.
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“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. “It is already in the past.”
Yes, it has already passed.
“Anyway, I’ve finished drinking it now – what should I do?”
“Hmm. Iknow, right?”
A burning city and her parents who were killed by her fellow hero. Even if I recall that scene again, it is meaningless anymore.
She is a villain. A person who tricks the heroes in front of him and has to kill others at some point. There is no benefit to being involved in this kind of thing.
“Hmm. Shall we go see a movie?”
“Most of the recent movies are not interesting…”
Let’s not be caught up in the past. Let’s focus on reality.
Thinking like that, Yumi looked at Hangyul’s face as she soon began to worry, quietly closed her eyes, and tried to organize her mind –
“-If you don’t have anything to do, just come see the kids.”
As if her ordeal wasn’t over yet, the sound of her voice made her head feel even more confused.
“Mister?!”
“It’s been a while since you’ve been here, young lady, so why don’t you come see your mom? “She should be waking up the kids and making dinner by now.”
Han-gyeol was taken aback by the store owner’s sudden words. He waved his hand and looked at Yumi and him alternately.
“Hey, anyway, I don’t think I should go to the orphanage right now-“
“What do you think? He’s not someone I don’t know at all. If you’re a young lady, wouldn’t it be nice to stop by at least once? Besides, I don’t think I’ve even planned a date plan. “What did you do when you became a man and didn’t even make a plan?”
“No, that’s-“
Hangyeol opened his mouth and tried to say something to the man who was looking at them with a sly smile, but-
“Let’s go.”
“…Yumi?”
Yumi soon opened her eyes, smiled and nodded her head.
“Hangyeol, wouldn’t you have wanted to stop by at least once? “Once this is over, she’s going to go back anyway, so it won’t be easy for her to stop by here.”
“Ah… I said you were going to Gimpo Airport.”
“Yes, I already made a reservation, so it’s a bit awkward to cancel… Since you still have to escort me, it won’t be difficult to come back to Incheon, right? “I heard you skipped class.”
“hahahaha… That’s right.”
A gap in my heart that I found after a long time. Yumi, who eagerly agreed to delve into that place, soon got up from her seat with a smile on her face-
“Besides, I also wanted to go again.”
“Hmm. If you don’t mind, I’d be happy… hahahaha.”
She soon spoke out her words, half sincere and half false, and began to move after Hangyeol, who got up from her seat and took care of her luggage.
“…Where are we going?”
“There’s another door over here. “I don’t know about other people, but-“
Han-gyeol moves inward rather than outward. Yumi questioned his actions, but he stretched out his hand toward the empty wall as if he was used to it –
Kkiik.
“…Secret door?”
“Why, kids who are at the peak of their curiosity like this kind of thing, right? “If you push against the wall, it will turn, or if there is a secret base somewhere – something like that.”
Yumi is startled when her wall opens with a sound, and Hangyul smiles bitterly when he sees her like that.
“I don’t know when it was made, but I heard they made a secret door that kids would like. Actually, it’s for evacuation, but since it’s never actually been used, should I just say it’s a shortcut? Anyway, everyone who frequents this cafe knows this, right? “Sometimes kids just open the door and come in.”
He continued talking and started walking in a place decorated like a garden-
“Huh? “You’re not allowed to come in here without permission. What is it, Hangyeol?”
“Ma’am!”
There, I encountered a woman who was watering the flower bed.
“What’s going on? “Without any contact.”
“Ahahahaha… I happened to be nearby because of work.”
“I see. Did you eat?”
“No, it’s still too early to eat. “What about the kids?”
“You’re probably taking a nap or studying right now. Come this way – Huh?”
The woman who greeted Han-gyeol with a warm smile patted her on the shoulder and hugged him, and it was a peaceful scene where Han-gyeol also smiled and talked to her.
“Who… Huh? Yumini?”
“An, hello…”
Yumi, who was staring blankly at her and smiling bitterly, soon opened her eyes wide and bowed her head to greet her with a wide smile as if she recognized herself.
“Oh my god. It’s been a really long time. “It was so big that I couldn’t recognize it.”
Do you recognize yourself even though a long time has passed? A person I haven’t met a few times-
“I’m really glad. “I was worried because I hadn’t seen her since then.”
…Is it so welcoming that they smile and hug you? Myself as a villain.
“Do you know how surprised I was when I saw you on TV at some point?”
“I’m sorry. “I should have told you.”
“Oh, I guess everything had to do with it.”
Yumi quietly closes her eyes while her heart hurts as if being stabbed by a needle. The woman smiled brightly as she hugged her once, then looked at them and smiled strangely.
“Still, I didn’t know you two would come visit us together. “Is that something like that?”
“No!”
“hehehehe…”
When Hangyeol shouted urgently, the woman smiled and turned her back. She walked straight ahead, opened her mouth, and-
“If I haven’t eaten, why not eat and go? “I remember you have a few lunch boxes left – or are you planning on eating them somewhere else?”
“It’s not like that in particular…”
“Then I’m glad. “Come here.”
Her Han-gyeol and her Yu-mi looked at her entering the orphanage and soon followed her.