FLPR 2.1

Three days passed faster than expected. When Doyul told his manager he had to quit due to a family emergency, he was met with resistance. The manager insisted he stay until they found a replacement. Doyul knew it was the right thing to do, but he didn’t have the time. And even if he did, he doubted the manager would bother with a job posting. He’d seen it happen before. So, with a gloomy expression, Doyul said,

“My father gambled and is deeply in debt.”

He had chosen to blame his father for his absence. He made up a tale about being harassed by debt collectors at home and having to leave. He would visit today to provide the management a face-to-face explanation of the circumstances. He went on to say that he was nervous just to be at work for fear that the debt collectors would come up and make a commotion. With a pale face, the manager promptly consented to Doyul’s release that day. Doyul had two whole days to pack as a result.

When the time came, Doyul put his backpack on his shoulder and went to the agreed-upon location. His clothes, underpants, bank book, and house deed were all in the bag. His neighborhood’s tiny streets made it difficult for cars to drive, so they had decided to meet somewhere else. Despite the early hour, the air was already humid and heavy. Since he would be riding in the same car as Woohyun, he was self-conscious about the possibility of sweating out.

He’d tossed and turned all night, his mind buzzing with anxieties. He arrived at the meeting point ten minutes early, but the car was already there. The trunk popped open as he approached. Doyul put his bag inside, closed the trunk, and opened the car door.

“Hello, Doyul! ”

“Hi. You can just say ‘Hi,’ Hyung.”

“Hi, Doyul.” Woohyun sounded awkward, clearly still uncomfortable using informal speech with someone who appeared to be an adult. Doyul grinned and got in, closing the door. It was a relief to feel the cold blast of air from the air conditioner. He said hello to Sooyeon, who was behind the wheel.

“Hello.”

“Hello. We’re leaving now. The drive should take about four hours.”

“Okay.”

Woohyun shifted around, attempting to move closer to Doyul as the car drove away from the street, but he was restrained by his seat belt. Doyul thought about sitting next to him, but he chose to buckle up first. Woohyun was wearing his, but Doyul thought he should lead by example. In addition, seat belts were required on highways.

Woohyun’s expression dropped when he saw Doyul buckle up, and he pouted. Doyul had to hold back a laugh. He was so cute.

“How have you been? ”

“Good!”

“Just ‘Good’ is fine. Close friends don’t worry about age and formalities. Friends don’t use polite language with each other.” Doyul decided to abandon the age argument. He’d told Woohyun numerous times to drop the formalities, to no avail. In Woohyun’s mind, Doyul was the younger one. So he tried a different tactic, framing it as something friends did.

“Good! ”As he’d hoped, Woohyun responded enthusiastically, seemingly happy with the idea of being friends.

“I was so bored in the hospital. I read all my books and had nothing to do.”

“What did you read? ”

“The Boy Who Carried a Bag and Who Made the Forest Disappear.”

Doyul blinked, surprised by the titles. They didn’t sound like books for a seven-year-old. ‘Aren’t those a bit advanced for him right now? ’ he wondered. He said in a surprised tone,

“Wow! That’s impressive, Hyung! Those books don’t have a lot of pictures, do they? ”

“Nope. You’re right! Woohyun puffed out his chest, basking in the praise. Doyul glanced at Sooyeon, who caught his gaze in the rearview mirror.

“Mr. Min has always been a gifted child. He reads through children’s books too quickly.”

“Ah… I see.”

When Woohyun trained Doyul years ago, he talked about being a kid prodigy. Before he started elementary school, he had claimed to have mastered multiplication and division and to have memorized multiplication tables. Now Doyul recognized that it was likely true, even though he had written it off as pride. It also clarified why Woohyun had always been so confused whenever Doyul had trouble understanding an idea. Woohyun was truly unable to comprehend Doyul’s concern. Remembering how slow he must have appeared, Doyul blushed.

“Your face is red, Doyul.”

“Ah, just… surprised. You’re so smart, Hyung! ” Doyul covered his embarrassment with a half-truth. Woohyun, looking pleased with himself, let it drop.

Doyul has completed his assignment. He had done study on well-known cartoons, toys, and even inappropriate words to say to kids. He came to the realization that it wasn’t all that different from saying inappropriate things to an adult.

After spending some time talking to Woohyun, Doyul began to fall asleep. His lack of sleep was getting to him. Woohyun stopped speaking as Doyul’s head started to sway.

He stared out the window, bored, then turned to Sooyeon.

“How long until we get there? ”

“About two hours.”

Woohyun pouted. He had had a good night’s sleep, and he was barely sleepy due to his normal high energy levels. He watched Doyul sleep while leaning against the window. He wanted to rouse him, but he held back. He learned from his mother to keep his boredom to himself. He needed to wait patiently for Doyul to wake up.

Woohyun thought back to their first meeting at the hospital. Despite their recent friendship, he had felt oddly comfortable with Doyul. Woohyun believed Doyul when he said they were close. He was called “Hyung” by Doyul, who said he was cool. Sooyeon looked in the rearview mirror at Woohyun.

“We still have a while to go. Why don’t you try to get some sleep? ”

“Get some eyes? But I already have eyes.”

“…How about a nap? ”

“I’m not sleepy.”

Sooyeon switched on some classical music.

“Close your eyes. It might help.”

“Okay.”

Woohyun closed his eyes, while being totally awake and following the adult’s advice. He was eager to get there and play.

Sooyeon sighed to himself as he saw Woohyun close his eyes. He was making an extra effort to keep his voice down after Woohyun’s mention in the hospital room.

He trembled as he remembered the awful scene of the accident. Woohyun had fallen unconscious, and his car was stuck around a tree. He hadn’t been sleep deprived or drunk. The physicians discovered evidence of drugs in his system. They needed to figure out how he got the pills, but Woohyun had awoken with no memory of the event.

That’s why Hyobin and Sooyeon kept his health a secret. Someone had deliberately attempted to kill Woohyun, but they had no idea who. The only way to find out the truth was for Woohyun to regain his memory. All they could do was hide him in a safe place. They didn’t know when or even if his memory would return.

Sooyeon was frustrated. He had strong suspicions, but no evidence. All he could do was wait, praying that Woohyun would fully recover.

“We’re here.”

Doyul woke up in a fog blinking dry eyes until his surroundings became clear. He looked around as he took in the scenery. Lush flora extended in all directions. They were far into the countryside.

Woohyun was asleep beside him, his head resting against the window. Doyul unfastened his seatbelt, gently shook Woohyun’s shoulder, and said softly,

“Hyung, wake up. We’re here.”

“Mmm…”

Woohyun’s sleepy groan was so endearing that Doyul had to bite back a smile. He tried again.

“Wake up, Hyung.”

“Ugh…”

Woohyun opened his eyes, looking grumpy. Doyul unbuckled his seatbelt for him.

“Let’s go inside. Are you hungry? ”

“Sleepy…”

“You have to sleep tonight.”

“Okaaay.”

Doyul chuckled and got out of the car. Sooyeon, already outside, got Doyul’s bag from the trunk and handed it to him.

“Thank you.”

“Let’s go in. I’ll show you your room.”

“Okay.”

Woohyun slipped his hand into Doyul’s, and Doyul squeezed it gently.

They entered a two-story mansion. A middle-aged woman dressed in neat, casual clothes greeted them.

“Welcome.”

“Hello.” Doyul bowed politely. Sooyeon returned the greeting and then introduced Doyul.

“This is Seo Doyul. He’ll be taking care of Mr. Min. And this is Ms. Choi Yujung, our housekeeper. She’s been with the family since Mr. Min was a child.”

“It’s a pleasure.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

After the brief introductions, they followed Yujung further inside. The air was filled with an enticing aroma that made Doyul’s stomach rumble. He tried to appear indifferent as he took in the expansive interior of the house, slightly overwhelmed by its classiness. ‘How much money do you have to make to live in a place like this?’ He thought. ‘Probably have to win the lottery.‘ Sooyeon led him down a hallway to a room at the end.

“This is your room. Make yourself at home.”

“Will I be sharing with Hyung? ”

“No, Mr. Min’s room is on the other side of the house.”

“Oh.”

Doyul felt slightly awkward. He’d never had such a large room to himself, so he’d assumed they would be sharing. But then he remembered visiting Woohyun’s family home years ago. Woohyun’s room had been even bigger than this one, complete with a private bathroom.

He set his bag down beside the bed and pressed his hand against the mattress. It was incredibly plush. He was speechless. It felt like lying on a cloud.

“I’ll explain your schedule now.”

“Okay.”