RB 22

Yeorok laughed hollowly. Well, it was true. Since he had no one precious to him, keeping death anniversaries could only be bothersome. It was hard to scold a close aide who only said the right thing.

He straightened his back and turned the chair to its original position. He considered the schedule for next week. Even though he had already made a decision, he furrowed his eyebrows, showing he was not fully willing.

“Coordinate with the person in charge and secure as much time as possible.”

“You are allowing it?”

“On moral grounds.”

With that Yeorok returned his focus to the documents.

Anyway, Sim Eunho would resent him for a long time later. Granting a single visit to the charnel house would not reduce that resentment. It was only following along because mourning was what people were supposed to do.

At the very least, Yeorok knew how to look like a human being.

***

Seo Taehwa busily went back and forth in the reception room. Each time he returned, more things appeared on the table, fruit, disposable plates, and expensive soju said to be made by a master from Andong.

At the end, even a small bouquet in yellow tones appeared. The preserved flowers had been specially processed so that they would not wither for about a year and would keep their shape. Of course, it was something unfamiliar to Eunho.

“Would this be enough?”

When Seo Taehwa put the prepared things neatly into a shopping bag, Eunho quietly reached out and pushed down on his wrist. He shook his head with an awkward smile.

“Hyung… you don’t have to prepare all this.”

“This is just the basics….”

Seo Taehwa’s eyebrows drooped. In Haegang, whenever there was a death anniversary, the whole house became busy. On Chairman Choi’s death anniversary they even held a Buddhist memorial service at a temple.

“The charnel house where my grandma is, is much smaller than you imagine. There isn’t even space to put flowers.”

“Then at least fruit…. Or not even a glass of liquor?”

Eunho only shook his head with a bitter smile. After repeated refusals, Taehwa sighed. Since his will was so clear, there was no way to force him.

“Are you really sure you don’t need me to go with you?”

“Yes, it’s really fine.”

He planned to go as simply as possible, without attracting attention. He had not even expected Yeorok would allow the visit. Just the permission itself already felt like a valuable gift to Eunho.

“Go safely.”

“I will.”

Eunho turned away after the send-off.

Outside the annex, a black sedan was waiting to take him. He exchanged a silent bow with Secretary Hong who was already waiting. Secretary Hong quickly walked over and opened the backseat door. Eunho set aside his awkwardness and got into the car.

After a short delay Secretary Hong also got in. Before fastening his belt, he glanced at his phone.

“Is this the place?”

He checked. Looking at the name and address of the charnel house on the phone screen, Eunho replied “yes, that’s right.”

Then a cap and mask were passed to him from the front. Without needing instructions, Eunho put on the cap.

“Please be as careful as possible.”

Chief Hong gave the reminder in a dry voice. Eunho could feel his gaze through the rear-view mirror.

As Yeorok’s secretary, today he was assigned to watch over Sim Eunho. Even the smallest mistake would certainly be reported back to Choi Yeorok.

Sim Eunho could no longer show his face recklessly. Even though it was still a transitional stage, he already looked like a rich family’s young master. If someone recognized him, it would be serious. Whether they mistook him for Choi Yoonho or thought he was the real Sim Eunho, now was not the time to be seen.

Eunho covered his softened hair and glossy face thoroughly with the cap and mask. The heavily covered appearance might look suspicious, but it was the best he could do for now.

Secretary Hong carefully checked through the rear-view mirror. Only after seeing Eunho’s face fully hidden did he start the engine.

‎

‎

They arrived at the charnel house around five thirty in the afternoon. He had received permission from the staff to use the place for thirty minutes after closing.

When closing time came, people began to leave through the narrow entrance. Eunho went against their flow and walked further inside.

Most of the lights in the building were off. But since it was not yet completely dark, there was no problem looking around.

Eunho crossed the empty corridor and entered the enshrinement room where his grandma was. Urns were lined up tightly in a grid structure. Among the many urns, he quickly found hers.

“I came.”

That was all for his greeting. Eunho took a small pack of wet wipes from his pants pocket and cleaned the dust on the glass. The wipe immediately turned black, showing how long it had been since his last visit.

After that it was nothing but meaningless time passing. Eunho only stood still staring at the urn, and Secretary Hong stood a few steps away watching him. The occasional sigh was the only sound Eunho made.

When it was about time to leave, the sound of shoes breaking the silence came from the corridor. Secretary Hong leaned his head out to check the situation, then froze in that posture.

“Chairman.”

Eunho flinched.

When he turned his eyes, he saw Choi Yeorok just stepping into the enshrinement room. His neat and clean appearance was no different from usual, but maybe because of the heavy black suit he wore today, he looked like a mourner visiting a funeral house.

“I expected it, but… this is too meager.”

Yeorok quietly scanned the inside. The municipal charnel house was poorly maintained. The urns packed tight without any extra space did not satisfy his eyes either.

Eunho froze without even greeting him and stared at the man standing by the door. With his cap and mask pulled down, not a trace of his expression was visible, but his face was nearly like he had seen a ghost.

The footsteps came closer. The man who stood next to Eunho found his grandma’s urn without being told. He shortly bowed in front of the urn, it was hard to believe even while watching it.

“How did you… come here?”

“I wanted to see how things were, and I was curious if my orders were being followed.”

Yeorok’s tone was dry to the extreme. His eyes showed no real interest for someone who claimed to be curious.

“There are a lot of urns here. With this many, she would not be lonely. The choice of place was good.”

“…It wasn’t really me who chose.”

When his grandma died, Eunho had only been in middle school and knew nothing about funeral procedures. He had played the role of chief mourner with the help of adults he barely knew, but there had been no visitors at the funeral home anyway. After that, following the district office’s guidance, he placed his grandma here.

Eunho’s gaze returned to the urn. Inside the small space there was only one porcelain jar, milky white. There was not even a photo to remember her by, nor a single artificial flower.

It was the same in the surroundings. A charnel house for basic livelihood support recipients was always more bare than others. People too busy with survival naturally could not spare attention for it.

“But I never once missed her death anniversary. When I was in school, I skipped class and stayed here all day.”

“……”

“This year I thought it would be impossible… but thanks to you, I got to pay my respects.”

“You must have been close with your grandma.”

“She was my only family.”

Eunho’s voice filled the space. It was never loud, but now it sounded even quieter.

For Yeorok it was an emotion hard to understand. He lowered his gaze to the side and stared at Sim Eunho who was only looking straight ahead.

His hand reached out before he knew it. When he lifted the cap slightly, a round forehead appeared and the bangs trapped under it slid down.

Eunho’s large eyes widened like he had been suddenly attacked.

His retinas were moist, but that was all. His eyes were so dry it was almost surprising.

Yeorok quietly looked down at the frozen face beside him. The cap that hung on his fingers dropped back down and covered Eunho’s head.

“I thought you were crying.”

“…There is nothing to cry about. She passed away quite a long time ago.”

“Your breathing was shaking.”

“Well… seeing the urn makes me think a lot about grandma. It is sad.”

“I see.”

When Yeorok naturally lowered his hand, Eunho scratched the back of his neck lightly. His heart beat faster than usual from the sudden action. He felt it was very fortunate that he was wearing a mask, and he awkwardly turned his head straight.

“Should I… leave now?”

“There are five minutes left. Isn’t it better to use the whole time?”

He saw a movement checking the watch beside him. Even a small sign pulled all his attention. Since Yeorok had arrived, Eunho could not focus on the memorial.

Yeorok was also aware of him. It was hard to read Sim Eunho’s feelings with his face so fully covered.

Not enough to shed tears, but sad enough that his voice was trembling. The grief and longing were impossible for Yeorok to relate to, but there was no need for him to.

At least Sim Eunho was not going against his instructions and was quietly paying respects. The obedient boy who always followed orders had never displeased him once. Maybe because of that, giving him this time did not feel like a waste at all.

Eunho stayed another five minutes. He clearly looked distracted, but Yeorok did not bother to point it out.

After the promised thirty minutes, the two of them walked out together. The sun was beginning to set, and the wind outside was cooler than before. Eunho looked up briefly at the wide open sky, then stopped when a figure blocked his way.

“Let’s go in my car.”