Chapter 4 – Heejeongwon (Part 1)

Every time she went to Heejeongwon, his height had grown by a span, two spans.

It was fascinating to Junhee. While her height grew slowly, she measured it every month with joy, but Dowook’s rapid growth, which overshadowed her own, was both enviable and astonishing. They used to be at eye level, but now she had to crane her neck to look up at him.

It wasn’t just his height that grew. His neck and bones thickened, his voice deepened and lowered. His eyes became more profound, and his nose and jawline sharper, making Junhee often stare at him absentmindedly.

As he grew taller and his body became more solid, the frequency of his minor illnesses noticeably decreased. Whether it was the mysterious efficacy of the incense his grandfather diligently burned, or his grandmother’s words that children grow while being sick were true, it was a fortunate thing.

Looking at Choi Dowook with his tall height and broad back, it was hard to remember the boy who used to fall ill at the slightest provocation.

Sensing Junhee’s gaze, Dowook looked down at her.

“What?”

Junhee thought that the way he looked down at her was quite displeasing. How could a sixteen-year-old be this tall? If it weren’t for the school uniform, he could easily be mistaken for a college student.

Or maybe not. Choi Dowook’s skin was too fair for that.

Dowook tilted his head sideways. He asked again.

“What is it?”

Junhee mimicked Dowook’s annoying expression, tone, and deep voice.

“Hmmm.”

Ha ha, f*ck. 

Dowook laughed as if it were absurd.

Junhee was inwardly surprised again at that voice. It was the voice of an adult man. She had heard Dowook curse often before, but it never felt like this. It wasn’t this deep, low, and dangerous voice.

He was only sixteen that summer.

Around that time, people said Dowook was hanging out with a bad crowd at school. They said his adolescence was severe, that his school uniform sometimes smelled of cigarettes, that he often skipped tutoring and went missing. He often made girls cry, fought with boys, spoke dismissively to his parents, and his brothers couldn’t easily mess with him due to his fierce demeanor.

Hearing this, Junhee was shocked. A delinquent? She hated those kinds of people. There were such groups at her school too. Kids who roamed around in packs, doing bad things behind the teachers’ backs and in alleyways. But to think Dowook was doing the same. It was unbelievable.

But the Choi Dowook she met during summer vacation quietly attended lessons beside her.

There was no cigarette smell, he still wanted to beat her in both studying and gaming, secretly played Go-Stop with her, touched her curly hair at will, occasionally hid her pencils or scribbled weird things in her workbooks as pranks. When she glared at him for being annoying, he would simply say, “What are you looking at, ugly.”

So Junhee couldn’t believe the things she had heard. At least to her, Dowook was the same as ever. Still annoying, still the selfish young master.

But Song Yeong-joo, with a face full of worry, said to Junhee,

‘Junhee, please stay by our Dowook’s side so he doesn’t go down a bad path.’

Even now, Junhee’s body stiffened when she stood in front of Song Yeong-joo. During the school term in Nonsan, Song Yeong-joo often sent her gifts. Mechanical pencils, lip balms, wallets, cosmetics, pouches—all perfectly suited to a young girl’s tastes that her dad and grandmother couldn’t attend to.

Junhee, I thought you might need this. Junhee, I thought you might like this. Junhee, I thought of you.

A short note written in neat handwriting always accompanied the gifts. Junhee liked those simple letters. Neither her dad nor her grandmother ever wrote to her. When a friend boasted about a pretty dress her mom bought her for her birthday, Junhee wanted to boast about the gifts she received from Song Yeong-joo.

But anything related to Heejeongwon had to be kept tightly hidden.

‘You know you shouldn’t recklessly talk to others about what you see and hear at Heejeongwon, right? If you go around talking about who you met, what you saw, and what you heard here, it won’t be beneficial for you or your family.’

A secretary with a businesslike expression had firmly instructed Junhee. She was told not to recklessly talk about what she saw and heard at Heejeongwon even to the people inside Heejeongwon.

‘The same goes for the Young Master. No matter how close you are with him, you shouldn’t indiscriminately tell him about the things happening inside Heejeongwon.’

So when Junhee saw Song Yeong-joo crying alone, she didn’t tell anyone. It was in the greenhouse garden at Heejeongwon. Song Yeong-joo was crying silently, her face contorted.

As always, Junhee’s body stiffened when she stood in front of Song Yeong-joo, but she couldn’t take her eyes off her.

Noticing the presence, Song Yeong-joo lifted her head. When their eyes met, Song Yeong-joo straightened her back as if she had never cried. Her sorrowfully distorted face quickly returned to its usual calm and graceful expression.

‘What’s the matter?’

Junhee didn’t know how to answer the woman who asked in an unwavering voice. Song Yeong-joo smiled kindly as usual.

‘I’m fine, so please stay by Dowook’s side.’

“Choi Dowook.”

So Junhee called him with a rather solemn voice.

“What?”

Your mom was crying sadly. Do you know why she was crying? Did your dad make her suffer again?

She wanted to ask but knew she didn’t have the right to.

At that moment, Dowook was lying on the sofa with his long legs stretched out, his head resting on the armrest, playing a game with a disinterested face.

Stupid brat. 

Junhee didn’t like the sight of Choi Dowook. She spoke in a deliberately stern voice.

“Don’t curse.”

“Why?”

“You look like a delinquent.”

People misunderstand you because you look like a delinquent. Your mom is always worried about you.

But Dowook had a face that said, So what. He furrowed his brows as if annoyed by the nagging.

“Even elementary kids do it.”

“Still, you shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“You’ll get scolded by adults.”

“Scary as hell.”

He didn’t find it scary at all. Junhee feared she might have a son like him someday.

“I’m scared I might have a son like you.”

At that moment, Dowook’s eyes briefly glanced at Junhee. His lower jaw tensed, and the lines of his eyes sharpened as if he was about to curse again.

“Who said you’d have my son?”

That was all he said with a face that looked like he was about to curse. Suddenly, he smirked arrogantly.

“Are you going to have my son?”

Junhee stammered in embarrassment.

“Who said, who said I want to have your son? I meant a son like you.”

Ignoring Junhee’s words, Dowook turned his gaze back to the game. He pressed the buttons on the game console with the same indifferent expression.

Junhee, sitting beside him, stared blankly at his face and then spoke in a soothing tone.

“Choi Dowook.”

“…….”

“Dowook.”

“…….”

“I hate delinquents.”

“…….”

“I hate cigarettes too. Don’t smoke.”

“I don’t.”

“Really?”

“That was just the smell from some kid next to me.”

“…….”

“Smoking ruins your lungs. I don’t smoke.”

Dowook said absentmindedly, his eyes still fixed on the game. A slight smile spread on Junhee’s lips, relieved. She knelt on the floor beside the sofa and chattered next to Dowook.

“I knew it. You wouldn’t be a delinquent. You’re my friend. My friend couldn’t have fallen that low. We’re going to get into Korea University. You said you’d go to Korea University too. Don’t ever smoke. Like you said, it ruins your lungs. It ruins your health too. We need to live long. They say it’s the century of longevity. I’m going to live to a hundred.”

“Why are you my friend?”

Dowook said suddenly, his eyes still on the game.

Junhee’s heart ached. She had overheard guests at Heejeongwon say things like that sometimes.

Who is that girl? She doesn’t seem like a relative, so why is she with Dowook? Oh, a study helper. Do they still do that? What a good idea from the Chairman. My kid doesn’t study these days either; maybe I should get one of those.

Junhee tried to hide her hurt feelings. She spoke as if she didn’t care, just like she had been chattering earlier.

“If I’m not your friend, then what am I? Be grateful I’m your friend. Who else puts up with your temper and plays with you like I do? You’d be the most bored kid here without me. You always look for me first whenever something happens at Heejeongwon. You’d regret it a lot if I left.”

She was about to say,

Appreciate me while I’m here.

Dowook, who had been listening quietly, suddenly turned to look at Junhee. At that moment, the curtains billowed greatly. Because Dowook hated the heat, the air conditioning in his annex was particularly strong.

Outside, the cicadas were chirping noisily. The pale shadow of the billowing curtains fell on Dowook’s face. His shadowed face looked strangely unfamiliar. He used to be just a pretty boy who looked like a prince, but now his features were deep and strong. He looked like an adult, like a man…. His body still faintly smelled of incense.

Feeling oddly dazed, she stared at his face. Dowook smirked mischievously.

“Hey.”

The single-word call was strangely soft. Dowook gestured with his chin for her to come closer.

“…Why?”

Dowook cupped his hand around his lips and pointed to his mouth, so Junhee hesitantly moved closer and put her ear near his mouth. Dowook whispered in a low voice.

“Your breath stinks.”

With a punch, she struck the armrest of the sofa he was leaning on. His clear laughter echoed like ripples in her ears.