Yes, It’s Me. The Obsessive Side Top

#025  

With final exams approaching, there was something I had to resolve. I barely managed to take a step with heavy feet. Even that only amounted to getting into the elevator. Somehow, the moment the elevator went up felt bitterly like bidding farewell to this world and ascending to the afterlife.

“Will I get hit again?”

My left cheek that had barely healed throbbed, and without realizing it, I clutched my cheek. It’s a moment Ha Jin seems a bit pitiful.

Contacting father was both difficult and easy. I didn’t have father’s contact information. Since we don’t contact each other, his number wasn’t saved on my new phone. But when I told Secretary Kim I had something to discuss with father, a meeting was quickly arranged.

With a ding, the elevator doors opened. Past the wide marble floors would be the chairman’s office with luxurious carpeting. I reasonably suspect the reason for the carpet is to protect from thrown ashtrays.  

“Hello.”

I greeted the office manager at the desk with a determined mind. The office manager looked at me and stood up with an anxious face.

“Please wait a moment. There’s still… a guest here.”

The office manager hesitated at the word guest. It was quite different from the perfect announcer-like pronunciation whenever we met.

“A guest?”

I had clearly made an appointment and arrived on time.

Left with no choice but to stand in front of the desk, the office manager smiled awkwardly.

“Ha Jin, would you like some coffee?”

“It’s alright. Will it take long?”

“…It didn’t take that long.”

The office manager replied in past tense. Thinking about the meaning of the answer, it seemed this guest had visited a few times before. As I was looking around at the interior, a familiar sound came from inside.

“Isn’t that the sound of an ashtray falling?” 

“Oh… I’m not sure. I didn’t hear it.”

It wasn’t a loudly ringing sound, but there was definitely a subtle vibration felt on the floor along with the heavy thud of something falling.

“Looks like there’s someone else who gets hit besides me.”

When I jokingly said that to the flustered office manager, she just smiled awkwardly and avoided my gaze.

As the office manager said, the heavy glass door of the office opened not long after. And the person who came out was unexpected.

An ordinary boy around my age. 

He came out with a heavy, sunken gaze, and seeing me, he bit his lip. Bowing to either greet the office manager or me at an ambiguous angle, he headed straight for the elevator.

“Who is that?”

Before he got on the elevator, I asked the office manager while looking at his back.

I was curious about the identity of the young man who got hit and left the office of a large corporation’s chairman. But no answer came out of the office manager’s mouth, and I heard the sound of gritted teeth seemingly coming from the man standing in front of the elevator.

But who is he to get hit by Ha Jin’s father?

“Young master Ha Jin? You can come in now.”

Secretary Kim opened the office door and called me inside. I think I came at a bad time… I unreasonably blame the previous visitor.

Seeing my father’s face with the brilliant sunlight pouring through the large glass windows behind him, I felt suffocated. He had a benevolent expression, but seeing his chest heaving, it seemed his excitement hadn’t died down yet.

Facing him, I couldn’t help but feel like I would get hit again.

“So what business did you come to see me for? Please don’t let it be cleaning up your mess. I’m in a bad mood right now.”

“This final exam…”

“Ah, is it about that damned studying again?”

Father cut me off before I could finish. He spoke sarcastically and sat on the sofa, propping his elbow on the armrest and pressing a finger firmly next to his brow. The familiar ashtray was on the table in front of him. I hope it won’t be used again.

“I came to tell you I don’t need the professor’s help.”

“Ha, this is absurd.”

Father got up from the sofa and walked over to me. Stopping right in front of me, father looked me in the eye and observed me for a long time. Then he soon clicked his tongue and sneered.

“Has this bastard really gone crazy? Why are you like this these days?”

“I wish you would give me a chance.”

“A chance? Didn’t I give you one? You should have done well when I gave it to you. Why are you suddenly going nuts? Why are you all making a fuss these days? You should just live as you are. Why are you struggling, huh? It makes me want to step on you.”

Father’s cheek seemed to twitch slightly, then his shoulder moved greatly.

At that moment, with a dull impact, my jaw throbbed with pain. Father looked down at his fist that he swung at me, then turned his gaze to me standing silently with my head turned. A low sigh is heard, followed by the sound of him calling Secretary Kim.

“Secretary Kim, do as this bastard wants.”

Unable to even clutch my aching jaw, I stood still as he pushed my shoulder with his hand. My figure stumbling back looked truly pathetic. Getting punched by father… and despised…

‘Ha Jin. Why do you keep showing me this side of you, making me feel your asshole behavior was justified.’

I bit my lip to hold back the words that seemed to pour out. It felt like father’s punches would increase with a single word. I decided not to provoke him further as he was already agitated, and as I stayed still, father’s arrogant words were directed at me.

“But know this. My expectations are high. And you’re someone who doesn’t meet those expectations. You bastard. Just effort won’t be enough for you to meet my expectations. I don’t take back a card I’ve discarded once. Even if it causes me immense loss.”

He looked down at the back of his hand and frowned. The back of his hand had a small scratch. Just from getting his hand slightly scratched. I got a scar on my forehead and my cheekbone ripped open from assault. Father pointed to the door as if annoyed.

“Get out.”

Secretary Kim took out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and handed it to me, seeing me out to the door. Secretary Kim should probably stock up on large quantities of handkerchiefs to give to people who get hit each time. The office manager at the desk grabbed me with a pitying face.

“Ha Jin, at least put some ointment on before you go.”

The office manager took me to the break room next to the desk and took out disinfectant from the first-aid kit, wiping my mouth with a cotton swab soaked in it, then applying ointment and even putting on a band-aid. The side of my mouth must have split open from the punch.

Getting injuries on my face right before exams has become a daily occurrence.

* * *

“What’s with the mask?”

“I caught a cold.”

Kim Shin couldn’t hold back and snickered.

“They say even dogs don’t catch colds in May. You caught a cold in this weather? Our Ha Jin keeps making me want to take care of him these days.”

Kim Shin laughed and brushed my bangs aside, placing his palm on my forehead.

“There’s no fever though? Is my hand just warm?”

Kim Shin clenched and unclenched his hand, then soon brought his face close. As Kim Shin approached to check my fever with his forehead, I pulled back and he abruptly stopped. It wasn’t that I stepped back, but someone pulled me back from behind.

“The department president was looking for you. Let’s go.”

Sun Woo looked at Kim Shin with a chilly expression. Sun Woo must have gripped my arm with a lot of force because it felt like the blood wasn’t flowing.

“Mi-eun is really overflowing with passion.”

I freed my arm from Sun Woo’s grasp and waved goodbye to Kim Shin. Kim Shin brightly smiled and waved back.

“Ha Jin, call me if you need someone to nurse you. I took care of you a lot since we were young. We even slept in the same bed before.”

‘What is he saying?’

I just ignored it and followed Sun Woo.

“Where does it hurt?”

After the date mission Mi-eun gave us for the assignment, Sun Woo somewhat settled into the position of a normal classmate. He no longer avoided me or showed dislike. Although he didn’t act particularly close either.

“No. I’m fine.”

At my words, Sun Woo turned around and blocked me from the front. Sun Woo, who looked only a few centimeters taller than me, exuded a pressuring presence, perhaps because he was the protagonist, despite our small height difference.

Sun Woo raised his hand and placed it on my forehead, just as Kim Shin had done. Not expecting his hand to touch my forehead, I was startled and pulled my head back. Sun Woo easily placed his hand on my forehead again as I retreated.

“You have a bit of a fever though?” 

That’s because you suddenly surprised me.

“I’m really fine. More importantly, Mi-eun must be waiting. Shouldn’t we hurry before she yells?”

“She didn’t call.”

“Huh?”

“I said Mi-eun didn’t call. I just thought we could get a meal together.”

What is this?

It felt like something unbelievable happened, my mind went blank and my head that had been spinning well froze on the spot. I couldn’t figure out why Sun Woo lied no matter how much I thought about it.

“Let’s go. I’ll buy you food.”

The place Sun Woo dragged me to in a daze was a porridge restaurant. Sun Woo ordered abalone porridge for me and bibimbap for himself. When the food came out, I had no choice but to take off my mask. Then Sun Woo grabbed my chin and examined it, turning it side to side. Startled by his sudden touch, I had to shake my head while clumsily gripping the spoon.

“What’s this?”

“Ah. It’s nothing much.”

Stunned that Sun Woo was buying me a meal, I awkwardly rubbed the scab on the corner of my mouth with my hand. The not yet healed wound roughly grazed my palm. 

“Did you get hit again?”

“It just happened.”

“…Let’s talk after eating.”

Sun Woo slowly started eating. I also ate the porridge and occasionally felt Sun Woo’s gaze directed at me. His gaze felt warm and it made me feel strange. He probably finds me quite pitiful.

If I were Sun Woo, I would feel concerned too if I found out Ha Jin was suffering from domestic violence. I thought the kid was a bit messed up, but it turns out he has such a pitiful family situation? Well, that doesn’t justify the shit Ha Jin has done so far though.

But the porridge tastes good since Sun Woo bought it for me.

Translator’s note: This is a Korean saying meaning catching a cold in May (late spring) is very rare/unlikely.