The Season I Loved You Without You - Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

 

‘Take the car.’

 

Ga-eul brought the car to the house upon the instruction. It was a white Bentley, unsuitable for the small villa. He knew it was a gesture of consideration from Go-yeo, but he couldn’t help but worry that something might go wrong with the car. After giving a glance at the car that needed to be parked, he climbed the stairs.

 

The house had two rooms. The larger one belonged to Eun-jae, while the smaller one was filled with Ga-eul’s unpacked belongings. Since he planned to move out around the start of the semester, he hadn’t unpacked his things yet.

 

‘A gift. Thought it would suit you.’

 

Once again, he laid out the things he received from Go-yeo today. There were clothes, shoes, and even a watch from luxury brands he had only heard of. And there was also a laptop he had just bought himself. If he had known, he would have bought something reasonably decent.

 

Her previously given clothes were already hanging in the closet. He carefully arranged the clothes he received today one by one, fearing they might wrinkle. He had far more clothes now than he originally owned.

 

Sitting on the bed, he glanced at the hand Go-yeo had held just a while ago. He was momentarily surprised but could distinctly feel it. The soft, warm hand. He tightly held onto the empty air, fearing her warmth might disappear.

 

Her swollen eyes and reddened nose couldn’t possibly be feigned. Wanting to be someone who could express even a hint of sorrow was a big ambition. Yet, the restless feeling within him didn’t subside easily.

 

Late in the evening, he heard Eun-jae’s return from her academy. Coming out of his room, he asked Eun-jae.

 

“Have you eaten?”

 

“No. Brother came home early today.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Ga-eul smiled and raised his arm, heading to the kitchen.

 

“I’ll make you some kimchi fried rice. Go wash up.”

 

“Okay. Thanks.”

 

Steam rose from the kimchi fried rice topped with fried eggs. Eun-jae sat across, smiling widely as she began to eat.

 

“How’s mom?”

 

He asked Eun-jae who went to the hospital almost every day.

 

“The same. And I settled the hospital bills with the money Brother gave.”

 

Ga-eul smiled faintly and nodded.

 

“What kind of job is it that brings in a large sum of money all at once these days?”

 

“Just a chauffeur.”

 

“Driving? Like a chauffeur for wealthy people?”

 

Ga-eul nodded.

 

“Interesting. Not everyone can do that.”

 

“Just got lucky.”

 

“Is that person wealthy?”

 

“Seems like it.”

 

“What does she do?”

 

“Fashion designer.”

 

“Envious.”

 

Ga-eul looked at Eun-jae and smiled wryly. He remembered Eun-jae once saying she wanted to be a designer. And the times she begged to be sent abroad to study. If only she was the only child her mother had to support, he wondered if Eun-jae would have had a more prosperous upbringing.

 

Once he settled in, Ga-eul planned to send Eun-jae abroad to study. Even if it took some time, he wanted to help Eun-jae pursue what she wanted.

 

“Study hard. I’ll send you abroad later.”

 

Eun-jae smiled and nodded like a deflating balloon.

 

“No thanks. I’m going to be a teacher. If I can get the grades.”

 

Ga-eul looked at Eun-jae with surprise.

 

“Being a teacher is nice. Stable, and good pension in the future.”

 

Ga-eul laughed heartily at Eun-jae’s last words. Eun-jae also chuckled along. Then, hesitantly, she spoke up.

 

“Brother’s father used to be my elementary school teacher. Looking back now, I think I wished my father were someone like my teacher. I wish I had told him that while he was alive.”

 

Ga-eul pulled his lips into a smile. The pace of eating slowed noticeably. Ga-eul, too, was filled with unspoken words. The sudden accident had snatched away that opportunity, leaving behind regret and sadness for those who remained.

 

His father was gentle, and above all, he shared many stories with Ga-eul. He was a benchmark of life. So, sometimes, when his heart felt heavy, even though he wanted to talk to someone, the fact that there was no one to tell made him feel lonely and desolate. Confirming the fact that he was left alone felt burdensome.

 

Of course, he had his mother and Eun-jae, but Ga-eul couldn’t tell everything to these two. Knowing that both of them carried guilt and burden, he had to show that he could endure well. That was the best he could do for his mother and Eun-jae for now.

 

Sensing the atmosphere becoming heavy, Eun-jae brought up a lively topic.

 

“Oh, right! Anna asked me if you’re not going to church.”

 

“…I’m busy with work.”

 

The delay in his response wasn’t just because of work; it was also because he was investing all his emotional energy elsewhere and couldn’t spare.

 

“At least attend Sunday Mass. Anyway, contact your sister. You’ll see her once you’re back in school, right?”

 

Ga-eul nodded.

 

“So, what grade is she in? Taking the same classes?”

 

“Since she took a leave of absence, she’d be in the fourth grade. I’m taking second-year courses now.”

 

“I see. When Mom was hospitalized for the first time, didn’t she help a lot?”

 

When Eun-jae thought about Anna, she was the prettiest, kindest, and smartest person she knew. Eun-jae felt proud and pleased to be in a relationship with such a person. Though she had known her for a long time, she was always consistent, with a wealthy family and no apparent flaws.

 

“Oh! Sister will come to visit Mom soon. You should come too.”

 

“I can’t give a definite answer now; I’ll check my schedule then.”

 

“Okay, got it.”

 

Ga-eul later found out that Anna helped with the initial hospital bills when their mother was admitted. Even though they both knew each other’s household circumstances well and said there was no rush, constantly relying on help didn’t sit well with him. Since their fathers were close friends, they had continued to receive help, so relying on them too much was shameful.

 

* * *

 

The indoor tennis court had high ceilings and two tennis courts installed, with numerous tennis balls scattered on the floor. The lesson lasted a while. When the coach threw the ball, the man hit it with a forehand stroke. Go-yeo watched the man taking the lesson attentively and then turned to Ga-eul beside her.

 

“Do you know how to play tennis?”

 

“No.”

 

Ga-eul, who had been watching the ball going back and forth over the net, raised his head and looked at Go-yeo.

 

“Not at all?”

 

“No.”

 

Go-yeo nodded. It had been so long since she had held a racket that she wondered if her body still remembered. She had never really held a racket after learning briefly at the school club with Moon Ji-hyuk.

 

But now, she had decided not to react to such things anymore. Oh well, what did it matter? She would forget about it as soon as she swung the tennis ball.

 

As the lesson ended, the coach approached. He was introduced by Jin-yu and said he was a former national team player. He was in his mid-twenties and retired early due to an injury preventing him from continuing his active career.

 

Tall with a Western physique, his entire body boasted well-defined muscles, radiating health. The approaching man exuded freshness typical of his age.

 

“Hello.”

 

He smiled widely, showing white teeth against his lightly tanned skin as if he had been tanning. Go-yeo also smiled slightly in return. Hyun-joo, as the coach introduced himself, explained how the lesson would proceed. Then, he asked cautiously.

 

“Are both of you taking the lesson?”

 

“That’s the plan.”

 

Ga-eul was taken aback and looked at Go-yeo. It hadn’t been discussed beforehand.

 

“You should learn too.”

 

Hyun-joo wanted to see Go-yeo’s skill level first and invited her onto the court. Go-yeo, who hadn’t tied her hair up before, pulled it back tightly to get serious. Her exposed neck was slender and pale. The short tennis dress made of knitted fabric hugged her curvy body perfectly. With every move, the lines of her body were visible.

 

With a thud, the ball went back and forth over the net. As she swung her racket, her long hair swayed dizzyingly, and her arm put in a lot of effort.

 

She persistently hit the ball across the court. Although the rally didn’t last long, Go-yeo was already breathing heavily. Perhaps Hyun-joo thought it was enough as he stopped sending the ball and raised his hand.

 

“You’re hitting very well. Your posture and steps are excellent. We just need to work on your backhand.”

 

Go-yeo wiped the sweat off her face and breathed heavily. Flushes appeared on her usually pale face.

 

“And you need to build up your basic stamina. You suddenly moved intensely today; I’m worried you might get muscle cramps.”

 

Ga-eul handed Go-yeo a bottle of water. Slowly sipping the water, she felt the pounding of her heart like crazy.

 

Sensations of life she hadn’t felt in a long time. Perhaps she had been slowly killing herself, without wanting anything and lethargically passing the time.

 

But this forced sensation brought exhilaration, and she felt like she could easily shake off any pent-up emotions.

 

Hyun-joo taught Ga-eul, a complete beginner, while his junior, Se-jung, decided to correct Go-yeo’s backhand posture.

 

Se-jung, with a height approaching 190 centimeters and muscles honed from tennis, was gentle and patient as he corrected Go-yeo’s posture, pushing her shoulders slightly.

 

Some amusing moments made Go-yeo chuckle several times. For 30 minutes, she received close coaching and hit balls while maintaining her backhand posture with the ball machine. Despite her arms aching and muscles protesting loudly, Go-yeo knew she was smiling. They decided to have coaching sessions twice a week and concluded for the day.

 

After finishing the shower and getting into the car with Ga-eul, Go-yeo leaned her head against the window frame and closed her eyes for a moment. Today, she felt like she could fall asleep without taking sleeping pills.

 

With each gentle sway of the car, the scent of peach blossoms wafted from Go-yeo’s hair. Ga-eul felt strangely warm again. Suddenly alert, he opened the window a bit.

 

Ga-eul caught glimpses of Go-yeo smiling brightly. She was still beautiful, and surely, Ga-eul wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Go-yeo kept laughing throughout the lesson as she chatted with Se-jung.

 

“How was it? Was it worth learning?”

 

Go-yeo, still leaning her head against the window frame, asked lazily.

 

“…It’s difficult.”

 

Ga-eul replied with a faint smile. His body was tired from continuously adjusting his posture in front of the mirror, and his focus was scattered elsewhere. He didn’t know how time had passed.

 

“Hyun-joo said you seem to have good motor skills. Give it a try. It’s fun, isn’t it?”

 

“Yeah. But why am I…”

 

“It’s just because it’s boring to wait.”

 

Ga-eul realized that Go-yeo had put quite an effort into paying attention to him. Metaphorically speaking, it felt like a social elevation. His dimples slightly deepened with a smile.

 

When the car briefly stopped, the default message tone sounded on Go-yeo’s phone. Go-yeo chuckled as she took her phone out of her bag. She had exchanged numbers with Se-jung, who had immediately sent a message. Go-yeo laughed at his sudden declaration of calling her “sister”. It seemed like a cliché move, but it was cute, so she decided to indulge him.

 

Ga-eul noticed that Go-yeo was exchanging messages, and he realized it was with the male coach from earlier. He hadn’t anticipated this situation, and it wasn’t exactly okay either. He understood that if he had started alone, he would have had to handle many things alone. This solitary path wasn’t as easy as it seemed.