Capítulo 23: Chapter Thirteen - A Rich Man's Son (Part 1)
Chapter Song Submission - "Late Night Movie by Ha HyunSang"
The night market bustles with a throng of the locals and tourists, the ambience is festive and energetic, liven up by street food, band performances and whimsical souvenir shops. It's miniscule but the attraction it gets, is insane. Dae mentioned that it's listed on the official Korean site - explaining the foreigners. Autumn is a bountiful season not just for the harvest, but it brings in new crops of tourists. It's a season of change.
We walk, hand in hand like a couple, taking in the beautiful sights and smells. I sigh aloud, loving the lighthearted atmosphere. "This place gives me the retro vibes, it's like I'm on the set of Reply 1994."
I laugh at Dae's bewilderment – a rare look on him. "I'm not surprised you don't know. It's a popular k-drama featuring the lives of college students becoming a family at a boarding house in Seoul."
He listens attentively, content to hear my voice.
Glancing up at him, I ask. "Don't you feel nostalgic? It's like we've stepped back into time - back to our childhood."
"I'll pass." His response a little too quick, hinting at a sensitive topic. "My childhood isn't a time I want to revisit."
"Why not?" Curiosity gets the better of me, before turning into regret. Hastily, I hold up a hand. "If you're not comfortable answering, it's fine. I didn't mean to pry." Of course, I did. Who wouldn't want to know more about the person they are interested in?
Dae's silent for several seconds. Then, he surprises me by answering. "I'm the eldest son in my family. I have three siblings, the first two are my brothers and the youngest is my sister. I'm only close to my first brother, Kang-Chul. He's happily married to his childhood sweetheart. They have two children together – fraternal twins." Talking about his niece and nephew brings a half-smile to his face, revealing that he's no stranger to love, at least to his own kin. "My brother is the only non-dysfunctional member in the family. I'd do anything for him, like he will for me."
The weight of his words makes me believe him.
"My parents had an arranged marriage. They hated each other with a passion but sometimes lust and hate becomes a blurred line. The fact that they have four children," He shrugs haphazardly. "Well, I don't need to finish that sentence for you." He continues, sounding distant, like his soul has travelled back in time. "They fought every single day and we, their children, suffered for it. The four of us were constantly pitched against each other, forced to compete in our academics, sports, and even for their affection. It became second nature."
"I was resilient but, Kang-Chul...he's softer on the inside. I tried my best to shield him from my father's wrath, but I couldn't be with him twenty-four hours a day. Sometimes when I get home, I'd see him with fresh cuts and bruises." His throat bobs up and down. "You see, my father's a military fanatic. He believes in strict discipline and weakness in a man is disgraceful. He toughened us up with the end of his cane, severe punishments, and his sharp tongue. We couldn't talk back, or we'd get a slap in the face. Being around him was like walking on eggshells." A ragged breath releases from his lungs. "It's a miracle how Kang-Chul grew up mentally unscathed. God knows, I had my share of trauma, but I didn't go down easily."
I squeeze his hand, conveying my support. "That means your brother's a tough nut too."
"He is." Dae agrees wholeheartedly. "He's a decent human being, unlike the rest of my family or me. As the heir, I have a mountain of obligations to fulfil but I will never stop protecting him or his family, even after death."
Listening to him, it's obvious how much he loves his brother. I don't understand why he doesn't apply it to himself. It's almost as if he thinks that he is undeserving of love and deliberately keeps people at a distance.
I'm not big headed enough to believe I'm an exception. Idly swinging our joined hands, I ask. "What about your other siblings? How did they handle your parents?"
"My youngest brother is smart and cunning. He figured out at an early age how to become a chameleon to save his own skin. Kang-Min doesn't need me to look out for him. Once upon a time, we were close but now, he doesn't talk to me anymore." His sorrow is undiluted regret, causing my heart to ache for him. If emotions could be embraced, I would keep his safe in mine.
Dae resumes. "My sister on the other hand, is a spoilt brat. Maybe it's our age gap but, we don't get along. Ha-na's a faultless diamond in my mother's eyes, a mini replica to be exact." He pauses to gather his thoughts. "My mother's a classic bitch. I think my distrust of women stems from her. She didn't raise us in the literal sense. To her, babies were burdensome creatures, so we were thrown to the nannies. Even when we grew up, she showed no interest in our lives." A dark frown ghosts his features. "My mother only cares about herself and God forbid, the family reputation be sullied because of us."
I wince when he unknowingly crushes my hand, anger and resentment radiating from every pore of his being. "My mother is a social butterfly. In front of those women she calls friends," He hisses the last word like a curse. "She would shower us with affection and gifts, boasting about our achievements and how well she raised us. I desperately wanted to knock her off her high horse, and I tried once." His lips twist cynically. "I ended up with a fractured jaw for a whole month. After that episode, I learnt my lesson."
I gasp, horrified by what it meant for a young boy. "That's cruel!" I ball my fist. "If I ever meet your mother, I'll be sure to give her a piece of my mind!"
The smile he gives me is a mixture of sadness and relief. "Thank God you'll never meet her. I won't put it pass you to resort to physical violence."
The street rings with my laughter, the imagery of his suggestion cracking me up. I wipe the tears from the corner of my eyes, short of breath. "That is absolutely true. Maybe throw in a few roundhouses and we'll be trending on social media the next day." I sober up, stopping in our tracks to cup his cheek. "If I could change all that, I would. No child should ever grow up like that. A home should be filled with happiness and love, at least that's what I believe in. I'm sorry for all the bad things you've experienced."
Dae's gaze softens. Turning his head, he presses a kiss into my palm. "And that's why we belong in different worlds. You're soft, like my brother. I've done things that I shouldn't be proud of, but they got me where I am today."
"The life of a rich man's son isn't all it's cut out to be, huh?" I muse aloud, stating the obvious. He doesn't appear offended. Eyes never leaving his, I cast out a hypothetical question. "If you could change the family you were born into, would you do it?"
"Not at all." His immediate answer stunts me. Most people would say yes. "I'm human after all. I'll never give up the chance to be rich and famous. Plus," He taps my nose. "I'll never have met you."
"Wow." I breathe, feeling like the wind just got knocked out of me. "Thank you for being honest. I thought you would say yes. You're truly something else."
"If I had to choose the role of the good guy or the bad guy...never doubt, I'll always be the bad guy. Happily." And he admits this with a straight face.
I shake my head in disbelief, smiling wryly. "You're one of the strangest men I've ever met."
He flashes a secretive smile, ending his sharing session. Guess I can't complain, since he opened up a little. By his standards, it's a wealth of information. Although, it doesn't give me an insight to who he is or what his goals are. All I can deduce is that growing up in a dysfunctional family made him wary of people. Trust isn't a language he's fluent in and being mentally oppressed as a child only strengthened his will to become powerful - a dominant force that even his monsters can't withstand.
What a scary world he lives in. It's amazing he knows how to be pleasant at all, especially to women. It's a testament that his mother hasn't sunk her claws in too deep. I hope. To be realistic, Dae and I are still strangers. Only our bodies are intimate. It's a sobering thought.
We continue walking down the street, until he points at a noodle shack nearby. "I think the smell we've been following is coming from there." He leads us straight to it.
I knew he was lying about not feeling hungry. The only traditional dishes he eats are meals with soup. Nonchalantly, I ask. "Finally feeling hungry?"
"I just thought it'll be nice to support the locals, you know…contribute to their livelihood." He browses the menu, stubbornly hanging onto his pride.
I scoff aloud, able to hear his stomach growling. "Come one, Dae. Just admit that you're hungry. You don't have to put on a mask for me." The front of my heels touches the tip of his shoes. "Who am I to you?"
We stare intensely at each other until the shop owner clears his throat. "So, will that be one or two bowls?"
"Two please." I break off eye contact first. Spinning around, I find us a nice, cozy bench table overlooking the opposite street performance. "This seems like a good spot." Passively, I take a seat.
"Aera," Dae says my name matter-of-factly. He hasn't moved.
I ignore him, focusing on the band. It's embarrassing what I did, and I don't want to know what he thinks – if he's mad, or if he's feeling otherwise. I don't know what got into me. Why did I ask such a ridiculous question?
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