A Lovely Meal — Chapter 17

UH... CHANGDEOK HYUNG... ARE YOU OKAY?

NO...

I'M NOT...

I'VE ONLY EVER DRIVEN AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD A FEW TIMES, YEARS AGO.

NOW HERE I AM, DRIVING LONG DISTANCE IN THE MIDDLE OF A DOWNPOUR...

HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING.

GOODNESS... YOU REALLY WENT THROUGH A LOT...

YOU CAME ALL THE WAY OUT HERE TO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

HOW EXACTLY WERE YOU PLANNING TO GET HOME TONIGHT?

UMM...

I FIGURED IF I COULDN'T MAKE IT BACK, I'D JUST STAY ON THE BEACH...

...AND CATCH THE FIRST BUS BACK IN THE MORNING...?

HA...

YOU COULD'VE JUST ASKED ME TO COME WITH YOU.

WHY GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO MAKE THINGS HARDER ON YOURSELF...?

HONESTLY... I DID THINK ABOUT IT.

BUT I FIGURED YOU'D BE BUSY.

YOU PROBABLY WANT TO VISIT YOUR OWN PARENTS.

I DIDN'T WANT TO DRAG YOU AROUND AND WEAR YOU OUT.

MY PARENTS...

HYUNG...

THANK YOU.

FOR WHAT?

I WAS JUST THINKING TO MYSELF THAT I REGRETTED NOT ASKING YOU TO COME.

THEN YOUR CALL CAME RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT. IT REALLY SURPRISED ME.

I FEEL BAD THAT YOU TOOK TIME OFF WORK TO COME...

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, BEING HERE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW MAKES ME REALLY HAPPY...

JEEZ...

YOU SAY STUFF LIKE THAT SO CASUALLY...

WOAH... WAS THAT YOUR STOMACH JUST NOW?

WHY ASK WHEN YOU CLEARLY HEARD IT...?

I RUSHED OUT WITHOUT EVEN EATING DINNER. I'M STARVING.

SINCE WE'RE IN GANGNEUNG, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE REGIONAL SPECIALTY.

AND WHAT IS THAT?

IT'S HAND-CUT NOODLE SOUP, BUT MADE SPICY WITH GOCHUJANG.

SOUNDS DELICIOUS, I WANNA TRY IT...

I KIND OF WANT SOME UDON AND WALNUT BREAD FROM THE REST STOP TOO.

NOW THAT SOUNDS GOOD... REST STOP FOOD...

CHANGDEOK HYUNG...

YOU MUST'VE BEEN EXHAUSTED.

I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU FELL ASLEEP LIKE THAT.

MMM...

I'M GLAD THE RAIN STOPPED LAST NIGHT.

IT WAS POURING SO HARD, I THOUGHT MONSOON SEASON STARTED EARLY...

RIGHT? I THOUGHT WE'D BE STUCK IN THE CAR ALL NIGHT.

WHAT'S IN THE BAG? SNACKS?

WE CAME ALL THIS WAY TO PAY OUR RESPECTS TO YOUR PARENTS.

WE SHOULD AT LEAST DO IT PROPERLY, EVEN IF IT'S SIMPLE.

HERE, TAKE THIS.

I WANTED TO BRING SOME FRUIT TOO...

BUT THE CONVENIENCE STORE DIDN'T HAVE ANY...

HEY HEY HEY HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!?!

WHY ARE YOU DRINKING THE OFFERING WE BROUGHT FOR YOUR PARENTS?!

ARE YOU THAT STRESSED FROM STUDYING THAT YOU'VE GONE COMPLETELY NUTS?!

THEN SAY SOMETHING!! TALK TO ME!!!!!!

OH! I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO DRINK IT? MY BAD!

IF YOU WEREN'T SURE, YOU COULD'VE ASKED... WHY WOULD YOU JUST DRINK IT?!

BUT IT WAS FROM YOU, HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO SAY NO...? HEHE.

GOOD GRIEF... HOW DID I END UP BRINGING SOMEONE LIKE YOU HOME...?

WHAT A DISASTER... UNBELIEVABLE.

HYUNG, DO YOU REMEMBER THE DAY WE MET IN FRONT OF THE RESTAURANT?

THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE SAME DAY I SCATTERED MY PARENTS' ASHES IN THE OCEAN.

IT WAS SUCH A SUDDEN ACCIDENT, THEY DIDN'T EVEN LEAVE A PROPER WILL.

BUT I REMEMBERED HOW THEY USED TO SAY THEY WANTED TO LIVE BY THE OCEAN SOMEDAY...

SO I DECIDED TO LAY THEM TO REST THERE.

EVEN IN THE MOMENT I WAS SPREADING THEIR ASHES...

...I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE THEY WERE REALLY GONE.

MAYBE THAT'S WHY...

...I DIDN'T SHED A SINGLE TEAR DURING THE FUNERAL.

LOOKING BACK NOW...

...I THINK WHAT REALLY SCARED ME WAS HOW STRANGE IT WAS...

...THAT I DIDN'T CRY EVEN AFTER I HAD JUST LOST MY ENTIRE FAMILY.

I WAS DEFINITELY SAD...

BUT MY EYES WERE SO DRY THEY ACTUALLY HURT.

I STARED AT THE OCEAN FOR SO LONG...

...I COULDN'T EVEN TELL IF I WAS REALLY SAD ANYMORE.

AND THEN I STARTED TO WONDER...

...MAYBE IT HAPPENED BECAUSE I'M A HALF-BLOOD...

MAYBE WHAT MY RELATIVES USED TO WHISPER ABOUT ME WAS TRUE.

MAYBE THESE THINGS HAPPEN... BECAUSE I'M A MONSTER...

JONGWU.

SHEDDING TEARS...

ISN'T THE ONLY WAY TO MOURN SOMEONE.

YOU HONORED THEM WITH SINCERITY, AND THAT'S ENOUGH.

IF YOU VISIT FROM TIME TO TIME AND TALK TO THEM LIKE THIS, THAT'S EVEN BETTER.

ACK.

YOU'VE BEEN CARRYING THIS BY YOURSELF ALL THIS TIME.

THAT MUST HAVE BEEN HARD.

NGH...

HNGH...

HIC...

BY THE WAY...

...SINCE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC OF PARENTS...

...I DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO VISIT ON PARENTS' DAY...

SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEEL SORRY.

I WAS ABANDONED IN FRONT OF AN ORPHANAGE WHEN I WAS A BABY.

I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER RELATIVES EITHER.

THINKING BACK...

I ALMOST NEVER CRIED AS A CHILD.

AT SOME POINT, PEOPLE STARTED WHISPERING THAT I WAS COLD, OR HEARTLESS.

BUT CRYING IS JUST A BIOLOGICAL RESPONSE.

WHY ARE PEOPLE SO OBSESSED WITH IT...?

ANYWAY... WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS-

ACK.

UGH... SAND...

CHANGDEOK HYUNG...

THANK YOU, FOR COMFORTING ME.

AFTER HEARING YOUR STORY...

...I'M STARTING TO FEEL A LITTLE GREEDY.

MAYBE IT'S OUT OF LINE, BUT...

...I WANT TO BE SOMEONE YOU CAN TRUST AND RELY ON.

JUST LIKE FAMILY.

HE'S HEAVY...

DID HE GET TALLER...?