Love for love's sake [ENG TRANS]

Chapter 50

[Cha Yeowoon's POV]

Cha Yeowoon's father swung his arm widely, pulling open the drawers. Items neatly arranged inside spilled out, glinting metallic as they cascaded down. He hurriedly inspected the belongings. A nearly empty paper banknote was swiftly discarded, a ceramic piggy bank found its way into his hands. The bills Cha Yeowoon had put in an envelope also went into his pocket.

Finally, what was lifted up all at once with a pull of the string was Cha Yeowoon's medals. These were from the track and field competitions since middle school until now. Medals of silver and gold collided mid-air with a clinking sound.

"Give them back." Cha Yeowoon blocked his father who was about to leave the room.

His father pushed past, ignoring him. Cha Yeowoon staggered but caught up with his father.

"Give me! Those things belong to Grandma, and I've never touched them before. Besides, there are only coins inside."

What Cha Yeowoon grabbed wasn't the medals but the piggy bank. His father violently pushed him away. The piggy bank, knocked to the floor with Cha Yeowoon, made a loud crashing sound and shattered, sending the coins inside spilling in all directions.

Boom, Boom–

Sounds of stomping faded away. His father left the door without closing it properly, letting in the wind. Cha Yeowoon collapsed, fumbling in the messy room. Old coins were scattered on the floor like tiny medals. There was no thought of picking up the scattered coins as he buried his head on the dusty floor.

He wanted to stand up. His knees were throbbing. His body was too heavy to stand. It was always like that. No matter how much he tried to run away, he couldn't. Borrowed hope spilled all over the floor. The worn-out coins looked pathetic. 500, 200, 400 won. That was all. What could he get by collecting such things? It wasn't like life could be changed.

"Heuk..." His throat trembled.

Something hot welled up and he found it hard to breathe. He wanted to give up on everything. At times like that, when everything collapsed. Everything.

"Cha Yeowoon, are you crying, dude?"

It was that moment. Someone softly called his name. A person he never expected to appear. The only person who always found him.

"...Why are you here, sunbae?"

Cha Yeowoon couldn't believe it and wanted to clench his thighs. He would have done that if his body could move properly. A faint tremor, like static electricity, was binding his muscles.

Tae Myeongha shook the plastic bag hanging from his wrist. "I heard you came to my house yesterday. That's why I'm here. To give you a lunchbox."

"Lunchbox?"

"From the lunchbox shop where I work part-time. Hey, Yeowoon." Tae Myeongha placed the lunchbox next to the sink and returned to Cha Yeowoon. "Yeowoon, can you buy this lunch for 500 won?"

"500 won?"

"Yes. Buy it."

It was a strange request. Tae Myeongha always had an inexplicable aspect to him, but it didn't suit him to insist forcefully like that. Despite Cha Yeowoon's confusion, he nodded his head. He couldn't refuse what Tae Myeongha wanted. It seemed to be his destiny. After Tae Myeongha barged into his despair like a god playing with fate, it was as if he had come to possess him.

Tae Myeongha smiled as he picked up the scattered coins from the floor.

***

[Tae Myeongha's POV]