that there is someone else
＜19＞
“Sister.”
half open door.
As Hyeon-jun entered, knocking and calling, an elderly nun sitting in front of a desk writing something raised her head.
I stare blankly at Hyeon-jun as if my eyes are dim for a moment, then put my round glasses back on and stare at Hyeon-jun.
“Who is this?”
She got up right away, and Hyeon-jun smiled and approached to greet her.
“How you doing?”
Momentarily, she made the sign of the cross and prayed for a while.
Then, smiling broadly, he approached and held Hyunjoon’s hand tightly.
“Noah. You have a nice face.”
Hyun-joon’s childhood name was Noah.
“yes. I’m fine. How is the nun?”
It’s Sister Veronica.
Currently, the head nun who is in charge of Angel Orphanage.
So, five years ago, when she took over as the head of an orphanage, she looked emaciated. This is because they are in a position where they have to supervise the management of the nursery school facilities and take responsibility for the housekeeping of the nursery school. In addition, it was because I had to be the most generous and determined mother to all the children at Angel Nursery School.
She had been here since Hyun-joon was very young. So, to Hyun-joon, she was like a real mother.
So maybe that’s why?
As he held his decrepit hand, Hyeon-jun’s eyes immediately became moist.
Sister Veronica, she too.
Why do we cry so much when we get older?
A tear was already flowing from her wrinkled eyes. It was a sign of joy.
“Let’s sit down.”
“yes.”
Two people sitting side by side on an old sofa. Even so, they didn’t let go of their hands, they looked at each other the whole time and inquired about each other for a while.
Her hair, which had already turned white.
The wrinkles under the eyes were getting darker, and the skin condition was not good anymore.
Looking at her bony nape and forehead, Hyeon-jun couldn’t erase that sorrowful feeling.
After chatting for about 20 minutes, Hyeon-jun talked about the things he had brought into the van.
Only then did Sister Veronica call the people together and have them bring items from the van parked outside the orphanage to the inside.
At this time, Hyun-jun helped them.
#
“Wow, why did you buy so many?”
“Thank you again and again.”
“Oh, look at these clothes. Our Hyejeong will really like it. He asked me to buy a skirt with a ribbon. How can the clothes be so small and cute?”
“My Professor Choi has a good sense.”
After carrying all the goods, Hyeon-Jun gathered together with Sister Veronica, the local nuns, and the staff to have a simple cup of tea.
Just like that, we chatted with each other for a while.
It must have been about an hour since then.
Sister Veronica stared at Hyeon-jun before carefully opening her mouth.
“Would you like to come with me for a second?”
“yes? Oh, I will. Sister.”
“Then I’ll be back for a while.”
Then the two of them came out of the small tea room.
We walked side by side to the director’s office.
#
director’s office.
Meanwhile, after going inside, at this time, Sister Veronica prayed quietly for a few minutes, looking at the cross hanging on the wall.
Hyunjoon stood still and waited patiently.
Then she turned her head and looked at Hyunjoon.
her decrepit eyes.
still benevolent
“Sit there for a minute.”
“yes”
As Hyeon-jun sat down on the old sofa, Sister Veronica approached her desk. There, open the lower drawer. Then he took out something and opened his mouth again.
“Before it’s too late… I think I’ll have to give it to you now.”
Hyeonjun looked at her, puzzled by her appearance.
At this time, Sister Veronica slowly approached holding something. When Hyeon-jun stood up right away, she handed him something.
“Take this. I was going to give it to you when I came last time, but I forgot.”
Hyunjoon opened his eyes wide and looked at him.
But it is unexpected.
In her hand was a red bathrobe.
It looked like it was folded like a cloth, but Hyeon-joon was strange about it, but he got it first.
Then the explanation follows.
“Originally, these things are supposed to be given to you when you leave here. Since when has it not been that way? Everyone is heartbroken and, afterward, it is very difficult. I don’t want to convey bad feelings to those who are just starting out… It ended up like this. But I think I can give it to you now… Because you can handle it enough.”
Then, Sister Veronica looked at Hyeon-jun with infinitely deep eyes.
At that moment, Hyeon-jun immediately realized something.
Could this be?
At that moment, his emotions fluctuated, and Hyeon-jun’s hands trembled without realizing it. Something I always wanted to ask. But a question I was not inclined to ask. However, before he could ask himself, Sister Veronica brought something to him herself.
“okay. It’s yours.”
A nun who speaks slowly.
Hyeonjun looked at Sister Veronica again.
At this time, she took off her small glasses and looked at Hyeon-Jun with very benevolent eyes, then gently stroked Hyeon-Jun’s head with one hand.
Hyunjoon had a really strange feeling.
“Fortunately, you have grown up so well. To the extent that I am so grateful…”
And finally, Hyeon-joon, who had the courage to say that, carefully untied the swaddling jacket with trembling hands.
And soon, his eyes begin to vibrate.
Old socks that have already turned yellow.
tiny socks.
A very small piece of clothing worn by newborn children.
And underneath it is a very old letter mixed in.
Hyeonjun looked at Sister Veronica again.
She nods wordlessly.
In the end, Hyun-jun carefully opened the letter with trembling hands.
Hyeon-jun looks at the contents for a while and then covers it again.
Unbelievable.
I visited the nursery school today because I wanted to share the joy of my investment success.
He had no idea that something so sudden would happen.
Hyeonjun bit his lip.
Eventually, the emotion exploded.
Still, Hyeon-joon hurriedly closed his eyes to try to hold it in, but only after a while did he open them again.
However, both eyes are now bloodshot.
Even so, Sister Veronica was still looking at her with benevolent eyes.
“and···.”
Sister Veronica quietly opens her mouth again.
“You still don’t go to church, do you?”
Yes.
Hyun-joon is practically non-religious.
Before returning, I lived a rough life.
Because life itself was no different from a jungle.
To him, religion is just a luxury.
Hyeonjun is only a realist.
“sorry.”
“no···. let you figure it out Do whatever you want.”
“…”
“And I will tell you one more thing. As you can see from the letter there, you have a younger brother…”
Hyeon-joon flinched for a moment.
“Perhaps he went to another nursery…”
At this time, Hyeonjun felt like something was boiling again.
Come to think of it, I didn’t even know about this before returning.
Sister Veronica didn’t say that.
Well, wasn’t he like a complete fool before returning?
I hated going to school because I thought I was abandoned.
I hated everything.
infinitely crooked.
Fortunately, I learned welding skills, so after leaving the nursery school, I worked there for a while.
That was only for a moment.
I just wanted to make money.
So I jumped into the wild stock market.
He just ran like crazy to survive.
Well, it’s probably because he wasn’t trustworthy. Before returning, Hyeon-jun hadn’t even received this swaddle jacket.
Of course, receiving it won’t make any difference.
A biological mother who quietly abandoned herself at the door of the orphanage. He didn’t leave any contact information, and I don’t even know his name.
just a letter.
Inside it was Hyunjun’s name.
Only the brother’s name is written on it.
[Jungseok Choi]
That was all.
#
Sunday morning, January 20, 2019.
Suddenly the temperature dropped again.
As the weather continued below freezing in the morning, Hyeon-jun went to work wearing a red scarf.
In fact, even though it was Sunday, he still had a lot of work to do, so he came to school like yesterday.
And from then on, Hyun-jun analyzed academic papers and revised the paper that was first drafted yesterday to fill in the missing parts step by step.
After spending time like that, it became 3:00 PM in an instant.
This time, Hyeon-jun had to skip lunch.
I just took out a few Choco Pies from the office refrigerator and ate them casually to quench my hunger.
As I was continuing my work, I suddenly heard the phone ring loudly.
Who is it?
on a Sunday like this?
He was puzzled, but Hyun-jun picked up the phone right away.
After a while, I heard a familiar voice.
It was the same department professor, Professor Kim Yeon-joon.
