* * *
The next day, before boarding his afternoon flight, Yoonwoo cleaned his small room for the last time.
It was a simple space, with hardly any traces of the past few months.
He was just packing his few belongings into a small carry-on suitcase.
“Meow… meow….”
Gaeul, who had wandered into the room, rubbed against Yoonwoo’s leg, crying pitifully.
The cat seemed to sense that its owner was leaving.
When Yoonwoo picked up his suitcase, Gaeul sat down, as if blocking his path, and cried again.
Yoonwoo paused at the sight of the cat seemingly pleading with him not to go.
He knelt down and stroked Gaeul’s small head.
He remembered the moment he first found the cat, dying.
And the time since, when it had miraculously survived and shared its warmth with him.
“Gaeul, I’m sorry. I’ll come back to see you soon. Listen well to Dojin and his father. Okay?”
He gave Gaeul a final goodbye, running his hand over its soft fur.
His chest ached, but it was time to leave.
When he stepped out into the yard, Dojin was already waiting for him by the truck.
His face held a mix of regret and worry that he tried to conceal.
Yoonwoo formally said his final farewell to Dojin’s father as well.
He was still gruff but offered short words of caution to return safely and take care of his health.
Yoonwoo bowed to the two men again in gratitude and got into the passenger seat of the truck, which Dojin opened for him.
The truck slowly left the guesthouse and headed toward the airport.
Familiar Jeju scenery flashed past the window.
Yoonwoo leaned his head against the window, recalling the day he first arrived here months ago.
At that time, he had come here as if fleeing, having lost everything.
He was gripped by despair, feeling as if his world had collapsed, and by a deep sense of helplessness that he would never be able to stand up again.
Even Jeju’s beautiful scenery had looked gray to him, and Dojin, who had come to meet him at the airport, was merely a bothersome and burdensome stranger.
But now was different.
Although hurt and fear still lingered deep in his heart, he had found light within the complete darkness.
The hope of starting anew, and his own will to move toward that hope.
He was no longer just running away, but moving toward a new beginning.
His gaze shifted to Dojin driving next to him.
At first, he was just the guesthouse owner’s son, an annoying presence.
But over the past few months, his consistent consideration and sincere comfort had slowly melted Yoonwoo’s hardened heart.
He had become a precious person who pulled Yoonwoo out of the swamp of despair and helped him find a reason to live again.
While he still couldn’t fully accept Dojin’s feelings, his gratitude and trust in him were clear.
Yoonwoo unconsciously smiled at Dojin.
The departure area of Jeju International Airport was busy with people leaving and those seeing them off.
Yoonwoo stood next to his small carry-on, just as he had when he first arrived months ago, waiting for his boarding time.
Standing next to him, Dojin was fidgeting, looking as if he was about to cry.
The time to part was truly approaching.
“Mr. Yoonwoo, you must eat properly when you get to Seoul! Three meals a day! Not instant food, but proper meals! Okay?”
“Yes.”
“And you must get plenty of sleep! You absolutely must not work all night! If you have nightmares again, don’t suffer alone. Make sure to call me… or even Sister Seoyeon!”
“I understand.”
“Don’t overdo it with the studio work, either. Since it’s a new start, there might be more difficult things. If anything is difficult, don’t ever hold it in. Call me right away! Okay? I’ll pick up immediately, whether it’s night or dawn! Truly!”
Dojin hovered around Yoonwoo, voicing all his concerns like a parent sending a young child away for the first time, or a nagging grandmother.
At his excessive worry and restlessness, which didn’t match his large frame, Yoonwoo spontaneously burst into a warm laugh. It was a change that would have been unimaginable months ago.
“Pfft… It’s not like you’re sending a child away. Calm down, Dojin. I’m okay now. And I’ll be working with my senior, so you don’t have to worry too much. I promise I’ll call you if anything happens.”
His laughter was filled with sincere gratitude and a relaxed affection for Dojin.
Dojin stared blankly at Yoonwoo’s face, now laughing freely in front of him.
His smile, transparent and bright, was dazzling, making his heart pound again.
He suppressed the mixed feelings of joy and the regret of having to let him go, forced a composed expression, and smiled back.
Just then, the boarding announcement came over the loudspeaker.
It was truly time to say goodbye. Yoonwoo stood up and turned toward Dojin.
“…And please take good care of Gaeul. I feel bad leaving him so irresponsibly.”
“Don’t worry! He’s the guesthouse mascot now. My father likes him a lot too! I’ll take good care of him. I’ll send you pictures often!”
Dojin replied bravely.
“Even in Seoul… I’ll come to see you sometimes. Both Gaeul and you, Dojin.”
Yoonwoo said, smiling softly. At his words, Dojin’s face brightened significantly.
“…Thank you for everything, Dojin. Truly.”
Yoonwoo looked into his eyes and spoke with sincerity.
“…I should be the one thanking you more. I learned a lot because of you too, Mr. Yoonwoo.”
Dojin said, swallowing the rush of regret that came with remembering their time together.
“Please… take care and have a safe trip.”
After exchanging short but sincere goodbyes, Yoonwoo pulled his suitcase and slowly entered the boarding gate.
Dojin remained standing there, waving, until Yoonwoo’s figure completely disappeared.
As the plane took off and the blue Jeju sea grew smaller outside the window, Yoonwoo took a deep breath.
Over the past few months, he had gained much on this island, which he had fled to.
His life had completely fallen apart, but he gained the strength to stand up again here.
At first, he had floundered in endless despair, but thanks to the seemingly indifferent yet kind father and son who ran the guesthouse, and the small, unexpected life, Gaeul, he was able to breathe again.
Especially Dojin.
His consistent consideration and positive energy had gradually melted his frozen heart.
Within his clumsy comfort and sincere encouragement, Yoonwoo gained the strength to live again, even if only a little.
Of course, he was still afraid and anxious about the future.
The reality of Seoul was still a high wall for him.
But now, he had decided not to be confined to the past any longer.
‘Jeju, and Dojin, Father, Gaeul… thank you, truly.’
He whispered quietly, looking at the clouds outside the window.
Meanwhile, Dojin climbed up to the airport observatory and watched the plane carrying Yoonwoo cut through the blue sky and disappear into the distance.
Watching the plane shrink to a white dot and vanish, he clenched his fist.
‘He really left….’
Regret washed over him like a wave, but he quickly composed himself.
‘Wait for me, Mr. Yoonwoo. I’ll quickly build up my skills and stand proudly by your side. I promised. A student should be next to his mentor. And… someday, I’ll be called by a name other than student.’
His eyes held a firm resolve and a deep affection for Yoonwoo.
It was past 10 p.m. when Yoonwoo arrived at Seoul’s Gimpo Airport.
He had dozed off briefly on the plane, but the fatigue hadn’t lifted.
Seoul, after months away, was still full of suffocating noise and dazzling lights.
The city scene was frantic, so different from the quiet of Jeju.
Yoonwoo felt a sense of fatigue and slight dizziness as he left the airport.
There was another problem.
He had nowhere suitable to stay immediately.
Yoonwoo briefly considered calling Seoyeon, but it was too late, and he still needed some time to sort himself out alone.
As he thought about finding a cheap hotel, the officetel Joowon had given him as ‘alimony’ suddenly came to mind.
‘That place….’
Yoonwoo’s heart momentarily sank.
It was a place where too many memories with Joowon remained.
The terrible memory of their end was there, as well as the happy ones.
But it was also a space that was now legally and entirely his property.
He hesitated for a moment.
He was afraid of facing his past there again, but at the same time, he didn’t want to avoid it.
He quickly made up his mind.
‘It’ll be fine. I really won’t feel anything anymore. Let’s check.’
There was a defiant impulse in him, a desire to test how strong he had become, and how much he had moved past the trauma.
He hailed a taxi and gave the familiar address.
When he arrived at the officetel, he took a moment to catch his breath. His heart beat nervously.
The familiar front door.
He entered the password, which he hadn’t changed yet, and opened the door.
He naturally expected the inside to be empty, the lights off.
He expected only a cold silence to greet him.
But the moment he opened the door and stepped inside, Yoonwoo froze.
An familiar silhouette was visible in the darkness.
A man curled up on the living room sofa.
Empty liquor bottles and cigarette butts were scattered messily around him.
Hearing the slight noise, he slowly lifted his head.
His face, revealed by the faint moonlight.
He looked much more gaunt and broken than the last time Yoonwoo had seen him.
He was there.
Cha Joowon was there.
* * *
