When Daechul got Minsoo's message, the sun was just starting to set.
Minsoo, 19:02
I took a nap. Feel rested. Still want to go.
Daechul, 19:03
Get ready then. Be there in 30.
He bid farewell to his friends and left.
Despite his day being pretty eventful, Daechul managed to get a lot of his job done. Kimoon reported to him about the disposed body of the thief, and that it was dealt with accordingly. The man also got in touch with Winston, back in Seoul managing his business, to find that everything was running smooth and as supposed to, which, of course, left Daechul greatly satisfied.
After his meeting with Sunmi, the man decided to reach out to Shin Jongil and warn him about the Kim Chungee and his little gang. The men scheduled a brief gathering to just update each other about general happenings that took place. He figured that now, when both gangs formed an alliance, it was necessary to keep everyone updated. The men will be meeting tomorrow.
/\/\/\
When Daechul reached Won's house, Minsoo was already waiting outside. He was wearing skinny, light blue jeans, paired with a powdery pink sweatshirt, that was a bit too big on his small form, and showed his collarbones.
When the man got in his car, he was smiling, and it almost made him forget what took place just mere hours ago. In other words, Minsoo looked well put together.
"Hi, again", he greeted quietly.
Daechul hummed.
"Feel better now?"
"Loads. Is the place far from here?"
Daechul shook his head.
"About 20 minutes. 15, if I'm speeding".
Minsoo chuckled.
"You keep track of that?"
"There was a time when I did, and I guess it became a habit by now", he shrugged.
The boy was silent for a few minutes, watching the scenery to pass by in a blur.
"Are you speeding right now?", he asked, while squinting at the speedometer.
Daechul playfully scoffed.
"And what if I am, Won?"
"Song."
Daechul turned to look at him, when the car was stopped by the red traffic light.
"You kept your last name?"
"Yeah, as did my mom. It's like a tribute to my late father", mumbled Minsoo.
"What happened?", asked Daechul with a sympathetic facial expression.
The light turned green, and the car was moving again.
"Cancer. He died when I was very little, so I don't remember him that well."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. That was a long time ago."
Then both men were silent again.
It only took five more minutes, when Daechul turned right and steered the car through tall, uncut grass. The path was narrow, with massive trees on both sides. Minsoo was curiously looking around, as if trying to distinguish if the pair were still in Busan.
The picture was completely different from high rise buildings and colourful billboards, that was Busan.
When the grass got so tall that it was difficult to navigate through it, Daechul killed the engine.
"Well, now we will have to go on foot the rest of the way."
Minsoo did not seem put off by that, as he eagerly unfastened his seatbelt and hopped onto the grass.
Daechul smiled and followed the boy, climbing out of the car and locking it.
"Lead the way, mister", Minsoo jokingly declared, which in turn made Daechul laugh.
"Alright".
The bridge that Daechul held so dear to him, was a construction, built of big grey stones. It had no railings, and looked severely run down. There was a tiny stream of clear water running under it.
The whole thing was surrounded by thick, leafy trees, grass, and wildflowers. You could faintly hear animals and insects, so although abandoned by human touch, the place was thriving with lively nature.
On one of the sides, scarce with greenery, the setting sun was visible, painting the cloudless sky in various tones of blue, orange and pink.
Minsoo slowly stepped on the bridge and sat down, gazing at the sky in wonder, and Daechul followed him.
For a while, it was silent, as if both men were afraid to shatter the peaceful atmosphere with unnecessary words.
Until Minsoo decided to break it, and spoke up.
"Wow. It's so beautiful here, Daechul."
Daechul wordlessly nodded, because it really was.
"I found this place by accident. One evening, me and my mother were arguing. It was almost one year of father's death anniversary, when she announced that she fell in love again. I was furious, because to my sixteen year old hormonal self, it looked like my mother was betraying her husband's remembrance, by being with another man. It felt like a punch in a gut, for I was still mourning. I was shouting, saying how bad of a wife she was. I recall running outside and taking her car that was parked on the yard, and just speeding away", he chuckled, "I was such a bad driver back then. Almost crashed it a few times, because I was just so desperate to get away. To cut it short, somehow I ended up here. I spent a good few hours into the night, just sitting here, watching the moon and thinking. It was also the last time I shed any tears."
Minsoo hummed.
"What happened next? With your mother I mean."
Daechul smiled, boring his eyes on the running stream, to avoid seeing Minsoo's facial expression. He feared recognizing pity. After Sungwoon died, he saw that look everywhere he went, and it only made his grief more painful, and the shitty situation more real.
"I came back home early in the morning. Went looking for her. She was sitting in her office, probably going through our bills. When she saw me, weirdly enough, she smiled, beckoning me to sit on the spare chair. Maybe she thought that I came there to talk to her, to apologise for my outburst. In reality, my intentions were entirely different.I looked my beautiful mother straight in the eye, and confidently demanded she transfers me my inheritance, left by my father. I know that he did leave me loads of money, because I was sitting in that very office, while his lawyer read through his legacy. My mother was shocked. She asked why I need that much money. The only thing that I said to her that morning, was that I was moving out, and to complete the transfer as soon as possible. Then I went to my room, packed my belongings, said goodbye to my crying siblings, took that same car and disappeared from their life. God, I was such an asshole. I let my feelings get the best of me."
Daechul took a deep breath, suddenly wondering what made him want to open up to Minsoo so badly. Maybe he was just approachable, and the man really needed to talk about this, so that he could finally leave it in the past. Either way, he found himself opening his mouth again.
"I spent the night at your father's house. Kimoon was asking me an array of questions, but I told next to nothing. When we three sat down to eat dinner, Doyun brought the gang into the conversation. He asked if I'm planning to take over. Believe it or not, I immediately said yes. I had so much pent up aggression inside me, that I deemed taking over was the right thing to do. Doyun smiled and patted me on the shoulder, declaring that he will train me how to use a gun, how to lead the gang. I was grateful, because to me, he resembled a strong father figure, that I was lacking in my life. We started training the very next day. Doyun took me and Kimoon to a secluded forest, handed us a gun and told us to pull the trigger. I was scared shittless", both men quietly laughed, "Kimoon was braver than me. He didn't even flinch when he fired the gun. The sound was almost deafening in that serene space. When it was my turn, I was nervous, but Doyun was patient. He told me to direct every emotion I have, into the bullet that is going to fly from the gun, and just stop thinking. My target was an oak tree, ten, maybe twelve meters away, and when I hit it, Doyun hugged me. For the first time in months, I felt satisfaction, that pushed me to get better at this, and learn more. I will forever be grateful to your father for that."
Minsoo was looking at him in deep thought, seemingly taking everything in.
"No wonder you all are so close."
Daechul nodded.
"5 years have passed, and he still is like a father to me."
"I'm glad that he was near you, when you needed it the most."
"Yeah. Me too."
/\/\/\
When the sun completely disappeared, and transmitted the skies to the moon, Daechul deemed it as the que to get back home.
They went back the same grassy path that they took just a few hours earlier, and were on the road in no time.
Daechul never felt as calm, as he was right at that moment.