Jang Youngguk’s mother, Lee Hyesook, couldn’t hide her amazement at the view of the hotel she was visiting for the first time in her life.
The splendid chandeliers, the marble floors, and the staff dressed in suits bowing at a ninety-degree angle to greet her made her wonder if she was worthy of such treatment.
“Madam, we’ll carry your luggage for you.”
When the bellboy courteously tried to take her luggage, Lee Hyesook was flustered. It wasn’t even that heavy. She had only brought some groceries for her son living alone in Seoul and some thick socks and thermal underwear to prepare for the upcoming winter.
“Th-thank you.”
The bellboy responded with a faint smile. The hotel’s lobby was already extraordinary, and the elevator was no exception. The three sides were made of glass, giving a clear view of the outside scenery. As the elevator ascended, the people on the streets gradually looked as small as ants.
When they arrived in front of the guest room, the bellboy bowed politely and said,
“Thank you for choosing our hotel. Please enjoy a comfortable stay.”
Upon entering the room, Lee Hyesook’s eyes widened again.
The grocery store owner, Kim Sunghoon, also couldn’t hide his surprise. Having once worked in Seoul, Kim Sunghoon knew just how expensive this hotel on Teheran-ro was.
Moreover, the suite had a living room, a study, and additional rooms. The expensive furniture and the dazzling night view of Seoul outside the living room’s large glass windows clearly indicated that this was a suite.
“Isn’t this place really expensive, Sunghoon?”
Lee Hyesook was as astonished as if she were exploring a different world and soon felt worried.
In the past, she hadn’t even been on a proper honeymoon trip, let alone stayed in a hotel. The only trip she had taken with her late husband was a bus ride to Taejongdae.
For someone who had spent her younger days moving between shabby inns with her son, the current scenery felt like a completely different world.
“I should ask to change rooms.”
Lee Hyesook looked like she was about to go down to the lobby to change rooms. She thought it was too extravagant for just one night. At that moment, Kim Sunghoon held her trembling hand. He felt sorry for her.
“Hyesook, it seems like Youngguk put a lot of thought into this because his mother was coming. If you’re really worried about the cost, we can pay for it when we leave. If you suddenly change rooms, Youngguk will be very worried.”
“But it’s too luxurious.”
“Come on, let’s just look around. It’s my first time in a place like this too, so I’m curious.”
Kim Sunghoon quickly changed the subject. He had to lead the hesitant Lee Hyesook around the suite.
But before long, Lee Hyesook, realizing they were holding hands, let go as if she were a high school girl. However,
When she stepped back from the panoramic view outside the suite’s glass windows, Kim Sunghoon held her shoulders. The view from the elevator was impressive, but it was her first time looking out through such a wide glass window.
The people walking between the gray buildings looked really small. It was as if they were looking down from the clouds.
While Lee Hyesook cautiously peeked outside,
“Hyesook, try this. It should be delicious.”
“What is it?”
“It’s chocolate.”
Kim Sunghoon carefully unwrapped the welcome chocolate on the living room table and handed it to Lee Hyesook. The chocolate looked as expensive as its luxurious packaging, incomparable to the ones sold at local stores. She wondered how it would taste.
As Lee Hyesook took a bite of the chocolate, she closed her eyes tightly and said,
“It’s bitter.”
“Hyung, are we there yet?”
The car was driving on the complicated overpasses of Seoul. Manager Lee Bongchun, who was driving, was trying his best, but there was no way to break through the congested road. However, he understood Youngguk’s anxiety in the passenger seat.
“Don’t worry! Isn’t your hyung the best driver?”
It had been a long day of filming. His body was already exhausted and tired, but the reason he was still moving was simple. His mother had come up to Seoul.
At that moment, a sneaky car tried to cut in without even signaling.
“Hey! Don’t cut in!”
Manager Lee Bongchun shouted, using his dialect, which he usually tried to avoid.
Seeing Lee Bongchun’s bear-like face through the driver’s side window, the car that attempted to cut in quickly turned on its blinker.
As the congested road cleared over time, the car let out a hearty burp, as if releasing the pent-up stress.
“Hyung, you’re going too fast.”
Unknowingly, Youngguk grabbed the passenger seat’s safety handle. It seemed that Lee Bongchun’s pride in his driving skills was well-deserved.
After all, he was the one who used to drive a top-heavy truck through the rugged terrains of Busan, known for its difficult roads.
The car soon arrived in front of the hotel on Teheran-ro, almost like a bullet taxi.
“Youngguk, should I come pick you up after your meal?”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll take a taxi then.”
“But you’re a celebrity.”
“Don’t worry.”
He meant it. While Lee Bongchun felt proud of showcasing his driving skills after a long time, for Youngguk, it was a nightmare.
Even though he had grown up on fishing boats and rarely got seasick, driving with Lee Bongchun felt like riding a roller coaster repeatedly.
Youngguk decided never to ask for a quick ride again.
“Actor Jang Youngguk, this way, please.”
They arrived at the restaurant inside the hotel. Though his mother came up to Seoul, she had to return the next day due to her son’s busy schedule.
Even for a short time, he wanted to treat his mother to something nice. As he entered the restaurant, he could feel other guests glancing at him with surprised looks.
‘Should I have asked for a private room?’
He had declined the private room because it didn’t offer a good view of the outside. But now, feeling the stares, he wondered if he had made a mistake.
Before his thoughts could dissipate, his mother and Mr. Kim arrived at the restaurant, guided by the manager.
“Mother! Mr. Kim!”
When Youngguk raised his hand, his mother, who had been feeling awkward in the unfamiliar restaurant, finally smiled brightly.
“Youngguk, isn’t this too expensive?”
“The food?”
“No, both the food and the room seemed really expensive.”
“No, I know someone here, and they had an empty room, so I got a good deal. Just enjoy the meal. You and Mr. Kim must be hungry. The food here is really delicious.”
Saying he knew the owner of a 5-star hotel on Teheran-ro was a complete lie. No matter how famous a celebrity he was, how could he be friends with a business tycoon? But his mother seemed to believe him, albeit hesitantly.
Seeing his mother awkwardly cutting the meat, Mr. Kim swapped her plate with one he had already cut. Watching this made his heart swell with emotion.
Although people were glancing at them, his mother didn’t seem burdened. Instead, she looked proud that so many people recognized her son.
As the meal was about to end, the manager approached politely.
“Actor Jang Youngguk, our chef is a huge fan of yours and would like to give you some meat to take home. Is that alright?”
“It’s the same quality meat used for today’s steak. We’ve prepared it so you can cook it at home.”
“Is it okay for me to accept?”
“All we ask is for a photo with the chef after your meal. If it weren’t for the busy orders, the chef would have run out to meet you already.”
His mother and Mr. Kim looked surprised. Youngguk felt the same. He hadn’t expected such a generous gift.
He initially hesitated, considering declining, but then he nodded. The chef’s eager eyes peeking from the kitchen convinced him.
“Luckily, Jisoo couldn’t come today.”
“Not at all. If Jisoo had come, you and Hyesook might have been really tired.”
Jisoo, who had just started the school term, couldn’t join them, which was unfortunate. But now, they could enjoy the steak they had at the famous Seoul hotel restaurant at home, making it a silver lining.
As they finished their meal and enjoyed some tea,
Youngguk glanced at Mr. Kim. Still having a warm conversation with his mother, Mr. Kim exuded an innocent charm.
“Mr. Kim.”
With a sudden call,
“Do you really like my mom?”
Mr. Kim’s face turned beet red at the unexpected question. Being naturally fair-skinned, he looked even more flushed.
His mother also seemed taken aback, not expecting Youngguk to ask such a question. However,
Mr. Kim soon sent a grateful glance and nodded vigorously at Youngguk. His mother was at a loss, looking like a high school girl who had just been confessed to.
Sitting in the living room, Youngguk looked through the items his mother had brought.
Starting with various side dishes made from seafood from Namhang, seasonal vegetables foraged from Bongrae Mountain facing Oryukdo, to socks and neatly folded thermal underwear for the coming winter.
These were all tokens of his mother’s love, made from her trips to the sea, mountains, and Namhang Market.
His mother’s image floated in his mind. Though she never showed it, she must have harbored many pent-up emotions.
It wasn’t easy for a young woman to move between shabby inns and moldy rented rooms with a child.
“Father.”
Today, he missed his father more than usual. How wonderful it would have been if he were here with them. But he wasn’t sad. His father, who is now in the sea, probably feels the same.
Just as he had initially vowed to live happily, his mother was now finding her own happiness.
Before being a mother, she was a woman.
As a woman, she must have had things she wanted and experiences she wanted to cherish, but she always put her only son first.
Even though her hands cracked and blistered, she always protected her son, like a breakwater enduring the crashing waves.
At that moment, he noticed something folded neatly among the thermal underwear.
“A letter.”
It was a note folded like a paper crane. She must have been so busy that she wrote on the back of a calendar page.
However, her handwriting was as neat as her life, always diligent and quietly dedicated.
As he read the long letter, tears welled up in his eyes unconsciously.
-Son, I always love you and miss you.
The final sentence, ending with a period, echoed in his heart. The wind that blew seemed to hasten his unshed tears, making them fall.
