Chapter 2: Echoes of a Broken Guitar

“Since that incident last time, I hope there’s been no trouble.”
“…Oh.”
I shot Jaehyuk an SOS glance.
As he opened his mouth to respond, the lady’s eyes were already on him.
“Everything’s been fine, right?”
“Yes. It was resolved smoothly.”
“Oh, thank goodness. You don’t know how worried I was. Even hearing it was okay, my heart was still heavy.”
“Haha…”
“Come on, sit down. I’ll throw in some extra service.”
“Thank you.”
Jaehyuk handled the lady’s chatter for me and sat down.
He took off my scarf and the layers he’d piled on me, neatly stacking them aside.
Was this guy always such a caretaker?
When I tried to pour water into my cup, he stopped me and insisted on doing it himself.
‘Does he owe me something?’
I tapped the table and leaned in close, whispering to Jaehyuk.
“Hey, what did I do here?”
“You caused an assault incident here.”
“…Huh?”
Was I that violent?
As I mulled it over, Jaehyuk ordered food and looked at me.
The tears in his eyes had dried, but they were full of affection.
‘Heavy. And weird!’
I sipped water from my cup as Jaehyuk spoke.
“Curious about what happened?”
“Hmm…”
Food would take a bit to arrive, so might as well hear it.
More than anything, me, assaulting someone?
I lived my life avoiding fights.
I nodded for him to go on, and Jaehyuk started talking.
“I still can’t forget that day.”

Two years ago, Jaehyuk was in a dark place.
Who’d have thought his best buddy would end up living like a shut-in?
He visited often, trying to talk Yeju out of it for a year.
That day, Yeju had decided to go out.
Jaehyuk showed up with side dishes from his parents, like always.
– Yeju.
– What.
– You really don’t plan to go out more?
– …What’ll you give me if I do?
Yeju, mid-game, took off her headset and turned to him.
Her ash-gray hair was a mess, her face worn, but she was still too damn beautiful.
‘What kind of friend feels this way?’ Jaehyuk thought, cursing himself.
He spoke anyway.
– Anything you want, I’ll buy it.
– Oh, you’re loaded now, huh?
– I’m working at the company now.
Yeju, who’d been cursing out someone in chat, stood up from her desk.
– Just going for a walk counts, right?
– Productive stuff, I’ll count.
– Hmm, got it.
Yeju walked to a guitar bag stuffed in the corner.
A guitar, out of nowhere?
She spoke to Jaehyuk, sitting on her bed.
– The band kids said there’s a street performance soon. I’ll go sing there.
– People will stare. You okay with that?
– Yeah. Can’t quit a gig after one day, right?
After that, Yeju strummed her guitar for hours, then called the band.
Quick and decisive.
She tossed her phone on the desk and walked to Jaehyuk.
Barely reaching his chest, she looked up and spoke.
– What should I ask for as my gift?
– …
– What’d you think I’d ask for?
Jaehyuk still couldn’t forget that smile.
He looked away, and Yeju’s light laugh ended the moment.
He fanned the heat off his face.
But the trouble came after.
While she was supposed to be singing, a call came.
From the police station.
Jaehyuk, at work, felt like he’d been struck by lightning.
He rushed there as soon as he could.
‘What happened…?’
Yeju’s parents lived out of town, and she’d come to Seoul alone.
He was probably her only contact.
Relief hit first.
It was an assault case, but Yeju was unharmed.
The guy next to her, though, looked rough.
His face showed signs of a brutal hit.
Jaehyuk glanced at the object beside Yeju.
A guitar. Smashed to pieces.
– Is this the person you called?
– Yes.
Yeju answered the officer, and Jaehyuk spoke with him.
– Hmm, what’s your relationship?
Jaehyuk hesitated, unsure what to say.
Friends? Yeah, that’s what they were…
Then Yeju, sitting there, spoke up.
– Boyfriend.
– Oh, I see.
Jaehyuk was speechless.
Yeju’s eyes curved like crescent moons as she mouthed something.
Normally, he wouldn’t catch it, but he read her lips clear as day.
‘My wish.’
Jaehyuk barely kept his mouth shut.
Yeju, throwing that curveball, casually looked away.
His head spun, but he had to deal with the situation first.
– Can you explain what happened?
– Well, we held off because the lady had a good reason. Here’s a video, take a look.
Jaehyuk watched a clip filmed by a bystander.
It was this restaurant, Yeju eating with her guitar beside her.
Some weird guy with a selfie stick and camera was talking to her.
[You’re that TS patient, right?]
[…]
Yeju ignored him, but the guy kept yapping.
Everyone in the restaurant was glaring at him.
He was a total jerk.
[Come on, just one interview.]
[No thanks.]
[Man, you’re acting so fcking high and mighty.]
[…]
[Got no friends, huh?]
[…]
[What, mute? TS side effect or something?]
[…]
[No wonder you got TS, and no one sticks around you.]
Jaehyuk’s nails dug into his palms as he clenched his fists.
A year and change after Yeju’s change, TS was known to be non-contagious, a rare mutation.
But plenty still treated it like a disease, mocking it.
Especially those jealous of the looks TS folks got or the money they made.
The guy in the video kept spewing venom at Yeju, crossing every line.
[Your friends probably aren’t normal either, just trying to get with you…!]
Yeju, who’d been silent, scowled.
She slammed her chopsticks on the table and glared at him.
[Fine, I’ll do your interview. Where at?]
[Haha, follow me…]
The guy’s face screamed victory.
Yeju smiled, speaking softly.
She dragged her guitar across the floor, looking up at him.
Her delicate voice came through the video.
[But the interview’s not with you.]
[…?]
Bang!!!!
Yeju smashed the guitar into the guy’s face.
It hit so hard the guitar snapped in half, crashing to the floor.
Yeju, breathing heavily, spoke.
[Fcking bastard, go interview the afterlife.]
Jaehyuk got why Yeju snapped.
Few TS patients had their pasts fully exposed like Yeju.
Her old life as a performer was dug up, still floating around online.
The internet chopped her up, and her friends got dragged through it too.
That’s why she lived like a shut-in.
‘I shouldn’t have pushed her to go out.’
Jaehyuk looked at Yeju, his heart heavy.
Meeting his gaze, Yeju just raised and lowered her eyebrows, like ‘handle it.’
He turned to the guy who’d harassed her.
He looked normal enough, so why do this?
Jaehyuk spotted his phone and selfie stick.
‘Another YouTuber?’
Of course, filming Yeju so blatantly in the video.
TS was clickbait gold.
Jaehyuk sighed, glaring at the guy like he could kill him.
The guy tried to act tough, staring back, but quickly looked down.
Jaehyuk decided then and there.
He’d make sure that jerk paid.

“That guy got socially buried after what he did to you spread.”
“Wow…”
“Now they’re all about TS people’s rights, but a year ago, it was weak. Folks on the edge, neither man nor woman, got ignored.”
I nodded as Jaehyuk told the story.
That guy was a jerk customer here, and I’d come far for a gig, only to face that crap.
No wonder the lady reacted like that.
If I’d been there, I’d have cracked his head too.
Shame about the guitar breaking in one hit.
‘But me reacting like that to Jaehyuk?’
My wish was that?
So, was I the one who hit on him?
“Jaehyuk, so we started dating after that?”
“Uh…?”
“What, me saying that was basically a confession, right?”
And a pretty slick one too?
I’d have to dig through stuff from a year later to confirm.
Jaehyuk hesitated before speaking.
“Well, I fumbled my response after that…”
“…?”
“You got super mad, and things got rocky for a bit.”
“What the hell did you say to make me mad?”
“Uh, well.”
As Jaehyuk opened his mouth, the lady brought out the food.
I ordered gukbap, but she threw in suyuk and sundae for free.
You’d go bald chasing free stuff, but refusing this would be against the code of the streets.
I thanked her brightly and took the food.
“Tell me after we eat.”
“Okay.”
Even if I’d smash the heads of jerks foaming at the mouth, I wouldn’t snap at someone close to me like that.
Slurp
I took a sip of the warm broth and a thought hit me.
“Is it okay to eat this? It won’t affect the babies, right?”
“It’s fine. Just avoid alcohol, caffeine, and raw stuff.”
“Got it.”
I still can’t believe there are two kids in my belly, but if we’re sharing, might as well share the good stuff.