Just before the crack of the door, Khan raised his head and barked.
Kang Shin Il looked up as he put the rice bowl on the table and smiled.
- "I'm back !" called the cheerful voice.
His son took off his shoes and smiled back, while patting the dog who had come to greet him.
- "Welcome home."
Kim Seok-Ju handed him the soya sauce and a plastic bag in which were a couple bottles of soju and a box of kimchi, than sat on his cushion at the table.
- "Are we celebrating anything, tonight ?" asked the old man, sitting next to him, a bit worried he'd forgotten something important.
- "Nope", reassured Seok-Ju. "I just felt like drinking with you."
Khan was now lying down next to him, his fine snout resting on the young man's knee, golden eyes filled with adoration for his master.
The meal went peacefully as they shared their days' routine and unusual events over a glass of soju, then Seok-Ju washed the dishes while his father took a bath. He laid the futon and readied the pillow, book and glasses the old man would need to read before going to sleep.
Migraine kicked in again as he stood up and he had to hold himself to the wall for a few seconds.
Water was still running in the bathroom. He looked at his face in the wardrobe's glass and wiped the sweat on his forehead, trying to recompose his face.
He was going to be fine. He was okay. This was just happening because he was tired, that's all. It'll be gone after a good night sleep.
Khan pushed against his leg with a soft whimper. He grabbed the golden and black mane and kneeled beside the dog.
- "Don't you worry, buddy…" he whispered, burying his face in the dog's thick fur. "Don't you worry… I'll be fine."
Something tightened inside his throat.
What if the headaches meant his memory would suddenly returned ? What if he woke up a day being his old self ? Would it feel like being locked up inside your own body ? Would he witness his previous personality do horrible things ? He had only guessed the bad deeds he had done in the past – embezzling money, scheming to harm stable companies, looked down on people who had lost their jobs, their lives, their happiness. Maybe he had done even worse. Maybe…
No way.
This couldn't be happening. He wasn't going to change. He wasn't going to –
A frightened sob bubbled up in his mouth as he closed his eyes tight, feeling cold and more scared than he had ever been in the past year.
- "You okay ?"
The hand that settled on his shoulder was warm and soft. He braced himself and lifted his chin when he was sure his distress was gone from his face.
- "Sure, Father. I was just giving a hug to Khan. Are you done with your bath ?"
- "Hum. Are you sure you're okay ? You look tired."
Kim Seok-Ju smiled, sheepish. He stood up and unbuttoned his shirt's sleeves.
- "I think I am tired. I'll go to bed right away. If you want to read, I can just sleep in the other room."
Kang Shin Il shrugged.
- "The book isn't really worth staying up late."
His eyes were avoiding his son's.
Seok-Ju's smile grew bigger. He pressed his father's shoulder.
- "I'll get you some water for your medicine", he said before leaving the dog and the old man alone in the room.
Shin Il and Khan exchanged a glance.
- "He was never a good liar, for such a brilliant lawyer", said the old man with a satisfied smile.
The dog woofed in approval.
When Kim Seok-Ju came back wearing his pajamas, a cup of water and the medicine's small bag in hand, his father put down the book and took off his glasses.
He had set the other futon next to his.
- "I could have done it, Father", protested Seok-Ju. "Here. Do you want to go fishing tomorrow afternoon ? I'll take some time off."
Shin Il stared at him.
- "On a Thursday ?"
Seok-Ju put the cup away and slid in his bed. He lay down and crossed his hands behind his neck.
- "Why not ? I'm sure Khan will be thrilled. Holidays are rare for him."
The dog heard his name from the corridor. He came trotting to their door, and showed his white truffle with the hope to be allowed to sleep with them.
- "Go back to your blanket, ma boy" said the old man.
He reached to switch off the light, but stopped mid-way.
- "Don't you have a case ?"
Kim Seok-Ju turned to his side and cuddled under the quilt, his cheek in his palm.
- "Intern Lee has all the preliminary investigation covered. She won't need me until next week."
- "Ah."
The light was switched off and Kang Shin Il lay down too, putting his joined hands on top of the quilt.
- "Good night."
Seok-Ju stretched his arm and wrapped the old man's hands in his.
- "Good night, Father."
Kang Shin Il would never - ever - admit it, but he really enjoyed how warm and loving his son had become after his memory loss.
Before the accident, hoping to hear a friendly word from Seok-Ju or even telling him about his condition would have been foolish. And something like his son moving back to live with him and saying it'd be better for his father's health that they shared the room was just impossible. Unthinkable. Unimaginable.
This accident was a blessing in disguise. And whoever it was that tried to kill him must know by now that Seok-Ju will never again be part of Cha's malignances. So everything is fine.
He closed his eyes and settled to sleep in the comfortable warmth of the bedroom.
oOoOo
The bedroom was hot and stuffy.
Kim Seok-Ju changed sides, not knowing exactly what made him feel so bad.
He wasn't sure if he was asleep or awake.
Pain was throbbing behind his eyelids.
Ah. A migraine.
He curled up, trying to focus on something else, but it only increased the discomfort.
Why am I having a headache in the middle of the night, now ? It never happened before.
His hand massaged his nose, but it didn't help.
Should I get up ? I might wake him up. Maybe if I drink some water… The painkillers they gave me at the beginning should be somewhere in that drawer…
Somehow, it felt like his thoughts were whirling in a pool of boiling cement.
Slow and heavy and weird and…
He coughed.
Something was filling the back of his throat and smeared, gluey and hot, on his lips. He sat, trying to wipe it away.
Lightening shot in his brain and he bent over with a cry of pain, holding his head with both hands.
Kang Shin Il stirred, next to him. He reached to the lamp and switched it on.
- "What is it ?" he mumbled, winking to the light.
He turned to his son, put his hand on the back of the young man.
- "Seok-Ju. You okay ?"
Under the pajama's shirt, his skin was hot and clammy.
- "Are you sick ?"
He leaned over, trying to see his son's face.
- "Do you need some water ? Is it a headache ?"
Seok-Ju groaned and shifted to him, like if he was in the dark, looking for comfort. Shin Il pushed away the hands the young man pressed on his forehead and gasped.
- "You're bleeding ! You've got it all over your face."
He paused and smiled in spite of his worry. Seok-Ju looked so much like a kid when he didn't feel well. Even the gestures, the way his fists rubbed his eyes tightly shut, reminded the old man of the eight years old boy who came crying to him when he was hurt.
- "Father…"
- "I'm here, Seok-Ju."
He helped him up, swabbed the blood on his face with his sleeve and guided him to the bathroom.
- "There. Wash your face. How come you've got a nosebleed ? Are you that tired ? This isn't reasonable, Seok-Ju."
He gave him a towel, frowning as he realized how white his son's face was.
- "It hurts, Father…"
Seok-Ju's voice sounded weak and exhausted.
- "Your head ?"
A nod, followed immediately by a wince.
Kang Shin Il cringed in echo. He pushed away a black lock of damp hair on the young man's forehead. Just doing this, he could feel the fever pulsating under the skin.
- "Just stay here tomorrow…"
His eyes went to the clock above the door and he sighed.
- "Well. Just stay here today. I'll call Intern Lee and tell her to cancel your appointments."
Kim Seok-Ju didn't try to convince him otherwise. He went back to his bed docilely and accepted the glass of water and painkiller pill that were handed to him. Closed his eyes again – he only had half-opened them the whole time – and nestled in the clean pillow his father had put for him.
- "Do you still have a headache ?"
Shin Il patted the quilt at the silent answer.
- "Try to sleep. It'll go away."
He sat, legs crossed, on his own futon, wondering if he should get a basin of tepid water and a cloth, or wait for his son to be asleep to go get them.
- "Father…"
- "Hum ?"
Seok-Ju's hand came out of the quilt and his fingers played with the sleeve of the old man.
- "You did… love me when I was… the old me - didn't you ?"
His eyes were opened, now. Glassy and red, but focused on his father's face.
Shin Il cleared his throat.
- "I did."
A tear rolled on the young man's cheek as he closed his eyes again.
- "Thank you…"
His fingers were still holding the sleeve as his breathing slowed down and eased with the slumber.
Kang Shin Il pressed his lips together.
In the beginning, he didn't know about the accident. He kept pushing away the cheerful young man who brought him baskets of fruits and who worried about him and tried to please him. He couldn't figure out what kind of scheme was behind the so unusual attitude. Then he found out, after the lost trial, when Seok-Ju slept at home for the first time, drunk and discouraged, on the living-room's wooden floor. In the morning, the young man had explained the weirdness of the past months.
Even though he couldn't remember a thing about his previous self, Kim Seok-Ju always looked sorry he had been such a jerk. Nothing seemed to hurt him more than discovering another hurt he had caused. Unfortunately, the list of people who held a grudge against him – and for a good reason – was long. He never knew when a complete stranger would spite at him…
Shin Il remembered the first time he had told his son that whether he despised his actions and choices, he still loved him. The young man had collected his coat and files hurriedly, and left putting his shoes in a daze, like if he was trying not to cry.
How important it must had been for the amnesiac lawyer to know he was loved beyond the burden of his past…
Kang Shin Il freed his sleeve and took Seok-Ju's hand in his, trying to warm up the cold fingers.
- "I love you, my son. I love you now, and I loved you before. Even if you'd turned back into what you were, I'd still love you. Don't you dare doubting me."
The young man probably didn't hear him, but he smiled in his sleep, like a child.
oOoOo
Intern Lee was a bit surprised to find the office locked and silent.
She opened the windows to air the rooms, full of energy and humming the melody of the pop song she had heard in the bus.
- "Ah."
Two or three pieces of paper were on the floor next to the lawyer's desk.
Weird.
Not like Kim Seok-Ju to leave a mess at his place of work.
She chuckled as she picked up the documents.
Well... Depends. His leaving the Cha Firm had made quite a mess, actually.
She tapped the file to make it even and nice, then put it down next to the laptop.
Huh ?
She frowned.
There was a little mark on top of the files.
Dark, round and red.
She sniffed it, puzzled.
Then her eyes widened.
- "Omo… Blood ?"
- "Blood ?" repeated a shocked voice behind her. "What's happening, Intern Lee ? Did you... what have you done with Kim Seok-Ju ?"
TBC