Page 66 of Perfect Happiness
“It hasn’t even been three days since the funeral.”
Wife perched herself on the edge of the desk.Her body naturally turned into him.It felt like Noah and Wife were both staring at him, Noah from the left, and Wife from the right.
“Don’t overdo it.”
Wife’s hand moved from his shoulder to his face.With her thumb, she gently caressed the middle of his rapidly pulsating forehead.With each stoke her delicate fingers made across his skin, Eun-ho felt a chill spread deeper into his spine.
“I’m okay with it if you quit your job.”
Wife started brushing his messy bangs.
“Quit and go on vacation with me.We can go away for a long time, until the pain goes away.”
Eun-ho knew that this was her way of trying to comfort him.He also knew that she expected him to accept immediately.But there were times when he didn’t want to accept anything.No jokes, no criticism, no consideration, no comfort—times when he wanted nothing.
And right now was one of those times.There was just one thing he wanted from Wife.And that was for her to get her hands off him.Even better would be if she left him alone.
“I’ll think about it.”
Eun-ho’s downcast gaze met Wife’s hand, which was propping her up on the desk.Her bandages were gone now, and he could see red lines, both long and short, on her fingers.There was one on her thumb, two on her first finger and pinky, and four on the edge of her palm.There were dark scabs where they had pulled out the stitches.What did she say happened again?She cut her hand while cooking?
Eun-ho felt a sudden rush of nausea.The white hand from his dream had appeared in front of his eyes.But he didn’t understand why he was seeing this image now.Eun-ho turned his head to the side and fled from the hand.He pushed the chair back and put distance between himself and Wife.He used his arms to lift himself up.His inner thighs were shaking as he tried not to fall.
“I’m going to look at Noah’s room for a moment.”
The smile on Wife’s face disappeared as though someone had pulled the plug.The whites of her eyes became icy cold, like chilled porcelain.She always gave off this cold aura whenever someone rejected her kindness.Eun-ho picked up Noah’s picture and left the study.As he started up the stairs, he could hear Wife calling out from behind.
“Come back soon.I’ll prepare dinner.”
Eun-ho continued up the stairs.He could feel the daggers shooting out of Wife’s eyes and stabbing him in the back of his skull.This time, he didn’t hesitate and went straight into Noah’s room.Inside, he was met with darkness.
In the city, it never got completely dark.Rooms were always invaded by light from streetlamps, apartments, neon signs, and cars.One of the reasons Eun-ho liked this house was because it was located in a forest.When night fell, it became shrouded in proper darkness, as though they were living out in the mountains.It was a luxury to have such darkness in the middle of Seoul.
But right now, Eun-ho didn’t feel that way.This darkness was a specter, threatening to pull him back into the nightmare from that night.It wanted to drown him at the bottom of a frozen lake.Eun-ho frantically groped around until he found the light switch.
This time, a second wave of nausea rushed over him.His eyes were met with a sight he hadn’t been prepared for.Neatly closed curtains, an empty desk and bookshelf, and a bed with new sheets.Eun-ho put the picture on Noah’s desk and looked around the room again.Pengsoo was gone, and so were Noah’s school bag, soccer cones, and soccer ball.
Eun-ho opened the closet.Noah’s padded jacket and all his clothes were gone.The drawers and hangers were empty, too.There was no sign of Noah anywhere, as though he had never existed.
Eun-ho felt steam rising from the top of his head.He straightened his back as though a large amount of electricity was flowing through his body.Something heavy and hot was working its way up his throat.
Eun-ho ran out of the room.He bounded down the stairs two steps at a time and then marched toward the kitchen.Wife was washing something in the sink when she turned around to look at him.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
*
A telephone was ringing in the empty faculty room.It appeared that Eun-ho was the first one in today.Eun-ho put down his bag and picked up the receiver.
“Hello?”
“Oh—is that you, Mr.Cha?”
Eun-ho immediately knew it was the student who helped as an administrative assistant in the principal’s office.
“The principal wants to see you—”
Eun-ho was planning on seeing the principal, anyway.He hadn’t been in for a week; it was protocol to drop by and check in.Eun-ho figured the principal wanted to know what was going on.Eun-ho didn’t want to reveal more than he needed to, but he still needed to tell the principal that he would be making frequent visits to the police station for a while.
