Jao pov
My Brother, Jaewoong
"Well, you look just fine to me," she said, eyeing me up and down as I stood in the hospital hallway.
"Ajin...?" she began, as we made our way outside to the car.
"Are you saying the kid that's lying in the hospital is your little brother?" she asked, her voice tight with concern.
"Yeah..." I replied, the word feeling heavy on my tongue.
"Didn't you say your brother refuses to see you?" she asked.
"Does he look like he wanted to see me?" I countered, a hollow laugh escaping me. "He was in the middle of getting beat up when I came across him and brought him here."
"The way you're acting right now is pissing me off," she snapped, turning to face me fully in the car. "It's like you're blaming this all on yourself."
"It's because it is all my fault," I admitted, the guilt a suffocating presence. "Jaewoong turned out like this because of me. I used to steal stuff in front of him."
"It's all he learned from me, so it's probably why he does it now," I concluded, looking away.
"Will you please explain so I can understand?" she pleaded.
The Confession
"After I sent him to my aunt, she said he seemed really anxious and unstable," I started, the words tumbling out. "He'd steal stuff from nearby stores and hole up in his room crying."
"But they kept sending him to school because his grades were always top-notch," I explained, the irony a bitter taste. "Eventually, the kids at school caught him stealing and started bullying him. My aunt had no idea because Jaewoong never told her."
"Those kids hit him in places where it wouldn't show since they knew there'd be a lot of eyes at school... until Jaewoong came home with a bad limp one day. She said that's when she realized something was going on."
"She said she let her guard down since school has been on break..." I continued, recounting the call from my frantic aunt. "But today, she couldn't get in touch with him after he left saying he was going to make a quick trip to the bookstore. She got a bad feeling and called me. I got the call, found him, brought him here..."
I fell silent, the weight of the last few hours pressing down on me. I looked over at her, waiting for a response that I knew wouldn't absolve me of my own failings.
"...until Jaewoong came home with a bad limp one day. She said that's when she realized something was going on. She said she let her guard down since school has been on break... But today, she couldn't get in touch with him after he left saying he was going to make a quick trip to the bookstore. She got a bad feeling and called me. I got the call, found him, brought him here... and that's how I ended up in this car with you."
"Look, none of this is your fault. Don't be silly and stop blaming this on yourself," she insisted, her voice firm.
I swallowed hard, the memory of finding him a fresh wound. "Those kids were having fun while they were beating him up, Ajin..." I recounted, my eyes vacant as I stared out the windshield.
"When I asked them why they did it, they said they saw Jaewoong steal a book at the bookstore... and he agreed to let them beat him up under the condition they don't call the cops on him," I explained, the absurdity and tragedy of the situation sickening me.
Jaewoong was sprawled on the ground, hurting, and they were standing over him. "They said I should be thanking them for parenting him for me. Do you know what I said to them?"
I paused, the shame of that moment resurfacing.
"I didn't say a thing. I was so afraid of repeating a past mistake... that I swallowed my anger and didn't say a thing."
"You..." she began, her own expression one of shock and disbelief.
A New Path
"You still think it isn't my fault?" I asked, looking at her then, the despair evident on my face. "I feel so bad for my little brother who has to live with the fact that his older brother is a piece of trash..."
"Jaeo, like I said before, if I were your little brother I'd do anything to keep you by my side," she replied softly, a profound earnestness in her tone. "You said he's a smart kid, so who knows? Maybe he's thinking the same."
I let out a weak chuckle. "He's smart, alright. My aunt is thinking of sending him abroad. She asked me if I'd be able to pay for it."
"What did you say?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper before she flared up. "Well, it's not exactly a small sum of money... so I told her I'd think about it. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! The fact that you're telling me all this means you've made up your mind, isn't it?"
I leaned forward, trying to calm her. "Don't be angry and just listen... There's this guy named Mr. Ahn. He used to run the business I'm working for now, but he's in Hong Kong right now. He deals in fake passports and some other black market stuff—"
"JAEO!" she shouted, cutting me off.
"I need to go to Hong Kong for three years," I stated simply, the words hanging heavy in the air.
She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "You're really pissing me off today..."
My Sacrifice
"I'll just be there long enough to make money so I can send Jaewoong abroad," I insisted, the desperation fueling my resolve. "After that, I'm going to cut ties with him and my aunt. I'm not going to sacrifice myself for them anymore. I saw the kind of impact I have on Jaewoong tonight... so after I send him abroad, I'm going to disappear from his life. It'll be better that way."
I reached out, taking her hand. "I just need three years. After that, my aunt and uncle promised to take care of the rest... I'd be able to come back."
She yanked her hand away, her eyes blazing with hurt. "HA...! You really know how to make a fool out of someone, huh? I can't believe I trusted you when you told me that you'd wager your life on me. I feel lied to."
I reached for her again, cupping her cheek. "Ajin, I promise you... You're the only one who's ever been in my corner. Believe me, I don't want to leave your side. Ajin, I'm asking you to let me do this so I can shake this all off and come back to you."
"Why can't you live for yourself for once, Jaeo?!" she cried, her voice cracking. "I've always hated that about you, and I hate that you're doing this to yourself now!!"
The Promise
"I love you. I mean it," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "So give me some time."
"You live your life, Ajin. I'll go and do what I have to do. But when I come back, I'll live for you and you only."
I pressed my forehead against hers, pleading. "Just promise me one thing. Please don't change your number, and please don't cut me out of your life. I'd like to call you once in a while."
She pulled back slightly, her expression one of utter defeat. "...I hate it when you act this way. Go on. Promise me you won't change your number. I know you have a burner phone. Junseo told me."
I nodded, gripping her hand tightly, knowing this was the price of our future.
"You promised. Three years, right?" I said, my face hard with the finality of the decision. My voice still trembled from the emotion of our earlier exchange.
"If you're not back in three years, we're done." It was the only way I knew how to hold him to the promise—to give him something to come back for.
"Help me get this all wrapped up before you leave. I still need your help for something." The "something" was already planned; I needed to move on, too.
Life Beyond Jaeo
(The scene shifts to a different location, focusing on a man named Inkang Heo, who receives a call while resting in bed.)
RRRING
RRRING
"Hello...?" Inkang mumbled, still groggy.
"Were you still asleep, Inkang?" a friend's voice asked on the other end.
"Yeah... what is it...?"
"I'm just checking in to make sure you're still alive. What is going on with you these days? You're acting like your life is over. I heard you declined another movie offer. Ms. Seo even called and asked me to keep an eye on you."
Inkang sighed. "Jeez, what's with all the nagging...?" He slowly sat up, his bare feet touching the floor. "I'm just tired... that's all.
"I bet you haven't even eaten yet," his friend commented.
"Yeah, but looks like Ajin dropped by and left me some porridge." Inkang saw the bowl sitting on his table and a handwritten note: "Hey Inkang, you were asleep and I didn't want to wake you. Please don't forget to eat. I love you."
"Again? I normally wouldn't comment on your love life, but you need to lock this woman down." The friend chuckled. "I'm amazed that you ended up with someone so sweet when you have such a terrible taste in women. She made an effort to come spend time with Grandma more than we ever did... and I could see just how worried she was for you during the funeral."
News and Rumors
"Oh, right. I saw the article about your upcoming enlistment. Does Ajin know?"
"I haven't told her yet, but I think she already knows. I'll have to have a talk with her once the official date is out."
Outside a café, the friend spoke to Inkang on the phone while looking at a news headline on his phone: "Inhang Heo Assigned Civil Service Due To Past Injury, But No Official Date Has Been Determined for Enlistment." Below it, people nearby were scrolling through comments.
"Hey, this is just a heads up... but don't look at the comment section of that article."
"Too late. It's alright. I don't really care anymore. It's exhausting and draining to care about rude comments online."
The friend looked at the comments again. "Why are there so many mean comments...?" He watched as someone in the café ordered a drink. "Could I get an Americano, please?" he asked the barista. "They know nothing about my brother. I wonder if he's seen these... Yeah, maybe it would be best if you took a good rest before you join the service. It might be better for your mental health to work on something else for a while too."
On a separate news feed, another headline appeared: "[EXCLUSIVE] Ajin Baek Cast in Director Kwangmin Park's Latest Movie, 'The Kind Blood'."
The story has introduced a separate character, Inkang, who is also connected to a woman named Ajin. This could be the same person I (Ajin Baek) was talking to, or a completely different character.
"Hey, maybe I'll retire and open a chicken feet restaurant." Inkang's friend chuckled, walking with another person. "You're joking, right...? Why'd you want to do that all of a sudden? You're all grown up and doing your own thing now. Maybe I just want to live a quiet life."
The friend regarded him with concern. "You sound really burnt out, Big Bro."
"Now that Grandma is gone, I just don't know what I was working so hard for..." Inkang admitted. "You remember how I'd ask Grandma to live until she has great grandkids, right? It's always been my dream to have a big family. That's why I always thought I'd marry young."
"Yeah, I get it... I at least had you growing up, but you had to be the man of the family after Grandma had that stroke." The friend paused, a softer note entering his voice. "These days, I can't help but think about the fact that once I marry you off, I'll really be all alone."
The Promise Rings
Back at his place, Inkang was still on the phone, looking at the kind note his girlfriend left. "What do you mean? You have Ajin."
"But don't you think I'd scare her off if I talked to her about getting married...?"
"Are you serious...? I know she's great and all, but isn't this a little too soon...?" the friend asked. "Ajin is still young and you two have only been together for a year. Why don't you take your time—"
"It's not about how long I've been with her for. Ajin is an amazing person," Inkang cut in, his voice sincere. "I'm just afraid that if I lose her, I'll never meet someone like her again. Like you always say, miracles don't happen twice in a row."
"Sigh. Then why don't you bring it up very carefully with her...?" the friend suggested. "You said you wanted to give her a promise ring for your one year anniversary, right? You could talk to her about it when you give it to her."
GASP Inkang's eyes widened in realization. "RIGHT... THE RINGS...!"
"Oh no... Did you forget to buy them...?" the friend asked.
"I did... Our first year anniversary was on the day of Grandma's funeral... It completely slipped my mind. Ajin didn't say anything about it either." Inkang looked down at a calendar on his desk, seeing the month of January.
The friend sighed on the other end. "Well, duh! It's not as if she was going to say, 'Hey, I know you're at your grandmother's funeral, but did you know today is our one year anniversary?'"
Inkang stared at the calendar, then at the phone, a pit forming in his stomach. "What do I do? Ajin really wanted those promise rings..."
I sat across from my manager, the cold lighting of the office reflecting off the shiny magazine covers and movie posters that lined the wall. I'd helped Jaeo wrap things up, the finality of his departure for Hong Kong a dull ache in my chest. He was gone, sacrificing three years of his life, and now I was starting my own.
My manager—a man who usually spoke in polished, reassuring tones—looked grim as he held up his phone. On the screen was a quickly circulating social media post: "I JUST SAW INKNAG HEO IN STORE!! T_T IS HE GONNA PROPOSE TO AJIN??? Omgge #proposalring #willyoumarryme #yellowmoon #hopelessromantic"
He didn't even have to finish the thought. I already knew.
"There's even an article saying you're about to get married," he said, tapping the phone screen, his tone shifting from professional concern to thinly veiled frustration. "This puts us in a bad spot, Ms. Baek."
"But... but that's not me," I stammered, though the words felt weak. I had just signed on for a major movie role, a fresh start, a distraction from the crushing weight of Jaeo's absence. Now, I was being mistaken for another Ajin—the very Ajin who was currently with the celebrity Inkang Heo.
The headlines swirled around me like a sudden storm: Ajin Baek Cast in Director Kwangmin Park's Latest Movie, right next to rumors of another Ajin's upcoming proposal. The public didn't bother distinguishing between us. They only saw the name.
The conversation with Jaeo from a few nights ago echoed in my ears: "You live your life, Ajin. I'll go and do what I have to do. But when I come back, I'll live for you and you only."
I had promised him three years. Now, three hours into my new path, my name was already tangled up in someone else's happy ending, forcing me to deal with a scandal that wasn't mine.
"I'm sorry, but I need to make a statement," I said, finally finding my voice. I couldn't let my name—or the sacrifice Jaeo made—be dragged into a false rumor. "I need to make it clear that I am Ajin Baek, and that I am not the woman Inkang Heo is planning to marry."
The Other Ajin
(Meanwhile, at Yello.Moon Jewelry Store)
The famous actor Inkang Heo, dressed in a bucket hat to conceal his identity, stood at the counter. The sales associate, a sharp woman, gasped, recognizing him. "WHOA, ISN'T THAT INKANG?! OH MY GOD!"
Inkang ignored her, focusing on the ring counter. "Hello, I'd like to take a look at some promise rings. I'm looking for a ring to propose to my girlfriend with."
"She wanted something flashy..." Inkang muttered to himself, thinking of his Ajin. "So I was thinking a three carat or five carat diamond..."
The associate, thrilled, presented a tray. "What about this one? This is one of the best selling designs we have..."
Inkang leaned in, studying the glittering rings, determined to make the right choice. He had forgotten their anniversary, but he wouldn't fail at this. He was going to give his Ajin the life she deserved, a future that was certain.