Chapter 105
The following day, Tae-jun promptly made it to the airport arrival hall. It was not at all difficult to spot Roy Jean, since he wore a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, and a light, gray blazer, standing out among the crowd. He was remarkably distinct compared to the simple clothes other people seemed to wear. His attire was too modest for a top-class New Yorker, but it was neat and crisp, all the same. Roy Jean only had one bag with him, no luggage in tow.
Tae-jun waited for him to leave the gate and as the man approached nearer, he spoke.
“Nice to meet you, Roy Jean. I’m the one who spoke to you yesterday.”
Roy, who was searching for the man who’d called him yesterday, turned around upon hearing his name. His eyes grew wide at the sight of Tae-jun, which didn’t go unnoticed by the latter. The latter wondered if Roy knew him prior to meeting him since he had a rather surprised, violent reaction. So much so, that the man even forgot to greet him with common courtesy.
“Apollo,” Roy Jean said softly as if muttering to himself.
Apollo? Had he heard it correctly? Waiting for the man to continue, Tae-jun quietly looked on.
Roy straightened his back out, his expression shifted to a relaxed one, erasing the surprise from a few moments ago. “Nice to meet you. I’m Roy Jean, and you are?”
Instead of answering, Tae-jun handed him his business card who received it with his left hand. Tae-jun noticed that the man was wearing a wedding band.
Wasn’t he a widower? How come he’s wearing a ring? Thoughts suddenly filled Tae-jun’s mind, the words ‘partner and guardian’ playing in a loop in his head. He didn’t know what to think. He abruptly snapped out of his trance when Roy Jean called out his name.
“It’s Tae-jun Seo, is that correct?” Roy Jean said, his pronunciation a little awkward. “Can I call you Mr. Seo?”
“Sure. What should I call you?” Tae-jun asked politely.
“Just call me Roy.”
They settled themselves inside the car. Tae-jun spoke as he turned the ignition on. “Do you speak Korean?”
Roy shook his head. “No. I can only say a few words. Usual greetings like hello.” He answered, muttering the Korean word for hello unconvincingly.
It was a simple word, and yet he still wasn’t able to pronounce it the right way. Does Yuri even speak with him in Korean when they’re together?
“Is Yuri still asleep?” Roy asked as they pulled out of the airport parking.
“Yes.” Tae-jun nodded. “Does she always sleep this long?”
Yuri slept with a ridiculously calm face, completely the opposite of Tae-jun’s feeling for the past three days. He stayed by her side every night, not bothering to sleep since he didn’t want to miss out on anything, should she suddenly wake up.
“It really depends. Sometimes she sleeps for only half a day, sometimes a few days straight,” Roy Jean said as if recalling the times.
“I guess this happened quite often in America,” Tae-jun said.
Roy pulled his palm out, his fingers going one by one as he counted. “It has happened about five times. Out of those, she had had to go to the emergency room thrice because of how severe it’d gotten.”
It was more than what Tae-jun initially thought. Five times? Was this man next to Yuri every time it happened? He didn’t know what to feel, should he be angry or dismayed about the situation.
“You seem to know a lot about Yuri,” Tae-jun said flatly as he took a deep breath.
Roy shrugged. “Yuri is pretty special to me.”
“I’m asking if you have a romantic relationship with her.” Tae-jun remarked, his question appeared more like a statement than a question, too direct even.
“I don’t have to answer that.” Roy answered tauntingly as if he’s telling Tae-jun that he didn’t owe him an explanation.
“Well, you have to since I don’t intend to share my woman.”
Hearing his unexpected but straightforward response, Roy was able to conclude the extent of Tae-jun and Yuri’s relationship. Now, he was purposely riling him up.
“If I say yes, does that mean that you’re giving up?” Roy said, aggravating Tae-jun even more.
What nerve! Tae-jun scoffed. The boldness of this stranger surprised him. “I think you are mistaken. It is you that needs to give up, not me.”
An uncomfortable silence rose between them, the tension too thick for their liking. Tae-jun stretched his neck left and right. He was wondering if he should continue on with this rigid exchange with the man seated beside him, or ask about Yuri’s condition instead.
Still absorbed in his thoughts, Tae-jun felt a lingering gaze at the side of his face. He turned his head slightly and saw Roy looking at him. Even when their eyes met, the man didn’t avert his gaze from his profile, igniting a reaction from Tae-jun.
“Is there something you want to say?” Tae-jun asked.
“Mr. Seo, you are really handsome,” Roy said matter-of-factly.
What’s wrong with this guy?! Tae-jun frowned. He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Roy continued, ignoring Tae-jun’s sullen expression. “You remind me of Apollo from the Greek and Roman mythologies.”
Tae-jun always knew that he had good looks, never falling short of people’s expectations of him. He had already received countless compliments, but it was the first time that he’s told that he resembled a Greek god.
Tae-jun blinked. “Should I take that as a compliment?” he asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
“Apollo is a God who had both beauty and brains. He had a clear, distinct intelligence, and is masked with the beauty of light. He possessed amazing abilities, from medicine and art to archery. In mythology, it is also said that he is the God who evoked romance out of women the most,” Roy said as if daydreaming.
Tae-jun knew what kind of god Apollo was without Roy’s unnecessary explanation. He stared at the man incredulously wondering why Roy was blabbering about Greek gods in this situation.
“The interesting fact about him is, if you look at Daphne’s story, this almost-perfect god failed in love.” Roy continued.
“That must be the inspiration behind the ‘Apollo’s Heart’ that you made.” Tae-jun stated.
Surprised at the remark, Roy asked, “Did you see my work?”
Tae-jun just shrugged. “Yes, it the reason why Yuri came to Korea.”
“I thought Yuri’s trip to Korea would help her find her memories. Her memory is quite unusual. You know that, right?” Roy asked, earnestly waiting for Tae-jun’s response.
“What do you think?” Tae-jun deflected.
“I have no idea,” Roy said, shaking his head. Seeing the hospital sign from the distance, he muttered. “Looks like that’s the hospital. I’ll check on Yuri’s condition first.”
The sudden change of topic deemed their conversation over. Nearing the entrance to Seoin Hospital, Roy peered out the window as Tae-jun parked the car into the driveway.
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