Home sweet Home

Theron knew the streets and alleyways well.
Where to go to find what, and which places to avoid.
“Did you wander around the neighborhood a lot when you worked at the pub, Theron?”
Selene knew little about his life here, other than that he had worked at a pub when he was young.
So, she was curious if there were any shops or restaurants in this street that Theron used to frequent.
“I was 12 when I first ran away from home and started mopping floors at the pub. At that time, I was so scared of this street that I didn’t even think of wandering around.”
Theron chuckled.
“I got used to it eventually, but by then, I liked playing the piano so much that I just stuck to the pub and tapped the keyboard all day.”
“And yet you remember this neighborhood so well.”
At Selene’s words, Theron’s eyes grew distant.
“Actually, the house I ran away from is not far from here. Back alleys are everywhere in the city.”
‘I see.’
‘Even here, the lights were flashing everywhere and people’s laughter was heard from all over, so it didn’t feel particularly dark, but it was unexpected that the sinister back alley Theron had mentioned was nearby.’
“Aren’t you curious what the house you used to live in is like now, Theron?”
From Theron’s silence, Selene read his hesitation.
Come to think of it, pure hatred did not exist.
Even if it was mixed with a lingering, miserable affection.
The same went for Theron.
It was not strange for him to be a little curious about the place he used to live, even while finding the sight of it unbearable.
“I’m fine, so if you’re curious, you can go see the place you used to live, Theron.”
“…Forget it. I’m not that curious.”
Selene did not press further.
Theron would sometimes hide his true feelings by being unnecessarily stubborn.
It seemed she had to give him a little push on the back this time too, but there was already a place they had to go today.
So, it was fine to postpone visiting the place where Theron used to live.
“Selene, it’s right there.”
As they got closer to their destination, Theron’s somewhat dark eyes brightened.
But when they arrived, they could see that the lights of the shop were off.
“Ah…”
Theron grabbed the doorknob with a face full of disappointment.
At that sight, even Selene felt a little hollow.
“It seems it’s not open anymore, Theron.”
“For that, the things inside are still there.”
Theron looked at the interior of the pub, which was visible beyond the glass window.
As Theron had claimed, the furniture inside seemed to be intact, but there was no one who looked like the owner.
“Damn it. Did they really close down for good…”
Selene was just as disappointed.
She had wanted to see the place where Theron had first learned the piano.
The atmosphere and scenery of this pub too.
Selene had been looking forward to the sight of people casually tapping their shoulders or feet to the flowing jazz performance.
A sight of people purely enjoying music, not just pretending, would be hard to see in a place other than this.
“Are you a customer?”
Just then, a passing old man suddenly spoke to them.
The old man, wearing a checkered beret and a shabby vest, somehow looked familiar with this street.
Theron stepped up and answered.
“Yes, I came back after a long time, but the lights of the pub are off.”
“That’s unlucky. The shop hasn’t been open recently because the owner got hurt.”
“So it’s not closed for good.”
“That’s right. But I don’t know when he’ll be back.”
Theron seemed to be relieved.
Although they had to turn back for now without having achieved anything, if it wasn’t closed for good.
After the old man disappeared, Theron asked Selene.
“I’ve brought you all the way here, what should we do? Should we go to another pub?”
‘Another pub.’
As he had said, it seemed there were more pubs that played jazz in this street, but she didn’t particularly feel like it.
Perhaps it was because today’s destination was a place with Theron’s memories.
Just then, Selene suddenly remembered that the house Theron used to live in was not far from here.
“How about we go see the house you used to live in, Theron?”
“…My old house?”
“Yes. We’re already here.”
Theron’s brow furrowed.
Theron, who had been rubbing his chin as if in thought, finally shook his head.
“I don’t know if I were alone, but I think it would be dangerous to take you to such a back alley.”
“I’m not a child, Theron Cox.”
‘Although it’s a back alley, it’s a place where people live too.’
“The sun hasn’t completely set yet. If we’re going, we should decide quickly before it gets darker.”
Selene urged him on.
She thought it was time to give the stubborn Theron a push on the back.
Sure enough, Theron could no longer postpone his choice at Selene’s firm gaze.
“…We’ll just go for a moment and come right back.”
As Theron finally agreed, the corners of Selene’s mouth rose.
“Alright.”
The two started walking again.
It had been a truly long time since Selene had walked such a long distance on the street like this.
But instead of being tired or bored, her steps were light, as if she were listening to new music.
Perhaps that’s why, Selene, unlike herself, seemed to have blurted out the words that came to her mind.
“Actually, if we had gone to the pub where Theron worked, I was going to ask how you hurt your finger.”
“Are you curious about that?”
Theron replied listlessly, as if to say, “You’re curious about all sorts of things.”
“It was a big incident for you, Theron.”
Theron, who had glanced at Selene’s face, looked ahead again.
“It was a big incident for me at the time. As you may have noticed, I quite liked playing the piano. So much so that it was everything in my small world at the time.”
Selene’s eyes widened slightly as she looked at Theron.
Although she had known that Theron liked the piano, she was a little surprised that the affection he had honestly revealed was greater than she had thought.
“But one day, I was picking up a tip that had fallen on the floor, and a drunkard stepped on my finger. Because of that, I developed a pain. The piano that I had loved so much became something I hated to even look at in an instant.”
Theron’s disaster had occurred in an instant from a small accident.
It was a heartbreaking story.
It wasn’t just because Theron’s wound was related to the piano.
The more she learned about Theron’s past, the more she felt she was looking into an abyss she had never known.
She felt sorry for Theron, who must have wandered in the darkness for a long time.
An affectionate and painful feeling, distinct from simple sympathy.
But instead of expressing that sadness, Selene wanted to congratulate Theron’s improved present.
“I’m glad you can play the piano again, Theron.”
As if to prove that he was no longer trapped in that past, Theron smiled.
“It’s thanks to you.”
As they were talking about that, Selene belatedly realized that the surroundings had become much darker.
It wasn’t because the sun had set, but because the new street they had entered had few lampposts and shops, so it felt much darker.
Theron’s eyes sharpened as he looked around.
“We’re almost there.”
“Okay.”
“And I’ll say it one more time, don’t you dare leave my side. And don’t look at anyone who looks strange.”
Theron was like a very worried parent.
“What happens if I look?”
“They might pick a fight or try to harm you.”
“Just for looking?”
“Yes. Because it’s not just drunk people here.”
‘Then?’
As Selene stared with a look of incomprehension, Theron had an awkward expression.
“…You wouldn’t know because you’ve only lived in bright places, but there are people who do drugs to escape from a crappy life. My own father was like that.”
This time, Selene was not very surprised.
Since he had said he was a person who had tried to drown his son in a bathtub, it would not have been surprising or strange if he had done something worse.
It just painted him as the worst kind of person the more she heard about him.
“What happened to your father, Theron?”
“I heard later that he died on the street somewhere.”
This time too, she was not surprised, but Selene felt a little distant as she gauged how long it must have taken for Theron to be able to talk about such a thing so nonchalantly.
“Here we are.”
Just then, Theron stopped his steps.
When she lifted her head, there was a shabby two-story house.
“I lived in the basement here.”
‘Not even on the ground floor of such a shabby building, but in the basement.’
The surprised Selene blinked, her eyelashes fluttering.
“Does it look like it hasn’t changed much from then?”
“Yes. Nothing much has changed even after several decades. On days when that man wasn’t there, my mother would pick the fruit from that tree and give it to me.”
A bitter look spread across Theron’s eyes.
At the mention of his mother, Selene thought of Theron’s biological mother, who was lying in the hospital in a vegetative state.
Theron had tried to marry her for the sake of repaying his debt to his biological mother.
‘Does Theron still hate his biological mother? Or, seeing his longing face like that, does a remnant of affection remain on the other side of his hatred?’
“Why don’t you go and take a closer look?”
So, Selene suggested.
Since the place Theron was looking at with such longing was outside the wall, it seemed it would be fine to go and see.
“I’ll stay here.”
However, the alley was too narrow to go together, so Theron had to go alone.
Theron refused at once.
“No, it’s fine.”
“Go on, don’t regret it later.”
However, Selene spoke more firmly.
“You don’t know when you’ll be able to come here again. By then, this back alley itself might have disappeared due to regional development.”
“…”
“This is a place where we came to meet Theron’s memories.”
As she said that much, Theron seemed to have realized that it was meaningless to stall any longer.
“…Alright. I’ll be right back, so don’t you move from here.”