#011
The next day, as promised, Jiwoon entered Yechan’s front door wearing a white lettered short-sleeved t-shirt, an oversized checkered shirt, jeans, and carrying a backpack.
“Hyung, please help me pick out some clothes.”
Yechan, who had opened the door, grabbed the wrist of Jiwoon who had just taken off his shoes and pulled him inside.
“Clothes?”
“We’re going on a school trip starting Monday.”
“Oh, already?”
Yechan nodded and pushed Jiwoon into his room.
“We’re going to Gyeongju.”
“I went there last year too.”
“Right. I heard. It seems like it’ll be fun. I want to see the stars at Cheomseongdae.”
“I wanted to go sledding on the royal tombs there.”
At Jiwoon’s words, Yechan laughed heartily and asked.
“I picked out a few outfits already. How are they?”
Jiwoon looked at the several sets of clothes spread out on Yechan’s bed and set down his backpack.
Unlike himself, who preferred loose and baggy styles, Yechan always liked neat styles that fit his body perfectly. Of course, that suited him better too. His upright posture and proper gait made it even more so.
“Shirts seem uncomfortable though. They’ll be hot if we walk a lot. The collar gets annoying, so if you’re going to wear something, wouldn’t it be better to wear a henley neck instead?”
“Right? Even if I thought I could take it off when it gets hot, this seemed a bit awkward.”
Yechan put away the casual shirt. Jiwoon added a few more pieces of advice about fabric and color.
Then Yechan brought out new clothes from his dressing room. The two spent a long time seriously picking out clothes.
Finally, Yechan’s outfits for the 2-night 3-day trip were decided. Jiwoon’s fashion sense was much better than Yechan had thought. Yechan smiled with satisfaction as he organized the clothes.
“Who are you trying to look good for, picking out clothes like this?”
Jiwoon asked, sipping the iced tea Yechan had offered through a straw.
“Photos will be taken.”
Yechan drank his share of iced tea. The ice made clinking sounds.
“How’s the accommodation there? I heard it’s the same as last year.”
“It’s just okay. And anyway, the guys just play around and pass out sleeping, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Right. Oh, hyung. But were you sick somewhere yesterday?”
“No. Why?”
“You said you felt dizzy.”
“I felt dizzy because I missed Yechan.”
“I sent you a photo though.”
“Yeah. That’s how I made it home safely.”
Yechan chuckled at Jiwoon’s light joke. Jiwoon recalled last year’s school trip.
“Oh. The PE teacher gave us alcohol on the second day. Last year.”
“The teacher gave you alcohol?”
“He said if we were going to drink, to drink somewhere visible. Don’t hide it and cause trouble.”
“PE teacher didn’t seem like that type, but it’s interesting when you see things like that. He just looked like he’d catch everything.”
Jiwoon nodded and sucked on the straw once more.
“Have you tried drinking?”
“I’ve tried it before. Not a lot though… I went out with the guys last year.”
“Is Yechan a delinquent?”
“Are you asking me that now? Oh, hyung, did you drink yesterday by any chance?”
“Do you think I did?”
“Did you drink a lot? Will you be able to study?”
“I didn’t drink, so hurry up and study.”
Jiwoon took a few candies from the round container, put them in his mouth, and grabbed his mechanical pencil.
Yechan’s gaze lingered for a moment on Jiwoon, who quickly became absorbed in his book. His eyes were serious as he stared intently at the book.
Jiwoon had a habit of slightly lifting the corners of his mouth while solving problems. Yechan watched Jiwoon’s fingers checking answers with his mechanical pencil, then soon opened his book.
“But hyung. Is your knee all better?”
Yechan, who had been working on a non-fiction passage about human muscles for a while, suddenly asked.
“Why are you asking now? It’s been fine for a while.”
Jiwoon laughed softly without taking his eyes off his book. Yechan liked that sound of his laughter. It was a sound that seemed like it would blow away in the wind.
“Yechan.”
“Yes.”
Perhaps because he was concentrating, Jiwoon’s voice was lower than usual. Whether it was because of his quiet tone or his voice being lower than usual, his name stuck sharply in his ears.
“I’m hungry.”
Unlike the light words that followed.
“Oh, it’s already twelve o’clock. Hyung, what do you want to eat?”
Yechan asked, looking at his watch.
“Burgers? I want to try the new one.”
Jiwoon couldn’t eat spicy food well and preferred Korean food over Western food. Yechan wondered why he would want burgers for once, then recalled an advertisement he had seen coming and going. Come to think of it, he seemed to have heard somewhere that hamburgers were good to eat while watching movies at home.
“Let’s order delivery. Want to watch a movie after eating?”
“You’re not Seo Yechan. Why would Seo Yechan suggest hanging out?”
“It’s the weekend after exams. Hang out with me.”
“Okay. I wanted to study, but if Yechan wants to hang out, we have to hang out.”
Yechan laughed out loud at Jiwoon’s playful tone. The two concentrated on studying again until the delivery arrived, only closing their books when the bell rang.
After quickly eating the fast food and even brushing their teeth, the two sat in front of the TV and picked a movie.
“Oh, this one was famous. Want to watch it?”
“No. I hate that kind of stuff.”
Yechan pressed the remote and thought back on Jiwoon’s movie preferences.
What he liked: action, thriller. What he detested: horror or gore. Despite his cold words of dislike, Jiwoon’s face had a languid expression.
Jiwoon always generally had that kind of expression. A face that seemed to say “whatever happens, happens.”
And when looking at that face of his, Yechan’s sharp edges would also gradually become a bit duller. Then somehow his breathing would clear up.
Yechan thought it was amazing that he had met Jiwoon.
* * *
The campus was quiet with all the second-years gone on their school trip. Yechan, who hadn’t contacted him all day after the message saying he’d have a good trip, finally sent a few tourist photos on Tuesday, the second day, during lunch.
Jiwoon barely ate lunch and looked at his phone in the classroom.
Seo Yechan: (photo)
Me: Cheomseongdae ã…‹ã…‹
Me: How is it, can you see stars?
Seo Yechan: Can’t see them since it’s daytime
Seo Yechan: I wanted to circle the pagoda but it’s blocked off too widely; it’ll take a long time
Me: ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ circle the pagoda ã…‹ã…‹
Seo Yechan: (photo)
Jiwoon, who had been chuckling, looked at the royal tomb photo Yechan sent and typed a message.
Me: Don’t want to go sledding?
Seo Yechan: I didn’t want to
Seo Yechan: Hyung, having those thoughts while looking at someone’s grave… are you okay?;;;;
Me: No, I’m not okay ã… Today’s food really tastes bad
Seo Yechan: How is it without a hubae to raid the school store for you?
Me: I’m dying ã… ã… When is hubae-nim coming?
Seo Yechan: ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ School is the day after tomorrow
Me: Ah hubae-nim is too late
Seo Yechan: I’ll raid the school store for you when I get to school
Me: So reliable, my hubae-nim
“Jiwoon, why do you keep laughing by yourself?”
“Is this bastard dating someone?”
“You just realized? Jiwoon-jiwoon has been dating 365 days a year?”
Choi Min, Kyungjun, and Jukyung, who had come back from the rooftop, chattered. Jiwoon replied while texting Yechan back.
“I’m excited about the thought of extorting money.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Jiwoon-jiwoon already has a lot of money, why would he extort?”
Jiwoon roughly ignored Jukyung’s words and saved the Cheomseongdae and royal tomb photos.
Should I make it my wallpaper? After seriously considering it, he just put his phone down. Jiwoon put his arms on his desk and rested his chin on them.
He missed Yechan.
“Yeon is asking what to buy for us.”
At Choi Min’s words as he looked at his phone, Park Kyungjun and Yoon Jukyung shouted in unison for barley bread. If it’s Gyeongju, it’s barley bread, their voices were loud.
“What was it, Hwang… there’s also some Hwang bread, right?”
“Hwangnam bread.”
“Jiwoon, what about you?”
“I’m fine. Just tell them to have fun.”
Jiwoon, who came home after skipping evening study hall, flopped onto his bed after showering, shaking his wet hair. His eyes gradually relaxed as he carefully checked all the photos Yechan had sent so far.
Jiwoon logged into SNS for the first time in a while. A photo was added to his account, which only had a few full-body shots of him wearing clothes he liked.
It was the royal tomb photo Yechan had sent. “Not a sled.” As soon as he finished uploading the post, a message notification rang on his phone.
Seo Yechan: (photo)
Seo Yechan: Hyung
Seo Yechan: I got 1st place in the quiz!
In the photo that seemed to have been taken by someone else, kids were holding small whiteboards above their heads on a platform like during Golden Bell.
It looked like they had done quiz solving during recreation time. When he enlarged the photo, he could see Yechan smiling at one end.
Oh, Yeon is there too. Come to think of it, he remembered Choi Min going out last year and doing better than expected. Both Choi brothers were quite smart.
Me: You did well~
Me: Yechan did well, well done, amazing, cool
Seo Yechan: Ah ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ Praise me more
Me: Yeah, you’re pretty and kind
Seo Yechan: ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹
Seo Yechan: The prize is chicken
Yechan had been pushed to represent the class in the recreation quiz corner. He answered all the quizzes like matching flags and capitals correctly, proudly taking 1st place.
The class kids went wild when Yechan brought back chicken as a prize. Taehyun spoke to Yechan, who was watching the female students’ talent show stage after sending the photo Minho had taken to Jiwoon.
“Han Seungwoo said to hang out together later.”
“Whatever.”
“Come to their room after it’s over. Let’s take some of the chicken.”
At Minho’s words, Yechan nodded roughly. Since it was a prize he had won anyway, it wouldn’t matter much if they took a little.
However, at that moment, the fact that Choi Yeon was among the kids sharing a room with Han Seungwoo came to mind.
Well, I’ll just clear away what’s bothersome. Thinking that, Yechan checked his phone again.
Lee Jiwoon: Chicken? I’m starving but chicken?
Me: Hyung, didn’t you eat?
Lee Jiwoon: No, I didn’t eat ã… ã…
Me: Why?
Lee Jiwoon: Because you’re not here, I can’t swallow food
Waaaaaah! Suddenly cheers shook the auditorium, as if the talent show had ended.
The next class’s talent show was breaking boards. Yechan watched several boys come out and place wooden boards on the floor, then typed a message.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
