#038
Over the past few days, Yeonwoo’s gaze always followed Kang Dojun around.
When Kang Dojun quietly got up from the sofa, Yeonwoo jumped up and caught him.
“Water?”
“…Yeah.”
“I’ll get it for you. Please sit down.”
In the end, Kang Dojun, who had gotten up, sat back down awkwardly. Yeonwoo hurried to the kitchen and held out a cup of water.
“Here.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks.”
At the words of gratitude, Yeonwoo sat back down with a proud smile of having accomplished something.
Kang Dojun quietly drank his water while lost in thought. This kind of thing had been repeating lately. Whenever he seemed to need something, Yeonwoo would quickly notice and try to do it for him.
‘Why is he doing that?’
He was steadily taking his medication so his symptoms had improved, and he continued going to counseling. Now that he had come to Seoul, he thought they might go out sightseeing, but he wouldn’t budge from inside the house. His routine ended with occasionally calling Shin Gihyeon over to tend the garden together or ordering delicious food for delivery.
On TV, Grace’s song was playing from a music broadcast program. Kang Dojun stared at the round back of his head bobbing to the rhythm.
‘What is he thinking?’
“Yeonwoo.”
“Yes.”
“Want to watch the broadcast together tomorrow?”
Tomorrow was the day “Rural Conquest” would air live. Kang Dojun hadn’t been able to watch a single episode, but somehow it seemed like he might have time tomorrow.
Yeonwoo’s head movements to the rhythm stopped.
“Ah, I made plans to hang out with a friend tomorrow.”
“Gihyeon-ssi?”
“No. Not him. Some kid who does YouTube. Kim Seungseon. Since I came to Seoul, I want to see his face.”
Kang Dojun frowned. It was a rare day off from filming, so if it was okay, he had planned to go for a drive and watch the broadcast in the afternoon, but Yeonwoo already had all his plans made.
“Is tomorrow your day off, hyung? Or should I cancel my plans?”
He stared at Yeonwoo quietly. If it were before, he wouldn’t have known, but judging by Yeonwoo’s recently subtly changed behavior, if he said “cancel it,” he seemed like he would cancel immediately.
“No. What time are you meeting tomorrow? I’ll drive you there.”
“I can just go to his place.”
“His place?”
Yeonwoo glanced at him and added:
“I’m planning to sleep over for one night.”
“Ah.”
“Sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance. I kept refusing, but he kept pestering me so much that I decided today.”
“I see.”
Kang Dojun nodded in understanding and fell into thought.
‘What will I do alone tomorrow?’
He had only planned how to spend time with Yeonwoo, not how to spend it alone.
‘Just like usual.’
He could spend it like his usual days off, but he couldn’t remember what that was. What did he do when he was alone? Whether he read books or slept, he couldn’t recall.
“Hyung?”
“Ah, yeah. Did you pack?”
“Pack?”
“You said you’re sleeping over for one night.”
“Yes.”
“…Your luggage?”
“Yes?”
Yeonwoo and Kang Dojun’s conversation continued at cross purposes. Yeonwoo stared at him with wide eyes.
“Why would I pack luggage for sleeping over one night?”
“…Won’t you wash up?”
“I can wash up before going.”
“Toothbrush.”
“Nearby convenience store.”
Kang Dojun got up from his seat. It was late at night and he could pack tomorrow, but there was nothing wrong with preparing in advance.
“Let’s pack.”
“It’s fine to just go like this.”
Although Yeonwoo muttered, Kang Dojun found a backpack lying around the house and packed clothes to sleep in, a hat and mask to cover his face when going out, toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, etc.
Yeonwoo followed behind him and put snacks into the backpack one by one.
Actually packing made it feel like he was going on a trip tomorrow. It really would have been fine to just go like that, but he glanced sideways at Kang Dojun who was packing as if it were his own business.
He smiled warmly as Kang Dojun carefully put even his medicine bag into the backpack.
As expected, it was nice. He was kind. In order to repay Kang Dojun as much as he received from him, he observed him and tried to take care of what he needed. But it was always lacking and insufficient.
He also wanted to do something more for him. He wanted to share everything he had.
“Hyung, want to hang out together tomorrow?”
At Yeonwoo’s invitation, Kang Dojun hesitated then declined.
“It’s okay. It’s friends meeting after a long time. It would be awkward if I joined.”
“I think you and he are the same age?”
“…Huh?”
“Seungseon is twenty-seven years old.”
Kang Dojun’s pupils shook.
“But why Seungseon?”
“When we first met, I thought we were the same age so I just called him casually, but it turned out he’s two years older than me. But suddenly calling him hyung would be weird too.”
“That’s… true.”
He nodded at words that were strange but made sense.
“You’re the same age as hyung, want to hang out together? He’s not picky about people either, so he’d be happy to hang out together.”
Not picky about people – he had strangely rephrased “not shy with strangers.” It was exactly something you’d say about a puppy. Maybe it was because he was from that field.
“Just because you’re the same age doesn’t mean you become close quickly. You two have fun.”
“…Okay.”
Yeonwoo pouted as he answered. He was the one going out to play, but somehow he felt more disappointed than Kang Dojun.
* * *
The next day, Kang Dojun personally drove to take Yeonwoo to his friend’s house. Having reached the destination, Kang Dojun stopped the car and looked around.
“Is this it?”
“The address is here.”
Yeonwoo, sitting in the passenger seat, fidgeted with his backpack straps nervously.
“…What are you doing today, hyung?”
“Well, I might go to my parents’ house.”
“Your parents’ house?”
“Yeah, it’s near here.”
Come to think of it, he had never talked about his parents. So they live near here…
“Call me tomorrow when you’re coming back too. I’ll come pick you up.”
“Isn’t that too much trouble for you, hyung?”
“It’s on the way.”
Kang Dojun pointed to the front pocket of the backpack and said:
“I put chocolate in there, so eat that instead of candy. Melt it and eat it. The elevator?”
Yeonwoo was endlessly pleased that he checked and asked about everything one by one.
“It’s the 3rd floor, so it’s okay.”
Yeonwoo unfastened his seatbelt and got up to put on his backpack. Then, as a sign of affection, he hugged him tightly before opening the passenger door.
“I’ll go and come back!”
He smiled brightly as he got out and closed the door.
“Yeonwoo.”
“Yes?”
Kang Dojun rolled down the window to stop Yeonwoo who was about to leave.
“Wear your hat properly, put on your mask, and make sure to take your medicine.”
Even though it sounded like nagging, he wasn’t annoyed at all. This kind of nagging was always welcome.
Yeonwoo pressed down the hat he was holding in his hand.
“Yes! I’ll call you later.”
*Click-*
“Oh, long time no see.”
“Hi.”
When he pressed the doorbell, the door opened and a familiar and welcome face appeared. Since they were such familiar friends, greetings were omitted.
“Why don’t you shave?”
“Why did you bring a bag for sleeping over one night?”
“Did you just wake up?”
“You look better? Got a taste of Seoul?”
Questions were exchanged but no one answered anyone, just asking their own curious points in a collective monologue.
Yeonwoo pushed past Kim Haseon at the door and naturally entered the house. He had always come to visit the countryside, but this was Yeonwoo’s first time in Seoul, so it was also his first time visiting his house.
He slowly turned his gaze to look around the interior. The two-room officetel was quite comfortable.
Kim Haseon followed behind him and interrogated him thoroughly:
“Are you staying at Kang Dojun’s house right now?”
“Yeah.”
“How is it? It must be spacious, right? What color is the interior? All black? Or white tone? You sent a photo and there was even a garden, where do you grow that? The balcony?”
“Terrace.”
“Terrace… Another level. Nice, being close with Kang Dojun.”
At those words, the corners of Yeonwoo’s mouth went up.
Kim Haseon’s words meant he was envious of having actor connections, but to Yeonwoo it evoked the feeling of ‘this is what my hyung is like and I’m super close with hyung.’
At that moment, the backpack he was wearing was pulled back with strong force, and Yeonwoo’s body was also dragged backward.
“Wow, fuck. Is this Kang Dojun’s?”
“How did you know?”
“How could I not recognize this?”
The backpack had a luxury brand logo prominently displayed. Kim Haseon opened his eyes so wide they looked like they might fall out as he examined it, then stepped back, worried that he might have scratched it when he pulled it earlier.
“Anyway, Kim Seungseon’s making such a fuss. What about food? I’m hungry.”
“Oh, let’s eat ramen.”
Yeonwoo pouted. If it were hyung, he would have definitely cooked for him.
“Then why did you call me over?”
“You’ve become a celebrity now? Acting all picky.”
Kim Haseon mocked him while filling a pot with tap water for ramen, even adding rhythm to his singing.
“Yeonwoo being picky isn’t new~. Hyung has to understand~. Our Yeonwoo doesn’t eat kimchi~?”
By this point, Yeonwoo should have gotten angry, but only silence lingered except for Kim Haseon’s voice.
When a puppy is quiet, it means they’re causing trouble somewhere. Kim Haseon stopped stirring the ramen and hurriedly looked for Yeonwoo.
He was touching a high-performance computer, a rainbow-colored keyboard, and the broadcast camera placed in front of it with curiosity.
“Is this what you use for broadcasting? But why are there two monitors? The chair is a gaming chair too. Wow, the keyboard… it would feel good to game with this. There are even two mice. What are they for?”
“Hey… ah! Don’t touch it! That’s expensive!”
“Let me just look. Can I play games later?”
“Okay, okay, I got it. Come here.”
“Fucker, you’re the picky one.”
Yeonwoo returned the words he had heard and put down the backpack he had been carrying in the corner of the room.
“The water’s boiling. Add an egg too. Don’t break it.”
“Cook it yourself then.”
Kim Haseon grumbled but faithfully carried out his request. Somehow Yeonwoo had the image of someone who needed to be taken care of.
And since he was also a broadcaster, though he didn’t say it, he had seen the Ber video from before and just felt a bit sorry for him.
Kim Haseon transferred the cooked noodles to a bowl with tongs and handed it to Yeonwoo.
“What about the broth?”
“After you finish all that.”
He had known since their deep-sea fishing days that Yeonwoo’s tendency was to eat ramen while it’s hot for the best taste, not caring if his tongue got burned, whether he was stubborn or overly enthusiastic.
Yeonwoo silently nodded and took the bowl to the prepared table.
Kim Haseon brought the pot and trivet and placed them on the table, completing the meal. Still, Yeonwoo seemed to be lacking something as he peered around the table.
“I want water.”
“Get it yourself.”
“Ah… where is it?”
It came out naturally since Kang Dojun always prepared water for him too, but this was Kim Haseon’s house. Yeonwoo came to his senses and headed to the refrigerator to get water.
Kim Haseon gave directions while eating ramen:
“Not there. Right side, it’s on the right side.”
Following his directions, he arrived at the sink. Yeonwoo looked under the sink drawer for plastic bottles but there was nothing. He asked once more:
“Where?”
“Just drink tap water. That’s what water is.”
At Kim Haseon’s nonchalant words, Yeonwoo held a glass cup and fell silent.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
