As June arrived, more households began to retrieve fans from their storage. Hand fans were placed within easy reach, and the freezer was stocked with ice. The scorching heat of the upcoming summer was already hinting at its intensity, with the sun’s rays becoming increasingly harsh. Even Haengboki, who usually ran around with dirt on his face, sought shade.
It was a season where the slightest touch of sweaty skin could spark irritation. Haon, with his higher body temperature, had been worrying about the approaching summer since the flowers began to wilt. Inho, however, was not concerned. He believed his cool body temperature would help soothe Haon.
He had underestimated the countryside heat.
“Ugh….”
Haon murmured in his sleep, flailing his arms and turning over abruptly. Inho, who had been holding Haon close, woke up as Haon’s hand hit his chin.
“Haon?”
The impact was strong enough to make Inho think Haon had hit him intentionally. However, seeing Haon’s face deep in sleep, Inho’s surprised expression softened, and he let out a small laugh.
He tried to wrap his arms around Haon again, but Haon pushed him away.
“It’s hot….”
Inho released Haon, who was struggling to escape his embrace. He must be very hot, Inho thought, tilting his head in confusion as he sat up. He hadn’t noticed the heat himself.
Now he saw that Haon was sweating. Inho had even covered Haon with a blanket, not realizing the discomfort. With the windows and doors closed, there was no breeze, making the room stuffy.
Inho slid open the wooden door and grabbed a hand fan from the floor. As the weather warmed, they had kept the doors and windows shut to keep out insects, despite Haon’s insistence on keeping them closed.
Inho pulled the blanket down to cover just Haon’s stomach and began fanning him. Haon’s head tilted towards the cool breeze, and Inho watched him with a smile. He looked around the room, wondering where to install an air conditioner. With a wall covered by a bookshelf, there seemed to be no suitable place. He decided to discuss it with Haon when he woke up.
“Wa-watermelon…”
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, Haon mumbled about watermelon. Inho stopped fanning and leaned in to listen.
“Don’t want it…?”
Haon even waved his hand slightly as he spoke. Inho had to suppress his laughter, afraid he might wake Haon. He managed to keep his voice down and asked,
“Would you like some?”
Inho gently whispered, brushing Haon’s sweaty bangs back. Seeing Haon murmur about food in his sleep made him look incredibly adorable.
Inho caressed Haon’s fuller cheeks, stealing a quick kiss before continuing to fan him, trying to cool him down. He worried that Haon might be suffering from the heat.
Lately, Haon had been getting tired more easily and sleeping more. Especially after meals, he would often feel drowsy. Just now, after a hearty lunch, Haon had dozed off on the porch, so Inho had carried him to the bedroom.
At least Haon’s appetite hadn’t waned; in fact, he seemed to be eating more than before. Inho slipped his hand under the blanket covering Haon’s stomach and smiled. Haon had gained a tiny bit of belly fat from all the naps after meals. Inho gently stroked the soft skin.
“Still sleeping?”
The village chief poked his head through the front gate, entering the yard. Despite being in his eighties, he was still robust enough to chop firewood. His secret to good health was his cheerful demeanor.
“Is Haon pregnant or something? Why does he sleep so much?” the chief remarked, clicking his tongue as he saw Haon napping with the sun high in the sky. Still, he kept his voice low to avoid waking him.
Inho chuckled and got up, slipping on his sandals to go outside. The chief’s visit likely meant he had another favor to ask.
“Have you had lunch?” Inho asked.
“Of course. What time do you think it is?” the chief replied, glancing back at Haon. “That boy sure sleeps a lot,” he chuckled. No one could stay angry looking at Haon’s innocent, sleeping face.
Inho followed the chief, taking one last look at Haon before speaking up. “Chief, I can’t go out today. I hurt my leg.”
“Hurt your leg?” The chief raised an eyebrow, looking at Inho’s perfectly fine legs.
“Oh, I mean my arm,” Inho corrected, rubbing his arm with a playful smile. His muscular arms didn’t look injured at all, and indeed, they weren’t. He just didn’t have time to help the chief today.
“I’ll help you tomorrow,” Inho promised.
The chief laughed heartily, examining Inho’s arm. “Haon told you to say that, didn’t he? To say you’re hurt if I ask for help.”
Inho just smiled in response. As the weather warmed, Haon had been warning the village elders not to overwork Inho. Thanks to Haon’s protectiveness, the elders had been hesitant to ask Inho for help.
“Come with me. You won’t regret it,” the chief said, patting Inho’s shoulder and gesturing towards the gate. He leaned in to whisper something in Inho’s ear, who bent down to listen, his expression turning intrigued.
Finally, the village chief finished his whisper and playfully nudged Inho’s firm side with his elbow. “Coming?” he asked.
“Just a moment,” Inho replied, turning back to Haon. He left a hand fan by Haon’s side and turned on the electric fan. Not content with that, he adjusted the fan to blow directly onto Haon’s legs and covered him with a blanket, just in case.
“You really take care of him. Why not just carry him around?” the chief joked.
“I wish I could, but he doesn’t let me do it every day,” Inho replied with a smile.
The chief laughed heartily. “Stubborn one, he is.”
Inho followed the chief, taking one last look at Haon, who was still fast asleep. He hurried his steps, hoping to return before Haon woke up. He thought Haon would sleep for at least another hour.
However, contrary to Inho’s expectations, Haon woke up soon after he left. Almost as soon as Inho stepped out, Haon stirred and slowly opened his eyes.
“Inho?” Haon called out, looking around for him. He crawled to the edge of the room and noticed Inho’s shoes were missing. His expression fell as he realized someone had likely taken Inho to help with work again.
“I told him to say he’s hurt…” Haon muttered, looking out at the blazing sun. He yawned and sat on the porch, turning the fan to its highest setting to cool down. It wasn’t enough, so he also used the hand fan. The heat felt especially intense after just waking up. Feeling a bit peckish, he dragged himself to the kitchen.
After some thought, Haon emerged with not one, but two ice creams. He bit into one and used the other to cool his neck and chest. The sweetness woke him up, and he quickly finished both ice creams. He stared at the empty wrappers, slightly surprised at his own appetite.
“I should have saved one for Inho…” he thought, but the cool sweetness had been too tempting. He swallowed the last bit of sweetness and looked towards the kitchen, feeling a pang of hunger again. He resisted the urge, deciding to wait for Inho.
Yawning repeatedly, Haon rubbed his sleepy eyes and tidied up the blanket. He had intended not to nap today, but Inho had laid out the blanket, and he couldn’t resist. Feeling a bit guilty for his laziness, he started reviewing English words stuck on the wall.
Haon had recently begun studying English, enjoying the process with Inho as his excellent teacher.
“Today, weather is… so hot,” he practiced, his pronunciation still a bit rough but understandable.
“Where, my honey, go?” he murmured, staring at the closed front gate. He knew Inho would return soon, but he felt inexplicably anxious.
Haon tilted his head, touching his chest with a puzzled expression. He couldn’t understand why he felt this way. It wasn’t the first time Inho had left without a word.
“Strange,” he muttered, unconsciously fiddling with Inho’s outerwear. Then, he put on his shoes, deciding to go look for Inho. The moment he made this decision, his mind inexplicably calmed down.
Haon chuckled at his fluctuating emotions, not thinking much of it at the time. He had always been a bit slow to catch on.
