Episode 40
Although Si-yul believed Kwon Yuwon’s promise to return in a month, as he had never lied to him before, and wanted to believe he had just gone on a trip because he felt stifled…
Si-yul was sighing heavily, almost breaking the table, when the bell rang and the door opened. He quickly changed his expression and put on a service smile as he looked up.
“Welcome… Oh?”
He couldn’t finish his greeting. The face of the person entering with his friends looked familiar. The other person also raised his eyebrows, pointing at Si-yul. Though their previous encounter hadn’t been entirely wholesome, they weren’t strangers to ignore each other.
“Woo Tae-joo?”
He smiled brightly when Si-yul said his name. His friends were patting his shoulder and pointing at Si-yul, seemingly asking if they knew each other. Woo Tae-joo nodded vigorously and sent his friends to the table first. He then approached Si-yul with long strides.
“Wow, you work here? If I’d known, I would’ve come earlier.”
“What brings you here?”
“Ah, I know a noona who works here. I’ve been saying I’d visit, but only now got the time…”
Tae-joo’s friends at the table were peering over curiously. They seemed interested in who Si-yul was. Not wanting to be the center of attention, Si-yul quickly shooed Tae-joo away.
“I’ll come take your order soon. Oh, if you’d like, order the salmon. Chef hyung said the salmon is good today.”
“Are you recommending it? I’ll tell the guys right away. Thanks!”
Tae-joo smiled brightly and returned to the table. It was an unexpected but pleasant encounter. It somewhat lifted Si-yul’s heavy heart from Yuwon’s disappearance. With a more relaxed face, Si-yul picked up the menu.
Woo Tae-joo knew Manager Kang. She must have been contacted in advance because Manager Kang, who was supposed to be off today, came to the restaurant herself. After warmly greeting Tae-joo and instructing the staff to provide plenty of service, she left, saying she had urgent business.
Tae-joo drank as if there was no tomorrow. He was a born drinker. He was also bright and cheerful. He laughed and joked as if he owned the world, and even went up on stage to sing alternately with his friends. He was confident enough to take the microphone in front of others without a hint of shyness. He seemed to have an optimistic and extroverted personality by nature.
Because of this, Si-yul was incredibly busy. Between serving food and clearing empty bottles, he was running around the hall so much that time flew by. Closing time was just around the corner.
All other customers had left, and only Tae-joo’s group remained. Judging by how they were sprawled on the sofa or slumped over the table, they seemed to be nearing their limit too. Thinking they probably wouldn’t order anything else and that it was okay to leave the hall for a moment, Si-yul picked up a garbage bag.
As he was throwing out the trash in the back alley on the first floor of the building, he saw someone who hadn’t been visible from the hall. When Tae-joo saw Si-yul, he took the cigarette from his mouth, holding it between his fingers, and waved with the slow motion typical of a drunk person. He was smiling happily, showing his even teeth.
No matter how Si-yul looked at him, his smiling face resembled Woo Hyun-se’s. If Hyun-se were a bit younger, wouldn’t he look similar to Tae-joo? Especially the build and the way his eyes curved when he smiled.
“Looks like it’s almost closing time.”
Si-yul looked at the cigarette and waved away the smoke approaching him. Tae-joo exclaimed in surprise and quickly threw the long cigarette on the ground, grinding it out with his toe. He scratched the back of his head, smiling embarrassedly.
“You don’t smoke?”
“No. But you could have kept smoking. It’s a waste.”
“Ah, it’s better not to smoke in front of non-smokers if possible.”
“I need to go back in. Finish your cigarette.”
“Wait!”
Just as Si-yul was turning away, Tae-joo called out. Si-yul had one foot inside the door and leaned back to look at him. Tae-joo seemed to have forgotten what he wanted to say, hesitating for a moment before speaking under Si-yul’s expectant gaze.
“Can’t you stay for a bit? Just while I finish my cigarette. I mean, not that I’m going to smoke.”
“I need to close up.”
“I’ll help you. As thanks for all the service we received.”
Si-yul was hesitant, not really wanting to. He was about to refuse and go in when Tae-joo quickly grabbed the hem of his clothes.
“Just 5 minutes. Only 5 minutes.”
He looked at Si-yul with his eyebrows furrowed into a shape like the Chinese character for eight. That expression, so similar to Hyun-se’s, made Si-yul’s heart waver slightly. He wouldn’t be able to see Hyun-se after work today. Hyun-se had said he was busy. So there was no need to hurry.
“Alright.”
Tae-joo grinned, looking both embarrassed and pleased. Si-yul checked the time on his phone and put his hands in his pockets.
“Come to think of it, we don’t even know each other’s ages. How old are you, Si-yul-ssi?”
“Twenty-four.”
“Really? No way. You look much younger than me… Do you have your ID?”
Si-yul chuckled briefly. The word “ID” reminded him of Hyun-se. His ID was still in Hyun-se’s wallet. It seemed like it would be stuck there forever.
“It’s true. I don’t have my ID with me now.”
“I’m a year younger than you. Can I call you hyung? No, I will. You can speak comfortably to me too.”
He decided on his own and called Si-yul “hyung”. Si-yul didn’t care about the form of address and let Tae-joo do as he pleased.
Since he was planning to return to the restaurant soon, Si-yul hadn’t worn his coat and was now cold and shivering. It seemed impossible to last 5 minutes. Si-yul hunched his shoulders and rolled them, then looked up at Tae-joo. Tae-joo was staring at him, just as Si-yul had done before entering the building earlier.
“I’m going in first. It’s too cold.”
“Ah, I didn’t think about the cold. I’m warm because I’ve had some drinks. Let’s go in together, hyung. I’m sorry. I’m an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot.”
Tae-joo followed Si-yul closely. As at the motel, he was quite talkative. In the elevator and even after entering the restaurant, he stuck close to Si-yul, chattering like a sparrow.
Thanks to Tae-joo, the closing was finished much earlier than usual. Leaving Tae-joo to take care of his friends, Si-yul walked alone. He thought about calling Hyun-se but lowered his phone, not wanting to bother him when he might be busy.
As he was about to put it in his pocket, his phone vibrated. He quickly checked the screen and saw Hyun-se’s name. He seemed to have called right at closing time. Impressed by his timing, Si-yul quickly pressed the answer button. His voice was full of excitement as he said, “Hello?”
“Are you done?”
“Yes. Are you very busy?”
“No. The busy work is mostly finished. Should I come pick you up?”
“Didn’t you say you couldn’t come yesterday and today? I thought so.”
“I did. But the work finished earlier than expected.”
His chest tickled. So did his ear where Hyun-se’s voice touched. Si-yul bit his lower lip, not knowing where to scratch first. He looked down, tapping the sidewalk with the toe of his sneaker.
“I’ll leave now.”
It was cold outside. But for Hyun-se, he could wait. Even if his feet froze and his nose turned red. Si-yul rubbed his already reddening nose and pressed the phone tightly to his ear.
“Come quickly.”
After hearing the reply “Okay,” Si-yul hung up first. When he came out of the restaurant, his earlobes were red from the cold, but now they were red for a different reason.
As soon as he hung up, a text message arrived with a ding, as if timed. Thinking it might be from Kwon Yuwon, he hurriedly looked at his phone.
[I was so happy to meet you today, hyung. Next time, let’s definitely have a meal together]
But it wasn’t from the person he was waiting for. His sparkling eyes dimmed. Si-yul only read the preview. While meeting Tae-joo had been pleasant, he didn’t feel anything more. There were other people he really wanted to see.
* * *
When Woo Hyun-se heard that Kwon Yuwon had gone on a trip, he brought Si-yul to his house almost like a kidnapping. It had been a tiring day, and Si-yul just wanted to lie down and rest without doing anything, but the moment they kissed, the “don’t” became “do”.
In the end, they finished on the bed. Si-yul was exhausted. Even though Hyun-se said he had been busy too, he thoroughly devoured Si-yul. If Si-yul had been meat, not a single piece of flesh would have been left on the bone. No, Hyun-se would have probably chewed, crushed, and swallowed even the bones with his strong teeth. That’s how voracious he was.
“Stay here until your friend returns.”
It was hard even to lift his head. Si-yul was lying face down on the bed and barely managed to turn his head. Hyun-se was also lying down with his head towards the foot of the bed, not the headboard. When their eyes met, he stretched out his arm and patted the bed.
Understanding perfectly that it meant “come here”, Si-yul groaned and rolled over. He rested his head on Hyun-se’s arm and buried his body into his side.
“I can’t. It’s a waste of rent.”
“It would be better than being alone, wouldn’t it?”
He was right. Unless Kwon Yuwon was there, Si-yul didn’t want to be alone in the inn. More than the poor conditions, he disliked the loneliness he would have to endure until Yuwon returned. However, he couldn’t just accept Hyun-se’s offer without consideration. People should have a sense of propriety.
“Still… Yuwon might come back early…”
Wondering if there had been any contact from Yuwon in the meantime, Si-yul reached out towards the table on the opposite side, using Hyun-se’s chest as support. Hyun-se turned on his side, blocking Si-yul.
