37
Gu Wanjae approached with his finger raised and soon stood right in front of him. Faced with that flushed face, Taein hurriedly opened his mouth.
“Ah, I was going to tell you this when your mood got better.”
“What are you talking about. What.”
It was clear he had put considerable force into his brow, as if he would at least listen. Taein wet his lips once with saliva before speaking.
“I’m sorry about that, calling you a pervert.”
“……”
“I know how you think about perverts… Even though I said it jokingly, that was still not right. Sorry.”
Having conveyed his apology at length, Taein pressed his lips tightly together. Gu Wanjae, who had been quietly staring at those tense lips, made a “Ha!” sound and turned to the side. He put his hand on his waist, then released it abruptly. He looked like he didn’t know what to do with himself. Whether to accept the apology or not, the back of his neck was turning red.
Soon Gu Wanjae let out a “Haah” sigh and looked straight at Taein.
“Your words were fucking harsh. You bastard.”
“Ah, yeah.”
Actually, Taein didn’t completely understand why Gu Wanjae got so worked up over the pervert comment. But he tried his best to understand the guy from Gu Wanjae’s perspective, thinking about all the things Gu Wanjae had done and experienced up until now.
How sensitive must he be about being called a pervert. Living while being constantly on guard about his surroundings, everyone probably looked like perverts to him, and to Gu Wanjae, perverts were evil. And he had called that guy a pervert.
Taein spoke exactly what he had prepared to say as an apology at the dumpling restaurant.
“I know how sensitive you are about perverts… I was too harsh with my words. Sorry. I’m really sorry.”
While saying this, Taein moved closer and placed his hand on that unnecessarily broad back.
“Hey… calm down… okay?”
At the gentle hand patting his back, Gu Wanjae had a thoughtful expression. He closed his eyes then opened them, sighed and tilted his head to the side. Then, as if his thoughts had concluded, he said something.
“Today, fuck. I had something to talk about too.”
It was almost a mumble. Taein, who was right beside him, immediately responded.
“What. What did you want to talk about.”
“…What’s the point of saying…”
Something like “what would be the point,” that kind of muttering reached Taein’s ears.
“No, what is it. Let me hear it.”
“Forget it.”
Though Gu Wanjae looked elsewhere, Taein didn’t give up. If he was going to speak up at a timing like this, it must have been something he really wanted to say.
“Hey, tell me. It’s okay.”
“It’s okay? Hey. Did I do something wrong?”
“Ah.”
Even in the midst of this, Taein let out a chuckle. Gu Wanjae glanced at that smile and made an incredulous face, breathing out roughly with a “Huh.”
“Please tell me. I’m really sorry about calling you a pervert.”
Taein, rephrasing his words, met eyes with the incredulous Gu Wanjae.
Gu Wanjae said he didn’t want to, he didn’t like it, why should he, but he didn’t leave his spot.
Taein also didn’t back down, repeating words like “please tell me” and “sorry.”
Gu Wanjae’s mouth opened about 5 minutes later.
“If you really insist…”
It seemed he really didn’t want to talk about it, and that was also the timing when Taein took a step back. As soon as he heard “If you really insist,” Gu Wanjae frowned and immediately looked at Taein.
“What do you mean ‘if you really insist,’ you crazy bastard. Earlier, shit, I went there to tell you to clear some time.”
“Time?”
“Yeah, do you have time.”
“Time? What time. I’m free except when I’m working part-time.”
With a thoughtful expression, Gu Wanjae mentioned a specific duration.
“Not that kind of time. About two months.”
It was short and to the point, but a lot of content was missing.
“Two months?”
“Yeah.”
His face, which had only shown irritation, gradually began to soften. Taein was troubled by the fact that it was as long as two months, but he didn’t show it. He was the one who had insisted on hearing it. He had forced open Gu Wanjae’s reluctant mouth. Still, it was too long a period to give a positive response. Judging by how he outright said two months, it seemed like part-time work would be out of the question.
“My part-time job…”
“What’s the problem.”
“Huh?”
“Is it because of money?”
Having to ask about this while upset about something else, Gu Wanjae’s expression wasn’t entirely good. Even if it had softened somewhat, there seemed to be limits. Hearing the question about whether it was because of money, Taein just let out a big sigh.
“I can give you your share too.”
“No, that’s not the problem… But what. Where are you going to work?”
“Yeah. I’ll cover your share too.”
“Hey, forget it. What would I be doing there.”
“There’s nothing to do.”
“…But what share…”
“The share for coming with me.”
Gu Wanjae said this while rubbing his nose.
“…Where are we going.”
“Gangwon-do.”
“Gangwon-do?”
“Goseong.”
Gu Wanjae spoke intermittently and closed his mouth after only saying Goseong. Taein was so baffled by the sudden suggestion that he couldn’t say whether he liked it or not. Was there even a place to stay? Wouldn’t he just be a nuisance if he went? Couldn’t Gu Wanjae just work for two months and come home like he always had? Though he’d never been away for as long as two months. After a brief silence settled, it was Taein who added words.
“Is there a reason I need to go with you?”
“Yeah, there fucking is.”
“…What is it.”
“Are you a normal guy? If I’m away from home for two months, who knows what’ll happen to you, you bastard.”
“That kind of… worry seems unnecessary.”
“Bullshit! Hey!”
Gu Wanjae’s sudden loud voice made Taein’s shoulders shake greatly.
“Ah, fuck, you scared me. Hey. Whoa, whoa.”
Taein held up both hands saying “whoa, whoa” like calming an animal and made eye contact with Gu Wanjae.
“You’re still going on about how nothing happens… Hey, that’s not it. I don’t want to say this, but you must feel something when you look in the mirror. These days especially since it’s winter, your cheeks particularly.”
“What about me.”
At those words, Taein’s expression hardened. Though Gu Wanjae often touched his cheeks playfully, he had never said anything about how he looked.
“What about my cheeks.”
“Let’s just skip that.”
“You’re talking in a strange way.”
“Hey, am I not angry?”
Gu Wanjae, who had been excited, spoke somewhat more gently, putting his own mood first. Though Taein found it annoying, he thought Gu Wanjae was more seriously upset, so he held back his words. He just licked his lips with his tongue and quietly looked at Gu Wanjae.
“Will you clear the time?”
“What, time?”
They had returned to the main topic. Taein said “uh” and seemed to fall into thought for a moment, then impulsively blurted out an answer.
“If we go, will we do a lot of fun things?”
“Fucking tons.”
“…What.”
“Fishing too. And boat riding. And mountain climbing.”
“I don’t really like mountains.”
“Anyway, if we go, won’t it be fucking fun? There’s, uh, the ocean too.”
“There’s an ocean?”
“Yeah. I went there once before… fuck, it’s killer.”
“What about travel expenses.”
“What travel expenses, we’re just going. You said before that you wanted to meet my hyungs too.”
“…I did?”
Even though he was almost convinced, Gu Wanjae’s mention of “introducing the hyungs” felt strange. Had he said that? Hadn’t Gu Wanjae said that? Gu Wanjae, thinking Taein was 100% on board, excitedly talked about the hyungs. “Hey, that hyung has a shaved head,” he said, telling amusing anecdotes. Stories about how his face was so fucking scary that even Korean-Chinese gangsters would turn around when they saw his face. Besides that, Gu Wanjae listed various things to do and all kinds of food, winning Taein’s favor. Taein listened to everything Gu Wanjae said until the end and nodded. Let’s go, whatever. Since it’s the last vacation, as a commemoration of that. That was the only thing he could easily commemorate. Taein also wanted to travel somewhere at least once. The main reason he accepted the trip with its unreasonable schedule in the midst of their bickering was that desire.
* * *
Taein spent the end of the year and New Year with Gu Wanjae. He even gave a watch as a gift to Gu Wanjae, whose birthday was on December 31st. It was half the money in his bank account. He added that while he was giving him a million won watch now, next time when he became an adult, he’d get him a ten million won one. Gu Wanjae took off the watch he was wearing, threw it away, and immediately put on that watch. It was a leather watch that seemed both fitting and unfitting for someone who did rough work. Taein looked at the imposing silver watch Gu Wanjae had taken off, then said something he didn’t even need to say.
Hey, wear the one I gave you when you’re… when you’re relaxing.
It seemed like when there were many eyes watching or when working, Gu Wanjae should wear that original silver watch.
But Gu Wanjae said not to give a gift and then tell him what to do with it. A gift was finished once you gave it.
It was something said so casually that the memory was hazy.
Then they went out to see a movie, watching some fantasy series they didn’t know much about. They thought there would be many people since it was the end of the year, but it wasn’t that packed. When they came out after watching the entire movie, it was past twelve o’clock.
Oh. Hey. It’s past twelve?
It was Taein who noticed the New Year had begun.
Gu Wanjae looked at the clock on the tower and said “Oh,” then turned his gaze to Taein.
Aren’t you kind of touched? For someone like you?
There was no weight to the question he asked. Taein wanted to welcome the New Year more grandly, but he had no major complaints. Even that moment of responding “Are you?” to Gu Wanjae on a cold night with sleet falling was pretty good in its own way. Just then the traffic light changed and cars stopped. They crossed that street giggling at each other. It was a moment that would be remembered for a long time. Though he didn’t know it then, even in the distant future, Taein would remember that day. The day he became an adult, that night—Taein remembered it for a long time.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
