9
“Yeah.”
Taein answered while looking ahead.
“Want to come play at my house?”
My house. Want to come play there. It sounded like something an elementary schooler would say. Because of Gu Wanjae’s weighty voice and build that didn’t match a high school freshman, Taein hadn’t felt anything strange about his way of speaking before. For the first time, hearing Gu Wanjae’s voice while looking elsewhere in the quiet made him think that. He talks like an elementary kid. Having that thought, he glanced at Gu Wanjae.
“It’s my first time. Inviting a friend over.”
“……”
“What, you’re not coming?”
“No.”
“Today?”
“Yeah.”
It was a promise made in the moment. Taein told Gu Wanjae, who had ‘invited’ a ‘friend,’ that he understood. That he’d go. Let’s go. Gu Wanjae said some incomprehensible words about “you’re similar to me” and lifted his face upward. The spring sunlight seemed strong so his eyes didn’t seem to open, but he seemed to like having the sunlight on his face. Is that how he got tanned?
Taein, who had been looking at the moderately well-tanned face, also bent his head backward.
How many tall buildings must there be in Korea alone?
But today, it felt like he was looking at the sky from the highest place.
The blue and clean sky was so clearly visible.
* * *
Gu Wanjae’s house was an officetel in the middle of a commercial district. It was located where you could go anywhere—movie theaters, department stores, various hospitals—within 3 minutes. The first floor was connected to a shopping building, and Gu Wanjae said there was nothing here as they passed through the shops. He said to think of it as just a passage to get to the elevator. Taein said “Oh” while continuing to look around. It was bewildering, like entering a giant maze.
“Usually I get off one more station ahead.”
“Oh…”
“That bus stop over there.”
When they reached the first-floor lobby, he showed him the bus stop outside.
“Why did you get off over there today?”
They had gotten off at the previous stop and walked for about 10 minutes. Gu Wanjae nodded his head while getting the elevator.
“Just? I wanted to get some air.”
The weather was indeed nice today. Taein nodded and stood next to Gu Wanjae.
Soon the elevator arrived and the two got on.
Gu Wanjae pressed the floor number and only kept his eyes on the small electronic display. Next to him, Taein also looked at the changing numbers.
Then with a ding sound, the door opened. Gu Wanjae, who smoothly passed through first, crossed the uniquely shaped corridor.
A spacious corridor was surrounded by several doors. Gu Wanjae stood in front of unit 1204 and entered the password. Soon the door opened and the interior of the house was revealed.
“……”
He hadn’t walked around the entire house, but even at a glance, it was unrealistically spacious. This is definitely what it’s like when you live with family. Following Gu Wanjae who entered first, Taein also stepped into the house. He took off his shoes and stepped onto the corridor connected to the living room.
Gu Wanjae went straight and then turned.
Taein quickly followed and turned his body toward where Gu Wanjae had disappeared.
“Want to drink juice? Or milk.”
“…Yeah. Juice.”
He could see things like a dish drying rack and utensil holder, but there was almost nothing placed or inserted there. One spoon. The number of chopsticks was immediately noticeable… No plates or bowls were visible. Gu Wanjae only took out one cup from the upper cabinet. There was almost nothing in the cabinet either.
“It’s a day past, but just drink it.”
He seemed to be talking about the expiration date of the orange juice. Taein answered “Yeah” to Gu Wanjae who was already pouring.
“Here.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Taein brought the cup to his mouth as soon as he received it. What do people usually do when they come to play at a friend’s house? Even as the fresh orange juice touched his lips, only such thoughts crossed his mind. And he felt slightly embarrassed about the fact that he considered Gu Wanjae a friend. Since he’d never made one before. Actually, when Gu Wanjae had complained, asking if he had to tell him everything one by one, whether he had to say “let’s be friends” too, he had thought it was natural.
How would you know if you don’t say it?
I’ve never had something like a friend.
Taein thought that’s how everyone developed into friends.
Want to be friends with me?
Yeah, sounds good.
Like that.
Gu Wanjae held the juice up in the air and put the contents in his mouth. His Adam’s apple going gulp gulp was much larger than other guys his age. Watching the moving throat, Taein also straightened his shoulders. Since the guy was much bigger than him anyway, there were times when he became conscious of the size difference. Each time, Taein would puff out his chest wide or strain his neck hard. Because then he looked more manly than just staying still.
Taein, who unconsciously straightened his body, drank juice while examining Gu Wanjae and the house structure.
He could see a half-open door, a closed door, and luggage piled beyond a transparent door.
Room, bathroom, closet, in that order?
It seemed like the closet was being used as storage.
For a family home, the living room was very spacious, but there weren’t really many rooms. Taein put his cup down on the table and opened his mouth.
“The living room is really spacious.”
“Right.”
“Where do you sleep?”
“Well, sometimes in the room. Sometimes outside.”
“Hmm.”
“At night, you can see all the way over there.”
Gu Wanjae stretched out his hand and pointed beyond the large window.
“It feels fucking good to sleep while looking at that.”
“Yeah.”
Gu Wanjae paused for a few seconds then said this:
“Try sleeping here once.”
As if suggesting, he looked at Taein and nodded his head toward the living room.
“…Sleep?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“…I’m not sleepy right now.”
“Who said to sleep now? I’m saying to sleep over at my house.”
“That seems a bit… like an imposition.”
“Why would it be an imposition? It’s just me here.”
“……”
“If I allow it, that’s it. Come whenever you want to.”
“…Do you live alone…?”
“Yeah.”
“Ah.”
“What. Did you think I had family hanging all over me?”
“No, just.”
“Shibal, what’s so great about that fucking thing.”
Saying that, he went toward the living room. Gu Wanjae stuck close to the large window and looked down, then called “Hey, here” to Taein.
“There’s a really delicious place. Want to go?”
“Oh, okay.”
Oh, good. Oh, okay. Taein answered like that to everything Gu Wanjae said. There really wasn’t anything he disliked or was reluctant about. But Gu Wanjae reacted to those words. Why do you keep going “yeah, yeah” to everything? He naturally touched Taein. He’d hit his shoulder or push his chest. Each time, Taein would laugh awkwardly and make a “huh” sound. Because being like this with a friend, having conversations after coming to a friend’s house, was all unfamiliar. Even when going to a restaurant following Gu Wanjae, Taein was the one who kept listening to what Gu Wanjae said.
He nodded going “yeah, yeah” to everything Gu Wanjae said.
The sushi they ended up eating together tasted good. Taein had only tried convenience store sushi that cost 10,000 won for ten pieces a few times, so he learned for the first time that sushi rice and ingredients could be this fresh. And aside from it being delicious, he felt good.
His first friend.
Going to play at that friend’s house and eating delicious food made him feel excited.
Maybe it was because there hadn’t been many good times in his life, but for Taein at least, it was a moment that ranked in the top 3 best moments.
And it was good enough to not be embarrassing.
* * *
From summer until winter of that year, Taein came and went from Gu Wanjae’s house like it was his own.
He had conflicts with the facility teachers initially, but they eventually understood Taein. However, the bed Taein had been using had to become communal property. Though it was a facility with a set number of people, it was a time when runaway youth hanging around nearby or young adults starting their careers with circumstances were pouring in like a flood. Taein’s facility was no exception. They had been refusing saying there were originally no spots, but since one empty bed had become available, it was proper to utilize it.
When the teacher texted [Can we temporarily let someone sleep here for just one day?], Taein sent back [Yes, go ahead]. This happened several times.
In the end, it wasn’t ‘my home.’
Taein was realizing this fact each time, even though he knew it all along.
When such thoughts came to him, Gu Wanjae’s house would feel closer instead. Though it was a friend’s house, whether Gu Wanjae was there or not, there was a space for him to lie down and sleep, and Gu Wanjae had also told him to think of it like his own home.
Gu Wanjae was a guy with fewer walls and barriers than expected.
From the first day, when he said “sleep here if you want to,” it wasn’t just something he said casually.
The next day, while eating jjajangmyeon on the rooftop, when Gu Wanjae asked “Want to sleep over tonight?” and he thoughtlessly answered “Yeah,” that was the beginning.
Gu Wanjae spent his own money not just on a place to sleep, but on food, games, movies, and everything else.
“I probably have more money than you.”
“The one with more money should spend it,” he’d say.
Taein wasn’t without money either, with government support and occasional part-time work, but his pockets were lighter compared to Gu Wanjae’s. Occasionally when Gu Wanjae forgot his card, only then would he spend his own money, but otherwise Gu Wanjae bought everything. Even when Taein felt sorry and grateful and said he’d pay big once, Gu Wanjae would say “Let’s eat something bigger next time” and take out his card.
Around winter, he realized this was what Gu Wanjae considered friendship.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
