#070
When I opened the door for him, Ju Isin passed by me with a face that seemed to say “I don’t want to go in, but since hyung told me to come in, I have no choice but to enter.”
“Throw away the rag.”
“…Yes…”
Ju Isin organized the cleaning supplies on his own and went inside to wash his hands. Like I had done, he dried his wet hands with a hand towel and sat on the sofa, shivering from the cold that had seeped into his body from being outside for so long. I quickly turned on the heater and directed it toward Ju Isin, then pressed the coffee pot to heat water.
“Should I give you citron tea?”
“Please.”
I handed a blanket to Ju Isin, who was hugging his knees and shaking his legs, and put a citron tea bag in a frequently used tumbler. Then I poured the bubbling boiling water, and a fragrant smell spread along with the steam that rose up. That’s when it happened. The phone placed on the table rang noisily.
When I turned around holding the tumbler, Ju Isin glanced at the name displayed on the phone screen. He didn’t push the phone toward me, just stared at me blankly. Who is it? I set the tumbler down in front of him and reached out.
“Ah.”
“The ringtone is really loud.”
“Drink that. I need to take this call.”
I pressed the call button before the ringing stopped and hurriedly left the shop. I didn’t go far, just paced around the terrace while putting the phone to my ear.
“Hello!”
– Why are you answering so urgently?
“Ah, I’m just… doing this and that. Cleaning up and organizing, things like that.”
– I told you to call, but since you weren’t going to, I did it. Originally, this kind of thing should be done by the side that has a harder time waiting.
“I’m a working person and you’re someone who doesn’t work, so the side with free time should do it.”
– Wow… cold. You should hurry up and get a job or something, making me feel sorry for being unemployed.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the languid voice. The characteristic low tone and loosely drawn-out speech made my cheeks heat up for no reason.
“So what are you doing?”
– I was missing you.
“……”
– I was amazed at how I can think of you every single moment like this.
The words that flowed out quietly were too sweet. The embarrassing words really made me cringe, but I felt good. Is this what dating is like? No wait, I haven’t confessed yet so it’s not dating, then… is it a fling? Is this what a fling is?
“…Hmm, hmm. That… really…”
– Ranho.
“Yes?”
– Want to have dinner together?
I gave my answer without thinking further at the quietly ringing voice.
“Yes.”
– I know a place with good food.
I heard familiar words. He had said this and taken me there that day too.
“If it’s Woo Dohwan-ssi’s house, please tell me in advance. I have some flowers left. I’m going to the flower market tomorrow too…”
– I’ll come pick you up.
“Yes. See you later.”
– Ranho. What food do you like?
“I eat everything well.”
– You know why Pinocchio’s nose got long, yet you keep lying. You eat Korean food well, should we go with that then?
“Good.”
The call went on long. It wasn’t that I had something to say, but it felt so regretful to hang up.
– Did he leave? That young kid.
“Ah, Ju Isin-ssi? He hasn’t left yet. Um…”
I rolled up my sleeve to check my watch.
“Ban Hajoon-ssi is coming, so we’re going to have lunch together. That’s why he’s still here.”
– Honey, I want you to like me the most.
“Huh?”
That was out of the blue. No, more than that, I already like you the most…
– I don’t want you to find other guys cute besides me.
I already find you the prettiest too.
– You find him cute, don’t you?
Is he jealous by any chance?
“Cute and pretty are different things.”
– But cute things can become pretty.
“There’s already something too pretty, so cute things will remain as cute things.”
– That’s reassuring. You close at 5?
“Yes. Probably.”
– I’ll come at 4, start being happy from 3.
A voice full of laughter flowed in. I mulled over his words for a moment, then asked the question I’d been holding back.
“Um… please don’t take this the wrong way.”
Woo Dohwan burst into laughter. Did he see through that words starting like that are usually bad?
“Do you happen to like fairy tales?”
– I don’t dislike them.
“What’s your favorite fairy tale by any chance…”
– The Little Mermaid.
Ah, this is unexpected. I thought it would be Pinocchio or The Little Prince, but The Little Mermaid? Just as I was about to ask why he liked that, Ban Hajoon caught my eye.
“I’ll ask why you like it when we meet. See you later.”
– See you later.
I pressed the end call button and stopped pacing around the terrace.
“You’re here?”
“I’m here.”
Ban Hajoon came today too with both hands full.
“You don’t need to bring bread.”
“Just, because Ranho-ssi likes these things. Should we eat and move right away? I parked my car.”
“I have something to talk about regarding that too.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go in first. I’ll tell you after we eat.”
When I pushed the door wide open, Ban Hajoon looked at me with slightly puzzled eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then said thank you.
“But who were you talking to on the phone? You kept laughing. Gyoyeon?”
“No. Not Gyoyeon.”
Ah, I should have some conversation with Ban Hajoon about Gyoyeon too. About Yeo Dongju as well. Since Ban Hajoon is so kind, I probably won’t hear bad things about Yeo Dongju from his mouth, so I should ask about the changes in Gyoyeon.
“Have lunch with Isin-ssi.”
Ju Isin, who had said he wanted Western food, seemed to have changed his mind and suggested eating Korean food. He confidently put me and Ban Hajoon in his car, searched for the address of a Korean restaurant he said he frequented on the navigation, and set it as the destination.
“Has your driving really improved a lot?”
“Of course. Now when I turn on my blinker, cars move out of the way on their own.”
I sat in front, Ban Hajoon in back. Seat belts are life belts… I checked several times whether the clip was properly fastened and steeled my pounding heart.
“I’m going to start.”
“Yes.”
“Wow, Isin-ssi’s car is really nice.”
Only Ban Hajoon, who didn’t know Ju Isin’s driving skills, was relaxed. Knowing his driving skills well, I swallowed nervously from tension. As Woo Dohwan had said, the exterior of Ju Isin’s car was nothing but a rag, but the interior was almost like a new car. While I was looking over the clean and neat interior, Ju Isin suddenly started. With a vrooom- sound, the back of my head hit the seat with a thud.
“Huk!”
“Ahhh!”
“Ah, sorry sorry.”
This crazy!!! What improved driving? Both me and Ban Hajoon gripped our seat belts tightly and watched the front with anxious eyes.
“Ju, Ju Isin-ssi. In front, in front! Crazy, the light! No, it just changed to yellow now-“
“I have to step on it now.”
My vision went dizzy. Ban Hajoon, who was preciously holding the bouquet in his arms, started reciting the Lord’s Prayer.
We arrived at the Korean restaurant in an almost exhausted state. I don’t remember how we were guided or how we sat down. I was in a half soul-departed state. Ju Isin calmly placed water glasses in front of me and Ban Hajoon.
My throat was so dry it was sticking together. The hand that picked up the glass placed in front of me trembled weakly. Ban Hajoon seemed to be the same. He put down the water glass he was about to drink and smacked his lips. First, let me calm down…
“Are you okay?”
From my throat asking Ban Hajoon came a voice cracked in several directions like parched earth.
“…O-okay, haah… I think it’ll be okay if we call a taxi to go back.”
And from Ban Hajoon came a similar sound to mine. How much he must have held back groans and struggled in the back seat… Looking at his reddened eyes, he might have cried. He didn’t say he was okay even as empty words, and honestly expressed his opinion in case he might have to ride Ju Isin’s car again.
“When we go back, really, definitely, let’s call a taxi. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”
Mine and Ban Hajoon’s gazes met in mid-air. We were nodding with faces showing even solemnity when suddenly Ju Isin’s voice interrupted.
“It’s my car when we go back too. No exceptions.”
“Why do you get to decide that?”
“Isn’t Ju Isin-ssi being too harsh?”
At the voices that burst out simultaneously, Ju Isin just turned his head with a “hmph.” Whether he had made a reservation while I was on the phone with Woo Dohwan, not long after we sat down, neat food filled the wooden table completely.
“The fish here is good.”
“Wow, it looks delicious. I’ll eat well.”
Ju Isin spoke with a proud face, but Ban Hajoon, completely drained, gave a greeting that he’d eat well in a dry voice that didn’t feel sincere at all. Fully understanding Ban Hajoon’s feelings, I also spoke in a dry voice.
“Everyone eat a lot.”
***
The lunch where I couldn’t tell if I was eating with my mouth or nose was over. I went out first at the speed of light to pay and stopped in front of Ju Isin’s car. Woo Dohwan’s voice echoed in my head saying you shouldn’t ride in cars like this.
He was right. Indeed, you should absolutely, absolutely not ride in cars like this. The bumper was all dented and had countless scratch marks. There were even pitiful yellow paint marks from whatever happened in the parking lot.
Now, what way to get home could avoid hurting Ju Isin’s feelings? Just as I was lost in thought looking down at the completely dented car, I heard the rustling sound of stepping on fallen leaves.
“Ranho-ssi.”
“Ah, you’re here? What about Ju Isin-ssi?”
“He seems to know the owner here. He told us to go out first, saying he’d greet them and come.”
“I see. You were really surprised today, weren’t you?”
“I prayed for the first time in ten years.”
Ban Hajoon’s eyes twitched as if recalling that dizzy moment. Well, it was surprising enough. I felt the same way.
“He said his driving had improved a lot, so I thought it was true… I’ll talk to Ju Isin-ssi about whether I can drive when he comes out. If he says no… Ban Hajoon-ssi, you take a taxi. I can’t make you experience the same thing twice.”
“Then… then what about you, Ranho-ssi…?”
“…I… don’t worry about me.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
