Chapter 79
‘Can’t you give me back my phone?’
‘No.’
‘I’m bored. I need to collect my game login rewards…’
‘There’s the console. That’s for games too.’
‘I get dizzy with console games, I told you. Oh, please, hyung.’
Si-yul pleaded, clutching Woo Hyun-se’s clothes like a smartphone-addicted kid. After long persuasion, arguing that he wouldn’t run away even with a phone and that the only money he had was the card Hyun-se gave him, he finally got permission. He didn’t get his old phone back, but instead, a new phone arrived at the house in the afternoon.
He couldn’t be entirely happy about the new model. It felt like borrowing someone else’s device. Though it felt uneasy, he still sent Hyun-se a thank you message.
It had been days since he last checked. The messenger app he hadn’t accessed for a long time was full of half advertisements and half messages from acquaintances. Especially, there were many messages from the shop people and Woo Tae-joo. Most were courtesy greetings, expressing regret about his sudden resignation and suggesting they should have a meal together sometime.
Si-yul replied to each one. He sent messages to the chef and bartender, and also contacted Yang Hye-na, the piano player, and Manager Kang. The bartender replied immediately, saying he’d treat Si-yul properly when he had time to visit.
Tae-joo was the last. Since the day of the concert, they hadn’t seen each other or exchanged any messages. The message saying he was doing well, asking if Tae-joo was doing well, and suggesting they meet sometime disappeared as soon as it was sent, but strangely, there was no reply.
Sprawled on the sofa, Si-yul logged into the game. It showered him with rewards, welcoming him back and expressing joy at seeing him again. As he was opening the boxes one by one, a call button popped up over the game screen. It was Yang Hye-na.
“Oh, Hye-na.”
“Oppa! Have you been well? Why haven’t you been in touch? I thought you might have been kidnapped or something.”
Hye-na laughed cheerfully, as if joking. Si-yul, hit right on the mark, laughed awkwardly along.
“Oppa, are you free today? We’re actually closing the shop early today for a staff dinner. I thought it would be nice if you could come too. I already asked the manager, and he said of course you should come and to contact you quickly.”
Hye-na added that he was lucky, saying if he had been even a day late in contacting them, he would have missed out on the free meat. Si-yul wanted to go too. But he was worried about Hyun-se. It felt like leaving the house without reporting in advance would be considered an escape attempt. It would be fortunate if Hyun-se didn’t drag him back home by the hair.
Still, Hyun-se had returned his phone. Maybe some trust in him had built up.
“Okay. I’ll check my schedule and let you know.”
“You must be really busy. Where are you working these days, oppa?”
“Ah… Just doing this and that. I’ll call you later.”
He hurriedly ended the call. He was about to text Hyun-se, but changed his mind and dialed his number instead. Though he didn’t want to hear his voice, a call seemed more likely to get permission than a text.
As he put the phone to his ear, he secretly hoped Hyun-se wouldn’t answer. Then he could blame Hyun-se for not picking up and go out as he pleased.
But when had such wishes ever come true? Hyun-se answered the call before it even rang a few times. Not even a “hello.” Just a simple “Mm,” as if he had been expecting the call. Si-yul got straight to the point.
“Can I go out?”
“Where to.”
“I got in touch with Hye-na, and she said the shop staff are having a dinner today. They want me to come out for a drink…”
“It could be dangerous.”
“I can go with Ji-sang hyung, right?”
The other end of the line was silent. Si-yul called out, “Hyung.” After a long while, an answer came.
“Is Kim Ji-sang Kwon Si-yul’s hyung now? You’re so quick to call other bastards hyung.”
His voice was sarcastic. Hyun-se could be childishly petty in unexpected ways sometimes. Si-yul kept quiet, not wanting to defend the bodyguard and risk provoking Hyun-se.
“Go ahead.”
“Really?”
Not expecting permission, Si-yul sat up abruptly and exclaimed. But, Hyun-se added a condition.
“Someone else will go. Not your ‘hyung’ Ji-sang.”
That was better than nothing. At least he got permission. Si-yul hung up and hurried to the bathroom. He wanted to escape as soon as possible from this place filled with Hyun-se’s scent.
When he arrived at the barbecue restaurant Hye-na had told him about, the shop staff at a corner table raised their hands as if they had been waiting for him. Hye-na even stood up, waving both hands and drawing the attention of all the customers. Fearing those gazes would shift to him, Si-yul quickly made his way over.
“Wow, it’s been so long. Have you been well?”
“Have you been well too, hyung? Thank you for inviting me.”
“No need for thanks. Don’t be so formal. You’re always welcome, Si-yul.”
The manager, sitting in the corner, welcomed Si-yul. Seeing these familiar faces after a long time brightened Si-yul’s expression. The dark shadow faded, his eyes crinkled, and his lips curved into a smile. It was an expression that had been common when he worked at the shop.
“We were waiting for you, oppa, so we haven’t started grilling the meat yet. Let’s eat quickly.”
Though he had no appetite, he couldn’t not eat after coming all this way. Si-yul quickly picked up the tongs and placed the meat on the heated grill. The pink pork belly started to brown nicely on the dome-shaped grill.
Where there’s grilled meat, there must be alcohol. Whenever they closed the shop and had a drinking party, these drinkers would consume more alcohol than they had sold that day. Pushing aside the side dishes, bottles of alcohol took their place on the table. The manager was quietly pulling empty glasses closer, mixing soju and beer, and pushing them in front of people.
While it had been difficult to swallow rice, whether due to the manager’s skill or just his craving for alcohol, the drinks went down smoothly. He barely tasted the bitterness. He vaguely remembered some drunk’s muttering that if alcohol tastes sweet, life must be even more bitter.
“What have you been up to these days, oppa? You seemed really busy.”
“Nothing in particular… I’m taking a short break.”
“Are you still not feeling well? Oh no, what should we do? Oppa, do you want to exercise with me? I’m doing Pilates these days, and it’s cheaper if we do it as a group.”
Hye-na chattered with a worried face. The chef lowered his head, observing Si-yul closely, and then clicked his tongue belatedly.
“His complexion is pale. Ah, should we not have asked him to come out when he’s not feeling well?”
“No, I’m fine. It’s just because I’ve had some alcohol.”
“Didn’t oppa’s cheeks used to get red when he drank? I think that’s how it was before.”
Hye-na pointed out sharply. Si-yul awkwardly brushed his cheek. It was understandable that his complexion wasn’t good, considering he often skipped meals whenever Hyun-se was away.
Everything he ate felt like swallowing a bundle of needles when it went down his throat. He had trouble digesting, often felt nauseous, and his hands and feet were cold. Even the tonics Hyun-se had diligently fed him seemed to have lost their effect.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
The manager, who had been enthusiastically mixing bomb shots while leaning against the wall, grabbed Si-yul’s shoulder and stood up. Seeing his unsteady steps, Si-yul quickly moved to support him. When Hye-na asked where they were going, the manager put his index and middle fingers to his lips.
It was a good opportunity, as Si-yul had been feeling nauseous from the acrid smoke and the smell of cooking meat. He said he’d go out for some fresh air too and followed the manager.
The narrow alley behind the restaurant was the implicit smoking area. The bitter smell of cigarettes lingered, as if someone had just taken a puff. A large empty can on the ground served as a graveyard for cigarette butts.
The manager brushed back his hair and habitually took out a cigarette. Si-yul stood quietly beside him. While the cigarette burned away in the manager’s mouth, Si-yul stared at the ground until he heard his name called. The manager moved the cigarette from his lips to between his fingers.
“Is Woo not coming today?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean Woo Hyun-se.”
“How would I know that…”
Hiding his startled feelings, Si-yul avoided the manager’s gaze. The manager let out a laugh that sounded like a snort and took a long drag on his cigarette.
“You’ve already quit the shop, what’s the point of hiding it? You two are dating, aren’t you?”
Si-yul looked up with surprised eyes. But his gaze couldn’t settle on the manager, wandering here and there. Regardless, the manager’s attitude remained nonchalant. Realizing that lying wouldn’t work, Si-yul let out an “Ah” and rubbed his face with both hands.
“How did you know?”
“Wouldn’t I be a fool not to know?”
“Surely…”
Si-yul looked at the manager, unable to hide his trembling lower lip, asking if everyone else inside knew too. Unaware of Si-yul’s darkening mood, the manager laughed like a young girl.
“How can a man be so timid? It’s not like dating is something to hide. And don’t worry. No one else knows except me.”
In just a few puffs, only the filter remained of the cigarette. The manager flicked the remaining butt into the can and took out a new cigarette.
“How could I not know when Woo was being so obvious? I ended up knowing even when I didn’t want to.”
