Chapter 23
After mid-February passed, the cold that made it feel like his nose would fall off also disappeared. Still, the wind was chilly, so Yuwon buried his head in his scarf and walked briskly. A shopping basket was in his hand.
His daily routine these days was very simple. He would see off Jeonghyeok going to work and run the vacuum cleaner. Every other day he did laundry, ate lunch alone, then went out for a simple walk. While he was out, he would do grocery shopping like this too.
He had never taken time off work since becoming an adult. At first it was convenience stores and gas stations, and after discharge he worked continuously at Cheolpan-jip. His current daily life was absurdly leisurely. Sometimes he even thought he might be dreaming.
Entering the officetel building and checking his phone, it was just about to turn 1 o’clock. Yuwon let out a short sigh. It was only 1 o’clock – today seemed like time wasn’t passing.
When he was working part-time, three or four hours would whoosh by before he knew it. As expected, just resting at home didn’t seem to suit his personality.
Of course, he hadn’t intended to rest from work from the beginning. While staying at Jeonghyeok’s house, he had tried to get a part-time job as quickly as possible. But Jeonghyeok had prevented it.
He said his work hours would be irregular for a while. He made a request-like command, saying he absolutely hated waiting for someone, so stay at home. Yuwon, who had been putting up small resistance, ended up nodding again when Jeonghyeok said he should take responsibility since someone had made his tastes picky.
Anyway, ajeossi knows me too well.
They say when dating, the person who likes more loses, and that seemed exactly right. It was a relationship he had started by clinging in the first place. Fortunately, Jeonghyeok had accepted those feelings and they had come this far, but ultimately, if you compared the size of their hearts, his would be much bigger.
So even in this situation, he couldn’t go against Jeonghyeok’s words. Normally he would have moved busily to earn money right away, but at his one word, he had obediently decided to stay home.
That said, he didn’t plan to maintain this state for long. At most about three months. No matter how much they were lovers, he couldn’t live by depending on him forever.
He had put his original home up for rent for now. When he started part-time work again, he planned to save money and combine it with his original deposit to look for the next place. Just until then, he planned to be indebted to Jeonghyeok.
Moreover, if he was going to pay back the money he spent with his card too, it would be quite tight. So he might as well fully enjoy this kind of leisure while he could.
Arriving home, Yuwon organized what he had bought. He lined up eggs in the refrigerator and put in tofu and green onions too. He had also bought his favorite snacks, which he placed on one side of the island table. When Jeonghyeok came today, he planned to eat dinner together and have them for dessert.
After organizing even the shopping basket and putting it in the drawer, it was barely 1:10. What should he do now? As he briefly pondered, the phone rang.
He thought it might be Jeonghyeok, but Jaejoon’s name was displayed on the phone screen.
“Oh, Jaejoon.”
―Kim Yuwon. Did you change your part-time job? I was going to go to where you work to have lunch after a while, but it’s gone.
“Ah… right. That place closed down.”
He hadn’t separately contacted Jaejoon and Seongcheol about quitting his part-time job. He planned to meet and talk about it when Seongcheol came out on his next leave.
―It really looks like everything around here is going to disappear. So where are you working now?
“I’m taking a break from work for a bit. I’m looking around.”
―When something like that happens, shouldn’t you report to this hyung right away?
“Report my ass.”
―Then you’re at home now?
It was home, but not the home Jaejoon knew. How should he explain this? Yuwon pondered briefly then just answered yes. Either way, it was home.
Then Jaejoon’s excited voice was immediately heard.
―Hey, then want to have lunch together?
“Huh?”
―I was bored anyway, so this works out well. I’ll come to your house, so get ready and come out.
At Jaejoon’s sudden suggestion, Yuwon said in a fluster:
“Hey, don’t come to my house. Just… let’s meet in front of the station. I have some business to take care of there.”
―In front of the station? Well, okay.
Jaejoon hung up saying he’d see him in a bit. Only then did Yuwon recall that he had eaten just 2 hours ago. He should have just said he already had lunch. Like an idiot, he panicked and ended up telling an unnecessary lie.
The station was only 5 minutes away from this building. There was no need to hurry out, and it seemed like he could just leave the house around the time Jaejoon would come.
Still, he was his closest friend – should he at least tell him where he was staying?
Gripping his phone, Yuwon pondered for a moment. He recalled his friends’ faces when they had been shocked just hearing Jeonghyeok’s age. Unlike Seongcheol who had taken it half-jokingly, Jaejoon had quite seriously tried to dissuade him.
“Hah…”
He didn’t have the confidence to honestly confess to Jaejoon. It was obvious how shocked that model student would be.
He should just quietly eat and come back.
Having decided, Yuwon sat leaning on the dining table. Fiddling with his phone and entering the message screen with Jeonghyeok, the message he had sent this morning appeared last.
[I’ll make doenjang-jjigae today]
Jeonghyeok hadn’t read it yet.
Jeonghyeok’s usual reply pattern was very transparent. If he wasn’t busy, he would send a reply in 1 second, but on busy days there was no contact all day.
Today seemed to be a busy day. Yuwon thought so as he exited the screen.
Even if he ate lunch with Jaejoon and came back, it would only take about an hour or two. He didn’t want to bother a busy person by leaving a message.
[I’m on the bus. Will take about 10 minutes]
A message from Jaejoon appeared at the top. Yuwon slowly got up and grabbed his scarf. He headed to the entrance in the same outfit he had just worn out.
***
The two met at a pork cutlet restaurant in front of the station.
Jaejoon ordered a pork cutlet set, and Yuwon ordered just udon. Checking the menu Yuwon chose, Jaejoon scrunched up his face.
“Ah, what? If you’re going to eat udon, why did we come here?”
“What can I do if I’m not hungry?”
“Geez. Still though.”
Yuwon poured water for the grumbling Jaejoon and took a sip of his own water. Even though he was just drinking water, his stomach felt full. In his current state, even eating udon would be difficult.
Jaejoon placed down the utensils while glancing at Yuwon. As if he had something to say.
“Hey, Kim Yuwon.”
“What.”
“What happened with that noona?”
“Noona?”
As Yuwon blankly drank water, a previous conversation suddenly popped into his head. That day when he was drunk and not in his right mind, when he ended up staying overnight at Jeonghyeok’s house.
“You were completely smitten with that thirty-seven-year-old noona back then.”
Avoiding Jaejoon’s mischievous eyes, Yuwon grumbled quietly:
“Who was completely smitten…”
It was true. He was beyond smitten – he was completely consumed and couldn’t come to his senses.
However, Yuwon hardened his expression coldly and said shamelessly:
“Just forget about that. I don’t like her anymore.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Jaejoon sent him a look of disbelief. And for good reason – it was the first time his childhood friend Kim Yuwon had said he liked someone. Moreover, Yuwon’s expression that day had been quite serious. But he had forgotten this quickly?
“That’s unexpected. I thought you’d suffer heartache for quite a while.”
Jaejoon said while lifting his water cup.
“Still, it’s a relief. I was worried you might get led around by some strange person.”
“……”
Without any particular response, Yuwon nodded with a bitter face.
He knew it was all said for his sake. Jaejoon and Seongcheol were almost like family to him. He knew well how much those guys cared about him.
However, at this moment he felt a little wronged. He even resented Jaejoon for unconditionally opposing without even knowing Jeonghyeok well.
Ajeossi was a good person. At least to him now, he was a benefactor. Yet the reason he couldn’t be honest was…
“Your food is here.”
The server’s kind voice cut through Yuwon’s thoughts. In front of Jaejoon were placed pork cutlet, rice, and even mini udon, but only a simple bowl of udon was placed before Yuwon.
“Are you really going to be okay with just that?”
“I told you I would be. You eat a lot.”
Watching Jaejoon excitedly pick up his pork cutlet first, Yuwon decided not to think about anything for now. The more he recalled reality, the more he felt like he had done something wrong.
He was quietly staring at the hot steam rising from the udon and was just about to pick up his spoon to at least try the broth when his pocket rang loudly.
“What, a phone call?”
Jaejoon, who heard the ringing, asked. Yuwon hurriedly took out his phone and checked the caller. It was Jeonghyeok.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
