Chapter 56
“Teacher, look at this. Tyrannosaurus! It’s huge!”
“Allosaurus is eating the Stegosaurus!”
“Kyaak!”
The excited children’s voices sounded just like baby chicks chirping. When told to draw their favorite animals, they had drawn dinosaurs all over and were in the middle of playing dinosaur games.
Yuwon smiled softly and organized the colored pencils scattered on the floor desk.
“Alright, kids. If you’re done drawing, let’s clean up the colored pencils and bring them to Teacher Yuwon.”
“Yees.”
At Minhyeon’s words, the children who had been chattering excitedly just moments before began organizing the colored pencils they had been using with considerable skill. They clutched the colored pencils in their tiny hands and ran pattering to Yuwon.
“Teacher. Here they are.”
“I want to give them first, me first.”
“I was first!”
Two children who had been competing to hand Yuwon the colored pencils started bickering and soon began shouting loudly. Watching this scene, Yuwon placed his hands on his hips and spoke with mock sternness.
“Now, now. Didn’t I tell you not to fight? If you keep fighting, we won’t draw pictures anymore and will only study numbers?”
Though they still pouted, at the mention of studying numbers, both children immediately became docile. The number study they had tried just once yesterday had apparently been quite an ordeal.
The children’s transparent reactions were quite adorable. Yuwon swallowed the laughter that was about to burst out and extended his hand.
“Give me the colored pencils. In order.”
The children, now obedient as if nothing had happened, handed the colored pencils to Yuwon and patted back to their seats. Minhyeon, who had been watching from the side, approached and whispered.
“You’re actually pretty good with kids.”
“With just this much, what.”
Yuwon finished organizing the desk as if it was nothing, then exchanged cheerful goodbyes with the children, saying they’d see each other again tomorrow.
Today marked the fourth day since they started volunteer work. Yuwon and Minhyeon taught Korean letters and numbers to about ten children, had them draw pictures, or read books to them.
On the first day, the children had been shy and avoided them, but now they threw tantrums asking to play with them even in the afternoon. Yuwon played a major role in this change. Perhaps because he had taken care of younger children since he was little, looking after kids wasn’t particularly difficult. It seemed to suit his temperament quite well too.
“Today’s lunch is curry.”
“Really?”
“Hyung used to like curry. I think the Director made it specially for hyung.”
At Minhyeon’s words, Yuwon just laughed once. Liking curry was from when he was very young; it wasn’t really a menu he particularly liked now.
“You don’t really like curry though. You hate carrots.”
“That’s from ages ago. Does hyung still think I’m a little kid?”
“How long ago was it? Don’t you remember getting scolded terribly by the Director for picking out all the carrots even until you graduated middle school?”
“…Forget about that stuff.”
When Yuwon giggled, Minhyeon, who had been frowning in embarrassment, soon laughed along. His mouth curving up refreshingly was nice to see. It felt like his appearance had changed a lot because he had grown so much taller after being adopted, but his smiling face was exactly the same as when he was little.
“It’s nice when you smile.”
“Huh?”
“I said it’s nice to see your smiling face. Even if there’s nothing to smile about, force yourself to smile sometimes.”
Though it hadn’t been many days, Minhyeon had noticeably brightened. He talked a lot, chattering away, and above all, he laughed at the drop of a hat. Yuwon thought this was really fortunate. He hoped Minhyeon would smile like this for even an hour a day. That’s why he was here.
“…It’s because I’m with hyung that I end up smiling.”
“Of course that’s how it should be. Who am I doing volunteer work that’s not even in my destiny for?”
As if to say ‘so be good to me,’ Yuwon playfully tapped Minhyeon’s back. Minhyeon just lowered his head and smiled gently.
Coming down one floor from the children’s room on the 3rd floor to room 201 used as a dining hall, Hyojin was inside. She had already finished eating and was just about to get up.
“Oh, you guys came? Come eat quickly.”
“Yes. Teacher, you finished eating?”
“Yeah. Now I have to go up and feed the babies.”
Hyojin put her finished meal tray in the sink and left, waving her hand. Seeing her back as she hurriedly put on her shoes and left, he felt a bit awkward thinking he should have helped feed the children too. Then, a meal tray suddenly appeared in front of him. It was handed over by Minhyeon who was beside him.
“Let’s eat quickly too.”
“Oh, yeah.”
Yuwon inadvertently took the tray. Minhyeon served food first, and Yuwon followed behind him, serving rice, curry, and side dishes. Dessert was small yogurt that the children especially loved. The two people who filled their trays sat facing each other at the table.
“Eat well, hyung.”
“You too. Eat all the carrots too.”
“Geez, I said I eat them all.”
Yuwon, amused by Minhyeon’s indignant reaction, laughed heartily again before picking up his spoon. Then, the phone in his pocket briefly rang. Even without checking, he could tell whose contact it was. It was a message from Jeonghyeok.
[Did you eat lunch?]
Since starting volunteer work, Jeonghyeok had been contacting him without fail. Whether he arrived well, what he ate for lunch, whether he returned home. Even if he didn’t know about other things, he absolutely checked those three things.
[I’m eating now]
[What are you eating]
[Curry]
[That’s not good]
The blunt response saying it wasn’t good was funny, making him chuckle. He was about to send a reply saying ‘but it’s delicious’ when Minhyeon spoke to him from across the table.
“Hyung, you know.”
“Yeah.”
Yuwon quickly pressed the send button and looked at Minhyeon. But Minhyeon was just staring intently at Yuwon’s phone, keeping his mouth tightly shut.
“What. You called me but why aren’t you saying anything.”
Puzzled, Yuwon put his phone in his pocket as he spoke. Only then did Minhyeon start talking.
“Can I come visit hyung’s house today?”
“Our house?”
“Yeah. I’m curious where hyung lives.”
Seeing Minhyeon’s eyes color with anticipation, Yuwon became troubled. If it were his old studio apartment, it would be one thing, but the house he lived in now wasn’t a house he lived in alone, but a house he lived in together with Jeonghyeok. The expression ‘living as a freeloader’ might be more accurate. Anyway, he thought it wouldn’t be right to bring Minhyeon home without Jeonghyeok’s permission.
“Hmm… not today, maybe later.”
“Why?”
“It’s not a house I live in alone.”
“What…?”
“There’s someone I live with, so I can’t just bring guests home as I please. I’ll ask that person once. Whether it’s okay to bring you home.”
Yuwon, who had been stirring rice into the curry with his spoon, suddenly looked up as if something occurred to him and added.
“Ah, this is a secret from the Director.”
“……”
“I didn’t tell her because I was worried she might worry needlessly. You know what I mean?”
If he said he was already cohabiting with a lover at this age, he would have to listen to the Director’s nagging until his ears hurt. No matter how much he liked the Director, he couldn’t like her nagging too. He planned to keep it secret for now and tell her honestly when the time came.
“What kind of relationship are you in to live together?”
“What are you going to do knowing that, you brat.”
“Ah, why. Tell me.”
As if he couldn’t stand the curiosity, Minhyeon whined like a little child. Yuwon bit only his lower lip in embarrassment, then fidgeted under Minhyeon’s persistent gaze and answered.
“Do I really have to say that? Living together means… that kind of meaning.”
“Hyung, don’t tell me you’re married?”
“Married, what! It’s not like that.”
“Then just cohabiting?”
“…Yeah.”
“Who is that person? How long have you been seeing them?”
The flood of questions was flustering. Yuwon shook his head with a displeased expression and said.
“Ah. I don’t know, I don’t know. Questions end here. Just keep it secret from the Director. If you tell, you’re finished that day.”
Yuwon cut off further conversation and concentrated on eating. But Minhyeon tirelessly continued talking.
“Then walking you home? That’s okay, right?”
“Why would you.”
“Just… I’m bored.”
The bland answer made him chuckle. It wasn’t like he was asking to go inside the house, and he could grant this level of request.
“If you want to.”
Yuwon replied briefly and finally took a bite of the well-mixed curry. The familiar spicy taste filled his mouth. It’s delicious even after a long time, he said with satisfaction, and only then did Minhyeon pick up his spoon.
***
“We’re here. This is it.”
At Yuwon’s words, Minhyeon craned his neck to look up at the officetel. It was a place he already knew as the largest and tallest building around the station. Though he hadn’t imagined Yuwon would live here.
“I’m going in now. See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Go in, hyung.”
Minhyeon smiled and said goodbye to Yuwon. He stood there until Yuwon, who had entered through the main entrance door, had walked far away. And the moment Yuwon finally disappeared from view, only then did he horribly distort his face.
“Ha…”
Minhyeon sighed and clenched both fists. The feeling of helplessness was indescribable.
I liked him first. A small murmur escaped through his teeth.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
