Chapter 7
That unique expression and tone of his, both innocent and cheeky, was simply amazing. It was to the point where I wondered if he was deliberately acting like that to tease me.
However, seeing his face turn red, it didn’t seem like he was making it up. If he was being sincere, that would be just as absurd in its own way.
Jeonghyeok let out a hollow laugh. The more he looked at him, the more peculiar this guy was. Not only was he the same gender, but what could be so good about an ajeossi who was almost forty?
Giving up on responding, he picked up his chopsticks again. Whether Yuwon ate or not, Jeonghyeok finished his jajangmyeon without leaving a single bite.
In the end, the two stood up from their seats, leaving about half of the sweet and sour pork. Jeonghyeok reached the cashier with his much faster pace and finished paying, causing Yuwon to pout and say:
“I was going to pay for it.”
“What kind of meal would I be getting from a guy who doesn’t even have 500,000 won.”
That was just a lie I made up to see you, Yuwon said with his eyes, but Jeonghyeok stubbornly pretended not to notice.
After leaving the restaurant, he found a secluded spot and took out a cigarette. Yuwon stood quietly beside Jeonghyeok like that. He didn’t particularly like the smell of cigarettes, but he wanted to be together anyway, so he had no choice.
Whoo— every time Jeonghyeok exhaled, acrid cigarette smoke rose up. After smoking his cigarette like that for a while, Jeonghyeok spoke to Yuwon, who was standing there like a stone Buddha:
“I ate with you like you wanted, so don’t come looking for me anymore.”
“……”
He definitely would have heard it, but Yuwon kept his mouth firmly shut as if he hadn’t heard anything.
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
When Jeonghyeok pressed him, unable to stand it anymore, only then did Yuwon lift his head stiffly and say:
“No. I won’t.”
“What?”
“I said I won’t answer.”
What is this kid saying right now? Jeonghyeok wrinkled his face strangely and tilted his head diagonally. However, Yuwon paid no attention to Jeonghyeok’s reaction.
“Thank you for the meal. Next time, I’ll definitely pay.”
Yuwon bowed politely all the way to his waist and then turned around coldly. It was a movement without a moment’s hesitation.
Was this really the same guy who said he was so nervous just moments ago that he couldn’t eat his jajangmyeon?
Jeonghyeok squinted with the cigarette still in his mouth.
“Ha.”
The round back of his head grew steadily more distant. It was the first time he’d seen that guy’s retreating figure.
***
The beer hall near the station was bustling as always. This place, where draft beer was cheaper compared to other places, was especially popular with young people. The style was to order one side dish like fish cake soup or french fries and drink all night long.
Yuwon also came here often with his friends. The members were always the same: Yoon Jaejoon and Choi Seongcheol. The three of them were childhood friends who had attended the same schools together since elementary school.
Since they went to the same school, they always took exams on the same days, and they went on school trips and graduation trips together. However, unlike the other two who went to university normally, Yuwon jumped into working life after going to the military right after graduation.
That didn’t mean their relationship had changed though. The three of them met whenever they had time to eat together and go to PC rooms. The only thing that had changed from their teens was that they occasionally drank alcohol.
Today was a gathering where Seongcheol, who was in the military, had come out on leave. Though he should have been happy to see his friend after several months, Yuwon had been unfocused since earlier.
“Come on, cheers!”
Even at the boisterous cheer, Yuwon listlessly raised his glass. Jaejoon and Seongcheol sitting across from him gulped down their beer as if their throats were wide open.
Making a “keuu” sound, Seongcheol roughly put down his glass and said:
“Why did it have to be the front lines? My luck is fucking terrible, seriously.”
Seongcheol lamented while eating the boiling hot jjamppong soup. The last of the three to enlist, he had such a good physique that he received a Grade 1 physical rating, but he was assigned to a front-line unit and was having quite a difficult military life.
In the midst of harsh training, how annoying his senior soldiers were – after rattling off complaints, Seongcheol downed the rest of his beer in one go.
Jaejoon, who was about to order more beer instead of Seongcheol who was busy talking, happened to check Yuwon’s glass and paused for a moment.
“What’s wrong? Kim Yuwon, why aren’t you drinking?”
At Jaejoon’s words, Seongcheol also belatedly noticed Yuwon’s condition. Seongcheol opened his eyes wide in surprise.
“Right? What’s gotten into the great Kim Yuwon that he’s not drinking beer?”
Though he couldn’t compare to Jaejoon and Seongcheol who were particularly heavy drinkers, Yuwon could easily handle three or four glasses of draft beer too. But for him to not be able to drink even a sip like this was puzzling.
Under the pouring gazes, Yuwon let out a deep sigh. He wanted to share the worries that had been filling his head since earlier, but his mouth just wouldn’t open.
These were the guys he had confessed to being an orphan for the first time in his life. He had revealed his biggest weakness and worried about whether they might grow distant, but they had become even closer afterward and remained best friends until this age.
But he didn’t have the confidence to bring up even this story. It was obvious he’d be called crazy.
When Yuwon couldn’t say anything for a long time, Jaejoon asked with a suddenly serious expression:
“What’s wrong? Kim Yuwon, is something going on with you?”
“I can tell just by looking that something’s up. Did that crazy boss bastard start shit with you? Or is your landlord being a pain in the ass again?”
Seongcheol pinpointed the two figures who usually troubled Yuwon with his rough voice.
The nasty-tempered Boss Park from Cheolpan-jip and the stubborn old landlady. Because Yuwon’s personality was so gentle, he kept attracting strange adults around him, so Seongcheol was always keeping an eye on them.
However, unexpected words flowed from Yuwon’s mouth:
“Hey, you guys… have you ever liked someone older?”
At the sudden question, question marks appeared over both men’s faces.
“Someone older? How old?”
“Thirty-seven.”
“Th-thirty-seven?”
Seongcheol’s mouth fell open in shock, and Jaejoon tilted his head and asked back:
“Thirty-seven… isn’t that fifteen years older than us?”
“That’s right.”
At Yuwon’s answer, silence fell for a moment. Jaejoon and Seongcheol looked at each other and blinked their eyes. Their expressions seemed to be confirming whether what they just heard was correct.
It was Seongcheol who broke the silence:
“Kim Yuwon, did you have a pre-drink by yourself before coming here? Are you drunk?”
“No, I’m asking seriously.”
“……”
The conversation cut off abruptly again. The latest pop songs playing in the beer hall mixed with the boisterous sounds from surrounding tables, piercing their ears sharply.
Yuwon gulped. Just revealing one of three things – age, gender, occupation – had gotten this kind of reaction. If he said it was a man who also worked in organized crime, these guys would probably be horrified.
Did I bring this up for nothing? Just as he was regretting it, suddenly there was a “puhaha” laugh and Jaejoon nudged Seongcheol with his shoulder and said:
“This guy has finally lost it, hey.”
“Right. He’s been living doing nothing but work all the time and now he’s gone crazy.”
They thought Yuwon was half-joking. With their reaction of “surely he can’t be serious,” Yuwon became even more flustered.
Seongcheol grabbed a handful of the puffed rice that came as a side dish and asked:
“What does she do?”
“Uh, well… just works at an office.”
Since he was working at a construction company office anyway, it wasn’t a complete lie. In this situation, if he honestly answered that he was a gangster, it seemed like it would create an atmosphere he absolutely couldn’t handle, so Yuwon had no choice but to lie.
“Is she that pretty?”
“Huh?”
“Is she that pretty in your eyes? If you’re attracted to someone fifteen years older, she must be that pretty.”
Pretty? Yuwon recalled Jeonghyeok’s dignified appearance. He had a tall height like a model with a good physique, and his features were masculine yet graceful.
The expression “pretty” wasn’t quite right, but if he had to say, he had beautiful looks. He was enchanting enough that even another man would be captivated. Just thinking about it made his heart flutter. He’d been in this state for the past few days.
“What, what? Kim Yuwon has completely fallen for her. Did you see his expression?”
Seongcheol teased Yuwon with a sly laugh, but Jaejoon’s expression became quite serious. He could sense that Yuwon was being sincere.
“Yuwon. There’s a reason why everyone says it won’t work. It’s not just one or two people, but many people say that. Why would they say that?”
Jaejoon was the most mature and reliable of the three. He’d had the best grades since childhood and was the typical model student type, even serving as class president several times, so his relationships with others were good too. Perhaps that’s why realistic advice like this was Jaejoon’s department.
“So you should forget about that noona and meet a girl your own age.”
“Right, Kim Yuwon. You’re a guy who had no interest in dating, so why are you suddenly acting so scary?”
Seongcheol also supported Jaejoon’s words while still chewing on puffed rice.
Though he had expected it, hearing his friends’ sincere concern made him feel quite bitter. Yuwon laughed self-deprecatingly.
That’s right. Why am I being like this? Why exactly won’t that person’s thoughts leave my head? Someone I’ve only met a few times, someone who has no interest in me.
For a moment, it felt like one corner of his chest was completely blocked. Yuwon lifted the beer glass he had only been holding and brought it to his mouth. Then he quickly gulped down the alcohol.
“Hey, Kim Yuwon! Drink slowly!”
Jaejoon tried to stop him in surprise, but Yuwon, who had squeezed his eyes shut, drank his beer without stopping. Seongcheol got excited and shouted, “Two more draft beers here please!”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
