While nagging in every possible way, Nurse Bong himself was peeling his fifth tangerine. Baek Moonjong glanced disapprovingly at Bong Tae-gu before putting the remaining cluster of five tangerine segments into his mouth.
“You talk a good game, but look at you stuffing your face because you don’t have diabetes. You think you’ll be young forever, you fool?”
“Oh, really. I get criticized even when I’m just trying to help.”
Bong Tae-hee pouted primly and stuffed half a tangerine into his mouth, chewing noisily.
As Geun-yeong was putting the sixth segment of tangerine into his mouth, Baek Moonjong asked:
“About that pump. Does wearing it help manage blood sugar well?”
“Even with this, I still have to watch what I eat.”
“Oh my, this kid is really just so good, saying all the right things while pretending to be well-behaved.”
Baek Moonjong, smacking his lips as he watched Bong Tae-gu who seemed pleased by Geun-yeong’s correct answer, asked again:
“What’s your glycated hemoglobin level?”
“I maintain it between 5 and 6.”
“Wow. That’s impressive.”
A glycated hemoglobin test, which predicts average blood sugar over about three months, showing between 5 and 6 was close to normal levels. It was indeed impressive enough for Baek Moonjong to be amazed.
But to tell the truth, Geun-yeong had never directly seen the numerical results of his blood tests. The man who had kept his blood sugar close to normal would regularly take blood samples and tell him the results after returning from work in the evening. He always said the numbers were between 5 and 6 and that the results were good.
On such days, Geun-yeong had to have relations with the man, who would have a more triumphant expression than usual. He took it to mean something like, “Thanks to me, you’re being perfectly managed, so be grateful,” and Geun-yeong had no complaints about such relations. Since the man’s violence intensified when he was angry, these encounters were much more comfortable than relations when he was angry.
“Then despite looking frail on the outside, most of your internal organs must still be in good shape.”
At Baek Moonjong’s comment, Geun-yeong couldn’t raise his bowed head to answer in the affirmative. It was true for now. Thanks to thorough management, there had been no complications, and most of his organs would be in good condition. For now, at least.
Thinking about his perfect health condition so far made him recall the man who had managed him and expected something in return. And following that came the worry about whether he could maintain this condition going forward.
He had already become quite disorganized since leaving that house. He had tried, but it wasn’t easy. He had been disoriented due to the rapidly changing situation. Especially in front of Detective Kyung, it was hard to stay focused and act properly. He couldn’t calm down, kept losing focus, and made mistakes while fumbling around. If he at least had a continuous glucose monitor, he would have paid constant attention, but without even that, it was really difficult. He would surely become negligent in his management soon, just like Professor Baek Moonjong.
Geun-yeong lowered his hand holding the sixth tangerine segment before putting it in his mouth and let out a deep sigh.
Just then, he felt a vibration in his pants pocket. Two short vibrations. It was a text message. As soon as he realized it was a text vibration, he thought of the only person who knew this phone number, and Geun-yeong became extremely tense. Again, he couldn’t calm down. It was always like this. This kept happening, making it hard to keep his wits about him.
After fumbling around, unsure whether to put the tangerine in his mouth or put it down, he placed it on the peel and took out his phone. Then, with a show of clumsiness including mistyping the screen pattern, he opened the text message. Baek Moonjong and Bong Tae-gu were watching him blankly.
[I’ll be a bit late today. If the clinic closes, wait in the building next door on the 2nd floor. I’ll bring meat.]
The second floor of the next building was a coffee shop. But,
Meat…
“He says he’s bringing meat? Not buying it, but bringing it? Is he going to Majang-dong to get a slab of meat?”
Bong Tae-hee, who had bent over to look at the text message over Geun-yeong’s shoulder, asked. Geun-yeong, who had been nodding at each question mark, stopped himself from nodding at the question about going to Majang-dong. He didn’t know. Whether he was going to Majang-dong or not.
“Is it Detective Kyung?”
This time Professor Baek asked, and Geun-yeong nodded again.
“Detective Kyung says he’s bringing meat? Hmm. Sounds like a mother bird bringing food to her young? Doesn’t suit him.”
“That’s what I’m saying. Ugh, no matter how good his body is or how handsome he is, I absolutely can’t stand men with bad personalities and cold demeanors like Detective Kyung. I prefer men who are endlessly affectionate, who embrace all of me, and who are romantic anytime, anywhere. Guys like Detective Kyung can only be friends, nothing more. Never.”
Listening to this speech that sounded like a line from a musical, Geun-yeong somehow felt relieved. While listening to Nurse Bong’s long chatter about his ideal type, he put down his phone and reached for the tangerine he had set aside earlier. He felt good. He thought it was fortunate that Detective Kyung didn’t match Nurse Bong’s taste as a gay man. He didn’t want to become romantic rivals with Nurse Bong—his hand stopped abruptly just above the tangerine.
What am I thinking right now!
Geun-yeong shook his head to clear away the ridiculous thought he’d just had. He quickly picked up the tangerine. Abandoning the strangely drifting thoughts, he turned his attention and gaze to the tangerine. Three segments left. He put in his mouth the tangerine that seemed to taste better and better as the number of segments decreased.
* * *
At the butcher restaurant frequented by detectives near the government building. Thanks to Kyung Jiho, who was leaving with six 200g packs of different kinds of Korean beef, saying it was his share of meat, the team dinner briefly fell silent as if cold water had been poured over it. With no human sounds, only the noisy sizzling of meat on the grill, there was the team leader’s curse, “That crazy bastard.”
But the team members, who had seen “Kyungjiral” (Kyung’s crazy antics) more than once, went back to putting meat on the grill, cooking, eating, drinking, and chattering. Saying that Kyungjiral’s antics were refreshingly novel every time they saw them.
Regardless, Kyung Jiho, who had left the butcher restaurant, was driving with the meat—which would go into the stomach of the kid he’d been giving rides to lately—placed on the seat where that kid usually sat. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of feeding meat to the kid he’d been feeding only eggs and tuna so far.
With the meat bag hanging from his wrist, and the hand with the meat bag on his wrist shoved into his pants pocket, Kyung Jiho approached the Boramchan Clinic building and had to stop abruptly.
This was because not only Ji Geun-yeong, but also Bong Tae-gu and Baek Moonjong were sitting side by side in front of the building. Baek Moonjong said:
“Detective Kyung, did you go to Majang-dong?”
“Is that it? It looks like a small amount? But why are you carrying it? To show off? Anyway, let’s go quickly. I’m really hungry!”
Bong Tae-gu, who had gotten up dusting off his backside, was walking with light steps toward the car, passing the dumbfounded Kyung Jiho.
“Augh, my old bones. It’s about time I had some meat around now.”
Probably because he felt sorry about how things had turned out, the kid, who looked quite flustered and couldn’t even make eye contact, was holding Professor Baek Moonjong’s arm to support him as he staggered, groaning as if his legs were numb.
Kyung Jiho was feeling like a pressure cooker with steam escaping with a “pshhh” sound. He wasn’t quite sure what he had expected, but in any case, his insides, which had been somewhat constrained by some expectation but not in a particularly bad way, suddenly became empty.
With an expression like steam had fully escaped, Kyung Jiho eventually had to head home with three more people, including Ji Geun-yeong. That wasn’t all. Thanks to Bong Tae-gu’s nagging, “Who are you trying to feed with just two pounds of meat?” he had to buy two more pounds of pork belly on the way.
Geun-yeong, who never ate more than 100g, was blinking with wide eyes. He thought he didn’t have the seniority to step up and protest that it was too much, so he had to keep his mouth shut and stay quiet.
It was around the time when most office workers with regular jobs would have returned home. As a result, the parking spaces in the row house complex were already full. However, even amid all that, there was a place for Kyung Jiho to park his car. But since he had to park in an impossible spot where the doors wouldn’t be able to open once the car was in, the three people except Kyung Jiho got out in advance and watched him squeeze the car in at an angle that seemed utterly impossible. Nurse Bong, who was clicking his tongue in admiration, said:
“Detective Kyung is really sexy when he parks. If only his crazy personality was removed, his body, face, and parking skills would be perfect. Right?”
After glancing at Detective Kyung, who was parking with his driver’s window open, to confirm he wasn’t looking in his direction, Geun-yeong quickly nodded. It was true. It was amazing and cool every time to see Detective Kyung park in impossible spots. Especially the way he glared at the side mirror while adjusting the angle was really sexy… Geun-yeong pressed firmly on his heart, which had started acting up again.
The seemingly impossible parking was eventually successful. That was good, but he couldn’t open the front seat door to get out. Kyung Jiho had to open the trunk and climb over the back seat to get out, and Bong Tae-gu pointed and laughed, saying he looked ridiculous.
And Geun-yeong thought, it’s cool, so why are they laughing? Even bending over and climbing over the seat with his long legs looked cool to Geun-yeong.
After watching the parking feat, the four people headed to the house.
From what Geun-yeong observed, Nurse Bong and Professor Baek seemed to have visited this house before. There was no hesitation in their steps as they took direction and headed toward the house.
So they visit his home too. I wonder how often they come? What do the three of them do for fun?
Geun-yeong followed behind the three people ahead of him, turning over questions in his mind that couldn’t be answered without asking someone. Those two people who had known Detective Kyung for a long time apparently had visited each other’s homes. He envied this too, just as he envied their knowledge of Detective Kyung’s past.
Kyung Jiho, with his naturally fast pace and large stride, went up the stairs about four steps ahead, while Bong Tae-gu and Baek Moonjong climbed the stairs slowly in a cluster, chattering about various things to Geun-yeong. Talking loudly and bustling like that, they arrived at the third-floor apartment.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
