He wanted to stop by home to grab at least a change of clothes, but since Hyungsik promised to lend him his hyung’s clothes, Eunchan headed straight to Hyungsik’s house. On the way, the two bought more beer and soju at a convenience store and also carried two handfuls of snacks to eat at night. Hyungsik said he’d pay since he got a decent salary this month, but Eunchan refused and paid instead.
Hyungsik’s house was just as it had been before. It was still messy and unorganized, but still, since it was Christmas, it was decorated cutely in its own way. The small lights attached in a tree shape on the window were especially impressive.
After roughly looking around the house, Eunchan took off his jumper and tossed it on the sofa, then sat on the floor looking for a low table.
“Hyung, you’re going to drink now, right?”
“Yeah, don’t put it in the fridge, just leave it.”
It was leisurely until the end of the year. During that time, the work had only been minor things like catching evidence of affairs, finding lost dogs, and doing background checks. There were no big jobs and it wasn’t busy, so it was fine to live loosely until the new year.
“Should we watch a movie?”
Just as Eunchan had done, Hyungsik also left his coat on the sofa and picked up the remote control. While Eunchan roughly opened and spread out a few bags of snacks on the table, Hyungsik fixed the channel on a Christmas special movie.
“Drink.”
“Let’s toast, hyung.”
The sound of opening beer cans was cheerful. After clinking cans with Hyungsik who came over for a toast, Eunchan opened his throat and gulped down the alcohol. Watching Eunchan’s throat bobbing ceaselessly, Hyungsik worried that he’d die drinking so urgently like that. However, his throat had been dry on the way over, and in his early twenties he used to drink water like alcohol, so he wouldn’t get drunk or have a hard time this quickly. Eunchan quickly finished one can and opened the next.
Thanks to Hyungsik turning on the boiler, the temperature inside was warm. A childish romance movie flowed from the television and outside, heavy snow was pouring down again. Eunchan exchanged jokes with Hyungsik one or two at a time while picking at snacks. Though his full stomach was burdensome, the drunk feeling wasn’t too bad so his hand kept going to the alcohol. The beer they’d bought ran out quickly, so Eunchan poured and drank soju full.
Without doing anything, midnight passed quickly. Since Hyungsik was nodding off, Eunchan woke him and told him to go into his room, but saying he didn’t want to be alone, Hyungsik settled down in the living room and lay down.
To at least get him a pillow and blanket, Eunchan got up and walked to Hyungsik’s room. The unorganized room like the living room was full of Hyungsik’s traces. The bookshelf was filled with high school textbooks he still hadn’t thrown away, and magazines from who knows where were also stuck in.
On the desk were Hyungsik’s brothers. It was a harmonious photo with Hyungsik in the middle and his big hyung and little hyung with their arms around each other’s shoulders. When did he say his little hyung’s death anniversary was, I think he said it was winter.
Eunchan roughly wiped the dust accumulated on the frame with tissue, then picked up Hyungsik’s pillow and blanket. Coming out to the living room, after laying Hyungsik’s head on the pillow and covering him with the blanket, Eunchan turned his gaze back to the television.
Before he knew it, the movie had reached its ending and the male and female leads were pressing their lips together. Seeing that scene, Miro who loved kisses suddenly came to mind. Miro’s hot tongue that carefully licked Eunchan’s lips, the sweet breath that poured out, his eyelashes that fluttered like fairy wings. The heart-pounding kisses had already become the past.
Really, honestly speaking, he did miss Miro. But that was all, he didn’t regret breaking up. He was a person he never wanted to meet again and a man he didn’t want to be entangled with. Even thinking twice or three times, he didn’t feel regretful at all. This was also the reason he hadn’t activated a new cell phone. Because he had no desire to contact Miro again.
As soon as the movie ended, Eunchan turned off the living room light. Lying down next to Hyungsik, Eunchan blankly looked outside at the falling snow. It was a quiet and calm Christmas night. Since he hadn’t done any good deeds this year, he wouldn’t receive any presents. And even if he did good deeds, there was no Santa to give him presents.
Unable to resist the drowsy alcohol rising, Eunchan slowly closed his eyes. From the television he hadn’t turned off yet, a carol full of bells leaked out.
The next morning, Eunchan woke up from a dream of burning in a fiery hell. Thinking he was having this dream because he hadn’t gone to church once since the pastor went on missionary work, Eunchan soon realized the living room floor was hot thanks to the boiler and let out a long sigh.
Looking to the side, Hyungsik had also been hot during the night and was sleeping bare-chested, groaning. His vision was hazy as if he still hadn’t sobered up. To check the time, Eunchan fumbled around the bedside and picked up Hyungsik’s cell phone.
[Hyung I’ll come to your house tomorrow]
However, instead of the time, a text from Hyungsik’s big hyung greeted Eunchan first. Since it was a text that came late yesterday evening, it probably meant he was coming today. The current time was 11 AM, he needed to quickly wake Hyungsik to clean the house and leave. He didn’t want to intrude on the harmonious brothers for no reason.
Jumping up from his seat, Eunchan clutched his head that felt like it would burst and sat down groaning. It was the price for gulping down alcohol thoughtlessly yesterday. Even while groaning in pain, Eunchan grabbed Hyungsik’s shoulder and shook him.
“Hyungsik-ah, wake up… Your hyung is coming.”
“…Eh?”
Hyungsik gave an answer between ‘ne’ and ‘ye’ and still couldn’t open his eyes, wandering in his dreams. Without removing his hand from his forehead, Eunchan stood up and started clearing the table. He swept the empty cans and leftover snack bags into a convenience store bag. He could do the recycling on his way out. Continuously poking the unconscious Hyungsik lying down with his foot, Eunchan grabbed and put on his jumper. It felt unpleasant, but showering at home wouldn’t be too late.
“Hyung, you’re going home?”
At the rustling sound and Eunchan’s foot constantly poking his back, Hyungsik finally got up disheveled and squinted his eyes.
“Your big hyung is coming. I’ll throw this out on my way, so just clear the table. Run the vacuum if you can.”
He’d gathered all the alcohol bottles and snack bags, but there was no time to clean up the snack crumbs that fell on the floor. After instructing Hyungsik, Eunchan pulled up the zipper of his jumper to the end of his neck. Fortunately, since the landlord didn’t give him pajamas last night even though he said he would, it saved time changing clothes.
“Our hyung is coming? What, Eunchan-hyung, just eat with us and go.”
“It’s fine, I’m leaving. Don’t come out. And turn off the boiler.”
I thought I was cooking. Holding garbage in both hands full, Eunchan walked to the entrance. After shaking his head at Hyungsik who was trying to get up to see him off, Eunchan crammed on his sneakers and left Hyungsik’s house.
As soon as he came outside, at the cold wind blowing, Eunchan closed his stinging eyes and gathered his breath for a moment. The cool winter air filled his murky lungs. The snow that fell heavily all dawn without stopping had dyed the whole world white.
Even at a rough glance it seemed quite piled up, so Eunchan carefully put on his shoes properly. He was going to take the bus, but like this it seemed difficult to even get to the bus stop. Should he just spend money and take a taxi instead? Eunchan pondered for a moment as he headed to the recycling bin in the apartment complex.
* * *
“Please stop here.”
For his body suffering from a hangover, Eunchan chose a taxi instead of a bus. Unable to resist his churning stomach even in the car, Eunchan got off when he got close to the officetel.
I will never drink like this again. I don’t know what possessed me to drink like that yesterday. It’s not like I had a grudge against Christmas.
With each step, making “ugh” sounds, Eunchan dragged his feet. The piled snow grabbed Eunchan’s ankles. With the heat rising from his body, Eunchan opened his zipper to expose his chest. It seemed like sweat was flowing down his back too.
It was a walk that didn’t even take 5 minutes, but his body was tired as if he’d returned from mountain climbing. Only after entering the officetel entrance did Eunchan straighten his back and shake off the snow stuck to his sneakers. The bottom of his pants and his socks were soaked wet.
As soon as I get in, I should put the wet clothes in the washing machine and shower. If I wash up refreshingly and lie down on the electric blanket and close my eyes, that would be heaven. Eunchan made plans one by one as he got in the elevator.
However, when he reached the front door, Eunchan had to stop walking. As if Santa really had visited, beautifully wrapped presents and shopping bags of luxury brands he only knew by name were piled full at the entrance.
What is this? No, I can guess who did this. The person who had no contact until now suddenly contacts me like this?
He resented his head that wasn’t working properly. Eunchan slowly approached and picked up the card placed on top of the cake. It was a Christmas card cutely drawn with Rudolph and Santa characters.
(18:00, Bloomings Hotel_ Lueur)
There were no phrases asking after him or greeting. The simple and clear card with only the time and place written was notifying Eunchan of a one-sided appointment.
“What is this?”
Looking at the time and place, it seemed like an invitation to have dinner together at the hotel. Looking at the neat handwriting, it was undoubtedly Miro’s. Eunchan crumpled the card and shoved it into his pocket, then opened the front door.
…He didn’t want to bring the presents inside the house, but he couldn’t just leave them abandoned in the hallway like this. He didn’t know when they came, but they looked obviously like expensive presents and someone might take them. Eunchan unavoidably started moving the presents inside the house.
