“…Should we watch something else?”
That was what I said exactly 20 minutes after starting the movie. There definitely seemed to be a reason why classic films were masterpieces, but it just wasn’t fun. The humor didn’t match my sensibilities, I couldn’t grasp the serious atmosphere at all, and I couldn’t understand the characters as a whole.
“I knew you wouldn’t like it.”
“Why didn’t you stop me?”
“Well…. Just in case.”
“Have you already seen this?”
“I learned to walk with Hitchcock and Billy Wilder. For reference, I’m not into either of them.”
Jung Yoonseo spoke indifferently and handed me the remote. Then the intercom phone installed in the house rang. After roughly conveying with his eyes the meaning to pick a movie, Jung Yoonseo answered the phone. The call ended briefly.
“Nothing much, the food arrived.”
“Can I watch this?”
What I picked was a hero movie that obviously screamed action. I picked it thinking it wouldn’t be boring at least. And since Jung Yoonseo said he was interested in heroes when he was young, it seemed like Jung Yoonseo would enjoy watching it too.
“Well…. That’s fine.”
At Jung Yoonseo’s words, I played the movie without hesitation. At the same time the familiar distributor BGM came on, Jung Yoonseo got up.
“Why?”
“I have to go receive the food.”
I stared at the robe Jung Yoonseo was wearing, then got up from my seat.
“I’ll just go out.”
Before Jung Yoonseo could say anything, I opened the door and received the food. I received the food and set it on the table in front of the sofa that similarly looked like an incredible price range. Jung Yoonseo also slowly helped open the packaging, but it wasn’t particularly helpful.
I put the fish dish in the middle and also opened the side dishes of fries and sausages that came with it and laid them out for easy eating.
“Sausages?”
“Well…. I was craving those a bit too.”
I picked up a sausage with chopsticks and took a bite. The crunching sound and the flesh being crushed was delicious. I also played the movie I’d paused briefly to set up.
The movie was honestly fun. It obviously seemed like there was a previous film to this movie, but I understood it even just watching this as a standalone. I solved things by asking Jung Yoonseo in the middle whenever I didn’t know something. When the movie passed the middle part, Jung Yoonseo’s chopsticks stopped completely. He seemed to be watching with subtle concentration.
“This is… important.”
“That?”
“In the next one, they fight to the death because of him.”
“Won’t he become good?”
“To be precise, he was originally a good kid who got brainwashed and became like that. This action here is famous. Now.”
The man who looked like a villain spun a knife around once and grabbed it, then started an epic hand-to-hand battle with the hero man. I fixed my eyes on the flashy screen and kept eating food with my mouth.
“Isn’t it fun?”
“It’s fun.”
“But you have to watch the previous one for it to be more fun. Because you won’t understand well.”
“I understand though?”
“That’s not understanding. The subtitles are bothersome—can I turn them off?”
“Turn them off if you’re going to interpret everything one by one.”
Jung Yoonseo didn’t even respond to my words. At some point, he’d put down his chopsticks. He’s enjoying it. I found it more fun to watch Jung Yoonseo absorbed in the movie while lying down almost leaning on the sofa. It might be more so because it was an unexpected aspect.
When the movie ended, I told Jung Yoonseo I was curious about the next one and insisted on watching the next one. Actually, I wasn’t particularly curious, but it was more that I watched it because it was fun that Jung Yoonseo liked it. Jung Yoonseo played the next one with a reluctant expression, and when even that movie ended, he said we had to watch the previous one and played the previous film. I spent the whole day watching movies like that next to Jung Yoonseo.
After watching three movies in a row, the time was already pointing to late evening. Jung Yoonseo was almost lying down on the sofa. It was clearly a posture where he’d definitely be lying down if I weren’t here. I sat under the sofa and ate up all the remaining food, including Jung Yoonseo’s portion.
Jung Yoonseo said in a languid voice.
“It’s late, want to sleep over? I have a guest room.”
Honestly, it was tempting, but tomorrow I had to open.
“I have to go to work tomorrow.”
“I have to go too. I’ll drive you early in the morning.”
“I don’t like troubling you, hyung.”
“You’re not biting….”
Jung Yoonseo, who muttered as if to himself, sighed.
“Then I’ll drive you now.”
“I don’t want to be a bother.”
“Are you just going to keep refusing?”
I climbed back up onto the sofa and pulled Jung Yoonseo’s robe, which he was leaning back in almost lying down, to restore it to its original state.
“Why do you keep doing that with your clothes?”
“It means don’t walk around undressed.”
“What does a straight guy care?”
“Can’t be sure. You just haven’t done it with a guy.”
At my words, Jung Yoonseo stared at me intently.
“If I knew Lee Hyun-ssi a little less, I would’ve laid you down on this sofa right now.”
“Now that you know me a bit more, just see me off obediently.”
At that moment, Jung Yoonseo grabbed my collar and pulled me sharply. I was helplessly dragged by Jung Yoonseo’s strength in an instant. Jung Yoonseo’s face was too close.
“I really like you, but I really don’t like you.”
I slowly gulped. Every time Jung Yoonseo whispered, goosebumps rose on my spine. After a brief standoff, Jung Yoonseo, who obediently let me go, stretched and got up.
“Go home and organize the publisher, author name, and author’s published works and send them to me. If I’m going to help, I should help.”
“Yes.”
I gathered my clothes and bag and went out to the entrance. Jung Yoonseo crossed his arms and looked at me with displeased eyes, then followed me to the entrance.
“…Go safely.”
“Yes. I’ll contact you when I get home.”
Jung Yoonseo didn’t answer my words and just quietly met my eyes. After meeting eyes for a moment, I slowly walked out the door.
***
After getting home and sending Jung Yoonseo the publisher, author name, and all the books the author published, fatigue suddenly rushed over me. While taking off my clothes, I suddenly felt something foreign in my pocket. From my pocket came the business card that I’d completely forgotten about—the one given to me by the man who recognized Lee Hyun during the day today.
“…But do I really need to contact him again?”
I didn’t know exactly what kind of relationship Lee Hyun and that man had, but there was no need to get involved with that man again at this point. He seemed to be desperately waiting for contact though…. I felt inexplicably sorry.
Looking at the business card, an unfamiliar company name was written. When I searched, it seemed to be in the food industry. I wasn’t going to contact him again anyway, but I felt sorry about throwing away the business card, so I just roughly put it in a drawer.
Even lying in bed, sleep didn’t come despite being tired. It was the first time I’d watched three movies in a row in one day, and it was funny that those movies were hero movies. I briefly searched the movie title on my phone and skimmed through the content, and when I saw the worldview expanding, drowsiness suddenly came. Eventually, I turned off my phone and closed my eyes.
***
“Hyun, you’re here?”
As soon as I came to work, Cha Hyunwoo greeted me with a bright smile. I greeted Cha Hyunwoo and immediately went in to change clothes.
“What did you do on your day off yesterday?”
“Ah, I had a favor to ask, so I met with an acquaintance.”
“What favor?”
At Cha Hyunwoo’s question, I thought for a moment, then shrugged.
“Just asked them to look something up for me….”
“Really?”
Cha Hyunwoo paused for a moment, then said.
“I was a bit disappointed I couldn’t see you over the weekend.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. It was a prior engagement.”
“I didn’t say it to get an apology.”
When I apologized, Cha Hyunwoo lightly smiled and shook his head.
“So are you free next day off?”
“…Yes.”
Was there anyone who could say no to this? I answered almost as if entranced. Cha Hyunwoo smiled pleasantly at my answer.
“So we’re going clothes shopping that day?”
“Sounds good. I’ll look forward to the boss picking out clothes.”
Cha Hyunwoo handed me the schedule sheet. As if he’d planned it from the start, our days off were lined up together on Thursday. Since Cha Hyunwoo confessed to me last time that he liked men, he’d been taking care of me even more. Strictly speaking, I hadn’t done anything particularly well—Cha Hyunwoo had just told me his story, so I should be treating Cha Hyunwoo better for trusting me.
