“Hyung. Do you really not wear cologne?”
“I guess it seems like I do.”
Muttering, Seonwoo tapped the tip of Yoonjo’s reddened ear with his index finger, then fiddled with his earlobe.
“I don’t wear anything in particular. Because Yoonjo thinks it’s nice, you probably feel it’s nice.”
“Really? You’re not secretly wearing cologne? Or fabric softener?”
“I said no.”
Seonwoo had said before that he didn’t wear cologne separately, so this was likely his body scent. Yoonjo touched his earlobe where Seonwoo’s hand had fallen away and followed behind him as he walked in the distance.
The two who ordered drinks at a cafe located not far from the pet shop headed straight to the observation deck. Since it was only about 5 minutes away by car, they didn’t waste much time on the road. It was a good thing for Yoonjo.
Getting out of the car, Yoonjo opened the back door to let Dongtae out, then grabbed Seonwoo’s hand and headed to a secluded spot as if familiar with it. There was a flat stone and next to it was a large pine tree creating plenty of shade. Right in front was a wooden railing, and a salty sea breeze was blowing coolly. Beyond the railing, the blue sea stretched out fully. On the endless horizon, sunlight like gold dust was constantly breaking apart.
“The shade here is really cool. Sit down, Seonwoo hyung.”
“Yoonjo sit first. You seem to be sweating a lot too.”
“I’m fine. Hyung, you sit.”
If he refused twice, it looked like he would be forced to sit. Seonwoo looked back and forth between the stone and Yoonjo, then sat down with his body almost halfway on it.
“There’s plenty of space, so let’s sit together. Otherwise I’ll sit on the ground.”
“How about hyung sitting on my thigh?”
“You think that’ll work?”
Yoonjo stuck out his lips and squirmed as he sat down. Strangely, just when a gap seemed to form, it was blocked tight. The only consolation was that their forearms were touching.
Yoonjo, who had been lightly biting the end of his straw, sucked on his drink. The sweet taste of caramel filled his mouth. As expected, sugar needed to be recharged four times a day. In contrast, Seonwoo’s drink was an iced Americano. Yoonjo found it hard to understand why he would drink that poison water.
“Do you like Americano?”
“Rather than liking it… it’s energy recharging.”
“I really can’t get used to that bitter taste. Sometimes when I go to Gwanghwamun, I see people with fancy employee IDs drinking pitch-black Americanos in their hands, you know? But their expressions are so happy. Why they’re happy drinking something so bitter…”
As Yoonjo trailed off muttering, he turned his head to see a straw held out right in front of his nose. Seonwoo, who had pulled his mask down under his chin, was holding out the cup as if telling him to try it.
The straw was clean, as if he hadn’t taken a single sip yet. Yoonjo hesitated for a moment, then quickly put it in his mouth. When he took a very small sip, he felt a taste so bitter it seemed like his mouth would sting.
“Uuugh…”
It was too bitter. Only then did Yoonjo recall that Seonwoo had added three extra shots. As he shuddered and trembled, something hard touched his lips. When he reflexively opened his mouth, it slipped right in.
“You ate something bitter well, so here’s a reward.”
Wondering what this was, Yoonjo chewed it in his mouth and his eyes sparkled at the familiar sweet taste. But somehow it was a bit more savory and sweet. Thinking maybe it was because Seonwoo gave it to him, Yoonjo licked his lips and fully savored the sweet taste of peanut caramel on the tip of his tongue. Yoonjo’s cheeks kept puffing up repeatedly.
“How did you know I like peanut caramel?”
Wiggling his toes and smiling pleasantly, Yoonjo leaned his body against Seonwoo as if nuzzling. He worried he might avoid him, but fortunately Seonwoo didn’t move from his spot so Yoonjo could lean comfortably.
“I just know everything.”
“Aw… You asked Grandma, right? Grandpa would never tell you that stuff, but Grandma just tells everything.”
Seonwoo’s hair swayed briefly in the cool sea breeze. Seonwoo, who had been blankly looking at the sparkling ocean surface, quietly felt Yoonjo’s body temperature touching his shoulder.
It wasn’t something he learned by asking someone. It was just that on the day Yoonjo was sick and ill, he had discovered a bunch of candy bags piled in a corner of the room. Since he said his favorite drink was also caramel latte, he had just assumed that peanut caramel was Yoonjo’s favorite snack.
Searching online and buying the caramel candy famous in Masan was an action that could be called almost impulsive. It was something he would never normally do. Seonwoo fumbled with the edge of the caramel wrapper in his pocket, then took out another one and put it in Yoonjo’s mouth. The sensation of soft lips touched briefly and then fell away.
Dongtae, who had been sitting quietly beside them, came between Seonwoo and Yoonjo, then wagged his tail gently and stuck out his tongue. As if wanting to express that he was hot, he moved his position back and forth, then lightly bumped Seonwoo’s hand with his nose.
“Huh? This means you want water, right? You’re thirsty, right? I’ll bring it from the car! Just a moment!”
Yoonjo, who jumped up from his seat as if properly reading Dongtae’s thoughts, fluttered off toward the parked car. Seonwoo briefly brushed his arm with his palm, missing the body temperature that had suddenly left. Dongtae, who had been beside him, barked shortly with a “Woof!” then turned his body and walked toward Yoonjo with pattering steps.
Yoonjo, who took out a water bottle and a small cup from inside the car, put the cup down in front of Dongtae who was hovering nearby and poured water. After watching Dongtae lapping and drinking water constantly, when he raised his head, Seonwoo had approached close.
“Ah, right. Hyung, do you have time this weekend? Around Saturday evening.”
“Weekend? Is something happening?”
“Uh… No. It’s not like that, but there’s a village elder’s 70th birthday party. You can have a bowl of makgeolli and drink beer too. And that day…”
Yoonjo, who trailed off, brushed it off saying it was nothing. He stroked the fluffy head of Dongtae who was drinking water with his head down, then lowered his eyes. Actually, that day was not only the 70th birthday party, but also Yoonjo’s birthday.
It was a birthday he had never particularly considered special, but somehow he thought it would be nice if Seonwoo could be with him on that day. Didn’t he deliberately make blueberry beer to spend the day together? Thinking of the beer aging at the small brewery in town made him feel proud for no reason.
He said he likes beer, so he’ll like what I made too. Thinking that, Yoonjo raised his head sharply. It was to hear a positive answer from Seonwoo. But the man’s face looked troubled and dark.
“What should I do. I have an appointment… Something came up and I need to go to Seoul for a bit.”
“Ah… Uh… I see. That can happen! Hyung, you’re not someone who lives here… You could have business. Then when are you coming back after you go?”
“It’s not decided yet. As long as it’s not too late, I’ll be back soon.”
Yoonjo nodded his head and stood up after pouring the water Dongtae left on the ground.
“Then I’ll pack some party food for you. Eat it when you come back.”
“Do you want me to be there?”
At the question asked like a joke, Yoonjo’s lips naturally protruded. What can’t be helped can’t be helped, but the disappointed feeling was hard to hide.
“Yes. I want hyung to eat delicious food with me at the 70th birthday party. Eat delicious things…”
Hold hands, play with fingers… Thinking such thoughts, he quietly looked at Seonwoo’s fingers. Looking at the smooth white fingers, Yoonjo suddenly raised his hand and grabbed Seonwoo’s palm. Their warm body temperatures touched each other without any gap.
Yoonjo, who looked at the length as if measuring it by spreading his fingers out smoothly, narrowed his eyes and examined Seonwoo’s fingers one by one. They were exactly one joint longer than his.
“Hyung is tall and has big hands too.”
“What else? That can’t be all.”
“Your feet must be big too, I guess. Still, having big hands is a bit unexpected… Your fingers are long too… They’re pretty.”
It was quite different from Yoonjo’s hands, which were large and cracked from farm work, with thick joints. Even Seonwoo’s nails were pretty. Hyung’s body hair must be pretty too. Thinking that far, Yoonjo shut his mouth tight. If he didn’t control himself, it seemed like he would give a whole speech about how pretty Seonwoo was.
“Yoonjo is pretty too.”
“Aw, what’s pretty about me? Look at my hands. My fingertips are blunt and ugly… Not long ago, a man I was farming with even teased me calling me an ugly guy. Pretty, what… The word pretty suits hyung.”
When he muttered as if grumbling, Seonwoo bent his fingers. The spaces between their fingers stuck together like tightly meshed gears. Momentarily, wind blew from behind Seonwoo, and along with the salty sea breeze, a pleasant body scent swayed gently. Yoonjo obediently received Seonwoo’s touch lightly brushing his forehead.
“I don’t know who that man is, but his eyes must be strange. Your hands being like this is like a badge of honor showing Yoonjo worked hard at studying and work, and your face…”
Seonwoo’s fingers gently brushed Yoonjo’s eyelids. Yoonjo, who squinted one eye as if closing it, soon looked at the falling touch with regret.
“You’re handsome enough to be a celebrity. I’m sorry. For lying. You’re not pretty, you’re handsome.”
“…Then should I become a celebrity?”
Then wouldn’t I be able to stick closer to hyung? When he asked with such feelings, Seonwoo’s face hardened subtly. Yoonjo stayed still, putting strength into the hand holding Seonwoo’s for no reason.
“Do you want to?”
“Do you want me to, hyung? Do I have talent?”
“…No. Not that weird profession, live doing what Yoonjo is good at.”
“Then I won’t do it.”
Yoonjo, who smiled playfully, kept holding hands even after that until Seonwoo let go first. The space between their palms tickled. It felt just like his own heart.
