Childhood Hyung-nim 61

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Even the cold air of the alley seemed to stop.

After a brief pause, I said quietly.

“It wasn’t me.”

— No, you’re the only kid who would do something like this.

I tried to calm myself down. But every time that ice-cold voice came back, I kept choking up.

“……Did you need it?”

Only after speaking did I realize my voice was trembling too much.

“Because you can’t use it, is that why you’re angry at me right now?”

A moment of silence passed.

Something surged up my throat. Whether it was anger, sadness, humiliation, or because of the alcohol.

— Do I need it right now…… Ha, where are you, Hajin-ah.

“I’m right, aren’t I? That’s why you’re angry!”

Because I stole hyung-nim’s condom. That’s why he’s scolding me with such a cold voice.

“You have so much money! If it’s gone, just buy another one, why call me so many times……”

I thought that maybe hyung-nim had completely forgotten about the condom that was there.

I hoped it was a useless object, so that he wouldn’t notice even if it disappeared.

But no matter how much he needed it after a few days, he could just buy a new one, yet I resented that he immediately blamed me first. Should I tell him or not—I don’t want to know anything about that at all.

Even if I decided not to like hyung-nim anymore. Long-held feelings weren’t something that could be sorted out overnight.

— Would I be calling you because I need it right now?

Once again, I heard a voice mixed with a sigh.

— Hajin-ah, I’m asking you where you are, who you’re with, and what you’re doing right now.

“I’m hanging up.”

I just hung up the phone.

And before the screen could turn back on, I turned off the power.

No matter how much I thought about it, it was better not to know who hyung-nim was with or what he was about to do.

While normally hiding his own dating life and sex life completely, why tell me that he needed it just now?

“……Shit.”

Feelings of injustice and misery washed over me.

I’m at a blind date I didn’t even want to go to at hyung-nim’s recommendation, and until now I was having fun without thinking about hyung-nim.

Why is hyung-nim looking for it right now of all times? Even the mood that had been pleasant as I forgot about hyung-nim a little sank to the worst.

Even after hanging up, my anger didn’t subside. I spoke to the turned-off phone.

“I get it that you’re not impotent. I get it that you’re not careful……!”

I hated hyung-nim for constantly letting me know that.

When I returned to the drinking table and raised my glass, I was already in a state where my proper judgment had disappeared.

“Hajin-ah, are you okay? Your eyes look red.”

“I’m fine. I think I sobered up. I want to drink more.”

I didn’t need comfort or advice. No, I didn’t want to hear any words right now.

I just wanted to laugh, talk, and drink more. I wanted to drink and forget.

***

One glass, two glasses, and even after moving to a second location, I don’t know how many more times I emptied my glass.

My mind became hazy, and I could only barely half-understand what anyone was saying. The food on the table looked blurry too, and……

“Hajin-ah, are you okay? You seem too drunk.”

“I’m fine……”

Even Minji’s face sitting next to me looked doubled. Two layers, no, even three layers.

Just a moment ago I seemed fine, but I don’t know why the drunkenness suddenly came on so fast.

“Guys, I’m going to go get some air for a bit.”

I thought I should rest a little. I got up from the table staggering.

“Oh, then with me……”

“Hajin, I’m going to smoke, let’s go out together.”

The moment Minji was about to say something, Lee Taehyung followed me out.

“Mm.”

I nodded blankly. After that, I was led outside by Lee Taehyung’s hand.

It was warm during the day, but now that it was night, the air was incredibly cold.

Before coming out, I washed my face with cold water in the bathroom, and breathing the outside air made me feel like the alcohol wore off a bit. The face that looked like three layers now looked like two layers?

But that wasn’t the problem. If I just stood still, the world kept tilting to one side.

“Shit, I’m too drunk. How am I going to get home……”

I avoided the entrance, found a spot, and crouched down. I also breathed deeply.

“Whew.”

I don’t think I’ve ever drunk this much like today. No matter how much I drank, I could control my body, but now I kept staggering.

And the alcohol didn’t seem bitter either.

“Rather, if anything it was sweet……”

They say when you really become an adult, alcohol isn’t bitter anymore—have I finally become an adult?

“Taehyung-ah, you know, today the alcohol wasn’t bitter at all. It was just sweet.”

I turned my head to look at Lee Taehyung. The guy who had stepped back and was just taking out a cigarette also seemed heavily drunk, his face flushed bright red.

“What? Hey, of course! We’re drinking apricot flavor.”

“Hyung-nim needs to know this.”

See, I’ve now become an adult for whom alcohol is no longer bitter. And the person who made me that way is none other than Yoo Jeongwoo hyung-nim.

“Huh? What hyung-nim?”

“There’s a saying like that. If alcohol is bitter, alcohol isn’t sweet.”

“……Isn’t that the same thing?”

The acrid smell of cigarettes hit my nose. When I turned to look blankly, Lee Taehyung, who had finished smoking and approached, plopped down next to me.

“Hey, but……”

Lee Taehyung seemed like he had something to say since earlier. The way he hurriedly followed me too.

“Since I first came here today, I’ve liked Minji.”

“Oh, really?”

“But Minji seemed interested in you.”

Lee Taehyung rubbed his nose and grumbled jokingly.

“Shit, I didn’t know there was this kind of disadvantage to bringing a handsome guy.”

I blinked my eyes. As I kept my gaze fixed, it felt like the world was spinning round and round.

It took some time to focus, but I could belatedly understand what the situation was.

“Taehyung-ah, I’ll tell Minji that you’re a really good guy. Don’t hate me.”

“Puhaha!”

When I said this gloomily, Lee Taehyung burst out laughing.

“Hey, crazy. Am I Lee Gyeongho? Don’t worry, bastard. What’s your fault?”

“That’s a relief then. Hehe.”

Laughter leaked out without me knowing.

“Huhu.”

When I laughed, Taehyung laughed too.

“Huhehe.”

“Hehehe.”

For a while, the two of us laughed like idiots without even knowing what was funny.

“I’ve been going to blind dates and introductions for three months now. But dating seems really hard. The person I like doesn’t like me, and the person I’m not interested in likes me.”

“Right. How do other people match hearts and date……”

“Honestly, I don’t know if Minji would have been interested in me today even without you. Dating is really hard.”

When I was young, love seemed the easiest. I thought living paired with someone you love like Mom and Dad was something anyone could do.

But now it felt like a miracle to me.

“Why don’t you like Minji? She was the prettiest to me.”

“Huh? No, it’s not that she’s not good…… actually, now isn’t the time for me to date.”

“Oh, really?”

“Today I came because you guys said blind dates weren’t a big deal, that it was just a fun gathering…… it was fun, but I don’t think I’ll go on blind dates again after today.”

Today made it more certain. I liked hyung-nim too much to even attempt to meet other people.

I still didn’t want to bless hyung-nim’s marriage and didn’t want to give up on the feelings I’d been hiding.

“I thought you had no interest in dating, but Lee Hajin was also secretly suffering because of love.”

“Mm.”

I nodded bitterly.

The night breeze was quite chilly, so the two of us sat a bit closer together. My vision was spinning and I felt dizzy.

I was staring blankly ahead and letting out a sigh when it happened. A familiar silhouette appeared in front where I was unconsciously gazing.

What caught my eye was a man across the way.

“Huh?”

The man standing across the road had a familiar aura.

A black suit and neatly slicked-back hair. The shirt buttons were fastened all the way up, and even the necktie was perfect.

No matter how I think about it, I like people like that.