There were only a few days left until the weekend, and it felt burdensome to buy too many things. Though they were having all sorts of formal conversations, the two hadn’t discussed the most important matter.
Since he’d heard the grandmothers’ gossip yesterday, Ondal probably wasn’t unaware that he would have to leave this place by the weekend. The real estate agent had told him to just forget about it since they didn’t know when that house would sell, but he couldn’t leave Ondal here alone in this place where there was nothing to do and no one around.
But taking him back to his cramped studio apartment that was barely big enough for himself seemed unrealistic too.
“Bread.”
He’d been looking off into the distance with quite a serious expression, so Hyedam had expected something important to come out, but at that single word from his mouth, a small sigh escaped Hyedam’s lips. You think there’s a proper bakery in this town? Let’s just buy some bread from the supermarket.
“Sit here and drink coffee. The supermarket’s too cramped, there’s no room for you to move around. I’ll buy bread and stuff.”
Hyedam piled all the bags they’d just bought onto a small table in front of what could barely be called a cafe—more like a dabang—and grabbed the hand of Ondal, who still wasn’t looking at him.
“What are you doing? I said sit here and wait.”
After confirming that Ondal had sat down in the chair, Hyedam put his coffee on the table and crossed the street.
He picked up a basket placed in front of the market and headed straight to where the bread was, putting one of each type into the basket. If you’re going to eat bread, you need milk too, and after roughly gathering the bread, Hyedam glanced outside as he headed toward the beverage section.
Seeing Ondal obediently sitting and drinking coffee as instructed, he added milk and orange juice. If I buy bacon and eggs too, I could make a decent American breakfast, but then there’d be too much luggage. Though the bus was the most practical option, he thought he could call a taxi for the return trip.
Thinking that he was a guest who’d come to his home regardless of the circumstances and couldn’t be treated poorly, Hyedam’s hands moved faster. When one basket was full, he set it down at the checkout counter and grabbed a new basket.
When his eyes met Ondal’s, who was drinking coffee while receiving stares from the townspeople, Hyedam roughly waved one hand in acknowledgment.
“Ah, screw it. Buy. Buy. Why hesitate? I’ll spend the money Ondal earned and my money too. It’s all money we earn to eat and live anyway.”
Hyedam, who had picked up and put down cheese several times, muttered to himself as he filled the second basket to the brim.
“Please ring me up.”
Standing next to the checkout counter and immediately putting the rung-up items into plastic bags, Hyedam’s gaze stopped at one spot. Black cars that didn’t fit this place at all appeared in a line. He saw people in jet-black suits wearing black sunglasses.
When one car stopped in front of the dabang across the street, Ondal, who had been visible just moments ago, was completely blocked from view. No—he could see Ondal standing up from his seat, and he smiled brightly while exchanging a hug with a man in a black suit just as large as him.
“Huh.”
Hyedam’s hands, which had been putting items away, stopped completely. Ondal and the man hugged, they smiled, and the black cars that had appeared in a line slowly passed by, and only after that procession of vehicles ended could he see the table where the luggage had been piled.
On the table were several black bags and two takeout coffee cups. And he was gone.
“Huh?”
With beeping sounds, the items Hyedam had bought were piling up on one side of the checkout counter, but Hyedam went outside. He crossed the street and stood in front of the table, looking around. What remained at the seat was an almost untouched coffee cup and a half-drunk coffee cup. Clothes too big for him to wear and slippers.
And there were countless marks he had made on his body.
* * *
—Good morning. Monday morning, starting a new week…
“Hera. Be quiet…”
Sitting blankly on the bed, Hyedam supported the back of his neck and slowly turned his head. His mouth tasted bitter and his stomach churned. It was something that had happened almost ten years ago, but the forgotten memory wrapped around his body as if it had just happened this very moment.
“Going to work after so long, and I start with a shitty dream. How unpleasant.”
Grumbling, Hyedam slowly got off the bed and headed to the bathroom. He showered with lukewarm water and took out an apple from the refrigerator. After roughly rinsing it with water, he bit into it with the peel still on with a crisp crunch.
“Hera, today’s weather.”
—Today’s low is 8 degrees, high is 15 degrees. The current temperature is 10 degrees, and the humidity is…
Listening to the weather and important news coming from the AI device, Hyedam finished preparing for work.
“Hera, see you tonight.”
—Yes, have a pleasant day. Turning off all lights and switching all electronic devices to standby mode. Thank you.
As Hyedam was about to leave the house, his gaze fell on the nightstand beside the bed. Ondal, whom he’d met after Grandmother passed away—even now, there were times when he couldn’t tell whether meeting him after all that time had passed was real or a fantasy. He’d even thought maybe he’d been mistaken because he was so exhausted and worn out.
But there was an object proving his existence—a heavy watch he’d never properly tried to examine or make an effort to understand, sleeping on the nightstand.
He hadn’t particularly tried to forget, nor had he tried not to think about it. That’s what time was like. That moment had been confusing, surprising, and even painful, but the complicated and difficult emotions disappeared first, and the situation was forgotten, and now he even thought, “Did something like that really happen?”
Leaving the house with his usual routine, Hyedam got on the bus. He got off where he needed to get off and entered a large building. What greeted him when he rode the elevator and entered the office where he worked was a bright voice.
“Hello, handsome Hyedam-ssi as always.”
“Hello, beautiful Seoyun-ssi as always.”
“Yes, this is the feeling. For two weeks, no one told me I was beautiful, but now I feel alive. I guess I need to hear those words from our Hyedam-ssi’s mouth.”
“Stella, didn’t you tell the team leader she was beautiful?”
“I did. You think I wouldn’t? She’s just not moved by compliments from women.”
“Then I should tell you one more time. My dear Seoyun-ssi, you’re beautiful today as well. Nothing happened while I was gone, right?”
“Something happen? If there was, there was, if there wasn’t, there wasn’t. To celebrate our Hyedam-ssi’s return from vacation, I’ll buy coffee.”
When Seoyun, the secretarial team leader, pulled out her wallet, Stella, who had been chatting with her, whistled quietly.
“Team leader, seeing you open your wallet, I don’t think it’ll be the company cafe. I’ll go. I’m the only one who can go from here anyway.”
“Can’t you just keep calling me Seoyun-ssi?”
“Hey. That was just a morning greeting earlier. Team leader is team leader, how can I do that?”
“Hyedam-ssi is really open-minded yet conservative. That’s why I like you more. In that spirit, I’ll have my usual.”
“Me too.”
Leaving behind the two who were absorbed in chatting whether he was there or not, a smile finally appeared on Hyedam’s lips as he went outside.
As the cold wind brushed through his hair, Hyedam raised his hand to fix his disheveled hair.
Late November. Around this time, there was always someone who came to mind. That’s probably why he’d dreamed that dream after so long.
A few years ago, after Grandmother left, Ondal, who had suddenly appeared, also left. He waited for him even after the weekend passed, but in the end, he never appeared.
Knowing that he wouldn’t return—that person who had disappeared smiling toward someone else without looking back—he still foolishly stayed in that house. Even Hyedam didn’t know why he did that.
How many of those expensive cars were there that even he, who wasn’t particularly interested in cars, recognized? It wasn’t just one or two, it seemed like about five.
Plus, things like the blonde hair of the man who hugged Ondal and exchanged greetings with a smile, or his suit, made him imagine many things. Either he really was a child of darkness, or he really was the child of a family with enough leisure to have a lake at home and enjoy horseback riding and hunting.
Anyway, in time for final exams, Hyedam returned to reality. He went back and forth between university and part-time jobs in his 7-pyeong studio apartment that was barely enough for himself. While spending days that seemed to have no dreams or hope, he became an intern at a large corporation he’d applied to.
After that, things were even more hectic. Becoming a regular employee from an intern was as difficult as picking stars from the sky. Even after becoming a regular employee through the recommendation of Seoyun, whom he still works with, quite a bit of time had passed.
Arriving at the famous cafe near the company, Hyedam stared at the menu for a while. The drinks the team members had were always decided. The team leader Seoyun drank lattes, and what Stella, who was currently pregnant, needed was refreshing peach & lemon juice.
The cafe was always harmoniously filled with the coffee aroma that excited him and the smell of freshly baked bread. The morning cafe at the start of the day was crowded with office workers in need of caffeine.
After carefully reading the cafe’s coffee menu that he could recite with his eyes closed, Hyedam stood in front of the cash register.
“One hot latte. One peach & lemon juice. No ice in the juice, please. Three bagels and…”
“Two double-shot iced Americanos, croi…”
Having finished ordering for his team members and still unable to decide on his menu, mumbling while keeping his gaze on the menu board, Hyedam clearly heard the voice of a man ordering right next to him. Thinking that he had a deep voice and really good English pronunciation, Hyedam turned his head and his lips parted slightly.
