When he unlocked the door and entered the house, the silence that suddenly enveloped him felt strangely unfamiliar. At his nagging to leave something on, Lee Euishin had recently been keeping the TV or radio on, even at low volume. Taking off his hoodie and throwing it aside, Kwon Yunsu opened his mouth just in case.
“Euishin-ah.”
He walked around the living room and past the empty rooms, bathroom, and veranda,
“Lee Euishin?”
When he opened the guy’s bedroom, Lee Euishin was sleeping in the room that was dim even in broad daylight with blackout curtains drawn. He could only see his turned back, but there was no movement at all, so he must be sleeping.
He came home early. Ashamed of himself for being secretly relieved, Kwon Yunsu quickly closed the door. Then he quietly opened the front door and headed to the mart. Lee Euishin hated meat that had been soaked in water and couldn’t cook such things because it was difficult, so today (as always) they should grill meat. He bought meat, vegetables, and mushrooms, and feeling it was a shame to just pass by, he also bought beer and snacks. He should feed the growing landlord until he’s full.
When he returned excitedly with an armful of groceries, Lee Euishin was standing in front of the entrance.
“Hey.”
“Ack!”
He didn’t know where such fierceness came from considering he just woke up.
“You scared me. You’re up?”
“Where did you go again…!”
Lee Euishin, who was about to get angry with a frown, discovered the mart bag in Kwon Yunsu’s hands.
“Grocery shopping.”
“…Why did you go out again for something you forgot to buy?”
“Hey, I didn’t forget. Earlier I was thinking about buying it but….”
“What.”
In case you weren’t here. For some reason he was reluctant to say it.
Lee Euishin, who had been staring fiercely at the silent Kwon Yunsu, snatched the bag away.
“You have no eye for goods, so why did you buy so much?”
Watching the back heading to the kitchen, Kwon Yunsu felt indignant. That bastard is throwing a fit again, treating me like his household servant.
And he smiled.
Thank goodness. Lee Euishin was exactly as usual.
Lee Euishin prepared dinner.
“Wash up.”
Before he could even enter the kitchen, nagging was thrown at him, so when he did as told and came out, everything was already perfectly prepared.
Seeing Kwon Yunsu come out, Lee Euishin silently started grilling meat. The sound of the grill heating up with a sizzle, the lit kitchen, the neatly arranged ingredients on the washed and trimmed table. It instantly felt like a weekend evening.
“Should I do it?”
When he sneakily tried to take the tongs, Lee Euishin made a tsk sound and gestured with his chin.
“Sit.”
Alright. Do whatever you want. I’ll do the dishes.
Thinking to himself, Kwon Yunsu sat in the chair. And while eating the neatly cut cucumber, he watched Lee Euishin grilling meat. Did he not sleep last night? Napping is quite unusual. Did the blind date go well? What did he eat that this picky eater is so enthusiastically grilling meat? Has all that sulkiness from lately cleared up?
“What. If you have something to say, say it.”
With him staring so intently, there’s no way the perceptive Lee Euishin wouldn’t notice. Kwon Yunsu propped his chin and leaned forward.
“Why has your condition been so bad lately? Can’t sleep?”
Lee Euishin chuckled. Then he put well-grilled meat on Kwon Yunsu’s plate.
“Are you my mom, saying such things?”
“We live together, so I’m your mom and you’re my dad.”
“Eat.”
He ate. And he wrapped a pretty ssam and held it out to Lee Euishin. Lee Euishin snatched his wrist and received the ssam nicely. Something unimaginable outside, but they often did this when alone. Lee Euishin’s kingdom, full of all kinds of abuse and harsh words, yet enjoyable and cozy. …Was I too greedy? Kwon Yunsu tried to look calm as he asked his second question.
“Was the blind date fun?”
“……”
Lee Euishin’s hand, which had been flipping the meat, stopped.
“Didn’t you eat anything good? Why are you so enthusiastically grilling meat for once….”
Lee Euishin, who had put down the tongs and scissors, wrapped a ssam with rough hands and shoved it into Kwon Yunsu’s mouth. Then with a frown, he said seriously.
“Don’t do that kind of thing.”
It must not have been fun. Kwon Yunsu chewed the meat and changed the subject.
“Should I grill the meat?”
“Just open the beer.”
After that it was the same as usual. Kwon Yunsu enthusiastically talked about soccer to Lee Euishin who didn’t respond, and Lee Euishin, who seemed not to be listening at all, would suddenly open his mouth with a cutting remark.
The cleanup after dinner also ended up being done together somehow.
“Your dishwashing skills are fucking awful.”
Next to Lee Euishin who delivered that factual violence, Kwon Yunsu organized the food waste, wiped the table and floor, and ventilated. The atmosphere was fairly peaceful.
After organizing the kitchen, they drank beer on the veranda with a weekend drama that no one was watching as background noise. Lee Euishin, who hated squatting, sat obediently despite grumbling. This is pretty well-behaved. Kwon Yunsu reached out and stroked Lee Euishin’s head. Even with a displeased face, Lee Euishin didn’t stop him.
“It’s fun, hanging out like this.”
It was a remark that flowed out unconsciously.
When he grinned as if to shake off the embarrassment, Lee Euishin just stared blankly. And he moved his lips as if to say something, but the next moment disappeared behind the beer can. What was that just now? What was that earlier remark? Don’t do that kind of thing?
‘…Euishin-ah, what are you thinking?’
He had thought he would never be able to know what the indifferent and eccentric Lee Euishin was thinking inside, and that being curious would only be harmful to his mental health.
At that moment, Kwon Yunsu sincerely became curious about what the guy drinking beer with a quiet face was thinking. Regrettably, he didn’t realize that this would be the start of a long voyage.
Lee Euishin never said anything about the blind date in the end.
The following week, Kwon Yunsu suddenly became busy.
First, he got caught by seniors preparing for a competition and was forcibly drafted into labor ‘as practice for major experiments,’ and around the time to catch his breath after midterms, reports and group projects poured in intensively.
The assignments were bearable. In mid-May there would be a huge commotion with festivals and whatnot, so it would be better to do them in advance. But the seniors who called people out even late at night to make them do all sorts of things were a bit burdensome. Throughout that week, Kwon Yunsu couldn’t even go to the club room a few times and was busy being called here and there. By the time the weekend came, he had completely forgotten about Lee Euishin’s blind date.
“Haah….”
He had a nightmare of pounding away at a broken scientific calculator all night and woke up to find it was past 11 o’clock. This was the first time he’d woken up at this hour since middle school.
Lying in bed, he rolled around doing stretches. Beyond the room door was faint music. Lee Euishin must have turned on the TV. Along with the realization that the weekend had come, Kwon Yunsu felt good. The weather forecast said yesterday that this weekend would be fine dust-free. It seemed perfect to open the windows wide and roll around in the living room all day.
Holding onto faith in the Korea Meteorological Administration, when he opened the room door, Lee Euishin was in the living room.
“Huk!”
He thought it wasn’t Lee Euishin. The person sitting on the sofa with crossed legs, turning the remote as if bored, wasn’t a male student or college student but a perfect adult man. Lee Euishin was dressed in a full suit.
“Wha, what?”
Kwon Yunsu was so surprised he even stuttered. The moment Lee Euishin turned his head, he almost stepped back. The already handsome guy was frowning fiercely and glaring, and his hair seemed properly done too. What on earth is going on?
“Are you getting married?!”
“Shut up.”
It was an appropriate response to the baseless nonsense. Kwon Yunsu nodded. And as soon as he came to his senses, he remembered.
“…Ah.”
Why had he forgotten? The blind date. …That day he came home early too, and he even firmly said don’t do that kind of thing but……
‘In our department there are quite a few girls, so every time I go to the department lounge there’s a new couple.’
You don’t know about relationships between men and women. I don’t know whether Lee Euishin came straight home for a week, or where he went around. What happened to this bastard.
“…Going on a date?”
“……”
Lee Euishin looked at Kwon Yunsu with a surprised face. Why is he surprised? Kwon Yunsu was curious. Because it’s unexpected? Or because he hit the mark? Why isn’t he answering? When he thinks it’s not that, he responds clearly, so why about that matter….
