Kkotmoa (Flower Moa) 30

I should be thanking Kang Junwoo since I also wanted to eat it because it was hot, but I was annoyed that he bought it when we just happened to be studying math. If he was going to buy it, he should have come 10 minutes earlier. Before holding hands. It’s only been 9 minutes and 12 seconds since we started studying math. While grumbling inwardly, I put the ice cream in my mouth.

“But Junwoo-ya. Don’t you need to study? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you study.”

“Our Kkotmoa must not know the world well yet, but happiness is not in grade order.”

“Then how are you going to go to college?”

Kkotmoa is so kind that not only does he worry about the lump at his house, but he even worries about the neighborhood mutt pup. I was worried about what would happen if he lived getting scammed later because he was so kind. It seemed like I’d have to keep watching over him from beside him.

“I’m not planning to go to college in Korea? I’ll play a bit after graduation and then study abroad. Going to college abroad isn’t as hard as you think.”

In that case, it would be better to go early to save time, but Kang Junwoo was insisting on holding out as long as possible to play as much as he could before going. Kang Junwoo’s oldest hyung had the same thought as me, but when Kang Junwoo hid behind his parents and made the ridiculous excuse that he wanted to stay with Mom and Dad a bit longer, his parents, who cherished their youngest born late incredibly preciously, shut his oldest hyung’s mouth. When I watch carefully, there’s no one who lives as comfortably in the world as Kang Junwoo.

“Then are you good at English too?”

“Mm…, to the point where I don’t feel uncomfortable when I travel?”

“Bullshit. When all you know is ‘hi,’ ‘hello,’ and ‘thank you.'”

I cut in because the sight of a guy who couldn’t even speak English swaggering really looked pathetic. I didn’t like innocent Kkotmoa being fooled.

“I know ‘sorry’ too?!”

Yeah, good for you. Great, you know ‘sorry’ too.

“But how can you not feel uncomfortable when you travel? Isn’t it hard when you travel if you can’t speak English?”

“There’s a way for everything. I wasn’t hard or uncomfortable at all.”

“How?”

It was cute how he blinked innocently and asked. That’s why that bastard Kang Junwoo doesn’t answer easily either and keeps watching Kkotmoa’s reaction. Not knowing his place with high standards.

“Mm… should I tell you, or not. Not just anyone can do this.”

Right, it would be hard to communicate everything like that unless you had quite the thick skin.

Come to think of it, even when that guy who really can’t speak English went traveling with me to Las Vegas and San Francisco, he took the lead alone and handled everything himself. Whether at restaurants or hotels, I, who could communicate with native speakers, barely spoke any English, but the guy who only knew ‘hi,’ ‘hello,’ and ‘thank you’ somehow did everything. Ah, he said he knew ‘sorry’ too.

“What is it? I want to know too. Tell me, Junwoo-ya.”

“If I tell you, what will our Kkotmoa do for me?”

“What do you want me to do to tell me?”

“Mm… what should I ask for to get a reputation for speaking well…”

“Body language.”

Kang Junwoo’s behavior really looked so pathetic that I cut off his words and gave the answer instead. Seeing Kkotmoa getting hooked by Kang Junwoo, his pretty eyes sparkling brighter and brighter as he was gradually drawn in, I had to cut it off because it felt like he’d get eaten up. I’m really funny too—that bastard Kang Junwoo is a bit stupid and has dog-like aspects, but he’s not a monster who eats people.

What on earth am I worried about?

“Ah, fuck! Who are you to answer and make a fuss! I haven’t even thought about what to ask Kkotmoa to do yet!”

“You fraud bastard. Acting generous with body language.”

Kkotmoa, who had a blank expression for a moment as soon as he heard my answer, soon burst out laughing. That idiot who couldn’t even figure out if Kkotmoa’s words “it suits you well” were an insult showed a proud look saying “I know.” Kang Junwoo was a shameless bastard who solved everything in English-speaking countries without saying a single word of English, using facial expressions and hand and foot gestures. I wish he had even 1/100th of that shamelessness in social awareness, please.

No, should I actually be glad he mixed his social awareness into bibim-guksu and rolled it into mul-guksu and ate it? If he had social awareness, no matter how much I tried not to show it, the guy who’d been stuck to me since very young might have noticed my feelings. For the first time, I thought it was admirable that Kang Junwoo had no social awareness.

“Right. I also know ‘I love you.’ With just ‘I love you’ and ‘beautiful,’ I bedded a blonde-haired woman.”

On Kkotmoa’s face, which widened his eyes and asked “Really?”, curiosity and wonder hung. Listening to the overly exaggerated heroic tale being proudly rattled off, Kkotmoa was both suspicious, surprised, and amused. That face changing in all sorts of ways was really pretty. I clearly thought at first it was just an ordinary, gentle-looking face with nothing particularly outstanding, but now it looked prettier than anyone’s. As the kids had chattered about at some point, it seemed Kkotmoa would be the prettiest even if you combined all the girls in our school.

You, who were just a passing background, became special from the moment meaning was given in my heart.

“It’s true? With just one phrase ‘I love you,’ everything works! You think foreign women are different? ‘Beautiful,’ ‘I love you,’ and you’re all set. Keep in mind what hyung-nim says, Kkotmoa-ya. What do you just need to memorize?”

“I love you.”

Your voice, pronounced with giggles, stuck in my ear. No, it stuck in my heart. I realized now that even my heart has ears. How nice would it be if you said it while looking at me—I looked at you. You were playing with the neighborhood mutt pup, pronouncing ‘I love you’ in various tones. However, among the many ‘I love you’s that came from your mouth, not a single one was directed at me.

“Hyeondo-ya, is what Junwoo says true? Abroad, does everything work with just one phrase ‘I love you’?”

I wished you’d say it while looking at me, even if it was just passing words without sincerity.

“…What do you mean everything works with just one phrase?”

“I love you.”

I liked you so much, and just breathing together was good enough, so as much as I was happy, I was sad and agonized.

* * *

These days, suffering from improper fantasies every night, when I was alone with Kkotmoa in his narrow room like this, my mood would become strange. Guys talked about such things casually, and it was a topic I discussed often enough with Kang Junwoo, but no matter how curious I was, I couldn’t have barbaric conversations in front of Kkotmoa.

“Can I eat ramyeon today?”

The guy who was solving English problems while holding hands asked as soon as it became exactly 8 o’clock. As if he’d been waiting, counting the seconds for 8 o’clock to arrive, he looked clearly hungry. In a house without even a common wall-mounted air conditioner, relying on one old fan that rattled as it turned to escape the heat—but ramyeon?

“We ran out of rice yesterday, so Dad said he’d buy some on the way home from work today.”

Kkotmoa had never once shown embarrassment or shame about his family’s difficult circumstances or poverty. Even now, after saying it casually, he was taking out a single 5,000 won bill from his worn wallet. He was planning to go out and buy ramyeon.

According to what I found out through my secretary, the amount our company ordered from Kkotmoa’s flower shop was bigger than I thought. Since they’d be going in Father’s name, most would be flower baskets or wreaths, and the price could be estimated at over 100,000 won each. The amount was considerable to the point I wondered why they bought so many flowers. Kkotmoa also said recently that Dad had a lot of work so he couldn’t often go to the hospital. What was certain was that sales would be incomparably higher than before signing a contract with our company.

The reason I was rationalizing this much was because, no matter how much Kkotmoa boiled it, it was too hot and I felt like I couldn’t eat ramyeon even if I died.

“Not ramyeon, naengmyeon.”

“Naengmyeon? I’ve never made naengmyeon before. Isn’t that really complicated, having to make the broth and all?”

“We can order delivery. Mom asked if I was shamelessly freeloading dinner all the time on a kid who doesn’t even have enough time to study, called me a conscienceless bastard, and gave me 20,000 won this morning to order naengmyeon.”

I quickly added in case he hesitated because of money. Mom never said such things and didn’t give me 20,000 won in the morning. Aside from the 500,000 won monthly allowance given on the 1st of each month, Mom absolutely didn’t give me a single 10 won. Not even knowing I had three credit cards Dad gave me. Moreover, Mom thought I was studying at the reading room every day.

“Then you should have said so earlier. I like ramyeon too, but I like naengmyeon more.”

“If we were eating as usual, I was going to just pocket the 20,000 won.”

“…Are you short on allowance these days? Do you want the 20,000 won? Should I buy the naengmyeon? Thanks to D Group, Dad’s flower shop business is doing well these days, so my allowance went up. I get 130,000 won a month now.”

100,000 won or 130,000 won. What the hell is the difference? Ah, I really don’t know what to do with this kid. Seeing him look at me pitifully and say it innocently, I really feel like buying it and then some. He even looked genuinely proud and happy when he said his allowance went up to 130,000 won. Being with this kid makes me keep forgetting I’m the son of D Group. It’s not that he thinks of me as being in a similar situation to himself, but I feel frustrated yet warm and fuzzy from his boundless innocence.

“Sometimes it seems like you sincerely want to see me get beaten up by our mom?”

“Did it show? I’ll bring the flyer. Please tell your mom thank you.”

The guy who spoke with giggles left the room. Kkotmoa, who said he’d bring a flyer, must have been ordering right away because he was giving the address. As he returned to the room ordering one bibim-naengmyeon, one mul-naengmyeon, and king dumplings, he made eye contact with me. He hung up the phone saying the doorbell was broken so please knock, and said to me playfully.

“You’ll hate me.”

“Why.”

“I ordered so that I used up the full 20,000 won without even 10 won left.”

That measly 20,000 won isn’t regrettable at all, and if he wanted, I could buy him even 200,000 won worth, but seeing him laugh happily while teasing, I thought I should at least pretend to resent him. Kkotmoa really finds joy in even trivial things.

“You heartless guy. I thought I could at least pocket 5,000 won.”

“I’m not that loose. If you wanted to pocket even 5,000 won, you shouldn’t have told me you received 20,000 won.”

As long as you could be this happy and smile prettily like now, I didn’t care if I became a fool or an idiot. I just wanted to watch you smile a little longer. Because then I could smile like this too.