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Cough. Hack, pfft…
The source of the sounds wasn’t our table. The culprits were those sitting around watching Gong Minyeong.
“In, interested means… li, like, that kind of…”
Kim Hoseong, who avoided the disgrace of spitting out alcohol since there was nothing in his mouth, stammered. I clicked my tongue internally while thinking of the sinful man Cha Geonhyeok.
“Why go that far? I’m just interested enough that I want to hang out drinking together. I’ve never properly drunk with him before. He doesn’t really join drinking gatherings, you know.”
It was true. He didn’t seem to dislike alcohol, but Cha Geonhyeok didn’t appear at drinking gatherings much.
“Doesn’t he join even less than that guy? Still, that guy seems to go well to drinking gatherings with seniors.”
That guy? I turned my head following Gong Minyeong’s gaze. Thump. My heart dropped to my feet then surged back up. It was my Gyun. Gyun wearing a white shirt was tying on a black apron and smiling. Just seeing him, my face heated up in an instant.
“Why is the alcohol suddenly hitting you?”
At Gong Minyeong’s words, my head stiffened and I coughed unnecessarily while taking a sip of water, not alcohol. Gong Minyeong looked around.
“Anyway, I guess Geonhyeok isn’t coming today either.”
“He might… have come… Try contacting him once, Minyeong-ah.”
Kim Hoseong muttered in a gloomy voice like a protagonist suffering from unrequited love. Glug glug glug, he filled his glass with alcohol.
“If he came, he obviously would’ve come here. You two are close.”
Gong Minyeong pointed at me with the hand holding her glass. I tilted my head with a puzzled feeling. Cha Geonhyeok and I are close? Are we close? I don’t think we’ve been together much at school. I glanced at Woogyun while sparsely recalling our past actions. Gong Minyeong, who downed her remaining alcohol, gathered her phone and bag.
“I’m leaving. The kids are looking for me.”
“Ah… Sh, should I walk you there? I was going to the bathroom anyway.”
“Do as you please.”
Kim Hoseong jumped up, having received Gong Minyeong’s permission.
“Yunhae, drink alone for a bit.”
“Yeah. Come back. Bye.”
Gong Minyeong, who received my greeting with a single glance, boldly advanced into the festival scene that had become even more splendid with darkness having descended. Kim Hoseong chased after her. It was a bit lonely being alone, but it was okay. Just watching Woogyun who was making a wonderful smile while calculating would make time fly. I propped my chin on the table and looked at Woogyun.
What does he eat to be so handsome? What did he play with as a child to be so tall and fair? Ah, he’s smiling. Where did he learn to smile separately? Not only his neat eyelashes of proper length, but his straight nose bridge showed no mercy either. Still, the front view is better than the side profile. The front… Why does it seem like he’s getting closer…
“Yunhae-ya, why are you left alone?”
Gulp. I swallowed. My lips wouldn’t open. Woogyun held an empty corn cheese plate and alcohol bottle in his hands.
“Did the kids go to the bathroom?”
“…Yeah. Bathroom… Are you, starting work now?”
I finally opened my mouth, released my propped chin, and lowered my arm. My hands clasped together under the table were cold from tension.
“Yeah. There’s a shortage of hands today so I agreed to help, but fortunately the number of people was filled. Still, since I already agreed to do it, I’ll just do it for an hour. It’s my first time so I’m a bit nervous.”
My gaze wouldn’t leave his casually smiling appearance. I hoped my head would remember this scene as vividly as possible.
“…You seem to be doing the work well. From here, I can see you working well.”
Ah, was that a bit perverted? What I said to him was no different from saying I’d been watching continuously all along. I bit the inside of my cheek thinly. Right now I wanted to run exactly one lap around the playground—no more, no less. I was that out of my mind, and my head was a complete mess.
“Really? I feel good that you said I’m doing well. Want to order more? Or should I secretly bring you a drink?”
Angel. You’re just an angel. Don’t come down and stay there. Stay up there. Got it? Okay?
I no longer knew what I was thinking. Honestly, it was fortunate I hadn’t fainted. Why do I become so timid in front of someone I like so much? Why can’t I show a natural smile like usual? In the end, will I just freeze awkwardly like this again in front of the person I’ve given my heart to and have it end?
No. Not this time!
Countless loves that ended without properly opening my mouth once slapped my brain that was about to lose consciousness. I gained strength from pasts without shared memories. I exhaled long without showing it and calmly opened my lips.
“If you give it secretly, you’ll be in trouble. I was going to order anyway. Cola and… I’ll order one stir-fried spicy pork.”
“Okay. Wait just a bit.”
Woogyun, who cleaned up the table with a bright face, moved away. I let out a sigh of relief while watching Woogyun who was perfect even from behind.
“You’re doing well.”
Screech. A man who pulled out and sat on the plastic chair next to me said. So, Cha Geonhyeok. This bastard. I swung around toward him and grabbed his collar—no, the edge of his clothes.
“Why! Why are you only coming now, why!”
I shouted while killing my voice. It sounds impossible, but I also just learned this was possible.
“Let go. It’s hot.”
Cha Geonhyeok, who removed my hand, took off the denim jacket he was wearing. As if his words about being hot were true, sweat droplets ran down his neck. He picked up the glass in front of me and gulped down water. I tore off and handed him toilet paper like throwing it.
“Why couldn’t I reach you? Did you avoid me on purpose?”
“Why would I purposely avoid you?”
He spoke as if offended, roughly wiped his sweat, and picked up the soju bottle we’d only drunk one or two glasses from to fill a glass. Of course, it was my glass.
“Then what? You weren’t going to come, but just came? Ah, but did you see just now? Me having a conversation with Woogyun? Did you take a picture by any chance?”
Cha Geonhyeok looked at me like I was crazy. It was a mistake. As expected, the last question seemed a bit too much. Feeling embarrassed, I picked up the glass he filled and held it to his lips instead. As if letting it pass for now, Cha Geonhyeok silently snatched the glass and drank. He ate the completely cold pajeon as a snack.
“Ask him to drink together if he’s not busy after work ends.”
While saying that, he diligently advised me. I put strength into my firmly closed lips while belatedly placing the sauce in front of him.
“I want to do that, but, a bit…”
“Geonhyeok came too? Hi. Here’s the cola. Should I bring one more glass?”
Woogyun came. Even I could feel my body freezing. Cha Geonhyeok picked up the cola bottle with water droplets and twisted off the cap.
“No, I’m leaving soon. If you’re not busy, hang out with Lee Yunhae a bit. He says the kids abandoned him.”
Ah… I wasn’t sure what emotion it was, but I wanted to cover my eyes and sink into soft ground. So, it was good but embarrassing. I bowed my head deeply. Ah… Aah… Aaah…!
“Weren’t the kids at the bathroom? If you’re okay with me, should we drink together? I think if I tell the seniors, they’ll say to do so…”
“Then go tell them and come back. Bring your glass.”
“Yunhae-ya, should I come?”
Woogyun bent his knees and asked while matching his gaze to me with my head bowed. I rubbed my lips with the back of my hand and answered quietly, “Yeah.”
“I’ll tell them and come back. Wait.”
Woogyun, who spoke in an excessively sweet voice, left the front of the table with a smiling face. I reconnected the breathing that had been cut off at some point. And I grabbed Cha Geonhyeok’s arm and shook it wildly. Cha Geonhyeok spilled cola.
“Ah, what are you doing? If you’re grateful, say you’re grateful with words.”
“I am grateful…! I am grateful, but why did you say I was abandoned! What if Woogyun thinks I’m a kid with a strange personality!”
“You look stranger right now, so let go of this.”
A tearful face formed naturally. I let go of Cha Geonhyeok’s arm and poured alcohol to down it in one shot. Keke, laughter was heard. Naturally it was a sound Cha Geonhyeok made.
“Why are you laughing?”
“You’re happy, right?”
He smiled deeply while drinking the pitch-black cola. I hit his thigh once, not painfully.
“…I’m happy. Obviously.”
“Have fun. Talk a lot.”
The words were strange. I looked at him taking out his phone.
“Are you really leaving?”
“Yeah. Calls keep coming. Fuck, why.”
Cha Geonhyeok, who answered the phone harshly, got up. He picked up the jacket he’d taken off.
“Where are you? Do you want to die, really?”
His voice was scary. I looked up at him, thinking something must have happened. Our eyes met. Are you cold? He asked with his lips. I missed the timing to answer the sudden question.
“Don’t talk bullshit and where are you?”
Cha Geonhyeok continued the call while dropping his jacket on my lap with a thud. Fuck, I’m coming! He switched his grip on the phone, showed his back, and walked with big strides. He disappeared from view in an instant. What’s this… I was thinking quietly when I sensed presences. Multiple ones.
“Yunhae-ya, I brought more kids. Looks like Geonhyeok already left.”
“Yunhae! Your lord has arrived!”
“I came too!”
My Gyun returned with two classmates.
“Oh… you came? Sit here.”
I was momentarily flustered since I didn’t expect others to appear, but since I’d clinked glasses with them often, I could smile quickly.
