The bicycle I bought on Nanneomukeoeyeowo’s recommendation was still nicely placed in one corner of the house.
I confessed honestly.
“Actually, I don’t know how to ride a bicycle…… so I bought it but haven’t ridden it even once yet.”
“Aha. Then, shall I teach you?”
Nanneomukeoeyeowo actively stepped forward.
At those words, I pondered. In the past, I would have refused right away because meeting in person would feel burdensome, but seeing how I overcame the awkwardness when I first met Banye and have been living well until now, it seemed like meeting Nanneomukeoeyeowo might be better than expected.
Moreover, if not for Nanneomukeoeyeowo’s help, the bicycle I deliberately bought would likely end up just gathering dust like a decoration.
When I didn’t say anything, Nanneomukeoeyeowo added.
“I’ve taught many beginners, you know. It’s not as difficult as you think, so you can learn roughly in a day.”
“One day? I don’t think I can learn in one day……. I feel like I’ll just fall.”
“I’ll lend you protective gear too. Then you won’t get seriously hurt.”
Nanneomukeoeyeowo offset all my concerns. It was the speech skill of someone who had already persuaded several people.
“Okay. Then…….”
In the end, I ended up making an appointment with Nanneomukeoeyeowo to ride bicycles.
* * *
As the day of my appointment with Nanneomukeoeyeowo approached, I gradually regretted it.
‘Did I make the appointment for no reason?’
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t picture the two of us riding bicycles together. Just imagining it was suffocatingly awkward.
I realized this was the same pattern of regret as when I boldly invited Banye to my house, but like then, I couldn’t back out anymore.
‘He said he’d come near my area…….’
While deciding where to meet, I told him the area where I live, and he said there was a park good for learning to ride bicycles around there, so we set the appointment near my house.
I couldn’t tell someone who went to such trouble that it wasn’t necessary, so I prayed that something urgent would come up for Nanneomukeoeyeowo. Of course, that didn’t happen.
As the appointment time approached, I cautiously gauged the situation and went out of my room. Even though learning to ride a bicycle wasn’t a crime, Banye’s gaze at the bicycle wasn’t favorable…… so I felt awkward for no reason.
When I sneakily checked, Banye was in his room having a meeting with Jorangi-nim. Since I had told him I’d go out for a bit, I carefully dragged the bicycle outside without making a sound.
“Whew…….”
When I came outside the house, tense for no reason, I unknowingly let out the breath I’d been holding.
I dragged the heavy burden called a bicycle and headed to the meeting place with Nanneomukeoeyeowo. The place we agreed to meet was in front of the plaza at a park near the Han River.
“Over here!”
While looking around, I heard a loud voice. Even though I’d never met him in person, it was a voice I heard often, so I could recognize it at once.
It was Nanneomukeoeyeowo.
When I turned my head toward where the sound came from, I could see Nanneomukeoeyeowo standing in front of a bench. Nanneomukeoeyeowo in casual clothing was tall and had very straight posture, making a much better impression in person than in photos.
“……Ah, hello.”
“Yes. Hello.”
Even though I was very awkward, Nanneomukeoeyeowo naturally greeted me as if familiar with this kind of situation. I sat down next to Nanneomukeoeyeowo who sat beside me.
“Have you eaten?”
“Yes, I ate before coming…… haven’t you eaten?”
“I also ate lightly. Um, shall we move around a bit and eat lunch later?”
“Yes. Yep…….”
“You don’t need to be so nervous.”
Nanneomukeoeyeowo said very kindly. I nodded at those words, but honestly I was so awkward I wanted to run away immediately.
I think it was like this with Banye at first too, and remembering that time made it feel new again……. Thinking I’d get used to it eventually, I smiled awkwardly.
“First, shall we put on the protective gear?”
Knowing I was feeling awkward, Nanneomukeoeyeowo took out equipment from the backpack he brought.
He thoroughly prepared equipment to protect knees, elbows, and wrists, plus even a helmet.
Nanneomukeoeyeowo personally fitted that equipment on me.
“I can do it myself…….”
“You might get hurt if you do it carelessly. It’s better to be thorough with things like this, right?”
“Yees…….”
The only people around wearing protective gear were little kids, but I was too scared of falling to dare say I’d take it off.
After putting on all the protective gear and handing me the helmet, Nanneomukeoeyeowo asked.
“May I ask your name?”
“N, name?”
“I can’t call you Aang-nim here too.”
That’s true, but…….
I hesitated before telling him my name.
“Ryu Hanyoung.”
“I see. I’m Min Seonwoo. Call me whatever’s comfortable.”
Nanneomukeoeyeowo told me his name, but I didn’t think I’d have occasion to call him by it.
However, I was calling Nanneomukeoeyeowo’s name loudly in less than a minute.
“Ahhh! Seonwoo-ssi, hold me! Please!”
“I’m holding you. Haha! Uh, don’t look back.”
The bicycle was wobbling and kept trying to fall over, but Seonwoo-ssi just laughed and showed no sign of holding me properly. When I see things like on TV, there are many people who just let go at moments like this, so I couldn’t trust Seonwoo-ssi for no reason.
Because of that, I kept looking back, and each time Seonwoo-ssi told me not to look back. I eventually couldn’t last a minute and put my foot on the ground.
“Huff, huff……. You really didn’t let go, right?”
“I said I didn’t let go. But for your first time, you’re riding well.”
“……I don’t think so.”
I didn’t feel like he was holding the back part of the seat at all……?
But Seonwoo-ssi said he was holding on from beginning to end, and if I really couldn’t believe it, he’d hold my shoulders from behind this time.
I thought that would be better, so I asked him to do that. Unexpectedly firm hands pressed down on my shoulders.
“Is this better?”
“Mmmm…….”
I wobbled and put my feet on the ground again and shook my head.
“No……. It’s uncomfortable.”
“Right. Um, then shall I show you how I ride?”
“Yes…….”
Seonwoo-ssi lightly pushed off the ground and mounted the seat, moved the handlebars a few times, then smoothly rolled the bicycle. It was worlds different from me constantly wobbling the entire bicycle.
‘Li, like this? Like this?’
I tried to imitate Seonwoo-ssi as I watched, but it was too difficult. I felt like my body was out of control and moving on its own.
Moreover, several elementary school students had gathered around me and were showing off riding two-wheeled bicycles. Their gazes seemed to find it fascinating that I, an adult, couldn’t ride a bicycle.
‘Damn, I’m becoming a spectacle……!’
I seemed to stand out because of the excessive(?) protective gear, so I begged Seonwoo-ssi to remove the equipment.
“After all, the knee pads seem a bit excessive…….”
“If you fall, your legs get hurt the most.”
However, Seonwoo-ssi firmly refused.
I couldn’t bring myself to argue that it was embarrassing given his words were for my safety, so I had no choice but to continue rolling the bicycle with him.
Continuously, and again…….
* * *
“Oh! I did it!”
And at about the 1-hour mark.
I could finally ride a two-wheeled bicycle without someone else holding it!
I fell dozens of times in between and almost got Seonwoo-ssi hurt too, but…… Seonwoo-ssi was so persistent and tenacious that I couldn’t bring myself to say I didn’t want to, so I ended up doing it to the end.
Seonwoo-ssi watched me contentedly, and I wobbled but still went all the way around the park’s round fountain and stopped in front of Seonwoo-ssi by grabbing the brake. Not by stopping with my feet!
“Wooaaah!”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you so much!”
“I told you you could ride. I said you could do it.”
“I really can do this…….”
I looked at Seonwoo-ssi with sparkling eyes, overwhelmed. Seonwoo-ssi looked at me contentedly and suddenly gave me a surprise gift too.
“Until you get used to it from now on, make sure to wear this protective gear when you ride.”
“Don’t tell me, you’re giving me all of this?”
“Yes. I bought it to give to you.”
“I’m really touched…….”
Such a truly kind person……. I habitually almost clung to him like I do with Banye, then flinched slightly when I realized the other person was Nanneomukeoeyeowo.
But since I wasn’t used to receiving things like this, my hands were itching again, so I thought to myself.
‘Instead, I should buy lunch today.’
So I asked Seonwoo-ssi.
“Um, but aren’t you hungry?”
Seonwoo-ssi went “Hmm…….” as if thinking, then soon answered.
“I’m not that hungry, but my mouth is a bit bored.”
“Right? Shall we go eat?”
“Sounds good. I know a good restaurant near here, is Korean food okay?”
“Yes, yes!”
So Seonwoo-ssi would take the lead and I would follow behind.
However, I wasn’t skilled enough yet to travel by bicycle, so we decided to store the bicycle at the park and go in Seonwoo-ssi’s car.
But the protective gear was a problem again. These protective gears were quite tricky to remove, just as much as putting them on.
“I’ll help you.”
“Yes…….”
In the end, I had to wait obediently for Min Seonwoo-ssi to remove them. I felt just like a little kid.
