Hyung threw the watch at me. When I examined it carefully, it was indeed a very familiar guy.
“…Why do you have this?”
“You left it. On Christmas of last year, no less.”
“Did I come here then?”
“Would you have just come?”
Hyung clicked his tongue with an expression of what should I do with this fool.
“You came here wasted after making a scene with Byun Taeuk.”
“Ah…”
I blinked.
“So I broke up with him then.”
He was my last lover. We broke up so messily that I honestly want to quickly remove that title, but since my relationship with Kang Ikwon doesn’t have a clear label, I can’t remove it yet.
“Hyung, was I really drunk that day?”
Instead of answering, hyung pointed at the watch.
“Want me to tell you why this is here and not on your wrist?”
“…No. Scary. I don’t want to hear it.”
I threw the watch far away as if chasing away an unpleasant evil spirit.
“You need to get your brain checked for how your memory completely blacks out like that. Either that or quit drinking.”
At the end of his lecture, hyung returned the half-full beer bottle like giving a rice cake to a troublesome child. I tilted the bottle at the smallest angle possible and sipped timidly. It’s pathetic to drink even after hearing that, but I don’t have the confidence not to imagine what I did without drinking.
“Hyung, that was already months ago, why didn’t you tell me until now?”
“I was watching. To see how far you wouldn’t remember.”
Hyung, who had successfully toyed with me, held up the watch that had flown to the back of the bar.
“Not taking it?”
“Throw it away. That bastard gave me that.”
I glanced at the dangling black watch strap and turned my head. I kept thinking things given by ex-boyfriends always somehow disappeared, so they disappeared like this. Hyung shook his head and threw the watch back to me, saying “You throw it away.” Unlike before, the watch hit my forehead when I didn’t even pretend to catch it and fell onto my lap. I stared at it blankly.
When dating someone, I’m not particularly the type to frequently exchange gifts. There were few people who lasted long enough to celebrate anniversaries, and I was originally averse to couple items. From the pickup to expensive meals and hotels, Kang Ikwon naturally bore everything so I didn’t even have a chance to open my wallet, but he didn’t give gifts that would remain in physical form. That actually felt like consideration not to burden me, so I was comfortable.
“Whatever. When he’s treating me well, what’s the problem?”
So what if he likes me too much? It’s better than hating me. Maybe he’s overdoing it because this kind of proper dating game is a first for him. After gulping down that insincere self-questioning conclusion along with the beer, I tapped the table.
“Hyung, so anyway, forget about that, I have a favor.”
“Your worries are already over? Must be nice to have a simple life.”
“You’re dating a classical radio PD these days, right? Get me one concert ticket.”
“It’s trot though.”
“That won’t work! I need a classical ticket.”
“You?”
Hyung narrowed his eyes while organizing coasters.
“You do know Schumann and Lee Soo-man are different people, right?”
“That’s why, I don’t know what’s good at all. Not those cheap free tickets they hand out, something decent… Expensive is fine. No, preferably expensive and famous would be good.”
“I’ll ask. Lots of those come in anyway.”
“Thanks.”
I smiled brightly. Kang Ikwon unilaterally pours so much onto me. It was when I was quietly excited with the thought of reciprocating to him who only gives, even though it’s very trivial.
“Long time no see.”
The smile that had welled up from sincerity faded. O’Bar is like my long-time nest, but there’s one bad thing about that. Familiar faces aren’t always welcome faces.
As if the watch had summoned him, an awkward man sat next to me. He was the very owner of this Timex watch. Ah, hyung. I resented the innocent Pujo hyung. Do better business, don’t leave empty seats. I leaned back my shoulders to create distance from the way he stuck close as if it were natural like when we were dating. Not caring about my obvious reluctance, my last ex-boyfriend asked nonchalantly:
“I heard you’re going around with something amazing these days?”
“You mean my cock?”
“You even brought him here, must be pretty special.”
The unknown musical actor who’d been through it all didn’t even flinch at my lame counterattack. I pushed away the beer bottle with a face that had lost its taste for alcohol.
“I don’t know why rumors always only spread halfway. I met him here. There’s no bringing or not bringing.”
“I heard it was an unfamiliar face?”
“Then would the business work with only the same old faces?”
“You really lucked out.”
There were thorns in his words.
“Catching a clueless big fish in one go. Is it good luck?”
“It’s good ability.”
“Be careful. You’re the type who always gets hit from behind.”
“Is that something you should be saying right now?”
I snickered while turning the empty beer bottle. Of course, I’m not laughing because it’s funny.
“Why? What can’t I do?”
Whether he didn’t read the room or just wanted to pick a fight, the bastard argued back shamelessly and confidently. I sighed while looking at the ceiling. Pujo hyung glanced over with a face that wanted to stop it but was hard to intervene. Right, I shouldn’t cause a scene in someone else’s place of business.
“Hey, Byun Tae.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“If you don’t like it, wait until I forget your name. It won’t even take that long.”
Byun Taeuk, who paid expensive money at a fortune-telling place to change to a cool stage name, trembled. Seeing that face twisted with irritation made me feel a bit better.
“Byun Taeuk, if you have any conscience, you shouldn’t be able to confidently pick a fight with me right now, you shouldn’t be able to sarcastically mock me like that when you’re the bastard who backstabbed me, and fuck, you shouldn’t even come here if you had any sense.”
“Backstabbed? I suffered so much mentally when we broke up.”
“So what? Then you shouldn’t have been two-timing in the first place.”
“Is that two-timing? I didn’t do it on purpose, I was trying to do well because I liked you.”
“So it’s my fault? Fuck off. No, don’t fuck off. I don’t want to see your cock.”
I spun my chair around completely to glare at the guy. Seeing the gentle face that suited the bullshit of claiming to be a victim so plausibly, I recalled Pujo hyung’s scolding that I only meet people who don’t live up to their face value. I understand why hyung nonsensically teases me about being a love bug. I accepted and embraced these kinds of people, so it’s understandable. But my tolerance is only exercised when you’re my person, okay? In my annoyed mood, I habitually put a cigarette in my mouth and immediately spit it out. The bastard made a dumbfounded expression.
“You spit out cigarettes instead of spit these days?”
“No. I was trying to just hold it in my mouth.”
It’s not the situation for that, but without realizing it, a hollow laugh leaked out. The face that was distorting thinking I was mocking him completely crumpled at my following words.
“In case you might get turned on seeing me.”
“What are you saying, are you crazy?”
“Mind your own business.”
I ignored the bastard and stared blankly at the cigarette that had fallen on the floor.
“It’s a joke only we understand.”
I suddenly wanted to see Kang Ikwon fiercely. Naturally like food appeals to a hungry stomach, desperately like a thirsty person. I want to see Kang Ikwon who gets turned on by me smoking. The brows that had been annoyingly narrowed smoothed out gently and a real smile leaked out without me realizing. Whether that properly touched a nerve, the agitated Byun Taeuk threw the napkin case placed next to him.
“Don’t treat people like idiots in front of them, you son of a bitch!”
When I lightly caught the flying box with one hand, he grumbled with an even more irritated expression.
“Hey, how long do you think you’ll last with him?”
“Why are you curious about that?”
I sneered with a smile that gently scratched to fan his anger. But at the next words, the laughter disappeared from my face.
“Before you break up anyway, introduce me.”
“Ha. Did you just put my boyfriend on a waiting list?”
“Why? It’s not like I’m saying let’s share.”
“Then you want to pick him up in order?”
“You hate eating together anyway, for all your airs.”
Instead of retorting, I threw back the napkin case I was holding. The plastic I sent flying with all my strength without holding back hit the guy’s forehead and fell. With a loud noise, napkins scattered down onto the floor.
“Ugh…”
“There are chairs and bottles everywhere, but you only have the guts to pick and throw something like this, where do you get off coveting what’s mine?”
“You… fuck.”
“Use your head, you bastard. If you talk like that, even if I was going to break up, I want to fucking stay together for a hundred years. Even if you came to beg on your knees it would piss me off, but you’re being shameless and scratching my nerves.”
I threw the watch at the bastard who was groaning while holding his forehead. The watch that went around and around to find its owner was not welcomed, however, and slightly missed Byun Taeuk and fell to the floor. I clicked my tongue with an unpleasant feeling. If I’d thrown it a bit more to the side, it would’ve hit him. What a waste.
Before the bastard could start talking nonsense again, I approached, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him out. He struggled, but he’s a scaredy-cat with no strength compared to his poisonous mouth anyway, so he couldn’t properly resist. I pushed the bastard toward the stairs like throwing a garbage bag.
“Don’t act up and go practice. You need to make it big sometime too, right?”
“You do well yourself, you bastard! Don’t pretend to be the only victim!”
The last stubborn screaming comes over beyond the closing door. As befitting a musical actor, his vocal projection is excellent.
