“No, hardly. But I do shooting as a hobby, so it might be easier. The principle is similar.”
An unexpected answer came out.
“Wow… shooting.”
I think there’s a shooting range in Yangsoori. Recalling the only shooting knowledge I had besides the Olympics, I nodded vaguely.
“That’s unexpected. Then you shoot and hit like that with a pistol?”
“It’s a bit different but similar. What I mainly enjoy is clay shooting—hitting pigeons with a shotgun.”
“Pigeons…?”
“Discs.”
The man explained patiently. His eyes looking at me were calm and kind without any hint of mockery.
“It originated from pigeon hunting, so you hit discs that fly up.”
“How do you hit something flying up?”
“Shotguns are made to easily hit moving targets.”
He pulled out the remaining dart pins clutched in my hand and spread them in a row like cards.
“Multiple small pellets are fired. They spread widely to increase the probability of hitting the target.”
“Amazing.”
“Want to go try it together sometime?”
“Sure. I’ve never done it.”
The man calmly organized the dart pins he was holding and pushed them to the corner.
“Never once?”
“Yeah. I mean, I’ve had no occasion to try it.”
“Why, you did it at the arcade.”
Pujo hyung said. He looked anxious, wanting to join in earlier but unable to find the timing. I chuckled and gestured toward hyung.
“Say hello, this is the owner hyung. Just call him Pujo.”
“My greeting is late.”
When he bowed his head in an upright posture as if at an interview, hyung hurriedly bowed back.
“No, I’m the owner here, Pujo, no, Jo Seonggyu. Please call me whatever’s comfortable.”
Pujo hyung’s attitude was beyond polite, almost approaching reverent. Watching him not knowing what to do with himself, even offering up his real name unprompted, I felt a strange sense of incongruity somewhere. Unlike bowing politely toward Pujo hyung, the man’s greeting really ended there. The manner in which he boldly and naturally omitted introducing himself except for the minimum necessary words was quite, how should I say…
“You haven’t ordered yet?”
“Huh? Oh yeah. What do you want to drink?”
I was a bit flustered without knowing why.
“I’ll just have sparkling water.”
“Because of the car? Call a driver.”
“I don’t like leaving my car to strangers.”
“Really?”
The interior that was always clean like a new car and the sleek black body without a single scratch came to mind. I didn’t know because he never showed that side to me.
“You’re really the type who cherishes your car.”
“I don’t like other people’s hands on anything that’s mine.”
An unexpectedly sharp answer came back. It was refreshing because this was the first time he’d expressed such firm likes and dislikes in front of me.
“I thought you just said yes to everything, but this is unexpected.”
“Is that a deduction?”
“Is this an audition? If it’s severe it’s a problem, but your level is cute. Then drink this. It doesn’t have alcohol.”
“Yes.”
“Or this.”
“That’s good too.”
“You do this again right after I say something. Don’t you have much you like or dislike?”
At my playful reproach, he smiled slightly.
“Not having clear preferences isn’t necessarily bad.”
“What’s good about it?”
“You can experience a wide range of things without resistance.”
“Hmm.”
“And then when something you really like rarely appears,”
His gaze deepened gently.
“Wouldn’t that be truly special?”
And he carefully stroked my forehead and cheek as if I was definitely included in that small number of really good things. His hand, large enough to cover my face at once, lingered around hesitantly before grazing the edge of my lips and moving away. My throat suddenly felt dry. Not thirst, but parched.
“Is it okay that it’s non-smoking?”
When I pulled out a cigarette instead of alcohol, he gestured toward Pujo hyung with his eyes. Hyung, who had been noticeably hovering only in front of us today, quickly stepped forward and intercepted the answer.
“That’s his bad habit.”
“I just hold it in my mouth sometimes when I’m bored.”
I explained while glancing at hyung.
“Like today when I’m not drinking much and just chatting.”
“That’s rare.”
Ignoring my signal not to say unnecessary things, hyung grinned while setting up glasses.
“Usually something else is in his mouth… not cigarettes.”
“Ah, hyung.”
At my serious tone, hyung flinched. I glared at hyung with the cigarette in my mouth, then stood up forcefully. Then, gripping the bar table, I yanked his neck.
“Your stomach must be killing you, huh?”
“Hey!”
When I stuck my face close as if to kiss him, hyung was horrified. For Pujo hyung who detests physical contact, this is a prank that works no matter how many times I use it. I bit the cigarette tightly between my teeth and grinned like a villain.
“Hyung. Want to play a dirty game with me?”
“Don’t! Don’t!”
“Stay still. I’ll stick mine right in that frisky mouth of yours.”
I squeezed both of hyung’s cheeks to compress them and randomly jabbed the cigarette at his protruding lips. Hyung refused with clenched teeth, twisting his head this way and that. We were both putting force into our arms, laughing mindlessly while clinging to each other, when—
—Thud.
A dull sound like something bumping and rolling came from behind, and Pujo hyung’s eyes widened. Before I could even turn around—clatter, crash!! Sharp sounds rang out in succession.
“What?”
As soon as I turned my head in surprise, I immediately locked eyes with him. He too seemed surprised, his expression rigidly stiff. Instead of the glass that had been placed in front, I saw a puddle of water.
“Did you drop the cup?”
“…Seems like it.”
He answered ambiguously as if it were someone else’s business. I approached, stopping him from getting up.
“Don’t move, it’s dangerous.”
I spat out the cigarette and crouched down to check under the chair. Fortunately, because it was a heavy cup, it hadn’t shattered to pieces—only the edges were chipped as if shaved off.
“The sound was loud but we avoided disaster. Hyung, give me the broom.”
“Huh?”
“Broom or vacuum.”
“Ah, yeah.”
Hyung, who’d been standing there strangely spaced out, soon brought a handheld vacuum.
“I’ll do it.”
He reached out but I shook my head and pushed him back.
“It’s fine. I’m good at this.”
Obviously a young master who’s never run a vacuum himself. As if my guess was true, unlike usual, he didn’t actively step forward but just stayed quietly attached to my side. Along with that, folding those long legs uncomfortably sitting down, staring intently as if trying to memorize the operating principle of the handheld vacuum—his face was so serious it made me laugh. As if noticing, he suddenly turned his gaze and looked straight at me.
“It must be an illness after all.”
“Out of nowhere, what illness?”
Hand tremors? I chuckled and touched his soft-as-feather hair as if grazing it. The man, much bigger than me, looked like a clumsy and awkward younger brother.
“You don’t have to overreact over breaking one cup.”
He, who’d been quietly entrusting his head to my comfort, took the vacuum from my hand. To lighten his mood, I brushed off my hands and threw out a teasing rebuke for no reason.
“How do you break a cup just sitting still? What were you distracted by?”
“I was just watching.”
The man smiled.
“You two seem close.”
When he handed over the vacuum, Pujo hyung carefully took it as if it were poison. Hyung, who’d been about to go inside, suddenly turned around and asked point-blank.
“You didn’t break it on purpose earlier, did you?”
“Hyung. What are you saying?”
Surprised, I looked between them alternately. Fortunately, the man’s face was calm without any sign of hurt feelings. Hyung bit his lips hard then said “Sorry” before going inside to empty the vacuum. After that, hyung’s attitude was awkwardly distant unlike before. The man seemed not to care at all about that stiff atmosphere, but I felt uncomfortable and decided to leave earlier than planned.
“We’re not young anymore.”
While the man was settling the bill, Pujo hyung grabbed me and suddenly said.
“What’s with the sudden truth bomb?”
To me blinking, hyung gave advice he rarely gives.
“Play quietly somewhere out of sight, in moderation. It hasn’t even been that long since your mess and you’re standing out too much as a set. You know better than anyone how easily fame becomes notoriety, right?”
