Side car 1)
Load the cartridge and set the stock against the shoulder. Find the center of gravity and wait. The moment the bullet fires toward the flying target, recoil shakes the body.
Shoot.
And hit.
A clear, fast game with only one outcome.
That’s why Kang Ikwon liked shooting.
***
“Oh, you really came?”
Completely drunk Moon Jaeyoung waved his glass. On a summer night, the closed hotel was bright with lights, and the party held on the construction site was rowdy with raging intoxication and excitement. Kang Ikwon’s gaze slowly swept around before settling back on the glass. His expressionless face, neatly tucking away his twisted mood, rippled along with the swaying liquor.
What the hell is this?
“Well… it’s not wrong, is it?”
Moon Jaeyoung shrugged and pointed at the water floating with shoes, cans, and plastic.
“Hotel, and… swimming pool.”
To be precise, it was what used to be a swimming pool, not a swimming pool. Moon Jaeyoung downed the rest of his drink and tossed it into the half-filled pool. Kang Ikwon stared intently at the plastic cup bobbing on the dirty water.
Even in Korea, where he’d returned for the first time in a year for his precious break, Kang Ikwon maintained the same regular routine of exercise-meals-work-sleep as in America. He went back and forth between home and the fitness center, living according to New York time and speaking English. Moon Jaeyoung would have been right to sneer that the only things that changed during his vacation were his sparkling water brand and jogging route. Regardless, the only complaint Kang Ikwon had while thoroughly enjoying his rest in his own way was the fitness center’s narrow swimming pool. That’s why he’d been uncharacteristically tempted. By Moon Jaeyoung’s bullshit.
“Don’t look at the present, look at the future. This place is going to become a really cool hotel.”
Moon Jaeyoung, whose brain already seemed to be sloshing with beer, squatted down and tap-tapped the floor. It was a more aggressive posture than when he talked about investments.
“When it reopens, they’re going to fill that whole ground with a pool. Sexy, right? You’re looking at the last body before a full-body makeover.”
It’s going to become more of a mess than this? Kang Ikwon only glanced sideways and scanned the surroundings again. He could see the old, simple white walls of the building that had once operated as a business hotel. The sale was already complete, but the lights turned on for today were bright. Thanks to that, it was a mistake not to notice anything strange until he came in. Moon Jaeyoung looked around at the men swarming everywhere in the building and sighed with satisfaction.
“I wish hell was here. I really love parties.”
Then you should enjoy it while you’re alive.
Splash!
Before he could even understand what that meant, Moon Jaeyoung was dunked into the water. Holy shit! Kang Ikwon leisurely watched him spit out water and curses while struggling to crawl out, and just as Moon Jaeyoung was about to place his hand down, kicked him back in.
Fuck! Eden, you!!
Moon Jaeyoung freaked out and shook off the water.
Someone just threw up here!
Suits you.
Kang Ikwon pulled up the hood of his zip-up. His impression, which had been cold due to low pressure, became much fiercer. Unlike his cool eyes that contributed to this, his softly smiling lips moved soundlessly.
See you later.
Fucked. Knowing how long Kang Ikwon held grudges, Moon Jaeyoung waited obediently in the dirty water floating with trash until he left. It was the first time he’d been covered in sewage, but everyone gets dumped into unexpected misfortune at least once in their life anyway. Like encountering lightning-like bad luck, or falling into lightning-like love.
The interior was chaotically messy and the music was loud, but unlike the nuance associated with gay parties, it wasn’t promiscuous. Because of the game machines that seemed to have been dragged out of a closed arcade and the lamps thrown here and there to cover for the inadequate lighting, if not for the men walking around in revealing swimsuits, it might have looked like a hipster community camping trip or community carnival at a glance.
As soon as he saw the entrance blocked by a huge beer keg that had just been brought in, Kang Ikwon turned around without hesitation to find another exit. Buzz, as if drawing his attention focused on a distant place, a vibration rang in his pocket. It was his mother.
— Isn’t your flight this weekend?
Yes.
— But how can you not contact us even once? Stop by home before you go.
Why. Is Father saying something again?
— Look at that way of talking. Seonho and Seonwoo say they want to see their uncle. You’re so cold-hearted.
Thinking of his young nephews who always looked gloomy and tense when they saw him, Kang Ikwon snorted. Now she’s telling all kinds of ridiculous lies. His mother, who traveled to and from the U.S. like it was nothing, had no reason to be suddenly sentimental about Kang Ikwon’s departure. However, after her youngest son’s coming out that absolutely refused to go her way, she had changed strategies and was subtly forcing him to get close to his nephews.
Even if I’m nice to them now, they won’t remember anyway. It’s been what, a year since they were potty trained?
— Seonho starts school next year…
His mother seemed newly shocked by Kang Ikwon’s indifference.
— What are you going to do being so indifferent to your family? If you’re not going to have your own kids, who else will be by your side for life besides us? Do you even date properly? And it’s not like your personality is good either.
Anyway, don’t worry. I’ll take care of my old age.
— Who’s worried about that?
His mother grumbled, hit right on the mark.
— And do you have to speak English even here?
It’s comfortable. Everyone leaves me alone.
— Oh my, I really lose affection for you.
Then I’ll hang up.
If affection is going to be lost anew every time, it would be easier to just withdraw it all at once. Kang Ikwon thought as he pulled the door attached to the side of the pool partition wall.
Consider this an early goodbye.
— Sunday at the airport—
You don’t need to come out.
He was just about to cut off the call. Something that flew through the air like it was slashing grazed his cheek. At the same time, someone who had been leaning against the door slipped like butter on a pan and plop, fell into his arms.
“Ah.”
Even wet, lightly floating hair tickled his neck. The man with a cigarette in his mouth turned his head. Fine, sparse-feeling eyelashes and white cheeks briefly caught his gaze, like his hair.
“I’m sorry.”
The man who had been leaning on Kang Ikwon stepped aside and apologized. Kang Ikwon’s gaze passed over him and stuck to the dirty floor. Between his reflexively tilted head and hand that had dodged what flew at him, his fallen phone was rolling around. People passing by kicked it like trash. Staring intently at the phone being stepped on and pushed away, Kang Ikwon slowly turned his head. The one who should receive the apology wasn’t this man.
“…Uh… I wasn’t trying to shoot at you.”
Only then did the culprit of the frozen situation mumble an excuse instead of an apology and hesitantly approach. Cornrows braided on the sides and a loud patterned Hawaiian shirt stood out. From his awkward stance as if flustered and the object in his hand, he was clearly the culprit of this commotion. The cornrows, who had seemed intimidated by the tall figure in the black hood, smiled awkwardly as if relieved when Kang Ikwon grinned.
“Uh, are you okay?”
Do I look okay?
“What?”
Not understanding the English, or so it seemed, cornrows tilted his head with the same smiling face. As the stylishly braided hair came closer, Kang Ikwon grabbed his temple and applied pressure as if to crush it.
“Aaah!”
Cornrows, who had been off guard, screamed. Grabbing and twisting his flailing arm, he caught the gun falling from the weakened hand. After examining the cheap airsoft gun that kids would play with, he flicked it lightly, spinning it. Kang Ikwon stretched out his arm as is and fired the gun without aiming. The small, crude BB pellet shot out and shot down the stacked beer tower, collapsing it with a loud noise.
A low laugh that didn’t match the situation was heard. Kang Ikwon casually threw his gaze. The man leaning against the wall instead of the door muttered as if talking to himself.
“Cool.”
Through the roughly thrown-on robe, a nearly naked, defenseless body was visible. Unlike cornrows, it was a black, simple swimsuit. The man, who had kept his eyes on the scattered pile of cans for a moment, looked back at Kang Ikwon. A man with surprisingly soft contours. Even under the dim lighting, there were almost no jagged, bumpy lines.
“You bastard… let go, it was a mistake!”
The subdued cornrows twisted his body and groaned. Without even turning his head, Kang Ikwon pressed the gun firmly against the back of his neck.
Firing a bullet at someone and calling it a mistake, you still haven’t come to your senses.
Unlike his hand, Kang Ikwon’s shooting gaze sniped not cornrows but the man. But he didn’t seem to have any intention of saving cornrows at all. The man crossed his arms and just silently watched cornrows, the man pathetically subdued. The cigarette stuck in his lips slowly swayed along with him, as if lost in thought. The man’s eyes curved long like waves from the front to the tail, giving an impression of a smile pooled in them even when not smiling. So even his expressionless face didn’t feel cold and just seemed to be quietly gazing at the other person.
Eden, why are you taking out your anger there?
Moon Jaeyoung, passing by, shouted from afar.
Do it in moderation. Don’t start trouble in a place like this.
…Mind your own business.
Kang Ikwon spoke in a low voice that wouldn’t be heard, without taking his eyes off the man. Moon Jaeyoung shrugged and said “Someone throw that guy out” leaving a request Kang Ikwon hadn’t made, then turned around. At the same time, the man pulled away from the wall with a surprised face.
“Ah.”
Kang Ikwon’s head, which had naturally turned to follow, stiffened. The phone that had been pushed all the way to poolside after being kicked around got caught by Moon Jaeyoung’s foot. Moon Jaeyoung didn’t hesitate to kick it like an empty can that blocked his path. Kang Ikwon’s phone flew through the air and plop, was dunked into the water. Not knowing what he’d done, Moon Jaeyoung quickly disappeared with his wet body.
Ha.
