“Gujeolpan.”
Joo Seonghan said.
“Pan… Pansa.”
Han Jaejun, who had been walking beside him, relaxed his furrowed brow and spoke. Kang Hyeonjoo glanced sideways at Joo Seonghan. When the hesitating Joo Seonghan gave a slight nod, Kang Hyeonjoo suppressed a smile and opened his mouth.
“Saranghae.”
“…Hae jil nyeok.”
“Ah, we agreed not to use hae jil nyeok! And what kind of word is saranghae!”
Han Jaejun shouted angrily. Kang Hyeonjoo, who had said saranghae, tapped the shoulder of Joo Seonghan, who had said hae jil nyeok.
“…I never said I wouldn’t use hae jil nyeok.”
Joo Seonghan muttered the line that Kang Hyeonjoo had secretly requested. Then he carefully handed his cell phone and lighter from his pocket to the fuming Han Jaejun. At least he felt less sorry since he had few belongings. Unlike Joo Seonghan, Kang Hyeonjoo threw all his items except weapons to Han Jaejun with an endlessly refreshed face.
“They don’t even weigh much, but you look like you’re gonna live just because there are only a few items.”
Kang Hyeonjoo rolled his shoulders and walked lightly while stretching with cracking sounds. Joo Seonghan looked at Han Jaejun, who had stopped walking and was keeping his eyes tightly shut, then followed alongside Kang Hyeonjoo.
“No, fuck. What kind of word is saranghae? Saranghae isn’t a word!”
Han Jaejun shouted forlornly. Kang Hyeonjoo nodded and turned toward Han Jaejun.
“Fine. Then let’s go with majority vote. Saranghae is a word, hands up.”
Kang Hyeonjoo raised his hand high and tapped Joo Seonghan’s shoulder once more. Joo Seonghan raised his hand. Ssibal! Han Jaejun cursed fiercely with his lips as if suppressing his resentment, then roughly bit and pulled his lower lip. Kang Hyeonjoo and Joo Seonghan looked at each other’s faces once, then pushed through the bluish forest again.
About a day ago, the three of them had discovered a small private house and took turns keeping watch while catching some sleep. After spending several hours unable to be certain whether morning had come, they set out on the road. They had rested in between, and the weather wasn’t too hot since the humidity had cleared, but they were getting exhausted. So to lift the mood, they played word chain, and the person who lost as punishment had to carry all the luggage. For reference, Han Jaejun lost three out of four rounds.
“Actually, I was going to say sahae, but I said saranghae thinking of sunbae-nim. If you’re going to lose anyway, you’d be less annoyed if you at least heard something nice.”
“Shut up.”
Even at Han Jaejun’s fierce words, Kang Hyeonjoo didn’t erase his mischievous smile. Rather, he moved his steps lightly and leisurely, even spreading both arms wide as if enjoying the refreshment. As if that was annoying, the grumbling Han Jaejun kicked a small pebble with his foot, hitting Kang Hyeonjoo’s leg. Aigoo, that hurts. Because of Kang Hyeonjoo who kept playing around until the end, Joo Seonghan had to listen to Han Jaejun’s curses several more times.
“Ah, anyway, I’m starting to worry.”
“About what.”
Kang Hyeonjoo, who had stretched his arms refreshingly, brought up the subject around the time Han Jaejun’s irritation had subsided. Han Jaejun, who held no grudges, would quickly calm down. Knowing that, Kang Hyeonjoo seemed to tease him even more.
“Starving to death would be a bit much.”
Joo Seonghan looked up at Kang Hyeonjoo’s increasingly haggard face and nodded slightly to show agreement. They had run out of food. All that remained was one chocolate bar. Though it was a forest, there was nothing edible. They occasionally discovered yellowish berries, but Han Jaejun, who had sensitive taste buds, licked the juice and told them not to eat them. In other words, they were going to starve to death. Joo Seonghan concealed a sigh and pushed through the tall grass that had grown up to eye level.
“How far is it from the tiled house we first discovered to the house we stayed in yesterday?”
“Quite far. We changed directions frequently, but if we just consider the distance, it’s at least a day’s walk apart. Why do you ask?”
Kang Hyeonjoo asked back while wiping the sweat from the back of his neck. Joo Seonghan rolled up his dress shirt sleeves and opened his mouth.
“I’m thinking there might be more than one Guimun.”
“…What do you mean?”
Han Jaejun, who had been following behind, asked toward Joo Seonghan’s back. Joo Seonghan slowed his pace to close the distance with Han Jaejun.
“No matter how vast the land is, would there be a need to build houses separately? Even if not right next to each other, you’d build them nearby, but it seems a bit strange that the houses are half a day apart.”
“That makes sense. But why haven’t we seen any Guimun?”
Han Jaejun stopped his feet subtly as he spoke. It was about time to rest. Kang Hyeonjoo, who had looked down at his wristwatch, stopped walking and looked at Han Jaejun. Han Jaejun put down his luggage and climbed a tree bearing fruit to survey the surroundings. Coming down, he nodded.
“Could it be that we saw the Guimun but passed by without knowing?”
Joo Seonghan gave a somewhat delayed answer to Han Jaejun and sat down on the dirt ground under a short tree. Plop. Several red berries about the size of a thumbnail fell beside Joo Seonghan. They were berries he’d never seen before, whether from this side or that side.
“If that’s really the case, it’s hopeless. Let me see that.”
Han Jaejun gestured to hand over the berries. When Joo Seonghan picked up the fallen ones and handed them over, Han Jaejun crushed the berries with a dubious face and licked the red juice that matched the berry’s skin color with his tongue. Soon his brow crumpled mercilessly. Ssibal, he cursed and slammed the berry to the ground.
“Whether you can eat it or not, it’s fucking sour and bitter. Ugh.”
“Looks like we’ll have to eat it when we’re really about to starve to death. Die from eating or die from starving.”
At Kang Hyeonjoo’s words, Han Jaejun nodded and grabbed the hip flask from among the belongings scattered nearby to quickly rinse his mouth. Joo Seonghan, who was beside him and got a sip of water as well, took off his shoes and socks while resting and examined his reddened feet here and there. The soles were hard, so the front of his feet hurt especially.
“Is there anything more you know about Guimun?”
At Joo Seonghan’s question, Kang Hyeonjoo, who had been lying on the dirt ground, sat up. He looked down at Joo Seonghan’s feet and opened his mouth.
“Black holes appear without warning. That’s the answer.”
It was information he already knew. He felt like hope was gradually disappearing.
“What will you do when you go back there?”
Rustle. Han Jaejun asked Joo Seonghan while taking out the last remaining chocolate bar. Joo Seonghan stared at him quietly.
“…I’ll quit the company.”
Han Jaejun nodded vigorously as if it were a good decision and divided the chocolate into three parts, distributing them to Kang Hyeonjoo and Joo Seonghan respectively. It felt like receiving the Last Supper. With this, there was nothing more to eat. What would happen from now on?
“What will you do after quitting the company?”
Han Jaejun asked in a light tone as if telling him not to give up. Joo Seonghan stopped his negative thoughts and put the sweet chocolate bar in his mouth.
“Probably get another job…”
“Ugh. Since you’re quitting anyway, try something else. A lot of people are starting businesses these days. Open a café, a café.”
“Sunbae-nim, do you think opening a café is like buying squid at the market? Self-employment is difficult and hard work.”
Kang Hyeonjoo, who had swallowed the chocolate as quick as a wink, thoroughly dissed Han Jaejun. Han Jaejun raised his middle finger with a face that showed he took no damage.
“Who said it was easy and simple? You said you’re quitting the company, so I recommended the next job.”
“Ah, I see. You spoke so carelessly I didn’t know it was a recommendation. Joo Seonghan-ssi, how is it, does sunbae-nim’s recommendation appeal to you?”
Joo Seonghan looked back and forth between Han Jaejun and Kang Hyeonjoo while melting the chocolate with his tongue. He felt like he understood the feelings of a shrimp whose back bursts in a whale fight.
“If I get the chance… it doesn’t seem bad. But I don’t really have confidence.”
Not wanting to take anyone’s side, he ended up saying something neither here nor there, but he thought it was an appropriate answer. However, for some reason, Han Jaejun and Kang Hyeonjoo were silent. Joo Seonghan swallowed the chocolate and lowered his eyes.
“Ssiba, hey, you’re lacking confidence because he said it’s difficult and hard work.”
“…If you open one, I’ll come visit.”
“That’s right. I’ll bring that bastard Hyeonjo and eat a lot, so don’t give up.”
Suddenly Joo Seonghan had become a person whose dream was self-employment. The tension in his body released, and because the situation was somehow funny, he opened his mouth without realizing.
“Don’t come. I won’t recognize you, but won’t Han Jaejun-ssi and Kang Hyeonjoo-ssi recognize me?”
At Joo Seonghan’s joking tone, the Semi-Human Department Team 3 members laughed playfully.
“Then all the more reason to go, spend lots of money, and act mysterious. Is the owner’s name by any chance Joo Seonghan? Did you recently quit your company?”
Han Jaejun spoke in an exaggerated tone. Kang Hyeonjoo, who caught the timing, rolled his body toward Joo Seonghan and lay prone.
“You have three moles on your shoulder, right? A straight collarbone and pink-colored nipples?”
“Ah, you crazy bastard, that’s sexual harassment!”
