But this time, he didn’t crash directly into hard wood. The place where Hongdan’s head settled was somewhere with a bit more cushioning.
“Ugh…… Your head’s so small but why is it so heavy? Is it because there’s a lot inside?”
It was Hyeonchan’s palm.
The back of his hand that hit the table throbbed. Even while frowning, Hyeonchan didn’t immediately pull his hand away. Only after folding his coat and carefully propping it under the side of Hongdan’s head did he slowly lower it.
Perhaps the soft fabric was definitely more comfortable—the breathing of Hongdan, who’d departed for dreamland, spread even more evenly. It was annoying yet at the same time made him chuckle.
Hyeonchan propped his chin and glared at Hongdan’s ashen crown. It was because that earlier remark still remained in his head.
The guy who was quick-witted from maintaining uprightness while conscious of others his whole life didn’t know the one most important thing.
“Brother my ass. Am I crazy? This shit is annoying me to death already.”
It wasn’t just Seonha and Hongdan who’d passed ten years. Hyeonchan had no idea that for Hyeonchan too, there was something as old and musty as their relationship.
“I should’ve just kept you with me back then……”
Just as he was about to naturally ruminate on memories for a moment.
Bzzzz— bzzzzz—
Hongdan’s phone, which had been quiet, began ringing fiercely again.
Without bothering to flip it over to check the screen, he could guess the caller. It would be the owner of that shitty consonant combination.
While firmly hiding his itching fingers in a fist, he deliberately turned his gaze the other way. But the vibration continued persistently as if mocking Hyeonchan’s efforts, seeming about to stop but not stopping.
The palm that had been warmly supporting Hongdan’s forehead accumulated increasingly deep scratches. Nevertheless, the sound ringing in Hyeonchan’s ears didn’t diminish at all. It was an intense noise that overcame pain perception.
Eventually.
Screech—
Hyeonchan had no choice but to stand up.
The bar stool slowly slid away from the floor and Hyeonchan’s long legs traced a large semicircle.
The destination his steps headed toward wasn’t far. It was just going around the table, which wasn’t even an arm’s length, to Hongdan’s side.
There was no more hesitation in the gesture of pressing the call button.
“What, you fucking bastard?”
—……Where are you, there?
He’d hoped against hope. But as expected.
It was that voice Hyeonchan remembered. Hyeonchan let out a cold sneer.
“What are you going to do if you know? As an ex-husband worse than a stranger, stop pestering him. Ah, did you roll around with every omega in the world and now remember Hongdan again? Don’t you think you’re fucking pathetic?”
—Where are you, you son of a bitch?
“Like I’d tell you, idiot.”
—You mother fuc……!
Slam—!
He even turned off the power while he was at it. Only then did he feel like what had been sitting heavy was digesting.
Hmm hmm—
A revenge after exactly eleven years, perhaps. A hum he didn’t usually enjoy naturally flowed out.
Hyeonchan sang a song with messy rhythm and beat while roughly gathering Hongdan’s meager belongings. There was no sign of difficulty in the gesture of carrying Hongdan on his back either.
Right, when you’re this light.
“Let’s go to my place today, Hongdan.”
Won’t you use my back sometimes too?
Hyeonchan whispered toward Hongdan’s head resting on his shoulder. It was an extremely cheerful voice.
***
“……Keck!”
Hongdan woke up somewhere both familiar and unfamiliar. Though he felt like he was staying still, the surrounding scenery kept changing.
……What is this?
“What? You’re awake?”
“Huuuh……?”
What he’d definitely been looking at just now was the Vienna sausage in the tteokbokki.
Was the king of sausages coming to take revenge on him for eating too many Viennas? Ah, so he’s being kidnapped to the Great Vienna Empire.
Then should he send a rescue signal to the king of Spam…… No, wait. Seeing as the convenience store is open at this hour, it still seems to be Korea, so to Cheonhajangsa?
Just as his delusions were growing uncontrollably, he felt a refreshing scent gently tickling his nose.
Thyme.
Ahhh……
Only then did Hongdan realize that the one currently kidnapping him—no, respectfully carrying him—wasn’t a spy sent by the king of Vienna but his friend Hyeonchan.
“Heyy— Put me down.”
The scent, as if he’d come to a deep forest, completely brought him to his senses. Hongdan dangled his legs hanging between Hyeonchan’s arms. But the more he did so, the more firmly the owner of the arms bound his thin thighs.
“Just stay quietly on my back. You’ll regret it if I actually put you down.”
“No, I sobered up.”
Hongdan shook his legs a bit more vigorously than before. He even heaved his upper body as if about to jump down any moment, but Hyeonchan’s arms didn’t budge even slightly.
“You think I fall for that more than once or twice?”
“But it’s true……”
“Forget it. Just sleep at my place today and go to work leisurely tomorrow. I’ll lend you clothes too.”
Rather, as if telling him to stay still, he slapped Hongdan’s calf just enough not to hurt.
In the end, Hongdan too stopped resisting and obediently leaned his face against the broad back.
Honestly, there wasn’t much difficulty in accepting this manly situation. Though he’d spoken boldly, there was the problem that his whole body was heavy like waterlogged cotton as Hyeonchan said, and if he rashly attempted bipedal walking, it was obvious he’d immediately fall and scrape his knees.
Hongdan wrapped his arm, which had been carelessly placed on Hyeonchan’s neck, more securely and muttered.
“How would your clothes fit me, you pig……”
At that moment, he felt déjà vu.
‘Drop dead, you pig bastard.’
“Ah!”
Right!
“Why, did you leave something?”
“Yeah, I did!”
Our household pig bastard!
Absurdly, with the single derogatory term ‘pig,’ an existence that had been momentarily erased came to mind.
‘Hongdan…… Are you very angry? I’m sorry. I just, you cried so much last night when you were talking about that…… I tried to be considerate in my own way…… I’m sorry if you felt bad. I really had no other intention.’
‘Even if you don’t eat that, can’t you at least eat something like cereal before you go? Hongdan, you’ve lost too much weight compared to before. I’m worried.’
‘If you think of anything later, tell me. I’ll have it ready for you by your quitting time.’
‘Ha-have a good day at work, Hongdan! Really, definitely tell me! If there’s something you want to eat!’
“Hey hey hey, put me down. Quickly!”
The reason Hongdan had delayed going home included anger at that morning’s ridiculous behavior, but actually, not wanting to see Yeon Seonha’s tearful face was bigger.
When he saw those completely dispirited, drooping eye corners, when he faced those pure gray eyes that were foolishly innocent. Even the things he’d deliberately scratched into his heart to engrave felt like they were blurring.
If only he hadn’t lost his memory so he could only hate him, he wouldn’t have drunk like today.
So he’d hastily made plans to at least reduce the time they’d run into each other……
No matter what, he’d never intended to leave that guy, who hadn’t even been amnesiac for a few days, alone until this hour.
It didn’t matter whether the source of this feeling was lingering affection for Seonha or his soft personality different from his sharp way of speaking. What mattered was that the humanistic sentiment inherent in Hongdan had given him an untimely sense of duty.
Hongdan was annoyed at this temperament of his, but in the end, the fact that he still hadn’t fixed it remained unchanged, so for now he had to go to that guy.
Pak, pak, pak!
Hongdan mercilessly pounded Hyeonchan’s shoulder blade and repeatedly pressed the stop bell. The homebound bus with only one stop, exclusive to Hongdan, finally stopped.
“What, all of a sudden?”
“Ah, quickly! I need to go home.”
After pressing the bell a few more times, the belt binding his legs also released.
Hongdan immediately jumped off Hyeonchan’s back.
The moment his legs, which had been flailing in the air all along, touched the ground, sure enough, his head spun from the intoxication that hadn’t fully worn off. He’d definitely be suffering from an even worse hangover tomorrow morning and declaring abstinence at least ten times.
While resenting his hasty choice, Hongdan firmly put strength into his toes to avoid staggering more. Then he prepared to run to the taxi stand.
But just as he was about to take his first step.
“At this hour? Your place is in Mapo.”
There was a force strongly grabbing his wrist. Only then did Hongdan realize he needed a proper excuse.
Ah, what do I do?
“Just sleep at my place and go, I said? The taxi fare alone will be tens of thousands of won.”
What do I do, what do I do?
“Is it uncomfortable sharing a bed with me? Then I’ll sleep on the sofa, so don’t worry about nothing……”
“Pig, a pig!”
I’m sorry, Yeon Seonha.
“……What?”
“I’m raising a pig!”
In the end, Hongdan not only made Yeon Seonha a third-rate reporter but downgraded him entirely to livestock.
