I recalled for a long time how kind and warm the student council president, who was my first love, was, and how he had a personality completely opposite to Joel’s.
Then, while thinking about how soft and gentle his voice was, though it was still a voice that couldn’t compare to Joel’s voice, my consciousness flickered on and off, and my body became languid. As I surrendered everything to drowsiness like that, I was quickly swept into sleep.
* * *
Splash! In a forest thick with trees, I heard the sound of someone jumping into a clear lake. Swoosh, the wind blew, and splish! Water droplets splashed from someone’s movements, and a leaf fell, creating a very faint ripple on the water surface. And someone swam excitedly in the lake, then pushed through the water and came out, laughing brightly.
‘Mom!’
It was a handsome face but still full of a youthful look. The slender body was the same. Perhaps still in a growth period, the limbs were long but muscles hadn’t properly attached yet. And that boy swam the lake again, then gradually stood with his back to the rising sun and began walking splish-splash toward land.
Gradually that body swelled and became large, solid muscles attached to the body, and the face that grew in an instant was so beautiful it was like a god. A god that might appear in Greek and Roman mythology, I mean.
He looked somewhat gloomy with an expressionless face, but as soon as he pulled up the corners of his mouth, a playful impression immediately appeared. The man who had instantly become a young man from a boy, with a bright smile, spoke in a soft and gentle voice. ‘July,’ he said.
“……Ugh.”
I clutched my chest at the strange feeling of my heart tingling. When I fumbled at my face as my vision blurred, something damp came off. It was tears. Why did I cry? It wasn’t even a dream worth crying over. I blinked at the excessively bright sunlight, then crawled on the bed and picked up the cell phone I’d placed on the nightstand.
“……This is bad.”
After checking the time, I buried my tear-soaked face straight into the bed. I was incredibly late.
* * *
“Why did this bastard contact me?”
There were 23 missed calls from [Son of a Bitch]. Of course, [Son of a Bitch] was Joel Gomez.
Hey, nerd. Why aren’t you coming?
Are you dead?
Are you dead
If you’re dead, say something
Hey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“If I’m dead, how can I say something? Crazy bastard.”
He sent texts like crazy too. What does it have to do with him that I’m a bit late? ……It’s not ‘a bit’ but ‘very’ late though.
Since I was already this late, I rummaged through the refrigerator to at least eat a proper meal before going. What should I eat? The ingredients are……. Right, I can’t cook. I know almost no recipes. But I still have to eat something…….
Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
Right when I was about to take out at least a bagel from the freezer, the doorbell rang like crazy. I don’t know who it is at this time.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
That sudden uninvited guest even kicked the door this time. I could see the flimsy-looking wooden door shaking, unlike Korea’s solid and sturdy iron doors. Startled, I hurriedly ran and flung open the door. It was a mistake. It could have been a crazy murderer with a gun.
“Fuck, if you’re home, why didn’t you answer the phone!”
“…….”
At the thunderous shout that poured out of nowhere, I flinched and blinked my eyes.
“……Joel Gomez?”
“Do you think I don’t even know my own name? Huh! Why didn’t you answer the phone, and when I rang the doorbell, there’s no! answer!”
I don’t know why that Joel Gomez, scowling with every expression, is standing in front of our house at this time. If it’s now, shouldn’t he be at school, or if he’s skipping, shouldn’t he be in a slightly more interesting place? Our house, where I was just about to eat and was taking out a frozen bagel, wasn’t very interesting.
“……Don’t tell me you came all the way here because I didn’t come to school?”
“Because a nerd bastard like you didn’t come to class, the teachers are throwing fits! And, also! ……Fuck, why aren’t you answering the phone!”
Joel was counting on his fingers listing absurd reasons, then suddenly shouted again. Although bewildered, I’d gotten somewhat used to it, so I wasn’t as startled as before. I just thought, ah, this bastard has a really good voice.
“I didn’t know the phone rang because I was sleeping.”
“Why were you sleeping until this time? Huh? What did you do at night! Did you jerk off like crazy? Huh?”
“……I didn’t do that!”
I shouted while watching Joel’s left hand, rounded like gripping a pillar, shake up and down. That crazy bastard! This morning, no, from this afternoon, he’s suddenly driving people crazy. My heated face felt hot.
Joel stared at me for a long time with frowning eyes, then kept muttering curses starting with F. Then after letting out a deep sigh and sweeping up his fallen bangs, he suddenly turned his body.
Thinking he was suddenly leaving just as he came, I looked at that wide back with bewildered eyes, but Joel turned around again and walked toward me with large strides. The momentum Joel gave off as he approached with a wide gait, slightly leaning his upper body forward, was no joke. I stepped back half a step and retreated slightly.
“Why…… Why!”
“Even though you’re alive and well, just try not answering the phone again next time. ……I’ll really kill you.”
Joel, who had been quietly scanning my face with fierce eyes like a beast, said while pointing at me with his index finger. No, why do I have to answer your phone? We’re not that close! And what will you do if I can’t answer the phone because I’m dead? Will you take me out of the coffin for post-mortem execution?
He was really an absurd guy. While I was gasping without enough energy, Joel tapped my forehead with the tip of his index finger, tap, tap.
“Answer me!”
“Why should I answer your phone?”
“Because it’s my phone!”
“Are you some kind of important person?”
“Fucking important!”
Joel must have been too noisy. Mr. Kalbeck from next door came out sneakily holding his dog and was looking this way. I made a mistake too. When I deal with this bastard alone, I get irritated and my voice naturally gets louder.
“Lower your voice a bit…….”
“Just answer me! My phone! Promptly! Answer it!”
“I got it……! I got it. I’ll answer the phone! Just be quiet……!”
You damn son of a bitch! Mr. Kalbeck’s dog is barking woof woof in surprise! Don’t you know how terrible that house’s Chihuahua’s temper is? You don’t! If it runs into someone it doesn’t like while walking, it tries to bite them! Those protruding eyes are glaring at me incredibly right now! At this rate, I’m going to get bitten on the ankle. No, I already felt like I’d been bitten many times by a very large dog.
“From now on, I won’t be late, won’t be absent, and will answer the phone……! Just, calm your temper.”
I tried to lower the volume that was naturally getting louder and tried to speak in a calm tone. My mind was a mess because of Joel’s seething red face and Mr. Kalbeck’s Chihuahua barking woof woof woof! bravely.
“……Answer the phone.”
Joel, who had been quietly looking down at me with still-furrowed brows though more subdued than before, said curtly in a voice that had lowered considerably in volume. It was a loud voice for a normal person, but still, it was much more satisfactory than before.
When I nodded quietly, Joel whipped his body around and walked thud, thud, thud! across our yard. We just mowed the lawn yesterday! It’s going to get all pressed down by his footprints. I watched Joel move away with displeased eyes, then only let out a sigh after he got in his car and moved away with a vrooom! loud exhaust sound.
“Is it hard?”
When I turned my eyes to the side at the sudden question, Mr. Kalbeck, who was trying to calm down his dog, asked. Hahaha, I laughed awkwardly.
“About 15 years ago maybe, there was a gay couple in the town I lived in then too, and they’d say they’d kill each other and all, but they also liked each other to death. Maybe because they’re both men, the way they fought to the death looked a bit hard……. Oh dear, Buttercup. Shh, shhh! Quiet!”
Woof! Woof woof! Woof! Mr. Kalbeck hurriedly went back inside while quickly soothing the Chihuahua that was interrupting his words. He didn’t even give me a chance to explain that Joel and I aren’t a gay couple fighting to the death. Am I becoming the neighborhood’s publicly acknowledged gay like this?
“Joel Gomez, son of a bitch…….”
I don’t know why he made such a fuss and came all the way to my house over being late once. Making the neighborhood noisy. Anyone watching would think he’s a teacher.
“No, and if you came, you should’ve waited and given me a ride!”
Was all you came for to throw a fit at me? Huh? Wasting gas.
“Ptooey ptooey!”
I was spitting toward where Joel disappeared, then made eye contact with the neighbor lady who seemed to have come out to walk her dog, and belatedly smiled brightly. But the lady was already startled and quickly passed in front of our house carrying her large dog. Only the retriever looking toward me with a clueless face was innocent and bright.
Mom, Dad, hyung, I’m sorry. I ruined the neighborhood’s reputation. But it’s not my fault. It’s because of that Joel Gomez son of a bitch.
I came back to the kitchen. The bagel had fallen and was rolling around on the floor. Joel bastard, I dropped it all because I was surprised by you.
After picking it up well and taking out just one, I put all the others in the freezer. If I thought in the midst of this, ‘Come to think of it, it’s lunch time so since you came, you should at least eat before going. You must be really hungry after throwing such a fit,’ would I be too Korean? Come to think of it, that bastard eats incredibly in line with his temper and build. His stomach must empty easily too.
I cut the bagel in half, put it in the toaster, and fried an egg. But the shape was very messy. It looked just like Joel’s frowning face, so I giggled, then put that fried egg between the bagel and took a big bite. I’ll count this as revenge against that Joel son of a bitch with his terrible temper.
