One Day, a Dark Shadow Fell on My Closet

10

“I think I need to go buy some clothes.”

“Clothes?”

“Yes, I need clothes for Set.”

Yeon Ji-ho briefly glanced at the T-shirt Set had been wearing for several days.

Of course, it wasn’t that Yeon Ji-ho hadn’t given him more clothes. He had rummaged through his dressing room and found about three or four boxy T-shirts that would fit Set, but there was a limit to how much one could rotate clothes, and the sizes weren’t exactly perfect either.

Set’s stay here was turning out to be longer than Yeon Ji-ho had expected. He decided to go buy some items to make Set feel more comfortable.

“Are you going to meet a tailor?”

“Oh, no. Today is market day. I just plan to buy a few simple clothes there. The department store is over two hours away.”

Of course, the ready-to-wear shops would be open even if it wasn’t market day, but since he was going out, it was better that it was market day. He could show Set various things since it was his first time in this world.

Set seemed intrigued by the idea of going to the market. Soon, Yeon Ji-ho finished getting ready and went outside with Set.

“What is this…?”

“This is a bicycle.”

However, what he pulled out was a bicycle, not a car. Although Yeon Ji-ho did have a car that his parents drove, it was difficult to park on market days.

Yeon Ji-ho kicked the bicycle’s stand with his foot to set it upright and climbed onto the front seat first. Then, he pointed to his back, signaling Set to get on.

Set awkwardly settled onto the small back seat. Yeon Ji-ho placed his feet on the pedals and shouted.

“If you’re scared, hold on tight to my waist!”

“……!”

And they took off. At the same time, Yeon Ji-ho was startled by a sharp pain in his waist and momentarily lost his footing.

The bicycle nearly slipped sideways, but fortunately, Yeon Ji-ho’s remarkable sense of balance brought it back to its original position. As the bicycle wheels spun quickly, passing through fields, Yeon Ji-ho suddenly glanced down at the hand he felt on his waist.

A large hand, covered in scars, was gripping his waist as if it were a lifeline. It seemed that the bicycle was very unfamiliar to Set.

Yeon Ji-ho chuckled and shouted loudly.

“Isn’t it refreshing?”

“Uh… yeah.”

“The weather is amazing!”

Yeon Ji-ho’s black hair fluttered in the wind. Set felt his heart racing at the scent of Yeon Ji-ho getting closer and pressed his body more tightly against Yeon Ji-ho’s back.

It was simply because he felt like he might fall otherwise.

“Haah. Hah.”

By the time they arrived at the market, Yeon Ji-ho, who would usually arrive with ease, was now panting heavily. Set’s weight was too much for him to handle.

Set, having understood how the bicycle worked, looked at Yeon Ji-ho with an apologetic expression as soon as he got off. He cautiously suggested.

“How about riding a horse next time?”

“Oh, a horse… Haha.”

Yeon Ji-ho, who had been panting heavily, forgot to exhale in exhaustion and ended up coughing.

“People here don’t ride horses much. They only ride machines like bicycles or cars.”

“……All means of transportation are machines?”

“Yes, next time I’ll let you ride in a car. Today, we’re riding a bicycle.”

Yeon Ji-ho smiled as he securely locked the bicycle and then walked with Set into the market. Set, momentarily surprised by the mention of not riding horses, soon busied himself looking around.

As it was the largest market in the area, there would be plenty to see. As soon as they entered, Yeon Ji-ho led Set to a hotteok stall he spotted.

“Excuse me, can I have one hotteok, please?”

“Do you want it with seeds or plain?”

“With seeds, please.”

The hotteok came out faster than expected. Yeon Ji-ho wrapped the hotteok, which came in a paper cup, in a napkin and handed it to Set, who awkwardly accepted it.

“Be careful, the inside is hot, so take small bites. Like this.”

Yeon Ji-ho demonstrated by taking a small bite of the hotteok. Then, when he offered it to Set, Set stared at the part where Yeon Ji-ho had bitten.

Then, he took a big bite from that very spot. Although the heat was transmitted, it wasn’t too bad thanks to Yeon Ji-ho’s earlier bite.

Meanwhile, Yeon Ji-ho was busy moving around. He wandered through the market, collecting snacks like Sikhye, chicken skewers, and steamed buns with familiar gestures. After feeding Set, he asked with sparkling eyes.

“How is this?”

“……It’s delicious.”

“Right? Ah, market exploring is the most fun.”

Yeon Ji-ho bought only one of each food item, and although it was enough for Set to have a hearty dinner, he stopped him. It wasn’t until most of the snacks were in a black bag hanging from Yeon Ji-ho’s wrist that they went to fulfill the real purpose of their visit to the market.

“This place sells big clothes too. Is the owner here?”

“Is that you, Ji-ho?”

“Yes. I’m here to buy clothes for my friend. You sell big clothes here, right?”

It seemed that Yeon Ji-ho knew most of the people in the market. However, there were none around his age; they were all middle-aged.

“How big of clothes do you need… Oh my, that’s quite something.”

“He’s very tall. My clothes don’t fit him.”

“Is what he’s wearing now your clothes? His shoulders are going to burst. Let me check the stock.”

The owner told them to wait there and disappeared inside. Thanks to that, Yeon Ji-ho and Set quietly waited in front of a whirring fan.

“I’ll buy you some expensive clothes next time. I came here because it was urgent this time.”

Yeon Ji-ho said with an apologetic expression. The ready-to-wear shop set up on one side of the market was not a place that could be said to sell good clothes, even though Yeon Ji-ho had come here occasionally with his parents since he was a child. This time, he had no choice but to come because Set needed clothes to wear immediately.

“Aren’t these clothes good enough?”

“Still, they’re not expensive clothes…”

“Only a skilled artisan can shape fabric this uniformly. The maker must be quite a craftsman.”

Although the owner was someone who brought clothes from wholesale markets or factories rather than making them, Yeon Ji-ho fell silent at Set’s serious expression. Set stared at Yeon Ji-ho for a moment before speaking again.

“And not all expensive clothes are good clothes.”

“Ah.”

“I would be happy with anything you give me.”

At those somewhat embarrassing words, Yeon Ji-ho’s neck flushed red. Just then, the owner came out from inside, carrying a pile of something.

“Hey, Ji-ho. Here, take this.”

“Why are you bringing out so much? We’re not buying that much.”

“I know, I know. Just take a look.”

Yeon Ji-ho and Set left the clothing store much later than expected. Yeon Ji-ho had been smiling as he eagerly haggled over the price for a total of six pieces of clothing. It was surprising that neither of them felt upset during the bargaining.

“Now let’s just buy something for dinner. The lady at the seafood shop is a friend of mine…”

“Hey, Nam Jeong-hwan!”

At the sudden call of a name, Yeon Ji-ho froze in place. Set turned to look at Yeon Ji-ho as his sentence was cut off.

Yeon Ji-ho’s shoulders were trembling. Beyond him, two young men with unfamiliar faces were chatting away.

“Nam Jeong-hwan, you bastard, where are you going?”

“Ah, the market stinks so much I can’t stay here any longer.”

“You idiot. Who told you to come?”

“I thought it would be different if I came after a long time. But it’s the same old story with these old folks selling their junk.”

Yeon Ji-ho kept glancing at them with anxious eyes. He looked like he wanted to run away. In that moment, Set instinctively realized that Yeon Ji-ho was afraid of the man named ‘Nam Jeong-hwan.’

It was then that Set quietly moved. He positioned his large frame to block Yeon Ji-ho from the direction where the man called ‘Nam Jeong-hwan’ was.

Yeon Ji-ho was startled by that movement. He looked up at the large wall blocking his view and met Set’s eyes, opening his mouth slightly.

Set stared down at his own mouth, where his bright red tongue was wriggling, and spoke softly.

“Ji-ho.”

“……”

“Do you want to hide?”

Yeon Ji-ho dropped his head. He squeezed his eyes shut and ultimately grabbed the hem of Set’s clothing. His head shook ever so slightly up and down.

Set quietly stood in front of him. He didn’t move until the noisy group completely left the market.

After a long while, if Yeon Ji-ho hadn’t finally told him it was okay to move, Set would have remained there even if night fell.

He was that kind of man.