NOVEL NEXT 12
12
The moment Yeon Ji-ho heard the call of “Yeon Ji-ho” in Nam Jeong-hwan’s voice, he found himself trembling like Pavlov’s dog, without even realizing it. It had already been over five years since he graduated from school, yet here he was.
Nam Jeong-hwan’s bullying was so cruel and humiliating that it was hard to believe it came from a mere high school student. He would not only beat Yeon Ji-ho but also call him over at every opportunity, treating him like a pet.
“Is this Yeon Ji-ho yours?”
“What? Do you know him?”
“Yeah, hey, Kim Seong-min! Come out! Yeon Ji-ho is here!”
At Nam Jeong-hwan’s call, someone who had been sitting in the back seat of the car got out. It was Kim Seong-min, a guy who had been hanging around with Nam Jeong-hwan since middle school.
“Ugh, damn. My shoes are soaking wet. What? Who’s here? …Huh?”
“Hey, looks like Yeon Ji-ho is the boss here?”
“Really?”
They exchanged glances while looking at Yeon Ji-ho, who stood there in shabby clothes, holding a large umbrella. Then they approached him with sly smiles.
“Hey, since our schedule got canceled because of the rain, can we stay for just one night?”
“…We’re not open for business right now.”
“Hey, hey. What’s the good of being friends? Is it because of the past? Come on, I already said I was sorry.”
Yeon Ji-ho’s eyebrows twitched at their teasing attitude. Just as he was about to step forward, he felt a tight grip on the hem of his shirt from Set. His hand was trembling.
“Are you worried we won’t pay? Come on, it’s not like we’re in high school anymore. We’ll pay for everything, just for one night. Huh? Just one night, Yeon Ji-ho.”
“Ah, oppa. Is it still not resolved? Then let’s just go back. It’s really annoying…”
At that moment, the car window rolled down, and a woman inside leaned out. She was strikingly noticeable with her heavy makeup.
“Then we can consider it settled, right? It’s fine, isn’t it? You can make some money too, kid.”
“…The caravan isn’t available right now, only the pension inside can be used. We need to clean up, so just stay for a couple of hours and come back.”
“Oh yeah! My friend says it’s okay!”
Yeon Ji-ho had no idea when they had become friends, but Nam Jeong-hwan and Kim Seong-min returned to the car with triumphant expressions. The car, which had briefly stopped, sped away in an instant. Only then did Yeon Ji-ho notice Set staring at him intently.
Yeon Ji-ho knew how pathetic he must look right now. Even a stranger could see that they were ignoring him, and it was clear that he was reluctantly accepting the situation.
However, it wasn’t just fear that made him unable to refuse. He didn’t want to run away from them out of fear, especially not in front of Set…
“Are you okay?”
“Yes?”
“I asked if you’re okay.”
Yeon Ji-ho had expected Set to ask him ‘why’ first. Why he had accepted them despite clearly disliking them. Or who they were to act so arrogantly.
But Set simply asked if he was okay with a frown on his face. His expression didn’t seem to match, but there was a hint of concern in his voice and tone.
In that moment, Yeon Ji-ho couldn’t respond. Set then took the umbrella that Yeon Ji-ho was holding and tilted it in the direction Yeon Ji-ho was facing, saying,
“Your expression doesn’t look good… Want me to make some pajeon?”
At that moment, Yeon Ji-ho couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Pajeon. Ah, he had made pajeon even when he was feeling down earlier. It seemed like Set viewed it as a way to cheer him up.
“Yeah. Let’s finish what we were eating and clean up, then we can do what we need to do.”
“Okay. Let’s do that. I’ll join you.”
Yeon Ji-ho was grateful that Set didn’t ask anything. He didn’t have the confidence to explain the past in front of him.
***
“The quiet hours start at 10 PM, and after that, using speakers or making loud noises is prohibited.”
“There’s no one else here but us.”
Nam Jeong-hwan shoved his hands into his pockets and didn’t pay any attention to the warnings. No one else was here? Did that mean he wasn’t even considered a person standing in front of them?
“I’ll sleep here too. If you can’t keep the rules, you can leave right now.”
“Ugh, you’ve always been such a brat since back in the day. Hey, but did you do something to your face?”
“…What?”
Nam Jeong-hwan took a step closer to Yeon Ji-ho. Yeon Ji-ho instinctively covered his face and stepped back.
Should he have come with Set after all? Just a moment ago, he had thought it would be better to come alone to avoid showing weakness to Nam Jeong-hwan.
“No, I was just wondering if you always looked like that. You used to look so gloomy.”
Yeon Ji-ho had only grown tall after turning 19. Before that, he was small and, afraid of making eye contact, he had let his bangs grow long, so it was understandable that Nam Jeong-hwan would see him that way.
However, he didn’t want to receive any comments about his appearance from Nam Jeong-hwan, who had tormented him by calling him an omega. As Yeon Ji-ho covered his mouth with a displeased expression and stepped back, Nam Jeong-hwan smirked.
“Hey, hey. You’ve gotten handsome. Why are you acting all offended? Do you want to show everyone you’re still an omega?”
“Checkout is at 11 AM tomorrow, so come out before then. If you have any questions, just come to my house and ring the doorbell.”
Ignoring Nam Jeong-hwan’s words, Yeon Ji-ho turned around. Then Nam Jeong-hwan called out loudly.
“Yeon Ji-ho! We’re going to buy some snacks and drink tonight, do you want to join us?!”
It seemed he had changed, making a suggestion he wouldn’t have made back in school. But the giggling that followed his words was still the same. Yeon Ji-ho pretended not to hear and left.
When he returned home, he found Set waiting for him with the front door open. He must have stayed here because of Yeon Ji-ho’s earlier comment about going alone, but he looked quite anxious.
“Ji-ho.”
“Yes?”
Yeon Ji-ho suddenly felt it was strange that he was being called “Ji-ho.” It was odd to hear someone who looked so foreign pronounce his Korean name so comfortably. But it didn’t feel bad.
“If you need anything, just let me know anytime.”
“…Okay.”
“I want to help you.”
Set acted like someone who was eager to be of assistance. Yeon Ji-ho felt grateful yet somewhat embarrassed, so he just nodded.
“Shall we have dinner too? I’m not that hungry since I had pajeon earlier.”
“Isn’t cooking a hassle? It’s fine if you don’t want to eat. Humans can go without food for up to two weeks.”
“What? How do you know that…?”
How would he know? Set must have experienced being trapped in a basement and going without food for two weeks. Despite his sturdy physique, Set was someone who had often gone hungry due to abuse and war.
Thinking about that made Yeon Ji-ho lose any desire to just throw together a quick dinner. After pondering the menu, he finally snapped his fingers and said,
“Let’s make spicy pork.”
“Spicy pork?”
“You like meat, right?”
Who doesn’t like meat? Seeing Set nod, Yeon Ji-ho immediately headed to the refrigerator and started pulling out the ingredients one by one.
Marinating the meat would give it a deeper flavor, but since he wanted to eat it right away, he didn’t have time for that. So, he decided on a style of spicy pork commonly served in a cafeteria.
Set helped Yeon Ji-ho prepare the meal with a much more familiar attitude than before. He chopped the vegetables just by watching Yeon Ji-ho demonstrate once, which significantly shortened the cooking time.
After quickly boiling some soybean paste soup, dinner was ready in no time. As Yeon Ji-ho served the spicy pork, Set had already prepared two sets of forks and spoons, waiting for him.
“It looks a bit red, but it’s not that spicy once you actually eat it.”
Worried that he might not be able to handle the spiciness if he adjusted it to Korean tastes, Yeon Ji-ho had reduced the heat. As Set scooped up some fluffy white rice with a spoon, Yeon Ji-ho placed a piece of spicy pork on top. White steam wafted up.
Set put it in his mouth and mumbled before Yeon Ji-ho could even ask.
“…It’s delicious.”
“I’m confident in my spicy pork. I make it quite often.”
It seemed that meat suited his taste perfectly. Of course, he had enjoyed the other dishes Yeon Ji-ho had made before, but Set quickly devoured the spicy pork with his fork. It was impressive how he could eat so quickly without being gluttonous.
Dinner took longer than usual. Set finished one bowl of rice and then went for another. By the time they finished washing the dishes, it was already nearing 10 PM.
“…It’s noisy.”
After dinner, they were brewing tea to share when Yeon Ji-ho suddenly frowned at the music coming from outside. Just as he feared, it seemed they had no intention of respecting the quiet hours.
“I’ll go say something.”
“Should I come with you?”
“It’s raining heavily outside; it’s fine. I’ll go alone.”
At that, Set raised an eyebrow but didn’t insist on following. Yeon Ji-ho finally stepped out into the pouring rain, holding a large umbrella.
He had intentionally chosen the furthest pension, number 5, but how loud were they being that he could hear them even inside his own house? Yeon Ji-ho briefly set the umbrella down on the wooden floor of number 5 and knocked on the door.
-Knock knock.
…But no one answered. Yeon Ji-ho finally resorted to knocking harder.
Bang bang.
The door swung open, and a wave of alcohol smell and music poured out. Yeon Ji-ho squinted as he looked at the person who opened the door.
It was Nam Jeong-hwan.
“I’m pretty sure I said the quiet hours start at 10 PM. Turn off the music.”
“Oh. Look who it is. Our Yeon Ji-ho.”
But Nam Jeong-hwan’s eyes were glazed over. How much had he drunk since the afternoon? He staggered toward Yeon Ji-ho.
Yeon Ji-ho quickly stepped back. He didn’t want to touch him, not even with a fingertip.
“Hey. The girls inside are all asleep. Even Kim Seong-min is out cold…”
“Turn off the music. Or get out of here right now.”
“So, Yeon Ji-ho, why don’t you come hang out with me for a bit? It’s been a while.”
Nam Jeong-hwan’s arm wrapped around Yeon Ji-ho’s waist. The familiar smell of alcohol and stale cigarettes hit him hard.