Sweet Sugar Candyman

#15

My eyes widened in surprise. Min I-seo’s eyes curved gracefully as she checked my face. I had to hide my awkward feelings while we exchanged hesitant smiles.

It seemed that the classmates from the Korean National University of Arts’ Department of French Language and Literature all had exceptional social skills. They treated everyone like long-lost friends, which was fortunate for me, who had worried about being an outsider, but it was still hard to keep up with their rapid pace.

When I heard someone I had known for less than ten minutes invite me to their home, my guard instinctively went up. However, I knew well enough that I shouldn’t express my true feelings outwardly for the sake of a peaceful school life.

“Okay. I’ll bring some tissues.”

As I casually agreed, Min I-seo beamed with a bright smile. Her resemblance to a rabbit became even more pronounced.

Choi Hyun-oh, who had been walking ahead, turned back. Before I knew it, Min I-seo and I had fallen quite far behind the group. Realizing the distance had widened more than I thought, Choi Hyun-oh came running toward us with a mischievous expression plastered on his face.

Choi Hyun-oh, who dashed between Min I-seo and me, threw an arm around my shoulder and linked arms with Min I-seo. He smelled faintly of a hair salon, and I could guess the cause from the way his bleached hair fluttered aimlessly in the wind.

“What were you two talking about that was so interesting?”

“Min I-seo invited me to her house….”

Choi Hyun-oh’s eyebrows shot up so high that I couldn’t help but trail off. He spoke in a serious tone, reminiscent of how my parents would.

“I-seo, do you know how dangerous the world is these days? Telling someone where you live like that? Oh dear. What if Cheongmyeong has bad intentions and throws up in front of your house?”

Beneath his seriousness lay a playful spirit. Min I-seo, perhaps feeling the same way I did, stepped back a little and burst into a clear laugh.

“What are you, a teacher?”

“Oh dear, let’s hurry. I’m starving to death.”

Choi Hyun-oh tightened his grip around my shoulder and quickly closed the gap between us. I had to lean back to avoid slipping on the icy remnants of the sloped path as we walked briskly.

Whether we were already close or had just become friends, Shin Jiyu and her friends, who had joined us, were whispering to each other with peculiar looks.

“What’s up, Choi Hyun-oh? You look like a do-re-mi standing in the middle.”

Shin Jiyu was giggling uncontrollably, pointing her finger at us. After glancing at me and then at Min I-seo, Choi Hyun-oh shouted back.

“Am I the ‘Re’? I’m taller than Cheongmyeong!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Hey, Cheongmyeong. How tall are you? 182? 183?”

“182.”

“Oh, really? But Cheongmyeong seems shorter than I thought. I thought you were in the late 180s.”

“Anything over 180 is tall, you know? See? I guessed it right! Since we’re the same height, I could tell right away.”

Choi Hyun-oh leaned against me with a shameless grin. The weight of an adult male felt heavy against me. As he posed like a model, using me as a wall, our classmates burst into laughter.

“What does it matter if you’re the same height? Your proportions are completely different. Proportions.”

“…That’s a low blow, Shin Jiyu….”

As Choi Hyun-oh leaned his head against me, I felt the rough texture of his hair brush against my cheek. Before I knew it, Min I-seo had returned to her group of friends. As Choi Hyun-oh’s mood naturally soured, the situation came to a close, allowing us to move toward our original destination.

The place our classmates headed to was a franchise meat buffet that had also existed in the neighborhood where I had lived since birth. Sitting in the far corner, I quietly observed my classmates, who had already become familiar through our preliminary meetings.

“I’ll go get the meat.”

Min I-seo, who was sitting across from me, stood up. I had been aimlessly tapping my fingers together, but when I saw a chance to help, I quickly jumped in.

“I’ll help too.”

A spontaneous cheer erupted. I was taken aback by the enthusiastic response that followed any action or word. Was this the secret to the social skills of these friendly people? While I was momentarily lost in thought, Min I-seo gently tugged at my arm.

“Let’s go get the meat.”

Once it was decided who would bring the meat, the roles were naturally divided. I could see Choi Hyun-oh and Shin Jiyu piling up side dishes like a mountain at the opposite bar.

I followed Min I-seo with a white plate in hand. She pointed at the frozen meats with tongs, asking,

“Should we put the unmarinated ones on one plate and the marinated ones on another?”

“Sounds good.”

“Then let’s get pork neck and belly… Oh, is pork belly okay? Do you like it?”

“Yeah. I like it.”

Min I-seo, who had been looking up at me blankly, smiled shyly. Perhaps because she reminded me of small animals overall, I kept thinking of related creatures. The dimples that appeared when she smiled vanished again.

As we gathered enough meat for eight people, we piled it high on two plates, and a third plate was added. It was clear that we would be feasting right from the start. Min I-seo’s friends, who had already brought the side dishes and were setting them up, murmured.

“…You two are turning the meat restaurant into a runway.”

They probably thought we wouldn’t hear, but both Min I-seo and I caught it clearly. Min I-seo looked at me with an embarrassed expression. Perhaps because we were still in the early stages of getting to know each other, I felt shy and awkward receiving compliments for every little thing we did.

Before long, all the food and people gathered in one place. Watching Choi Hyun-oh’s flamboyant and slightly clumsy movements as he took charge of grilling the meat, I secretly glanced at my phone.

2:30 PM. I hadn’t realized how much time had passed while we were chatting noisily. Saheon had said he needed to be at work by 2 PM, so he was likely busy at that moment. I wondered where he might be now. At the office building? On his way to the airport?

“Cheongmyeong, what are you doing? Don’t you want a glass? My arm is going to fall off.”

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted. Shin Jiyu shook the neck of a beer bottle threateningly toward me. Before I knew it, a glass was placed in front of me. I hurriedly grabbed the glass and extended it toward her. The amber liquid filled the glass to the brim.

***

As we finished our meal and stepped outside, the sunset had already begun. Unlike me, who could handle alcohol well, a few people were stumbling around from several hours of drinking. Shin Jiyu, with a voice even higher and brighter than when I first saw her, took charge of the situation.

“Tomorrow’s not a free day for anyone, right? If we drink makgeolli, it might get too late, so should we wrap it up here?”

Though her voice was a bit hazy, it was clear. It was evident why she was the class president. Min I-seo, who had hardly touched her drink throughout the meal, agreed with her friend, who was urging her to drink more.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s finish up here.”

“Anyone going to the dorm?”

“Hands up!”

Shin Jiyu’s friend shouted. After several hours of drinking, I had learned that her name was Kim Seo-hee. Wow, impressive.

There were five people living in the dorm and three not. The evening air brushed against my cheeks, which felt a bit warm. I rubbed my slightly flushed cheeks.

“Goodbye, take care!”

The classmates shouted their farewells loudly, giggling as they repeated their goodbyes. One of them, who was joyfully chatting and laughing, suddenly said,

“Oh, but it’s fine for us to go back to the dorm together, but isn’t it dangerous for I-seo to be alone?”

Another classmate, who had been giggling beside her, chimed in.

“That’s true. What should we do? Oh, Cheongmyeong. If you have time, could you walk I-seo home?”

Min I-seo looked at me in surprise. She had drunk the least, yet it seemed like it was Shin Jiyu and Kim Seo-hee who needed help, as they were trying to pick up cigarette butts from the ground.

My mind was slightly hazy, making it hard to grasp the cause-and-effect relationship. As I frowned and blinked, Choi Hyun-oh casually threw an arm around my shoulder.

“Oh, that sounds good. It’s dangerous, so I’ll walk you home with Cheongmyeong, I-seo.”

“I’m fine. I can go alone.”

Min I-seo lightly hit her friend’s shoulder, trying to diffuse the situation. The friend who got hit just laughed, seemingly pleased.

“Then I-seo can go alone. Bye! See you tomorrow!”

Choi Hyun-oh tightened his grip on my shoulder even more. He waved his hand flamboyantly as he walked quickly, and I found myself being pulled along. From behind, I heard Kim Seo-hee’s loud voice.

“Hey, you clueless jerk!”

“Yeah, I love you too!”

Choi Hyun-oh brought his free hand to his mouth, making a loud kissing sound. Kim Seo-hee pretended to gag. As I walked behind Choi Hyun-oh, laughing, the cold wind brushed against my warm cheeks.

Feeling a sudden urge to laugh, I looked up at the sky, but I was startled by a voice coming from beside me. It was Choi Hyun-oh. Before I could delve into why he was here, he asked,

“By the way, I never asked where you live. Where do you live?”

“I… Magok.”

“Really? You live in Magok? I live in Balsan. Where in Magok?”

“Um… there’s an apartment….”

My voice came out slowly, unlike my quick-thinking mind. Why was I like this? It seemed my tongue had frozen from the cold.

“Really? That’s super close. If you live in an apartment, are you living alone? Or with someone else?”

“With my hyung….”

“You’re living with your hyung? Then do you take bus 3300 to school?”

“Yeah….”

“If our classes overlap, we might run into each other on the bus. Oh, nice. What time is it now? 7 PM? Can you drink more? Want to drink at my place before heading home?”

Before I knew it, I was nodding my head. I only realized I had given a positive sign after sensing the movement, but it felt okay.

“Sure….”

The streets were crowded with people. I couldn’t tell if they were students from school or visitors, but as I leaned slightly on Choi Hyun-oh, who knew the area well, we soon arrived at a bus stop, and before I knew it, we were on the bus.

In the meantime, the sun had completely set. I felt like I had leaned against something for a moment, but Choi Hyun-oh woke me up, saying we needed to get off.

Right. I needed to get up. I had to get up. Drowsiness washed over me, but when someone’s firm hand wrapped around my waist, I was able to stand up properly. When I opened my eyes and looked at the person, it was Choi Hyun-oh.

“Are you sleepy? Are you very tired? Do you want to go home?”

“No. I think I just dozed off for a bit. I’m fine….”

I was definitely waking up from a light nap, and my mind was starting to clear. I felt a surge of confidence that I could endure for several more hours without falling asleep. I focused my eyes and opened them wide. I was definitely awake now. Choi Hyun-oh’s voice was laced with laughter.

“Okay. Let’s walk now.”

In the blink of an eye, I found myself on the crosswalk. Just a moment ago, I felt like I was on the bus, but was that just an illusion? However, my thoughts didn’t linger long. My mind, which had returned clearly, was distinctly aware of the street around me.

Choi Hyun-oh and I crossed the crosswalk once more. We came to a place where old buildings and newly built officetels were mixed together. Choi Hyun-oh, who had let out a grunt, said,

“I’m going to buy some alcohol, and while I’m at it, I’ll smoke a cigarette. Do you smoke?”

“No….”

“Then just wait here for a bit while I go. Oh, look, there’s a puppy. I’m going to check out the dog.”

“…Did you call me?”

“You’re really cute.”

Choi Hyun-oh chuckled and sat me down. When I turned around, I saw a bench. When did this appear?

“Stay put. I’ll be back quickly.”

Choi Hyun-oh pressed down on my shoulders as if to keep me in place and then slipped into a convenience store next to a pop-up shop selling cosmetics. The cold wind brushed against my body, but surprisingly, it wasn’t too cold. With my hands tucked firmly in my pockets, I watched the puppy when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and took it out.

The phone was ringing. Unlike the usual black phone screen, it was pure white. What is this? I brought my eyes closer and realized that the caller was Saheon.

Frowning, I fumbled a few times before the ringing stopped. Staring blankly at the screen, it took me a while to realize I had missed the call.

“Hello…?”

– Have you been drinking?

A low voice echoed in my ear. To know I had been drinking even before saying hello, hyung was indeed impressive. I slowly inhaled and answered as I exhaled.

“Yeah….”

– I was curious about how school was going. Is it okay?

“Yeah…. But all my classmates were girls….”

– Did you drink with your classmates?

“Yeah….”

– Are you drinking now?

“No…. No, ah, I’m going to drink again….”

– With whom?

“Where do you know, hyung…?”

Another small laugh came through. Saheon’s voice continued through the slightly poor-quality speaker.

– Hyung knows I came to Ho Chi Minh. I’m about to go back to Korea.

“I see….”

– Are you drinking with your classmates?

“No…. Just the two of us….”

I had a runny nose from the cold. I sniffed and, as a habit, pressed my eyes tightly. My tired eyes felt warm.

– …Just the two of you? Where?

Hmm, where was this? It seemed like the area I had seen while riding in Saheon’s car in the morning, but since it had a unique name I had never heard before, it didn’t stick in my memory well. As I hesitated, Saheon probed a little more.

– Is it near the school? You don’t know where it is?

“Um…. It’s not… the school….”

– What do you see around you?

I blinked and looked at the building across the street. Perhaps because of the cold, my vision was hazy. I squinted and read the English letters.

“…Motel?”