***
Yeon Woojeong, who had been looking at the death report, rubbed his nose bridge. Judging from the report, he couldn’t rule out the possibility of homicide, but the bereaved family didn’t want an autopsy and wanted a quick settlement, so he decided to leave the scene.
Here, someone’s death became a job. For some, it could be a track record, a failure, something to be pitied, a nuisance… It was just a job. But when it was someone of Kim Jiho’s age, it seemed different.
The other things that he had used to look past with ease became apparent when they reminded him of that child or involved him. It was interesting how a person’s presence seeped into every corner of his daily life. It was probably no different for Kim Jiho. He once sent a random message with a picture of a magpie house built on top of a tree with the caption [Mryeonshair].
Yeon Woojeong smiled and flipped through the report, stopping when a sharp pain shot through his fingertip. It was a paper cut, oozing a little blood that quickly stopped. This had happened to him many times since there were stacks of papers. As he clicked his tongue, he suddenly remembered another day.
He was cuddling on the sofa with Kim Jiho, who was on vacation. Kim Jiho suddenly took his finger and looked at it. There was a paper cut on his finger, just like today. Kim Jiho gently touched the healed, barely visible wound and asked.
“Did it hurt?”
No way. It was merely a paper cut. Even if it hurt for a moment, he would have forgotten about it in a few minutes. After all, if Kim Jiho hadn’t found it, he wouldn’t even know it was still there.
“Yes. It hurt.”
He answered that with a smile on his face, and Kim Jiho grabbed his fingertip with a serious look on his face. Yeon Woojeong then kissed him. As they kissed, Kim Jiho didn’t let go of Yeon Woojeong’s hand.
“Let’s go, Prosecutor Yeon.”
“Yes.”
At the Investigator’s call, Yeon Woojeong put down the report, cleared his desk, and stepped outside. Under the sunny sky, the cherry trees lining the streets were in full bloom. It was late spring, enough to wear only a thin layer of clothing without any outerwear.
“Prosecutor Yeon, do you have any vacation plans?”
“Well, I’m thinking it’d be good to go sea-sighting.”
“That sounds good.”
“How about you?”
“I’m thinking of taking my daughters to go camping.”
“Camping is also a good idea. They say it’s so good nowadays that it’s good to take the kids there.”
The Investigator recounted the campgrounds he’d been to with admiration. Being a man of great love for his children, he smiled as he recalled the experience with his daughters.
“Well, it’s nice that we can take some vacations here. I mean, at the place I was stationed before, the higher-ups always stayed at their seats… It was such a hard time there.”
“It was the same with me. They often glared at me.”
“Prosecutor Yeon, does it bother you if you get glared at?”
“Of course. I’m a salaried employee after all.”
As he played along in innocence even though he actually wasn’t that bothered, the Investigator burst into laughter. At the same time, a huge shock struck the car they were in. Yeon Woojeong’s body behind the seat belt bounced. A strong vibration shook his body.
“Ugh!”
The Investigator shrieked and spun the steering wheel. Yeon Woojeong felt his vision dizzy. A loud screech that could have left a skid mark cut through the air, and the car that spun once came to a stop after it slammed into a guardrail in the center of the road. The moment’s powerful horn blast reverberated in the air, echoing over and over in Yeon Woojeong’s ears.
“Argh…”
Yeon Woojeong squinted his eyes, holding back from spewing curses, before turning his head to check the Investigator’s condition. The Investigator, who was clutching the steering wheel, fortunately didn’t appear to be injured. Yeon Woojeong unbuckled his seat belt and looked out the window. A truck had smashed through a storefront window and stuck there. It seemed like the truck had plowed into the store after hitting the back of the car that had crossed the intersection.
“Ha…”
I should skin him alive if it’s a DUI. Yeon Woojeong got out of the car with a wry smile.
.
.
.
“Are you sure you can go home alone?”
“Both of my legs are fine.”
Yeon Woojeong smiled as he lifted his cast arm. His arm, which had been throbbing strangely since the site was cleared, became swollen and painful, so he went to the emergency room and was diagnosed with a fracture. Apparently, he had unknowingly grabbed or hit something when the truck hit the car. Luckily, it was only a crack and he wouldn’t have to wear the cast for long, but it was unfortunate that it was his right arm.
The sky was dark as he left the prosecutor’s office. Although he wanted to finish his work, his coworkers urged him not to, and he decided to take the rest of the day off.
He hailed a taxi and buried himself in the seat. His cast was uncomfortable. Luckily, he could somehow use his left hand in the same way, but it would be more uncomfortable than usual.
Maybe it was because he was injured, but the unlit house seemed eerily quiet. Pausing at the front door, he let his eyes take in the house before walking inside. He had a quick lunch and hadn’t eaten since, so he was hungry. But the thought of eating was too much trouble, so he decided to skip it.
The refrigerator in its usual spot caught his eye. He’ll say something else if I don’t eat. The only thing Kim Jiho wanted before he left was for Yeon Woojeong to eat well. It wasn’t a big deal, but it would be a shame if he couldn’t fulfill it. Yeon Woojeong eventually went to the kitchen.
The freezer was filled with another batch of rice that Kim Jiho had left frozen. He warmed one of the rice and took out the available side dishes. As he had no power to move them to plates, he brought everything to the table before taking the heated rice and then sat on the chair. It wasn’t easy to move the chopsticks with his left hand. He thought of Kim Jiho, who could easily eat with his left hand since he was left-handed, then picked up a fork.
Instead of Kim Jiho, who wasn’t there, he tapped his toe on the leg of the chair opposite him and moved the fork slowly. It should be time for you to be allowed to use your phone. His phone rang not long after sending the message. Yeon Woojeong immediately accepted the call with a smile on his face.
“Hmm.”
—Are you home?
“Yeah, I’m eating now.”
—What do you eat?
“It’s just rice and side dishes.”
—You should eat something delicious.
“This is delicious enough. How about you? What did you eat today?”
Kim Jiho talked about what he had for dinner and then continued with what happened today. He was known as the quiet one there, and as though letting out everything that he couldn’t say there, Kim Jiho became talkative with Yeon Woojeong. Eating while on the phone made his ordinary meal seem a little more enjoyable.
—Everything’s okay with you, right, Mr. Yeon?
Yeon Woojeong, who was about to say he was okay, looked at his cast arm and stopped. He thought that if he told Kim Jiho that he had been in a car accident and cracked his arm, he would be surprised and worried. He would keep thinking about it there, disturbed because he couldn’t see him in person. It hadn’t been long since he used his vacation, so it seemed better to tell him later when he had removed his cast.
“Yeah, everything’s okay.”
—Have you finished with your dinner?
“Mhm. Should we go to eat pizza when you get your next vacation? I got a recommendation for a good place.”
—Sure. Who gave you the recommendation?
“Investigator Kim’s daughters like that place, so I think you would like it too.”
—Aren’t they in elementary school?
“They are.”
—… Well, okay.
Yeon Woojeong held back a burst of laughter at the displeased voice. Not long after, Kim Jiho said he had to end the call and wished Yeon Woojeong good night. After the call was over, the overly silent room felt a bit more filled. Yeon Woojeong got up from his seat and leisurely cleared the table.
Knowing that he had to wash himself with the current condition of his arm, Yeon Woojeong felt like he had a long way ahead. He looked around the empty living room for no reason before kicking the sprouts cultivator in a corner once and heading to the bathroom.
A lot of time had passed when he somehow managed to finish washing up. He didn’t feel refreshed after washing, but more tired. Yeon Woojeong brushed up his cursorily dried hair, then went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. A chilled can of beer sat there, just within reach.
He knew a sip of cold beer would melt away his accumulated fatigue. He reached out for it but then stopped. He felt that if Kim Jiho were there, he would rush to him, glaring.
If Kim Jiho had been by his side, he wouldn’t have let Yeon Woojeong wash by himself. He wouldn’t even let him move his hands. He would stay close, wondering if there was something Yeon Woojeong needed, and felt hurt as if he were the one injured.
Yeon Woojeong suddenly laughed. He couldn’t tell if he wanted to whine or be a spoiled kid, while Kim Jiho, whom he was worried about, was gaining weight there and living better than he was worried about.
His mind flashed back to the cool hand that had gently caressed his fevered forehead. Yeon Woojeong closed the refrigerator door and turned away. He didn’t want to do anything that would cause Kim Jiho to worry even if he wasn’t around since he had been so attentive. Even if Kim Jiho didn’t know, it would be better for him to get better sooner rather than later, so it would be best if he abstained from alcohol and cigarettes for the time being.
Yeon Woojeong sat down in front of the TV and searched for a movie he could watch, and when his hair was dry, he went into Kim Jiho’s room. The owner of the room was away for a while, but Yeon Woojeong thought of him and lay down on the bed the owner kept clean.
His eyes were wide awake. It wasn’t time for him to sleep yet. If it were Kim Jiho, he would be asleep by now. Even if they didn’t fall asleep together, Kim Jiho often showed signs of wanting to lie down with him, so Yeon Woojeong stayed with him until he fell asleep, even if he wasn’t sleepy. Strangely, looking at Kim Jiho asleep made him feel sleepy.
Yeon Woojeong closed his eyes. He thought of Kim Jiho sleeping, not tossing and turning, just breathing quietly.