After finishing dinner, Yeon Woojeong, propping his chin, chased after Kim Jiho, who was clearing up the table. His body became completely unwound and tired. The accumulated sleeplessness melted away.
“Shall we go to get some ice cream?”
Yeon Woojeong asked as Kim Jiho finished clearing up, and Kim Jiho rolled his eyes before nodding. The two got on the elevator and held hands like it was a given. Yeon Woojeong kept Kim Jiho in the mirror in his eyes. The machine noises, the warmth felt on his palm, the hesitating glances through the mirror, and the stronger grip as they made eye contact.
The door opened, and their hands fell apart. However, Kim Jiho grabbed Yeon Woojeong’s wrist instead. The two walked slowly and left the apartment complex. The ice cream shop was located nearby.
“By the way, what’s with ice cream so sudden?”
“Well, it’s good to eat since it’s warm.”
Kim Jiho nodded. The night was drawing in. The lights of the street lamps traced their shadows, and the faint moonlight sprinkled over them.
Entering the ice cream shop, they stood before the refrigerator. Kim Jiho checked the ice creams before pointing at one, and Yeon Woojeong read the description on the glass.
“That’s coffee flavor, though.”
“I know.”
Yeon Woojeong stared at Kim Jiho’s face before smirking and ordering two coffee-flavored ice creams. They each came out with an ice cream cone in one hand. Kim Jiho looked down at the ice cream with a bitter look, then took a little bite, and perhaps the taste suited him, he took a big bite after that.
It was a crisp, warm day, just enough to keep the ice cream from quickly melting. The sweet and bitter flavor melted in their mouths.
As they stood in front of the crosswalk, Kim Jiho finished his ice cream, and Yeon Woojeong’s ice cream was half gone. He was holding it still because it was getting watery, but then Kim Jiho took it from his hand. The remaining ice cream was now completely gone.
The light changed, and Kim Jiho took a step forward, but Yeon Woojeong didn’t move, so he came back. He looked back at Yeon Woojeong.
“What’s wrong?”
“Shall we change our names?”
“Names?”
Yeon Woojeong took out his phone and opened the contact. He pressed Kim Jiho’s name and added A in front of his name. After that, he typed in parentheses after the name.
[A Kim Jiho (Guardian)]
Kim Jiho carefully stared at the typed name. Yeon Woojeong’s finger hovered over the save button.
“With this, since we’re apart. Well, even if we aren’t apart, if something happens, we’ll get called first, won’t it?”
“Why did you add A?”
“It makes it on the top. Oh, but it’s a bit messy.”
Yeon Woojeong was about to delete it, thinking about changing it to a neat one.
“Don’t change it.”
“Uh?”
“I like this one.”
Kim Jiho took out his phone from his pocket and then changed Yeon Woojeong’s name in the same way. His eyes sparkled as he looked down at the name. Yeon Woojeong tilted his head, staring at Kim Jiho’s face as he took a deep breath for a long moment, then let out a light laugh.
“You like that?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright, sure.”
Yeon Woojeong put his phone back in his pocket and reached out, and Kim Jiho grabbed his wrist. They walked slowly, hand in hand.
“This is weird.”
“What?”
“Normally I’m standing on the other side.”
Like Kim Jiho said, usually, he walked while holding Yeon Woojeong’s right wrist. Since Yeon Woojeong couldn’t use his right hand, Kim Jiho was now walking on the opposite side.
“You’re right. Take this opportunity to touch it a lot, the hand you neglect.”
“I never neglect it.”
“I believe this doesn’t think the same.”
Yeon Woojeong raised his held left wrist, and Kim Jiho squeezed it.
“I’m glad you’re here today. I can wash my hair comfortably.”
“Ah, so you’ve been washing it yourself all this time?”
“I have, wrapping plastic around here.”
“That must have been though.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“When will you take it off?”
“Next week?”
“Who caused the accident?”
“A man, DUI.”
“Is he crazy?”
Hearing the shocked voice, Yeon Woojeong smiled and leaned his head, tapping his head on Kim Jiho’s shoulder.
“That reminds me, why did you come without telling me?”
“No reason.”
“Did you want to surprise me?”
“Were you surprised?”
“I was. I didn’t know that my Jiho has a talent for surprising people.”
At the teasing voice, Kim Jiho rubbed Yeon Woojeong’s wrist with his finger. The clouds over the moon scattered, and the moonlight became even clearer. The flavor of coffee lingering in his mouth tickled his tongue. His injured arm didn’t feel awkward, uncomfortable, or painful.
Out of the corner of his eye, Yeon Woojeong captured Kim Jiho’s face, and when their eyes met, the corner of his mouth went up. Kim Jiho’s smile had seemed awkward at times but now seemed so natural. It was the most memorable thing Yeon Woojeong had ever seen on a spring night.
***
As Yeon Woojeong drove down a street lined with trees that hadn’t turned their fall colors yet, he pondered. It wasn’t a big or disturbing thought. It was just a small question: Why was Kim Jiho hesitating?
A few days ago, when they were talking on the phone, Yeon Woojeong had asked if he could see him over the weekend because he missed him, and Kim Jiho didn’t immediately reply, being silent for a while, before asking.
—On weekends? Are you not busy?
The nuance of the question wasn’t simply a concern. It was either he didn’t miss him or there was a reason he shouldn’t come. It wasn’t the former, so it should be the latter, but Kim Jiho spoke vaguely about the reason.
“Why? Should I not come?”
—No, just come. I still have chances to go out.
His voice sounded as if he was hiding something. After that, he hesitated, as if wanting to talk about it, but in the end, he hung up without saying anything.
Yeon Woojeong knew he would find out when he met him, but a nagging suspicion had been following him the whole time. He seemed to get along well with his comrades, so maybe he had an arrangement with them. However, it was unlikely that Kim Jiho would react with nervousness for that reason.
That child was an open book, so it wasn’t a bad thing to speculate on the unseen. But it wouldn’t be a big deal, and it shouldn’t be.
On the border of late summer and early fall, the sky was just bright. It was a nice day for a walk, so Yeon Woojeong had listed a few places to check out. He pulled over, thinking about the route they would take today. As he looked out the window, he suddenly turned his head and saw Kim Jiho stepping out. Yeon Woojeong smiled and rolled down the window. Kim Jiho came running toward him, and as he got closer, the smile on Yeon Woojeong’s face faded.
He closed the window again. Kim Jiho got into the car and as though he felt guilty about something, he stiffened as soon as he made eye contact with Yeon Woojeong.
There was a yellowish bruise on his left cheekbone. Yeon Woojeong thought coldly. Judging from the color now, the bruise probably first appeared about a week ago. It must have started black. And in the meantime, Kim Jiho hadn’t said a word.
An assault? Did it end with just a bruise on his cheek? Yeon Woojeong looked all over Kim Jiho’s body, but his clothes didn’t reveal anything. If it wasn’t an assault, why was he trying to hide it?
Yeon Woojeong leaned back against the seat and cocked his head. He felt the nape of his neck stiffen.
“What’s that?”