ACJY C26

The man, fresh from the shower, startled as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Why? Am I not allowed to wake up early?”

The man shook his head and stepped aside from the bathroom door for Taeheun.

Taeheun quickly relieved himself before showering. He knew the water would be cold, but it was even colder than he’d anticipated, making him jump. He hadn’t brought any underwear from his room, so he hastily wrapped a towel around his lower body and dashed back inside.

“Soy sauce eggs for breakfast.”

He belatedly realized the other man was there and opened the door again.

“What did you just say?”

The man, seemingly not expecting the door to open again, was startled once more. Looking at his flushed face, Taeheun wondered if the calm and collected man who’d given him advice last night had been a dream.

“Uh, that is… I was asking if you wanted soy sauce eggs with rice for breakfast.”

“Of course, I’ll have some. Please, Mr. Gibeom.”

Taeheun winked. As the man flusteredly turned away, he closed the door.

When he came out to the living room fully dressed, the child, ready for school, was sitting at the table.

“Oh!”

The child seemed just as surprised as the man had been earlier.

“What are you doing up so early, Mister?”

“What do you mean ‘what am I doing up’? I woke up because my eyes opened.”

Taeheun replied cheekily, sitting across from the child.

The child looked Taeheun over suspiciously before setting a spoon and chopsticks for him. Meanwhile, the man placed a pink lunchbox next to the child’s schoolbag.

Just like yesterday, two kinds of kimchi were served as side dishes. Bowls of rice topped with two fried eggs each were placed on the table. The man sat next to the child, holding a soju bottle filled with sesame oil. He looked at the child with eyes full of affection.

Unlike Taeheun’s home, where children weren’t allowed to eat before the adults, the man always picked up his spoon after the child.

“Looks delicious. It’s been ages since I’ve had soy sauce eggs with rice.”

Taeheun said dramatically, scooping two spoonfuls of soy sauce over his fried eggs. The child, who had already drizzled sesame oil on their rice, handed the soju bottle to Taeheun. After adding a generous spoonful of sesame oil to his own rice, Taeheun passed the bottle back to the man.

Swish, clink, clink.

Everyone was busy mixing and eating their rice in silence. Taeheun was no exception.

Did they put drugs in the rice? Or the kimchi? Or the fried eggs?

He wondered how a simple meal with market-bought side dishes could be so delicious, especially after just skipping dinner last night. Following the child’s lead, he asked for two more fried eggs and ate another bowl.

Embarrassed by how ravenously he ate, just like with the cold radish noodles last time, he offered to do the dishes, but the man wouldn’t let him lift a finger.

While Taeheun and the child killed time with trivial bickering, the man busily went about doing housework. Even tasks that most men wouldn’t typically do, and might appear awkward doing, he performed flawlessly. It was likely from long practice, but he also seemed inherently meticulous. He even managed to get ready to leave in the midst of all this.

The man sat next to the child on the floor.

“Dad, Uncle Yongjun said he’ll take me and the older girls to see a movie and buy us pizza in town tonight, paid for by the youth group funds. He said he got Uncle Gicheol’s permission.”

“Lucky you, Jihye.”

“Dad, want to tag along?”

Taeheun burst out laughing at the word “tag along.”

The child, putting on their shoes next to the man, glared at Taeheun. Taeheun mimicked the child’s expression. This time, the child stuck their tongue out. Taeheun stuck his tongue out too. The child started to raise their middle finger, but lowered it at the man’s “Don’t do that.”

The child frequently glared at Taeheun, stuck their tongue out, and gave him suspicious looks. None of these actions bothered Taeheun. On the contrary, he found them endearing. The child wasn’t overly cunning like his nieces and nephews, nor were they overly childish. They weren’t annoyingly perceptive or precocious either. In many ways, they were a well-balanced child.

Taeheun watched as the man, now wearing his boots, retied the child’s shoelaces. A young father of twenty-two had bet his life on raising this child. And he’d done a remarkably good job. Taeheun felt a pang of envy.

It was bright outside despite being 5:30 AM. The house was bathed in pleasant sunlight and a gentle breeze. The dogs wagged their tails incessantly, jumping at the man and the child. Dog fur flew everywhere.

“Are you picking me up tonight, Dad?”

“No. Uncle Yongjun said he’ll drive me.”

“Okay. Don’t fight with your friends.”

“I won’t.”

“Listen to your older sisters. Did you pack your lunch?”

“Of course.”

The man patted the child’s head.

The child grinned and ran towards the man who was heading towards the yard, calling out, “Dad!” The child beckoned him closer. The man approached, bending down to meet the child’s eye level. The child kissed him on the cheek. A broad smile spread across the man’s face. A half-beat later, his face flushed.

So, it wasn’t just me.

Taeheun felt deflated. Just yesterday, he’d been convinced the man’s blushing was due to more than just shyness. He’d felt a surge of pride, even though a rugged man being attracted to him wasn’t necessarily something to celebrate.

He glared at the man.

“Why don’t you ask me what I’m doing?”

He asked the man, who was carrying a bag of feed into the shed, in a challenging tone.

“…Uh…”

“Whatever, forget it. Just a houseguest, right?”

“No, that’s not it…”

The man trailed off. Only after placing the feed bag down and coming back out did he ask, “What are you doing today?”

“Like pulling teeth. Are you really curious?”

“Yes, sir.”

“If you keep calling me ‘sir,’ I’ll start calling you ‘boss’.”

“Sorry… Uh, Tae…heun, lunch and dinner…”

“I’ll take care of lunch, so don’t worry about it. Mr. Gibeom, if you’re free, let’s have dinner in town. It’s not fair for Jihye to have all the fun.”

Jihye’s eyes widened at Taeheun’s words.

“Dad, are you going to town?”

The child ran over and asked, their upturned face flushed with excitement. What was so special about going to town?

“Dad, have pizza with me!”

“No, I…”

“We’re going to hang out just the two of us. You play with Uncle Yongjun and your sisters.”

Taeheun interrupted the man and answered for him.

The child glared at Taeheun.

“You’re not invited.”

“Tch. I wouldn’t go even if you invited me!”

The child yelled and stormed out, slamming the gate.

The man stood awkwardly for a moment, then started to leave without a word.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Are we not having dinner together?”

“We are, but do we have to go all the way to town? The timing’s a bit awkward.”

The man replied with a troubled tone.

“What time do you finish work?”

“7 PM.”

“Why so late? People have no conscience.”

Taeheun grumbled.

Even if the man finished at 7 PM, they couldn’t meet right away. If he asked him to come to town at that hour, it would be well past 8 PM. By then, the child would be home, and the man wouldn’t want to leave them alone. His concern was understandable.

“Then I’ll buy beer and chicken in town, and how about you make some spicy whelk salad, Mr. Gibeom? I think it would be amazing together.”

“Okay.”

Finally, the man’s face brightened.

“Dad! Dad! Let’s go!”

The child shouted from outside the gate.

“Do you need anything? I can pick it up while I’m in town.”

“No.”

“Think before you speak, seriously.”

The man pretended to think, then a few seconds later said, “No.”

“Stubborn as a mule. If you think of anything, leave me a voice message.”

“Okay.”

“Do you have my number?”

“…”

“Knew it. Just go, I have my card in the car, I’ll give it to you.”

Taeheun followed the man out to the gate.

The child, waiting by the truck, greeted the man. The man opened the truck door, and the child hopped in. The man got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Taeheun retrieved his business card from his Benz and handed it through the driver’s side window.

“Don’t throw it away just because you think you won’t need it.”

“…Okay.”

“Always good at following instructions. See you later, Jihye, you too.”

The child, arms crossed and pouting, nodded. So easily offended.

“Have a good trip to town.”

The man said.

“Are you going to town, Mister?”

The child, who hadn’t been looking at him, suddenly turned and asked quickly.

“Why? Do you need anything?”

“No.”

“Tell me if you do. I’ll get it for you.”

“No!”

“Think before you speak.”

Like father, like daughter.

“Why ask if you don’t need anything?”

“Just because.”

“Learned that from your dad, huh?”

Taeheun grumbled, and the child stuck their tongue out at him.

“Don’t do that.”

The man reprimanded the child with words that clearly wouldn’t have any effect.

“Just go. We’ll be here all night at this rate.”

Taeheun patted the truck. The truck slowly reversed. After one forward and backward maneuver, the man turned the truck around. The truck disappeared down the narrow, rough road.

Taeheun felt a sense of surrealness as he stood there, seeing off someone in a place where there was nothing but fields and winding roads. Perhaps it was because of his long confinement, but he couldn’t quite believe that his world had changed so drastically in just two days.

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips for no apparent reason. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he was about to kick a pebble when he remembered he was wearing sandals and withdrew his foot.