ACJY C13

The man who got out of the truck startled as if he’d seen a ghost.

“What time did you leave? I’ve been waiting since 8 am.”

Taeheun stood up, dusting off his pants.

Just like two days prior, the man was shirtless, a towel draped around his neck. It appeared he didn’t usually work shirtless, as the deep tan of his arms contrasted sharply with the lighter brown of his torso.

The man’s gaze traveled down Taeheun’s attire, landing on his feet. His brow furrowed.

“Ah, this. I got a little injured.”

“…Hospital.”

“It’s not that bad.”

Silence hung in the air.

The man hesitated to enter his own house, as Taeheun stood at the gate. They faced each other like gunslingers before a duel.

Just then, a blue Damas van rattled towards them, shaking so violently on the rough road that it looked as if it might topple over. Before it had even fully stopped, a child jumped out.

“Yoon Jihye! I told you to wait until your uncle stopped the car!” A head popped out of the open driver’s side window, yelling at the child. It was a high-pitched, almost melodic voice, like a boy just past puberty. The child stuck their tongue out, then waved at the man. Until he heard the name, Taeheun hadn’t realized it was the man’s daughter.

The child was quite tall. With short, boyish hair and dressed in boys’ clothes, she didn’t look like a girl. Her sneakers, once white, were clean but so worn they looked barely wearable.

“Dad!”

“Are you hungry? Let’s go in.”

The tanned child smiled, revealing surprisingly white teeth. Then, noticing Taeheun, she stopped short, startled. Her eyes, filled with curiosity, stayed fixed on him.

“Is he a beggar?” Taeheun heard the child ask the man cautiously.

A beggar?

He bristled for a moment but, glancing at his own appearance, conceded the point.

A slender man got out of the Damas van. He had a handsome face and was dressed in the latest Gangnam style. Like the child, he scanned Taeheun up and down, wary.

“Who are you?” the Damas man asked.

“I’m Kim Taeheun. I’m supposed to be staying with Mr. Yoon Gibeom.”

“Ah,” the Damas man acknowledged, though without any sign of welcome. His gaze fell to Taeheun’s feet, and he frowned. Instead of addressing Taeheun, he watched the man’s back as he led the child inside the gate.

Having overheard Taeheun’s introduction, the child asked, looking up at the man, “Already? Are you really going to live with this mister?”

“Well, yes, but I don’t know the exact date yet.”

“But why is he here?”

“That’s… Go inside.”

The man, also unsure why Taeheun had arrived, trailed off. The child pouted and went into the house.

“Good work, Yong-jun.”

“What, am I not welcome?”

“No, it’s not that. We have a guest…”

The man’s demeanor was gentler than during Taeheun’s first visit.

“Please, go inside.” The man gestured towards the gate.

Taeheun, who’d been standing awkwardly, readily followed the child.

“Mansu! Mukang! Were you good boys?” the child shrieked, calling the dogs. So their names were Mansu and Mukang – long life and good health. Taeheun chuckled, but then the dogs started growling at him.

“Hey, tie up the dogs! They’re going to bite Oppa!” Taeheun referred to himself as “Oppa” (older brother – term of endearment/respect used by younger females).

The child looked up at him, dumbfounded.

“So you’re Jihye. Let’s get along. Call me Oppa from now on.” Taeheun smiled, lowering himself to her level.

The child stared at him seriously and declared, “You’re an idiot.”

Taken aback by the unexpected insult, Taeheun burst out laughing rather than getting offended. He laughed so hard he spat, then abruptly stopped, putting on a stern voice.

“Yoon Jihye. Where did you learn that kind of language? Did your father teach you that? To call adults idiots?”

The child’s previously confident face was now clearly flustered. The question about her father seemed to have struck a nerve.

“My dad doesn’t use that kind of language!” she shouted.

“Then who did? Did that Damas mister outside teach you? It’s not right for adults to teach that kind of language. I should go out and give him a piece of my mind.”

“No, don’t! I learned it from my friends!” The child blocked Taeheun, looking as if she might cry. She glared at him, her fists clenched. The man was still talking to the Damas man and showed no sign of coming in.

Taeheun bent down again to meet her eye level.

“Alright, I won’t tell. But…” He paused for effect. The child gulped.

“But?”

“You have to call me Oppa.”

The child’s lips trembled, and she refused, running onto the porch. The dogs followed her, then turned and barked at Taeheun, approaching so menacingly that he backed away.

“Hey! Come down and tie up the dogs! Are you going to take responsibility if they bite Oppa?”

“Mansu and Mukang don’t bite people.” The child peeked her head out from behind the sliding door.

Pinned against the gate by the dogs, Taeheun grumbled as soon as the man entered.

“Why are you so late? I’ve been standing here forever.”

The man seemed uncomfortable with Taeheun’s familiarity but didn’t rebuke him. He simply grabbed the dogs, who were excited to see him, and leashed them. Taeheun couldn’t tell which dog was Mansu and which was Mukang, but the smaller one bared its teeth and growled fiercely at him. Like father, like daughter, like dog – the small ones were feisty.

“Isn’t that Damas van too dangerous? It looked like it was about to flip over.” Taeheun naturally followed the man and settled down on the porch.

“Mister, are you really not a beggar?” the child asked innocently.

“Have you ever seen a beggar this handsome? No, right?”

“A beggar is a beggar, even if he’s handsome.” The child wouldn’t back down.

The man looked a bit troubled and admonished her gently, “You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Apologize to the mister, now.” His voice was low and quiet, but the child obeyed, bowing her head towards Taeheun.

“Mister, I’m sorry for calling you a beggar.”

Although he hadn’t yelled at her, the child looked dejected and went back inside. Taeheun felt awkward.

“I do look a bit like a beggar. I climbed a mountain.”

“…Yes.”

The man could have asked why he’d climbed a mountain and why he looked the way he did, but he was a man of few words.

“Daeho didn’t say anything…” He was indirectly asking why Taeheun had come.

“I just felt a little stifled. I came for some fresh air.” Taeheun smiled at the man.

The man blushed from his ears to his neck, flustered by Taeheun’s smile. He turned away, pretending to wipe sweat with his towel. Taeheun couldn’t tell if he was naturally shy or if he had some other interest in him, but either way, it was a sign of positive regard, so he wasn’t complaining.

“I should have come with Daeho. I see I’m making you uncomfortable.”

At Taeheun’s words, the man took off his boots without a word.

Taeheun sat beside him, looking up at the blazing sun.

“It’s really hot, isn’t it?”

“…”

“I wonder how hot it’s going to get this year.” He muttered to himself. The man, who hadn’t responded, seemed to sense his discomfort and finally spoke.

“Um, if you need anything, please let me know. Daeho said he’d prepare everything, but still…” He trailed off.

“I don’t need anything. Don’t worry about it.”

“Yes… um…”

“Taeheun. Kim Taeheun.”

“Um, I’m about to have lunch. Would you like to join me?”

As soon as he heard the word “lunch,” his stomach growled. He’d barely eaten anything and had climbed a mountain, so it was no wonder he was starving. The man must have heard his stomach rumble because he stood up without waiting for a reply.

“Wait just a moment. It’s noodles, so it’ll be ready soon.” The man looked down at Taeheun.

“Why don’t you come in and wash up while I prepare it? I’ll get you some underwear and clothes to change into.”

“That’s okay.”

“My daughter keeps calling you a beggar, so it’s a bit… concerning.”

Taeheun burst out laughing at the man’s earnest tone.

“Do I really look that much like a beggar?”

The man went inside without answering.

Taeheun, who wanted to wash up anyway, followed the man’s suggestion.

The inside of the house was much cleaner than he’d imagined. There was no bachelor smell or the typical musty odor of a countryside home.

The layout was simple. The square living room/kitchen had a straight sink and a four-person dining table. To the right of the living room was a bedroom with a sliding door, and to the left were two ordinary wooden doors. The inner room seemed to be the one Taeheun would be using. The bathroom was right in front of his room.

The man had already prepared some clothes and a towel and handed them to Taeheun.

“I’ll treat your feet after lunch. You shouldn’t leave them like that.”

“Thank you.”

Even a simple expression of gratitude made the man blush. He limped quickly towards the kitchen.