ACJY C30

The vinyl greenhouse was a steamer. It was also ridiculously huge. Isn’t it illegal to build it this big?, he grumbled internally, listing all sorts of nonsensical complaints.

A fan whirred incessantly, spitting out hot air, and loud trot music blasted through the speakers. Out of the five workers, excluding the greenhouse owner, Mr. Jang, only Taeheun was panting. Everyone else, as if this kind of work was nothing, wore long sleeves, sang along to the trot music, and chatted. The man was one of them, except he didn’t join in the chatter.

His wristwatch band was drenched in sweat. Regretting wearing his expensive watch, Taeheun took it off, thinking he should have worn a cheap digital one. He glanced at the time before putting it in his pants pocket. Shit. He couldn’t believe only an hour had passed. He shoved the watch roughly into his pocket as if taking out his frustration on it.

“Ugh, I’m dying.”

Taeheun muttered to himself, and a middle-aged woman sitting next to him, hearing this, laughed and relayed his words to her colleagues.

“With that pale face, I knew he’d never done this kind of work.”

“What a waste of a big body.”

“Can he even function as a man like that?”

Various comments were exchanged.

“Hey, I may not be good at other things, but I’m amazing at functioning as a man.”

Taeheun retorted, and everyone burst into laughter.

“Take a break if it’s too hard. You’ll collapse.”

The oldest woman said with a worried look.

“With his pale face, it’s hard to tell if he’s lost color from exhaustion or if he’s always like that.”

“So pale. His skin’s so soft, like a baby’s. If he didn’t have a beard, I’d think he was a woman.”

“You ladies. You always give compliments that sound like insults. I did hear I was pretty a lot when I was young. Now, I’m blessed with… certain features, so it’s not easy to mistake my gender.”

Taeheun subtly placed his hand on his lower body, responding to their jokes.

The women shrieked with laughter, some pretending to crane their necks to look at Taeheun’s crotch, while others feigned scolding them, but sneakily glanced at the silhouette visible through his pants with curious eyes. They were all cheerful.

Meanwhile, the man, oblivious to all of this, was diligently harvesting oriental melons, skillfully bending and crouching his large body. His flushed face showed no signs of irritation or fatigue.

“Mr. Gibeom, am I right or not?”

Taeheun called out to the man. Only then did the man look up. Among the women in their brightly colored floral shirts, the man’s old-fashioned checked shirt looked subdued.

“Yes?”

“You know, what I was talking about. You saw it, right? This morning, when I was only in my underwear.”

The man just stared with wide eyes, as if wondering what nonsense Taeheun was talking about, while the women, whom Taeheun called “noonims” (older sisters), clapped and roared with laughter amongst themselves. Only the man, clueless about what was going on, closed his mouth and focused on his work again.

“Oh dear, what’s Jihye’s father going to do with his shyness? It’s a real problem.”

“Hasn’t it been like this for a day or two? Young man, try teaching him something. Who knows, he might get better if he learns.”

“As if. If he were that kind of person, he would’ve remarried long ago.”

The conversation shifted to the man. The man, seemingly accustomed to such talk, responded curtly, “Here we go again. Stop it. I’m not deaf.”

“What was your name again? Tae-eun?”

“No. Taeheun.”

“Tae-hoon?”

“Tae! Heun! Heun like the ‘heun’ in ‘trace’!”

“What kind of a complicated name is that? Anyway, young city man, try teaching Jihye’s father some dating skills while you’re with him. You seem to be quite experienced in that area.”

The youngest-looking woman, with a large mole on her forehead, whispered conspiratorially.

“I’ll try my best.”

Taeheun winked and looked at the man. The oriental melon vines obscured him from view.

“By the way, it’s been a while since we’ve had someone from Seoul helping out.”

“That’s true.”

“Don’t they do farm volunteer work anymore?”

Taeheun asked, remembering how, when he was in college, everyone was eager to go to the countryside for volunteer work during vacations.

“Even if they come, we don’t take them.”

“Why?”

“They used to work hard in the old days, but these days, kids don’t work.”

“All they do is drink and pass out.”

“And fool around.”

Unlike Taeheun, who had to stop working to talk, they all diligently picked oriental melons while chatting away.

Taeheun, feeling a bit more alive thanks to the conversation, continued to chat with the women.

“By the way, I never heard that this town is a widow village. Where are all the men, and why are only you ladies working here?”

Taeheun’s question sent the women into another fit of giggles. They expressed their strong agreement, saying he had a sharp eye and a way with words.

“Being a widow would be easier. With their tiny… things, they act so important, as if they’ll lose their balls if they do this kind of work.”

“After a few rounds of rice planting and sowing in the fields, they think their work is done. As if money will sprout from the ground while the rice grows. You have to work to earn money. And that’s our job. On top of that, we have to cook every meal, do the laundry, and clean the house.”

“Living alone is the easiest.”

They all grumbled.

“Hey, don’t say that. What about me and Jihye’s father?”

Mr. Jang, the greenhouse owner, apparently overheard them despite the noise, and poked his head out from afar. The women and Mr. Jang exchanged a few playful words and then laughed loudly again.

“Young man, have some iced barley tea if you’re hot. It’s important to stay hydrated.”

Mr. Jang advised Taeheun.

“I’m fine!”

He shouted back, but he was already feeling dizzy.

Taeheun picked oriental melons at a slower pace than others, waiting for the 10 a.m. snack break. While the women, including the man, continuously filled and emptied the baskets they sat next to, Taeheun’s pants, in addition to his slow pace, were giving him trouble.

Although more comfortable than his other pants, they were summer semi-formal trousers, vulnerable to sweat. Less than two hours into the work, the soaked pants clung to his body, becoming one with his skin. As a result, the shape of his genitals was clearly visible, even without him intentionally showing off.

The women giggled and made lewd comments about Taeheun’s bulge, their witty remarks so relentless that even Taeheun, known for his smooth talking, was rendered speechless.

As 10 a.m. approached, the greenhouse became even hotter. The man’s dark face was flushed red. As if afraid to look anywhere else, he constantly wiped his sweat with the towel around his neck, remaining focused on his work.

Finally, the long-awaited snack break arrived. Everyone stopped working and went outside. The sky was dark, as if it was about to rain. The heavy, humid air wasn’t welcome, but the breeze was a relief. Everyone wiped their sweat and brushed off their clothes with their towels.

Taeheun took off his white t-shirt and wrung it out like laundry.

“Oh my. What a body.”

“Almost as good as Jihye’s father’s.”

“Goodness. I thought he was just pretty, but he has a beautiful body too. Who did he grow up so pretty for?”

“Can I touch it? Oh my, it’s like a rock.”

“Is this the first time you’ve seen a man’s body? Why are you ladies so excited?”

While Taeheun was joking with the women, Mr. Jang, who had come outside, slapped Taeheun’s back.

“Stop messing around and eat. You looked half-dead while working, but now you’re alive and kicking during the break.”

Mr. Jang glanced at Taeheun with an amused look.

Mr. Jang’s wife and elderly mother, who had prepared the snack area by spreading a mat in the shade, called the workers over. Everyone walked over, rubbing their thighs and backs, stiff from crouching for so long.

The meal was bibimbap for easy eating, and two yellow thermoses contained iced roasted grain powder drink and instant coffee mix for refreshment. And, of course, there were oriental melons.

The man, still wearing his long-sleeved shirt as if he wasn’t hot, sat with his legs stretched out, a little apart from the group, eating his meal. Taeheun, who was among the women, took his bowl and went over to the man, who glanced at him.

“Even dog shit would look at me with more interest. Are you that unhappy that I tagged along?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what?”

“Your clothes…”

As if Taeheun himself wasn’t embarrassed enough. The man chewed his food, his expression clearly asking why Taeheun had worn such clothes.

“Who knew I’d be doing this kind of work? You said we’d finish by 12:30, right? Do you want to go to town after we’re done? I want to buy some clothes.”

“Why bother? I’ll lend you some of mine.”

“You don’t seem to have many clothes yourself. Let’s buy a set each. I’ll buy yours too, Mr. Gibeom.”

“No need. Why spend money on work clothes?”

“Come on. You only have one set of clothes to wear at home. Are you going to walk around in front of Jihye in just your underwear?”

At that, the man glared at Taeheun.

“So let’s go.”

“…Okay.”

“You should have just agreed from the start. The food is good.”

Taeheun smiled slightly and scooped a large spoonful of rice into his mouth.

They say food tastes like honey after working, but perhaps because he was so exhausted, he could hardly swallow. He poked at his food half-heartedly and then put down his bowl.

Mr. Jang brought an oriental melon and the instant coffee thermos for the man and Taeheun and sat down next to them.

“Why are you leaving some? Doesn’t it suit your taste?”

“No. I drank a bit too much last night, so…”

Taeheun excused himself and took the thermos.

“You two drank together? Good. Young people should do things like that. Yes.”

Mr. Jang looked at Taeheun and the man with a pleased expression. He then asked Taeheun what he did in Seoul, if he was married, and if he had children.