ACJY C51

The man sat on the floor, putting his feet into his shoes. He held a small shoehorn in his hand. His short hair was neatly combed back, and his shirt looked even better quality than the ones he wore to church. Even though he himself had deliberately dressed up, he didn’t like that the man had made an effort with his appearance. Why dress up so much just to visit someone in a nursing home? He was certain the man had someone he truly cared for, and that certainty made him sulky.

He had planned to drive him in his Benz but decided against it.

“Mr. Gibeom, you’re going to get your truck, right? Let’s take that while we’re at it. My car is in a bad state after driving on a dirt road yesterday. It’ll be alright for going into town, though.”

“I only need to go to town. I’m going to the express bus terminal anyway.”

The man’s voice sounded excited as he said this.

“The terminal? Why there?”

“There’s a direct bus to Chungju. It’s comfortable, and taking it makes me feel like I’m going on a trip. I like it.”

The man smiled shyly.

“No, what bus are you talking about?”

Just thinking about the smell of a bus made him frown.

“It’s hot. Let’s just take my car. I’ll drive you comfortably.”

Taeheun changed his mind immediately.

“You said it wasn’t in good condition. What if it breaks down?”

“I was just saying.”

“It’s okay. I like buses better, even though private cars are nice.”

The man insisted.

“Alright, I get it.”

Get it my ass. I’ll just drive him all the way to the nursing home.

Thinking this to himself, he stepped down into the yard.

Before leaving the house, the man gave the dogs food and water, bidding them a fond farewell. He smiled brightly despite the scabs and bruises on his lips and ears. He was carefree, as if nothing had happened. Taeheun was just as carefree. His mind was at peace, as if the intense events of the early morning hadn’t occurred.

The Benz’s wheels were a mess, caked with mud and weeds. The body of the car was also splattered with mud. He planned to get a car wash while in town and somehow coax the man into going with him further. If his persuasion didn’t work, he would just kidnap him.

The temperature had definitely dropped. Despite the drizzling rain, there were people in the fields. The man occasionally opened the car window and greeted them loudly. Taeheun was amazed that the man could recognize people just by their passing figures.

“Would you like some gum?”

The man asked. His voice was lively.

Taeheun held out his palm. The man took out a piece of gum from his shirt pocket, unwrapped it himself, and placed it on Taeheun’s palm. It had a sweet scent. He hated sweet things, but contrary to his inner thoughts, he popped it into his mouth without hesitation.

“This is the best.”

The man looked delighted, like a child.

Taeheun glanced at the man.

The lewd man getting his dick sucked by Yongjun and the innocent man thrilled over a piece of gum were the same person. If asked which side he preferred, without a doubt!

Fucking hell. He couldn’t decide.

Taeheun liked the man. He liked the calm, gentle man with stable emotions, the man with deep paternal love who had devoted his life entirely to his child. On the other hand, the man he saw early that morning was also impressive in a different way. It was embarrassing to admit, but he was aroused. Seeing the man, who had slept with a man of the same sex, and who sobbed even after punching him, Taeheun felt a strange sensation he had never experienced before.

He recalled the man’s dark, moist eyes. Like the night sea, or a reservoir at night, his eyes were frighteningly deep and dark. The mere thought sent shivers down his spine.

“…you like some?”

The man’s question brought him back to reality.

“Sorry. What did you say?”

“Would you like to have some toast?”

“Where? In town?”

“Yes. There’s a toast place near the terminal. It’s delicious.”

“Okay.”

The man smiled. He hummed along to the song playing on the radio, seemingly happy for no particular reason. Despite his initial intention to pretend to go to the terminal and then drive straight to Chungju, Taeheun ended up eating toast with the man and going to the express bus terminal.

He had been to countless shabby bus terminals across the country, but this one ranked among the top three worst. The stench of urine permeated the air, and the so-called waiting room was furnished with benches that looked like they had been used for decades.

“It’s pretty bad, isn’t it?”

The man apologized.

“I heard there’s nothing they can do since it’s privately owned.”

He explained unprompted details, sounding concerned as if it were his own problem.

“Would you like some coffee?”

The man pointed to a vending machine. The only option was canned Lotte Less Bee coffee.

“I’m good.”

“Anything else, then?”

“Then, water.”

The man took out his wallet from his back pocket and inserted a thousand-won bill. He wondered if the vending machine would even work, but the money-making machine dispensed the drink without a hitch. After handing Taeheun the water, the man held his canned coffee without drinking it.

Even on a weekday, the terminal was fairly crowded. People frequently glanced at Taeheun and the man. Both were large men over 180cm tall, and with bruises scattered across their faces, it was hard not to stare.

Young people averted their gazes, but the elderly didn’t hesitate to ask how they got hurt, if they had been fighting, where they came from, and where they were going.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

The man handed Taeheun his canned coffee and went somewhere. Taeheun wondered if it was someone he knew, but that wasn’t the case. The man ran to help any elderly woman he saw carrying farm produce, either helping them with their load or carrying it to their car. Anyone would have mistaken him for a terminal employee, as he never stood still. As a result, his carefully chosen shirt and trousers became wrinkled. Taeheun tried to stop him, feeling a sense of urgency, but the man wouldn’t listen.

Just then, the bus arrived. At Taeheun’s call, the man came running. They sat side-by-side in the back seats. While it might have been fine for men of average build, it was quite cramped for Taeheun and the man, yet they didn’t choose to sit separately. Naturally, their arms touched, and when they fastened their seatbelts, they had to turn their bodies to make room for each other. Despite all this, it was strangely comfortable. His body was uncomfortable, but his mind was at ease, and just like the man had said, he felt like he was on a trip, making him feel excited.

The man opened his canned coffee. The sweet aroma stung his nose.

During the bus ride, the two men chatted like teenage boys. Even though there wasn’t much to talk about, Taeheun just kept talking whatever came to mind. The man chuckled frequently, as if amused by something. Honestly, it was more of a snicker than a chuckle, but to Taeheun, it seemed like the man was beaming.

Although the air conditioning was on, it wasn’t very effective. Moreover, since the two large men were sitting close together, their touching bodies felt hot. Both Taeheun and the man had beads of sweat forming on their foreheads, but neither complained. As if uttering words like “cramped” or “hot” would bring about some disaster, they endured the heat and the narrow seats.

Buildings began to appear among the landscape of rice paddies and fields. The man and Taeheun fell silent, gazing out the window. The time to get off the bus was approaching.

He felt a sense of regret. He already missed the touch of their arms, the warmth.

The Chungju Express Bus Terminal was located in the heart of the city. Even though it was a small city, the combination of city traffic and intercity buses made traffic congestion unavoidable. The bus navigated the tangled vehicles and pulled into the terminal.

“We’re here.”

The man said.

“That was fast.”

Taeheun replied.

“It was, wasn’t it?” 

The man also seemed to feel the same regret, pausing briefly before turning his body slightly. Following his gesture to unbuckle his seatbelt, Taeheun unbuckled his first and then made space for the man.

They were the last to get off the bus. The light drizzle outside felt cooler than in the countryside, cooling down their bodies that had been warmed up inside the bus.

The man belatedly wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. The handkerchief was a clean white, embroidered with a pale design of the same color.

Did he buy it, or was it a gift?

The white handkerchief made the man’s hands look particularly tanned.

“Let’s buy some cigarettes and drinks at the nearby mart.”

“Okay.”

Taeheun responded halfheartedly, watching the handkerchief disappear into the man’s back pocket.

The man led the way. Following him out of the express bus terminal, a city unfolded. Compared to Seoul, it couldn’t be called a metropolis, but compared to Dongjamri, it was a city in every sense of the word.

The man walked with a familiar gait to the mart and bought a carton of cigarettes and a box of aloe drinks. He took out his wallet and paid. It was clearly an old wallet, but the leather was in good condition. Just like his shoes, it was evident that the wallet wasn’t used frequently.

It was also the man who hailed a taxi and gave the name of the nursing home. Responding appropriately to the taxi driver’s chatter, the man didn’t seem like a country bumpkin at all. He seemed perfectly at ease, as if he belonged to this city. Even his tanned skin looked like a trophy from an early vacation.

This was the third different side of the man that Taeheun was encountering. He observed the man with interest.

The nursing home, which they reached after a 10-minute taxi ride, was a specialized hospital for alcoholics. Judging by the state of the building, it didn’t look like a very good facility.

The staff member at the desk recognized the man. He responded politely, but with a somewhat bored expression and tone.

“Please wait in the visiting room, and we’ll call the patient for you.”

“Thank you.”

The man bowed and turned around.

“Looks like you could just walk out and drink anytime you want here.”

Taeheun remarked, looking around at the lax security of the hospital.

“Not really. I heard they lock the patient rooms at night.”

“That’s good, then.”

The place the man led him to was a small lounge with a few round tables and folding chairs. Aside from the barred door, it wasn’t much different from any other rest area.

Everything in this place was old and dirty. The man sat at the cleanest table, which was by the window. Even there, bars were attached to the window, obstructing the view outside.

“It’s not a very nice place.”

The man said, not sounding embarrassed at all. Why would he be embarrassed? It wasn’t even his own father. Taeheun simply nodded.

The man was still excited. His expression was bright, almost excessively cheerful. It was unusual for someone who claimed not to be close to his great-uncle.