DI Ch 109

I was told not to mix things up like that, but how could a driver who works every day be treated worse than a taxi driver? Min Jeong-oh also mentioned that I was the same age as his youngest brother, and despite his bluntness, he treated me nicely and eventually relaxed more than he did in the beginning.

I briefly considered whether I should tell Tae Seong-je, thinking he might scold us if he found out, but he nonchalantly responded, “We’ll get caught anyway,” and reported it right away, and the two of them were scolded again. At that moment, the memory of my nose being pinched during the scolding still lingered, and I instinctively furrowed my brow.

“I understand why you can’t solve it.”

“You don’t have to give me a hint…”

“It’s because you’re lacking in technique. Technique.”

If I had spoken more flexibly, both of us might have avoided getting scolded. I wondered if it was my stubborn nature that kept him by my side. Well. I guess that what happens when you stick with someone who thinks similarly to you.

“Shall I take you home?”

I pointed out the destination to him, pretending not to notice his awkward throat clearing.

“No, please take me to my old studio apartment.”

“Do you have something to bring?”

I gazed briefly at the scar under his eye in the rearview mirror before immediately regaining my composure at his follow-up question.

“If you need anything to move, I can help.”

“No, it’s okay.”

After saying that, I turned the conversation around.

“Haven’t you had lunch? There’s a great restaurant in front of that house. Have lunch there while I finish up. I’ll be back in an hour or two.”

“All right.”

He started the engine without more questioning. However, he most likely heard something like, “I’ll be at the vacant house for at least an hour,” in his ears. Even if I did hear it, it would be suspicious. Tae Seong-je’s ears would definitely hear something much stranger. It seemed like I had to play my cards right before he found out.

1 [13:12] Hyung, I lent my studio apartment to an acquaintance of mine who lives alone. I’ll check if everything’s okay and be back.

There was nothing wrong with it on the surface. However, it was ultimately a sentence hiding my true intention. I held my breath in tension for a moment and exhaled when the fleeting “1” disappeared from the screen.

I felt pathetic that I couldn’t even say Woo Ji-min’s name to him and was anxious to even talk to him. It was just a name

Acquaintance whom [13:13]

Ah, as expected, you are the first to ask. While I was feeling troubled, I received messages one after another, so I quickly responded to them.

Looks like the exam is over [13:14]

Lunch? [13:14]

[13:14] Ate a hotdog.

Why eat something like that? [13:14]

“…”

After enjoying the food together, why criticize it now?

Eat more good food when I’m not around [13:14]

[13:14] Yes, I’ll eat well.

Shouldn’t good things be eaten together? Anyway, this should solve the problem for the time being. I set my phone down and hastily peeked out the passing window.

It was only for a semester, but returning to the familiar neighborhood felt refreshing. I stopped by the nearby convenience store and pharmacy, bought housewarming gifts, and entered the building.

I drew the collar slightly as the temperature dropped unexpectedly. Even though I wasn’t going to do anything, the biting and blowing cold into the bag caused me to wrap myself tightly.

“Sunbae, I’m here.”

“Come in.”

I heard WooJi-min’s voice from behind the front door when I knocked. I turned the doorknob, wondering if he had opened it ahead of time. It didn’t open.

I entered the password just in case, and the absurdity I felt when the door opened with a cheerful sound. After standing there dumbly for a moment, I closed the front door and spoke while entering the room.

 “Sunbae, did you not change the password?”

“Ah, too much trouble.”

The answer that came back was quite disturbing. This person is subtly bold too. I shook my head, placed the gift in a corner of the room, and slowly looked around the room. It was really neat in many ways. When I used to live here, there were so many problem books lying around on the floor that I couldn’t fit them all on the bookshelf, and herbal medicine that I didn’t eat and was just taking up space was piled up in the corner. That alone was dizzying enough, but since the items in my bag were full of new products and spares to replace, I couldn’t even think of inviting anyone.

“Sunbae, your place is really clean.”

“Well, you could say that.”

His sarcastic tone matched his response, and indeed, the room was clean. There wasn’t much else than the basic furniture and appliances I left behind. At least the bookshelves were filled, as one would expect in a home where people reside, but the house was still mostly empty. Still, even with the lights off, the room was illuminated by the sunlight streaming in, giving it a lively atmosphere. It seemed that Woo Ji-min shared the same sentiment, as he spoke while gazing at the sunlight that colored his instep.

“It’s nice when the light comes into the house. Opening the window and being able to see outside instead of a wall is good.”

I agreed and leaned against the window to look at the sky. There was nothing particularly inconvenient when I lived here, but since I really like the house I moved into, my expectations for the house were rising these days. Although it was a very burdensome house for two people to live in, it was particularly pleasing with its spacious living room that opened on all sides, the clear view of the yard and flowerbed beyond the living room window, and the many large rooms. It seemed well-suited for a comfortable and unruffled lifestyle, even if things got a bit messy. Additionally, the high ceilings gave the impression of ample space, and just standing still made one feel content and happy, able to breathe freely.

“Can I put this next to the bed?”

“What is it?”

I titled my head and asked Woo Ji-min who was rummaging through the bag and filling the table. He gave me a look as if he hadn’t asked about that particular fragrance when I said it had a pleasant scent, like entering a forest.

“I told the clerk I was going to give it as a gift and he recommended it. Is the fragrance okay?”

I asked while putting a diffuser on the table. I was debating whether to put the dried flowers that came with it in a vase when I heard a faint voice behind me.

“…Thanks. It’s nice.”

Even though I had just opened it and there was no scent yet. Woo Ji-min rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and moved even faster than before.

“Need help?”

“Nah, I’m done. Just sit.”

He soon filled the table and, opening the refrigerator, shook a beer can.

“Do you want a non-alcoholic drink?”

“No?”

He smiled and sat down with his drink. He skillfully opened the bottle cap and filled the glass in front of me.

“Well, it’s been a while for you too. You’ve endured well.”

I pretended not to know and toasted the glass and took one shot. Woo Ji-min doesn’t know that I’ve been drinking at least one sip, or more than three sips almost every day since the cocktail he made. Of course, Tae Seong-je doesn’t know either.

On days when Tae Seong-je was not around, using the excuse of going to bed early, I turned off my phone and enjoyed the thrilling act of pulling out hidden alcohol like in a spy movie.

After finishing the meal and clearing the table, I noticed a Kaoliang liquor and vodka standing side by side between the plates, which really didn’t suit the single life. Absorbed in the dazzling colors for a moment, I grabbed the edge of Woo Ji-min’s clothes as he did the dishes.

“What’s this alcohol for?”

“Huh? Oh, that? It’s a gift.”

“Can’t I try a sip of that?”

“Ah, no. You can’t. It has a high alcohol content.”

I was disappointed by his firm attitude, so I backed away. I sat down on the chair and stared at his skinny back as he did the dishes. Now that I think about it, this person is also really strange. He encountered many weird customers while working at the bar, but it appeared he had a high fondness for alcohol. Throughout the first semester, he not only drank alcohol under the guise of meals, but he also invited me to cook and provided both food and alcohol.

“Sunbae, You seem to like alcohol even though you can’t drink much.”

“Yeah.”

As he brought the glass with alcohol to his lips, he spoke.

“I just like drinking.”

“Why?”

As he finished cleaning the dishes and wiped his hand on the apron, he sat on the opposite side of the table and fiddled with the cigarette pack. It seemed like he wanted to smoke, but he refrained. Perhaps for the sake of conversation, or maybe he, like Tae Seong-je, is considering quitting smoking.

“The person who took care of me… They weren’t a very nice person, but they became a much better person when he drank. Even if I just treated them a bit well, their mood improved quickly, and they became kinder. Of course, there were also cases the other way around.”

Woo Ji-min stated this while rubbing his shoulder with a mysterious expression on his face.

“Some people become easier to deal with when they’re drunk. Some people easily sway with their moods and become more lenient. That’s why I like it. Scary people become less scary.”

The remnants of childhood violence remain even into adulthood. Like a trauma that didn’t go away even after several years. I focused on the conversation so as not to recall his past that I had read about in the book.

“Aren’t there more people who become scarier instead?”

“There are more people who become more annoying. When I used to work at the bar…”

We chatted a bit while listening to episodes from his part-time jobs, and an hour and a half flew by. I was about to go to the bathroom to freshen up before leaving when I noticed two toothbrushes on the sink. Even though it’s common to have two or three toothbrushes in a house where someone lives alone, it felt oddly concerning because it was Woo Ji-min.

“You have two toothbrushes?”

“If you want to use one, just use one. The blue one is new.”

It didn’t matter much, but for some reason, it bothered me, so I took out the toothbrush I always carry and began brushing my teeth. Woo Ji-min followed into the bathroom, heaving a sigh, and spoke.

“You said they wouldn’t come, but what if your parents suddenly come to visit? I thought I should come up with some plausible excuse.”

I watched as he fumbled with his hands and squeezed toothpaste onto a purple toothbrush rather than a blue one. I was rinsing my mouth and wiping my mouth with a towel when Woo Ji-min stopped brushing his teeth and started talking to me.