RSL Ch 11

The next morning, I received a call from Han Jae-yi in the fitness room. I had been running on the treadmill since morning, thanks to a job that requires me to stay fit. I wanted to swim, but I hadn’t brought my swimsuit, so I gave up. He laughed over the phone, commenting on how diligent I was from the morning despite drinking so much alcohol the night before.

After showering, I walked into the buffet restaurant where breakfast was served. I told them my room number and looked around for Han Jae-yi. I spotted a man sitting on the terrace with nothing but coffee and toast, buried in papers. I walked over to him.

“I thought you weren’t an office worker.”

“As you know, I’m quite diligent. Want some coffee? Here you go.”

He’s always like this. He takes care of everything from one to ten, even though I have hands and can speak. Perhaps even more so to his lover. I became curious since I’ve never seen them together.

“Gisela, how is he?”

“She is fine. She’s been at her parents’ since yesterday. She sent her regards to you.”

Apparently they’d been on the phone yesterday. I was glad I’d booked a separate room. My head was spinning from my ever-changing schemes.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

He put away the papers he was looking at, clasped his hands together, and waited for my question.

“Was marriage your idea?”

I casually laid a napkin and poured warm milk into my coffee. I melted a sugar cube and stirred it with a teaspoon.

“Um… yeah, I suggested it.”

His tone seemed hesitant at first, but eventually, he affirmed it. I added another sugar cube. The sugar grains that hadn’t dissolved made a clinking sound as they circulated at the bottom of the coffee cup. If they had lived together for a year, they must have been mentally prepared for marriage. Why were they in such a hurry to get married right away? Could she be pregnant? I didn’t dare ask such a question.

“Was that something you were curious about?”

“Yeah, I still feel a bit awkward.”

“We kept in touch even after graduation. We started getting closer about a year ago… It’s fast, I know. It’s not weird that you’re curious.”

“Yeah. It is fast, but, well, it’s still a good thing, right?”

“Thanks for saying that. I felt a bit uncomfortable, to be honest. It’s not like I deceived you, but the way you accepted it was, well, a bit off. Of course, I understand if you feel disappointed. I mean, you’re not just anyone, and bringing up marriage like that wasn’t exactly polite. It was like I dropped a bombshell. Strangely enough, I’ve never been good at talking about my relationships with you. Anyway, I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. Give Gisela my regards. Tell her my congratulations.”

“Sure. Since you guys aren’t strangers, maybe you should get closer now. If anything happens to me, you two should discuss it together.”

Best friend and spouse. I smiled bitterly at his natural remark.

The hours I’d spent last night fantasizing about his naked body, lusting after it in my own way, began to slide backward. The brilliant morning sunlight pained me. When I sobered up and woke up from my dream, I realized that nothing had changed.

I felt inadequate to share Han Jae-yi. The future seemed bleak. I wanted to go bungee jumping soon. I even thought it would be okay if someone cut the rope after I jumped.

After a bitter breakfast, we got up from our seats.

* * *

We took a taxi to the bungee jumping site. The platform on the cliff edge seemed to be about 100 meters high. The undulating sea below seemed to be waiting to swallow everything.

I was actually a bit surprised as I had thought of it as a tourist leisure activity. Han Jae-yi shrugged, avoiding responsibility for his actions. The weather was a bit cloudy, and the wind was blowing.

“There are a lot of people who give up halfway. Once you go up, it takes about 20 minutes to walk down. Think carefully. Are you going?”

“Yes.”

“Fifty thousand won per person.”

After paying for two people to the staff at the entrance, we climbed the stairs. As he had said, there were many people giving up and coming down. One man was hugging his sobbing girlfriend in a corner of the stairs, laughing. His expression seemed relieved that he didn’t have to jump along with her.

“Why did you suggest joint bungee jumping?”

I asked Han Jae-yi, who was following behind me, belatedly.

“I told you, the first experience was so thrilling that I couldn’t forget it. Why, scared? Want me to hug you too?”

Feeling incredulous, I ignored him and climbed two steps at a time.

After climbing for a while, we reached the jumping point. On the right, the waiting companions were shaking hands and trembling on a long bench. Looking down, it was pitch black. A tingling sense of tension crawled up my spine.

A man stood on the assistance railing, waiting for his turn. His face was noticeably tense as the safety equipment was being fitted.

“Don’t be nervous. It’s okay. What’s your name?”

“…Ah, Kim Ju-han.”

“Yes. What do you do for a living?”

“And your occupation?”

“Um, I’m an office worker…”

“Okay, are the people with you friends? Colleagues?”

“They’re friends. Uh, hey, I can’t do this.”

Despite the staff’s efforts to talk him down, the man refused to jump. He grabbed onto the railing with trembling hands and sat down, shaking.

“Well, then, just sit here for now. If you decide to try again, let us know. No refunds. Come back another time. Next? Who’s up next?”

The staff member who was untying the man’s safety gear called for the next batter. The waiting crowd, surprised by the sudden turn of events, just stared at each other, with no one willing to jump. So, reluctantly, I stepped forward.

“Are you ready to jump?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll put on the equipment right away, so if you decide to give up, please let me know in the middle. What’s your name?”

“…Woo Seo-jin.”

“And your occupation?”

“I’m a pilot.”

“Ah… So that’s why you’re so calm. Is the person with you a friend?”

Before I knew it, I saw Han Jae-yi standing next to me, arms crossed and smiling. I glared at him like an enemy.

“Yes, my best friend of 15 years.”

“Great. Whenever you’re ready, you can jump. One, two…”

I jumped before he could count to three.

My body was plummeting towards the deep blue sea. It was exhilarating. Adrenaline surged through my body to overcome the fear of death. It was as if Cthulhu from Lovecraft’s mythology was waiting for me at the bottom of the ocean with his mouth open. A giant tentacle emerged from the surging waves, wrapping around my neck and pulling me down. My breath stopped.

Just as I was about to be swallowed, the lifeline of life that had been restraining me stopped the fall, halting it there. The recoil lifted my body upward. I looked at the horizon. It felt like I had died and been reborn, but contrary to expectations, there was no change in memory.

I had been thinking about one person all along.