RSL Ch 12

After finishing the bungee jump, we took a taxi again. When we asked the driver for a local favorite restaurant, he recommended a handmade noodle shop. He even made a call himself to put our names on the reservation list, saying there might be a long wait. Listening to the conversation, it seemed like he was a regular.

As expected, there was a long line. Thanks to our unexpected connection, we were seated right away. Two bowls of handmade noodles with fresh Jeju clams were served, steaming hot on the table.

“If you add this sauce, it’ll taste delicious.”

The lady serving us opened the lid of a small jar-shaped container. Judging by Han Jae-yi’s expression, it seemed like it hit the spot for his taste. Well, that expression had been constant since right after the bungee jump. He had been consistently cheerful.

“Where are we going to ride horses?”

“I called earlier. We can only stay until 3 p.m. There’s only one place that isn’t a tourist course.”

Going a bit off the beaten path, seeing horses was quite common in Germany. The siblings in the household had learned horseback riding from a young age, and my generous adoptive parents had enrolled me and Chris in a youth equestrian club.

Han Jae-yi, who became curious when I mentioned going horseback riding one day, followed along to watch. And the next day, he immediately signed up for the same club as me. Being naturally athletic, he picked up riding skills faster than me. Thinking about riding after a long time made me feel a bit excited.

After finishing lunch, we headed towards the ranch he had found out about. Throughout Jeju Island, the late spring of May was spread out. The taxi that dropped us off at the edge of a refreshing grassy hillside descended swiftly. It felt like we weren’t in Korea anymore.

The smell of animal dung filled the air. A chestnut horse was tearing at hay inside the fence. The ranch owner, who had received the call, came out and shook hands with me.

We entered the fence with saddles prepared in the barn. I chose a brown horse that had strayed away from the herd. Although it wasn’t a sizable draft horse, its mane was smooth, and its legs looked sturdy. I tried to communicate slowly with the horse as I stroked its neck.

After the owner put on the saddle and gave instructions, he said we should only move along the fenced course and return within 30 minutes. Han Jae-yi, who got on the black horse he chose, raised his thumb in understanding. I silently mounted the brown horse.

It trotted forward with a clattering sound. As I released tension in my body, my upper body bounced in response to the motion. It momentarily lowered its head as if nibbling on the grass. I let it do as it pleased. Han Jae-yi approached.

“Looks like they’re friends.”

The black horse he rode lowered its head towards the brown one, extending its neck. It was a sign of friendliness. After making a snorting sound, the two horses began walking side by side again. The wind blew over the hilltop.

Following the course, it seemed we were ascending quite a hill. Beyond the fenced horizon, the sea was visible. A piece of the sun, partially obscured by clouds, extended vertically onto the water. I couldn’t deny his remark about how nice it was.

“Did you research everything beforehand?”

“Of course.”

It was typical of Han Jae-yi. The fields of rape flowers swayed in the wind. Perhaps stimulated by the scent, the brown horse began to walk a bit faster. Han Jae-yi’s black horse also picked up the pace, matching its strides.

“Where’s your next flight?”

“Bangkok. I’m staying two days.”

“Okay. I’m going to get some work done while you’re gone.”

“Why don’t you come to Germany around the weekend? There’s no need to inconvenience yourself like that.”

“Seo-jin-ah.”

He pulled the reins, bringing the horse to a halt. Whoa- I quickly pulled the left rein, changing direction. The brown horse spun around and stood next to him again.

“Are you sure everything is okay?”

He seemed determined to find out. Maybe it would have been different if he’d asked me last night when I was drunk. I felt a little petty.

“Why, are you worried?”

“Is that supposed to be an answer?”

“What do you mean.”

“What do I mean. Why do you say things like that? Even I’m not so idle as to spend a month or so here without a reason.”

“That’s why I said go. Don’t say it’s because of me if you’re not going. You came here for personal business too.”

I didn’t want to talk anymore. I rode my horse alone. I was taking out my anger on him. Han Jae-yi didn’t do anything wrong. It was natural for him to be worried about me because I kept acting abnormally. It would have been easier if he was a dirty, nasty person.

Only when I reached the bottom of the hill did I pull on the reins to slow down. I heard the sound of hooves behind me. A willow tree stood lonely, as if someone had left it there. It seemed that all the other trees had been cut down when the ranch was built; this one was too big to be cut down.

I dismounted. Han Jae-yi, who had been following, stopped his horse after me. I ignored him, fastened the rope to a branch, and lay down on the grass. The smell of wood brought back memories.

The school in Germany that I first went to at the age of eight was like hell. It was natural since I couldn’t understand the language. Among them, after-school activities were the most dreadful. I always had to pair up with a Chinese girl, and she always smelled like wood.

The waltz time was the most difficult. My lack of innate talent made it awkward for her. We hardly ever had personal conversations. I couldn’t speak Chinese, and my German was still inadequate.

The day before the graduation ceremony, she came to me and confessed her feelings. It was somewhat flattering coming for a ten-year-old boy. I suggested kissing out of curiosity. The girl, with a surprised face, kissed my lips and started crying. Guilt seeped into me with the smell of the trees that day.

The second kiss was driven by desire. At fourteen, my sexual curiosity was boiling, and I wanted to express it to my then-girlfriend. We engaged in immature and foolish acts. It couldn’t even be called sex. Just as my curiosity about the female body subsided, fifteen-year-old Han Jae-yi appeared.

Sebastian Hoffmann, we called him Basti. At the height of summer vacation, a few of us were invited to Basti’s birthday party. It was a time when I could easily make friends, now that my speech impediment was gone.

About ten boys were eating pizza and playing console games at his house. The main game was a football game that was popular at the time. I was proudly displaying my Korean genes with a winning streak. With strength in my shoulders, I took a bite of pizza and grabbed a cola with oily hands.

“That’s mine.”

An awkward German boy looked at me drinking his cola and laughed. He was the tallest among the kids gathered there.

I thought his features were quite exquisite. His eyes were elegant when he smiled. The neat eyebrows and the straight bridge of the nose between them gave a mixed-race vibe. His lips were always curved with a smile, as if he habitually smiled. To his question asking if I was Korean, I stupidly answered yes in German.

His white teeth bared as he said hello, and he exuded maturity more than his peers. I felt flattered by the coolest kid initiating a conversation with me. I looked at him like Hephaestion discovering Alexander the Great.

“Do you want to go to my house?

Disappointed by the lack of creativity in the kids who only played games without any other entertainment, he proposed to me alone. As I could have recorded a streak of ten wins with one more victory, I nodded without hesitation. Thus, we left the birthday boy behind and casually left the house.

“What’s your name? I’m Han Jae-yi.”

As I let go of my hands and rolled the wheels of my bike, he asked me my name.

“…Maximilian.”

“Oh, so that’s why the kids called you Maxi. Don’t you have a Korean name?”

“I do. Woo Seo-jin.”

“It sounds like a celebrity’s name. Haha.”

He went down the slope first. I also pushed my bike up and grabbed the handlebars properly. I should have asked where his house was. Despite not being able to go too far, I ran down the slope chasing after him.

That summer vacation, I remember only having exciting things happen.

“You used to get sulky for no reason before.”

Pulling back the curtain of memories, Han Jae-yi walked over and sat down next to me. I opened my eyes and looked up at him.

“So I used to ponder over what I did wrong for a long time, surprisingly, I used to find the answer quickly.”

“So have you found it now?”

“Yeah. I won’t ask anymore. You might not want to say it or it might be awkward.”

He fixed his gaze on the distant horizon and emptied his voice of greed.

“You’re still clever.”

“Just don’t tell me to leave.”

He flopped down onto the grassy field. The sunlight was dazzling, so he covered his forehead and eyes with his hands.

“Just let me stay here for a bit.”

There was a hint of exhaustion in his voice. Suddenly, the role of the fugitive had been reversed.

In truth, I wanted to ask him what was wrong with him. I was also curious if it was because of that personal matter he mentioned coming to sort out. But his kindness to me came to mind, so I kept my mouth shut. He might not want to say, or it might be awkward.

Secrets were piling up between us.