SSL 6

Could it be true. Jaehyun thought as he watched Doyoon sit down at the table. Of course, it was difficult to believe a story that had been passed down orally through two people, Woo Jincheol and Park Kanghyuk. Especially when both of the storytellers held ill will toward the subject.

Still, he could not help the single strand of doubt that tickled a corner of his mind. The voice and gestures of Park Kanghyuk, who had rattled on with such excitement, would not wash away from his memory. In fact, he had mulled it over several times right before Doyoon arrived.

<I’m telling you. Kang Doyoon was, like, holding it in his hands, cradling it so preciously with both hands like this, and lifting it up….>

Could it be real.

Did this kid really kiss the corpse of a stray cat when he was in middle school?

Probably not. Jaehyun tried to clear his head as he sat down across the dining table. Most of it was probably made up by Park Kanghyuk.

According to the story Woo Jincheol relayed from Park Kanghyuk, Doyoon had been sitting in a corner of the apartment complex, holding a cat’s corpse in both hands, examining it from different angles and grinning from ear to ear. Even though it was a gruesome-looking corpse, swollen and ruptured. Then, he supposedly closed his eyes gently, buried his face in its blood-soaked fur, and even kissed it.

In Jaehyun’s opinion, the kiss part seemed like a lie. The “grinning” part was also an adjective that could easily be added for exaggeration by the person telling the story. In the first place, how would he even know if he had “smiled”? He said it was the middle of the night. Was he carrying a flashlight and shining it on him, or what.

Jaehyun knew the type like Park Kanghyuk well. A guy who only perceives human relationships as power dynamics. The type who cannot stand it if he is not dominating others. He hung out with him because he was good at basketball, but he already had a chilling side to him. Even within the basketball group, he was already trying to create a hierarchy by singling out “kids who try to show off even though they suck.”

It was obvious that Kanghyuk had been determined to bully Doyoon from the very beginning. A slightly strange kid in the class must have seemed like the perfect prey. When he saw that scene that night, he probably thought he had found a good excuse.

Jaehyun’s brow hardened. The thought of it had put him in a bad mood. A few incidents he himself had experienced in elementary school tried to surface. Then, he noticed Doyoon’s gaze and came to his senses.

“….”

Doyoon had stacked his workbook and notebook on the dining table and was waiting. He was looking at Jaehyun steadily, as if to ask, aren’t you going to check it?

It was the homework Jaehyun had assigned. He had told him to solve the sections he designated in the workbook and to create a separate notebook for organizing problem types and correcting wrong answers, and he had done exactly that. Jaehyun’s eyes rested on the cover of the notebook as he swallowed dryly. Should I ask?

Hey, Kang Doyoon. I happened to overhear yesterday, did you ever touch a dead stray cat in the middle of the night back in middle school? But even as he pieced the words together in his head, Jaehyun knew he would not be able to voice the question. They were not close enough to ask something like that. Not at all. Not even a tiny bit.

Instead, Jaehyun brought up a different topic. The impression had faded a bit because he had heard that ridiculous story right afterward, but it was still a memory that remained pleasant.

“Your performance during the practical skills class yesterday was good.”

“….”

Doyoon dropped his gaze to the tabletop. There was not much change in his expression, but I could see his shoulders shrink. Jaehyun continued softly, carefully, as if trying not to make an animal that had just poked its toe out of its burrow hide again.

“It was interesting. You played it like a pointillist painting. Every single note was like, like this. It was like I could see each one, like a colored dot. You wouldn’t play on my keyboard at home, though. Why was that?”

“….”

“Ah. Was it because the instrument wasn’t very good?”

Jaehyun intentionally spoke in a self-deprecating tone.

“I mean, the piano in the music room is a Steinway, at least. That thing is cheap and old. I can see why you wouldn’t want to play on something like that. I understand.”

“That is not it.”

A creaky voice popped out.

“That is not it.”

“Then why didn’t you want to play the keyboard?”

“….”

“Um…. Doyoon-ah.”

Jaehyun let out a deliberate sigh.

“We might pretend not to know each other at school, but that is not the case now. I would like it if we could have normal conversations from now on. When I am trying this hard to ask you something, could you please give me an answer of some kind? Even an answer saying you do not want to answer would be fine.”

“…it is yours.”

“Huh?”

“It is your instrument.”

Doyoon forced the words out.

“I could break it by mishandling it. Your instrument…. I did not want to do that to you.”

“What are you talking about.”

Jaehyun could not help but burst out laughing.

“Are you some kind of King Midas in reverse? Does everything you touch break?”

But as he spoke jokingly, Jaehyun’s brow hardened when he saw Doyoon’s face. During middle school, Park Kanghyuk supposedly made Doyoon do all sorts of strange things. Woo Jincheol had insisted it was not school violence, but could he be sure he had not done things that were close to it?

“If you are scared of breaking it, isn’t it the same for the piano in the music room?”

“I cannot help that. I have to take the test, and it is not anyone’s, it is the school’s.”

“Then have you ever broken someone else’s thing and had to pay for it?”

“….”

“Tell me. Has that happened? They said, you broke it, compensate for it, give me money, so you gave them money?”

“…Yeah.”

“Did that happen in middle school?”

“….”

“Kang Doyoon. I am asking if it happened in middle school.”

“Yeah.”

“Did it happen often?”

“Six times, no, seven…. I do not know exactly.”

“Ah, I see.”

Jaehyun clicked his tongue without realizing it. That bastard Park Kanghyuk, I knew it. He was extorting money from him, and on a regular basis too.

“Alright. But that keyboard is not expensive. Even if it breaks, I will not ask you for money. I can even write you a promissory note if you want. Stating that I will not request compensation for damages even if it breaks. So from now on, don’t worry and just touch it. If I ask you to play a piece, please play it for me.”

“….”

“No, I mean, if you do not want to, you do not have to, but do not not do it because you are afraid of breaking it. Deal?”

“….”

“Mr. Kang Doyoon. Please give me an answer.”

“Deal… what is that.”

“Ah, I am asking if you will do as I said.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Good.”

Jaehyun grinned and added.

“Your performance was really good. You chose numbers 4 through 8. Was it true that you chose them because I wanted to hear them?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you.”

“…Are we not starting to study?”

“We should. Ah, but.”

As Doyoon grumbled, Jaehyun placed his hand on the mistake notebook, but something suddenly occurred to him, and he spoke again.

“Before we start, let us decide on this weekend’s schedule. I want to study for a bit longer on Saturday. From one thirty to seven…”

Just then, a sound came from the entryway.

The scraping sound of a lock, the door opening, and the sound of flat-heeled shoes tapping an unsteady rhythm on the entryway tiles. The gait of an exhausted person. Jaehyun tilted his head as he got up from his seat.

“Noona?”

“Huh? Ah…. Right. You said you had a study session today.”

“Give those to me.”

When Jaehyun held out his hands, his noona handed over the plastic bags. They were quite heavy, filled with alcohol and snacks.

“Thanks. No, not the kitchen. To my room, please.”

“You said you were going out drinking with your friends.”

“I was too tired, so I said no. Don’t worry. I’m just going to drink quietly by myself in my room and watch an American drama.”

While Jaehyun was moving the things into his room, his noona came up into the living room, taking off her shoes with a faint smile. Her eyes looked hollow, but she seemed to be in a good mood. Today was her assignment deadline, and it seemed she had received a satisfactory evaluation. Tossing her cardigan at Jaehyun, she spoke to Doyoon.

“This, put it in the laundry basket please. Is this Doyoon-ie? You’re so pretty. Are you really a high school student?”

“…Hello.”

“Oh my, look how cute his voice is too.”

“Noona, what is wrong with you….”

“Hey, you’re disgustingly tall. How can you be so different when you’re both first years in high school? Nice to meet you, I’m Jaehyun’s noona, Cha Juhui.”

“I am Kang Doyoon.”

“Go to your room, noona.”

Seeing Doyoon stand up and respond awkwardly, Jaehyun pointed towards her room.

“We are short on time as it is. We have not even started yet.”

“Oh, oh. Sorry. Ah, but Jaehyun-ah, I’m going to be home this Saturday.”

“Uh…. Okay. Are you going to be in your room?”

“No, it is just…. I decided to invite some kids from my department over.”

His noona lowered her gaze slightly, looking apologetic.

“I turned down the drinking get-together today. They got upset about it, so they said let’s hang out on Saturday…. When I told them I live alone without my parents, they said they wanted to come over to my place. To cook together and watch movies and… that is what they suggested.”

“You hate having a lot of people crowding your house. You could not say no to that either?”

“I know.”

“…Alright. I will clear out of the house on Saturday.”

Hearing his answer, his noona mumbled, sorry, then went into her room and closed the door. Jaehyun let out a quiet sigh behind her. Foolish noona.

She should just live her life the way she wants to. Muttering to himself, Jaehyun returned to the dining table. Doyoon was still standing there stiffly, in an awkward posture, tightly gripping the top of the chair back. Jaehyun gestured for him to sit back down and said.

“Sorry. The Saturday study session, it will be difficult at our place. What about your house?”

“My room… is small.”

“It will just be the two of us, so small is fine. Are your parents home? Do you think they would be uncomfortable?”

“Only my father will be there.”

After looking down at his own fingertips for a moment, Doyoon opened his mouth again.

“I will ask him. I will ask him and tell you at school tomorrow.”

“Okay. And, I want to go for a bit longer, too. How about until 7 o’clock?”

“7 o’clock is not possible.”