Stranger

As we made eye contact like this, an absurd worry came to mind—a wonder if bad thoughts I had were conveyed to him. Although I had the desire of wanting him to know all about me, I also hoped he only knew about the nice side of me. In the midst of the back-and-forth emotions, I touched his cheek with my fingertips.

“Mr. Yeon… You said you were on the road like me, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Did you think of that time when you saw me?”

I recalled the story he told softly when I was high in fever. The hot air and the warmly permeating low voice of that time poked my chest again. Perhaps, he was telling half of his story back then. 

Yeon Woojeong’s gaze avoided me for a moment.

“Yeah. I thought so. But you aren’t me.”

“…”

“You are more…”

He didn’t continue on and furrowed his forehead. His gaze licked all over my face. After doing that for a while, Yeon Woojeong beckoned with his finger. When I lowered my head, he touched my face and brought his lips to my left eye. I closed my eyes reflectively. A wet thing licked my lashes. I held myself back from opening my eyes without knowing it and clenched my fists. The lips then pressed under my eye.

Yeon Woojeong moved away. Even after he moved away, I waited for a moment before opening my eyes.

“What is that?”

“Your mole. I wanted to suck it at least once.”

“…”

“It’s cute.”

Yeon Woojeong whispered shamelessly. Does he want to do it? I looked between his legs, but it was calm. If he did it because he really wanted to do it, then I could let him do it once more. I blinked my eyes slowly so that Yeon Woojeong could bring his lips again at any time, but he spoke while smiling.

“Why are you so soft today?”

“What do you mean?”

“You.”

It was just… I liked this moment. I didn’t get angry at all, and strangely, my mood didn’t run wild either. I felt certain that someday in the future, Yeon Woojeong and I would be like this. We would be able to completely fill the thin album. Like Yeon Woojeong said, there would have been more pictures to fill in the future than the ones already attached.

“Ah, this.”

Yeon Woojeong loosened the watch in his wrist. It was the one he gave me.

As I extended my hand, he wore the watch on my right wrist. I didn’t even think about it, but when the watch returned to its place, satisfaction rose. Fiddling with the watch, I said,

“I will soon get paid.”

“Really?”

“What do you want?”

This time, it is my money earned legally and legitimately. I will use it for Yeon Woojeong first. I also want to buy him a watch. Because he will be able to see the watch every day. But I surely need to save more if I want to buy a watch.

“Erm, let’s eat something tasty.”

“Something tasty?”

“Yeah. We shall go out somewhere. Keep the gift for later. Don’t use it on me, save it for now.”

I nodded slowly, and Yeon Woojeong laughed again. I only knew more about him, but everything felt peaceful. 

Even if I was born differently, I wanted to be a better person. Although I might be unable to be like him, at least someone good enough for him. 

The thoughts I was having were unfamiliar. Everything was like that after I met him. It was unfamiliar, but I didn’t want to return to the past at all.

If all of this were an illusion made by the match, I suddenly got a thought that I preferred to die burned by that fire. If this moment were an illusion, the illusion is all of me.

“Mr. Yeon.”

“Mhm.”

I only called him, then touched him. The sensation felt by my hand was vivid, and Yeon Woojeong was by my side.

***

“It’s a good song. Right?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know this song?”

“No.”

“You don’t know? It’s a really famous idol song these days.”

Seo Jihee bobbed her head in tune with the song that was playing inside the convenience store. It seemed like she wouldn’t be bored even if she were alone.

“Today is really free. Right?”

“Yes.”

“This kind of time when there’s no customers and calm is rare. Ah! Is it because it’s payday?”

Seo Jihee clapped her hands and smiled brightly. Hearing the fact, which she reminded me of, made me feel better too. Salary. I heard it would be paid in the morning, but I haven’t checked it yet. I should check it once I’m off work. Today, I will eat what Yeon Woojeong wants to eat.

The day was clear. I might meet Yeon Woojeong after sunset, but the moon could be seen clearly. He said he would go home earlier today, but I wonder if he can. I took a look at my phone. There was no contact from him.

“What will you do today? You got your pay, anyway.”

“I’m going to eat out.”

“What will you have?”

“I still haven’t decided on it. … What will you do?”

“Chicken and beer, of course.”

Seo Jihee raised her thumb. I suddenly remembered the fried chicken I had the first time I entered Yeon Woojeong’s home. That day, it was superb, too. I wondered if it would taste the same if I ate it now.

The bell rang. Seo Jihee’s head turned to the entrance right away.

“Welcome!”

“Welcome.”

When I was about to check my phone again after greeting the customer, Seo Jihee muttered in a whisper.

“It’s an old man from the construction site. He drinks alcohol every day.”

I raised my head and looked at the back of the customer who just walked in. The man who headed for the alcoholic beverages’ refrigerator was wearing worn-out clothes, and he was slouchy.

I wonder why people who do manual labor are all drunkards. It’s better to be a penniless beggar rather than working with drunkards.

I looked down when the man turned around with a bottle of soju in his hand. I didn’t want to ruin my mood by getting into a useless quarrel. When I made up my mind to hold back if something irksome happened, the man put down the bottle in front of me. I took it and scanned the barcode.

“Uh?”

“…”

“Aren’t you the son of Mr. Kim?”

I looked up at the somewhat familiar voice. The man with a spiky beard looked at me with murky eyes.

“You are, right? Erm, was your name Jiho?”

Who is he? There was a figure coming into mind as soon as I thought about it. A local who sat on a wide bench in front of a small supermarket and watched people passing by.

My heart beat as I realized it. I held back the breath that tried to come out hurriedly.

“Wow, I didn’t recognize you, boy. You grew up a lot. Your face is the same though.”

“…”

“What are you doing here? Working?”

Should I pretend to not know him? But if I did that, something tiresome might happen if his question increased. I knew this man had moved. A while before I left my home. Therefore, he wouldn’t know me well. We also didn’t interact much. … As I thought that, my chest was a bit calmer.

“… Yes.”

“How old are you now?”

“Twenty.”

“Wow, time really flies. What does your father do? Did he come to Seoul?”

“He just… stays at home.”

“I see. It must have been difficult for you.”

I felt Seo Jihee examining me. When I said the price for a bottle of soju, relaxing my clenched hands under the counter desk, the man handed over a crumpled bill from his pocket.

Black stain under the nails. Dry and cracked fingertips.

When I received the bill and gave him the change, the man smiled, showing his yellow teeth, and grabbed the neck of the soju bottle.

“It hasn’t been long since you worked, has it? You weren’t here last time.”

“Yes.”

“I see. I’m done here, so I rarely come here anymore. What a shame.”

Not at all. However, I nodded my head, hoping that he would be easily forgotten from my memory rather than dwelling on it.