By Zephyria 
That day, Eun-ha eventually resorted to the power of drugs. He fell asleep as soon as he returned from work around 1 PM and woke up around dawn the next day. When he woke up, he was sprawled out on the border between the living room and the balcony. His cell phone was under the sofa, and the refrigerator door was open. He didn’t remember any of it. It was a common occurrence when he took drugs.
After that, he spent several sleepless days. During that time, Yeon-jun went to the cafe every day as before, staying somewhere on the second floor like the first day he came back. Having been banned from drawing by Eun-ha, he showed a noticeably subdued demeanor for a while, then stuck next to Eun-ha, who was taking care of the plants, and made small talk. He asked several times if what he had received last time wasn’t good. Eun-ha didn’t answer. He only thought. That kind of thing is too explicit and burdensome.
“What’s the name of this flower?”
He showed interest in the plants he was growing and asked about the care that Eun-ha did every day, and the process of explaining it seemed quite enjoyable. Plant stories. He couldn’t really get sympathy or give fun even if he went anywhere else. At least Eun-ha’s friends were all bored. Or they didn’t understand.
He asked about the names and characteristics of the plants, the watering cycle, and why the drugs were inserted, and he also asked why he grew plants. Eun-ha told him the answer he had mentioned several times in a nonchalant manner.
“Because I don’t want to give up.”
The date that was supposed to end within a month was agreed to be two months after some wrangling. The price for taking the virginity of a twenty-year-old was ten dates over two months. It was reasonable, and it seemed a bit harsh, but it would be a bearable time. Two months. It was also the average duration of Eun-ha’s partnerships.
That weekend, they finally made a second date. Late May, ahead of the official summer. They decided to see a movie. Eun-ha wasn’t feeling well that day either, but it was chronic fatigue, so he endured it familiarly. Thinking that he would have to take the drug one more time tomorrow.
They decided to have dinner and met at the movie theater around 3 PM. Yeon-jun, who had said he would visit his parents’ house in the morning, was quite noticeable. A charcoal-colored shirt with a good fit and jeans that slightly covered his sneakers. A loose canvas crossbody bag worn diagonally. The shirt sleeves were folded up, and a black watch was perfectly placed on his wrist.
His hair was trimmed with a slight parting in the front. Every time he saw him, he felt that he was good at grooming himself. He was someone who knew what suited him and how to dress up to look his best.
The fact that he had a strong sense of his own color was a characteristic that deserved high praise. That characteristic, coupled with his excellent natural features, made him very comfortable to look at.
But… What’s the point? It’s not used in the right place.
Eun-ha, who was looking at the man who was subtly attracting attention with regret, stopped for a moment and then took a step. Yeon-jun, who suddenly raised his head at the sound of someone approaching, approached with a happy expression.
“Hyung.”
“Why are you here so early?”
“Noona dropped me off in front. I didn’t wait long.”
Eun-ha, who left behind the words adding that Hyung also arrived early, asked as if he didn’t know.
“Noona?”
“Ah, yes. My older sister.”
“…I see. I think you said you had one. Two?”
“That’s right. Did I say that?”
“Well… I heard it. From here and there.”
Yeon-jun, who was wondering how he could hear such a thing from here and there, asked.
“Do you have any siblings, Hyung?”
“I have a Noona too.”
“…Really?”
Yeon-jun turned to look at Eun-ha as they headed to the kiosk side by side. As if it was unexpected.
“Yeah. Three years apart. Why, don’t I look like I do?”
“Yes. I thought you would have a male sibling or be an only child.”
“I hear that a lot.”
Eun-ha shrugged. He really heard it often. He knew that it meant that he didn’t have the energy of a female sibling at all. That he didn’t have a very delicate or affectionate disposition.
“Well, you, on the other hand, give off the feeling that you would definitely have a Noona.”
“Yeah. I hear that a lot too. Not a brother and sister, but that I would definitely have a Noona.”
Yeon-jun, who smiled obediently, sparkled his pupils.
“That’s amazing. Are you close to your Noona?”
“Well… I don’t contact her much these days. It’s partly because Noona is studying abroad and is busy, and partly because we naturally grew apart after becoming adults. When we were young, we fought like crazy whenever we had a chance, but now…”
While he was talking, Eun-ha saw the corners of Yeon-jun’s mouth subtly lengthen. Eun-ha raised one eyebrow.
“…Why are you making that face?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Tell me about you too.”
“About me?”
“Yeah. Things that happened with your Noonas when you were young. Or anything you remember.”
Yeon-jun brightened his pupils as if he was a little happy for some reason, and soon began to tell simple anecdotes. He didn’t seem to remember connecting Baek Ju-hee to this side. It was the same even when he subtly observed his expression. The only result was that Yeon-jun, who was aware of the gaze that was intently reaching him, stopped speaking slowly and blushed. Eun-ha averted his gaze.
Is he not someone who had a connection in the past?
He was curious. If they had ever met in the old days that he couldn’t remember. If he was Baek Ju-hee’s younger brother, then perhaps, we used to live very close to each other. Within a 5-minute walk.
Well. When he was hanging out with Baek Ju-hee, Yeon-jun was only eight years old. Even when I left that neighborhood, when I was twenty-one and kicked out by my father, he was still an elementary school student. Even if they had run into each other, there would have been no special event. Even if there was something, Yeon-jun wouldn’t even remember it.
An elementary school student in the year I went to the army… He slowly moved his steps, recalling the chilling fact anew.
They picked up the tickets, bought popcorn and coke, and headed to the theater. Eun-ha liked thrilling movies. Stories with urgent events and actions that explode non-stop. Yeon-jun happened to have similar tastes, so they decided to see an action movie set in the desert that was popular these days.
There was no one in the theater that they arrived early. Eun-ha, who found his seat and sat down, immediately let out a quiet sigh of exhaustion. It was a day when the highest temperature reached 28 degrees Celsius. The air conditioner was running weakly inside, and the seats were recliner chairs. As his body became comfortable, his tension was released and a feeling of exhaustion rushed in.
I shouldn’t fall asleep while watching the movie. It was around the time he was trying to put strength into his eyelids. Yeon-jun naturally intertwined his arm with Eun-ha’s arm, which was resting on the handle. He lightly fiddled with his fingers. It’s a habit now. It was extremely cheeky.
Eun-ha turned to look at him as if to point that out, but Yeon-jun was calmly looking straight ahead. Eun-ha widened his eyes.
“You’re lewd.”
Yeon-jun finally turned to look at him. Wearing an embarrassed smile as if he had heard all the unfair things.
“Lewd, Hyung?”
“If not?”
As he said it teasingly, the difficulty became even darker. Eun-ha felt a little amused by the immediate reaction. He was always an amazingly transparent kid. It was interesting that that transparent reaction generally had a gentle and shy nature.
Soon, Yeon-jun leaned in slightly. Burying his head near Eun-ha’s neck, he murmured softly.
“Because I like you, it’s natural that I want to touch you…”