By Zephyria 
Ha-jin gazed at his lover’s angular jaw, which seemed sharper than usual, before opening the door to the lounge. The expansive outdoor garden, spread out beyond the lobby’s glass windows, came into view at a glance. He watched the moonlit lake as if entranced, then sat down on the sofa in front of the window.
At the edge of the lake, a flock of flamingos stood on one leg with their heads tucked into their bodies, fast asleep.
“…Flamingos.”
Ha-jin recalled Eden’s words about homosexual flamingos from a long time ago, and quietly observed the birds. The one at the very front looked to be in particularly poor condition.
Is it hurt? Concerned, he couldn’t take his eyes off it for a while, when suddenly he heard a voice beside him.
“That one’s the leader.”
Ha-jin was so surprised he couldn’t even scream, and flinched. Narrowing his eyes, he peered into the darkness and saw a silhouette wriggling. It was Da-yeon.
She scratched her messy hair and smiled sheepishly. Then, she suddenly leaned towards Ha-jin and sniffed at his nose.
“You smell so much better after washing up, right? You don’t smell like sweat anymore.”
“Yes, thanks to you…”
Ha-jin coughed awkwardly and subtly distanced himself, feeling embarrassed.
“But your clothes are the same, so I guess you don’t have any luggage.”
“I left everything at the campsite.”
“I’ll check if there are any spare clothes tomorrow and bring them to you.”
“Thank you. You really don’t have to go to all that trouble.”
“I should do everything I can for you.”
She shook her head a few times as if trying to shake off her sleepiness, then spoke again.
“How does Jeong Tae-geon look?”
“He fell asleep quickly. He’s still dizzy, though.”
“Still, considering how long he was out, the aftereffects are relatively minor.”
At Da-yeon’s words, Ha-jin felt relieved once more and met her eyes, which shone brightly even in the darkness. She asked,
“You must be tired. Why did you come out here?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
After answering, he stared at Da-yeon, and a bright smile returned to her face.
“I often sleep here on the lobby sofa because it’s more comfortable than anywhere else. The others are resting in the lounge on the second floor.”
At the mention of the second floor, Ha-jin belatedly turned his head and looked around the dark space. There was a spiral staircase next to the information desk that he hadn’t noticed before.
“When you wake up tomorrow morning, take a walk around the center, and check out the indoor greenhouse and the outdoor garden outside. It’s really pretty.”
She stretched languidly and then pointed beyond the glass window.
“That one’s in pretty bad shape, isn’t he?”
Her finger pointed to the flamingo Ha-jin had seen earlier. Its entire body, reflected in the moonlight, had a strange gray hue. Da-yeon added an explanation to Ha-jin, who was watching with curiosity.
“They say the most tattered one in a flock of flamingos is usually the leader. I heard they often get hurt like that because they take the lead in dangerous situations to protect their comrades. At first, I wondered what kind of story that one had, but after learning that, even the scars looked cool…”
She muttered on and on, as if sleep-talking. Stories she hadn’t even been asked about, such as the name of the flamingo leader and how many official couples there were in the flock, poured out of her small lips.
Ha-jin pretended to listen quietly, but in reality, he was observing the injured flamingo while thinking of Eden in his head. He, too, had taken the lead and endured many sacrifices, and now bore a collection of scars that didn’t even feel like glory, just like that leader flamingo.
Not only were there countless small scratches he didn’t know when he’d gotten on his firm skin, but now even his handsome forehead was about to be scarred. Ha-jin’s face quickly took on a gloomy cast.
“…So, they don’t have back toes, you know? I was so amazed when I first saw it.”
Da-yeon, who had been continuing to mumble, lay back down on the sofa again, as if she were tired. Ha-jin, feeling languid as well, leaned comfortably against the back of the sofa. She curled up in a shrimp position, and soon began to breathe softly—sē-sē—as she fell asleep.
The night was deep, and Ha-jin was still awake alone. He stared at the surface of the lake reflected in the moonlight and felt a quiet vortex of emotions. It was dawn, and the death of Jun-seok, which he had momentarily forgotten while taking care of the injured Eden, came back to him vividly.
In the place where the thought of wanting to die had disappeared, only a piercing longing and regret remained. Ha-jin let out a hollow breath and thought for a long time about the death of his blood relative, Eden’s efforts, and his pain.
The torment, for which there was no answer, was so bitter and overwhelming that he took out the poker cards and the brooch from his pocket. The worn card box and the silver brooch were placed on his palm, which had a waterproof bandage on it. Ha-jin blew a short kiss on those precious objects.
Watching his lover collapse from exhaustion once was enough. A bitter smile hung on his lips as he resolved to leave Korea as soon as Eden recovered, before it was too late.
❖ ❖ ❖
@Public Funds
Ha-jin, who had finally fallen asleep at 4 a.m., didn’t open his eyes until after noon. Only after a familiar breathing sound and a thick, wet sensation brushed against his cheek several times did he barely wake up. His eyes were still closed.
“Pie…”
Even in his dazed state, Ha-jin hugged Pie, who was panting and climbing on top of him. But something was strange. How did Pie get on the bed?
The trailer was narrow, and the bed frame inside was flimsy and weak, not structured in a way that Pie could climb on top of him. Just then, someone stroked his side hair and asked,
“Are you awake?”
Only after hearing Eden’s voice did the memories of yesterday, which he had forgotten, begin to spring up like mushrooms after rain. Startled, Ha-jin opened his eyes wide and turned to check on him.
“H-how’s your head?!”
Eden chuckled softly at Ha-jin’s fuss, who was making a commotion as soon as he woke up.
“I’m definitely better than yesterday. But they said I have to keep an eye on my progress for the time being.”
“Did you get a checkup from Seong Da-yeon?”
“I did this morning.”
He said that not only had he received another examination from Da-yeon while Ha-jin was asleep, but he had already greeted the three siblings who had come to the lounge. To think he had been sleeping soundly, oblivious to the world, while people were coming and going.
Ha-jin scratched his messy hair and rolled his eyes in embarrassment. No matter how complicated his thoughts were and how late he had fallen asleep, he felt quite ashamed for having left his injured lover and slept in so peacefully.
He rubbed his tired eyes and looked at the clock on the table. It was already well past lunchtime. Gurgle… The moment he realized the time, a loud rumbling sound came from his stomach.
Eden took Ha-jin, who was blushing, and got up from his seat. Pie, who had been waiting quietly under the bed, jumped up and clung to Ha-jin. After showering Pie’s long snout with kisses, he opened the door to the lounge.
Ha-jin headed straight for the bathroom, washed his swollen face with cold water, and roughly wet his tousled hair to calm it down. When he came out after finishing his business, Eden, who had been waiting outside, grabbed his arm and pulled him along.
“What about Pie?”
Instead of answering, Eden gestured outside with his chin. The lobby was quiet, just like the night before, but the outdoor garden beyond the full glass window was bathed in sunlight and shone green.
Pie could be seen running around in that vivid nature. Next to Pie was a white, cotton-like Maltese. In the outdoor garden, various animals, including birds, were enjoying a leisurely time in their respective areas.
Ha-jin’s mouth dropped open at the sight of the utopian scene, as if it had appeared in a dream.
“They say we’re going to use the food Lee Hee-soo brought for lunch. Let’s eat together.”
As if he had already heard the story, Eden, taking the lead, naturally moved towards the second floor. The noisy voices of people could be heard from the stairs.
When Ha-jin arrived on the second floor, he stopped Eden and raised his index finger to gently brush away the hair covering his forehead. The traces of stitches remained clearly visible on his forehead, where the waterproof bandage had been removed. No matter how well he took care of it, it was a long scar that was bound to leave a mark. He frowned in distress.
Eden took the dry hand that was hovering near his forehead and pulled it down. Then, he lightly turned Ha-jin’s chin towards him, who was sighing.
“……”
Ha-jin met the gaze that was suddenly staring at him, seemingly puzzled. Was it his imagination that the gaze sweeping over his face felt like a shimmering snake? As he was doing that, he unknowingly swallowed hard.
Eden didn’t say anything, but Ha-jin could easily read the undisguised desire, no, lust, in his eyes.
“No way.”
Eden’s eyebrows twitched at the firm words.
“What’s not allowed?”
“Your brain will shake. You’re injured.”
“What are you going to do that will shake my brain?”
“Oh, seriously…”
Eden chuckled softly at Ha-jin, who couldn’t continue speaking. Ha-jin, who had been blushing for a while, also gave a foolish smile, following his lover, who seemed to be in better condition than he had expected.
He was very happy that Eden was teasing him in his usual subtle way, as if nothing had happened. Then, his chest suddenly swelled with emotion. Ha-jin abruptly grabbed Eden’s face and kissed him.
In the midst of savoring his moist lips, he heard someone gasp from somewhere. Startled, he quickly pulled away and turned around to see Hee-soo standing there. She stuttered, as if flustered when their eyes met.
“…Ah, I was just about to call you, but you’re here. C-come in.”
Ha-jin was just as embarrassed. In the end, Eden, the only one of the three who had a carefree expression, led him, who was gaping like a fish, and continued walking into the lounge.