#58

They bumped into each other, their wet bodies slipping as they embraced and pushed one another. Even if there were crayfish or fish around, they would have fled from the noise made by the three of them.

A child, tired from playing in the water, lay down on the mat. The man, concerned that the child might be cold, dried the child’s wet body and hair with a large towel, then wrapped the child in a dry towel.

“Let’s change our clothes too.”

Tae-heun said as he took off his wet shirt.

The man nodded towards the forest.

“Jihye, your father and uncle will change their clothes, so just rest.”

“Okay.”

The child replied dully while sipping the ambrosia handed to her by the man.

The man led the way, holding a bag with clothes to change into. Tae-heun playfully snatched the bag from the man’s hand. The man turned around and laughed.

Not too far away, but out of the child’s sight, the man stopped. The deep shade of the forest was filled with the rich scent of grass. For some reason, the man felt uneasy.

“I think it might rain.”

Tae-heun said, looking up at the sky.

“Yeah.”

The man’s brief reply was followed by the rustling sound of the plastic bag.

“By the way, the food at church was delicious today.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“I guess the rice here is local?”

“Yeah. Something like that.”

“Local rice really does taste different.”

No matter what they said, the awkwardness lingered.

The man grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled off his wet shirt. Tae-heun, unusually conscious of the man, also took off his clothes. The sound of the wet clothes hitting the ground was particularly loud. The rustling of the plastic and the sound of the towel wiping off their bodies seemed ten times louder than usual.

As Tae-heun glanced at the man drying himself with a towel, he wiped the remaining moisture from his own body with a towel. When he saw the man’s hand disappear between his thighs, he swallowed hard. For no reason, his lower body felt tense. This was all because of that bastard Kwon Yongjun. He blamed Kwon Yongjun, who wasn’t even there.

Though it was only about a minute until they changed, it felt like an hour had passed. Despite having changed into dry clothes, his skin felt strangely hot and sticky.

“Do you want to eat ramen?”

Tae-heun asked as they descended the mountain.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll make it.”

“Okay.”

The man replied shortly and walked down quickly, as if he had something urgent to do. His large body swayed heavily to one side. Tae-heun worried that the man might fall and hurried to catch up with him. He got so close behind the man that their backs touched several times. The man’s neck turned red. Tae-heun’s face also flushed.

The child was lying on the mat, leisurely reading a comic book. She looked up at the sound of people and asked, “When are we eating ramen?”

“Right now.”

Tae-heun replied, and the man busily prepared the burner and ramen.

“I’ll do it. Mr. Kibum, just bring the beer.”

Tae-heun quickly pushed the man aside and hurriedly lit the burner and put water on. The man took out a beer from the cooler and handed it to Tae-heun.

“Tae-heun, here.”

“Thank you.”

As he opened the can, a cheerful fizzing sound accompanied the rising foam. Without thinking about who would go first, they both brought the cans to their lips and drank the beer. It was incredibly refreshing.

“Ah, that’s amazing.”

He furrowed his brow. The man also squinted his eyes as he savored the beer.

The man settled down next to Tae-heun. As he glanced at Tae-heun, he pointed to her face.

“You’re getting tanned even on cloudy days. Won’t your skin peel off like that?”

He asked worriedly, handing Tae-heun his white cap.

“Just wear this.”

“I’m fine. After a night, it’ll be as if nothing happened.”

Saying this, she took the cap and placed it on the man’s head.

“Maybe it’s because your skin is dark, but white suits you well.”

The man smiled shyly.

The water boiled. While Tae-heun added the vegetable bits and soup, the man cut the ramen in half and put it into the pot.

“I like my noodles firm. How about you, Mr. Kibum?”

Even though it wasn’t their first time eating ramen together, she asked about his noodle preference.

“I like them firm too.”

The man replied. It felt good for some reason. We have the same taste, she thought, smiling at the man.

As the ramen began to boil, the man chopped green onions while Tae-heun prepared to add eggs. They were in perfect sync. So much so that words were unnecessary. Is this what they call a match made in heaven? Tae-heun thought, marveling at it. With each admiration, heat pooled in her lower body.

The three of them sat around the burner eating ramen. The child, usually quiet while eating, suddenly started chattering. After a while, she abruptly asked, “Uncle, when summer vacation comes, will you go on a trip with us?”

“A trip?”

“Jihye.”

The man called the child’s name as if to stop her, but she continued without a care.

“Every summer vacation, my dad and I go to Daecheon Beach. The sand is so wide. The water isn’t deep, so no matter how far you go in, it never reaches your neck.”

“Really? From what you’re saying, it sounds amazing. But is it okay for me to go with you?”

“Of course! My dad is okay with it, right?”

The man looked at Tae-heun instead of answering. He had a somewhat troubled expression, but he slightly shook his head as if to say that by that time, she wouldn’t be there, so it was perfectly fine to refuse.

Tae-heun, on the other hand, was in deep thought. She had already lied about making kimchi together. That was fine since it was in December, but summer vacation was just around the corner. If things went well, she could enjoy summer vacation before leaving. She convinced herself that it would be okay to do that much.

“Mr. Kibum, why aren’t you answering? Uncle is definitely going. I’ll go.”

“Wow! That’s awesome!”

The man’s eyes widened. Soon, he furrowed his handsome brow.

You’re saying unnecessary things.

It seemed he was blaming Tae-heun. She cheekily winked at him. The man let out a faint sigh.

The child, hearing Tae-heun’s answer, finally closed her mouth and began to eat the ramen. As usual, she slurped the noodles into her small body with a fierce determination. The man admonished her, saying, “Eat slowly, or you’ll get a stomachache.”

Ramen after playing in the water was a delicacy. While telling the child to eat slowly, both the man and Tae-heun hurriedly filled their stomachs. The kimchi quickly ran out. The child, seemingly not full, immediately opened a bag of snacks after finishing her ramen.

Well, it wasn’t like she could say anything. Tae-heun and the man opened a second can of beer, claiming it was to offset the saltiness of the ramen.

After drinking the beer, drowsiness hit them immediately. They all nodded off, eventually lying down side by side on the mat. The child was the first to fall asleep, snoring softly.

The man lay flat, covering his eyes with the cap Tae-heun had given him, while Tae-heun lay on her side facing him. She rested her hand under her head, then thought of the baby from the island house the child had mentioned, and let out a soft laugh.

The man opened his eyes at the sound of her laughter. He turned his head to look at Tae-heun.

“I was thinking about the arm pillow. The one the ghost gave me.”

Tae-heun whispered. The man chuckled softly, barely holding back his laughter.

“Is it possible for a baby to do what I do?”

“Well, I don’t know. My arms are short.”

They both giggled. They bit their lips to suppress their laughter but ended up rolling around, holding their stomachs. They laughed carefully, worried that the child might wake up. Wiping their tears, they looked at each other.

The man’s dark eyes caught the light and turned a chestnut color. His soft brown skin and brown eyes were truly beautiful.

“Do my eyes look chestnut too?”

Tae-heun asked.

“No. They’re brighter than that. They’ve always been bright.”

“Is that so? Now that I think about it, I don’t remember ever looking closely at my own eyes.”

They silently gazed into each other’s eyes. As Tae-heun lifted the corners of her mouth, the man also smiled gently.

Being with the man left no room for lethargy. The fact that she had ever felt lethargic felt like a memory from a past life. If it weren’t for the insomnia that visited her daily, she would have doubted whether she had ever suffered from such an illness.

The days passed so quickly that before she knew it, the next day had arrived. The sleepless nights became bearable. Though she disliked the recurring nightmares, she could endure them because the day always broke after she had them.

Tae-heun naturally fell asleep in the master bedroom. The man, while laying out his bedding, also laid out hers without asking.

In the early morning, when she woke to the sound of the alarm, it was nice to see the man first. It made her happy to lie facing him and exchange morning greetings.

Then suddenly, the thought that Kwon Yongjun and the man had a special relationship made her tremble with jealousy. Had the man ever felt something similar to what she felt now? Whether it was love, jealousy, hatred, or anger, it was hard to imagine the man swept away by such intense emotions.

Every time she looked at the man sleeping soundly beside her, she fell into contemplation.

Why do I like you so much?

She asked herself.

“Uncle! Your eyes are so dark under here.”

The child pointed to her own eyes.

“I haven’t been sleeping well.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t sleep.”

Tae-heun replied dully.

“Why?”

“Just because.”

“How can you not sleep?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

The man, who had brought six fried eggs on a plate, looked at Tae-heun with a worried expression.

“Is it because the sleeping place is unfamiliar?”

The man asked.

“Could be.”

The child looked up at the man.

“Yeah. It could be.”

The child’s gaze turned back to Tae-heun.

“I sleep just fine at my sister Sojin’s house. Uncle, is our house uncomfortable for you?”

The child asked cautiously.

“No, not at all! How could it be uncomfortable?”

Tae-heun snapped.

“Then forget it.”

The child stuck out her tongue.

“Mr. Kibum, it’s not that I’m uncomfortable and have insomnia. Don’t misunderstand. I’ve had insomnia since before I came here.”

Tae-heun earnestly warned him, worried that he might misunderstand.