By Zephyria 
Before I knew it, we had entered the town. Perhaps because Tae-heun was keeping his mouth shut, the atmosphere in the car had become subdued. Of course, the man didn’t seem to mind much, gazing out the window with a bright expression.
“Ki-beom, let’s buy our tickets first and then have lunch. Is that okay?”
“Yes.”
“After the movie, let’s have a beer too. I know a fantastic chicken place.”
“Sure.”
The man smiled. Tae-heun also smiled at him.
In front of the only movie theater in town, it was packed with people. Tae-heun went with the man to the ticket booth, bought tickets for the 3 PM show, and then headed straight outside.
A public phone booth was visible in front of theater. Tae-heun didn’t want to ruin the first date with Kwon Il-taek’s thoughts.
“I’ll just make a quick call. My cellphone isn’t getting a signal.”
With that, he stepped into the booth.
Tae-heun contacted his accomplice. The accomplice, mistaking Tae-heun’s call for an urgent matter instead of leaving a voice message or text as usual, acted as if he would rush over immediately. After reassuring him that it was nothing serious, Tae-heun finally stated his real purpose. He wanted to know about Kwon Il-taek’s family and the man’s financial situation. Naturally, the accomplice was puzzled.
“Don’t ask why, just please investigate. If possible, in detail.”
To be honest, Tae-heun hadn’t expected to contact him for something like this. But the man’s affairs were soon to be his own. Regardless of anything else, he couldn’t stand the thought that the man was being deceived. If it was a scam, it needed to be dealt with before it escalated.
In Kwon Il-taek’s case, it would take some time to start the background check, but since the man knew Tae-heun’s resident registration number, the results would come out within a day. It wasn’t for this that he had memorized the number, but the timing was impeccable.
“Oh, and could you also check if there are any disqualifications for overseas travel? I’m just curious about that.”
There are many things I’m curious about. All of them?
“Ah, yes. It would be nice if you could do that.”
He only wanted to know about the man, but it didn’t seem necessary to mention it. Now all that was left was to wait for the results. Tae-heun erased thoughts of Kwon Il-taek from his mind.
“The movie must be interesting. It’s been a while since I’ve seen so many people in front of a theater.”
The man said as he watched Tae-heun come out of the booth. His face was filled with anticipation.
“Really? It seems that what Gi-cheol-hyung said while spitting was not an exaggeration. Let’s go.”
Tae-heun playfully tapped the man’s back.
The two walked side by side. Although the man was wearing specially made shoes, his body tilted slightly to the left with each step. Each time, the man’s shoulder brushed against Tae-heun’s, but unlike before, neither was surprised nor intentionally distanced themselves. Am I feeling more comfortable? As that thought crossed Tae-heun’s mind, a smile lingered on his lips.
“Shall we have samgyetang?”
Tae-heun asked. He had thought of this menu earlier because he wanted to nourish the man who had worked hard all week.
“Or should we go eat eel?”
“No, we’ll have popcorn later, so let’s eat something light.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of the popcorn.”
“There’s a place nearby that makes great kongguksu.”
The man confidently recommended.
“Let’s go. Wherever Ki-beom says is delicious, it usually is.”
Tae-heun praised the man.
It felt like the heat was intensifying. It was a summer with high humidity, making the discomfort index soar. Everyone was walking with sweat on their foreheads, but there was no trace of irritation on Tae-heun’s face. What’s irritation? It’s all good. The man was so easygoing that he didn’t even complain about the heat, and perhaps because he was next to such a man, the heat felt natural.
“Summer is best when it’s hot, right?”
He even said something like that.
The kongguksu place the man recommended was so crowded that there was no room to step. After informing the restaurant staff that there were two of them, they stood at the entrance. After waiting for 10 minutes, they were seated. The makeshift two-person table was very cramped for Tae-heun and the man. Their shoulders were wider than the table, to say the least. Just as he was about to complain, the air conditioning was so powerful that as soon as they sat down, his irritation vanished.
“Ah. It’s refreshing. This is heaven.”
Tae-heun said, and the man replied, “Yes. I wish I could stay here forever,” looking pleased. The man didn’t say it, but it seemed he was feeling the heat too.
The kongguksu arrived right away. It wasn’t intentional, but for some reason, they were eating slower than usual. They savored the thick soybean soup, chewing on the firm noodles one strand at a time.
“I haven’t been to a movie theater in a long time.”
The man said.
“Now that you mention it, it’s been a while for me too.”
After deciding to betray his uncle, he had stopped going to the movies. At that time, he had also stopped dating. It was better not to have anything that could get in the way, whether it was a woman, a friend, or anyone else, so he had kept his distance. Coincidentally, he had also been suffering from insomnia and lethargy. He had barely accepted any invitations.
“What kind of movies do you like?”
The man asked, chewing on the noodles.
“Me? Well, I like action movies. Something I can watch without thinking.”
Tae-heun replied while sipping the soybean soup.
“What about you, Ki-beom?”
“I don’t really have a preference. I don’t watch them often.”
“Still, there must be a movie you enjoyed. I like the Die Hard series.”
In the 90s, people were often divided into those who liked Hong Kong movies and those who preferred Hollywood films. In fact, among Tae-heun’s peers, Hong Kong movies were the trend. Many of those who joined Ilgwang Financial were deeply impressed by films like A Better Tomorrow and its sequels.
They were thrilled by the brotherhood depicted in the movies, the loyalty among gang members, and the devotion to their boss. Tae-heun, who realized at a young age that all of that was false and illusory, scoffed, but many still entered the workforce with those illusions intact.
Anyway, those who liked Hong Kong movies often practiced martial arts or became engrossed in card games, forming brotherhoods among themselves, mimicking what they saw in the films.
On the Hollywood side, most built their muscles like Bruce Willis, wearing white tank tops. Tae-heun was on the Hollywood side. There was a reason for that, but in any case, he had started judo and later became dedicated to building his body. It was childish, but he had those days.
“Oh, I just remembered. There’s a movie called
The man replied.
“Oh, a Hong Kong movie?”
Of all things, a Hong Kong movie. It was quite far from Tae-heun’s taste. Still, since it was the man’s first movie he paid for, he was curious about the content.
“Do you think it’s available at the video rental store?”
“Of course. It should definitely be there.”
The man raised his voice unexpectedly.
“Let’s rent it next time. I haven’t seen it.”
“Yes. There’s a video player at the youth association office, so we can borrow it and watch it there.”
“Sounds good. But do you like Hong Kong movies?”
Tae-heun casually probed.
“I wouldn’t say I like them, but I just watched them because everyone around me did.”
That was a relief. Of course, the man wouldn’t dislike Tae-heun just because he liked Hong Kong movies. Still, it would be nice if their tastes matched.
“Ki-beom, you’ve seen
He asked as if it were obvious.
“Yes. I’ve seen it a few times when it was on TV during the holidays.”
“I like the third one the most in the series. When I rent the one with Chow Yun-fat, I’ll rent that one too. You’ll probably like it.”
“Yes, sounds good.”
The two finished their last bites and put down their chopsticks.
Tae-heun paid for the bill. He bought both the movie tickets and the popcorn. Since it was their first date, he couldn’t let the man pay. A man should do that, after all.
The waiting area was bustling with people waiting for the 3 PM movie. It was like a market. Even though it was 10 minutes before the movie started, the screening was still ongoing inside due to the tight schedule.
The people waiting to watch the movie were mostly couples and groups of teenagers rather than families. Kids who came with friends shouted and cursed without restraint, while couples behaved relatively more politely. Among them were Tae-heun and the man. While grumbling sounds erupted here and there, Tae-heun and the man stood peacefully, each holding their popcorn and cola. They smiled at each other, conscious of one another like a man and woman meeting for the first time on a blind date.
At exactly 3 PM, the doors to the screening room opened. As people poured out, the already cramped waiting area became so crowded that there was hardly any room to step. Naturally, their bodies brushed against each other. The man, holding the popcorn and cola carefully, pressed his elbow against Tae-heun’s rib. For some reason, that made his lower abdomen tense. The back of his neck felt cool. Oh dear. Tae-heun silently sang a hymn.
He praised the overflowing joy of peace like a river, love like the sea. Hallelujah! Just as he returned to the present, the man called out, “Let’s go in, Tae-heun.”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
Cold sweat trickled down his back. His throat was dry, so he gulped down the cola.
They sat in the middle of the back row, the closest to the entrance. It was a spot where they wouldn’t hear complaints from the audience behind about not being able to see the screen. The theater was old. The seating was very cramped, and the height difference was minimal. Tall Tae-heun, of course, and the man’s knees touched the seat in front. Naturally, their arms were pressed tightly against each other. It reminded Tae-heun of the bus seat he had sat in when visiting the man’s uncle in Chungju.
The screening time was nearly 2 hours and 40 minutes. Including the advertisements, it was almost 3 hours. Even though theater had the air conditioning on, it couldn’t handle the heat generated by the packed audience. It was hot. Including Tae-heun and the man, the audience couldn’t withstand the heat and started gulping down drinks from the very beginning. Naturally, about an hour and a half in, everyone began to get up to go to the bathroom, which frequently blocked the view of the screen. The sound of cell phones ringing was commonplace.
Regardless, Tae-heun and the man were deeply immersed in their own world. Even as they sweated enough to soak their shirts, they didn’t separate their touching arms and thighs. Wherever they touched, moisture gathered, and their pants became damp. They hadn’t even held hands; they had merely brushed against each other, yet Tae-heun was so conscious of the man that he was breathing heavily. The loud sounds from the screen were frequent, but he almost felt embarrassed by the rough breaths he was letting out.
Wondering if it was just him, he glanced at the man. The man was just as tense. His chest rose and fell irregularly. Occasionally, it seemed he held his breath, letting out deep sighs. Then suddenly, he crunched down on the popcorn. Tae-heun, who had forgotten there was popcorn, would also grab a handful and shove it into his mouth at those moments. It felt like chewing on cardboard.
The movie didn’t even register in his mind. Sounds of admiration erupted here and there at the sight of nearly naked, muscular gladiators, but Tae-heun thought he was far better than them. Of course, he was. The dress shirt that had been slightly loose when he left his safe house now clung tightly to his chest. Thanks to eating well and working hard at the man’s house, he felt like his body had grown even bigger.
On the other hand, the man had lost weight since they first met. It was because of that damn job, but his body was still in good shape. Whenever a man with a similar build appeared on the screen, Tae-heun whispered, “Ki-beom is a hundred times better.”
He didn’t even remember how the movie ended. People were getting up here and there, but Tae-heun didn’t budge. If he could, he wanted to stay there for another hour or two. However, when an audience member sitting inside urged him to leave, he had no choice but to get up from his seat.
As soon as she pulled her arm away from the man, sweat flowed down like water. The man hurriedly offered her a handkerchief. It was a white handkerchief with white embroidery. Tae-heun, after telling the man to wipe himself first, took his hand and directly wiped his arm for him. The most beautiful arm in the world dampened the white handkerchief.