By Zephyria 
Kim Kyung-chul’s first child was a boy who looked exactly like his father.
Seo Chi-young wanted to visit the hospital, but since he couldn’t find the time, he sent his congratulations over the phone. Just from the voice on the other end, he could almost see Kim Kyung-chul’s grin stretching from ear to ear.
After that, Kim Kyung-chul, who had been out of touch for a couple of months, visited Seo Chi-young late on a Saturday evening. Having just finished work after being tied up at the office until late Saturday, he arrived empty-handed, as he said he had stopped by since he was in the neighborhood for work. Since he was a friend who always brought a bottle or two of alcohol, coming empty-handed was rare.
“I guess having a son is great, since you haven’t contacted me once.”
When Seo Chi-young said this with a smile, Kim Kyung-chul gave a wide grin and said, “Yeah, it’s great.” He even rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a few photos from his wallet to show him. The photos, with their worn-out corners from being taken out and looked at every chance he got, were all of the baby.
Seo Chi-young burst into laughter the moment he looked at the photos.
“Where did your wife’s genes go? This is just you. You’re a spitting image.”
“Right? His mom sighed, saying it’s a relief he’s a boy.”
“Well, it would be a bit pitiful if it were a girl and she was a spitting image of you,” Seo Chi-young joked and laughed. “Cute, right? Want one? I’ll give him to you as a gift,” Kim Kyung-chul said, radiating the energy of a doting father as he handed a baby photo to Seo Chi-young as if granting a great favor. Seo Chi-young accepted it with a smile and tucked the photo safely into the counter drawer.
“Want some beer? Or soju?”
When Seo Chi-young asked, Kim Kyung-chul—who was second to none when it came to being a bottomless pit for alcohol—waved his hand.
“No, no. I can’t hold the baby if I go home after drinking. His mom is so strict about not coming near the baby after drinking and smoking.”
“Just give me some water,” Kim Kyung-chul sighed, and Seo Chi-young looked at him with admiration as he brought over a water bottle and a cup. It was a surprising transformation for Kim Kyung-chul, who used to preach the philosophy that a life without alcohol wasn’t a true life.
“You must really love the kid to quit drinking.”
“Who said I quit? How can anyone quit drinking? I’m just waiting until the kid grows up a bit.”
“It’ll be fine to drink together once he’s in high school, right?” Hearing his friend mutter this, Seo Chi-young didn’t know whether to praise him for being so patient or to scold him for already thinking about giving a child alcohol—before they were even an adult—so he just gave an ambiguous smile.
However, when Seo Chi-young opened a container to stir-fry some tripe, Kim Kyung-chul waved his hand, saying, “No, don’t. I have to go back soon. My kid is waiting for his dad.” Seeing this, it really was a tremendous transformation.
When Seo Chi-young smiled and said, “You’ve changed a lot, Kim Kyung-chul,” Kim Kyung-chul seemed to realize it himself and chuckled, “Right?” as if he knew that the change was in a positive direction.
Kim Kyung-chul gulped down the water as if it were alcohol and narrowed his eyes, letting out a satisfied “Kwah.”
“Thinking about it, the change started back then.”
“?”
“From the moment I met my Darling, Hye-mi.”
“My life changed from that point on,” Kim Kyung-chul murmured happily, humming as if he were drunk on just water.
“I didn’t know it then. Even after we got married, and right up until just before the baby was born, I didn’t really know. I even thought nothing had changed at all after the first time I slept with Hye-mi.”
“I thought that before I slept with Hye-mi, once I lost my virginity and we slept together, I’d change into something really stupid—both myself and my relationship with Hye-mi,” Kim Kyung-chul muttered, then suddenly shut his mouth with a look of realization. He likely remembered his past when he boasted that before meeting his wife, he was such a successful man that he couldn’t count the women he’d made cry on two hands. Seo Chi-young didn’t say anything and just smiled brightly at his friend, who was awkwardly scratching the bridge of his nose.
Kim Kyung-chul cleared his throat awkwardly and continued murmuring.
“Yeah, well, even after I first slept with Hye-mi, I hadn’t changed at all, Hye-mi was the same, and our relationship was the same, so I thought, ‘Well, nothing’s changing, just like before.’ I thought something huge would change, so I was quite relieved, but also a bit disappointed. …But thinking back now, I think something was changing little by little without me noticing.”
“……So, do you like it?”
“Yeah.”
Seeing his friend nod without hesitation and grin foolishly again, Seo Chi-young smiled too.
Just then, a small mechanical sound came from beneath the prep table. Seo Chi-young picked up his phone, the screen flashing to indicate a message had arrived.
“Oh, you changed your phone? When did you do that?”
“Uh… a while ago.”
Seo Chi-young muttered, blushing, and fiddled with the phone he had only recently become accustomed to using. It had taken quite some time to get used to the new phone after the one he had used for over six years broke.
‘I think I can make it by eleven. I’ll see you then. —Jang Ui-geon.’
‘Yes, I understand. Please come safely,’ Seo Chi-young replied immediately. As he pressed send, Kim Kyung-chul asked casually, “Who is it?” After hesitating for a moment, he answered honestly, “Mr. Jang Ui-geon… I think he’s stopping by tonight.” Kim Kyung-chul, who had also contacted him before visiting, said nonchalantly, “Really? Seems like you two are getting along well.” Seo Chi-young just smiled.
Even before checking, the moment the message arrived, he had guessed it would be from him.
Jang Ui-geon came almost every day. Except for rare cases where he had to sleep at his family home because his father called, or when there was a gathering he absolutely couldn’t miss, he would show his face even if he was late and there were only twenty minutes left before Seo Chi-young closed the shop. And every day, once he could roughly estimate the time he could arrive, he would send a message in advance.
Seeing that he would arrive before eleven, it seemed he would be able to tidy up the shop around ten today.
“Ui-geon hasn’t changed at all, has he? I was impressed when I first saw him come here with Jun-young. I thought, ‘He’s really still the same.'”
“Was he?”
Seo Chi-young gave a small laugh as he looked at Kim Kyung-chul and began washing the cups soaking in the sink.
“Yeah. How should I put it… back in high school, when I looked at that guy, I thought that even if he was hanging out in a crowd with other kids and an accident happened, he’d be the only one standing there perfectly fine with an indifferent face. Like he’d be able to navigate through any adversity with ease… But usually, those kinds of vibes disappear once you enter society and get beaten down by the people around you, right? But that guy still has that feeling… So it’s a bit strange to see a guy like that being close to you. Hey, I don’t mean anything by you, it’s just a bit unexpected.”
Seo Chi-young smiled silently, saying, “Was he?”
He had thought so too. He still thought so sometimes.
Even now, looking at Jang Ui-geon, who visited almost every night to help Seo Chi-young tidy up the shop and assist with cleaning, he sometimes felt it was quite strange. It felt like seeing a rose beautifully wrapped in an expensive ribbon hanging from the handle of a worn-out handcart.
It would probably be the same today.
Just as it was yesterday and the day before, Jang Ui-geon would arrive today wearing a neat suit—since he came straight from his own business, he almost always arrived in a suit—eat the tripe Seo Chi-young stir-fried, drink beer, and help with the cleanup and cleaning after the customers left past midnight. Then, after lowering the shop’s shutters, he would walk Seo Chi-young home before returning to his own house.
Although Seo Chi-young had declined with a troubled face, saying there was no need to walk him, Jang Ui-geon would insist that it was in the same direction anyway and walk him right to his front door. …..Today the destination would be different, but on weekdays, it was almost always like that.
It was just as it had been before.
As if nothing had happened.
No different from Kim Kyung-chul—though he came much more often and helped with the shop cleanup more sincerely—like a close friend.
That was how they spent their time.
There was no sweet or sticky atmosphere, just as Seo Chi-young had vaguely wondered if that’s how it would be after they slept together. The only thing different from before was that they held hands on the way to Seo Chi-young’s house after closing the shop.
Even that wasn’t because he naturally wanted to hold hands for no reason at first. As the weather began to get significantly colder, Seo Chi-young, who tended to be sensitive to the cold, walked with his body hunched and coughed a couple of times on the way home, and Jang Ui-geon silently took Seo Chi-young’s hand and put it in his coat pocket.
‘…..It’s a bit better this way, right?’
Jang Ui-geon, who spoke as if it were nothing, waited for Seo Chi-young to nod hesitantly, then seemed to smile slightly and continued walking. It was a relief that there weren’t many people around because it was night. Not only because they were walking with two hands in one pocket, but because his lowered head had turned red.
After that, every night on the way home, Jang Ui-geon would ask, “It’s cold, right?” and as usual, he would take Seo Chi-young’s hand and put it in his pocket. Then, in front of the house, Jang Ui-geon would wave goodbye and turn away.
That was all.
They saw each other every day, shared idle conversations, and walked a short distance together on the way home; other than that, nothing was different from before. At least on weekdays.
“Come to think of it, on my way here, I saw that construction has already started over the hill. Didn’t they say this area would be demolished soon too?”
“Uh… yeah, I think it starts in early spring next year.”
“I heard the construction market isn’t great these days, but I guess redevelopment is still happening. Well, this neighborhood really needs some work. It feels like everything is about to collapse.”
Kim Kyung-chul grumbled like a sigh while drinking water, then asked as if he had just remembered.
“What are you going to do with your shop when this place is demolished?”
“Uh… I decided to move.”
“Really? Where, nearby?”
“Yeah, I haven’t looked into it yet, but I’m planning to find a place not far from here.”
“Right, you’ve been established here for a few years, so it’s better to stay nearby. Good call. You seemed worried about money; how did that get resolved?”
Seo Chi-young hesitated for a moment, then mumbled vaguely, “Uh, for now…” Kim Kyung-chul said, “That’s great, what a relief,” and smiled brightly as if he had also been secretly worried and was now relieved. Seeing his friend smile so genuinely and freely, Seo Chi-young couldn’t help but smile along.
Once every two or three months; as they got older, that had become a frequent meeting. There were many friends they couldn’t even see that often because they were too busy living their lives. Amidst that, this cheerful and kind friend, who saw him and contacted him most often, seemed to have been secretly worrying about Seo Chi-young a lot, though he didn’t explicitly show it.
“…..Thanks.”
When Seo Chi-young suddenly spoke, Kim Kyung-chul, who had been murmuring about how old a child needs to be to go to an amusement park, looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“For what?”
“Just, for everything.”
“…Good grief, you’re being silly. We both have things to be thankful for, why bring it up now.”
Kim Kyung-chul snorted, wrinkling the bridge of his nose. Still, he looked at the smiling Seo Chi-young with a bit of disbelief, then smiled back, “Yeah, yeah, be very thankful. I’m thankful too.”
Then, after gulping down the water like alcohol, Kim Kyung-chul looked at the clock, which was well past ten, and stood up with an “Oops.”
“Hey, I meant to hang out for just a bit, but too much time has passed. My wife’s going to be angry. My son must be waiting for his dad with all his heart.”
Following Kim Kyung-chul, who hurriedly put on his coat and grabbed his bag, Seo Chi-young also stood up. He didn’t go far, only a few steps out in front of the shop.
“Give my regards to your wife and nephew.”
“Yeah, sure. Oh, my wife told me to tell you to come visit sometime.”
“Me? Why?”
“She says thank you for being a long-time friend to a future alcoholic, good grief.”
Seo Chi-young laughed out loud at Kim Kyung-chul’s grumbling words.
“Have another late-born child when the kid goes to high school. Then you’ll have to abstain from alcohol until you’re over sixty.”
“Hey now, I’ll wither away and die—anyway, I’m off. Take care and see you later!”
Looking down at his watch once more, Kim Kyung-chul’s hurried footsteps carried a pleasant urgency. The desire to return home quickly and see his loved ones was clearly reflected in every step.
Seo Chi-young watched with a beam on his face until Kim Kyung-chul completely disappeared from sight, and as soon as he turned the corner, he returned to the customer who shouted, “One more bottle of beer over here, please.”
Today, as is usually the case on weekends, was a moderately busy day. With customers settling in to drink comfortably before their day off, it was a day he had to stay at the shop later than usual.
However, since the cold season had arrived, the old slate building with poor heating was so chilly that customers didn’t stay late into the night as they did in the summer or autumn.
“………”
The heaters had been turned on for a while now, but whenever night fell, the warmth they provided couldn’t withstand the cold night air leaking in from outside, leaving the shop chilly. The interior, where the heater was placed and the door kept shut, was manageable, but sitting in front of the grill—which had been moved outside the building with only a plastic tent draped over it—was quite cold.
Seo Chi-young let out a soft breath, blowing lightly onto his hands.
Just then, a familiar silhouette entered, lifting the edge of the tent.
“I’m here, Chi-young.”
The man, who entered with his usual greeting, seemed to notice Chi-young blowing on his hands; the gentle smile on his face flickered into a slight frown.
“It must be cold. If you’re not in the middle of cooking, why don’t you just stay inside the shop?”
Yet, as he spoke, he pulled out a chair in front of the cooking station and sat down himself. He didn’t seem particularly cold. Then again, he had never been the type to be sensitive to the chill.
“Oh… Ui-geon, you’re here.”
Chi-young nodded slightly in greeting and checked the clock. As per the message he’d sent, it was slightly before eleven. He was still in his suit, appearing as though he had come straight here without even changing clothes after finishing work.
As soon as Jang Ui-geon sat down, he craned his neck to look around the shop.
“There are quite a few customers today. Well, it is Saturday…”
He glanced at the clock on the wall and murmured to himself, “There’s still some time before the shop closes.”
“One order of gopchang, and just barley tea for a drink… No, I’ll get it myself.”
While Chi-young poured oil onto the griddle and added the ingredients, Ui-geon went to the refrigerator himself to bring back a water bottle and a cup. Normally, he would have had a beer, but today he opted for tea. Then again, unless something unusual was happening, he always drove his car when he visited on Saturdays.
“Nothing special happened today.”
Ui-geon asked as he moistened his lips with the barley tea. Chi-young looked up at him for a moment while cutting perilla leaves, but as their eyes met, he quickly dropped his gaze again. He still found it somewhat embarrassing to look Ui-geon straight in the eye; he just couldn’t get used to it.
“Uh… yes, just… oh, the CEO who delivers the gopchang to us said he’s getting married next summer. He said his mother is the happiest of all that he’s finally getting married before turning forty.”
“Is that so? That’s something to celebrate.”
“Yes, indeed. …And also… uh, right, there was a spotted cat that used to frequent the alley leading into the shop, but I hadn’t seen it since autumn. It seems it had kittens in the meantime. I saw two little ones playing there this evening, and they look exactly like that cat.”
When Chi-young spoke with admiration, mentioning that even the placement of the spots was identical, Ui-geon simply smiled and replied, “I see, that’s good.”
The conversations he had with Ui-geon, who visited almost every day, were always these kinds of trivial stories—things that didn’t matter whether one heard them or not. However, ‘special events’ worth talking about weren’t that frequent, and to Chi-young himself, these stories were ‘special’ enough.
Ui-geon also seemed to listen intently to these tales; days or months later, while discussing something else, he would suddenly bring up things Chi-young had mentioned in passing, saying, “Come to think of it, back then…”
“And a little while ago, Kyung-chul stopped by for a bit…”
Recalling the day’s events in chronological order, Chi-young trailed off as he reached the last occurrence.
Ui-geon, who had just about to pick up the gopchang with his chopsticks, paused for a moment. However, he soon resumed eating as if nothing were wrong and asked,
“Now that you mention it, you said he had a son the month before last. He must be quite hectic right now; I wonder what brought him by. Then again, he used to come often…”
“Yes, but it’s been a while since he last visited. I haven’t seen him for nearly two or three months. …Haha, the baby must be incredibly cute. He didn’t stay long, and he didn’t even drink because he said the baby wouldn’t like it.”
“I see. He probably just came to see your face. He’s a good friend…”
“Yes, that’s right. He’s a good guy.”
Chi-young smiled shyly. It was always pleasing to hear a close acquaintance be praised. “Right,” Chi-young murmured, rummaging through a drawer to pull out a baby photo Kim Kyung-chul had left behind and handing it to Ui-geon.
“Kyung-chul gave it to me as a gift. Haha, I think he’s really becoming a doting father. But the baby really is adorable. I can understand why he wanted to go home so quickly. …Doesn’t he look just like Kyung-chul?”
“…… I suppose so.”
Ui-geon spoke nonchalantly, with a half-smile, and handed the photo back. As Chi-young placed the photo neatly back into the drawer, he murmured, “His wife must be very happy too.”
Then, turning around suddenly, Chi-young locked eyes with Ui-geon, who had stopped eating and was staring at him blankly as if lost in thought. Chi-young blinked, looking puzzled and slightly flustered.
“……..?”
“…… Speaking of friends, Kang-hee called me earlier.”
As if deliberately changing the subject, Ui-geon spoke up. Hearing that name, Chi-young stiffened.
No matter how many times he told himself there was no reason for it, his heart still raced whenever the names Kwon Kang-hee or Yoon Jun-young came up. It was because the image of Ui-geon hitting Jun-young that final night, and the blood of Kang-hee staining his fist, remained too vividly etched in his mind.
“He just said there’s a social gathering for the group he’s in early next month, and he wanted to hold it at our shop. He asked if he could reserve a separate room. While on the phone, I told him we should set a date to grab a drink sometime within this month.”
To the calmly speaking Ui-geon, Chi-young merely murmured, “Oh, yes.” Fortunately, it seemed Ui-geon had smoothly restored his relationship with them. Whether they had fought or settled things with words while Chi-young wasn’t around, he didn’t know, but they now seemed to be in contact and meeting occasionally, just as before.
Then again, for a bond spanning twenty or thirty years, a fight or two involving fists was probably a trivial matter.
As they talked, the other customers gradually left, and the shop became empty. Strangely, there were times when customers would flood in all at once, and similarly, times when they would all leave at once.
Even now, after the customers at one table who had sat for hours left, the other tables emptied one by one within a few minutes.
Once the last customers departed, Ui-geon—who had practically swept up the last few pieces of gopchang in one mouthful—drained the remaining half of his barley tea and stood up.
“Shall we start tidying up then?”
“Huh? …….Uh, ……yes.”
Chi-young looked at the clock, seeing there were still twenty or thirty minutes until midnight, and looked troubled, but he nodded obediently. It was still early enough for more customers to drop by, so it felt a bit premature to close. While he could keep the shop open later, he always closed exactly on time because he worried that people visiting late might find the doors shut and have made a wasted trip.
However, this had been the pattern for some time now. Weekdays were the same as always, but on Saturday nights, almost without fail, Ui-geon tried to close the shop early as soon as the customers cleared out. Or, even if customers remained, once midnight approached, he would personally go to them and inform them, “I’m sorry, but it’s time for the shop to close.”
Perhaps noticing Chi-young’s momentary distress, Ui-geon murmured without looking his way as he began stacking the chairs.
“When Saturday night comes, the fatigue from the week’s work piles up, and I just want to go home quickly. Besides, we had a lot of customers today, so I’m especially tired. ……..I’ll leave the outside seats by the grill for now and just clear the inside.”
Speaking as if making a compromise with Chi-young, Ui-geon quickly cleared the few tables and picked up the mop.
Chi-young scratched his head.
If the inside was being cleaned, customers wouldn’t come in even if the outside seats were available, so it was better to consider the day’s business finished.
Chi-young checked the clock once more and let out a light sigh, giving in. Right, it was already late, and given the season, few customers would visit in the chilly night air. It was fine to start closing up.
As Chi-young placed the empty dishes in the sink, Ui-geon, who had been mopping the inner floor, suddenly spoke as if remembering something. “Ah, that’s right.”
“I forgot to turn on the heating in the main house because I left in such a hurry after closing the shop. It’ll be a bit cold when you first go in.”
To the apologetic Ui-geon, Chi-young quickly waved his hand, saying, “Oh, no, it’s fine.” Then, he bowed his head deeply over the sink.
I see. Today as well.
Today was Saturday.
They had never explicitly made an appointment. Ui-geon hadn’t brought it up first, nor had Chi-young. But now, it had become a tacit understanding that upon finishing work on a Saturday night before the holiday, they would go to Ui-geon’s house. Every Saturday night, Ui-geon would inevitably drive his car, wait for the shop to close, and take Chi-young home.
“…….”
Even while washing dishes with ice-cold water flowing from the sink, Chi-young’s earlobes grew hot for no reason, and he couldn’t lift his head. And behind him, Ui-geon—who usually never let a conversation lapse for long and always offered a word or two—had been keeping a silent watch for a while now.
“He… here, this…”
When Chi-young held out a white envelope, Ui-geon looked puzzled.
“What is this?”
Tiling his head with a smile as he took the envelope, Ui-geon’s smile vanished the moment he saw the few checks inside.
It was an amount that could be considered large or small—to Chi-young, it was a vast sum, but to Ui-geon, it was likely mere pocket change. Seeing the checks, Ui-geon frowned slightly and looked at Chi-young.
Chi-young hunched his shoulders and spoke hesitantly.
“Every end of the month, I… I used to transfer this much for the principal and interest. ….R-right now, this is all I can give, but as soon as I find another job, I’ll give you more. …..I want to say I’ll pay it back quickly, but I think that will be difficult… I’ll pay it back… diligently. As fast as my strength allows…”
“Though it might take more than ten or twenty years,” Chi-young murmured in a slightly defeated voice.
The end of the month had approached shortly after Chi-young reopened his shop and began working as before, surrounded by the grateful concern of neighboring shop owners who had worried when he hadn’t opened for several days. And now, he was finally saying the words he had been carrying heavily in his heart for some time.
He had absolutely not wanted this to happen, but regardless of his will, he had ended up owing Ui-geon financially. A few days after he had recovered from his illness and gotten back on his feet, a properly notarized debt settlement confirmation had arrived. Though he was told he already knew, it was only after contacting the creditor—feeling as if he had been bewitched by a fox—that Chi-young truly accepted that Ui-geon had paid off his debt.
In the several encounters since then, Ui-geon had never once mentioned the matter, but Chi-young, of course, did not think the debt had vanished. The debt had simply been transferred to Ui-geon.
So, at the end of the month—the day he would normally go to the bank to make a transfer—he had called Ui-geon in the morning. When he asked if he could visit briefly in the morning before opening the shop, Ui-geon had sounded bewildered but replied readily in a happy voice, “Come, I’ll be waiting.” Chi-young had then carefully placed the checks he withdrew from the bank into his inner pocket and hurried to see him.
It was awkward, but it was something that had to be said. In truth, he had really hated the idea of talking about money with Ui-geon, which was why he had refused when Ui-geon had hinted several times in the past that he would help in that regard… but since things had already turned out this way, there was no other choice.
Looking at Chi-young, who had handed over the envelope and was now hesitating with his head bowed, Ui-geon—who had welcomed him into the main house with a joyful face the moment he arrived—remained silently blunt before finally speaking.
“Is this why you said you were coming?”
“Uh… yes…”
“……..”
Ui-geon momentarily hid a flash of disappointment on his face and looked down at the envelope, appearing troubled. Soon, the sound of a sigh was heard.
“Chi-young, that money…”
“I’ll… I’ll pay it back.”
Chi-young interrupted him. Otherwise, Ui-geon would surely lay out some argument that would be difficult to refute quickly.
As Chi-young spoke firmly, Ui-geon seemed to recall Chi-young’s subtly stubborn nature—the way he wouldn’t listen no matter what was said—and clicked his tongue with a dissatisfied look. Then, speaking coldly as if he wanted to get rid of the nuisance quickly:
“I originally intended for the repayment to take several years.”
“Huh? Fi… fifteen years…”
“Right, then let’s make it double to make the calculation easier. Pay me over thirty years. Calculate it based on the principal only, and as for the interest… even if I say I don’t need it, you won’t listen anyway. ….Fine, let’s replace it with food. Offset the interest with the cost of the food I eat at your shop.”
“What? Uh, but…”
Seeing the troubled Chi-young, Ui-geon looked displeased. This time, Ui-geon preempted him.
“Let’s stop talking about that here. So, is that all you came for?”
In the small addition—I waited, wondering what it was since you said you’d visit in the morning—a deep sense of disappointment seeped through. Chi-young felt as if he had committed some kind of mistake; with a slightly gloomy face, he scratched his head and murmured hesitantly.
“No, ….but, …..thirty years is too long… If you keep eating gopchang for that long, you’ll get sick of it… Besides, you’ll be older by then, so you might not digest it well…”
“And I’m not sure if I’ll still be running the gopchang shop by then,” Chi-young murmured. Ui-geon stared at him intently, as if he had been lightly struck.
“How about if I make you something else on a yearly basis? Then it would be thirty different dishes, so you wouldn’t get sick of it… uh… but you probably eat a lot of delicious things at home… then…”
Thirty years, so he’d be over sixty; by then, would his palate lean toward Korean food? Lost in serious contemplation, Chi-young didn’t notice the strange expression on Ui-geon’s face as he looked down at him. It was only when he heard the sound of Ui-geon bursting into a low laugh that he finally looked up.
Ui-geon couldn’t stop laughing for a while. Rubbing his forehead and laughing out loud with delight, he slowly stopped as he looked at Chi-young, who was merely blinking in confusion.
“I had the wrong idea.”
As Ui-geon spoke, still looking down at Chi-young with laughter lingering in his eyes, Chi-young waited curiously for the rest of his sentence.
“Let’s make it fifty years… yes, a fifty-year repayment plan.”
“Fifty years,” Chi-young murmured, his eyes widening. He did a quick calculation in his head and muttered, troubled.
“Then you’ll be over eighty… that’s too long.”
“I’m not even sure I’ll live that long,” Chi-young murmured in a distressed tone. To this, Ui-geon replied calmly,
“Live until then. If I die first, the repayment ends at that point.”
“What? That’s not possible…”
“Then live longer than me. I’ll live well into my eighties, so we can just grow old together until then.”
“…We’ll be seeing each other for a long time.”
Chi-young stared blankly at Ui-geon and blurted it out without realizing. Only after saying it did he think, We really will see each other for a long time. Until then. Until they became hunched-over grandfathers.
He felt an unexpected surge of happiness. Feeling his cheeks flush, Chi-young quickly bowed his head and lightly rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand.
“That’s right. We’ll see each other for a long time.”