SMW 17

The place Choi Seol led me to was a shabby snack shop. There were only two tables for two inside. One table was already occupied by a middle-aged man. We took the remaining table in the corner.

“What do you want to eat?”

I scanned the menu Choi Seol pointed to and spoke.

“Tteokbokki.”

“Again?”

“Sundae…?”

Choi Seol gave a faint smile at my timid answer.

“Gimbap too?”

“Yeah, I like it.”

“Wait here.”

Choi Seol stood up and approached the grandmother who was stirring the tteokbokki sauce. In the meantime, I stared at the empty seat opposite me. My bag was hanging on Choi Seol’s chair. I had been staring at it on Choi Seol’s shoulder while we walked here, but strangely, it felt unfamiliar. As if it had never been mine to begin with, as if Choi Seol were the original owner. It had only been a day, but I felt like Choi Seol’s scent had already sufficiently soaked into that bag.

“I ordered extra. I didn’t think this would be enough.”

A glass of water was pushed in front of me. When Choi Seol returned to the seat, tteokbokki, sundae, and gimbap were laid out on the table. All I had done in the meantime was fidget with my hips in the chair.

“Sorry. I should have followed you.”

“The owner usually brings it, but I just grabbed it. Her knees haven’t been great lately.”

As Choi Seol sat down, he naturally pulled out chopsticks from the utensil holder and handed them to me.

“Want a fork too?”

“No, thanks.”

“Then let’s eat.”

Choi Seol picked up a piece of sundae first. It was a combination that didn’t seem to suit him at all. Yet, from the way he used the chopsticks to the way he ate, every single movement was so clean and efficient that I found myself staring.

“You can keep the book until you’ve read it enough, then give it back.”

“…”

“Is that why you’re staring at me without eating? Because you wanted to ask about that?”

Choi Seol, who had been focusing on his chopsticks for a while, met my eyes. It seemed my constant staring had been interpreted that way. It was a welcome misunderstanding. Feeling that I should say something, I opened my mouth.

“The book looked new.”

“It’s true I haven’t read it, but it’s not a new book. I’ve had it for over a year. Someone bought me the whole set, saying it’s the book kids these days read the most.”

I had expected as much, but hearing it in person made my chest feel warm. It was a strange feeling, having guessed it correctly by the scent.

“I haven’t read it yet; can I read it first?”

“I don’t care. I have no interest in childish novels like that.”

What did I just hear? I blinked slowly.

“Childish?”

“Isn’t it?”

“You don’t know the plot at all?”

“Looking at the cover, it looked like some ‘Little Wizard’s Great Adventure.'”

“That’s also true, but…”

I pondered for a moment how to explain it, but I felt Choi Seol wouldn’t be very interested in this book. Still, I really wanted to say this.

“The one you lent me was actually published a long time ago. I heard it’s almost finished.”

“You’re telling me they wrote that many volumes and it’s still not finished?”

Seeing the look of sheer shock on his face, I felt it was for the best that I didn’t explain the plot.

“I didn’t know until recently either. I just happened to see it at the library and got hooked. I spent all my allowance buying the previous series, but I couldn’t afford this series, so I borrowed it from the library first.”

My parents couldn’t understand spending money on fantasy books, though they were fine with workbooks. To buy the next series, I had to scrape together my meager allowance. I remember how happy I was when I happened to stop by the library and saw Volume 1 on the shelf. Even so, it was such a popular book that if Choi Seol hadn’t lent it to me, there would have been no telling when I’d get to the next volume.

“Anyway, it’s not childish at all. It’s so popular with adults worldwide. About five hundred million… maybe not that many, but anyway, really a lot of people have read it.”

“Isn’t five hundred million a small number on a global scale?”

“Five hundred million was a mistake. I mean ten, no, a hundred, a thousand…”

What was the largest unit of numbers again? No, I should probably speak in terms of the global population. I’m sure I read it somewhere, but the problem was that my mental faculties blurred whenever numbers were involved.

“I get the point, so you don’t have to explain further.”

When I lifted my head from where it had tilted while thinking, Choi Seol was staring at me, resting his chin on his hand. For some reason, he looked amused.

“You seem to say everything you want to say, yet you’re timid, but you still make sure to be polite.”

“…I’m not timid.”

“Then who was the one who tried to say thank you via a note because they were burdened by the attention?”

He knew. Whether he was quick-witted or I had been too obvious, my face heated up at having my inner thoughts exposed. It was just as devoid of air conditioning here as it was in the classroom. The only thing available was an old fan overhead, rattling as it blew lukewarm air.

“You’re the type my grandma would like.”

There was no way to tell if that was a compliment or a sarcastic remark.

“Older people do tend to like me.”

“Then I’ll have to introduce you to my grandma next time.”

As I tried to act brazen, Choi Seol let out a light laugh. Now that I looked, he seemed to laugh quite often.

“Is your grandmother not that lady?”

Seeing as Choi Seol was serving the food himself because her knees were bad, they seemed to know each other well.

“That lady is my grandma’s friend. Not a neighbor or a classmate or anything; she just said they became friends because the tteokbokki here is delicious.”

So grandmothers like tteokbokki. Seeing as he said it was delicious but wasn’t touching the tteokbokki himself, that seemed certain.

“For the record, ‘grandma’ refers to my maternal side, not paternal. I don’t feel the need to specify ‘maternal’ when talking about family, so I just call her grandma.”

“Do you live together?”

“She raised me.”

Were his parents both working? I was the same, so I was often left at my maternal grandmother’s house when I was young. Choi Seol’s family history had been shrouded in mystery, but I felt like I had caught a glimpse inside today. I was curious to know more, but I felt I shouldn’t pry further unless he spoke of it first.

“Anyway, I’ll enjoy the book. Thanks.”

When I thanked him once more, Choi Seol muttered, looking slightly troubled.

“Stop thanking me already. I just wanted to do it.”

Just then, the owner grandmother appeared carrying a tray. With freshly fried tempura, steaming fish cakes, and broth with eggs placed on the narrow table, it looked like a feast. I unconsciously swallowed hard.

“I think this is the first time Seol has brought a friend. What is he so thankful for?”

The grandmother asked with a gentle smile. Before I could open my mouth, Choi Seol answered.

“I just lent him a few books. He had such a fun look on his face while reading them.”

I looked at Choi Seol.

“You… saw me?”

“I know because I saw you.”

Hadn’t he lent them to me after accidentally seeing the book in my bag yesterday?

Right, the bag.

“Ah, this.”

Before I forgot, I quickly held out the paper bag. Seeing his own bag inside, Choi Seol frowned slightly.

“You didn’t use it?”

“…It’s yours.”

“But I used yours.”

“That’s because I have yours…”

As soon as I said it, I realized the contradiction. Choi Seol chuckled and pushed the paper bag back.

“Then you use mine too.”

“What?”

“This should work. Put the books in there when you return them. We’ll exchange them then. Got it?”

I was dumbfounded by Choi Seol’s proposal.

“So, you’re saying you’ll use my school bag?”

“Yeah.”

“Inside there…”

“There was only one book in there, wasn’t there?”

Since it felt like I’d die if my bag was heavy on such a sweltering day, I kept everything I needed for school in my locker. Just as Choi Seol said, there had only been one novel in my bag yesterday. That was the problem, if there was one.

“I borrowed that from the library.”

“When is the return date?”

“About two weeks left, I think?”

“Then you can just give it back in two weeks. Or just extend the loan.”

In the end, he had no intention of giving it back right now. Even so, was this really okay? I didn’t understand why he felt the need to do something so cumbersome in the first place.

“Don’t you need anything in your school bag?”

“No.”

What a concise answer. With an attitude that showed absolutely no lingering attachment, I couldn’t ask further. Do I really have to swap? I could just use the bag from middle school that I brought today.

“I think you’ll definitely need this.”

At that moment, Choi Seol held out a fork. As I stared at it blankly without taking it, another comment followed.

“At this rate, it’ll take you forever to eat.”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t taken a single bite because I was so focused on the conversation with Choi Seol. I considered saying that chopsticks were enough, but I just took the fork. Perhaps because the handle was shorter than the chopsticks, our hands brushed as I took it, and our body heat touched and then parted. My chest felt tight.

“Eat. From now on, I’m going to order another plate every time you speak.”

“What? That’s…”

“Owner, one more ramen here, please.”

I immediately shut my mouth. Choi Seol spoke wickedly, wearing a satisfied smile as if looking at a well-behaved child.

“For your information, I’m not Read on Read BL Novelsletting you go until [Read on Read BL Novels][Read on Read BL Novels]you eat everything here. That way, you won’t collapse somewhere and can make it home safely, right?”

I was certain he was playing with me right now. I wanted to protest that it was too hot yesterday, and that it was because of him, but my body obediently readjusted its grip on the fork.

I dipped a piece of tteok and took a bite first. It was delicious, just as Choi Seol said. The sweet and salty taste of the seasoning hit my tongue quite stimultingy. I felt like I’d heard somewhere that eating too much of this was bad for the heart. Was that why my heart kept thumping, increasing its beat?

I felt like I would keep thinking about this.

“Ugh… tteokbokki, sundae…”

“What is he saying?”

“…I think he’s hungry.”

The sounds that had drifted far away were gradually becoming clear. I think the last thing I heard was the sound of cicadas, or was it a human voice? Anyway, what was certain was that it had been much quieter than now.

“Ha! Look at this. After putting someone through all that trouble, he wants tteokbokki? Sun-dae? But that does sound delicious.”

Right. Tteokbokki and sundae are the ultimate truth. Moreover, if you order tempura and dip it in the tteokbokki sauce, it’s the icing on the cake. Just imagining it made my mouth water. This won’t do. I felt like as soon as I woke up, I’d have to call a taxi and rush to a snack shop.

“He’s only had breakfast. He’s been cleaning ever since.”

Hey, how could you say that to Noona? I clicked visit our sitemy tongue inwardly at the brazen line, delivered visit our sitein an unchanging tone, after sending away Noona—who had come to help with the cleaning—with a fake excuse.