By Zephyria Perhaps because the town hall meeting had just ended, the vehicles parked in the community center parking lot were all bustling, preparing to leave. As if they had completely forgotten the commotion from earlier, the residents were hurrying away with gifts in both hands, and construction company officials and civil servants wearing matching charcoal-gray jumpers were busily tidying up the event area.
The employee leading the way guided Ryu Jeong to a refrigerated truck parked in a corner. He said it was fortunate they had prepared extras, took out a gift set identical to the ones the residents had received, handed it to Ryu Jeong, and joked that it had been butchered that morning. Even though he had a minor argument with the Shop Owner, he was still part of the residents, so he seemed anxious, as if Ryu Jeong might voice opposition to the demolition.
Ryu Jeong accepted the gift set without a word and bowed his head in acknowledgment. Mistaking it for intimidation, the employee wanted to say something, but someone called him, so he bowed deeply and hurried back inside the building.
“……”
Avoiding the reversing cars, Ryu Jeong stepped onto the sidewalk and stared down at the gift set he was struggling to hold with both hands. It was something the Shop Owner had almost taken away. Rice, household goods distributed at the community center, tips left by drunk customers—anything the Shop Owner decided he wanted, Ryu Jeong had no choice but to give up. But today, for the first time, he hadn’t lost it.
He hadn’t felt any sincerity, but he had received an apology, even if it was just words… The coldness and weight he felt at his fingertips seemed unreal, so Ryu Jeong hugged the gift set tightly again.
He glanced at the building he had just left and saw Lee Do-hyeon still talking to people inside the glass doors. He hadn’t completely taken his side, but Ryu Jeong wasn’t disappointed. Even though the Shop Owner’s claim of having a large family was false, there were indeed households with many family members, so it wasn’t possible to say there was anything wrong with his argument. Ryu Jeong thought it was amazing that he had managed to resolve the commotion by suggesting a reasonable compromise, and he looked at him with a somewhat admiring gaze before turning away.
It would be better to leave first. Even if there were fewer eyes watching, it would be problematic for Lee Do-hyeon if someone saw them leaving together. He was worried that rumors would spread and cause trouble.
Clutching the gift set in his arms, Ryu Jeong started walking. There was nowhere to sit and wait in this neighborhood, so he didn’t have a specific destination. Going back to his old house would be too much to carry in his arms, and he was worried about Lee Do-hyeon looking for him later if he moved separately. In the end, Ryu Jeong turned towards the familiar alley. The same alley where he had gotten out of the car earlier to avoid people’s attention.
Grumbling, Ryu Jeong readjusted the gift set and chuckled, suddenly remembering Lee Do-hyeon’s overprotectiveness. Ever since they had gone through the rut together, Lee Do-hyeon had been fussing over Ryu Jeong, who was as weak as someone with a chronic illness, to an excessive degree. He was so attentive that he would tell him to lie down and rest even if he just got himself a glass of water.
Ryu Jeong had even taken a week off work, and he felt sorry to face Chief Yoon. He was still as kind as before, but his overall haggard appearance made Ryu Jeong feel bad, as if it were his fault.
Nevertheless, the feeling of holding something he hadn’t lost completely in his own hands was quite delightful. It was a gift from Lee Do-hyeon’s company, so in a way, it was as if he had bought it for him, but Ryu Jeong felt proud and wanted to hurry home to share the feeling with him.
“……”
Ryu Jeong suddenly looked up at the darkening sky. He quietly looked up at the twilight that was beginning to fade, and then he heard the sound of tires rolling behind him. The sound of wheels carelessly running over small pebbles made Ryu Jeong turn his head and spin around completely.
“How are you going to carry that?”
A familiar car stopped smoothly, and the driver’s side window slowly rolled down. In the dark car, untouched by the evening twilight, Lee Do-hyeon was quietly looking at Ryu Jeong. As soon as he saw Ryu Jeong walking away with the body-sized gift set, he had pushed aside everyone who was trying to stop him and come out. Perhaps that was why his panting breath sounded anxious.
“President.”
Lee Do-hyeon paused at Ryu Jeong’s bright smile. He had been acting aloof, expecting him to be mindful of the people around them until the end, but seeing his face so unaffected, even smiling as if he was glad to see him, made him feel childish.
“…Now you acknowledge me.”
Lee Do-hyeon grumbled softly and then got out of the car. He put the gift set Ryu Jeong was holding in the back seat and watched as Ryu Jeong, as if it were natural, got into the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt before stepping on the accelerator.
“Ryu Jeong-ssi.”
While driving out of Wolhyeon-dong, Ryu Jeong asked about Chief Yoon and the driver. Lee Do-hyeon didn’t care how they would wrap things up and get home after being left at the event, but he couldn’t just brush it off, knowing that Ryu Jeong would be worried. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, and he replied that they would manage, but he couldn’t stand the sudden silence and spoke first.
Ryu Jeong, who had only been thinking about getting home quickly, turned to look at Lee Do-hyeon when he heard him call. He was about to wonder why Lee Do-hyeon seemed hesitant when he widened his eyes at the question that followed.
“You didn’t leave first because you were sulking, did you?”
“Me…?”
“Yes. You.”
Sulking. Ryu Jeong was stunned, unable to immediately say no to the incomprehensible words. Was there something he should have been sulking about? After thinking about it carefully, Ryu Jeong remembered him siding with the Shop Owner and sighed, “Ah.”
He could see how he might think that, but he didn’t think he was the one who was sulking, so he held back a laugh. Although his face was expressionless, he knew what emotion it was this time.
There was no way Lee Do-hyeon hadn’t seen the face that was neither affirming nor denying, but holding back a laugh. He had to watch the road while driving, but he kept glancing at the passenger seat, bothered by the twitching cheeks and corners of his mouth, until Ryu Jeong couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“What are you laughing at?”
“Because I’m happy.”
A gentle answer came back to the grumpy question. He had been trying to be childish until the end, but it was no use. After staring at Ryu Jeong for a moment without saying anything, Lee Do-hyeon followed him and slightly raised the corners of his mouth.
“Should we go home and eat meat?”
“Okay.”
The two of them, who had been laughing without talking for a while, naturally held hands. They didn’t bother to bring up what had happened at the town hall meeting.
Around the time the scar on his neck, which had lasted longer than other wounds, was slowly fading, Ryu Jeong started studying. He carefully looked through the lecture reviews posted online for a few days and decided on teachers for each subject, and he filled the empty desk with workbooks and writing utensils he had personally chosen at the bookstore. It felt awkward at first to sit at the desk and watch the orientation lecture, but after watching lectures with funny jokes, Ryu Jeong became completely absorbed in studying in just a few days.
It was fortunate that he had become interested, but the problem was that he would get sleepy as soon as he sat at the desk. There were many days when he fell asleep without finishing the lecture. Ryu Jeong, who hadn’t been able to finish an hour-long lecture even after three days, sat down determined to watch it today. But as always, sleepiness washed over him. In the end, Ryu Jeong buried his forehead on the desk and fell fast asleep.
Lee Do-hyeon, who had left his seat to make a quick call before going to work, was pacing in front of the study when he didn’t see Ryu Jeong, who should have come out to see him off. He hesitated, not wanting to disturb his studying. If he left without a word, thinking he was being considerate, he might be upset, so he couldn’t just leave. After pacing for a while, Lee Do-hyeon went inside and was greeted only by the instructor talking enthusiastically on the monitor.
“…Ryu Jeong-ssi. Why are you here… Ryu Jeong-ssi?”
“Umm……”
Ryu Jeong, who had been fast asleep, opened his eyes wide when he felt a hand shaking his shoulder. When he quickly raised his head, he saw Lee Do-hyeon looking at him with a worried expression.
“Ah… Are you leaving now?”
Ryu Jeong, not even realizing that he had been dozing off, awkwardly got up from his seat. The strength suddenly left his legs, and he staggered. Surprised, Lee Do-hyeon supported Ryu Jeong. Ryu Jeong, startled by the “uh-oh” sound, blinked his eyes while holding onto the desk. The instructor on the monitor was saying goodbye, telling them to meet in the next lecture.
Why is this……. Nothing came to his dazed mind. Ryu Jeong looked back and forth between the lecture that had already ended and Lee Do-hyeon, who was all ready to leave, and then realized that he had fallen asleep again and sighed deeply.
“Aren’t you overdoing it from the morning?”
Lee Do-hyeon, seeing that Ryu Jeong looked unwell, sat him back down in the chair and bent his knees. He willingly knelt on the floor and gently rubbed the corners of his eyes, which were still full of sleepiness, with his thumb.
He knew that Ryu Jeong had quit all his part-time jobs and was holed up in the study all day studying. He wouldn’t even contact him while he was concentrating, but while he was proud of how diligently he was working, he also felt like he had put unnecessary pressure on him.
It seemed like he wanted to take the exam as soon as possible. Even though there was plenty of time because they hadn’t even started demolition, let alone broken ground, he was being stubborn. He was already making such a fuss just preparing for the GED, so how would he take the college entrance exam, and what would it be like when he went to university? Imagining Ryu Jeong pushing himself like this, he couldn’t help but sigh.
“No……”
On the other hand, Ryu Jeong didn’t think much of it.
“I guess I’m just… catching up on all the sleep I missed.”
After coming to live in Lee Do-hyeon’s house, his mind and body had become much more relaxed, and his unstable sleep patterns were slowly returning to normal. He woke up less often in the middle of the night, and he didn’t wake up as easily as before when Lee Do-hyeon tossed and turned or got up beside him. He had never been able to get a good night’s sleep in years, always worried about being late, so he thought he was just catching up on his sleep now, even if he fell asleep from time to time. He didn’t feel lighter or clearer after waking up, but he thought that was inevitable.
“If you’re too sleepy, don’t push yourself and take a nap. It’ll be more tiring later if you sleep uncomfortably at your desk instead of in bed.”
“Ah… That’s probably why. I should be sleeping lying down……”
Ryu Jeong couldn’t finish the sentence and yawned widely, wiping away the tears that had welled up in his eyes. Lee Do-hyeon stroked his soft cheeks, finding him pitiful, endearing, and cute all at the same time.
Ryu Jeong, still drowsy and rambling, got up from his seat, saying that he had to leave soon. He insisted on coming out even though there was no need. In the end, Lee Do-hyeon went to the front door and kept telling Ryu Jeong things to remember while he put on his shoes.
“Eat well.”
“Yes……”
“You have to drink the vitamins with water. The juice is made from fresh fruit, so shake it two or three times before drinking it.”
“Yeees.”
“I’ll call you later.”
Ryu Jeong nodded with a smile and, as a matter of course, gave Lee Do-hyeon a quick kiss on the lips. As if he was sorry to only touch his lips briefly, Lee Do-hyeon wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him closer before Ryu Jeong barely managed to break free and head back to his desk, leaving the closed door behind him.
He replayed the lecture he had been watching. Ryu Jeong widened his eyes, determined to finish it this time, no matter how many times he had heard the same greeting. But the sleepiness didn’t go away and returned to its place. He had barely watched 30 minutes. Unable to bear it any longer, Ryu Jeong turned off the computer and headed to the bedroom.
He slept soundly under the soft blanket for a long time before waking up to the sound of his phone vibrating, answering the call, having lunch, and then falling asleep again. Lazy and leisurely days continued.