By Zephyria 
Gu Hae-bin’s much-emphasized promise day dawned quickly. He finished parking in a corner of the wide parking lot and got out of the car. Immediately, the sunlight strongly pierced the top of his head. It was an unusually sunny day.
While thinking that the weather was fitting for the day, Eun-ha, feeling a bit annoyed, shielded his eyes with his hand. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the amount of sunlight before slowly starting to walk.
Turning his head, the magnificent exterior of the art museum filled his vision. He had been looking at it since entering the nearby road, but seeing it fully from the outside was a different experience. It had stopped operating all last year and devoted itself to remodeling, and it seemed to have undergone a complete makeover. If there were a modern temple, it would probably look like this. He seemed to remember seeing a major article about famous architects participating…
He walked, retracing his memories. He headed towards the entrance along the gently sloping, open ramp. A banner that horizontally occupied a part of the huge outer wall suddenly caught his eye.
—
Speaking of Traces: Baek Eun-taek Retrospective HANEUM MUSEUM OF ART
20XX.04.08 – 20XX.06.16
—
From tomorrow, a retrospective exhibition of painter Baek Eun-taek would be held here for 70 days. Today was the day of the opening reception to celebrate the exhibition. There were many open and trendy reception events, but at least the place Eun-ha was attending today was not one of them. It was an event where tired adults gathered to do tiring things and solidify tiring relationships.
So, apart from not wanting to come, Eun-ha, dressed appropriately for the occasion, looked neat and tidy.
He reached for his phone to contact Gu Hae-bin. While feeling around his pocket, he spotted someone. The person standing next to the entrance was very familiar.
“Gu Hae-bin.”
As he approached and called his name, Gu Hae-bin, who was leaning on one leg and looking at his phone, raised his head. His sharp, monolid eyes turned to Eun-ha.
“You’re here?”
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Yeah. I thought you might get lost again. It’s crowded inside.”
“Then you should have said so.”
Gu Hae-bin didn’t answer. He fiddled with his phone again for a moment, as if he was still contacting someone, then shoved it into his back pocket and looked at Eun-ha.
“Have you been doing well?”
“You can see that.”
“How can I know you just by looking? You might be acting all pathetic behind my back.”
“……I’m not. You know. I’m living a normal life now.”
“Sure you’re not…….”
Gu Hae-bin, who vaguely slurred the end of his sentence, glared as if he didn’t believe him.
“Is spending every day rolling around with your sex partner living a normal life?”
Eun-ha wasn’t fazed by the words that seemed intended to hit a nerve. He simply stared at Gu Hae-bin without any change in expression. It wasn’t exactly a healthy lifestyle, if you had to say it.
“At least I don’t want to hear that from you.”
“What am I, you little shit.”
“You’re worse, not better. You like clubs, you like alcohol, you like women.”
Gu Hae-bin closed his mouth at the clear rebuttal. It didn’t seem like he had nothing to say.
After a moment of silence, he lowered his gaze and slowly opened his mouth.
“Okay. You said it yourself. I do it because I like it.”
“…….”
“But, you-.”
“I do it because I like it too.”
“……Ugh. Never mind.”
“…….”
“And I actually date, buddy. I only go to clubs when there’s no one else around.”
“That’s something to be proud of. Slut….”
“If I’m a slut, are you a mop?”
“I guess so.”
It was a harmless exchange of insults. They had been friends since they first met in the fourth grade of elementary school through their Parents’ interactions. He was Eun-ha’s only friend who knew about his sexual orientation, his oldest friend, and his closest friend. It was ironic that the site of that historic first meeting was someone’s funeral.
Gu Hae-bin was definitely Eun-ha’s closest friend, but their lives had never overlapped. They lived in the same city, Seoul, but their neighborhoods were miles apart, so they never went to the same schools. They went to different universities too.
Nevertheless, the reason they were able to become friends was largely thanks to Eun-ha’s Mom at first. She kept including Eun-ha in her meetings with Gu Hae-bin’s Mom.
Eun-ha, who was helpless against Mom, had no choice but to be dragged along and spend time playing with Gu Hae-bin. From around the second year of middle school, they developed into a relationship where they met and contacted each other separately without their Parents. It was only later that he learned that Gu Hae-bin had been the one pushing for those forced outings when they were younger. He had apparently begged his Mom to let him play with Eun-ha again.
“Let’s just go. The others are waiting inside.”
“Are they all here?”
“Yeah. Im Sujin, Park Hyun-ji, Kim Seon-woo.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen them all.”
“Im Sujin brought her fiancé.”
“…Is she really getting married? To that guy?”
“Yeah, damn it. She’s head over heels.”
Gu Hae-bin, who despised Im Sujin’s fiancé to the point of contempt, spat out a curse. Then he clicked his tongue as if even complaining was too much effort.
“They’re happy together, so what can I say?”
“That’s true, but… that guy is really not great, is he?”
“Damn it, right?”
“Right.”
“Ah. Right. And your mother is here too.”
Eun-ha, whose eyes twitched at the sudden remark, closed his mouth tightly. He gave a lukewarm answer, saying, “I guess so.” Swallowing the fatigue that seemed to be rising already, he started walking.
He entered the lobby. The event was in full swing inside. The soft murmur of people’s voices and the occasional clinking of glasses echoed through the high ceiling. Soft classical music played. People dressed in formal attire were walking around the large atrium space, and cocktails and desserts were prepared at a bar set up on one side.
The light that shattered through the translucent dome-shaped ceiling was beautiful. Eun-ha handed his invitation to the employee at the entrance. Following the instructions, he signed the guest book, received a pamphlet with a brief explanation, and was able to enter.
Over Gu Hae-bin’s shoulder, he saw Park Hyun-ji, who had spotted them, stretching out her arm.
“Lee Eun-ha!”
Kim Seon-woo and Im Sujin, who were also looking this way, showed signs of joy. Im Sujin waved her hands excitedly, telling them to come quickly with a wildly excited face. Seeing his old friends made him feel a little better. For now.
Eun-ha, wearing a faint smile, approached and was immediately hit on the arm by Park Hyun-ji.
“You crazy bastard. Why is it so hard to see your face? This is the first time we’re seeing each other this year, you know?”
“Ow, that hurts.”
“You deserve to hurt a little. Anyone disagree?”
“No one. Yeah. No one.”
“How much of the year has passed already….”
Even though she said that, it was already April. Eun-ha had a hectic reunion with his friends, who were simultaneously expressing their joy and disappointment. They exchanged brief updates, briefly stopped at the photo wall led by Park Hyun-ji, and exchanged perfunctory greetings whenever they saw someone they knew.
As a result, they naturally scattered. Im Sujin went up to the second floor with her fiancé, and Park Hyun-ji, who was well-connected, went to greet her other friends. Kim Seon-woo disappeared somewhere, led by his Parents. Eun-ha, who had been staying in the space prepared like a semi-party venue until then, leisurely entered one of the exhibition rooms connected to the atrium with Gu Hae-bin.