#30

“And?”

“I’m going to pick some peppers and lettuce from the garden. I also need to plant some green onions.”

“Are you going to work again?”

“It’s not work.”

“That is work.”

“It’s something that goes into my mouth, so it’s not work.”

The the man was being stubborn.

“Well, if you put it that way, it will go into my mouth too, so let’s work in the garden together.”

Tae-heun, who had stood next to the Man, watched as two eggs were quickly mixed into the dried pollack soup. Unlike the Man, who could handle anything skillfully, Tae-heun always struggled with delicate tasks like cooking due to his large hands. Although the Man’s household chores and outings were far from sophisticated, everything was neat.

“Can I just have one bite?”

“It’s all done.”

“Isn’t it a bit bland?”

“It’s seasoned just right.”

“I’ll just have one bite.”

Tae-heun pleaded. Reluctantly, the man handed him a spoon. Holding the Mickey Mouse spoon, Tae-heun moved closer to the Man, close enough for their arms to touch, and scooped a spoonful of soup. He blew on it and put it in his mouth. The taste was incredible. Just as he was about to give a thumbs up, the man lifted the pot and carried it to the table.

“Since I used this spoon, Ki-beom should use my spoon.”

Tae-heun was secretly pleased to finally use the Mickey Mouse spoon he had wanted to try. The Man, unaware of this, looked very apologetic.

“You could just wash it and eat.”

“Why go through the trouble? Just take out the side dishes. I’ll serve the rice.”

The the man took out all the side dishes, but still seemed concerned about Tae-heun serving the rice, reaching out with a spatula he couldn’t even take.

“Geez, this is really annoying. Just sit down. Is this enough rice?”

“Yes.”

The the man awkwardly sat down. The side dishes were, as always, young radish kimchi and napa cabbage kimchi.

“Damas, no, Yong-jun is a liar.”

“Excuse me?”

“Yong-jun said you can’t cook, Ki-beom. Even if I say the young radish kimchi noodles are incredibly delicious, he won’t believe me. The dried pollack soup is amazing too.”

“It’s not that great….”

The Man, perhaps pleased by Tae-heun’s compliment, barely managed to suppress a smile.

“That’s not true. Ji-hye is lucky. Her father is a cooking genius.”

The the man smiled brightly. “It’s because the dried pollack is delicious,” he added, as if to make an excuse. His innocent demeanor made Tae-heun’s lips curl up as well.

The dried pollack soup was delicious, but it felt gritty in his mouth, making it hard to swallow the rice. However, he felt guilty leaving it, so he forced it down by mixing it with the soup.

“Are you picking fruit again today?”

“Yes. At the melon house.”

“You went there just a few days ago.”

“That was at Mr. Jo’s place, and this time it’s at Mr. Jang’s. There are quite a few houses growing melons in this neighborhood.”

The the man replied while moving the empty bowls to the sink. While Tae-heun was putting the side dishes in the refrigerator, the man took away the empty bowls Tae-heun had used. He seemed to be preparing to wash the dishes right away, settling in front of the sink.

“I’ll do the dishes.”

Tae-heun put on the rubber gloves hanging by the faucet and pushed the man away. He must have pushed a bit hard, as the man stumbled and was pushed aside.

“Is working in the house really that hard?”

He asked while dipping the sponge in dish soap. It had been a while since he had done the dishes. Each time he scrubbed the bowls with the soapy sponge, it felt good.

“It’s not that hard, but it is quite hot because it’s a greenhouse. It’s a bit uncomfortable since you have to squat down.”

The the man watched anxiously as Tae-heun scrubbed the bowls with the sponge.

“Is it spacious?”

“Yes. Mr. Jang’s place is a bit bigger. It’s probably the largest among the melon houses.”

“Really? Then can I go with you?”

“Excuse me?”

The Man’s eyes widened.

“I asked if I could go to the greenhouse with you. What’s the point of just staying home all day? It would be nice to go out and earn some money.”

The words had come out spontaneously. Even he was taken aback. He had said he had no reason to be called for about a week, so it was true that he had nothing to do all day, but suddenly wanting to help with farming felt completely out of the blue. He thought he could backtrack; he could easily retract it.

“…It might be hard.”

“You just said it wasn’t hard.”

“Well, it might not be hard for someone like me, but for someone who has never done farm work, it would be tough. They might get sore.”

“That’s something we’ll find out later. Can I go with you?”

This wasn’t right. He kept letting out words that didn’t make sense. Yet, he couldn’t help but smile.

He turned on the faucet. Water splashed everywhere as it poured out. The the man reached out to adjust the flow of water.

“Can I go?”

“…Yes.”

The the man answered reluctantly.

The the man took the washed bowls and shook off the water before placing them on the drying rack. The bowls were neatly stacked. Next to them were a pair of Mickey Mouse chopsticks and a pair of Tae-heun’s plain new chopsticks.

“Is there anything like this left?”

When Tae-heun pointed to the Mickey Mouse spoon, the man just blinked.

“I mean the Mickey Mouse one. I feel left out using a different one since we live together.”

“Ah….”

And that was the end of it.

“No, if you heard me, you should respond. Don’t leave the person who asked feeling awkward.”

Even as Tae-heun pressed him, there was no response. Instead, he looked at the wall clock.

“Is it already time to go?”

Tae-heun asked as he looked at the clock too.

“Not yet. Yong-jun said he would come pick me up.”

“Oh. You had some makgeolli yesterday, right?”

“Yes. I think I need to prepare a bit.”

As the man said this, he tried to leave the kitchen.

“Why wait for Yong-jun? You can just take my car.”

At Tae-heun’s words, the man paused and turned back.

“My expensive car will get dirty.”

“It’s a used car. If you look closely, the bumper is slightly dented and there are scratches everywhere. Besides, I’m going anyway, so let’s take my car. Why call someone else? Just call Yong-jun and tell him not to come.”

“Still….”

“Hurry and call. Before we cross paths. I’ll get ready too.”

“…Yes.”

What a ridiculous situation.

He found it absurd yet was also excited.

Tae-heun quickly looked for clothes to change into before his own mind changed, realizing he hadn’t expected to be doing farm work, so he had nothing suitable to wear. He picked the most comfortable pants he could find and put them on, slipping on socks that were also expensive, feeling reluctant to wear them but having no choice.

When he put on a cotton T-shirt and stepped into the living room, the man was already sitting on the floor putting on his rubber boots. The dogs came running, excited. The the man quickly put on his boots and went out to pour food into the dogs’ bowls. While the dogs ate, he went to the faucet to wash the water bowls and refill them.

Tae-heun squatted down, watching the dogs eat, regardless of whether he came out or not.

“Eat slowly. Don’t choke.”

The the man whispered softly to the dogs, as if speaking to a child.

His round back somehow resembled that of his Father from the two-story house. Although they shared no similarities in build or size, it felt like a reflection. When he turned to say his last goodbye to Tae-heun, he walked slowly to the front door, shoulders slumped. As he walked out, he quietly greeted the flowers and trees. So softly that it was barely audible.

“Take care. I’ll come again.”

Tae-heun tightly shut his eyes.

* * *

The greenhouse was like a sauna. It was ridiculously large. Isn’t it illegal to make it this big? He internally complained about all sorts of things that didn’t make sense.

The fan spun relentlessly, blowing hot air, and loud trot music blared, making his ears ring. Among the five workers, excluding the owner Mr. Jang, only Tae-heun was panting. The others, as if this work was a piece of cake, wore long sleeves and sang along to the trot while chatting. The the man didn’t join in the chatter, but he was part of their group nonetheless.

The strap of his wristwatch was soaked with sweat. Regretting not wearing a cheap digital watch, Tae-heun took it off. Before putting it in his pants pocket, he glanced at the time. Damn. He couldn’t believe only an hour had passed. He shoved it into his pocket roughly, as if taking out his frustration on the watch.

“Ugh, I’m dying.”

Tae-heun muttered, and a middle-aged woman sitting nearby laughed and relayed his words to the others.

“With that pale face, I thought you had never done this kind of work.”

“What a waste of such a big build.”

“How can you even be a man like that?”

Various comments were exchanged.

“Hey, I may not know much, but I can definitely handle being a man.”

Tae-heun replied without backing down, and everyone burst into laughter.

“If it’s hard, take a break. You might collapse like that.”

The oldest woman said with a worried expression.

“Your face is so pale that I can’t tell if you’re exhausted or if you always look like that.”

“Just pale. If you didn’t have a beard, I’d think you were a girl with skin as soft as a child’s.”

“You ladies really know how to give compliments that sound like insults. I heard I was pretty when I was young until my ears got calloused. Now, it’s hard to confuse my gender since I have a lot of natural traits.”

Tae-heun subtly placed his hand on his lower body, responding to their jokes.

The women erupted in laughter, almost screaming. Some pretended to lean in to see what was below Tae-heun’s waist, while others feigned scolding their curious colleague while stealing glances at the silhouette visible outside his pants. Everyone was cheerful.

Regardless, the man was focused on harvesting the melons, bending his large body with ease. His flushed face showed no signs of irritation or fatigue.

“Ki-beom, is it right or not?”

Tae-heun called out to Ki-beom. Only then did the man lift his head. Surrounded by the brightly dressed women in floral shirts, the Man’s plaid shirt looked modest.

“Yes?”

“I mean mine. You saw it, right? When I was just in my underwear this morning.”

The Man’s eyes widened in disbelief at such a ridiculous comment, while the women, referred to as “sisters,” clapped and giggled among themselves. The Man, confused by what was happening, simply pursed his lips and returned to his work.