#52

Tae-heun extended his palm. The man took out a piece of gum from his shirt pocket, unwrapped it himself, and placed it on Tae-heun’s palm. It had a sweet scent. He hated sweet things. Despite his true feelings, he put it in his mouth without hesitation.

“This is the best.”

The man was delighted like a child.

Tae-heun glanced at the man.

The same person who was a lewd man sucking off Kwon Yong-jun and a naive man who was overjoyed by a piece of gum was the same person. If asked which side he preferred, without a doubt!

Damn it. It was ambiguous.

Tae-heun liked the man. He was calm, kind, and emotionally stable; a man with deep paternal love who had completely devoted his life to a child. On the other hand, the man he saw yesterday morning was impressive in a different way. It was awkward to say, but he felt excited. Watching a man of the same gender engage in sexual acts and then punch him while on the verge of tears made Tae-heun feel an unprecedented strange sensation.

He recalled the man’s dark eyes, filled with moisture. Those eyes, reminiscent of the night sea or a night reservoir, were frighteningly deep and dark. Just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine.

“…What did you say?”

He returned to reality at the man’s question.

“I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“Do you want to eat toast?”

“Where, in town?”

“Yes. There’s a toast shop near the terminal, and it’s delicious.”

“Okay.”

The man smiled. He seemed so pleased that he softly hummed along to a song playing on the radio. Tae-heun, who had intended to pretend to head to the terminal and then drive straight to Chungju, found himself eating toast with the man and heading to the intercity bus terminal.

He had been to all sorts of shabby terminals across the country, but this one was among the top three worst. A foul odor permeated the air, and the waiting area had benches that looked like they had been used for decades.

“It’s a bit serious, isn’t it?”

The man looked apologetic.

“I guess there’s no way around it since it’s privately run.”

He even offered unsolicited comments, expressing his regret as if it were his own business.

“Would you like some coffee?”

The man pointed to a vending machine. The only coffee available was a can of Lotte’s “Let’s Be.”

“I’m fine.”

“How about something else?”

“Then just water.”

The man took out his wallet from the back pocket of his dress pants and inserted a 1,000 won bill. Tae-heun wondered if the vending machine would work properly, but the money-making machine dispensed drinks without any issues. The man handed Tae-heun the water while holding onto the coffee.

Even on a weekday, the terminal was quite crowded. Passengers frequently glanced at Tae-heun and the man. Both were over 180 cm tall and had bruises on their faces, so it was hard not to stare. Young people averted their eyes, but the elderly, undeterred, asked questions like how they got hurt, if they had fought, where they came from, and where they were going.

“Just a moment.”

The man entrusted Tae-heun with the can of coffee and headed somewhere. Tae-heun looked to see if he knew someone, but that wasn’t the case. The man rushed to help an elderly woman carrying crops, lifting her load or loading it into a car. He was so active that one might mistake him for a terminal employee. Because of that, the neatly pressed shirt and pants he wore became wrinkled. Tae-heun felt anxious and tried to smooth them out, but the man didn’t listen.

Just then, the bus arrived. At Tae-heun’s call, the man ran over. They sat side by side in the back seat. It would have been fine for an average-sized man, but it was quite cramped for Tae-heun and the man, yet they chose not to sit apart. Naturally, their arms touched, and when fastening their seatbelts, they had to twist their bodies to make space for each other. Still, it felt strangely comfortable. Though their bodies were uncomfortable, their hearts felt at ease, and as the man said, it truly felt like they were going on a trip, making their hearts flutter.

The man opened the can of coffee. The sweet aroma tickled their noses.

As the bus drove, the two of them giggled like teenage boys. Even without much to say, Tae-heun babbled whatever came to mind, and the man frequently burst into laughter, though honestly, it was more of a chuckle. To Tae-heun, it seemed like the man was beaming with a big smile.

The air conditioning was on, but it was insufficient. Moreover, with both of their bodies pressed together, they felt the heat. Both Tae-heun and the man had beads of sweat forming on their foreheads, but neither complained. If they were to say it was cramped or hot, it felt like a disaster would strike, so they endured the heat and the narrow seats.

Buildings began to appear in the landscape that had been filled with fields. The man and Tae-heun fell silent, gazing out the window. The time to get off the bus was approaching. It was disappointing. He already missed the warmth of their touching arms.

The Chungju intercity bus terminal was located in the heart of the city. With the intercity buses coming and going in an already busy area, even a small city couldn’t escape traffic jams. The bus maneuvered through the tangled cars and entered the terminal.

“We’re here.”

The man said.

“That was quick.”

Tae-heun replied.

Indeed. The man seemed to feel the same disappointment, hesitating for a moment before slightly turning his body. At his gesture to unbuckle the seatbelt, Tae-heun unfastened his first and made space for the man.

They were the last to get off the bus. The light rain outside was cool, just like the town, refreshing the bodies warmed inside the bus. The man wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. The handkerchief was clean white, with delicate embroidery of the same color.

Did he buy it, or was it a gift?

Because of the white handkerchief, the man’s hands appeared particularly dark.

“Let’s buy some cigarettes and drinks at a nearby mart.”

“Okay.”

Tae-heun replied half-heartedly, watching the handkerchief disappear into the man’s back pocket.

The man took the lead. As they exited the intercity bus terminal, the city came into view. Compared to Seoul, it couldn’t really be called a city, but when recalling Dongjam-ri, it was a city in its own right.

The man walked with familiarity to the mart, where he bought a pack of cigarettes and a box of aloe drink. He took out his wallet to pay. It looked old, but it was a well-maintained leather wallet. It was clear that it was something he didn’t use often, just like the shoes the man wore.

The man also hailed a taxi and named the nursing home. He responded appropriately to the taxi driver’s chatter, showing no signs of being a country bumpkin. He seemed as natural as if he were originally from this city. His tanned skin even looked like a trophy earned from an early vacation.

This was the third new face of the man Tae-heun had encountered. He observed the man with interest.

After about ten minutes in the taxi, they arrived at the nursing home, which was a facility dedicated to alcoholics. Just from the state of the building, it didn’t look like a very good nursing home.

The staff at the desk recognized the man. They were friendly but responded with a somewhat bored expression and tone.

“If you go to the visiting room, I’ll call the patient for you.”

“Thank you.”

The man bowed slightly and turned back.

“You could drink outside anytime if you wanted.”

Tae-heun said, looking around the shabby hospital facilities.

“Not really. I heard they lock the ward doors at night.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

The man headed to a small lounge with a few round tables and folding chairs. Aside from the barred door, it was no different from any other rest area.

Everything here was old and dirty. The man sat at the cleanest table, which was by the window. It too had bars over it, making it hard to see outside.

“It’s not such a great place.”

The man said. He showed no signs of embarrassment. After all, it wasn’t even his father. What was there to be embarrassed about? Tae-heun nodded quietly.

The man still seemed excited. His expression was so bright that it made one wonder if he was genuinely that happy. For someone who said he hadn’t been close with his uncle, it was quite peculiar.

After waiting for about 15 minutes, a well-built man in a nurse’s uniform entered, leading a gaunt old man with a dark complexion. The old man was quite tall for his age, but aside from his height, he looked nothing like the man’s uncle. Tae-heun thought it was clear that the man had taken after someone else.

The nurse left without a word after placing the old man down.

“Uncle.”

The man greeted the old man warmly. The old man did not smile. He cautiously sat down at the table, watching the man’s expression. It seemed the claim that he couldn’t recognize people was true.

“You look healthier than last month.”

The man spoke in a bright voice, ignoring the old man’s lack of response.

“Here are the cigarettes and drinks you like, Uncle.”

As the man handed over the cigarettes and drink box, the old man finally smiled awkwardly.

“Why did you bring this?”

He quickly reached out with his bony hand to grab the cigarettes first. Tae-heun couldn’t help but frown at the old man’s behavior. It was then that the old man noticed Tae-heun.

“Who are you?”

He asked.

“I’m a friend of Ki-beom. I came along because he said he was going to see you, Uncle.”

Tae-heun replied with a forced smile.

The old man looked again at the man, wanting to say something to Tae-heun.

“Excuse me, could you bring me a glass of water?”

Breaking the awkward silence, the old man politely requested the man. The overly respectful tone made Tae-heun want to laugh. The man quickly stood up, saying, “Yes, I’ll get it right away.”

As soon as the man left the room, the old man leaned in closely to Tae-heun. A foul odor emanated from him, whether from his mouth or body. As Tae-heun frowned and tried to pull away, the old man gripped his arm tightly.

“That man is not Ki-beom. Do you understand?”

The old man whispered quickly and quietly.

“That bastard would curse at me and pull a knife, but he wouldn’t be so obedient to my words!”

The old man’s eyes gleamed.