#72

As Tae-heun took the tray to the counter, the round-faced bakery owner greeted them with a broad smile.

“Could you cut the bread for me? Four pieces, please?”

“Of course. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, that will be all.”

The owner was friendly. He started a conversation about the weather, speaking softly. His gaze kept drifting to Tae-heun’s face, and whenever their eyes met, his round face would break into an oval smile. Tae-heun thought he must really like his face. It wasn’t going to wear out, so he might as well enjoy it. He smiled back brightly.

With a glass of water, beautifully cut bread, two forks, and the ordered drinks, they sat at a table. The man looked at the items on the tray with eager eyes.

“Is the bread good here?”

Since he seemed so excited, Tae-heun asked, wondering if it was his first time visiting.

“Yes, it’s delicious. I sometimes come with the youth association members and have been here a few times with Ji-hye. They’ve been running this place for two generations, and it’s famous enough that people come from far away just to visit.”

“I see. So that person is your son?”

“Yes. I heard that forty years ago, the elder went to Japan to learn baking skills. It took him five years just to get his certification.”

The man spoke with a proud expression.

“That’s impressive.”

Tae-heun responded nonchalantly.

Inside, he was thinking something else. So, the reason the man was so happy was that he was with me, he thought. Otherwise, there would be no reason to be so excited when it wasn’t his first visit. His heart raced for no reason.

The man stared at Tae-heun as if urging him to taste it. So, he picked up a red bean bun and took a big bite. It was sweet. It wasn’t an unpleasant sweetness. Chewing vigorously, he gave a thumbs up.

Feigning a blocked throat, he took a sip of coffee. The sweetness was neutralized by the bitter coffee. The coffee wasn’t bad. It was better than the bland café he had been to.

The man, as if he had finished his part, brought the straw of his milkshake to his lips. He sucked it in with a slurping sound, his cheeks hollowing out. It must have been very cold, as he squinted his eyes, but his mouth was smiling. When he pulled the straw away, some white residue that hadn’t been sucked up flowed down the straw. The man hurriedly brought his mouth to it and sucked it up.

This is driving me crazy.

Tae-heun bit into the innocent red bean bun fiercely. It felt even sweeter than before. He took a sip of coffee. Even the coffee was sweet. It felt like his teeth might melt away. It was all because of the man.

The man, oblivious, carefully held a fork and dipped it into the soboro bread. As he brought it to his mouth, he caught Tae-heun’s gaze and offered, “Would you like some?”

He really had no sense of the situation. If you offer me that now, I would completely lose it, you fool. He wanted to shout.

He shook his head tightly, keeping his mouth shut.

“Ki-beom, eat.”

His voice trembled. He felt the need to change the atmosphere quickly. Otherwise, he might repeat the unfortunate incident from the shower earlier.

“The restroom is over there.”

Of all things, that was what came to mind.

“If you go outside and turn left, it’s there. Just ask the owner for the key.”

Tae-heun went to the counter and said, “Could I have the restroom key, please?” After receiving the key, he dashed out of the store. The humid air greeted him. He thought about washing his face with cold water and entered the restroom. He washed his hands first at the sink. The man in the mirror had pinkish eyes. His cheeks were flushed.

“Wow, you look pretty.”

After washing his face with cold water, he looked in the mirror again. His wet hair slightly covered his forehead, making him look sexy.

If you’re born a person, you should have a face like this. With a smile bordering on arrogance, he slapped his cheeks with his palm. He wiped his wet hands on his pants and left the restroom.

He returned the key to the kind owner and sat back at the table.

The man looked at him with concern.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

He asked in a lowered voice.

It was frustrating that someone would ask such a question after seeing his freshly washed face.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just have a small appetite, but my stomach is strong.”

He denied it with a serious expression.

“I washed my face. It’s just too hot.”

He emphasized while pointing to his face.

“I was just checking.”

“I’m really fine. I’ve never had diarrhea in my life!”

“…Okay.”

“Look closely. I just washed my face. You can see my face and hair are wet, right?”

The man nodded, but he still looked skeptical. It was maddening. He gulped down the remaining coffee.

The man only ate half of the soboro bread. He didn’t even ask to take the rest home, instead, he secretly sniffed the leftover red bean bun that Tae-heun had bitten into.

“The bread isn’t stale. I told you I’m not sick.”

Somehow, he ended up sounding apologetic.

“You can buy some for Ji-hye.”

“Okay.”

“Are you getting up now?”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

Tae-heun stood up weakly.

In the end, the man bought just one red bean bun, which was the child’s favorite.

They walked side by side, shuffling along. As they were about to head back to the truck, something felt off. He felt like he had forgotten something important. Then he finally remembered what it was.

“Ki-beom! We need to buy mackerel.”

“Oh.”

“Let’s go. Hurry.”

The man navigated through the maze-like market and stopped in front of a fish shop.

The fishy smell was overwhelming. Because of the odor, Tae-heun was suddenly reminded of the office at Ilgwang Financial. A chill ran down his spine. Not to mention the nausea.

“What can I get for you?”

The fish shop owner asked.

Tae-heun endured the smell he hated for the man’s sake.

“Sir, please clean five mackerels for me.”

Tae-heun ordered, standing behind the man.

“You’ll remove the insides, right?”

“Of course. That’s a given.”

“Could you also remove the bones?”

“Do you want it filleted? Why, are you going to make jeon with the mackerel? Or sashimi?”

“Oh. Is that how it goes? Then just clean it nicely, please.”

The request to clean it nicely made the owner laugh loudly.

“I’ll clean it as nicely as a young man. But where are you from? You don’t seem like a local. You’re quite handsome.”

Tae-heun introduced himself as ‘the newcomer from Dongjam-ri.’

“What’s there to see in Dongjam-ri that a young person would go there? Such a waste of good looks.”

“Why? It’s a nice place to live.”

“Oh, what’s nice about it? It’s the most rural area around here.”

“So what if it’s rural? If I like it, that’s all that matters.”

When he said something like an old man, the owner heartily agreed and laughed.

“But how tall are you? Oh my, look at those arms. Have you worked out?”

“Yes, when I was younger. But it didn’t suit me, so I quit after a while.”

“Right, exercise is just hard work and useless.”

With a swift motion, the owner sliced open the mackerel, spilling out its insides.

“Oh my, you’re shining from your face. You should do modeling.”

“I did that, but it didn’t go well.”

“Then you should be an actor. Your voice is like honey.”

“Should I?”

He played along.

“But how old are you?”

“I’m thirty.”

“You’re still a baby. Should I cut it into pieces for you?”

Before he knew it, five mackerels had been sliced open.

“Ki-beom, should I cut it into pieces?”

He asked, looking back at the man.

“Just two, please.”

“Sir, leave three whole and just cut two into pieces.”

The fish shop owner, not realizing there was someone behind Tae-heun, peeked his head out and looked at the man.

“Oh my, there was a young man behind too. How come both of you are so well-built?”

With precise cuts, one mackerel was quickly cut into three pieces.

“If I’m hidden behind you, doesn’t that mean I’m the bigger one? Don’t you think?”

“Oh, they’re both good.”

With a few more swift cuts, the remaining mackerel was also cut into three pieces.

As the owner turned on the hose, all the blood pooled on the cutting board and fish was washed away. His hands were so quick that in the blink of an eye, the mackerel was packed into a black bag. It felt quite heavy since it was five fish. The man tried to pay, but Tae-heun quickly stopped him. The owner, receiving money from Tae-heun, warmly sent them off with, “Come again, young man.”

No matter how tightly the plastic was tied, the fishy smell lingered. Yet, it didn’t bother him. He felt good just thinking that it would all go into the man’s mouth.

“Is there anything else you need?”

He asked the man.

“I think we just need radish. I have everything else at home.”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

This time, the man took the lead again. In front of the vegetable shop, he bought a rather wilted radish. Next to the radish, several bundles of young radish greens were tied together.

“Ki-beom, do we have enough young radish kimchi?”

“Yes. We have enough to eat all summer.”

“Did you make that too?”

“No, it was given to me by the grandmother who taught me how to make kimchi. I want to learn it too, but spring and summer are so busy that I can’t find the time.”

“Should I learn it?”

When Tae-heun asked this, the man’s eyes widened.

“I can learn it. Introduce me to that grandmother. The young radish kimchi was amazing.”

“Making kimchi is harder than you think.”

“I know. That’s why I need to learn quickly and keep making it.”

“Okay.”

The man smiled.

While he was contemplating whether they could go on a vacation or not, he was excited about making young radish kimchi. It wasn’t entirely a lie. He could learn quickly, make it, and before going, prepare enough for next year. Tae-heun imagined the man eating the young radish kimchi he made with his own hands. Not just the man, but the child would also enjoy it. Even if it didn’t taste good, they wouldn’t show it.

He smiled contentedly, but suddenly felt a twist in his stomach. It was because he wasn’t beside the man in his imagination. It was a very natural thing, yet it felt like he was going to die. His heart was beating irregularly, and his breathing became rough.

The man, completely unaware, wobbled ahead with a small bag containing the red bean bun. Then, noticing that Tae-heun wasn’t coming, he turned around. It seemed even the man could tell that Tae-heun didn’t look well.

“Tae-heun, are you feeling unwell?”

The man approached with quick steps, looking worried.

“Your face is pale.”

“I’m fine. I’m perfectly okay.”

He forced a smile.

“Should I drive?”

“I have to. You drank makgeolli, Ki-beom.”

“I only had one glass, and it’s been three hours already, so I’m fine.”

“I’m not fine.”

Showing off that he was okay, Tae-heun got into the driver’s seat.

“Are you really okay?”

“Of course!”

Pretending to be fine made him actually feel better. The survival skills he had learned during his time with Lee Seon-jae thankfully kicked in. People don’t die from feelings. Feelings are illusions created by the brain. So, never let them sway you. Repeating the same words in his mind, Tae-heun placed the bag of mackerel, the source of the fishy smell, in the middle seat and started the engine. He turned on the air conditioning and radio, urging the man, “What are you doing? Get in!”

The man thought for a moment before circling around and getting into the passenger seat. Seeing the car door close, Tae-heun lifted his left foot off the clutch and simultaneously pressed the accelerator with his right foot. The car smoothly moved forward.

“Where to?”

He asked playfully.

“To the chairman’s house.”

“The chairman? Are you meeting him?”

“Yes.”

The man answered somewhat nonchalantly.

“Is something going on?”

“No, not really.”

The man was as tight-lipped as usual. It was disappointing, but he decided not to pry. In truth, he was dying to know. He had almost asked several times but managed to hold back.

The man, tense for about five minutes, glanced at Tae-heun and soon closed his eyes. Perhaps he was tired, as he began to snore softly. Then he fell into a deep sleep. Anyone would think he had been drinking during the day, given how deeply he was lost in slumber.