By Zephyria 
Hae-jun ran. He ran along the road without knowing where to go.
He wasn’t familiar with this neighborhood. He always rode in Yang Road’s car when he traveled. He had rarely walked around the area.
His wallet contained his ID, one card, and three ten-thousand-won bills. He didn’t have his phone. He hadn’t seen it since A-gon turned it off and took it. Hae-jun fiddled with his thin wallet, wondering how far he could go with this.
He hadn’t intended to go far in the first place. His immediate priority was to get away from Lee A-gon.
The longer they spent together, the more A-gon was clearly going mad. If he left him like this, he would eventually go mad and die.
Hae-jun escaped because he couldn’t bear to see that. They were not good for each other. A-gon needed space and time away from him. It was clear he would die if they continued like this.
‘Where should I go?’
He couldn’t go to Senior Yang’s house. It was too obvious. Ah-reum noona and Jo seonbae were also out for the same reason.
He regretted not having his phone. If he explained the situation to Secretary Yang, wouldn’t he help?
‘Let’s go down to the countryside for now. I’ll find accommodation and food there and hide for a while.’
Hae-jun waved towards a yellow taxi visible in the distance. Just then, he heard a voice call out, “Hyung.” Turning around, Hae-jun saw Lee A-gon and turned pale. He was waving at him.
“Hyung, where are you going? Let me come with you.”
He acted as if he and Hae-jun had arranged to meet there. Hae-jun anxiously checked the signal. The taxi was stopped at a red light. Hae-jun stamped his foot.
“Hyung. Hyung?”
Now, Hae-jun could even hear Lee A-gon’s footsteps. He couldn’t wait any longer. The light finally turned green, and Hae-jun ran to the taxi, practically diving in.
“Sir?”
“Please drive!”
Hae-jun shouted. The taxi sped off, almost involuntarily. Lee A-gon, with a smiling face, flashed past the window as he approached. It was a matter of inches.
“Where to?”
The taxi driver asked again, looking at Hae-jun in the rearview mirror. Hae-jun kept glancing behind him as he replied,
“Just keep going for now.”
Lee A-gon’s face grew smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared. Only then could Hae-jun breathe a sigh of relief. After about 10 minutes of driving, Sinnonhyeon Station appeared. Hae-jun got off there.
Hae-jun entered the station, paying attention to see if Lee A-gon had followed him. His destination was Express Bus Terminal Station.
After a few stops, the subway arrived at Express Bus Terminal Station. Many people lined up to get off. Hae-jun, looking ahead with an indifferent gaze, froze as he spotted Lee A-gon through the crowd. He was standing on the platform, looking around.
“Let us get off.”
The doors opened, but Hae-jun couldn’t move. A man, finding Hae-jun blocking the entrance, roughly pushed him. At that moment, Lee A-gon’s gaze fell upon him, and Hae-jun collapsed.
Cold sweat trickled down his face. He knew people were looking at him strangely, but he couldn’t move.
He knew. If he were caught now, he would never get another chance.
He also knew that this time, he would be locked in the room until he became pregnant. No, he would continue to be locked up even after becoming pregnant.
When he was linked to Lee A-gon’s soul, Hae-jun saw the source of his obsession. His mouths, hands, and penises filling a vast wilderness were all waving towards Hae-jun, crying out for love. It was a horrifying sight.
If the two of them stayed together, it would only increase the number of penises waving in that wilderness. Hae-jun had to get away from Lee A-gon. That was the way to save Lee A-gon.
Clack, clack. As the subway train moved, Hae-jun straightened his crouched body. A moment later, the subway stopped at Yeouido Station. Thinking he couldn’t stay on the train any longer, Hae-jun got off.
As he exited the platform, he saw many people. Hae-jun cautiously surveyed his surroundings and then followed the direction people were walking.
Christmas carols echoed from various places. It was then that Hae-jun realized it was almost Christmas.
‘Christmas.’
Hae-jun’s steps slowed. Last Christmas, he had been asked to date by Lee A-gon for the first time.
“Hyung, please… date me.”
“I want to date you. Please… date me, Hyung.”
“Dating… means hugging and kissing… and sleeping… together.”
“Then why won’t you date me? Why… can’t we?”
White breath puffed out into the biting wind that swept past. Lee A-gon’s face, teary as if wronged, scattered with his breath.
Agreeing to date was a casual whim. Honestly, it was half a joke. He hadn’t been serious at all.
Agreeing to have a baby was also just a whim and a joke.
Looking back, Hae-jun had always reacted to Lee A-gon’s sincerity that way. Just a joke. Just a whim. The ugly and foolish Lee A-gon was someone he could treat like that.
Now, he had come to love the ugly and foolish Lee A-gon. He loved and feared Lee A-gon, who possessed a grotesque inner self capable of filling a wilderness with ten thousand penises directed at him.
Yes. Hae-jun loved Lee A-gon, but he was afraid. Afraid of the man who, with his now broad and strong arms and shoulders, would pull him into an embrace from which he couldn’t escape. Afraid of Lee A-gon, who had become a man capable of impregnating him, a man. Hae-jun was inwardly afraid.
“Hoo.”
Hae-jun opened his eyes and started walking again. A group of foreign tourists was following a Guide holding a yellow flag.
Hae-jun subtly blended into the group of tourists. Fortunately, neither the tourists nor the Guide noticed Hae-jun’s presence.
Their destination was the Han River cruise. Hae-jun passed the tourists and lined up at the ticket booth. Fortunately, tickets were still available for on-site purchase. The departure time was about 20 minutes from now.
He was glad he had his ID in his wallet. Hae-jun filled out the boarding pass and boarded the ship with the tourists.
The sky was blue, and music could be heard from somewhere. It seemed there was a performance on the second floor. Hae-jun sat in a corner of the first-floor cabin and hunched his body.
This ship was scheduled to depart from Yeouido and arrive in Jamsil. Hae-jun decided to take the subway from Jamsil to the terminal.
A little later, the ship left the pier. Hae-jun closed his eyes and did some calculations in his head. From Central City, he could go to Daejeon, Chungnam, or Jeonnam regions. Where should he go among them? A place with high foot traffic would probably be better. A factory district where he could find lodging and food would be even better.
Hae-jun watched with regret as the person next to him searched on their phone. However, he didn’t regret not bringing his phone. He no longer believed Secretary Yang’s claim that he had disposed of the duplicated phone.
Lost in his own world with various thoughts, Hae-jun suddenly lifted his head. He heard people screaming. The screams grew closer, and the music stopped along with them.
‘What’s happening?’
The tourists on the first floor were also clinging to the windows like barnacles, craning their necks. As Hae-jun stood up in confusion, a group of people rushed into the first-floor cabin. Their faces were all deathly pale, and they were babbling something, but amidst the screams, their words were unintelligible.
By piecing together a few words, Hae-jun understood that they were saying, “A monster has appeared,” and “A man is on the water.”
From then on, Hae-jun’s heart began to pound. Hae-jun stepped onto the stairs leading to the second floor. His heartbeat grew stronger.
Upon reaching the second floor, Hae-jun was confronted with an unbelievable sight. A wall of water stood before the cruise ship. The water had risen to form the wall.
“What is this.”
Hae-jun rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Was it an illusion? Or was it a real superpower that parted water? He was mesmerized.
“Hyung.”
Just then, a loud voice, as if amplified by a loudspeaker, was heard. It sounded as if Lee A-gon was calling right next to his ear.
Startled, Hae-jun turned around, but Lee A-gon wasn’t there. Only some middle-aged man stood there, his face as stunned as Hae-jun’s.
“Hyung. Hae-jun Hyung.”
The booming voice calling Hae-jun echoed. “Who is Hae-jun? Who is Hae-jun?” People who heard Lee A-gon’s voice called out Hae-jun’s name like a round song, looking at each other.
Hae-jun sank down on the landing.
Unbelievable, truly unbelievable, but a man was standing on the Han River. He was a man in his twenties, dressed in sneakers and a jacket, wearing a navy baseball cap.
The problem was that the man was floating on the water. He was floating, and with his giant hands, he was clapping, parting the Han River behind him as if splitting the water.
Hae-jun covered his face with trembling hands. The man was Lee A-gon. Unbelievable, but he was walking on water.
The Game of Tag (END)