ASD 21

It was Gijun’s usual routine to run all the way home after finishing his workout. However, he decided not to do that today. If he ran, he would get sweaty again, and then he would smell.

He was supposed to meet Gawon at the intersection in front of the school. Moving around was part of his daily life, but he figured the other boy would be tired after studying late, so it would be hard for him to walk a lot.

Looking at the information board at the bus stop in front of the gym, he saw there were still 10 minutes until the next bus. Gawon would surely get there first. Gijun opened an app and called a taxi.

“Mister driver, I’m sorry, but could you please go a little faster?”

He asked as soon as he got into the taxi, glancing at his watch. Only four minutes had passed since he left the gym, but he was in a great hurry. When the driver asked if he had something urgent to attend to, Gijun replied in a booming voice, “Yes!”

“Whoa, you startled me. Are you going to see your girlfriend or something? You’re grinning from ear to ear.”

“…Just… I’m just going to see a friend.”

His voice, which had been full of excitement, became a little quieter. Gijun restlessly smoothed his bangs and feigned indifference.

“Come on. What kind of friend do you go to see with such an excited look on your face? It’s definitely a girlfriend. She must be pretty, huh?”

At the driver’s teasing words, Gijun could only let out an awkward chuckle. It didn’t feel bad. At the same time, he wondered if he was really smiling like that, so he snuck a glance at his reflection on his phone screen. He did indeed look like a lovesick fool.

He could see Gawon waiting at the intersection. Gijun bowed his head in greeting and got out of the taxi.

“Yoon Gawon!”

Gawon, who had been looking down at his phone, slowly raised his head. For a moment, Gijun felt like approaching him with a happy greeting, but the instant their eyes met, he unconsciously froze on the spot.

“…Uh…”

His legs wouldn’t move, as if his ankles had suddenly broken. No, it wasn’t just his ankles. His mouth, which should have been casually spouting a greeting, and his hand, which should have been waving in delight, were also frozen in place. Like a broken robot.

It was because Gawon’s face, as he stood under the streetlight and slowly looked up at him, was so white and small. His jet-black, glossy hair was so immaculate that it made Gijun want to stroke it without thinking, and his thin, coy lips were far too captivating.

And the boy’s eyes. Because the person slowly filling his clear, large eyes was none other than Gijun himself, and because the emotion that followed was not something else but pure delight…

“…Hi.”

A beat too late, the greeting came out. Gulp. A dry swallow went down his throat.

“Hi.”

A small voice replied. In that moment, the driver’s sly voice flashed through his mind. ‘It’s definitely a girlfriend. She must be pretty, huh?’…

Heat rushed to his face. Why did he have to say something so unnecessary… He aimed his pointless resentment at the blameless driver. To hide his reddened face, Gijun rubbed the back of his neck and lowered his head. For some reason, he couldn’t look at Gawon properly.

What’s wrong with me? Just a few days ago, we were sitting across from each other eating a meal just fine. He couldn’t understand why he was being so peculiar these past few days. This was why the hyungs at the gym, including Ahn Sung-joon hyung, teased him with all sorts of nonsense.

“Are you very hungry?”

A clear and quiet voice cut through his thoughts. He didn’t know how a boy’s voice could be so beautiful. Gijun nodded his head frantically.

“Yeah, I’m hungry. Very.”

“Then let’s go quickly. You said you wanted to eat a hamburger, right?”

“Yeah. But, you can eat whatever you want. It doesn’t have to be a hamburger.”

“I like hamburgers too. Let’s go. We’re going to the Mc in front, right?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

They walked shoulder to shoulder. Although, what was actually next to his shoulder was a small head. Every time he breathed in, the faint scent of shampoo wafted over. Does he use some luxury brand shampoo? Why does it smell so good?

“Did you study hard?”

“Uhm… I did my best. You?”

“I worked hard too. I sweated a ton.”

“Really?”

Tilting his head slightly, Gawon suddenly leaned his face in close. Near Gijun’s shoulder and chest, he made a bold gesture of sniffing lightly a couple of times. Sniff, sniff. Caught off guard, Gijun froze, even holding the breath he had been breathing so easily.

“You smell nice.”

It was a good thing he had washed up thoroughly. If he had run here all sweaty like usual… he didn’t even want to think about it.

“I showered before coming. I can’t show up smelling bad.”

“You were super fast. But, next time, just come comfortably.”

“…Why? The smell of sweat is unpleasant.”

“What does it matter? It’s fine.”

At the refreshing reply, Gijun was at a loss for words for a moment. The corners of his mouth kept turning up like a fool. First, he liked the word ‘next time’ coming so naturally from Gawon’s lips, and he liked that he said it was fine even if he smelled.

Walking down the dark street and entering the bright fast-food restaurant was dazzling to the eyes. Gijun, standing in front of the kiosk, turned to Gawon and asked.

“What do you want to eat?”

“Um, I’ll pay. Today.”

Gawon tried to naturally slip between the kiosk and Gijun, but Gijun didn’t move aside. Then he shook his head firmly.

“I was the one who suggested we come eat.”

“You buy every time. I… want to treat you today.”

“Treat me tomorrow, then.”

“No. I’ll buy today. I feel shameless always getting treated.”

With him putting it like that, Gijun couldn’t be more stubborn. He stepped back with a reluctant expression. Looking at Gawon asking, “What do you want to eat?” made his heart feel inexplicably complicated.

He had a vague suspicion. That Gawon’s financial situation was not very comfortable. He could tell just by looking at the boy’s worn-out bag and the holes in his sneakers. He couldn’t not know, thinking of the voice that added a small, excuse-like comment about leaving his allowance behind every single time they went to the school store, and the scenery of the alley where the boy lived.

But to keep insisting when he put it like that was also a bit much. Gijun didn’t want to hurt Gawon’s pride. He didn’t want to hurt him anymore.

Just then, a poster on the wall appeared like a savior. Gijun’s eyes lit up as he saw the words, ‘For 3 days only! Thank you sale, Bulgogi Burger a la carte for 2,000 won.’ That was it.

“I’ll have a bulgogi burger!”

“…A bulgogi burger? Why not get a bigger one.”

“No. That’s the only thing I eat when I come here. It’s the most delicious one.”

“Really? Then, how many bulgogi meals? For you, I guess you’d eat about… five.”

In truth, he could easily eat about ten of those thin, small hamburgers. But Gijun waved his hand as if to say, what are you talking about.

“No, no way. No way five. Just get me one. And just the burger, a la carte.”

Gawon turned his head and looked up at Gijun quietly. Gijun added emphatically, as if to say he was serious.

“I have a match coming up soon. I have to make weight, so the director told me to lose just 3 kilograms. Ha, what a shame. If I had it my way, I’d want to eat about ten. I want a Coke and fries, too.”

“Um… then I’ll give you my Coke and fries, let’s share.”

“Really? Then just give me one bite of each.”

He deliberately rubbed his stomach and spoke complainingly, as if he really wanted to eat but was disappointed he couldn’t. Thankfully, Gawon seemed more or less convinced and nodded. Gawon got a bulgogi burger meal, and he got a bulgogi burger a la carte.

In the midst of that, Gawon ordered a corn salad for him, saying he must be very hungry and should at least eat this. It was cute that he got him a salad because he mentioned weight control. Seeing the total price, which didn’t even exceed ten thousand won, Gijun breathed an inward sigh of relief.

“Isn’t that too little for you? I know how much you eat.”

Gawon said in a worried tone as he pulled out a chair to sit. That felt good, too. Placing the tray with the hamburgers on the table, Gijun grumbled in an exaggerated way, “Yeah, so.”

“Just wait until after the match. I’m gonna demolish ten hamburgers.”

“When is the match?”

“Uh, next month.”

“Wow…”

After letting out a short exclamation, Gawon added as if to himself, “I’m curious. About your match.” It didn’t sound like empty praise. Gijun asked in a cautious tone.

“…Do you want to come see it?”

The white, slender fingers that had been unwrapping the hamburger stopped. Gawon raised his head and looked at Gijun steadily. His lips, which had parted and closed several times, finally uttered the next words.

“Am I allowed to go…?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. Anyone can come watch.”

“But… won’t your friends or family be there?”

“No one’s coming.”

Gijun said firmly. As for family, there was of course no one to come, but as for friends, there were plenty of guys who would come if he just told them about it.

Until now, during the numerous matches he had fought, he had always enjoyed the elevated feeling of being surrounded by his friends. There were also quite a few guys who had been inspired by Gijun and joined the same gym.

However, if Yoon Gawon were to come, Gijun had no intention of calling anyone else. Because Yoon Gawon would be uncomfortable. No, before that, if anyone else were to come, Yoon Gawon probably wouldn’t come at all.

The lips that had been chewing the hamburger stopped. Gulp. The Adam’s apple that swallowed the food was slender. Gawon, whose eyes darted around hesitantly, carefully opened his mouth.

“Then… I’ll go.”

“Yes!”

Gijun shouted, clenching his fist. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he was on top of the world. A high school couple sitting a little way off glanced over at them, but Gijun paid them no mind at all.

Yoon Gawon said he would come.

A slight worry did precede his excitement. What if he finds the match too violent and uncomfortable?

But the negative thoughts soon subsided. Gijun made a crisp decision. I shouldn’t startle him, so I’ll have to be as gentle as possible and finish it quickly. And I’ll try to avoid drawing blood as much as possible.

He would win, as he always did, and when he got the medal, he would run to where Yoon Gawon was sitting. Then Gawon would tell him he worked hard, just like he did before… Then he would put the medal around the boy’s neck. He would say thank you for coming, that he won because he was watching. Just thinking about such a scene made the corners of his mouth keep turning up.

“What are you so happy about?”

“I’m so happy. Because you said you’d come. I feel like I’ve already won.”

“…Hmph.”

Gawon shot him a glare that wasn’t resentful. Then he let out a little laugh. It was a smile that resembled the slender crescent moon visible outside the window, so fragile that it made you want to protect it.