GBAS 40

The place leading out of the door wasn’t a hallway but the rooftop of a five-story commercial building.

Jooin, dragging his slippers, walked out and took a pack of cigarettes and a box of matches from a basket hanging next to the door. He pulled a cigarette from the crumpled pack, put it between his lips, and slowly walked towards the clothesline stretched across the rooftop.

The clothes hanging on the dark green clothesline were crisply dry under the summer sun. Jooin picked up a white t-shirt from among them and immediately pulled it over his head.

Jooin, who had casually kicked off his black slippers on the light green painted floor that looked like grass, sat with his knees together on a wooden platform. The platform, warmed by the sun, was hotter than it looked.

When he bit down on the filter between his lips, there was a small cracking sound. He took a smaller match from the small box he had been holding and struck it. He held the flame to the tip of the-cigarette and took a deep drag, and the sweet smoke entered his throat.

Now he finally felt properly awake.

Jooin took another deep drag, tilted his head back, and slowly exhaled the smoke. The smoke that rose under the blue sky was carried away by the wind and soon disappeared.

“…The weather’s nice.”

Is it always like this at this time?

He didn’t know if it was because he woke up earlier than usual, or if it was just today. Jooin, with the cigarette between his teeth, rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. His eyes were tired.

Even if someone had confidently told him he could see a sky like this if he woke up early, Jooin would have preferred to sleep for another hour.

Jooin stubbed out the quickly shortened cigarette butt on the leg of the platform and tossed it into a can next to the entrance.

He thought of stretching his arms out, so he stretched his body here and there, when he heard a familiar ringing sound from somewhere.

Someone must be calling… The source of the sound seemed to be from the mattress. Normally, he would have ignored it, but a call coming today might be one he had to answer.

“So annoying, so annoying.”

Jooin got up, and his steps led not to the entrance but to the window.

Creak—

The unlocked window opened easily. Jooin reached his arm down through it, and soon his phone was pulled up in his hand.

Jooin flipped over the phone, which was ringing loudly in his hand, and his expression slightly soured when he saw the caller ID. If he had known, he would have just ignored it.

Jooin swiped his finger over the round phone icon, brought the device to his ear, and said bluntly.

“What.”

The caller was Cheon Namyoung, his elementary, middle, and high school classmate and the bassist of their band.

[Oh, you picked up?]

“Didn’t you call for me to pick up?”

[Right?]

And he was also the son of Ms. Jo Mihwa, the owner of this house, Namyoung Building.

Namyoung, who started the conversation with a pointless joke, quickly got to the point. The band practice scheduled for this evening had been canceled due to personal reasons of the other members, Soochan and Youngmin.

Jooin answered with a short nod.

“Alright. No problems for tomorrow, right?”

[Yup. Of course. These guys, ditching practice when the concert is just around the corner.]

It was quite funny how he was reprimanding them as if he were getting ahead of them, when he was the one who had told them to take care of their own business. Just as a quiet smile formed on his lips, a slick voice came from the other side of the phone.

[Baek Jooin, you just laughed, didn’t you.]

“…No.”

[Your answer was a bit slow for a ‘no’. Alright, for now, I’ll let it slide.]

“Then I’m hang……”

[Whoa! Wait, wait!]

He was trying to end it quickly, but it seemed he was about to start nagging again. Jooin, letting out a secret sigh, answered.

“What now.”

[Come to think of it, why are you awake now? Have you eaten?]

“No, not yet.”

[I told you to eat properly. You won’t even be able to hold your guitar at this rate. Hey, Jooin-ah, should I come over if you’re going to eat? My dad brought home some gamjatang takeout the other day, and it was really good. I’ll bring that, let’s eat toge…]

While Namyoung was chattering excitedly, Jooin went back to the platform and lay down on the warm floor. The atmosphere was such that it seemed he really would come over if left unchecked, so Jooin cut Namyoung off and said.

“I have plans today. I think I’ll eat there.”

[…What? What plans? Well, it’s not with me, and Soochan and Youngmin said they have things to do, and Han Taeil said he has plans with his girlfriend. Did you get a gig?]

“It’s not a gig, just meeting someone I know for a bit.”

[So who is this someone you know?]

“Just someone. Someone you don’t know.”

Namyoung, who had gone quiet at Jooin’s words, soon started giggling.

[Wow, Baek Jooin going out. The sun will rise in the west tomorrow.]

“Shut up.”

[Sob sob. My precious problem child is making friends without telling me. My baby’s all grown up. All grown up!]

“…”

[Take care of yourself. Buy your friend lots of delicious food. If you need spending money, your big bro will send you as much as you want, so just pretend you’re going to the bathroom and give me a secret call or text…]

Give him an inch and he takes a mile.

“I’ll handle it. I’m hanging up.”

It was a sudden notice, but Namyoung, who knew Jooin well and his dislike for being bothered, didn’t say more or less and offered a simple farewell.

[Huh? Oh! See you tomorrow!]

As the call ended and the dead screen lit up again, the phone’s wallpaper came into view.

On the screen was a picture taken at the summer beach they had visited recently. Among the people swimming while watching the setting sun, Jeon Hyunwoo’s awkwardly captured face could be seen in a corner of the photo.

Naturally, the memories of that night came flooding back. The room with flickering lights. The guy chattering while drunk, the hot, large hand that wrapped around his wrist, the out-of-sync breaths they exhaled. Nothing was faded. Some scenes were even clearer than reality.

Jooin, half-sitting up, looked down at his thigh. It had been almost a month since that day, so there was no way a bruise would still be there. I should have another cigarette. Jooin reached for the cigarette pack he had left in the corner of the platform.

In that moment, he felt a prickling gaze from over his shoulder. Jooin, getting up from the platform, turned his head and looked at the building across from him, which was of a similar height. The old exterior wall and a few windows came into view, but there was no one there.

“…”

Jooin, leaning against the railing, stared across for a moment before turning his head. The still-hot summer wind flowed slowly, rustling the hem of his clothes.

👾🎮

A sustainable world, my ass. Hyunwoo realized once again that only a minority of people cared about such things.

Hyunwoo snorted, recalling the slogans his classmates would shout every summer.

What? Thank you, Mr. Carrier?

He was confident that this damn air conditioner had played a big part in accelerating global warming.

Outside, it was the perfect weather to be cooked alive, but inside, the temperature was so freezer-like that his teeth were chattering. He could vaguely hear the cries of the baby polar bear that had tugged at his heartstrings in a public service announcement.

Hyunwoo, sitting by the window, wrapped his arms around his trembling body as he looked at the condensation fogging up the outside of the glass.

The reason his body was trembling like a leaf wasn’t just because of the temperature. His shaking legs, in particular, were heavily influenced by the two cups of coffee he had already finished, having arrived two hours earlier than the appointment time. Due to the much higher caffeine intake than usual, Hyunwoo’s heart was leaping and bounding.

He could hear the voices of people glancing at him from across the table.

“Did you see the person in the hat over there? So handsome.”

“Crazy. This is the first time I’ve seen a handsome person in 7 years.”

Hyunwoo, who had lived his entire 23 years with whispers, paid them no mind and chewed on a cookie. The cookie, studded with chocolate chips, had been given to him a little while ago by someone along with their number. Next to the opened cookie wrapper, a few more pieces of paper with numbers on them were piled up.

When there were five minutes left until the appointment time, the phone he was holding as if it were a sacred relic vibrated briefly.

Jooin

Almost there

You? 1:55 PM

Hyunwoo’s fingers tapped out a message.

Me too1:55 PM

Despite the anxious waiting of the one person, Jooin was silent for a long time after the number 1 next to the message disappeared. Does he mean it’s fine as long as he’s seen it, or what? With no choice, Hyunwoo sent another message.

Hyung, what are you getting?

I just got here, so I’ll order for you in advance 1:57 PM

Jooin

Just an Americano for me 1:57 PM

Iced, right? 1:58 PM

Jooin

Yeah 1:58 PM

Having received Jooin’s reply, Hyunwoo shot up from his seat.

He returned the two coffee cups left at his table and ran to the counter, ordering Jooin’s iced Americano along with an iced tea for himself.

It was the best choice he could make in a situation where his heart might explode if he drank any more coffee. He didn’t want to look like a kid who couldn’t drink coffee, and he didn’t want to reveal that he had come early by admitting he had already had two cups.

A proud smile spread across Hyunwoo’s face as he returned after placing the order.

Just then, someone tapped Hyunwoo’s shoulder.

Hyunwoo, naturally recalling the situation he had experienced several times today, let out a tired sigh. Then, he turned around and said.

“I’m sorry, but I like someone…”

“…Hi?”