HYUNG 15

“Anyway… I, I can help you, hyung. So, can’t you give me just one chance to help you?”

It shouldn’t be something so desperate. It was truly strange how he acted, as if he were waiting for permission as though I held all the power, even though I was the one receiving the help. I wanted to ask, “Why are you being like this?” but I held it in because that wouldn’t be polite either.

“Sure. If you help me, I’d be grateful.”

“That’s a relief.”

Ham Dowon smiled beamishly.

“But how long are you going to stay like that?”

Helping and smiling was all well and good, but I didn’t think standing at the entrance with his hands covering his ears was quite right. If he was going to just leave like yesterday, he should at least take his coat and bag. And his own laptop, along with mine.

“…Ah.”

As if realizing late, Ham Dowon lowered his head with an embarrassed face and came back to sit in his seat.

“So. Hyung, this is the Mont Blanc. Mont Blanc is made with chestnuts, and this is the chestnut paste…”

“Yeah. I know. I’ve tried it.”

“…”

The face of the guy explaining the cake remained beet-red, as if he wanted to act like nothing was wrong. I cut him off because I felt a bit mischievous, and he gave me a look as if he found me a little unkind.

“…So the chestnuts are, chestnuts… Chestnuts… Hyung, do you like chestnuts?”

Ham Dowon, who tried to continue the explanation but eventually gave up, soon began asking nonsensical questions. He was a guy whose eye area was naturally reddish, but now that it had turned even redder, he looked like he was about to cry.

“Yeah. I like them. Do you want a fork?”

“No… There are forks here.”

Is he that embarrassed? It was a bit pitiful to see his hands trembling as he pulled disposable forks out of the paper bag. Seeing him like that with a face like his made me feel concerned. Did I act too mean? I changed my tone to be a bit kinder.

“Using disposables is a bit much, so I’ll just give you a fork. I don’t like making a lot of trash. But, Ham Dowon, can you eat all this ice cream and cake?”

“I like sweet things… I can eat the cake while the ice cream melts. Since the ice cream is still frozen solid and hard… Since the spoon won’t go in… You eat first, hyung. I brought this for you…”

Ham Dowon, who handed me a plastic fork wrapped in thin vinyl, rambled on incoherently until I placed a stainless steel fork in his hand. To summarize, he meant he would eat both the cake and the ice cream because he liked sweets.

I took just a small bite of the chestnut paste with my fork, but then, because Ham Dowon was sending me such an expectant look, I ended up taking a big scoop and putting it in my mouth.

“Hyung, is it delicious?”

“Yeah. It’s good. I can see why it’s famous.”

“Right! My aunt studied in France and was in the States too! She really makes them well!”

Watching Ham Dowon getting excited and bragging about his aunt, Soyoon came to mind again. My Soyoon, I wonder if she’s doing well? When I met her last time, she was so young she couldn’t even speak properly, yet she pestered me to play the Baby Shark game… I still don’t understand what kind of game that is.

“This is delivered directly from Gongju every time and she makes the paste herself…!”

“Yes, yes. How are you so good with words?”

While thinking of the cutie of the Ye family, Soyoon, I unknowingly ended up overlapping Soyoon and Ham Dowon. With a completely relaxed face, I ended up smiling and stroking Ham Dowon’s head. I had even blurted out a strange compliment; of course a 22-year-old guy would be good with words. Ah, Ye Hwanoh, are you crazy? He might be like a child, but he’s not a child.

“Sorry. I did that without thinking. Did it make you feel bad?”

“…It didn’t make me feel bad. It really didn’t… It’s just so strange. I don’t usually like people touching me… Hyung, hyung, you are so skillful at it. But you only do this to me, right? Hyung, you… to me…”

“Ah, a phone call.”

I quickly pulled my hand away and apologized. Ham Dowon shook his head lightly and moved his lips. He was saying something, but his voice was too small to hear well. It was easily buried by the vibration of the phone. Since the caller was Mom, I apologized again with a “Sorry,” and quickly answered.

“Yeah, Mom. What’s up?”

— Are you coming down next week? Oh my, just focus on your studies. Why bother coming down just for Mom’s birthday. You must be busy with assignments. You just went back to school after a long time, too.

Adults were always like this. They could just say they’re happy if they’re happy, but they start with a scolding first. Still, I didn’t dislike it, so I replied good-naturedly.

“It’s been a long time since I celebrated your birthday because of my language studies and the military. Isn’t it nice to see your son’s face once in a while? And it’s not that far. It’s a quick bus ride.”

— Still, traveling back and forth is tiring.

“Mom, don’t you want to see your handsome son? It’s been a while, I want to eat yours and Dad’s cooking. Dad’s cooking the seaweed soup again, right? I think Dad makes the best seaweed soup in the world. And I already bought a gift, aren’t you excited? It’ll feel much better to receive it in person than by mail, right?”

In fact, I hadn’t bought the gift yet. It was because I couldn’t decide what to give her for the first in-person celebration in a long time. When I smoothed it over with pleasant words, Mom answered with a voice that tried to hide her good mood with a “Reeeally?” But it was obvious.

“Anyway, I’m in the middle of an assignment right now, so I can’t talk for long. I have a junior over at my house.”

— A junior? Don’t tell me, a girlfriend?

“Aw, Mom. I don’t have a girlfriend.”

— That person you met last time, right. What about Jiho…

“Ah, Mom. My junior is looking for me. Yeah, I’ll be there in a sec! Mom, I’m hanging up!”

I hung up quickly before Mom could launch into a long story about my ex-girlfriend. Back when I was studying abroad, I was on a video call with my family when the girlfriend I was seeing at the time came over earlier than expected and I got caught. My parents couldn’t hide their excitement at the news that she went to the same school as me and tried to shower her with questions, but I barely managed to cut them off.

“Hyung, you have a good relationship with your mother.”

Ham Dowon mumbled with the spoon in his mouth, as if he had already started eating the ice cream. The pronunciation was all muffled, but I could still hear what he was saying.

“Is that so? I think it’s pretty ordinary.”

I felt a bit embarrassed, wondering if I looked like a mama’s boy. I’m actually not that much of a devoted son. They’d actually get upset saying I only do this occasionally on special days. Taking the spoon out of his mouth, Ham Dowon scooped some ice cream, but instead of putting it in his mouth, he suddenly stared at me.

“I have a good relationship with my mom too… But my mom said she doesn’t want to be an overbearing mother-in-law and has no intention of being one, so she told me not to be too disappointed if she doesn’t visit often even if I get a lover or a wife later. She said my lover will like that much better. But if my lover wants it, I can get along well with my lover’s parents too.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. I get a lot of love from adults. Everyone has found me very cute since I was a child.”

Only after finishing his sentence did Ham Dowon put the ice cream in his mouth. Right. It’s great news that he’s loved by adults. And it’s very happy that he gets along with his mother. But I don’t know why I need to know this. I even had the random thought that maybe he considered me, who is only three years older, an “adult.”

I couldn’t understand that mental world at all, and I didn’t have the energy to try. I was about to take a bite of the cake when I took a picture with my phone and sent it to Ye Hwanyoung.

[This is the place for the cake you said you wanted to eat, right? It’s delicious.]

Ye Hwanyoung: [WHAT ABOUT MINE!!!!!!!!!!!]

This jerk was looking at her phone again. A reply came immediately.

[I might buy it for you if you act nice.]

Ye Hwanyoung: [Oppa, do you know what my favorite bread is?]

[Salt bread]

Recently, she had been annoyingly sending pictures every day, saying that making salt bread was the most fun. She even sent a shopping mall link, asking for some butter because she was using too much lately. It was expensive French butter with a very high milk content. Wicked girl.

Ye Hwanyoung: [My favorite bread is! Drumroll!! O-ppang (Oppa)!!!!!!!!!!!]

“Wow, this kid… she’s got moves.”

“…Who is it?”