MY 18

Soon, rustling sounds followed as if the phone were being handed over. Han Seolwoo gathered his breath and organized the words he needed to say. First, he planned to ask where he was and why he hadn’t come to school.

—Beep, beep, beep…

But the call was cut off without mercy. Flustered, Han Seolwoo gripped the phone that was only sounding the disconnection tone and blinked blankly.

…Wow. He definitely hung up on purpose. He saw it was me and just hung up, right now.

It was absurd. A surge of stubbornness welled up.

[Dumb-je]

Han Seolwoo, standing with a hand on his hip, called him again. The connection tone continued several times. Once, twice, three times, four times… The continuous ringing only stopped after a long while.

—The power is turned off, connecting to the voice mailbox. After connection, call charges will apply…

The phone was off. Won Wooje was off, too.

Ha.

Han Seolwoo let out a deep breath. His solar plexus felt stifled and nauseous, as if he had indigestion.

Won Wooje did not come to school the next day either. There was still no contact from him.

Accordingly, all of Han Seolwoo’s worrying went to waste. Since he didn’t even show his face, let alone reach out, there was no way to apologize. He didn’t even have a clue who he should try to contact.

Eleven o’clock at night. Returning home and sitting at his desk, Han Seolwoo ground his teeth while staring at his phone. He had spent the whole day agonizing while clicking on Won Wooje’s profile picture, but there was no answer.

At this point, he’s really deciding to go all out.

No matter how much they fought, this wasn’t something worth being absent for two days. It takes two to tango. Whether apologizing or reconciling, they first had to see each other’s faces—no, at the very least, they had to be in contact to do anything. He wanted to interrogate him from start to finish about what on earth he was thinking.

Just what was he doing with his life, had he even gone home, had he completely given up on his school records and attendance. What was the reason for not even coming to school.

Han Seolwoo toyed with his phone with an annoyed face. Won Wooje’s phone was turned back on, but there was still no response to his contact. At this point, he was even suspicious that he might have been blocked.

…Was he that angry.

Though he did have a reason to be angry.

Han Seolwoo, chewing over the words he had said, let out another sigh. He wanted to turn back time if he could.

“Ah, noona, why are you being like this.”

The familiar voice from across the receiver comes to mind. It was a low tone that sounded laced with laughter. Thinking about it made irritation surge up instantly. While he was dying of distress, he felt aggrieved by the sight of the other flirting with a girl as if to show off. Even while thinking his own words “Who do you think you are” were harsh, he grew angrier and angrier.

Why are you like this? Why is noona like this? Forget noona or whatever, why the hell are you like that? You’ve been absent from school without permission for two days, and you can actually smile right now, fuck.

Curses he didn’t intend to use popped out again. Whenever he thought of Won Wooje, bad words kept coming out. It was because the image of the guy, who would be acting sly somewhere else without knowing the heart of the person worrying about him, rose clearly in his mind.

Han Seolwoo, covering his eyes with his palm, let out deep sighs. Even while thinking he wasn’t in a position to be angry, when he thought about it again, it all felt like his fault.

I mean, who told him to overprotect a perfectly fine guy like that. Why does he act like a person anxious with jealousy every time. Who on earth is that obsessed with a friend meeting a girl. Just why does he make a person so confused. Why.

“Was it good?”

The sneering voice came to mind.

“Did you hide it and go around struggling because you were afraid you’d get cursed at for acting like a dog in heat!”

Han Seolwoo bit the flesh inside his mouth hard. His aching heart thudded rapidly.

Could those words even be sincere? Why does he speak so vulgarly, so harshly? How, just how do you have to view me to be able to say something like that.

Han Seolwoo’s conscience was clear. He didn’t know why the other’s thoughts jumped that far, but the things he was shouting about were things Seolwoo hadn’t even considered. He wanted to clear up the misunderstanding. He wanted to honestly say that it was just a deviation committed in the midst of being troubled, and that it was something he never wanted to do again. If Won Wooje hadn’t cornered him like that, he would have sheepishly confessed the truth, saying it was no big deal.

This was all Won Wooje’s fault.

Strength entered the hand holding the pen. He couldn’t concentrate. Forget reviewing, nothing even entered his sight. Han Seolwoo, who had been staring silently at his phone, finally chose the ultimate method.

Eleven-thirty at night. It was late, but he had no choice. It was an extraordinary measure.

Ring, ring. Before long, the call was connected.

—Hello?

“Hello mother, it’s Seolwoo.”

—Oh, Seolwoo! What’s the matter at this hour?

A high-pitched voice was heard. It was Won Wooje’s mother.

“Ah, it’s nothing else, but I have something to ask and Wooje isn’t answering his phone. Could you possibly put him on?”

He spoke as politely as possible. It was something he could do because she normally thought very highly of him.

—Wooje? Ugh, don’t even talk about it. He hasn’t come home for two days! I don’t know where he’s playing again. Is he not answering your calls either?

“Ah… No, I…”

—He doesn’t answer calls, that brat. I guess he’s sleeping at Rose again without any word. What am I to do since he won’t listen?

The sound of deep sighs was heard. Rose Mansion was Won Wooje’s other house. Since he knew she didn’t really get involved in Won Wooje’s deviations, there seemed to be no more information to dig up.

“…I’ll try going there. Don’t worry.”

—Oh well, he’s a grown son. Seolwoo, I heard you did well on this mock exam too? I’m so proud, so proud. Hyejin and I raised you guys together, but how can you be so different? What on earth is the problem?

“Yes, well… I’ll try talking to him.”

Han Seolwoo nodded awkwardly at the sudden praise.

—No, no, don’t mind our Wooje and study hard yourself. See you next time?

“Yes, thank you. Good night.”

The call ended. Han Seolwoo, who had gained no results, frowned.

He loosely threw on some outerwear and stepped outside. Han Seolwoo’s shadow stretched out as he walked down the slope. A sigh came out with every step.

A short walk down the hill led to an old villa district with an atmosphere contrasting this one. The small house his father had bought him when Won Wooje ran away from home, and the hideout they occasionally visited, was there. After becoming a second-year student, he became busily occupied and hadn’t dropped by.

He thought the weather felt humid, and sure enough, raindrops began to fall pit-a-pat. Han Seolwoo quickly ran under the eaves. At least it was a relief that it started falling after he arrived at the villa.

Han Seolwoo turned on his phone while shaking his slightly wet bangs. It was nearly twelve o’clock. The message was still in an unread state, and it was obvious without looking that he wouldn’t answer the phone either.

He must be in by now, surely.

Standing at the first-floor entrance and poking his head out to look at the upper floors, he saw that the light was on in Won Wooje’s house. It was a relief in the midst of misfortune.

Han Seolwoo took another deep breath as he calmly walked up to the third floor. He organized what to say to him in his head and thought through the simulation.

Do you avoid poop because it’s scary? No, you avoid it because it’s dirty. Not that the trouble with him was poop, but it was a matter that should be avoided. He would endure it as he always had. It was annoying and unfair, but he had no choice. Because doing this was also better for him.

Don’t be scared, Han Seolwoo. You are a man. You are a man among men. Since it already happened, he had to face it somehow. To put it bluntly, it wasn’t like only he was in the wrong. He had things to say too. The fact that he was busy flirting with a woman was the same for him.

Thinking about it, his chest felt stifled again and his throat felt hot. But he shouldn’t stay in this mood after coming all this way.

Han Seolwoo, having suppressed his boiling insides with effort, stood still in front of the front door and hesitated for a moment. He would apologize first. Then he would ask who he was with and what he did, and why he wasn’t coming to school. If his anger still didn’t subside, the plan was to just keep apologizing.

Even if they crossed the line a bit this time, it wasn’t the first or second time the two had fought. Even when he prepared all sorts of things to say, they often reconciled instantly at a single burst of laughter that exploded without resistance. It was certain that this time would pass without much trouble too.

Should he knock, or press the doorbell. Then he decided to just do as he always did. Since he would still be angry, he also wanted to surprise him a little.

‘32403240’ It was Won Wooje’s password. It was a simple number, so it was easy to memorize. Eight electronic beeps sounded, then beep-beep. The door opened.

It was silent inside. Han Seolwoo, poking his head in, stepped into the entrance and closed the door carefully.

“Wooje…”

The moment he raised his head, he heard a presence from inside the room.

“Really?”

Then an unfamiliar woman’s voice was heard. Han Seolwoo, who was taking off his shoes while leaning against the wall, froze like ice.