Swallow Hunting - Chapter 49.2
***
When Lee Kang-ju returned home, he was holding something in his hand. Hae-jun placed his hands behind his back and tilted his head as he inspected it. It was a paper bag with an English logo attached to it.
“Give it here. I’ll carry it.”
It didn’t look heavy at all, but the remark was made out of politeness. Surprisingly, Lee Kang-ju handed the paper bag to Hae-jun quite readily. Having been curious, Hae-jun seized the chance and peeked inside immediately. Inside was a loaf of bread wrapped in transparent plastic.
Hae-jun’s mouth fell open into an ‘O’ shape. He had actually forgotten to buy some on his way back earlier and had planned not to make breakfast tomorrow morning.
Did the man remember what Hae-jun had mentioned in passing before? Feeling reflexively excited, Hae-jun trotted over and asked.
“Did you remember? That we were all out of bread.”
“Is that so? What a coincidence.”
At the answer that was as indifferent as it was kind, Hae-jun’s shoulders slumped like a puppy caught in the rain.
For a brief moment, he had thought the man remembered what he said. But there was no way someone who never even touched the meals Hae-jun made would buy this out of concern for him.
Hae-jun pushed aside the minor disappointment. Regardless, it was a lucky day. It was too pleasant a coincidence to stay dejected for long.
While Lee Kang-ju went into his room, Hae-jun grinned and pulled the bread out of the paper bag, turning it this way and that. It was white, fluffy, and thick, possessing a quality completely different from the ones he usually picked up at the supermarket.
Hae-jun stared at the bread as if it were a block of gold until Lee Kang-ju came out. He even looked up new recipes on his phone to see what he could do with it tomorrow morning. Even if there was a high possibility Lee Kang-ju wouldn’t eat any, wasn’t a spirit of challenge considered admirable regardless of the era?
“I heard you can eat that as it is without toasting it.”
Perhaps he had been cradling it too much. Lee Kang-ju, who had come out after washing up, spoke suggestively, perhaps thinking Hae-jun was glaring at the bread because he was hungry.
“Raw?”
Watching Lee Kang-ju nod, Hae-jun opened the bag of bread. Since he was feeling peckish, he tried to take out a slice and put it in his mouth. Then he paused and looked at Lee Kang-ju. He looked like a dog seeking his owner’s permission to see if it was okay to eat.
“Would you like some?”
Hae-jun shut his mouth, which looked like it might start drooling, and carefully offered it. Lee Kang-ju smiled faintly and shook his head. It was embarrassing, but the bread was out of the bag and emitting such a rich scent of butter that Hae-jun couldn’t resist.
The moment Hae-jun took a bite of the bread, his eyes sparkled like morning stars. It completely shattered the stereotype that all bread was more or less the same. Compared to this loaf, all the other bread he had eaten until now was nothing more than stiff, coarse paper.
“Incredible.”
“Is it good?”
“This is my first time eating something like this. Wow, you really have to try this. I think you’ll regret it if you don’t.”
“That much?”
“Yes. Hurry.”
If it were Yohan, he would have pounced on it like crazy and finished half the loaf before Hae-jun even told him to eat, but Lee Kang-ju seemed reluctant. Even when Hae-jun pulled out a fresh piece and thrust it toward him, he refused.
“Do you not like bread?”
“Not particularly.”
“Is it flour you’re not fond of?”
“Yes.”
Was that why he hadn’t touched breakfast all this time? Knowing it was impolite to force someone who disliked something, Hae-jun sullenly brought the bread back to his own mouth. He really wanted Lee Kang-ju to taste it since it was a delicacy that melted away like a snowflake.
As he soothed his regret alone, Lee Kang-ju added, “Ah, right.”
“The house will be ready by tomorrow afternoon.”
“The house?”
“The house where Cha Hae-jun lived.”
Hae-jun’s mouth, which had been munching away, came to a sudden halt. He started moving it again soon after, but his chewing was much weaker than before.
“Really? Then that crazy guy next door is gone now?”
“There won’t be any new graffiti appearing on your door.”
“That’s great. I’ll get my things packed then. Around what time tomorrow afternoon will everything be finished?”
“Around 4:00 PM.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Hae-jun answered brightly. He hid any sign of disappointment behind a beaming face.
***
Perhaps because it was the final night, he couldn’t sleep well. Hae-jun spent the time wide awake before eventually getting out of bed late.
Lee Kang-ju must have left for work early, as there was no sound at all in the house. It was a shame. He had wanted to prepare a breakfast that actually suited Lee Kang-ju’s taste this time.
Hae-jun stepped out of his room with a strange feeling. He chased away his lingering sleepiness with a stretch and looked around the living room.
In the empty house, even the ticking of the clock’s second hand was inaudible. Feeling a chill, he reflexively rubbed his arms. It seemed that a house without Lee Kang-ju always had cold air circulating through it, despite the actual temperature on his skin being perfectly appropriate.
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