Swallow Hunting - Chapter 60.2
“It will be even more interesting from now on. I guarantee it. I will do my best.”
It felt as though a bucket had miraculously descended from the sky just as he had fallen into a bottomless well. Hae-jun quickly wiped away his remaining tears with his hand and beamed.
“What is your schedule like after today?”
“Ah, I have to go do deliveries. I was late today, so the boss is furious. I have to work even harder.”
“Finish work early.”
“Pardon?”
Hae-jun tilted his head at the sudden request.
“Because I intend to do the same.”
After finishing his sentence, Lee Kang-ju stood up first. Hae-jun followed behind him, looking bewildered. Before they left Cheongundam, the counter staff handed Lee Kang-ju a three tiered lunch box.
“Do you have a prior engagement?”
Hae-jun spoke up, wondering if the man had someone to meet, and if so, why he had asked Hae-jun to finish work early. Lee Kang-ju looked back at Hae-jun while holding the heavy lunch box as if it were a feather.
“Because you’re going to get hungry later, Mr. Cha Hae-jun.”
Hae-jun blinked rapidly. However, once the meaning finally dawned on him, his neck gradually turned red, like peach blossoms blooming. It was a grand declaration that since the man had fed him well, it was now time to consume him.
***
True to his plan, the contents of the lunch box went straight into Hae-jun’s mouth. Whether Lee Kang-ju had ordered it specially or it was a standard part of the set, the steamed king prawn that Hae-jun had picked as his favorite was included.
Lee Kang-ju, however, consumed Hae-jun instead of the lunch box. They rolled around messily on top of Lee Kang-ju, beneath him, lying on their sides, and even in the bathroom.
Even while losing his mind to pleasure, Hae-jun bit his inner cheeks and lips to suppress his cries. He flushed, thinking that the faint, fishy taste of iron mixed into the meal later was all because of that.
That was a few days ago. Hae-jun sat blankly on a bench and put a cigarette to his lips. It was a smoking area attached to the building, a place where residents came out to smoke without sparing a glance for one another.
He stared vacantly at the hazy smoke. Unlike his blurred focus, his mind was complicated. Most of his thoughts were about Lee Kang-ju.
Though he had luckily secured three more months, this too was a fixed term. He was certain that when the renewal season came around again, he would suffer such extreme stress that he’d develop a bald spot.
When the cigarette was half burnt, a cheerful voice called out “Hyung!” from over there. Hae-jun’s head turned slowly. No Eun-jae, wearing a soft beige knit and a brown long coat, came jogging over. With his teeth showing in a wide grin, he looked exactly like a large dog.
“Wow, I was really craving a cigarette today. I guess it was because I was meant to meet you, Hyung.”
“School ends quite late for you.”
It was past 9:00 PM. Since Hae-jun had never crossed the threshold of a university, he had no way of knowing when classes ended or how lectures were conducted.
“I was late doing an assignment with the other kids. When did you get off work, Hyung?”
“About an hour ago?”
No Eun-jae sat down beside him and put a cigarette in his mouth. He rummaged through his pockets and then wore a troubled expression for a moment. He said he didn’t have a lighter. When Hae-jun tossed him one, he acted cute, asking Hae-jun to light it for him. It was a hassle, but not something he couldn’t do, so he flicked the flint.
“Strangely, it tastes better when you light it for me, Hyung. Do you have a special touch?”
He was talking nonsense. Hae-jun finished his cigarette and threw it in the ashtray. He had no reason to inhale someone else’s smoke or wait around, so he turned his body.
“I’m going now.”
“Aw, wait a second.”
No Eun-jae caught Hae-jun’s sleeve. He let his eyebrows droop, singing about how lonely he would be if Hae-jun left like this. As if to hold Hae-jun back, he went to the vending machine and brought back a warm drink.
“Have this.”
“You shouldn’t have.”
Hae-jun didn’t dislike the drink that warmed his cold hands. Since he wasn’t the type to take a bribe and run, he turned back and sat on the bench.
“The other kids tell me to switch to electronic cigarettes, but it’s not easy. It just doesn’t have that flavor. It feels like soju mixed with water.”
No Eun-jae was quite talkative. He rambled on for a long time about school life, who was seeing whom, his past working as a host, and which customers were the most memorable. He was a good storyteller, so it wasn’t boring to listen to.
“But Hyung, do you really only do deliveries?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
No Eun-jae turned his head to meet Hae-jun’s eyes. He had a serious expression. It resembled Yohan’s face when he would warn Hae-jun not to even think about lying to him.
Since this was just a fleeting acquaintance, was there a need to reveal the truth? Hae-jun finished the rest of his drink and gave the same answer as before. “Yeah.”
“Actually, Hyung, I saw it.”
“Saw what?”
“I saw a man going into your house.”
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