BHB 17

Lee Taegang roughly set down a pot of five boiled ramyeon noodles, using a discarded textbook as a placemat.

‘Ah, it smells incredible.’

Seeing the bright red, boiling ramyeon, Yeowon suddenly realized how hungry he was. He excitedly gathered spoons and plates, then started scooping up noodles like a beggar who hadn’t eaten in three days. He seemed to have completely forgotten their previous conversation.

‘Oh, the egg isn’t broken. Good.’

As Yeowon smiled contentedly while ladling up the soft-boiled egg, Taegang raised one corner of his mouth.

‘You only care about eating, as usual.’

‘Look who’s talking.’

Yeowon slurped up a large mouthful of noodles with his chopsticks. Perhaps because he’d eaten nothing but ramyeon day and night since childhood, Taegang had become an expert at cooking it. It tasted even better than store-bought.

As Yeowon ate frantically, a cup was placed in front of him. Taegang provided water before starting to eat his own ramyeon. Like Yeowon, he picked up a large amount with his chopsticks, but suddenly paused. He then gazed intently at Yeowon, who was inhaling the noodles in a trance-like state. Feeling the stare, Yeowon looked up with just his eyes, and their gazes met precisely.

‘What are you doing? Eat.’

The words came out muffled by the ramyeon. After watching for a moment, Taegang focused on eating again. Yeowon’s eyebrows twitched at this odd behavior, when suddenly Taegang’s deep voice rumbled:

‘Don’t bring them home.’

‘What now?’

‘Women or those guys from earlier.’

‘You’re still obsessing over that?’

Yeowon let out a mirthless laugh, not stopping his eating. He continued speaking as well:

‘Girlfriends are fine, right.’

‘No.’

‘Hey, it’s my place, you know?’”

As Yeowon spoke while picking up some store-bought kimchi, Taegang ignored him and said:

‘This is my territory.’

‘What are you saying? Are you an elementary school student?

‘It’s our space, yours and mine.’

There was something unusual in the unwavering gaze fixed on him. It was an uncharacteristically stubborn look. Yeowon scratched his chin with a puzzled expression and let out a deflated laugh.

‘Acting childish doesn’t suit you.’

‘…’

‘Fine, do what you want.’

‘Keep your promise.’

‘I said okay. When have I ever not listened to you?’

Yeowon generally tended to give in when Taegang was being stubborn.

Since childhood, Taegang would sometimes act unreasonably in a way that didn’t suit him. In middle school, he told Yeowon not to hang out with other kids. When entering high school, despite having good enough grades for a prestigious private school, he insisted on attending the same regular public school as Yeowon. He secretly changed the documents his parents submitted to the school, and when his parents found out, they beat him as usual. That time, Taegang was beaten so badly by his parents that his face was bruised and he limped on one ankle, so he stayed at Yeowon’s house for a week.

Even when Taegang made such unreasonable and stubborn demands, Yeowon could never bring himself to stop him. Was it because he sometimes felt sorry for that big guy? Or because he truly considered him no different from a brother?

This time too, Yeowon readily accepted it, thinking it was just Taegang’s usual stubbornness. It was probably from then on that Yeowon stopped casually inviting just anyone to his place. On nights he didn’t want to sleep alone, he always called Taegang, and Taegang came and went as if it were his own home, so there wasn’t much impact from not inviting others. Perhaps that’s why the habit continued even as they grew older.

“Want to play a game?”

Yeowon asked casually as soon as he finished reminiscing. He naturally avoided answering and headed towards the TV, and Do Yeongjae didn’t press further, immediately showing interest.

“Hell yeah.”

Do Yeongjae grabbed the game controller and settled on the floor. As he excitedly lit up, Yeowon let out a soft laugh, finding it quite amusing.

Right, it was all in the past anyway. How long was he supposed to indulge that childishness? Now even his concern was becoming bothersome.

Yeowon’s laughter faded into bitterness as he turned on the power. He didn’t want to think about Taegang anymore today. Yeowon bit his lip again and forced a smile. Then, as if nothing was wrong, he focused on the game graphics, concentrating on the game as usual.

Yeowon opened his bleary eyes, not knowing when he had fallen asleep. Outside the window, darkness had long since fallen, and the living room was a mess. In the excitement of gaming, he and Do Yeongjae had opened some snacks and downed canned beers. They had even called Soochan over, turning it into a proper drinking session. They opened the whiskey Taegang had brought as a gift, and even the wine Yeowon’s parents had sent as a gift ages ago. As a result, Do Yeongjae was passed out on the floor with his head tilted back against the sofa, while Soochan was sprawled out on the floor as if it were his own bedroom.

Yeowon, the first to wake up, lazily got up and grabbed his carelessly discarded coat before heading outside. Opening the door revealed a narrow corridor with one side open, perfect for smoking. He usually smoked inside, but made an exception when guests were over. Besides, he didn’t want to add cigarette smell to the already strong alcohol odor, and he wanted some fresh air.

The night sky was visible, though he couldn’t tell the exact time. Below the chest-high railing, artificial neon signs flashed garishly. Just as he was about to light his cigarette, using the cool night breeze and cityscape as a backdrop…

The mechanical sound of the arriving elevator echoed through the quiet corridor. Yeowon’s hand, turning the lighter, paused as his head instinctively turned.

“…”

“…”

As the doors opened, their gazes met. Yeowon felt his breath catch at the unfamiliar awkwardness. But unlike him, Taegang looked calm. His usual unreadable expression. Normally, Yeowon could brilliantly deduce Taegang’s thoughts and feelings just by looking at his face, but not this time. This time, he couldn’t tell at all. Taegang increasingly felt like a stranger.

“You’re just getting in?”

Yeowon broke the silence, trying to sound casual without making a fuss. He turned his head back, looking over the railing as he lit his cigarette.

“…”

Taegang didn’t answer. Glancing back, Yeowon saw him simply heading towards his own front door. Feeling the coldness of this behavior, Yeowon gritted his teeth and spoke again.

“Still mad?”

He added, staring at Taegang’s broad back as he was about to enter his door code.

“What were you doing coming back so late?”

“…”

“Don’t tell me you’re just getting in after leaving like that yesterday?”

“What about you?”

“What?”

“You’re the one who stayed out all night yesterday.”

Taegang finally turned around. His unstyled hair swayed in the wind, and between his long bangs, Yeowon could see his slightly furrowed brow.

“…I drank a lot yesterday and ended up sleeping at Do Yeongjae’s place.”

Suddenly feeling on the defensive, Yeowon stumbled over his words as if making excuses.

“How much did you drink?”

“I just fell asleep while drinking, and I guess Do Yeongjae took me to his place.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to drink like that?”

“…And whose fault was it that I was drinking?”

“You’re blaming me again?”

“…Forget it. Let’s stop. I don’t want to fight.”

Yeowon avoided further argument, leaning against the railing as he inhaled the cigarette smoke. Lately, every conversation with Taegang left him feeling stifled. He hated how curious he was about whether Taegang had met that senior again. Even as he tried to tell himself not to care, just seeing Taegang’s face brought it all back. At that moment, Yeowon’s front door swung open.

“Han Yeowon, are you here? Oh, Taegang, hi.”

Do Yeongjae, who must have woken up and come looking for Yeowon, casually greeted Taegang as soon as he opened the door. Taegang’s face immediately hardened at Do Yeongjae’s sudden appearance.

“Why are you here?”

At Taegang’s blunt question in his deep voice, Do Yeongjae hesitated with a seemingly bewildered “Uh…”

“I brought him.”

Taegang’s gaze slowly shifted. Despite the ominous look, Yeowon met his eyes straight on, without a hint of intimidation.

“Why?”

From the chilly atmosphere, Yeowon could tell Taegang was getting irritated. But he felt no need to act guilty.

Taegang looked back and forth between Yeowon and Do Yeongjae before asking coldly:

“Just the two of you?”

“No. Soochan’s inside too.”

Yeowon answered calmly.

“Here we go again.”

The sarcasm in his voice made Yeowon wrinkle his nose. The probing questions felt predictable, and he too was starting to get annoyed. He couldn’t understand why Taegang was angry at him. He had no idea what he had done wrong to Taegang.

“What?”

“Bringing just anyone into your home.”

“Ha. You know what’s funny?”

“…”

“Your actions don’t match your words at all.”

“…”

“Didn’t you tell me not to interfere with your private life?”

“…”

“So why are you interfering with mine? What business is it of yours who I bring into my own home?”

Taegang’s contradictory behavior was grating. He set boundaries for Yeowon but acted without any boundaries himself. Unable to hold back, Yeowon vented his frustrations, his voice sharp.

“Why… why are you guys fighting? Haha.”

Do Yeongjae forced a laugh, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere. Yeowon, suddenly remembering Do Yeongjae’s presence, gestured for him to go inside with a brief word.