Simmering Heat Chapter 17.2

The first thing the two men did upon arriving at the airport was figure out how to kill time.

3 PM, club activities end. 3:20 PM, departure. 4:20 PM, arrival at the airport coinciding with the plane landing. 4:30 PM, waiting at the arrival gate. The travel schedule was perfect, except they hadn’t accounted for the delay. After confirming the 30-minute delay, the two stood blankly, letting a minute slip by. That fleeting moment felt stretched out for them, like taffy.

“Can I take your order?”

They agreed to find a place to sit and wait. The vast international airport was full of places to be, but comfortable waiting areas were scarce. They finally found a cafe, unsure if there would be any seats, but no other options came to mind. Taeun, trailing behind Jinhyun in line, rummaged through his pockets as they waited. As he lowered his gaze to retrieve his wallet, a large hand suddenly appeared.

The rough hand was unexpectedly gentle, tugging lightly at the hem of his shirt. Taeun looked up.

“What do you want to drink?”

This was, so to speak, their second conversation since arriving.

The first was, “Want to go to a cafe?” Taeun had only nodded in agreement then, so numbering them didn’t hold much significance.

After that brief exchange, they hadn’t spoken a word during the car ride. Taeun, whose mood had significantly soured, didn’t want to open his mouth, and Jinhyun, sensing this, concentrated on driving. Only the car speakers chattered away. Listening, Taeun’s heart grew heavier, as if stones were piling up, growing into boulders. Human emotions, like snow falling in spring, were utterly capricious.

He’d lashed out in anger, but now that the atmosphere had turned somber, vague regret crept in. By the time they parked, Taeun was reflecting on his behavior, thinking, ‘Why did I overreact again?’

Honestly, from Cha Jinhyun’s perspective, he’d only asked Taeun to play some music. Taeun had exploded in anger like he had an anger management problem, so he’d have no right to complain if Jinhyun had taken his anger out on him. Taeun knew that he was mostly in the wrong.

They had to stick together at least until tomorrow, and this kind of atmosphere wasn’t good from the start. Furthermore, the one who was weak against the suffocating awkwardness, like a classroom on the first day of school, was none other than Lee Taeun himself. Equally eager to break the tension, Taeun immediately recognized the opportune moment.

Knowing someone for a long time doesn’t mean they always get along.

They bickered over trivial things, and while fights were rare, they did happen. The cause was usually Cha Jinhyun’s excessive teasing. Taeun would finally snap, saying, “Stop it,” and the air would freeze, with neither daring to speak. That was the usual start of their arguments.

Every time, Jinhyun would wait for some time to pass before asking in a calm voice, “What do you want to eat?” He would lower his head, or sometimes bend his knees, always making eye contact as he asked with a dry affection. Taeun would melt at this, like a snowman in boiling water.

Always feeling a little wronged for smiling so easily, he would make an absurd request. “Kimchi” at the school store, or “Ox blood soup” at the convenience store. It was their awkward signal for reconciliation. Jinhyun would then chuckle as if he’d been waiting for it, and arbitrarily hand him some strange item, and their quarrel would end vaguely.

Because of this history, Cha Jinhyun’s “What do you want to drink?” was a precursor to reconciliation. Taeun quickly opened his mouth, intending to respond with a silly joke as he always did.

“The most expensive one.”

After his brazen reply, Taeun hoped his intention – ‘I overreacted earlier. Let’s move on’ – was conveyed properly. If Jinhyun caught on and ordered something awful, he could quickly interject and say, “Iced Americano, please.” Arguments and bickering were like transposed letters, just a hair’s breadth apart, and it was most natural to resolve them by squabbling like this.

But his expectations were spectacularly overturned. Cha Jinhyun simply nodded.

“What’s the most expensive one?”

“Huh?”

He then proceeded to ask what the most expensive menu item was, as if nothing was amiss, and a stupid sound popped out of Taeun’s mouth.

“How about a venti Green Tea Frappuccino?”

“Add chocolate drizzle and java chips, please.”

“Huh?”

With the unsolicited additions, it truly became the most expensive item. Taeun squawked like a parrot, but the employee, with a glazed look, swiped the card and quickly finished the transaction.

“Anything else?”

“No.”

Jinhyun took the printed receipt and, leaving the counter, glanced around the cafe, seemingly looking for a place to sit. Flustered, Taeun quickly followed.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

“What?”

“Why are you buying this for me? Why did you just…?”

“Making a fuss even when I buy you something.”

“No, we…”

We don’t usually do this. Taeun trailed off, his mouth opening and closing.

It was the other side that had unknowingly broken their years-long unspoken rule, yet he was acting so brazen that Taeun felt embarrassed. Thinking about it, Cha Jinhyun’s behavior had been strange lately. A few days ago, he’d suddenly sent a cutesy emoticon…

‘That was the one I bought him, too.’

He remembered the day he’d received the emoticon he couldn’t understand. He’d never seen Jinhyun use one, so he was quite taken aback.

Even so, what did it mean?

“There’s a seat over there.”

Lost in thought, Taeun was pulled along by Jinhyun’s hand. The hand lightly gripping his shoulder felt burdensome, but it also felt strange to shake it off, so he left it. However, Taeun engraved two words in his mind: Friends.

It had been ages since he’d considered Jinhyun just a friend, but paradoxically, thanks to that, he knew the appropriate boundaries well.

“Hey, how much was it? I’ll pay you back.”

From Taeun’s perspective, this was a bit precarious.

If nothing had happened, or if the earlier atmosphere hadn’t been his fault, it would have been different. But Jinhyun yielding like this felt unsettling. Taeun quickly took out his phone, pressing Jinhyun for the amount so he could transfer the money immediately, but Jinhyun just kept his mouth shut. Just as Taeun, not giving up, shifted his gaze to the receipt on the table, Jinhyun snatched it up, making a displeased sound.

“Don’t draw a line, okay?”

“…It’s not like that, I have to pay you back.”

“Forget it. It’s not a big deal.”

“…….”

…Hearing him say that, it didn’t seem like such a big deal.

It wasn’t a big deal for a friend to buy a drink. And he wasn’t broke either…. Taeun, conceding, put his phone away, grumbling to himself. It was funny that the guy who was always so meticulous about money was telling him not to worry about it.

“You’re the one who… always took ten thousand won from me….”

Jinhyun chuckled, as if he knew what Taeun meant. Thinking back, the previous ‘fine’ attack was ridiculously audacious and cute.

“I gave it all back.”

“If I hadn’t caught those bugs, I would have been broke.”

Jinhyun was the first to notice the softening atmosphere as they naturally started conversing. Taeun’s grumpy replies weren’t bad, so he felt he could be a little more playful. He put on a slightly worried expression and said jokingly,

“…Now who’s going to catch the bugs when they appear?”

“…….”

“Do you do house calls? I think I even put down a deposit.”

“Ah…”

Taeun reflexively sighed. He vaguely remembered the 50,000 won bill left on his desk the day after he’d cremated the cockroach, along with a note that said ‘deposit.’ This was Cha Jinhyun’s own money, excluding the fines Taeun had paid.

“Right?”

Taeun nodded instinctively, then quickly shook his head as if he’d come to his senses. He suddenly felt a chill down his spine and slapped his thighs with his fists. He was worried Jinhyun would ask for the money back. Of course he’d give it back if asked, but… 50,000 won was a hefty sum for Taeun, who pinched every penny. He considered making a house call, but that was definitely not an option.

“The reservation…expired.”

So Taeun tried to use his limited wit.

“Oh, is that so?”

“…Yes.”

At the almost solemn reply, Jinhyun quickly pressed his lips together. He’d been silent as if staging a protest just moments before, and now he was responding so readily. It was ridiculously endearing. He suppressed a chuckle and said casually,

“I didn’t know there was an expiration date…”

He trailed off, tapping the table. For some reason, he felt reluctant to finish the sentence. He didn’t know there was an expiration date, he didn’t know there was a chance…. Regret is the shadow of the past, revealing itself regardless of time or place when reminiscing.

“How much is an extension?”

Lost in thought, the words slipped out unconsciously. Jinhyun was slightly flustered, but Taeun, unaware, took it lightly as an extension of the joke.

“100 million won.”

“100 million and you’ll make a house call?”

“Yep. I’ll even stand guard all night. Keep the bugs out.”

Again, it was all meaningless banter. Jinhyun knew this well. However, common sense and his subconscious clashed like opposing magnetic poles. He momentarily calculated how much money he had before realizing how crazy he was being and stopped.

“…100 million…”

Or, he tried to stop.

He knew he didn’t need to take a mere joke seriously, but Jinhyun began to dwell on the pointless hypothetical. With 100 million won, he’d have a sufficient excuse to call Taeun over to his house. He wasn’t actually going to do it, but thoughts and hypotheticals are an undeniable instinct for thinking humans. Having rationalized it, he started liquidating his assets in his mind. Selling his car, breaking his savings, emptying his bank accounts…

“No discounts?”

Even so, 100 million was too much. It was just a thought. Just a thought, he rationalized, as he attempted to negotiate with a serious expression.

“……?”

“50 million. Deal?”

“What the…”

Of course, Taeun had no idea what was going on in Jinhyun’s head. He was at a loss for words as the role-playing, which should have ended by now, continued in a strange direction. It was the moment when the intangible awkwardness he’d been feeling around Jinhyun lately became sharply defined.

“Your Iced Americano and Green Tea Frappuccino are ready!”

Just as he was fumbling, missing the chance to reply, the employee’s timely call echoed through the cafe. Judging this as an opportunity to escape, Taeun quickly tried to get up, but his shoulder was pushed down, and his bottom landed back on the chair.

“Stay put, I’ll get them.”

Jinhyun, having reseated Taeun, naturally got up and headed to the counter. The potentially awkward situation was resolved for the moment, but it didn’t feel particularly fortunate. Taeun followed his broad back with a puzzled gaze, then quickly looked down as Jinhyun turned around with the drinks.

Jinhyun returned with the two vastly different-sized drinks on a tray, sat down, and picked up the green one. That’s mine, Taeun thought, watching him. Jinhyun peeled off the straw wrapper, poked it into the mountain of whipped cream, and handed it to Taeun.

“Can you handle this? You can’t handle cold things well, right?”

“…It’s not that bad.”

Taeun replied indifferently as he accepted the drink. He loved ice cream, despite his supposed inability to handle cold things. He just avoided chewing on hard ice cubes because of his weak teeth. Unlike Cha Jinhyun, who would chomp on popsicles, Taeun always licked them, letting them melt on his tongue. Whenever he did, Jinhyun would tease him about having dentures or sensitive teeth, but he’d never expressed such blatant concern about him being able to handle something cold.

So, Cha Jinhyun was being strange. Really, incredibly strange. This wasn’t the kind of affection he usually showed. This was…like he wasn’t a friend…. Taeun scoffed at the thought, but couldn’t relax.

“They say some people get irritable when their blood sugar drops.”

“……”

“Try it. See if it improves your mood.”

But it was the first time he’d experienced this, so he didn’t know how to react. He’d never received this kind of affection before. Taeun couldn’t respond and just bobbed his Adam’s apple. The liquid pooled in his mouth, almost making him choke. The man who’d made such a perplexing request simply glanced at Taeun, his teasing eyes clearly asking for a response. The look was so bewildering that Taeun simply looked away. He heard a small puff of air from across the table. Jinhyun finally took a sip of his cold coffee.

“This tastes awful.”

“…….”

“I should have ordered something sweet, too.”

He ignored the incomprehensible, unwelcome mutterings. Taeun’s hand holding the cup trembled slightly.

He’d always hated him, and always liked him. He’d hated him unbearably, and liked him unbearably. But now he was being told not to like or hate him. He suddenly wanted to yell, but swallowed his anger with the ice Jinhyun had given him. Taeun pulled the straw from his lips and stood up.

“Let’s go. It’s time.”

He just wanted to get through this weekend without any trouble. And he just wanted to let the remaining days flow by peacefully. That was enough. He didn’t want anything else.

🔥

The three of them exited the bustling arrival gate and headed towards the parking lot. The strange awkwardness that sometimes arose when they were alone vanished with the addition of another person. The woman with sunglasses perched on her wavy hair, flanked by two tall men, looked like a celebrity escorted by bodyguards.

“Jinhyun gets more handsome every time I see him.”

Taeun’s eyes narrowed as he watched his mother, who was repeatedly exclaiming, “Oh my, oh my.”

“You say that every time.”

“Because you get more handsome every time I see you! You seem taller. Don’t you think so?”

Taeun felt a strange sense of kinship, which was quite disturbing. He seemed to understand where his mother had gotten her fussiness and discerning eye.

Jinhyun, adeptly handling the embarrassing compliments, smiled lightly. Asking if he’d grown taller as a greeting was a family trait, he thought, replying casually,

“About 2cm taller.”

Taeun flinched, recognizing the same answer he’d given before.

“How have you been? I should have greeted you first, but it’s been hectic.”

“What greetings, you’re busy with school. It’s a bother for you to come all the way here.”

Jinhyun politely continued the conversation, naturally taking on the role of porter.

“Oh, it’s fine.”

His mother offered a perfunctory refusal. Jinhyun just smiled and slung the bag over his shoulder, pulling the suitcase.

“Mom, your son’s right here.”

Taeun, walking alongside them, felt irritated and interrupted their friendly chat.

“I know, silly. Has my son not grown at all?”

“I see her every three months, and you haven’t seen him in three years, so of course. I was shorter three years ago, too.”

“So defensive.”

His mother patted Taeun’s back, finding her son’s complaint cute and endearing. Satisfied with the affectionate touch, Taeun covered his rising cheekbones with his hand. He felt silly for feeling comforted by his mother’s touch at twenty-four, but he couldn’t help it. He’d missed this stinging, warm hand lately.

“Are you eating properly? Why have you lost so much weight?”

His mother cupped Taeun’s face in her hands, kneading his soft cheeks.

“Your face has become half its size.”

“That’s proof I’ve become a man.”

“You always have a smart answer for everything.”

Taeun leaned against his mother, wanting more of her touch as she pinched his cheek and pulled away. His mother chuckled, amused by her son, who seemed to have regressed despite only three months apart.

“Jinhyun, is it hard looking after him?”

The question, directed at Jinhyun, sounded as if she were talking to her son’s homeroom teacher, not his friend. It sounded like, ‘Our Taeun gives you a lot of trouble, doesn’t he?’ Taeun straightened up, dumbfounded.

“I’m older than him.”

Truly, he didn’t want to be childish, but… he was half a year older than Cha Jinhyun, yet he was being treated like he was much younger. ‘Looking after’ him? He’d done everything while living together. The only one of Cha Jinhyun’s outrageous house rules he’d broken was ‘Don’t talk to me.’

He’d taken out the trash and meticulously separated it, even if it meant being late. He’d vacuumed and scrubbed the bathroom to appease the guy who nitpicked over a single strand of hair. Taeun had been a model housemate, so he had the right to speak up.

“I know what you’re like. You haven’t been getting drunk and causing trouble, have you?”

But if the conversation went this way, things were different. Taeun, standing tall and proud, quickly shut his mouth. He wasn’t entirely innocent.

“…I drink… but…”

His voice trailed off as he tried to defend himself. He’d gotten drunk and kissed someone, but caused trouble…? Well, that could be considered trouble, but…it had been mutual.

It wasn’t drunken sexual harassment, they did it…together.

‘Ugh, damn it…’

Taeun held back. The previous night, which he’d been trying to forget, came rushing back, threatening to shatter the carefully maintained normalcy.

“He doesn’t. He takes good care of me.”

Jinhyun, who had been quietly observing the mother and son bickering, smoothly interjected, siding with Taeun. Taeun flinched but didn’t react. ‘Takes good care of me’? He’d never heard those words from Jinhyun’s mouth before. Cha Jinhyun was still acting strange, and Taeun tried his best to ignore it.

“That’s good. It’s good that you get along. Taeun, behave yourself. Understand?”

His mother, having thoroughly lectured Taeun, turned around without waiting for a response. “Where are my manners?” she muttered, taking out her phone and making a call, waving her hand dismissively. The two men, seeing the signal to go ahead, resumed their walk. They reached the open parking lot. Even if they were momentarily separated, they could easily find each other.

And so, they were alone again. A strange silence hung in the air. Taeun, dragging his feet and smacking his lips, fidgeted with his fingers, kicked at the ground, then abruptly stopped.

“Hey, let me take that. Give it here.”

Unable to stand the strange atmosphere, Taeun spoke first. He abruptly grabbed the handle of the rattling suitcase beside him, declaring he would carry it. It bothered him that only one of them was carrying luggage when they were walking together.

“It’s fine, it’s awkwardly sized to share.”

“It’s my mom’s. I’ll carry it.”

“No. I’m carrying it.”

But Jinhyun wouldn’t budge, holding onto the suitcase as if it were a treasure. His tone was firm, full of stubbornness. He offered an unsolicited explanation.

“I’m trying to make a good impression and score some points.”

“…….”

Who he was trying to impress was ambiguous. Taeun, already sensitive from the strange feeling in the cafe, found this irritating too. Was it a joke? It had to be a joke. No, he shouldn’t even be thinking about it. It had to be a joke.

“…My mom’s married.”

So Taeun put on a swagger and quipped casually. Beep, Jinhyun, who had taken out his car key and unlocked the car, froze mid-action. His expression was one of disbelief, as if he couldn’t comprehend what he’d just heard. He stared at Taeun for a moment, a swirl of complex emotions swirling in his eyes. Taeun met his gaze and asked sullenly,

“What?”

“…Never mind. I’m in the wrong.”

The small joke ended with Jinhyun’s deflated reaction. This, too, was strange. Cha Jinhyun shouldn’t be making such a hurt expression. Yet, as he walked to the back of the car, opened the trunk, and loaded the luggage, his face was clearly filled with dejection.

Taeun suddenly wanted to run away. Anywhere. Somewhere without him.