Salt Society Chapter 49

Kihyun felt a strange sensation as he watched his friend, who was turning from a boy into a man while leaving him behind. Broad shoulders, muscles covering his back. The boxer briefs with a brand logo he had only heard of were peeking out slightly above the guy’s school pants. As he lowered his gaze along the spine protected by the spinal muscles rising like mounds on both sides, there was a slight dip like a dimple just before the tailbone. Kihyun, who had been staring blankly, felt hot for some reason and fluttered the t-shirt he was wearing.

When there was no sign of the guy who said he was going to get water, Yeonoh looked back and gave Kihyun a smirk.

“You must be sweating, huh? That’s a sign the fever is trying to break.”

“…”

Kihyun did not answer. The relaxed way he spoke just because he was born a few months earlier was arrogant. Especially coming from Cho Yeonoh. It was also annoying how he acted like an adult when he was the same petty guy who hadn’t contacted him for years because he was pouting over Kihyun moving away.

Kihyun set down the water cup. Walking back to the living room table, he kicked the guy’s butt once more. The fellow let out a yelp.

“Can’t you see your hyung-nim is eating?”

“…You boiled three packs. And you can still fit all that in?”

“Yeah, it’s just that Sogi eats like a bird. Is there any rice? I want to mix some in.”

His appetite was enough to make one shake their head. Thinking that although he was also at an age where he ate well, he wasn’t quite at that level, Kihyun gestured with his chin toward the electric rice cooker in the kitchen, and the guy stood up to scoop some rice for himself.

However, Kihyun ended up leaving some of the porridge. He didn’t even bother responding to the guy, who was fuming about his sincerity being ignored after he had wandered around because all the porridge shops in the neighborhood were closed. Yeonoh, who had finished everything in the meantime, grumbled as he stood up and began clearing the table in front of the sofa.

When Kihyun started to help, Yeonoh clicked his tongue with a “Tsk.”

“Just rest, patient.”

“…Hey, 37 degrees isn’t even a fever.”

But Cho Yeonoh completely ignored Kihyun’s protest and even finished the dishes.

Kihyun thought he might sleep over, but seeing him glance at the clock, he wondered if his family had told him to come home early. However, Cho Yeonoh’s household was more liberal than expected, and they didn’t really care what he did or where he was.

—It’s just because Yeonoh’s grandfather is still keeping an eye on him for now. He’ll get stricter as Yeonoh grows up.

He had heard Yeonoh’s mother say that before. Kihyun wondered why the family was looking for Cho Yeonoh today, but he didn’t bother to ask. Even when he pretended not to care, Yeonoh often acted as if gaining his grandfather’s recognition was an important task.

“Hey, I’m going. Drink all the ionic drink. When you’re sweating like that, you have to replenish your fluids.”

“Go to medical school. If you don’t make it, I’ll kill you.”

“What kind of nonsense is that. I’m going to be the person who pays the salaries of the bastards who graduated from medical school.”

The guy’s handsome face, chuckling, was shining with confidence. In the evening that had arrived unnoticed, amidst the sound of rain falling in the yard and the light from the lamps turned on in only two places, the living room and the kitchen, Kihyun watched the guy’s laughing face endlessly before finally turning his head away.

“Hey, I’m really going.”

He should have put his shirt on before doing the dishes, but the guy, who had been wearing only an apron with his upper body bare because he said it was cold if water splashed on his stomach, soon tossed the apron aside and picked up his t-shirt.

Even though it was a perfectly knit upper body, it was a man’s body, and Kihyun didn’t know where to look. Since his mind had been wandering for a while, he thought it was for the better. However, watching the guy quickly get dressed, he felt a strange emotion.

“…Go on.”

“Yeah.”

Having answered quickly, the guy left as if running out the front door with his Converse sneakers crushed at the heels. Perhaps because it was a noisy exit, the living room where he left was utterly silent. Being left alone in this house wasn’t particularly rare, but today felt strangely empty for some reason.

Kihyun clicked his tongue and stood up, intending to go to his room to perhaps open a workbook he hadn’t looked at today. He would have done so if he hadn’t looked at the long umbrella placed in the entryway.

“…”

Kihyun’s hesitation was brief. It was because his heart felt heavy when he thought of the gate the guy had leaned his back against. He grabbed the long umbrella and ran out the front door wearing only his slippers.

Opening the gate and looking around the alleyway, he could see Cho Yeonoh turning the corner far away.

Thinking that running would be faster than calling him, Kihyun began to run without even thinking of opening the umbrella he was holding.

“You were wrong, weren’t you.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.”

As soon as he turned the corner, he discovered a girl and Cho Yeonoh. Was her name Yuna? She was the one Cho Yeonoh was dating lately. The girl narrowed her eyes and spoke to Cho Yeonoh as if interrogating him. The guy gave a wide smile, like a large beast acting docile, and bowed his head toward her.

In Cho Yeonoh’s hand was a three-fold umbrella that was far too small for him to use. A small umbrella with a green four-leaf clover pattern cutely scattered on a white background. Because of it, one of Cho Yeonoh’s shoulders was completely soaked.

“…”

Kihyun watched that for a moment, then turned back exactly as he was. His chest felt tight. Suddenly, he could realize that it wasn’t just because he had run fast.

—When you like someone, there are times when this place beats so loud you can’t even hear the person’s voice.

—…Even though you aren’t covering your ears?

At her young son’s question, his mother had whispered with a smile.

—Yes. Even though you aren’t covering your ears. That is the first piece of evidence.

She said he would surely be able to tell, and that when the time came, when that sound was louder than the rain hitting his body, or the voices of a certain girl and boy murmuring nearby, he would definitely be able to realize it.

His mother’s words were the correct answer. Because she had never once lied.

Kihyun gave a short laugh. He muttered specifically to mock himself.

“…What can I do. I’m screwed, So Kihyun.”

It was the summer of his eighteenth year.

[Mister, have you lost your mind?]

“I wouldn’t say I haven’t.”

Kihyun gave a short laugh while rummaging through the refrigerator. He was talking with the phone wedged between his ear and shoulder, but his neck felt stiff, so he had to move the phone to the other side.

[Stop talking like a dog and come here quickly and take this back. I can’t accept your resignation, so keep that in mind.]

Bumhee’s angry voice was quite loud, so Kihyun’s ears rang and he furrowed his brow.

“Then just fire me for being absent without leave, Bumhee.”

[Is that something you should be saying to me?!]

Actually, it wasn’t something he should say to Bumhee. Because it was Lee Bumhee who had saved So Kihyun when he was breathing shallowly with metal pins in his ankle. Since it was also Lee Bumhee who saved him and allowed him to work at the newly established hospital, his conscience pricked at the thought of leaving after just tossing a resignation letter.

But if he didn’t do this…

“…I’m sorry, Bumhee.”

[…Exactly what is the reason for this?]

For Bumhee, the situation must be full of things he couldn’t understand. Kihyun made a “Hmm” sound in his throat and then answered.

“I broke up.”

[Who did.]

He went through the trouble of telling him, yet he talks nonsense. Kihyun stopped rummaging through the fridge and headed to the dressing room. He opened two large suitcases and began sweeping in everything that wasn’t his.

“Who else. Me and Cho Yeonoh.”

[Where did you break up? In front of the hospital? Why, can’t you get a hold of Cho Yeonoh?]

Kihyun wondered what he meant, but it was clear he had taken the word “break up” literally as in parting ways for the day. Indeed, there was no way Lee Bumhee could have guessed their breakup, which even So Kihyun hadn’t known was coming. Kihyun’s neck, which he had been tilting, hurt, so he took out wireless earphones, put them on, and spoke as he began packing in earnest.

“I’m telling you, I decided to stop seeing Cho Yeonoh.”

As he was murmuring “So what about it,” Bumhee let out a scream after a brief silence.

[You guys broke up?!]

“How many times do I have to tell you.”

Kihyun answered indifferently while tossing Cho Yeonoh’s dress shirts into the suitcase. He had left so many clothes behind. The reason there was a separate walk-in closet in the first place was because of Cho Yeonoh. For himself, a single wardrobe was enough to hold clothes for all four seasons, but because of the guy who wore suits to work, he had no choice but to turn an entire room into a dressing room.

This might not be a problem that ends with just two suitcases… While Kihyun let out a low sigh, Lee Bumhee was in a state of chaos all by himself.

[Hey, why are you telling me this now! Wait, is the reason you quit also because of that son of a bitch Cho Yeonoh…]

His intuition was like a ghost. Kihyun didn’t intentionally answer yes, but Bumhee seemed to understand immediately.

[Hey! Then he’s the one who should avoid you, why are you the one quitting—!]

Bumhee’s arm was once again bent toward So Kihyun. Kihyun gave a short laugh. Whenever a problem arose between the two, Lee Bumhee always took So Kihyun’s side. Cho Yeonoh would be displeased by that, and later, when the problem between the two subsided, he would coax Kihyun not to hang out with Lee Bumhee.

But that is also an old story now. Kihyun corrected his words to Bumhee.

“No, it’s not that we broke up…”

[…]

“We broke off our friendship.”

[Hey…]

Bumhee calls out to Kihyun as if to soothe him. As if telling him not to say such mean words to himself. However, although no one was looking, Kihyun shrugged his shoulders.

“What can I do when it’s the truth.”

The relationship that had continued for several years was nothing more than a gaping wound that had been loosely stitched together. Something that was bound to happen eventually just happened to occur between yesterday and today. How can one blame that?