Place to Be Chapter 53

“That guy Junyoung is really a picky eater, so he hardly ate meat, and even if he did, he was the type to only have one or two pieces of Korean beef ribeye and be done with it. That’s why I was truly surprised when he first started frequenting your shop, Mr. Chiyoung.”

“…”

“Even yesterday, he was worrying, saying that he wouldn’t be able to come here often after moving, and asking what he should do if he suddenly craved it right before closing time. I think he’ll probably be coming in and out diligently even after he moves.”

“…Mr. Wigeon, you should come often, too.”

Jang Wigeon slightly raised an eyebrow and looked at Seo Chiyoung. Meeting that gaze—which seemed to ask why or suggest he wasn’t particularly inclined—blankly, Seo Chiyoung continued.

“We’re friends, after all…. And for anyone, it’s better to meet as often as you can.”

A time might come later when one wants to see missed faces but cannot. Whether it be a friend, a lover, or family. It would be best if such a situation never came, but still.

Seo Chiyoung, who had been looking down for a moment, muttered, “The saying ‘Treat them well while they’re around’ doesn’t exist for nothing,” and laughed awkwardly.

Jang Wigeon stared at the corner of Seo Chiyoung’s mouth, where a faint smile had appeared, for a moment before finally chuckling.

“I suppose… you’re right.”

Jang Wigeon let out a breath like a light sigh, and perhaps because lying diagonally against the blankets was uncomfortable, he shifted his angle slightly and turned onto his side. Because of that, he came face-to-face with Seo Chiyoung, causing Seo Chiyoung to feel somehow embarrassed; he scratched the back of his neck and dropped his gaze.

Jang Wigeon spoke in a somewhat languid manner.

“It’s like that even now. Since I’m even lying down comfortably like this in someone else’s house, it really feels like I’ve come to a friend’s house.”

As Jang Wigeon closed his eyes while saying that, Seo Chiyoung stared down at him intently. Seeing Jang Wigeon closing his eyes while resting on his blankets was extremely unfamiliar and fascinating, but the man lying there had informed him how to define him.

“We… we are friends, after all…. We even went to the same school.”

When he added the last part, it somehow felt like an excuse, so Seo Chiyoung shut his mouth with a red face.

Jang Wigeon, who had been closing his eyes languidly, looked at Seo Chiyoung. After staring at Seo Chiyoung as if he had heard something incredibly strange or funny, Jang Wigeon smiled broadly.

“Ahahaha, that’s right…. Yes. You’re right.”

Somehow, that face looked so joyful that Seo Chiyoung’s heart fluttered. I see, I can reach as far as being a friend.

Seo Chiyoung slowly let the smile he had been sharing dissolve.

It was strange. How could he describe this feeling? This sensation of someone he had never once thought he could be friends with, or have any kind of close relationship with, suddenly being before his eyes in an instant.

Admiration. Being moved. Deep emotion. Rapture…. It wasn’t something like that.

Only after a moment did Seo Chiyoung realize what was closest to that emotion he couldn’t quite name.

I have missed this man.

Those ordinary days, those days that flowed by without being particularly hard or joyful. And the one who had existed within them, drawing the clearest outline, was this man.

Facing Seo Chiyoung, who was staring at him intently, Jang Wigeon’s expression gradually faded. Then, tilting his head with a curious face, he looked at Seo Chiyoung.

“What is it.”

“…I was just thinking that I must have missed you.”

Only after saying it did he realize the words would likely make no sense to him. This longing belonged solely to Seo Chiyoung. As did the memories of that time. And the emotions.

Sure enough, Jang Wigeon looked confused for a split second. However, he soon laughed as if it didn’t matter and spoke like a half-joke.

“I see. I missed having a friend, too. That’s right. Sometimes when I hear my younger sister say she even went to the bathroom with her friend, I find it quite incomprehensible and strange, but on the other hand, I thought having that kind of friend might be fun.”

“…Hmm… I still don’t quite understand that…”

Seo Chiyoung muttered with a serious face. At that, Jang Wigeon also laughed, saying, “I know. I’m the same. I don’t understand it, but when I said that, my sister told me. Men need to know the female psyche, and if you don’t understand it, just memorize it. So I memorized it. That women go to the bathroom together with their friends.”

“And then she told me that wasn’t it either; my complex and multi-faceted sister,” Jang Wigeon said, shaking his head with a feigned sigh. Seo Chiyoung let out a small burst of laughter.

He felt cheerful. It wasn’t anything special, but it really felt like he was having a pleasant and enjoyable time with a friend. He felt like he understood why there were so many people around Jang Wigeon during high school.

Although it didn’t yet feel as informal as it did with Kim Kyungchul or other friends, it was still sufficiently enjoyable and comfortable.

“She sounds like a cute sister. I’d like to see her sometime.”

“She’s so cute she already has a husband. So even if you see her, there’s no point…. Ah. No. Anyway, there’s no way you would have meant wanting to see her in that sense, Mr. Chiyoung…”

Having likely heard many stories of people wanting an introduction to his sister, Jang Wigeon laughed and waved his hand lightly, then added as if talking to himself once he remembered. And the moment he heard those words, Seo Chiyoung unconsciously let the smile vanish from his face for a moment.

Even though it was a fact Seo Chiyoung already knew well—that Jang Wigeon was aware of his sexual orientation—he would reflexively flinch whenever he heard such things. Having experienced being told harsh words due to that orientation several times, he couldn’t help but withdraw more and more into a closed-off state regarding that side of himself. Especially since someone he had opened his heart to could hurt him that much more easily.

So even if it was someone who would never hurt him with those kinds of words, he would still unconsciously shrink back when the topic came up.

Jang Wigeon seemed to easily guess the reason why Seo Chiyoung had momentarily lost his words. Being gay himself, Jang Wigeon must have seen many people who were defensive about such matters.

“It was when I was in middle school that I became aware of my orientation.”

Jang Wigeon spoke up suddenly. Seo Chiyoung stole a glance and looked at Jang Wigeon. Seeing that face smiling cheerfully without a shadow, even a topic like this that always made his heart heavy felt a little lighter.

“It wasn’t something like suddenly realizing it one day. Actually, until then—and even after—I dated women a lot, and for a kid, I did a lot of quite precocious things. So it wasn’t that I couldn’t be with women, but even then, the person I liked most was Junyoung. After playing around with girls enough to know what there was to know, I started wondering what it would be like to sleep with this guy. So I ended up sleeping with men too… and it was unexpectedly good. Though now I’ve pretty much turned over to this side completely.”

“Well, there were already rumors going around the school back in high school,” Jang Wigeon laughed. It was true. Upon hearing those rumors, Seo Chiyoung had confessed to him. Saying, Me too.

Perhaps Jang Wigeon recalled the same memory as Seo Chiyoung, but he did not mention it. Instead, he continued with other words.

“I was caught by my family back in high school, and for about half a year, the atmosphere at home was truly bleak. Have you ever been hit on the head with a golf club? A 3-iron. It’s a killer…. Now everyone has given up and doesn’t say anything, though.”

“My father is quite a man of temperament, so when he hits, he hits hard,” Jang Wigeon said, parting his hair to show Seo Chiyoung. It wasn’t visible normally because it was covered by hair, but as he rummaged through his hair, a hideously crushed scar was visible slightly above his forehead. It must have been a terrible wound at the time.

“I didn’t deliberately go around shouting that I sleep with men, but since I didn’t go around hiding it either, I occasionally saw guys who would pour out insults to my face—but that was as far as it went. Since they were people who had no connection to me and weren’t important, there was nothing to be angry about, and I felt no inspiration…. Then, after reaching this point, I became comfortable with that side of things.”

Jang Wigeon smiled. Seo Chiyoung stared at him intently and then slowly nodded his head.