Second Half Chapter 31

Why is he uniquely soft toward Jeri like that? That drunkard—he could have just picked him up and tossed him into the car. If they waited until Lehmann finished persuading Jerim, they’d still be standing in front of the pub when the sun came up. Since his own loving wife had come to pick him up, he had to wrap this situation up quickly and get in the car. Wearing a stern face, he grabbed Jerim’s right arm.

“You don’t need to listen to a drunk. Let’s just load him in. Lehmann, you grab the left arm. I’ll take the right.”

“Ah, I said I don’t want to. I’m walking. And I’m not drunk, okay?”

“A guy who isn’t drunk says he’s going to walk home in the rain at this hour? Your house is an hour away on foot, man!”

“I just ate, so it’s good exercise. Let go of this, unless you want all your whiskers ripped out.”

“You cruel… are you really enemies with my beard or something?”

Wresting his arm away from the gripping hands with stubborn strength, Jerim lunged a hand out as if to actually pluck the whiskers, and William barely managed to dodge. Furious at how Jerim was acting out despite the concern being shown, William was just about to scream his head off. Aaron, who had been quietly spectating this farce, stepped forward and restrained William.

“Fine, stop it. He says he wants to walk. I’ll just walk with him.”

It was impossible not to be surprised when a guy who used to growl at Jerim as if he’d devour him just by making eye contact suddenly offered to do a favor. William asked back with eyes wide open.

“…You? Why?”

“I didn’t bring my car either. Since I have to walk anyway, I’m happy to walk a bit further.”

“Where is your house? No, more importantly… what if you dump Jeri at a junkyard or drop him in a ditch…”

Even if he was a mean brat who tried to pull his beard every chance he got, Jerim was still his best friend, the captain of his team, and a teammate more reliable than anyone else when they were playing a match. No matter how much a game was leaning against them, the moment Jerim received the ball and scanned the ground with those characteristically cold, sunken eyes, every teammate knew that was the moment for a counterattack and began to run with all their might.

That was the level of status Jerim held in the team. Beyond simply the title of captain, he was a dependable pillar they could trust and lean on in decisive moments, and an indomitable ace who always fully met the expectation that Jerim would surely pull something off.

Since he had to prevent that ace from being abandoned on a rainy night street, William showed maximum vigilance. Entrusting a drunk Jerim—not even a sober one—to Aaron was like leaving a fish to a cat… no, leaving a mouse to a cat. Especially when the teammates already called Aaron and Jerim ‘Tom and Jeri’.

William stared straight into Aaron’s bright eyes and asked cautiously. At that, Aaron slumped his shoulders and muttered in a dejected voice.

“William, I have a rough idea of what you think of me. It’s quite sad to be so disliked by the captain and vice-captain after I made a big decision to transfer here.”

“Don’t say such a thing! I don’t hate you. It’s just that the relationship between you and Jeri is so…”

“You don’t seriously think it’s bad, do you?”

If asked if he was serious, it was a bit ambiguous. To anyone’s eyes, Aaron clearly didn’t hate Jerim to that extent. Even if he did use mean words specifically in front of Jerim and looked like a guy dying to pick a fight.

‘But Jeri is…’

When he first heard the news of Aaron’s transfer, William clearly remembered Jerim reciting sentences like, “This makes no sense. Fucking God, why are you giving me such a fucking ordeal… You never listen to my prayers anyway,” with a face as if the world had collapsed. He also frequently let out Korean curses like “Sibal-saekki, gaesaekki,” though William didn’t know if they were directed at God or Aaron.

Looking at how they acted lately, they did seem like a bickering high school couple as the others said. Regardless, even if Jerim had let go of his ill feelings toward Aaron to some degree, it seemed certain that he flared up every time he was provoked.

“…To me, it looks like you’re joking. But it seems like Jeri genuinely hates you…”

“At the very least, he’ll hate me less than your beard. It’s fine.”

At Aaron’s refreshing assertion, William unconsciously reached for his bearded chin. He was managing it carefully by applying oil and trimming it; why could Jerim hate it that much? The shock he felt was fully evident in his trembling voice.

“My beard is that much to Jeri?”

“Of course, I truly think it’s cool. Personally, I hope you never shave and grow it out forever. Why don’t you grow it longer and try braiding it?”

“As I thought, would that be cooler? It is a bit plain right now, isn’t it?”

Since Aaron was the only one among the teammates who affirmed his beard, William sought advice quite earnestly. Aaron responded seriously, saying that since he had a young-looking face, it would be good to overcome that complex by growing a long beard. It happened to align with the reason his wife recommended growing a beard, which made his trust soar even higher.

He decided he should try a variation on his beard shape as advised. Harboring a resolution that would make a sober Jerim gasp in horror, William turned back toward Lehmann.

Lehmann seemed to still be trying to persuade Jerim to go together. Even though it would never work on those ears of iron. For the sake of the poor youngest, he quickly broke the happy news.

“Lehmann! Aaron says he’ll take Jeri home. You can go straight home today too.”

“What? Why…”

But contrary to his guess, Lehmann didn’t seem particularly happy. He was tilting his head at the sight of Lehmann trailing off as if flustered. Aaron then chimed in, patting Lehmann’s shoulder amiably.

“You should get home safely too. You drank quite a bit, didn’t you? I’ll take good care of Jerim, so rest easy.”

“…How about you just get in the car too, Reyes? I’ll drop you off together.”

“No, I don’t really like riding in cars right after drinking. It’ll be troublesome for both of us if I vomit in your car.”

He must get motion sickness as badly as Jeri. William simply thought that.

Before he knew it, Aaron was supporting Jerim, wrapping an arm around his waist as if propping him up. That movement also looked strangely familiar, but he just brushed it off, thinking, ‘They bicker, but I guess they’re close since they were youth teammates.’ He felt relieved, thinking Aaron wouldn’t abandon him on the way.

“And I’m used to handling Jerim’s drinking habits. So leave him to me.”

“Hey! Let go. I have to walk!”

Chuckling as he steadied the struggling Jerim, Aaron bid them farewell.

“Well then, see you all.”

“Yeah, get home safe. Lehmann, let’s go too.”

There was no reason to refuse when someone offered to take over the troublesome drunk. William shook his hands clean in relief and turned away.

✲✲✲

The night wind in mid-September had a certain stinging quality to it, whether in Korea or the UK. Even when living in Taborona, which boasted a mild climate year-round without ever dropping below freezing in winter, the scent of the wind would change subtly once autumn set in. Looking at that, the feeling the autumn season gave was similar in any country.

A bitter scent that felt like being in a lush forest, holding the fresh smell of grass while also having a hint of smoke mixed in. On top of that, due to the weather repeatedly raining and stopping briefly, the smell of damp earth was mixed in. While the unique scent of the autumn wind brought up old thoughts, it didn’t feel bad because it made one feel healthy just by smelling it.

The temperature cooling his cheeks was also just the right amount of refreshing. Feeling the misty rain soaking moistly into his skin with his whole body, Jerim was preoccupied with walking along the roadside where streetlamps were spaced out. He didn’t feel any of the fear that a thick fog, the eerie smudge of streetlights caused by it, or a deserted street might give.

It was partly because he was drunk—though he didn’t realize it himself—and partly because Sefton was an affluent area with good security, and he was born with a physique that wouldn’t let him be intimidated in front of most people. Furthermore, he was currently benefiting greatly from the presence of the person walking beside him.

However, because he was busy walking and enjoying the wind, Jerim realized a bit late that someone was standing by his side. Realizing one after another that the person was intentionally walking slowly to match his pace, Jerim asked as if it suddenly occurred to him.

“Why are you following me?”