Second Half Chapter 32

“If I let a drunkard go off alone and he gets mugged, I’ll never hear the end of the resentment.”

“I’m telling you, I’m not drunk. These punks keep framing me… Whoa!”

Just as he was about to finish his sentence, his steps tangled, and he lurched heavily. He hurriedly scanned the ground beneath him to regain his balance, but of course, the only place to step was a patch of mud. The moment his feet touched down, his shoes would be ruined, but he was prepared to accept that since it was better than falling.

“And you still say you’re not drunk? Really?”

His swaying shoulders were steadily supported, and at the same time, his body stood upright again. Jerim, his gaze still fixed on the ground in surprise at the unexpected turn of events, let out a dazed groan. He saw that Aaron had stepped into the mud instead.

“Aw, man… It was just a slip, a slip. Uh, but your shoes…”

The white sneakers were stained brown, looking completely unsightly. Jerim, who usually had a great interest in collecting limited-edition sneakers, realized that Aaron’s shoes were a rare, discontinued model and stared with a blank expression.

Do I have those shoes too? But even if I give them to him, the size… If I try to pay him back with money, it’ll be hard to put a price on them. Failing to think of the simplest compensation method—washing them—Jerim could only stammer until Aaron gave his back a light shove.

“Forget it, just walk fast. I don’t know where your house is, so I can’t lead the way.”

“Where is your house?”

At the address that followed, Jerim stopped the steps he was about to take.

“That’s the complete opposite direction from my place, though?”

“Judging by the direction we’re walking, it seems so.”

“I’m really not drunk, so go now. What’s so great about a guy you fight with every single day that you’d walk him home?”

“How would you know if you’re great or not.”

The quiet murmur from behind felt like a fingernail dragging slowly across sensitive bare skin. It was so absurd that the night wind, which had felt refreshingly cool until just a moment ago, made the fine hairs all over his body stand on end. Jerim aimlessly fiddled with the back of his exposed neck, trying to brush away the unpleasantly lingering itch.

“Wow, cringe. I’m actually getting goosebumps right now…”

“I said it so you’d get goosebumps.”

The moment he heard the playful retort, the itch that had been stickily clinging to his neck vanished without a trace. Jerim trudged forward, looking only ahead.

“In all my life, I’ve never seen a guy as crazy as you.”

“Same here.”

Then he shouldn’t have followed. To anyone’s eyes, the guy walking along a rainy night path just to take that ‘crazy guy’ home was far weirder. However, as if he had predicted that Jerim would snap at him crossly, Aaron spoke up first.

“By the way, the weather here is truly fucking awful. How did you adapt when you first moved leagues?”

“Didn’t you once say you were perfectly suited for England?”

“Everything except the weather.”

“I guess you did hate it when it rained.”

Like someone born and raised in a mild port city by the Mediterranean, Aaron loved sunny weather. To be precise, it would be more accurate to say he was accustomed to it.

Whenever it rained in Taborona, Aaron would look up at the gray sky and grumble about how football was a lost cause for the day. Jerim used to find it fascinating, wondering if Aaron felt restless just because he couldn’t play for one day when football was all he did every time he opened his eyes.

Isn’t it nice when it rains? Once we’re back from school, we can just sprawl out in the dorms and roll around together all day. Back then, he had thought so innocently, but he never said it out loud because the dejected Aaron was cute. The moment he spoke, that cuteness would vanish, and Aaron would press his body close while asking questions like, ‘All day together? What do you want to do?’

As soon as Jerim dryly brought up the brief memory, Aaron’s eyes went wide as if he’d seen a talking mouse. Eventually, an answer like a sigh returned.

“…You remember things like that. You really are crazy.”

“Whatever. You remember the time I passed out after one glass of Clara, too. I don’t have dementia, okay? Atchoo!”

A sudden cough made his body shiver. It was a bit much to be roaming around in just short sleeves given the weather, but the drunk Jerim hadn’t felt the cold because his body temperature felt like it was boiling. However, his body, cooled by the direct hit of the wind and rain, was screaming that it was cold.

Seeing this, Aaron took off the zip-up hoodie he was wearing, tossed it to him, and scolded him.

“Why on earth do you walk whenever you’re drunk? Especially in this weather. You’re really hard to understand…”

Why is this bastard being so sweet today? Making me remember the old days… Already hot from the alcohol, his brain began to overload from the excessive heat. Jerim couldn’t carry the conversation further and silently picked up the jacket and put it on.

A strange state continued where his mood felt peculiar and his body was cold yet hot at the same time. Walking in that state, he eventually found himself in front of his house. In his heart, he wanted to walk more, but that would only prolong his time with Aaron and this strange state. In a rare instance for Jerim, his homing instinct kicked in.

Stopping in front of a mansion too large for a man to live in alone, Aaron gestured toward the wall with his chin and asked.

“Is it here?”

Jerim nodded and took off the jacket he was wearing to give it back. Now all he had to do was turn around and close the gate, but strangely, he couldn’t bring himself to move. It seemed the debt for being walked all this way remained.

“…Hey, don’t go yet, just wait a second. I’ll lend you a car, so at least take that…”

“Jerim, I was drinking with you until just now.”

“Ah, right.”

“Forget it and just go inside. Have a good rest tomorrow.”

Watching Aaron turn away without a hint of lingering attachment, Jerim bit his lip nervously.

This isn’t right. No matter what, I shouldn’t send him off like this. Even if they were in a relationship where they were itching to tear each other apart, it was wrong to let someone who had walked with him for an hour on a rainy night go so feebly.

Whether as a captain, a teammate, or a citizen of the ‘Eastern Land of Courtesy’, letting someone go after receiving such a favor was a heinous act.

But what if that person you owe is your ex-boyfriend? Is it okay to let him into the house like this? Especially when I even got an erection watching blood smear on his lips…

As the pondering continued, his bitten lips grew darker in color. It was only when his lips became a color similar to the blood that had smeared on Aaron’s lips that Jerim shouted loudly. Aaron was already quite far away.

“…Augh. Hey, Aaron! Just stay the night.”

“…What?”

He could vaguely see the figure turning his head this way. Jerim gestured for Aaron to come closer, and after waiting for him to return, he said:

“I said stay the night. If I just send a teammate away in this weather, I’d be a fucking failure as a human…”

“…Are you serious? You’re letting me into your house?”

“It’s been ten years since we broke up, so what does it matter. I’m saying this in case you get the wrong idea, but I’m literally just telling you to sleep and go. You said your place is far.”

Human kindness, repayment, camaraderie, responsibility, things like that. Is there not a saying about loving your comrades and your country? Reciting to himself that he was merely following the norms a person naturally should, he swung the gate open. The familiar scenery of the garden welcomed the homeowner and the guest.

“Come in. The guest room happens to be empty.”

✲✲✲

“Uuugh…”

A persistent vibration woke him from a sweet sleep. Even though he tried to ignore it and keep sleeping, the noise like a wasp’s buzzing kept ringing, making his irritation flare up.

After trying to block his ears by folding his pillow for a while, Jerim finally succumbed to the vibration that stopped and started again, reaching out his arm. Even while fumbling around his bedside for his phone, a headache that felt like his skull was splitting hit him, causing a groan to escape.

Is it because I’m not fully awake yet? Ah, I drank yesterday. Then how did I get home? Did Lehmann bring me back again? He felt strangely sorry as he thought of the youngest teammate who always got stuck taking care of him just for the crime of living nearby. Vowing to send a text once he gathered his senses, Jerim answered the phone.

“…Hello…”

his heavily sleep-laden voice cracked pathetically. At that, the person on the other end of the line seemed quite surprised.

—What’s wrong with your voice? And why did it take you so long to answer!

“Oh, Mother… What brings you to call so early in the morning…”

—Morning? What are you talking about? It’s night in Korea. Isn’t it lunchtime in England?

“Oh, that’s right… Wow, how many hours did I sleep.”