Paper Friendship Chapter 33

The conversation continued in fragments. The sound of cars passing by, a dog barking, a motorcycle driving past, the sound of crashing waves. It felt like a peaceful accompaniment to our evening. I stared blankly, continuing to look out at the sea. A small voice was heard from beside me.

“Let’s live together when we go to college.”

At this point, I felt like I was honestly going to get calluses in my ears. I nodded my head while still keeping my gaze fixed on the sea. A little later, the same voice was heard.

“Want to eat pork noodles?”

“Hmm….”

“They say pork noodles are famous in Jeju Island.”

“I’m not really craving noodles.”

“Is there even anything like that for you?”

He must have thought of me as the kind of kid who eats whatever is given to them. I felt slightly prickly and turned my head to the side. Choi Juoon was smiling.

But the bright face reflected in the sunset… was slightly, handsome. Maybe that’s why, without me knowing, I stared intently at Choi Juoon’s face. And then I hurriedly turned my head back to the front. I thought I had learned to smile well at the flight attendant academy.

On our way, we bought raw fish at a sashimi restaurant and arrived at the accommodation. Neither of us likes raw fish, but we bought it anyway since we had come to Jeju Island. We put the raw fish in the refrigerator and went out again. This was because the topic of buying alcohol came up in the elevator on our way up.

Before entering the convenience store in front of our accommodation, we talked for a while about whether or not they would check our IDs. And I said.

“The one who doesn’t get their ID checked buys the alcohol.”

Then Choi Juoon frowned and said.

“You’re telling me to buy it, right?”

He must know he looks older than his age. Ah, why is this so funny? Strangely, I burst out laughing on my own and laughed for a long time. Choi Juoon put his hands in his pockets, stood askew, looked at me, and then went into the convenience store first. I barely managed to stop laughing and followed him in.

We bought four bottles of soju and three cans of beer, and we also bought snacks and ice cream. Choi Juoon went to the checkout counter first, carrying only the alcohol. I watched Choi Juoon from a slight distance. It was enough distance that the staff member might think we weren’t together.

The staff member scanned the barcodes of the products and told Choi Juoon the price. But there was no ID check. Only then did I approach and say.

“Please calculate this together as well.”

I looked at Choi Juoon, holding back laughter. Choi Juoon’s ears were slightly red. After coming out of the convenience store, I comforted Choi Juoon.

“It’s okay. Today is January 1st, so how many kids must be buying alcohol? And there’s a good point to looking aged.”

“…What’s good about it.”

“I don’t know, that. As you live your life…. Ah, ah!! Ah!!! Don’t hit me!!!”

Choi Juoon took his hand out of his pocket. I hurriedly ran away far. It’s a bit much to say this in this situation, but…. Honestly, I felt good because I felt like I had discovered Choi Juoon’s weakness. I walked back toward Choi Juoon and said, trying to change the subject.

“I’m going to order chicken, is there anything you want to eat?”

Choi Juoon told me to order whatever I wanted. His ears were still red. You jerk, it’s not even that embarrassing. You’re kind of cute. This time, I only laughed inside my heart.

∞ ∞ ∞

After washing up, we spent our time separately. The chicken arrived, and we prepared a simple drinking table. We spread out the raw fish we bought earlier, the chicken that just arrived, and the alcohol and snacks. It was simpler than I thought. We poured each other’s glasses. Clinking our glasses lightly, I changed the TV channel and said.

“Congratulations on turning 20.”

Choi Juoon drank first without saying a word. Then he continued to pour and drink alcohol in his glass alone. We didn’t exchange much conversation. I said, fixing my gaze on the TV screen.

“Being an adult is nothing special, as I thought. Right?”

Since there was still no word from beside me, it seemed he was also concentrating on the TV. When I reached out to eat the chicken, I heard a low voice from beside me.

“You, you remind me of when you were a middle schooler.”

“When we first drank alcohol?”

“Not just that…. Just you, when you were a first-year middle schooler.”

You were really like a loser back then. Choi Juoon muttered in a voice mixed with laughter. I pretended not to know about the later words.

First year of middle school. That was already 6 years ago. So our relationship has already been 6 years. I poured Choi Juoon’s empty glass and answered roughly.

“I don’t really remember.”

“I’ll help you remember.”

Choi Juoon showed me a picture of me on his phone. It was me as a middle schooler, wearing a school uniform, smiling and making a V-sign with my hands. So young. But when was this taken? I took my gaze away from the phone and said roughly.

“I was kind of cute back then? Although I’ve changed for the worse now.”

“You, look at me.”

I only turned my head while eating chicken. Choi Juoon crossed his arms and stared intently at me. When I was about to reach for a tissue, Choi Juoon said seriously.

“You were cute in the past….”

“Yeah.”

“You are sometimes erotic these days.”

“You crazy jerk.”

I laughed and threw the roll of toilet paper next to me. Choi Juoon laughed lightly as well, then turned his head back to look at the screen.

Before I knew it, the time was 11 o’clock. I was somewhat drunk, and Choi Juoon also said let’s stop drinking now and cleared the spot. Since I stood up suddenly after sitting for a long time, the alcohol rushed through my whole body. Then Choi Juoon laid me on the bed, saying that staying still was helping. I didn’t particularly refuse.

I watched Choi Juoon clearing up with only my face poking out from inside the blanket. Choi Juoon said while tying the trash bag.

“Hey, don’t you even refuse out of courtesy?”

“I’m helping with my eyes, aren’t I? Can’t you feel it?”

I answered shamelessly instead. It was a boring joke, but perhaps because the alcohol was coming up, laughter kept leaking out. Choi Juoon said simply.

“Let’s see when I’m done.”

At this moment, the alcohol sobered up a little. I stood up for no reason and organized the bedding while thinking. Well, he must have said it as a joke.

∞ ∞ ∞

“Ah, ah! This goes in. Is this team’s form up these days, or is that team in a downward trend.”

After finishing the cleaning, we lay on the bed and watched soccer on TV. We liked the same team. Choi Juoon sat leaning his body against the bed headboard, and I lay next to him. It wasn’t a live broadcast, but a game from before. Choi Juoon opened a beer and drank it from time to time, and I took it and drank it when he gave it to me from beside him.

“Wow, he lets that foul go. That’s really too much.”

Choi Juoon watched the game quietly, and I watched it while talking a little. The game became hotter and hotter. Before I knew it, I also got up and sat next to Choi Juoon. Looking to the side, it seemed Choi Juoon was also quite focused on the game. Watching that appearance, I asked.

“Have you seen this?”

“Only the highlights.”

“I haven’t watched this at all. Ah, that player really deserves to be sent off!”

“He plays soccer roughly.”

“Because number 7 has soccer skills on Lee Juun’s level, he gets kept in check a lot.”

The referee finally took out a yellow card. The field completely overheated. Then, one player scored a goal. The commentators and I were excited.

“They say that player’s debut goal was this season.”

Choi Juoon and I blathered about what that player was like last season, whether he was moving to another place this time, and so on. Then, seeing the player doing a ceremony, Choi Juoon smiled and said.

“The ceremony is hilarious.”

“Exactly. Like he’s flapping around.”

“You’re really like him.”

Choi Juoon bent his waist and laughed, and I watched Choi Juoon like that, then slightly imitated the player on TV and moved my arms a few times. Then Choi Juoon laughed even louder.

After the game ended, we turned off all the lights. As we turned off the lights, a bright moonlight shone into the room a little later. Looking at my phone one last time, it was past 2 AM. A silence flowed for a moment. I turned my body toward Choi Juoon first and started a conversation.

“Choi Juoon, let’s go see the World Cup together later.”

“….”

“It’s this year, right. As soon as I arrive home, I’ll take on a part-time job and earn the ticket money. You just cover the airfare.”

Then Choi Juoon turned his head and looked toward me. Because it was backlighting, I couldn’t see Choi Juoon’s face. Asking to go see the World Cup was half joke, half serious. Honestly, the probability that we can’t go this year is high, but I really wanted to go together even later.

“We’ll go see it in a few decades.”

Hearing that, after I laughed small, I said.

“Let’s go even later, for real.”

“Got it, so sleep.”

“Choi Juoon, you know.”