A Scorching Day Chapter 49

That day, Gawon had a nice meal with Ki Joon at a wonderful restaurant. Ki Joon turned down all the suggestions from his gym teammates to have an after-party, and instead headed to a quiet restaurant where the two of them could spend some private time together. The confidence Ki Joon showed in having reserved a private room in advance for this day was endearing, and Gawon felt proud of him.

The trophy placed on the table gleamed brightly. Gawon kept taking photos of the trophy until the food was served. He took shots of the trophy by itself, with the bouquet he had given as a gift, and placed next to Ki Joon as well.

Ki Joon, with his still-damp hair giving off the fresh scent of body wash, smiled brightly in front of the trophy and the bouquet. At Gawon’s request to strike a cute pose, he made a flower-holding gesture with a playful smile. Gawon loved that photo so much that he looked at it over and over again, feeling a little choked up.

They also took several photos together. Ki Joon playing around with the trophy, Ki Joon kissing Gawon’s cheek, Ki Joon slurping up Gawon’s pale cheek like a piece of rice cake, and the teeth marks Gawon left on Ki Joon’s forehead after biting down hard enough to leave a mark…

“By the way, I have something I’m curious about.”

Gawon asked as he put a piece of the steak Ki Joon had cut for him into his mouth.

“Earlier, the commentators were saying something about your… what was it, attack style? That it was different from usual. Why did you do that?”

“Ah… that.”

Ki Joon nodded earnestly, listening to Gawon’s question, then paused with an awkward expression.

“I was afraid you’d be shocked…”

“…Shocked by what?”

“Originally, there are stand-up fighters, grapplers, and ground fighters—there are various attack styles, and there are also various ways to get a win. Since I’m a stand-up striker, I usually get KO wins through striking…”

Ki Joon, who had been casually explaining, noticed Gawon’s bewildered expression and abruptly cut himself off.

“To put it simply, I’m usually the style that beats them down with punches and kicks to get a KO. But I was worried that if you saw that side of me… you might lose interest in me… so that’s why I did it.”

Gawon was dumbfounded. He stared at Ki Joon with his mouth half open. So that was why today he had been choking and bending arms to make his opponents submit voluntarily.

“Even so, you can’t just change your fighting style in an instant.”

“Oh… you’re so smart, my darling. Sharp as always.”

“What if you had lost or gotten hurt?”

“It’s okay. I’m good at everything.”

Ki Joon puffed out his chest and patted it proudly, looking so smug that Gawon pinched his nose with his fingers. The proudly prominent bridge of his nose caught, and Ki Joon whined, “Oww, oww,” in exaggerated pain.

“From next time, don’t worry about that kind of stuff and just fight your own style. I’m fine with it.”

“Yesss. I get it, so please… let go…”

The nasal voice sounded so funny that Gawon let go of his nose. …But come to think of it, wait a minute.

“But then at the end? That… Kwak Ji-un was it? Why did you beat him up like that? With elbows and kicks…”

“…That bastard, I just wanted to win with my own style.”

His previously confident voice suddenly shrank a little. Gawon narrowed his eyes at Ki Joon, who subtly averted his gaze.

“Don’t tell me, because of that flower bouquet incident earlier…”

“Wow. The food here is really delicious. Right, Gawon?”

Trying to change the subject awkwardly, Ki Joon was so irritating that Gawon pinched his nose again and wiggled it. Ki Joon, who had been about to put meat in his mouth, let out an “Ahhh” and whined. Honestly. In the end, Gawon burst out laughing.

It was a warm and joyful time. The pleasant atmosphere continued until they finished the meal and headed home. Ki Joon, as always, walked Gawon all the way to his front door.

He desperately wanted to stay together until the night passed into dawn, but now it was Gawon’s turn to collect himself and focus. With an important exam left, the two decided to set aside their lingering feelings here.

Under the old streetlamp, Ki Joon pulled Gawon into a tight embrace.

“Gawon.”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you for coming today. Winning the championship is all thanks to you. Knowing that you were watching me made the whole match joyful and fun.”

His low voice fell like a whisper. Gawon lifted his head from within the embrace and looked at Ki Joon’s face. Then he reached out and gently stroked Ki Joon’s face.

“…I’m the one who should thank you. For keeping your promise.”

He was grateful and proud that this kid had returned without a single scratch. Since Ki Joon’s dream was what it was, Gawon would have to spend countless future moments worrying about his safety with a heavy heart.

Still, Gawon decided to trust Ki Joon, like he had today. Because today, in Gawon’s eyes, Ki Joon was more impressive and stronger than any champion. And because this kid would keep that promise in the future, too.

“Thank you for inviting me. I was so happy to see you. Really, so happy.”

He meant it. Knowing how much Ki Joon loved his sport, today held deep meaning. He was glad to share the dream Ki Joon had cherished since childhood. It was almost bewilderingly happy how deeply they had seeped into each other’s lives and taken root.

And so, I savored a half-day of your brilliant youth. I planted in my heart, one by one, precious memories that could never be exchanged for anything else.

∞ ∞ ∞

It was a few days before the college entrance exam. Gawon had studied relentlessly, wanting to maintain his sprint to the very end, and when he came out, Ki Joon was waiting for him in front of the school.

By nightfall, the sharply cold wind had become noticeably chillier, ruthlessly piercing through his clothes. Yet it was still less cold than the year before last, when he had worn only a worn-out padding jacket and coat with all the stuffing flattened.

The padding jacket Ki Joon had bought for him as a gift last winter was warmer than even the quilt at home. And as if that weren’t enough, today he had bought a scarf as a gift to cheer him on for the exam and wrapped it around Gawon’s neck. Seeing the beige scarf with a check pattern, Gawon gasped in admiration.

“It’s really warm. So pretty.”

“You like it? That’s a relief. Don’t go around with your neck bare, you’ll catch a cold.”

“Yeah. I won’t.”

Wanting to walk side by side after a long time, Gawon wrapped the scarf around his neck and walked home with Ki Joon. Today, Ki Joon said he would sleep at his father’s hospital room.

“Wouldn’t it be uncomfortable for you to sleep in the hospital room? Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Ah, the room is big and there’s a bed for guardians, so… Manager Hwang often sleeps there too.”

“Ah.”

Gawon nodded. The cold winter air touched the two boys’ faces anew.

Nearly a year had passed since Ki Joon’s father had collapsed. Yet this kid had never once shown any sign of hardship in front of Gawon. He would have been fine with Ki Joon complaining, venting, or leaning on him.

Come to think of it, although Ki Joon visited the hospital every two or three days, he had never once taken Gawon anywhere near it. Also, even after nearly two years of knowing him, Gawon had only met Manager Hwang a few times and had never met the men called “uncles”—meaning the organization members.

Ki Joon didn’t make it obvious, but Gawon could feel it. That he was carefully mindful not to make Gawon uncomfortable. The boyfriend who only showed him a playful, goofy side was, in fact, a boy more mature than anyone else. To the point where Gawon, watching from the side, felt a pang of pity and concern for him.

“Aren’t you hungry? I’ll make you some ramen—do you want to eat quickly before you go?”

“I’d love that. I’ll cook it. You’ve worked hard studying, so I’ll make you something amazing…”

They were nearing the alley where Gawon’s house was when Ki Joon stopped speaking with a stiff expression. Gawon, turning with a puzzled look, also widened his eyes.

“Hey! Hey! Are you going to crawl out right now?! You ungrateful bitch!”

Bam, bam, bam! A clearly drunk middle-aged man was shouting and pounding on Gawon’s front door. Despite the noise loud enough to be heard from the end of the alley, no one came out to check. It was that kind of neighborhood—disturbances were routine.

Gawon quickly quickened his pace and scanned the man with trembling eyes. Since he wasn’t part of a group, he didn’t seem to be one of the debt collectors, loan sharks, or thugs who used to come regularly. Come to think of it, there had been no word from that side for several months. Gawon had assumed they were steadily paying off the debts.

“Come out, come out! You dog! After all the money I poured into you, you ungrateful, worse-than-an-animal…!”

The man, reeking of suffocating alcohol and pounding on the door, was cut off. Ki Joon grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and slammed him to the ground. Ugh! The man, crashed under the streetlamp, groaned and muttered.

“You fucking… what… are you doing… cough.”

“Get lost. Before I call the police.”

Ki Joon glared at him and said in a cold voice. The man, collapsed next to a stinking trash bag, heard this and laughed like a madman.

“Police? Po-lice? Huh huh huh… Hey, you little punk. That’s a good one, yeah. That bitch who wiggled her ass so sweetly when she was mooching off my money won’t even show her face now! Let’s see if the cops come to take me away or take her away. That con-artist bitch.”

The more Gawon heard, the tighter his fists clenched. His fingertips turned white.

It wasn’t the first time that large sums of money had exchanged hands between his mother and her clients. But usually, the clients gave willingly to his mother; his mother had never swindled anyone. As far as Gawon knew, that was the case. So the commotion itself wasn’t what he feared anew.

What he never wanted, however, was for Ki Joon to see this side of things. He had been lucky to hide it until now… but the truth, finally laid bare, was so humiliating that his face burned with shame.

“Wait here for a moment.”

Ki Joon said to Gawon, then grabbed the man by the collar as he tried to say more and dragged him away. The man flailed helplessly like a scarecrow, dragged off without resistance. Gawon watched Ki Joon throw the man at the end of the alley and the man scurry away, then lowered his head.

“Where did you come from, drinking and causing a ruckus? If you’re going to make a scene, at least do it nicely.”

Ki Joon, out of breath, ran back and placed his hand on Gawon’s shoulder as he stood there dazed.

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s go inside. Okay?”

“…Yeah…”

His voice lacked strength. He nodded a couple of times, then dropped his head again. The helpless sighs that escaped felt heavy and oppressive.

“Look at me, Gawon.”

Then Ki Joon gently lifted Gawon’s head. The warmth of his palm enveloped Gawon’s cheek. Their gazes locked completely.

“Don’t think about anything else. Just think about what you want to achieve. This is an important time for you, isn’t it.”

“…Yeah.”

“Don’t worry too much—let’s keep trying to reach your mother. If she still doesn’t answer… I can ask the uncles to look for her.”

His serious voice continued.

“So for now, just focus on your future. Got it?”

His strong, upright gaze gave Gawon strength. Ki Joon was right. He had endured for years—he couldn’t afford to lose focus now.

Gawon, blinking his hot eyelids for a moment, nodded and said, “Yeah.” The future he would share with Ki Joon. For now, he had to keep moving forward, with only that in sight.