A Scorching Day Chapter 6

Gawon wore a padded jacket whose padding had gone flat, and slung over his shoulder a bag packed neatly with various items. Then he turned the key, locked the old door, and left the house. Having confirmed that his mother had safely returned home, his way to school felt somewhat more relieved.

However, when changing his mother’s clothes, she had thrown a fit as if having a seizure, which caused some delay. Red-rimmed whites of her eyes, sniffing behavior, unfocused eyes staring blankly at Gawon.

Gawon now knew what his mother’s condition meant. The world his mother was involved in was one that exposed her defenselessly to such things.

He had recommended drug rehabilitation centers to his mother many times, but she refused every time. Seeing his mother flatly say she didn’t have time to go to such places when she was barely scraping by, despair filled his chest.

Sometimes Gawon felt there was an even lower bottom than the present. That chilling, shuddering, almost self-deprecating premonition would one day become reality, cold and damp, tightening around Gawon’s throat. The lives of the two of them were already bad enough, and there was no sign of improvement.

His biological father, whose face, name, and even whether he was alive or dead he didn’t know from childhood. His mother, bound to a bar with a huge debt, and the tiresome thugs who kept a tight watch over her. And that one tiny, palm-sized room falling apart.

There was only one thing he could trust. His grades—not exceptionally brilliant, but at least not shameful enough to hide. That was the only means of not being sucked into his mother’s dark, damp world.

His mother often—quite often, in fact—said things like that. To stop bothering with studying and do something to contribute to the household. To help out even in the kitchen of the bar where she worked. She even unhesitatingly said horrifying things like, with a face like yours, even just delivering fruit would get you decent tips. His mother, exposed to degradation for so long that she had become eroded by it, had now lost even her last shred of morality and shame.

Naturally, Gawon resisted firmly. If he ever had to see his mother working there while setting up drinking tables, he would bite his tongue and die. Doing that kind of thing—seeing his mother half-clothed, dealing with men—he had more than enough of that at home.

His mother often brought men home, and whenever she did, Gawon wouldn’t go inside. The countless nights he’d spent sleeping rough at the playground were tiresome and loathsome.

Perhaps because he had expended more energy than usual calming his mother’s struggles, though he normally didn’t eat breakfast, today he was especially hungry. Maybe it was because he had eaten so poorly the night before—having spent all the money on his welfare card, he had gotten by with just one large triangle kimbap.

Rubbing his growling stomach, he shuffled his feet along. Leaving the hillside slum, where demolition signs were plastered everywhere and old doors clustered together like crab shells, the main road appeared as if by magic. Gawon quickened his pace, absently taking in the neat, stately buildings and the cozy-looking apartment complexes.

As the school came into view, the number of kids wearing the same uniform increased. Today, he had come out wearing a full uniform, top and bottom. The presence of the gym uniform—not his own—in his bag came back to mind. And the owner of that gym uniform as well.

‘Just, you know, so you don’t get chewed out by the dean.’

That refreshing smile. Those deep, dimpled cheeks. Along with that friendly impression, that low, comfortable voice.

He was a strange kid. With looks that anyone would find likable, he was unmistakably the type who would rank at the very top of the male hierarchy in the classroom. As evidence, even though he’d just transferred not long ago, his surroundings were already overflowing with kids hovering around to get close to him.

Why on earth would a guy like that, who drew popularity just by breathing, lend his clothes to someone like him? Even risking getting an earful from the dean himself.

It felt like some kind of scheme. Gawon, with all his senses on high alert, anticipated and pictured the kid who would eventually stab him in the back.

But from yesterday, when that incident happened, until today, that kid hadn’t done anything particular. As if he’d never helped Gawon, he stuck by Heo Yeonggyu’s side, sending no mocking glances, hitting or insulting him, or damaging his belongings.

What on earth was that kid…? Gawon was so deep in thought that he didn’t hear someone calling him from behind.

“Hi.”

“…”

Without answering, Gawon kept walking silently when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. Startled, Gawon whipped his head around.

Behind him stood, surprisingly, the very person he’d been thinking about. Today, this kid was also properly dressed in his uniform. He wore a black t-shirt underneath, with his white shirt collar casually opened wide. Whenever he moved his body lightly, that same good scent wafted over.

“I didn’t know your name. Yoon… Gawon?”

Tilting his head, Ki Joon read the name on the tag on Gawon’s jacket. Murmuring it a couple times as if memorizing it, he grinned and gestured with his chin toward the school gate.

“Let’s go.”

“…”

Was he asking to walk in together? Surprised, Gawon couldn’t easily move his feet. Ki Joon, who had unconsciously started walking ahead, turned back with a puzzled look, “Why?” As Gawon watched his thick, black eyebrows lift handsomely, his mouth completely clamped shut.

Something like, hi. Or, thanks for lending me your clothes last time. He could at least say a greeting like that….

Even as he urged himself internally, Gawon couldn’t say a word. Perhaps it was because it had been so long since he’d exchanged such ordinary, trivial conversation with anyone.

Should he say hello now, even if it was late? As each second passed, his hesitation grew more awkward and futile—just then, Gawon’s stomach let out a loud growl.

“…Ah.”

Gawon hurriedly pressed a hand to his belly. He was so embarrassed that a short exclamation escaped him. Looking down at Gawon, whose ears had turned bright red, Ki Joon chuckled.

“Didn’t eat breakfast?”

“…I usually don’t eat breakfast.”

At his first words finally spoken, Ki Joon’s eyes widened slightly. But only for a moment—soon, he broke into a refreshing grin.

“So it growls like that every day?”

“…”

His voice was full of playfulness. Now even his face was burning hot, but Gawon didn’t retort. Then, Ki Joon pulled something out of his bag and held it out.

“Here. Eat this.”

In his large hand was an energy bar. Gawon blinked for a moment, then shook his head.

“No, thanks.”

“Why? It’s good.”

“…You don’t have to keep giving me things.”

“Huh? This one’s mine. The gym uniform is borrowed. It’s not technically mine.”

Ki Joon used a peculiar turn of phrase. Gawon tried to push back because he didn’t want any more help, but the kid lightly deflected it. As if this sort of thing was nothing.

“Eat it. It’s good.”

Moreover, he was persistent. Feeling that if he refused any more, he’d only look like the strange one, Gawon absentmindedly took the energy bar. It was awkward to eat alone in this situation… but still, thinking of the other person’s goodwill, he crinkled the wrapper open.

Gawon took a bite of the sticky, dense energy bar smeared with chocolate. The acute hunger he’d felt seemed to subside a little already.

“Good, right?”

“…Yeah.”

For a while, they walked in silence as Gawon ate the bar. Ki Joon didn’t walk ahead, but slowly matched his pace.

“You take forever to eat that tiny thing. Kind of fascinating.”

The kid murmured quietly. It didn’t seem like he expected an answer, nor was he criticizing his eating speed, so Gawon remained silent. When he was about halfway through the bar, Ki Joon suddenly spoke up.

“Hey, can I ask you something? Heo… what was it? Heo Jaegu? Do you know him from before?”

At the abrupt question, Gawon furrowed his brow. Heo Jaegu… probably meant Heo Yeonggyu. He could say he knew him, but… Gawon answered in a flat voice.

“We were in the same class last year.”

“Ah.”

For someone who’d even gotten the name wrong, the reply was short. The incident from a few days ago at the back of the classroom must have left an impression. For no reason, he felt bitter and embarrassed. It had been a long time since he felt such emotions toward others, and he didn’t know why he was feeling this way now.

“Oh, and… before I forget, I’ll return your clothes.”

Stopping, Gawon opened his bag and took out the gym uniform. He didn’t want to hand it over in front of the other kids in the classroom.

Ki Joon took the clothes without a word. Then, as if staring down at the gym top, he suddenly buried his nose in it. Gawon’s eyes went wide.

Taking a deep sniff, Ki Joon grinned.

“Oh, smells nice.”

Why on earth would he smell someone else’s laundry detergent…? He was dumbfounded. But at that moment, he realized that when something was too absurd, laughter came out instead.

Gawon let out an involuntary snicker. Then, Ki Joon tilted his head, just as he had when examining the name tag earlier, and peered at Gawon’s face. His irises, catching the sunlight and gleaming with a unique luster, met Gawon’s gaze precisely.

“Oh? You laughed. First time I’ve seen you smile.”

The kid grinned back.

In the bright morning sunlight, Ki Joon’s eyes looked almost gray. Gawon momentarily thought they resembled the eyes of a wolf he’d seen in a documentary once.

Still, this kid’s smile wasn’t unpleasant like others’. It was so distant he could hardly recall when the last time had been. A pure smile, carrying no mockery or contempt, directed at him.