Chapter 1.5
Finally, the door opened. I was about to stop him, who was walking past the kitchen, but I flinched. My eyes went to the white legs exposed under the dark gray shower robe. He was a man with no courtesy. I wasn’t sure if he wanted to treat me like I didn’t exist, but he was almost naked. Relaxing my furrowed brows, I opened my mouth.
“Mr. Prosecutor.”
Hearing my call, he halted his steps and looked back. Then he slowly tilted his head and smiled with that very smile that looked like ridiculing me.
I wondered if he liked the nickname. Whether he was a real prosecutor, or if he was pretending to be a prosecutor, there was no doubt he wouldn’t like it if I called him with that so great occupation. (TN: Jiho calls Woojeong with , which literally means Mr. Prosecutor. However, in the future I’ll use Mr. Yeon since I prefer it that way.)
When the wet hair covered his forehead, the man’s impression turned relatively mild, and he looked young. The water drops that fell from his hair flowed down between his robe. When I pointed to my front with my chin while somehow swallowing saliva, he slowly walked and sat.
As soon as the man took his seat, I took a bite of the chicken leg. The crispy skin filled my mouth, then as I bit on the plump flesh, the juice permeated my tongue. Once I tasted it, the hunger terrifically struck. The spicy sauce behind the crisp kept making my mouth water.
I was eating like crazy, but suddenly I felt a gaze. When I met the eyes tenaciously scanning over me, I couldn’t help but slowly chewed the thing inside my mouth. The man, who was expressionless, drew a smile on his lips.
“You, there’s a mole here.”
He pointed under his eye with the tip of a neat index finger. Was there a mole under my eye? I felt like there was.
“Is it a tear mole?”
While I gave him no response and put down the bone with no meat left, his finger moved to the corner of his eye.
“Tear mole is located here, right? You won’t easily cry, then.”
“…”
“That’s a bummer.”
Aside from the ridiculous superstitions such as B blood type had a bad personality, I didn’t get what he meant by ‘that’s a bummer’ at all. The man’s gaze was still in the corner of my eye. While taking a portion that had a lot of meat, I swallowed what was in my mouth completely.
“Then what kind of eyes do you have, Mr. Yeon?”
“My eyes?”
His round eyes rolled over. Looking at them in a bright place, the contrast between the pupils and sclera was so clear, making the unique eyes stand out more.
“I don’t know. Unpleasant eyes?”
Whether it was because he looked tired or because his hair was down, his eyes relaxed drowsily and looked like smiling faintly. They were not unpleasant eyes. I didn’t know if he often heard that, but rather than that….
Unluckily, I suddenly remembered what that bastard in the youth shelter told me.
Eyes that will eat people up. I didn’t know the exact meaning of that, but it seemed like I finally knew how to use that very well. Shaking out that voice, I opened a can of cola. The man didn’t look like he would drink it, so I didn’t look for a cup.
“Is it tasty? Seeing you eat makes me want to eat.”
As I pushed the chicken box that was close to me, he took the smallest piece of meat while smiling. Then he opened his mouth small and took a bite.
It was my first time seeing someone eat this unenthusiastically. He took his time chewing it as if he was savoring frustrating the one who saw him. Then, he put down the rest of the meat without hesitation and left. After wiping his hands, he disappeared behind the door.
I turned my eyes to the meat left by the man. After looking at it for a moment, I put down the one I hold, then I reached for it and bit it. I slowly chewed on the soft meat. When it was about to be completely chewed down, the man appeared again. There were clothes in his hand.
“Underwear, you don’t need to wear it, right?”
The man put down the clothes and a folded blanket on the sofa, talking about the unreasonable words so naturally.
“The only usable room is on the top floor, but since there’s no bed, and I’ll bring one later, sleep here tonight.”
“I don’t need it.”
Why is he buying a bed when he doesn’t even know when I will leave? It was not my business how the man spent his money, but the living room, where I could quickly read the situation and escape, was better.
The man raised his eyebrows at my answer, then his lips slanted up.
“Bye.”
He left a greeting and disappeared into his room. As soon as the door closed, a stillness flew in again. Somehow, I lost my appetite, but because I didn’t know when I could fill my stomach like this ever again, I ate the chicken eagerly.
After finishing everything, I put the bones in the plastic, then I threw them in the trash can along with the sealed box. I looked for something that I could use to wipe the table, but there was no dishrag seen. Then, I opened the drawer and found a wet tissue. After wiping the dining table, I stood still and looked around.
A kitchen that was deserted rather than untidy, the bright lighting that didn’t dim or blink, the marble that was unlikely turned yellow or had mold growing. It was convincing to say this place had never been lived in.
Wide, bright, clean, and big space.
Suddenly, a lonesome and futile feeling beyond description surged up. Feeling the swallowed-down chicken trying to climb up my throat, I let out a long breath. Something hot without a destination was bubbling in my heart. Perhaps because I pushed down a mass of oil into an empty stomach, I felt like my stomach hurt, so I rubbed my solar plexus for a while and saw the clothes neatly placed on the sofa.
I shall take a shower. I can clean my body in a bathroom with warm water available. Furthermore, I will sleep in a place where the cold wind can’t enter and with a soft sofa under my back.
Taking the clothes, I entered the bathroom. The shower booth was foggy with steam. Unopened toothbrushes, sponges, and clean towels were placed on the shelf.
My face was reflected in the mirror. A shabby face with torn lips and bruises on the cheekbones. I turned my gaze from myself.
I took off my clothes and folded them neatly. After touching the jacket with an envelope of money inside it, I went to the shower booth. When I turned on the faucet, the water fell from the shower attached to the top. It was such a fortune that warm water came out straight without needing to wait for it. When misfortune happened after tasting this kind of fortune, it would be hard to get used to it. Still, I had no intention to flush my body with cold water, so I cleaned my body to every nook and cranny. I couldn’t help but understand why that man took a shower for a very long time.
After washing my underwear, I squeezed it and then wore the fresh clothes. That man was smaller than me, but since there was no big difference in our height, the clothes fit me. I touched the soft fabric, then I came out of the bathroom.
I had to hang my underwear, but there was no balcony here. Remembering that there was a door in the kitchen, I went there and found a washing machine and drying rack. After hanging the underwear and putting the wet towel in the basket, I left that place.
Now that I had washed up with warm water in a stranger’s house, I felt tired. I turned off the light in the living room, then laid down on the sofa. As I spread the blanket and covered my body, I felt like I could sleep soon.
Because darkness did not whisper misfortune, I closed my eyes.
***