Double Junk - 149

Ajin scrunched and then relaxed his nose. Seokju, who was getting all worked up over just a single word, looked both foolish and pitiful. There was no reason for him to be pitied, not even a bit. He could be treated more generously. It would be fine to throw nasty words at him.

Ajin brushed his disheveled bangs aside. Then he sighed and said.

“I got a thorn stuck in the sole of my foot today.”

At those words, Seokju immediately made a fuss.

“What? In your foot? How deep? Did you get it out? Did you apply medicine? Can I take a look?”

He grabbed Ajin’s ankle. His face, which had been filled with sadness, changed to one of concern in an instant. Ajin lightly pushed his hand away with a faint smile.

“Puh… It’s okay. I got it out properly.”

“Still—”

“But, even though I got it out. Even though I threw the thorn in the trash. The sole of my foot still tingles. It felt like the thorn was still stuck.”

“……”

“I was pondering why that was, and absentmindedly looked around this room. And then I realized.”

Ajin rubbed his chest with the palm of his hand.

“There’s a thorn stuck here too, so it hurts.”

“……Ajin.”

“Realizing that, I wanted to remove this thorn too. But as long as I’m here, I thought I could never get rid of this thorn.”

Ajin took a deep breath. Then he looked at Seokju with eyes as calm as a night sky.

“I still feel pain because of you.”

“……”

“It’s sad, and I hate it, and sometimes it’s scary and uncomfortable.”

“……”

“But it’s also pitiful and regrettable.”

“……”

“There isn’t a single good feeling among all those emotions.”

Seokju bit his lips tightly. He bit so hard that a mark appeared on his lower lip.

“Ajin, I…… I…… I’m sorry.”

The sentence Seokju was trying to say ended in another apology. His clenched fist trembled. Ajin lightly touched the back of Seokju’s hand. Then he spoke in a soft, calm voice.

“I used to feel so good about you. I enjoyed being with you. I looked forward to the nights spent with you. I was thrilled and happy with your words that wanted to stay together.”

“……”

“Now, no matter what I do, no matter what you do, we can’t go back to those times. Because there’s a thorn stuck here.”

Ajin tapped his chest again with the hand that wasn’t holding Seokju’s hand.

We’ve already drifted too far away, carried away by the fierce waves. The happy moments of the past are so distant they’re invisible. We probably can’t go back.

The part of me that needed to return is broken, and the happy moments have sunk in the storm. So no matter what ship I take, or what waves and sea breezes I encounter, I couldn’t return.

The most ideal solution was to find new moments.

“Please help me remove that thorn.”

Ajin asked.

“……”

Seokju kept his mouth tightly shut. His dark eyes filled with tears. The wavering tears, like the end of a wave, soon fell outside.

“Don’t cry.”

Ajin kindly wiped away the tears himself.

Through that neat gesture, Seokju realized.

He couldn’t hold onto Ajin.

The tears didn’t stop.

Two days later, Ajin left the house.

It was much earlier than Ajin had expected. He thought Seokju wouldn’t want to let him go. So he thought Seokju would make various excuses to keep him. But Seokju truly put in effort and sincerity to help Ajin’s independence.

The car that had been speeding stopped. Ajin, who was hunched over with a bulky bundle, shivered. He looked out at the unfamiliar street. Seokju, who had been sitting in the passenger seat, got out. He walked around the car and opened the door for Ajin.

“Thank you.”

Ajin awkwardly got out. The car still hadn’t adjusted. He was sweating and shivering. But it wasn’t as frightening as before, when the flickering headlights used to make him faint.

Seokju took the bundle Ajin was holding. Mingjin, who had been hovering around, took it and handed it to another organization member. Other members unloaded the luggage from the car. All of it was Ajin’s belongings. More precisely, the belongings Seokju had bought for Ajin.

Actually, Ajin had only packed one bundle himself.

Ajin looked at the front gate. The shiny black gate looked very unfamiliar.

“Is this…… it?”

“Yeah.”

Seokju nodded and handed something to Ajin. It was a bundle of keys.

“The biggest one is the gate key. Try opening it yourself.”

“Ah……”

Ajin received it. Then he selected the dark-colored, heavy key. When he inserted it into the gate lock, it slid in smoothly. Turning it sideways was also easy. The sound of the latch unlocking clicked.

Ajin pushed the gate with his palm. Contrary to its large and heavy appearance, the gate opened smoothly.

The first thing that came into view was a moderately sized yard. A narrow path led to the house entrance, the ground was solid dirt, there was a small platform for three or four people to sit, and a small vegetable garden on one side. Since it was a new house, only dirt was laid out, and no plants were growing.

And in the middle of it was a pretty house.

Ajin stared blankly at the house.

“Let’s go inside.”

Seokju led Ajin into the house. Ajin hesitantly followed him.

The house was not a complete Western-style house. With its tiled roof, it was closer to a traditional Korean house. Only the interior had been newly decorated in a Western style. According to Seokju, it was a trendy house these days.

Walking down the hallway, there was a space labeled ‘living room,’ and next to it was a combined ‘kitchen’ and ‘tea room.’ Further in was the bathroom, and a ‘bedroom’ referred to as the main room.

Ajin was most interested in the kitchen. In the gambling house and Seokju’s home, he had to climb a few steps each time he went to and from the kitchen. But here, everything was in one space, making it easy to use even if he had trouble walking.

The kitchen had a dining table with two chairs. Instead of a traditional stove, there was a heater that used oil, and dishes were neatly stored in a low cupboard, adjusted to Ajin’s height.

The living room had a sofa, desk, bookshelf, and even a telephone. The bedroom had a large window letting in plenty of light, and a bed and a large built-in wardrobe.

Ajin examined the house with a smile. It was the perfect size for living alone, with non-burdensome furniture, and it faced south so it got plenty of light.

There was not a single unfamiliar space, and somehow he had a premonition that he would adapt well.

“Do you like it?”

Seokju, who had been following Ajin with a pleased face, asked. Ajin quickly nodded.

“Yes. I like it.”

“I’m glad.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Ajin bowed his head slightly. Seokju shook his head.

“No, it’s nothing.”

“……”

“……”

With those words, silence settled in. The silence marking the time of parting.

Seokju walked slowly towards the entrance. Then, after putting on his shoes, he looked back at Ajin.

“Rice will be delivered by the rice vendor at the beginning of each month. I’ve already paid for it, so you don’t need to give any extra money.”

“Yes.”

“Vegetables and side dishes will also be delivered regularly. So, you won’t need to go out and buy them.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t do the laundry yourself. Leave it to others. These days, you just pay and they do everything.”

“If I don’t do those things, how will I spend my time? I can do it myself.”

“……Right. Oh, and this is a wealthy neighborhood, so many houses have cars. It’s not as busy as the city, but still, be careful when you’re out on the roads.”

“Yes.”

“And also…… um……”

Seokju hesitated, wanting to say something more. He hated the idea of parting. Once he stepped out the door, it would be the end. He wouldn’t be able to see Ajin anymore.

If he had known it would be like this, he would have begged a bit more. He should have used underhanded means to keep Ajin. He should have taken his time, saying this was difficult and that wasn’t possible.

It was too late for regrets. Ajin, who had already finished preparing for parting, waited for the end with a gentle expression. That face was so composed and firm that Seokju couldn’t find a way to intrude.

Seokju clenched his fist tightly and then relaxed his shoulders. He took out a white paper bag from the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

“This is…… something Miss Flower asked me to give you when she was first hospitalized.”

“……Miss Flower?”

“Yeah. It’s money she had saved up from when she worked at the hotel. In case something happened to her, she wanted you to have it. I also added a little, just a bit more.”

“……”

Ajin stared at the paper bag Seokju offered with a blank look. His fingers fidgeted in the air. Should he accept it? Since he was going to live alone, he needed money, and seeing the thickness of the bag, it must be a substantial amount. With this, he wouldn’t need to drag his inconvenient legs around begging for work…… Thinking that far, he couldn’t refuse. Especially since it was money from Miss Flower.

Ajin accepted the bag with gratitude.

“Thank you.”

“If it’s not enough, let me know anytime.”

“It’s not lacking.”

Even without opening the bag, Ajin knew it was filled with Miss Flower’s and Seokju’s feelings. Perhaps Ajin would never use all of this money in his lifetime.

“Alright, then.”

Seokju took a step back. After looking at Ajin for a moment, he turned around. Ajin, wearing old sneakers, followed him. He planned to save the new sneakers Seokju had bought for him for a while.

The two of them crossed the small yard and reached the gate. Mingjin, who had been waiting outside, signaled to the organization members at the sound of their approach. The members quickly got into the car. Soon, the rough sound of the engine roared.

It was really time to leave.

Seokju stepped out beyond the gate.