Double Junk - 164

Ajin, who had been looking at the cold soup with ice cubes floating in it, picked up his spoon. But for some reason, there was only one rice bowl.

“Secretary Kang, aren’t you eating?”

“I already had a quick meal earlier.”

Ajin made a sound, “Hmmm…,” and then put the spoon down and picked up the chopsticks. He picked up a fat piece of eel and offered it to Seokju.

“Older people first…”

Even though more than 70 years had passed and the world had changed, the tradition of respecting elders was still very much alive in Korea, where they used Hangul. Especially since, in his past life, Seokju was 12 years older than him, which made it difficult for Ajin to act in a way that could be seen as disrespectful. This time, there was only a 6-year difference, but that still wasn’t a small age gap.

He wished he were older than Seokju, but it seemed difficult to treat Seokju like a subordinate.

Seokju quietly stared at the eel Ajin had handed to him. At first, he seemed surprised. Then, after looking at Ajin once, he curled his lips slightly and took the eel. Ajin watched Seokju’s mouth, which moved neatly.

“It’s delicious.”

After chewing and swallowing the food, Seokju said. Ajin smiled lightly. It wasn’t a meaningful smile, but more of a habit. Even though he didn’t make the food, he was glad to hear that it was delicious.

Seokju silently stared at Ajin. Ajin, not noticing Seokju’s persistent gaze, buried his face in the bowl. His spoon moved busily.

The rice was delicious. Perhaps it was made with expensive rice, as the grains were plump and shiny. The side dishes were also wonderful. Not only that, the dishes were good. They were thin, light, and looked sturdy. They were the kind of dishes that were easy to wash. The spoons were the same, neither too heavy nor too light, and their balance was perfect.

The tableware at Seokju’s house wasn’t extraordinarily good or bad. It was just that, since it was a house full of dark-skinned men who ate from large bowls, no one really cared about the details.

Indeed, noble families were different.

Ajin nodded in admiration and finished all the food on the table. Just then, Seokju poured cold water. Ajin drank it eagerly. Seokju took the empty plates and lifted the wooden tray. Then, unexpectedly, he gave a slight bow.

“Then, I’ll clean this up and leave.”

Ajin’s eyes widened.

“Leave? Where to? You’re leaving me here alone?”

His lips, red from the cold water, twitched. Ajin regretted his words after blurting them out. He shouldn’t have said that. He shouldn’t care if Seokju left. After all, this was his house, so it was fine to be alone. Ajin bit his lower lip, when Seokju spoke in a low voice.

“You said you didn’t like being here, didn’t you?”

“Aah…”

Ajin let out a small sigh. That’s right, he had said that. He had loudly declared that he didn’t like eating or sleeping here.

An awkward silence fell. Ajin, tapping the cup with his fingertips, pouted.

What a coward. Just because I said a few words, he’s going to leave? At this time of night? Leave me alone here? I don’t know anything about this place. I don’t even know how to turn on the air conditioner or where the kitchen is. I nearly collapsed just a few hours ago. He’s going to leave? Seriously, what a coward.

The Seokju in front of him wasn’t the Seokju he knew. The Seokju he had known was a bold man who never held grudges.

Ajin’s soft face was filled with annoyance. However, he didn’t say what he really wanted.

Seokju, who had been watching Ajin, let out a quiet sigh.

“…Should I stay until morning? Until the chairman wakes up?”

Ajin looked up at Seokju and nodded slowly. Although his temper said he should tell Seokju to leave, he was afraid to be alone without him.

This place was a strange and new world for Ajin. He had family here, but they didn’t feel like family, and the room that was supposed to be his didn’t feel like his own. The only thing familiar from the past to now was Seokju.

The Seokju in front of him didn’t seem like the same person from the past, but still, it was a familiar face.

“Then I’ll just clean up and come back. Would you like some dessert?”

“Dessert…?”

“Something like fruit, cake, or cookies.”

“Sure.”

Ajin quickly agreed. The fruit and cookies from 2023 would surely be amazing. Seokju said he would be back soon and left the room.

Ajin sat there absentmindedly until he returned. Seokju came back as promised, and when Ajin asked if he hadn’t done the dishes, he said there was a dishwasher. Ajin didn’t know what that was, but he could guess its purpose from the name.

Dish. Washer. A machine for washing dishes. How wonderful it is when a name is in Hangul.

Seokju came back with a fruit called grapefruit, topped with syrup, and a roll cake. The roll cake was filled with white cream the size of a fist instead of the strawberry jam Ajin was familiar with. The taste was, without a doubt, heavenly. The bread was soft, and the cream wasn’t too sweet but melted with a savory taste. The grapefruit was bitter, yet sweet, with a strange charm.

After finishing the dessert, Ajin sat there, lost in thought. The clock in the corner showed it was 5 a.m.

Should I sleep or get up? Normally, it would be time to sweep the yard or trim the vegetables, but he didn’t know what to do.

Sitting on the floor and leaning against the couch, Ajin glanced at Seokju, who was sitting next to him.

Seokju had been fiddling with something called a “tablet” (Ajin had asked what it was used for, and Seokju kindly explained, though Ajin didn’t understand at all. Apparently, it was used for work). Because Ajin had been unconscious for two days, there was a lot for Seokju to do.

Ajin, whose cheek was pressed against the sofa, rolled his eyes. He was bored. But he didn’t feel like exploring the house or doing anything new. Then, without thinking, he sighed deeply. Seokju lowered the tablet and asked,

“Would you like to watch TV?”

“TV… what?”

“TV?”

Seokju pointed his chin toward the black panel mounted on the wall across from the bed. The panel, as wide as Seokju’s height, gleamed under the dim lighting. Seokju reached under the table and pulled out something.

It was a long, black object, shaped like an abacus. However, it wasn’t an abacus; it had a lot of buttons. It was similar to when he turned on the air conditioner. Later, I found out it was a remote control for turning machines on and off.

Seokju handed the remote to Ajin. Ajin, taken by surprise, accepted it and stared at it.

Is this a TV? Am I supposed to watch this? It had red circles, numbers, plus and minus signs, and a house shape. What is this? A toy? Ajin tilted his head in confusion, and Seokju found the power button and pressed it. The black panel, which had been unidentifiable, suddenly lit up.

Seokju pressed various buttons with familiar ease and opened a popular OTT app, playing a movie Ajin liked.

Ajin stared with his mouth open. At first, it wasn’t so much watching the movie as it was admiring the TV.

Is this a movie theater? Do they have a theater in every room in the future? Wow, the future really is something, Ajin thought, before focusing on the movie.

The movie featured Western people and a lot of cars. Stylish cars raced down the road. Suddenly, they screeched and clanked, and then they transformed into robots. They looked like the toys in the cupboard.

Ajin’s mouth dropped open. Then, he slapped Seokju’s thigh and hurriedly asked,

“Do they really move like that? Is the car we came in like that too? Is the car alive, alive?”

“No. It’s CG… No, I mean, it’s made up. It’s graphics. What graphics mean is, they filmed just the car and then drew the robot on top of it,” Seokju explained.

“Ah, like a cartoon?” Ajin asked.

“Yes, like a cartoon.”

Seokju smoothly handled the difficult question, letting out a sigh of relief. He never imagined what it would feel like to be taking care of a child, even though he wasn’t married or had a partner. Ajin felt like a curious five-year-old with many questions but little understanding.

Ajin leaned forward, engrossed in the movie. The colorful lights from the TV moved rapidly across his innocent face. Seokju watched him quietly, smiling without a sound, before turning his attention back to his work.

However, this peace didn’t last long. As the movie progressed, and the robot characters started fighting, Ajin furrowed his brows. His vision began to spin. He felt nauseous, and it seemed like the food he ate earlier was rising in his throat.

“Secretary.”

“Yes, President.”

“I… feel nauseous.”

Ajin patted his chest and complained about the discomfort. Seokju quickly turned off the TV. The loud noise in the room stopped immediately. Ajin rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. His face turned pale.

Seokju swallowed nervously. To feel nauseous watching TV… especially Ajin, who had been lying around all day watching it.

Seokju increased the air conditioner temperature slightly and gave Ajin some lukewarm water. After a brief moment of discomfort, Ajin fortunately recovered quickly. However, Seokju’s worry didn’t fade. Ajin gave a sheepish smile.

“I don’t think I can watch TV anymore… Umm, do you have a book? I want to read.”

“A… book?”

Seokju asked, as if he hadn’t heard him correctly.

The room Seokju brought Ajin to, which he called a study, looked more like a library to Ajin. The high ceiling, the densely packed bookshelves, and the books crammed everywhere. Ajin opened his mouth in amazement as he looked around.

“Why are there so many books?”

“Both the chairman and your brother and sister all love books.”

“….”

I’m not included in that example, huh. Ajin realized that Seokju knew he wasn’t fond of books. What has Han Ajin been doing with his life? A president should be smart, right? But I wonder if he even made a living with all the nonsense, like piercing his ears.