Double Junk - 172

Seokju, wearing a sweater that didn’t match the summer, stood holding water and a towel. His gaze was completely fixed on Ajin. It was unclear when he had arrived or how long he had been watching him.

Ajin hesitated for a moment, then ran to him without any hesitation. Seokju silently waited. When Ajin got closer, Seokju took two steps forward and offered him the towel.

“The president told me you were here.”

“Huff, huff… Is that so?”

“But you’re later than usual, so I was just checking.”

“I’m not a child… I can go on my own. Huff… I have my phone with me.”

Ajin tapped the pocket of his sports pants. Then, he took the towel Seokju offered and roughly wiped his face, not being careful at all. Seokju took the edge of the towel and wiped Ajin’s neck and temples.

“I’m just worried. You’ve been having a hard time lately…”

“…That’s true.”

After shaking his hair out, Ajin lowered the towel. Seokju took it and handed him a bottle of water with the cap opened. Ajin gulped it down, the cold and refreshing liquid going down his throat.

Ajin quickly drank half of the water. When he pulled the bottle away from his lips, Seokju asked,

“Will you stay here longer?”

“No. I should go.”

Ajin shook his head. Seokju nodded and stood beside him. The two walked side by side toward home. Ajin was still catching his breath from running. Seokju asked if he wanted to sit and rest for a moment, but Ajin refused.

After walking a little more, Ajin’s breathing settled. He finished the last bit of water. Seokju naturally took the empty bottle and crumpled it up with one hand, tightly closing the cap. Ajin looked at Seokju’s hand, the veins clearly visible on his hand, then moved his gaze up to his face.

“Hyung.”

“…Yes, President.”

Seokju was startled by the sudden use of the word “hyung” and answered a beat late. Ajin playfully tapped his arm.

“Sorry.”

“Sorry for what…?”

“Because I’m in pain, I mean, because my head’s not right, you’re the one suffering in my place.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. I can see you’re busy. You even went to the company for dinner, right? What do you call it… Mom told me earlier… Ah, overtime. You worked overtime.”

“…It’s fine. It’s not overtime because someone told me to do it.”

Seokju smiled faintly. If anyone else heard it, they might think he was crazy, but Ajin just thought, Well, he must really like working.

Ajin stared at his sharp profile and moved his lips.

“It’s me.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll do well from now on.”

“…”

“I won’t be able to help much, but I’ll try not to be a burden.”

Seokju blinked slowly. He seemed puzzled by how Ajin’s attitude had suddenly changed since earlier when he was depressed. It looked like a question on his face—how had he become so mature in just a few hours? Ajin smiled brightly at him.

“I’ll adapt slowly.”

He would slowly forget.

All the painful memories, all the sad memories.

“It will all come back.”

It would all disappear.

Just like the scars on his wrist that no longer existed, like the bullet lodged in his chest that no longer hurt, like the imperfect legs that had once been weak—they would all disappear.

“I’ll be okay.”

In the end, he would reach true rebirth.

A rebirth where he would be fine without you.

A rebirth where he would be fine alone.