Double Junk - 208

Opening the freezer door, he scooped out various ice creams indiscriminately, cradling them in his arms. Seokju quickly fetched a shopping basket, and Ajin excitedly dumped the ice creams into it. From palm-sized treats to large ones, he spared nothing. Soon, the ice cream section of the freezer was completely emptied.

“That’s too much,” Seokju remarked, returning a misplaced pack of frozen dumplings to the freezer.

“It’s not too much,” Ajin insisted firmly, shaking his head. Lifting the heavy basket with ease, he strode toward the counter. Seokju closed the freezer door with a sigh and followed him.

The convenience store clerk glanced at the luxurious pile of ice creams on the counter with wide eyes. Ajin smiled proudly. “Please ring it all up!”

Standing behind him, Seokju pulled out his wallet from his jacket’s inner pocket. Ajin grabbed his wrist abruptly.

“No, no! Use my card!”

“…Your wallet is in your jacket.” Seokju frowned. Ajin, wearing only a shirt, had left his jacket behind at the barbecue restaurant because he’d said it was too hot. Naturally, his wallet was still there.

Ajin’s face crumpled as if the world had collapsed.

“I wanted to pay… I’m the boss… I have the most money…” He grumbled, fiddling with the end of Seokju’s tie. Seokju gently patted his back. The strange situation made the clerk freeze mid-scan, unsure of what to do. After a moment of deliberation, Seokju pulled four 50,000-won bills from his wallet and handed them to Ajin.

“Here. Let’s say you’re borrowing my money to pay.”

“Borrowing?”

“Yeah, just pay me back later. That way, it’s like you bought it.”

“Okay! I’ll borrow it!” Ajin snatched the bills eagerly and shoved them at the clerk. The clerk, who had worried the well-dressed customers might leave without paying, continued scanning the mountain of ice creams.

As Ajin watched absentmindedly, he noticed a small warmer near the counter. Its yellowish jars labeled “Honey Yuzu Tea” in bright orange caught his attention. Opening the warmer, he placed a jar on the counter.

“This too. Add this, please,” he said.

Seokju gave him a puzzled look, and Ajin glanced up at him with a sly smile.

“This is for you.”

Since you don’t eat cold things.

“Here, drink this! It’s on me!” Ajin generously handed one ice cream to the store clerk, who hesitantly accepted it. Ajin, smiling brightly, hoisted two large bags of ice creams and exited the store. When Seokju tried to take the bags from him, Ajin quickly pulled them back.

“I want to carry them.”

“…Fine. Just give me one,” Seokju pointed to the heavier bag. After a moment’s hesitation, Ajin handed it over, then cheerfully started walking in the wrong direction. Seokju quickly grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. Ajin laughed and began walking in the right direction.

Seokju sighed quietly. For the forty-third time, he thought he shouldn’t have attended the gathering. Although Ajin seemed to be enjoying himself, he still found it unpleasant.

Ajin hummed an unrecognizable tune as he walked. Maybe it was the cool night air or the thrill of buying so much ice cream, but the breeze felt refreshing. The air threading through his hair was both crisp and soft.

The tranquil street, the swaying trees under the streetlights, and the pleasant glow of the lamps made it impossible not to feel good.

Ajin slowed his pace deliberately to enjoy the serene atmosphere. Then his pocket buzzed. Pulling out his phone, he saw a message from Seonhwa.

[Mommy (✿◖◡◗)❤
What are you doing?]

Ajin stopped in his tracks and typed back slowly with one hand.

[Out for dinner with the secretary team.]

Though there was a typo, he didn’t feel like correcting it. As soon as he sent it, a “read” notification appeared, followed quickly by a reply.

[Dinner? You? What’s the occasion? Is Kang Secretary with you?]

Narrowing his eyes, Ajin typed back, making even more typos. Though he was standing still, his body kept swaying, making him wonder if there was an earthquake. He even stomped the ground to check.

[Yeah. We went to buy icecream.]

[Ice cream? You’re drinking, but you went to buy ice cream?]

Annoyed by the missing “s” in “ice creams,” Ajin frowned and started typing [No, ice crea—], but Seonhwa sent another message.

[Anyway, don’t leave Seokju’s side. Stay close to him.]

Ajin sent the incomplete [No, ice crea—] message and then replied:

[Okay, I got it.]

He waited a few seconds, but no further messages came. Tucking his phone back into his pocket, Ajin spun on his heels and found Seokju standing right behind him. Taking a step closer, Ajin clung to his sturdy arm.

“Mom told me not to leave your side.”

Seokju chuckled. “Alright.”

The two walked side by side through the quiet night. Ajin swung the ice cream bag playfully as he gazed around. He stopped briefly in front of a tree, its leaves already starting to blush red.

It always feels strange to see the change in seasons with my own eyes. This time, that feeling was doubled. It struck me that it had already been a season since I opened my eyes to this world.

Ajin, gazing quietly at the trees, started walking again. Seokju matched his irregular pace without rushing.

“Looks like autumn is coming. This endless summer is finally ending,” Ajin said.

“That’s good. You’ll have fewer chances to struggle with the heat,” Seokju replied.

“How about in winter? What am I like then?” Ajin asked.

“Beautiful,” Seokju answered without hesitation.

Ajin laughed softly. That wasn’t the answer he was looking for. He had asked because he’d never experienced winter, curious about how winters were in this place and how he himself would be in it.

“No, I mean, is it bearable? Will I sleep better since it won’t be so hot? Without you, even?” Ajin clarified.

“Probably, yeah,” Seokju replied.

A shadow darkened Seokju’s expression, even in the night. Ajin gently bumped his head against Seokju’s arm and pulled away.

“Still, I’d rather sleep with you, whether it’s hot or cold,” Ajin said.

“…Sure,” Seokju replied.

“When winter comes, I’ll keep you warm,” Ajin added confidently.

“Thank you,” Seokju said, genuinely appreciative despite the lightheartedness of the comment. Ajin, noticing his sincerity, turned his head forward.

Though his words were casual, they weren’t a joke. Ajin knew how harsh winter could be for Seokju. He had experienced it himself in his past life. The bitter wind cutting into his flesh, his frozen bones aching, and the pain of his cold hands and feet had brought tears to his eyes.

Of course, winter in a world with air conditioning couldn’t be as cold as it was 70 years ago. Still, Ajin wished it would be cold enough that Seokju would need him—would long for him. It was a selfish thought.

Recalling the winters of his past life, Ajin suddenly raised his eyebrows, remembering why he had been in such a good mood earlier.

“By the way…” Ajin started.

“Yes?” Seokju replied.

“Well, when I was at the hotel alone…”

“Yeah?”

“Someone came by,” Ajin said.

Seokju’s brows twitched in response.

“…Who?” he asked cautiously.

“Oh no, I shouldn’t phrase it like that. Um… It was a hotel staff member. They came to deliver mango bingsu,” Ajin explained hastily.

“And?” Seokju asked.

“Well, um… The person… They looked like someone I know…” Ajin trailed off.

Seokju suddenly stopped walking.

“…Someone you know?” he asked.

Ajin, now a few steps ahead, stopped as well. Adjusting the ice cream bag he was holding, Ajin hesitated for a moment before shaking his head vigorously.

“…No. No, not someone I know. Yeah, definitely not. Just someone who looked similar. Anyway, nothing happened. I felt really proud of myself,” Ajin said, his words tumbling out.

“…”

“I don’t even know what nonsense I’m saying. Anyway, it was nothing, and I feel refreshed. That’s all,” Ajin concluded.

“Let’s go. The ice cream will melt,” he added, picking up his pace. Seokju, after a brief moment of thought, followed.

Oddly enough, the more Ajin walked, the more intoxicated he became. From moving busily all morning, dealing with nerves during the greetings, and even encountering someone he thought he recognized, his body felt heavy and worn out. Despite napping earlier, it hadn’t been enough. His deep exhale carried the unmistakable smell of alcohol.

Just as Ajin was starting to think about abandoning the ice cream and heading straight home, a familiar barbecue restaurant sign came into view. His face lit up, and he quickened his pace toward it.

But then, he saw someone smoking a cigarette in front of the restaurant. Ajin slowed to a stop.

The person in front of the restaurant was Seokju. Dressed in a suit with a cloak draped over his shoulders, he stood at an angle, smoking. His gaze was fixed on the distant sky, and the smoke curling from his lips glimmered faintly in the moonlight. The waves subtly etched into the cloak rippled gently in the night breeze, resembling the ocean.

It was a familiar sight. Ajin had seen Seokju smoke countless times. He remembered vividly how his lips looked when he exhaled smoke, how he blinked his eyes, how he tapped the ash off, and even how he lit the cigarette.

So, was this… an illusion?

Was it so familiar that it appeared this vividly and clearly?

The smoking Seokju didn’t acknowledge Ajin. He merely stared into the void, exhaling smoke. The cigarette in his mouth grew shorter, then longer again, and then shorter once more.

Just as his gaze slowly began to drift toward Ajin, Ajin closed his eyes tightly and then opened them again.

And Seokju was gone. In his place was a staff member from the office, smoking a cigarette.