Double Junk - 211

“……”

Seokju, who had been watching the opera without understanding it, slowly lowered his gaze. Ajin’s white hands were resting on his thigh. With the palms facing up, every detail of her slightly bent fingers, slender wrists, and prominent wrist bones was irresistibly attractive.

I want to hold her hand.

Seokju quietly inhaled through his nose.

This was a private yet public place. It meant there were many eyes watching. Although the lights were dim, it was still brighter than a movie theater, where they would secretly kiss and play with each other’s hands, massaging their thighs. Even though Seokju was in a position to act as a lover, he couldn’t reach out easily.

Seokju suppressed his desire, stomping it down. But the greed that emerged was always greater than his control.

Hesitantly, he reached out and lightly brushed Ajin’s finger with his index finger. While subtly glancing around to check if anyone was watching, he entwined their fingers. Soon, their palms were pressed together.

The warmth and softness of her palm flowed into Seokju’s cool hand. The tension in his brows immediately relaxed. He pulled Ajin’s hand from between the armrests and hid it, gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

As he did so, the opera suddenly seemed much more moving. Seokju smiled subtly, so quietly that no one, not even Ajin, noticed.

When they left the performance hall, Ajin unconsciously stretched, but realizing it might be impolite, she immediately straightened her posture. She stifled a yawn, feeling a slight discomfort in her nose.

“Did you watch until the end?” Ajin asked Seokju, who was standing next to her.

“Yeah. It was fine,” Seokju nodded. The opera itself wasn’t great, but it had been a sufficiently wonderful time.

Seokju and Ajin stood off to the side, avoiding the crowd. Seonhwa had told them to wait in place after the performance. After greeting people, they would have dinner together.

“I’m tired……”

Ajin murmured, twitching her fingers. Seokju, worried, gently stroked her back. He whispered, “Just hold on a little longer.” Ajin nodded absentmindedly. At that moment, a stranger approached and spoke to them warmly.

“Hello, Mr. Han. It’s been a while.”

It was a common occurrence. Wherever they went, especially in places like this, many people knew Ajin. Half of them were people Ajin had met before but didn’t remember, and the other half were people who knew him but whom he had never met.

“Hello, Director Park.”

As usual, Seokju nodded and greeted first. Ajin followed suit, smiling as if reading the situation.

“Hello, Director Park.”

After that, all Ajin had to do was stand there quietly, like a pole. Seokju would handle the rest, asking about how things were and talking about company matters. Ajin just smiled whenever their eyes met.

But today, the meaningless conversation was boring. Seokju’s voice responding to the stranger’s words drew her attention as she gazed far away. Through the crowd of people rushing out of the performance hall, she vaguely saw a blue cloak fluttering.

Ajin followed the edge of the cloak with her gaze. Soon, the cloak stopped, and the owner of the clothing came into view. It was Seokju. The Seokju from the past.

Seokju was smiling. Around him were familiar faces of his associates, bustling about. The person with his arm around Seokju’s shoulder was Deokjae, and the one smiling at him had a large scar under his chin, Myungjin. They were talking in a language Ajin didn’t understand, and the surrounding associates were laughing loudly and boisterously.

“……”

Ajin’s mouth closed tightly in a straight line.

Lately, she had been seeing Seokju’s ghost often. It had always been rare, but now she saw it two or three times a day. She had seen him so often lately that she began to wonder if he was really alive in this world.

In the past, whenever he appeared unexpectedly, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. She would be lost in the moment, unaware of the passage of time. But now, she could turn her head as if she were looking at a stranger, someone she didn’t know, just like any other person in the crowd.

That didn’t mean that Seokju disappeared. More often than not, when she turned her head, he would be there in another form.

It was the same now. When she turned her gaze, she saw him standing alone, holding a cigarette that wasn’t lit, staring through the crowd. One hand was in his pocket, and his dark eyes were scanning the people as if he were looking for someone.

Ajin slightly parted her lips.

What would happen if she approached and spoke to him? Would that Seokju recognize her or not? Or maybe he would be another version of Seokju from a different dimension.

She was also afraid that if she greeted him, he might not know her. It irritated her that despite appearing so often in front of her, he hadn’t noticed her. But then again, he was just a hallucination, and this kind of imagining was frustrating.

For a while, Seokju’s gaze wandered aimlessly, but then it shifted towards Ajin. Ajin swallowed a dry lump in her throat.

Then, their gazes met. Ajin took a deep breath. Her shoulders tensed.

It was the first time their gazes had met.

Seokju stared at her intently, as if he had found someone he had been looking for.

Ajin clenched her fist tightly. Her heart pounded in her chest, beating rapidly.

What should she do now? Would he come closer? Would he say something? Would he apologize again? Or say he missed her? Maybe he would say that he had waited for such a long time, that he had come from hell through an eternity of suffering just to see her, and he might even cry.

What should she say in response? She imagined all these scenarios when, before she could react, Seokju, who had finished greeting someone, gently brushed her arm.

“Ajin. What are you looking at?”

Ajin flinched. She blinked, her eyes still burning from staring. Seokju’s apparition, visible through the crowd, faded away. It was just another hallucination.

Ajin gave a bitter smile and answered in a monotone voice.

“Oh, nothing…… I just thought I saw someone I knew.”

“It must be someone I know.”

Seokju concluded with certainty and firmness. Ajin wondered how he was so sure but didn’t feel the need to speak up. If Seokju said so, then it must be true. Ajin wanted to just let it go, acting as though nothing was wrong.

At that moment, Seonhwa approached.

“Mom.”

Ajin smiled, pulling the corners of his mouth up.

Ajin, Seokju, and Seonhwa went to the restaurant inside the theater to have a meal. Ajin eagerly read through the menu.

After having an intense day—spending time with Seokju, sleeping through the opera, and then being introduced to various people by Seonhwa—he was very hungry. He was also low on energy.

Ajin pointed to the menu and asked Seokju about different dishes. Seokju answered calmly. Seonhwa, sitting across from them, was busy talking to Miss Flower on the phone, chatting about how the opera had been, whom Ajin had met, and the conversations he’d had with friends.

Once the orders were placed, the food started arriving one after another.

“Let’s eat.”

Ajin picked up the innermost fork from the neatly arranged set of utensils, waiting for Seonhwa to take her first bite. After she had a bite, Ajin followed suit, stuffing a full portion of pasta into his mouth. His round cheeks puffed up, and some sauce got on the corner of his mouth.

“Clean up.”

Seokju placed a napkin next to him.

“Eat some vegetables too.”

Seonhwa pushed a large serving of salad toward Ajin.

“Seokju, don’t keep serving him. You eat too.”

Seonhwa didn’t forget to take care of Seokju as well.

“Yes. Let’s eat.”

Seokju smiled lightly and picked up his fork.

Ajin ate eagerly. He chewed on tender scallops, sliced his steak, and steadily picked up shrimp that had been cooked with butter and herbs. Seokju and Seonhwa watched him with pleased expressions. Whether he knew they were watching or not, Ajin was too busy eating to notice.

Seonhwa finished eating early and watched the two men eat with hearty appetites, asking them a few questions.

“How was the opera?”

“Hmm… It was great.”

“You were sleeping, weren’t you?”

Ajin raised his eyebrows at Seonhwa’s comment. His fork froze in mid-air. Seonhwa clicked her tongue.

“As soon as we left the theater, you looked like you’d just woken up from a nap.”

“……”

Ajin smiled awkwardly, biting the end of his fork. Seonhwa shook her head, then suddenly narrowed her eyes in concern.

“Why? Are you still not sleeping well, even though the weather is so nice?”

“No, I sleep really well. Seriously, I sleep too well. Just the other day, Seokju hyung tried to wake me up, but I couldn’t get up and almost ended up being late.”

Ajin shamelessly said as he poked a scallop on the plate Seokju had prepared for him. Seonhwa chuckled softly. Her mischievous son, though frustrating at times, was still lovable. It was no wonder everyone doted on the youngest.

“Well, I guess it’s better than not being able to sleep. You’re looking good these days. You seem so bright.”

“Really?”

Ajin stuffed a scallop into his mouth. With his mouth tightly shut, chewing cutely, Seonhwa couldn’t help but smile.

Seokju also put down his utensils. Ajin was the only one still eating. Seonhwa started to look a little bored. That was when someone passed by and stopped at their table. A shadow fell across the table. Seonhwa turned her head lazily.

“Oh, Mr. Han?”

Someone greeted them. It was a man she didn’t recognize, or rather, it would be odd to call him a man—he was much older. With neatly combed white hair, kind wrinkles, and the dignified appearance of an elderly gentleman, he was wearing a somewhat loose suit, and despite his age, he didn’t have a bit of a belly.

Seeing him, Seonhwa’s face brightened in recognition.

“Oh my, Chief Cheong.”

She jumped to her feet and extended her hand for a handshake. Chief Cheong smiled gently and took her hand.