I'm washing up."
The first thing Jaegyeom did after waking up after five days was to take a shower. After suffering from nightmares for several days, he wanted to be refreshed. Jaegyeom shook off Mesani, who was following closely behind, and headed to the bathroom. In the meantime, Jeongju pretended to be calm and focused on cooking.
Despite having gone through a huge incident, Jaegyeom was the same as usual. Not even a word about what happened that night. It was as if nothing had happened.
Was it because it didn't really matter, or was it just to bury it? There were many things he wanted to say to Jaegyeom and many things he wanted to hear, but jeongju couldn't bring himself to say anything. He was afraid that Jaegyeom, who had regained consciousness, would say he was leaving immediately.
"Oh, right. Eggs."
Jeongju, who opened the refrigerator and rummaged through the ingredients, hesitated. He forgot to buy eggs. Just when he was about to put on his hat and his coat, just in time, Jaegyeom finished showering and came out of the bathroom.
"Where are you going?"
Jaegyeom asked.
"Oh, to the store. I forgot to buy eggs."
Jaegyeom stared at Jeongju, and the latter involuntarily turned his head away in response. He was afraid to make eye contact.
"Just stay here. I will go."
Jeongju raised his head at the unexpected words.
"What?"
"I said I'd buy the eggs."
"..."
Jeongju looked at Jaegyeom with a bewildered face. He brushed his wet hair and went into the room and grabbed his wallet.
"I just need to get the eggs? Anything else you need?"
"Ah... uh, oh yeah. Eggs only... is enough."
"Okay. I'll be back soon."
As Jaegyeom headed for the front door, he suddenly stopped.
"Mesan-ah."
Mesani, who was sticking his head out from behind Jeongju, was startled and exclaimed, "Yeess?!". Jaegyeom chuckled at the response. He didn't understand why Jeongju and Mesani were acting like guilty people.
"Shall we go together?"
"Yes?"
"Do you want to go to the store together?"
Mesani blinked and looked up at Jeongju. Jeongju, who had been standing there blankly, hurriedly gestured in approval. Mesani's face brightened like a full moon. He hurriedly put on his shoes as he followed Jaegyeom.
"Yes!"
***
Jaegyeom and Mesani left the gate side by side. Throughout the walk, no one spoke. The cries of grasshoppers were lulling. After passing through the bumpy mountain path, a paved road came out.
This was the second time Mesani went to the store near their house with his lord. Seeing the familiar hole-in-the-wall shop in the distance, he, who was about to hold Jaegyeom's hand as usual, hesitated and lowered his hand.
His lord was the same as usual, but somehow it was difficult. It took courage to hold his hand today. Mesani hesitated, and then grabbed Jaegyeom's hem instead of his hand. Jaegyeom glanced down at him with an expressionless face and glanced sideways at the small hand that grabbed the hem of his clothes.
When they arrived in front of the store, they saw the same two or three elderly people playing cards on a table, just like last time. The shop owner who was sitting next to them noticed Jaegyeom and Mesani and raised his reading glasses.
"You're here?"
They had only met twice until today, but the owner greeted them as if they had known each other for a long time, just like the previous time. Likewise, he smiled benevolently with a wrinkled face.
Jaegyeom bowed his head briefly, then opened the sliding door and went to get the eggs. In the meantime, Mesani raised his toes and looked inside the freezer. Jaegyeom, who came out with the eggs, asked.
"What. Should I buy it for you?"
Mesani nodded. Jaegyeom opened the freezer door. This time there was no meruna, only popsicles. Bbongtta and Papico. It was the popsicle he shared with Cho Youngwoo the other day.
He wondered how he was doing. Come to think of it, he hadn't been to school in a while... Pushing the sudden thought out of his mind, Jaegyeom chose three popsicles for Jeongju as well, paid for them, and handed the Bbongtta to Mesani. Since he had eaten Bbongtta the other day, he was thinking of trying Papico this time.
"My, My lord. What's this?"
Mesani tilted his head at the strange shape that was different from what he got the last time.
"Bbongtta for you. Papico for me."
"Look carefully." Just as Jaegyeom learned from Cho Youngwoo, he hit his thigh with the popsicle. The top of the wrapping popped open and Mesani's eyes widened and exclaimed, "Woww."
"Did you see it?"
Jaegyeom gestured at him with a playful look on his face. Try it too, he seemed to say. Mesani also kept his mouth shut and followed what his lord taught him. Puck! However, perhaps because of his weak strength, the top of the popsicle did not budge and only his thighs were left tingling. As Mesani rubbed his thighs with a tearful face, Jaegyeom burst into laughter.
"Give it to me, 'll do it."
In the end, with the help of Jaegyeom, he was able to open the wrapping of the Papico. As expected, his lord was good at everything. Jaegyeom was the one who opened the wrapper, but Mesani was the one who was proud. Experienced with popsicles now, Jaegyeom did not forget to switch the top part. The two of them exchanged with each other. Mesani, who tasted it, made a moved face. Jaegyeom smiled and asked,
"Yummy?"
Mesani frantically nodded. At that moment, the owner, who was preoccupied with sitting on a table and playing hwatu, craned his neck and looked at the two at some point. The owner suddenly opened his mouth.
"Lil brother?"
It was the same question as last time. Clearly, the owner did not remember them. Mesani, who met eyes with the owner, was startled and hid behind jaegyeom again. Jaegyeom, who turned his head to stare at the owner, replied by shaking his head slowly.
"No, he's not my brother."
"Isn't your brother? Then who is it?"
It was a conversation that had not changed a bit.
"Just someone I know."
Jaegyeom replied briefly.
"I see."
The owner did not ask further and cast his gaze back to the hwatu board, but Jaegyeom fidgeted with the Papico in his hand. Rustle, rustle, it made an unpleasant sound.
"..."
His palms were aching from the cold. Mesani eagerly ate the popsicle, glancing sideways at the elderly sitting on the bench.
"Aren't your hands cold?"
Jaegyeom suddenly spoke up.
"It's alright. My lord, are your hands cold?"
At Mesan's question, Jaegyeom bowed his head.
"Mm. They're cold."
The popsicle in his hand fell. Mesani stared wide-eyed at the popsicle on the floor. The same was true of the elderly who were sitting on the bench, who stopped playing hwatu and stared at Jaegyeom. Just when Mesani looked up at him with puzzled eyes,
"Wh- what's wrong?"
Jaegyeom covered his eyes with a cold palm.
"It's because my hands are too cold."
Muttering softly, Jaegyeom pressed his palms to his eyes and suddenly walked to the bench. The store owner raised his eyes, looking at him. Jaegyeom lowered his arm and raised his head.
"That's right."
"Hmm?"
At the sudden remark, the shop owner adjusted his reading glasses.
"He is my little brother."
Jaegyeom murmured.
"I lied earlier. He's not just a kid I know..."
His voice began to tremble.
'So... He's not just someone I know, he's my little brother..."
Tears trickled down from his bowed head.
The tip of his chin seemed to tremble, and the boy's face contorted in an instant. As if Mesani couldn't believe it, he widened his rabbit eyes and looked at his lord.
"He's my little brother... He's my little brother..."
The elderly sitting on the table silently watched the crying boy.
"He's my little brother", he repeated the same words and wept sadly. As if a dam had burst, the tears he had been holding back poured out ceaselessly. Tears dripped to his feet, leaving small round wet spots on the pavement. The boy buried his eyes in his arms and sobbed.
"I see."
The shop owner answered quietly.
Time seemed to stand still. After a while, Mesani, who had been standing in the distance, hesitantly approached Jaegyeom. As he tugged at the hem of his clothes, Jaegyeom hurriedly wiped away the tears, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand like a child. He let out a trembling breath, barely swallowing the lump in his throat.
"Let's go home."
Jaegyeom grabbed Mesani's hand and started walking slowly towards where they had come from as if nothing had happened.
Jaegyeom gritted his teeth, as though he was trying to calm himself down. Mesani held his hand tightly without a word. The Bbongtta on the other hand had already half-melted.
"Later."
Jaegyeom whimpered.
"Tell me if you want to eat it again. I will buy you another one."
"Yes."
Mesani also whimpered and answered.
The two didn't say another word. They didn't need to say anything, because they could tell, whatever it was. Jaegyeom and Mesani swung hands and went up the mountain path. The sound of grasshoppers was still lulling.
It was a warm evening.