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Gi hun walked towards the car, it was a new one that Sangwoo bought from his first salary at his first job. It filled him with joy watching his best friend grow up into a fine man. The car was black and long, it screamed expensive.
Gi hun was with his girlfriend when Sangwoo called. Of course Gi hun would go to his friend if he called but Eun-ji felt that he kept getting in between them. If Sangwoo called then that means that something important has come up.
He sat on the plush cushion looking at Sangwoo, despite his now new found footing in the society his eyes were tired. Without looking at him he said his greetings and started the car. If Gi hun said anything he would get a reply with a hum but if he asked where they were going he would not answer.
The drive was long, almost 40 minutes and it gave Gi hun time to reminisce about old times. The time when they were young and ran from a bunch of bullies twice their age. Gi hun still remembers the time when they both were in their teens, when Sangwoo asked what they wanted to do in the future.
“I’m not really sure, maybe if i have money then i would do history.”
Sangwoo giggled as he said“I really never thought you would say that”
“Well that is because I love how the people used to live in the past, their lives, their houses, how they tried to give reasons to things they never understood.” Gi hun explained with a longing in his eyes. He knew he would never get into college, it would be great if he even got a highschool diploma. He grew up in a place where the world would say to study but then would drop thousands of work to do for him. Even if he worked and studied, why would he spend all the money on himself when he could easily use it to pay Sangwoo’s tuition fees.
Gi hun never told Sangwoo but all the money his mother got was from Gi hun’s salary. He had savings for Sangwoo’s travel fees. After all why try if in the future even with a degree he still had a chance of not working. All the money would go down the drain. It would be better for Sangwoo, his pride to get a good job.
His mother does not know about it and aunty does not like it but he still wishes for at least one of them to get away from this hell place.
Gi hun was feeling stuffy with all the memories of his work coming back and the fact that he would have to go back there again in a few hours so he does what he does best. He picked up another subject to talk about before Sangwoo could talk further about something he couldn’t answer.
“The new girl in the E grade asked me out on a date. I think i am going to go.” a simple answer not knowing it shook Sangwoo to his core. To him they would stay the same, always by each other’s side, and slowly come together but that one statement destroyed it. Sangwoo couldn’t say anything except, “She is a nice girl, smart too. It would be good if you date her.”
It brought a bad taste to Gi- hun’s mouth. He hated how easily Sangwoo agreed, for him their relationship seemed like nothing. Gi- hun wanted him to stop him or do anything but they didn’t.
It was one of the last memories of them together before Sangwoo left.
They were back at the same place. The same hill that overlooked the city's bright light, people walking around, drinking, some working in the quiet of the night and it looked magnificent. Sangwoo came back to the place they had lived their whole life when Gi-hun told his mother that he is ready to settle down. It seemed the message went to Sangwoo through his mom. He never picked up Gi-hun’s call. He never called either.
He hated it.
They both stood with half their weight on the fence, dust build up on it from years of the bustle of the city. Gi-hun looked to his right where Sangwoo stood, taller, more broader. A perfect man with a good job. A man who old women would try to snatch for their daughters and besidfe him was Gi-hun, even Eun-ji’s mom didn’t like him. He was a disappointment for his mom.
He would sometimes think back to that time. Maybe he should have done at least an undergraduate degree. For at least 3 years maybe. He would have gotten a decent job where his work would be given weightage but with Sangwoo beside him, he no longer feels this way.
Sangwoo turns to him, his face chiselled to perfection, his nose high as ever, his eyes dark yet reflecting the stars that were hanged to observe his beauty. No one in the world is as handsome as him and no one would ever come close to it. It hurt whenever he looked at him, the feeling of knowing that he might never like him the way Gi-hun liked him.
To ease the pain Gi-hun said the only thing he could, “i am going to propose to Eun-ji.” A single sentence, a bait for Sangwoo to come forward one last time before their string is severed. Sangwoo moves closer to Gi-hun, his mouth only a breath away. Gi-hun could smell the smoke he took before talking to him.
The little space between them was reduced as Sangwoo kissed him, a touch of lips, an experiment to see Gi-hun’s reaction. With the words not spoken they told each other their tales of love as their kiss deepened. Gi-hun caught Sangwoo’s hair at his nape and held him close to melt them together in the freezing cold and Sangwoo’s hands descended on his body going from Gi-hun’s shoulder to circle his waist, a clear hesitation of someone who was inexperienced.
This realisation pushed Gi-hun to laugh. The pride of Ssangmun-dong did not know how to kiss. The little chucked broke him from their kiss with a small pout forming on Sangwoo’s face. Touching his face with a little stubble of beard forming showed him that it was real.
He was real.
“Are you sure?” Gi-hun asked hesitantly.
“Yes” there was a desperation in Sangwoo’s voice. As if he was scared this chance would never come. They both may not know what lies in front of them, in a world where neither fits the world but fit each other. One hand cold, the other hot held together as they looked at the pace they once grew up and would grow old.