Chapter 7: The Walking Statue

The path Jung-hyun’s feet took led him to an entrance at the back of the building. With many vacant shops nearby, foot traffic was sparse, and its northern orientation provided ample shade, making it the perfect spot for a brief escape.

What he’d brought with him was an e-cigarette. He placed the powered-on device between his lips and gazed up at the sky at an angle.

‘The weather’s nice,’ he thought. ‘It’ll probably be ridiculously hot tonight too.’

The vast, blue sky, adorned with clouds as white as sheep’s wool, evoked a profound sense of peace. As he mindlessly inhaled the vapor, a voice suddenly broke the silence beside him.

“You do that?”

“…! You startled me.”

Startled, Jung-hyun turned to find a face with a strikingly prominent nose bridge before him. Yoon Tae-yeol’s gaze, however, was fixed on Jung-hyun’s hand. He then looked up at the sky, just as Jung-hyun had moments earlier, and spoke.

“Looks like you’ve become quite the delinquent since I last saw you.”

The archaic word made Jung-hyun burst out laughing. Yoon Tae-yeol’s voice had a peculiar effect, making anything he said sound serious, which only made the remark funnier.

“I thought my neighbor’s grandpa had shown up.”

He then switched off the device he was holding. As if he had eyes on the back of his head, Yoon Tae-yeol, whom Jung-hyun had assumed was still looking at the sky, spoke again.

“You can keep smoking.”

“Nah. I was about to head back in anyway.”

With his empty left hand, he gripped the front of his shirt and flapped it, trying to create a breeze. The midsummer heat was truly relentless. Barely five minutes had passed, and sweat was already beading on his back and above his lip.

“You still can’t stand the heat, I see.”

“Nope. No compromise on that in this lifetime.”

As if to tell him to stop grumbling, a faint breeze rustled past. Jung-hyun suddenly felt a gaze upon him and turned his head. A heavy stare, difficult to decipher, was now directed his way.

“Why are you looking at me like that? It’s embarrassing.”

“Just… because it’s fascinating.”

“Was it really such a shock that your hyung smokes?”

“Not that.”

Jung-hyun met his gaze, and Yoon Tae-yeol’s calm words followed.

“You struggled a lot when you first started your business, didn’t you? Honestly, I didn’t think you’d last long, but seeing you today, it’s amazing how well you’re doing. …Even in school, you seemed like the most aimless among the seniors.”

Jung-hyun’s shoulders, which had started to shrug, froze mid-motion.

“What was that, you punk?”

He glared as if offended, but in truth, Jung-hyun harbored the same thoughts.

Due to circumstances, there was a period when he lived with Yoon Tae-yeol for a time. Coincidentally, Jung-hyun was on the verge of opening his shopping mall back then, enduring the most intense and challenging period of his life.

From morning till night, he dedicated himself to research, sometimes spending entire days running errands. All the while, the business funds he had painstakingly saved dwindled rapidly. Despite giving his best during the preparation period, the outcome was entirely unpredictable. Even now, he sometimes found it remarkable that he was still making a living from this venture.

This made him wonder.

‘How had Yoon Tae-yeol been living all this time?’

He had heard that Yoon Tae-yeol had fortunately settled down quickly, but Jung-hyun never had the chance to see it with his own eyes.

It wasn’t just due to physical distance.

Having been rejected after confessing his feelings, he couldn’t readily bring himself to say, ‘I’ll come visit you there’ as a close hyung. As each year passed, he also felt inexplicably cautious about playfully approaching him as he once had.

After all those years, now that the guy had fully returned, the thought ‘I should have just brazenly gone to see him’ finally occurred to Jung-hyun. It was truly a case of hindsight being twenty-twenty.

“Why?”

The guy, who clearly had eyes on the back of his head, turned his head slightly to meet Jung-hyun’s gaze. Conversely, Jung-hyun slowly returned his attention to the front.

“I’m generating endorphins. Remember? I said I feel good when I see handsome or pretty people.”

Asserting a right he hadn’t been given, Jung-hyun repeatedly suppressed the desire in his heart.

Asking first would be meaningless. Of course, he would say he’d been doing well. Even if he appeared grown, he was bound to be awkward and immature.

Even as a high schooler, it took a long time for him to share just a fragment of what was inside. It was even more unimaginable now, almost ten years later.

So, Jung-hyun could only quietly bury the thought and change the subject.

“Oh, right, where did you find a place to live? I forgot to ask that yesterday.”

“Haengsin-dong.”

“Oh, dear.”

A sigh escaped him as soon as he heard it. Based on the office, it was a neighborhood exactly opposite Jung-hyun’s home.

“Still, we can meet up on the main road. Not many buses come all the way in here.”

He was mentally unfolding a map to figure out a good meeting spot when his phone rang, as if telling him to think about it later. Jung-hyun said, “Just a moment,” and answered the call.

“Yes, Hyung. Today? I’d love to. Yes. See you later.”

It was a simple invitation for drinks that evening. Like a ‘yes man,’ he readily accepted and hung up. A few seconds later, a short notification sound rang out.

The person was different, but it was another group chat message looking for a drinking buddy.

After replying that he was too late, Jung-hyun lightly patted Yoon Tae-yeol’s back, which stood as firm as an old tree.

“Let’s go in.”

Following Yoon Tae-yeol, who readily turned around, Jung-hyun also started to move. As they strolled languidly down the corridor like idlers, Yoon Tae-yeol, who was matching his pace beside him, spoke.

“Can I ask you something?”

“No. It hurts if you bite, so no.”

“…”

“Could you please not make that contemptuous face?”

Yoon Tae-yeol sighed audibly, then opened his mouth again.

“What’s ‘Geoljo’?”

Pfft. Jung-hyun burst out laughing the moment he heard it. Yoon Tae-yeol frowned, detecting Jung-hyun’s subtle amusement, but unfortunately, it had no effect on Jung-hyun.

“Haven’t you heard it before? It used to be your nickname.”

“This is the first I’m hearing of it.”

“I guess everyone kept it quiet and only called you that among themselves.”

Jung-hyun nodded as if answering his own question, then met Yoon Tae-yeol’s eyes once more. His expression was full of mirth.

“Do you really want to know?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

Even if Yoon Tae-yeol had said no, Jung-hyun intended to tell him. After playfully teasing him a couple of times, Jung-hyun finally satisfied his curiosity.

“It means ‘walking statue.’ Shortened to Geoljo.”

“…”

“This one thing, *pffft*, you’re absolutely stunning at it.”

Yoon Tae-yeol’s expression crumpled even further at the hand that swiftly scanned his face as if inspecting it.

He then strode away, quickly creating distance between them. Jung-hyun hurried to catch up, looking up at Yoon Tae-yeol as he chattered like a magpie.

“Are you shy? Aw, it’s okay. Everyone who sees your face will think the nickname suits you perfectly!”

His voice was filled with laughter, disguised as praise.

***

A six-lane road with cars speeding past. Jung-hyun waited for the light to change, then turned left, and a surprisingly quiet panorama unfolded before his eyes.

Angular officetels and low-rise commercial buildings stood facing each other, with hardly anyone passing by.

[You have arrived at your destination.]

The navigation system, having diligently earned its keep today, completed its task and shut down. Jung-hyun spotted the entrance to the underground parking lot and turned the steering wheel once more.

“It’s quiet.”

Perhaps everyone was out for the weekend, or maybe there were many vacancies, but there were quite a few empty spots in the parking lot.

Thanks to this, he parked easily, then gathered the items he’d brought in the passenger seat and got out of the car.

Jung-hyun had a reason for visiting an unfamiliar officetel on a Saturday morning. Today was Yoon Tae-yeol’s moving day.

Yoon Tae-yeol had told him not to bother coming, saying there was nothing to help with, but Jung-hyun had applied silent pressure with a ‘tsk’ and obtained the address.

He figured there would still be some tasks involved in setting up a new residence, and as a close senior, he wanted to lend a hand.

Pressing the close button, the elevator ascended rapidly. He didn’t need to double-check the apartment number. Soon, the elevator doors opened, and Jung-hyun, stopping in front of the ‘1004’ sign, pressed the doorbell.

Click-

After a moment, the door opened, and Yoon Tae-yeol appeared. The guy’s face was a blessing, even today. Jung-hyun smiled brightly and greeted him, and Yoon Tae-yeol chuckled faintly, stepping aside to let him in.

“Wow, nice place.”

He couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration as he looked around the interior. Various pieces of furniture were already arranged in the spacious living room, and the midday sun streamed in through the uncurtained windows.

Beyond them, a landscape of houses boasting diverse exteriors and well-maintained walking paths created a rather pleasant view.

“Here, take these.”

Only then did he hand over the housewarming gifts: a set of toilet paper and a cake box, one in each hand. When he urged Yoon Tae-yeol to take them, Yoon Tae-yeol uncrossed his arms and slowly approached.