Chapter 4: An Unspoken Past

“Shall I recommend something then?”

“Yes.”

“Do you prefer something light, or perhaps something a bit more substantial…?”

Jung-hyun knew that if he asked if Yoon Tae-yeol liked it, the answer would likely be “anything.” Fortunately, he had a proactive suggestion ready.

“Do you like sweet drinks?”

“Yes.”

Soon, Jung-hyun’s fingertip landed on a spot somewhere on the open menu.

“How about this one then? It’s rum-based with a strong sweetness, making it easy to drink without feeling heavy. Or this one’s good too.”

“What about you, Sunbae?”

“Hm?”

“What will you be drinking?”

“I have something kept here.”

Jung-hyun’s gaze swept over the menu, searching with a hawk-like intensity for another good option, when he felt a stare from across the table. The moment he raised his head, his eyes met Yoon Tae-yeol’s.

Though Yoon Tae-yeol appeared impassive at first glance, Jung-hyun distinctly noticed it: the faint upward curve at the corner of his lips.

“Why?”

“…It’s just surprising to hear someone who used to stop crying the moment they got a ‘Jjujju-bar’ in their mouth talk about ‘keeping’ something.”

“What are you talking about? When did I ever do that?”

With his embarrassing past suddenly brought to light, Jung-hyun brazenly feigned ignorance once more. ‘Honestly, he still remembers that one time.’

Despite denying it aloud, Jung-hyun’s eyes briefly flickered. Yoon Tae-yeol chuckled at the sight, then changed the subject.

“You come here often, it seems.”

“Yeah. The person you just saw is my cousin, and he owns this place. Anyway, so, yours will be this one?”

Even the choice of snacks fell to Jung-hyun. Relying on the power of nostalgia, he ordered drinks and snacks that Yoon Tae-yeol might enjoy. A short while later, a staff member appeared with a wooden tray.

Here, too, Jung-hyun was usually the one to initiate conversation. While there were occasional lulls, the awkwardness that might have arisen from silence was surprisingly minimal.

Instead, the moderate tempo of the music, the slightly dim orange lighting, and the cheerful chatter of other patrons blended into a comfortable white noise, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

Above all, Yoon Tae-yeol was right before him. He was the one who had first made Jung-hyun realize that there was a form of love beyond the affection for family and the camaraderie of friendship.

Looking back now, it was a clumsy, bitter first love, like an unripe fruit. Yet, no matter what, the undeniable truth remained: Yoon Tae-yeol was his first love.

“Why?”

He must have been staring intently without realizing it. Meeting Yoon Tae-yeol’s gaze, Jung-hyun offered a faint smile and slowly parted his lips.

“Nothing. Just thinking how long it’s been.”

Yoon Tae-yeol also offered a faint smile, an expression that seemed to acknowledge the sentiment. Thanks to this, another memory floated into Jung-hyun’s mind.

‘Back in school, seeing him smile was harder than sinking a three-pointer. Now, he smiles quite naturally.’

Feeling an unexpected surge of pride, Jung-hyun unwittingly let his inner thoughts slip out.

“You rascal, you’ve grown up.”

Yoon Tae-yeol chuckled, seemingly amused, and retorted with a playful tone.

“I was already grown up. I was taller than you since the first time we met.”

“Just a little bit taller. Just a little.”

“If a handspan counts as ‘a little bit,’ then I suppose so. It’s all a matter of perspective.”

Jung-hyun’s eyebrows twitched in indignation at the perfectly calm, yet subtly provoking, remark.

“This brat… just because I say you’re handsome, you actually think you are? Fine. You are handsome, so I’ll let it slide.”

Then, he burst into laughter, delighting in his own joke. Jung-hyun had drunk more of the alcohol ordered at the restaurant, and the whiskey he was now sipping was also quite potent.

The alcohol was starting to take effect, as he found himself giggling uncontrollably, even though nothing particularly funny had happened.

“Oh, by the way, have you thought about where you’ll live?”

“Yes. I found an officetel.”

Jung-hyun had expected him to say ‘not yet’, so his eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected answer.

“You found one already?”

“Yes. I looked around a bit before returning to Korea, and it seemed good in person, so I signed the contract.”

“You should have come with me. There are a lot of real estate scams these days.”

Though these were not words that someone who had been swindled out of money and experienced fraud should say, Jung-hyun felt confident as long as he kept his mouth shut. Slowly swirling the half-empty glass, he continued.

“When are you moving?”

“Two weeks from Saturday.”

“Two weeks?”

Jung-hyun immediately pulled out his phone and entered the date into his scheduler. Due to his absent-minded nature, he often forgot things if he didn’t make a note.

“A weekend is good. What time?”

This time, however, no immediate answer came. Jung-hyun looked up, puzzled, and met Yoon Tae-yeol’s gaze, who was already looking at him.

“What’s wrong?”

“…”

“Is there something on my face?”

“Yes. There’s sauce on the side of your lip.”

Oh.

He instinctively wiped his mouth, and indeed, red sauce smeared onto the back of his hand.

‘Ah, my dignity as a senior…’

Thinking that Chae Song-hwa would snort and say, ‘Do you even have such a thing?’, Jung-hyun picked up the glass that had caught his eye.

“Alright, let’s drink. Let’s drink until we drop!”

Yoon Tae-yeol did not ignore the glass Jung-hyun offered with a casual shout, but accepted it. The glasses clinked together cheerfully, making a crisp sound that matched their buoyant mood.

It was well into the night when the two, suitably tipsy, rose from their seats. The night in the bustling district was even more vibrant than the day. Neon signs flashed dazzlingly on the buildings lining both sides, and a fair number of pedestrians walked the streets in small groups.

Jung-hyun strolled leisurely, dodging oncoming people, until he paused briefly in front of a building. An brightly lit unmanned ice cream store caught his eye.

“When did this open? It wasn’t here last time.”

A gleam appeared in his slightly hazy, alcohol-clouded eyes. Words tumbled out before thought.

“I’ll buy you ice cream. Let’s go in.”

Without waiting for a reply, he coolly pushed open the glass door. True to its name as a specialty store, several freezers greeted customers. Jung-hyun, standing right in front and peering inside, suddenly gasped.

“Whoa, this is here! No way.”

What caught his eye was the cola-flavored Jjujju-bar he used to buy endlessly at the school store. It had disappeared at some point, leading him to believe it was discontinued, so seeing it again after so long felt like reuniting with an old friend.

Jung-hyun pulled one out and turned to Yoon Tae-yeol with a gleeful expression.

“Do you want this one too?”

“I’m good.”

“Don’t be like that, just take it, kid. You can’t even find these anywhere else.”

Jung-hyun bent down, pulled out another one, and headed to the checkout. After carefully examining the packaging, he found the barcode and placed it against the scanner.

However, no matter how long he waited, it wouldn’t scan. Since he hadn’t pressed the payment button and it was still on the home screen, it naturally wouldn’t work.

“What is it? Is it broken?”

Unaware of the truth, he was about to switch the ice cream and try again when another hand approached with a soft sigh.

“Let me try.”

His gaze involuntarily shifted sideways. A familiar, yet still slightly unfamiliar, profile came into view.

After staring blankly for a moment, his small shoulders twitched at a cheerful ‘beep’. Meanwhile, Yoon Tae-yeol finished the payment, then tore off the plastic packaging and even the tip of the Jjujju-bar before offering it to Jung-hyun.

“Take it.”

“Oh? Oh.”

Only then, as if waking from a dream, Jung-hyun reached out his hand, grumbling.

“This darn machine is picking favorites.”

Unknowing the truth, they stepped back outside. As if the subtle atmosphere had never existed, Jung-hyun’s face was filled with satisfaction as he slurped his Jjujju-bar.

“Walking like this makes me remember the old days. I really ate a lot of these.”

He got hot easily and loved sweet, cold things, so he always ate one every day in the summer. In fact, it wasn’t just one.

As a child, he’d secretly taken them out repeatedly behind his grandmother’s back, often ending up with a stomachache. Even as a foolish adult, it still happened occasionally, once even causing him to miss a basketball game.

‘I really was a handful, wasn’t I?’

He chuckled softly, reflecting on his past self, when a low voice spoke beside him.

“Sunbae.”

“Hm?”

“…”

“What? Why do you call me and then not speak?”

Despite the prompting, Yoon Tae-yeol remained silent. With a somewhat troubled expression, he massaged the back of his neck, then his eyes, dark and heavy, fixed on Jung-hyun’s.

“I don’t want to bring up old stories, but just in case.”

A voice, now even lower, flowed from his lips.

“You don’t still have other feelings for me, do you?”