Chapter 7: A Walk in the Cold

“Did you leave something behind?”

“No…?”

“Then why are you here?”

“I’m just taking a walk.”

Seo Gi-hyeon’s uncle’s house was situated near the center of the complex. While it was a mere seven-minute walk from there to this spot—a perfectly manageable distance for a round trip—it certainly wasn’t under the current weather conditions.

Seo Gi-hyeon was highly sensitive to both heat and cold. His aversion to the cold was particularly severe; ordinarily a restless spirit who loved to roam, he would retreat indoors and barely venture out at the slightest chill.

To spend time with me, he had no choice but to walk all the way here. Yet, only a short while ago, he had stubbornly endured for nearly an hour, claiming he was too cold to go out even after finishing his homework early, before finally heading home.

But now, with the sun already set and the air growing colder, he claimed to be out for a walk? It was an utterly preposterous excuse.

“I ate a bit too much for dinner, and my stomach feels full. I thought I should probably digest it a little.”

This explanation was equally absurd. Seo Gi-hyeon often claimed to feel drowsy whenever he ate, as if he digested while consuming, and would either fall asleep or doze off at any given moment.

I had never once heard Seo Gi-hyeon say he needed to walk to digest a full stomach, nor had he ever suggested a walk on a cold day. The Seo Gi-hyeon I knew should be sound asleep by now, like a hibernating bear. What on earth was going on?

“What about you?”

“Huh?”

“What are you doing in front of your house?”

“Walking, too.”

His abrupt change of subject was noticeably awkward. However, since there were moments when even he, the one who always spoke first, might prefer to keep silent, I let it go.

“Oh, I should have called you then.”

Seo Gi-hyeon mumbled with a hint of regret.

“We can still walk together. Where were you planning to go?”

“The swimming pool.”

“The swimming pool?”

“Yeah.”

The path to the swimming pool was in the opposite direction. To reach the complex entrance, one had to take the right-hand path from where we were, but coming here meant he had taken the left-hand path.

If he hadn’t deliberately intended to come all this way, it would surely be a mistake. Yet, it was unthinkable that someone as intelligent as him would suddenly confuse directions.

As I gave him a questioning look, Seo Gi-hyeon, reading my thoughts, hastily offered an excuse. “I just, well… I was walking without thinking, and my feet just led me this way, I guess…”

The Seo Gi-hyeon before me truly seemed off somehow.

“Let’s go.”

I gave his back a light tap, and a rustling sound emanated from his thick padded jacket. Seo Gi-hyeon grinned wryly and scurried to my side. As always, he kept his mouth moving without pause as we walked.

“But you came out like that? Aren’t you cold?”

“No, not really.”

“Wow, you really aren’t human.”

“Then what am I?”

“Hmm… a guardian deity?”

I had expected a joke, and figured he would at most come up with a simple word like ‘angel.’ His choice of words was surprisingly unexpected. When I shared my prediction, Seo Gi-hyeon shook his head emphatically.

“Hmm, no. Im Jeong-woo in my heart is even higher than an angel.”

“Right. How very thoughtful of you.”

A bewildered laugh escaped me.

Seo Gi-hyeon, who had been staring intently at me, suddenly crossed his arms and asked, “What should we do for spring break?”

“What’s the point of deciding that already?”

“Park Jun-sung said so. It’s February now, so March is coming soon. I hate to admit it, but I agree with him.”

Seo Gi-hyeon listed several options. However, every single one of them was a suggestion to play different games, ultimately meaning he wanted to spend the entire day gaming in my room.

The only exception, an outdoor activity, was playing basketball in front of my house.

“Or maybe we could watch a movie?”

“Go to the movie theater?”

“No. We can rent one. We can watch it in your room.”

Seo Gi-hyeon loved being in my room. While his initial reason for liking it was the game console, now he would always come to my room to do his homework or read books.

At first, I wondered if it was because of things his own room lacked, but that wasn’t really the case. Seo Gi-hyeon had his own TV and could play console games in his room.

His mother had even bought him a better game console for her son, who was studying abroad alone. So why then?

He, who originally loved to go out more than anyone, was most fixated on my room. “Do you like my room that much?”

When I finally asked the question I had put off, Seo Gi-hyeon nodded vigorously. “It almost feels more comfortable than my own room now?”

“It would be strange if it wasn’t comfortable, considering how much you’ve been here.”

If I were to put it into perspective, on weekdays, Seo Gi-hyeon spent half his day at school, excluding sleeping hours, and the other half in my room.

It was no exaggeration to say that he spent more time in my room than his own, so it was only natural for him to feel comfortable. He even treated my bed, desk, and small items as if they were his own.

“But now I feel a little self-conscious.”

“What do you mean?”

I was momentarily stunned. The word ‘self-conscious’ coming from Seo Gi-hyeon’s mouth? This brazen guy, who would seek me out to play even after just a day apart, was now feeling self-conscious?

“Did something happen when I wasn’t around?”

“Yeah. My uncle said it during dinner. That I visit my friend’s house too often.”

“…Oh, so that’s what it was.”

I had misunderstood, not realizing the person who made him feel self-conscious was his uncle. But in a way, it was a relief. If my host family had complained about this, it would have become a major concern for me too.

Then again, that was unlikely.

“You’re doing your homework properly and studying for tests. You’re maintaining good grades, so is there any reason you shouldn’t?”

“Hmm… Is it because it’s too much of a nuisance to the neighbors?”

“No one would think that.”

Seo Gi-hyeon got along well with my host family, almost as if he were staying there as a homestay student. At some point, when I stepped away, he would help my aunt with chores, and sometimes they would sit and chat on the sofa.

On weekends, he often played basketball or games with Ray or Tom. On days my uncle came home early, they even had dinner together. Last year, he was even invited to Thanksgiving dinner, so he was less ‘John’s friend’ and more ‘the lovely neighborhood kid.’

“No, I think I was a bit thoughtless. Even if they don’t say anything, they might think it internally.”

“I can tell you for sure, that’s not it.”

“How do you know?”

“I know. That would absolutely never happen.”

My certainty was based on clear evidence. In fact, the people around us looked out for Seo Gi-hyeon even more than I, who was constantly with him.

‘Why isn’t he coming today? Did you two fight?’

On days Seo Gi-hyeon didn’t come, everyone would ask me why. Along with unnecessary advice to make up quickly if we had fought. After one person asked, another would inquire anxiously.

However, no matter what I explained, Seo Gi-hyeon didn’t seem to feel any better. “Anyway, I got told off, so I’ll have to restrain myself from now on.”

His grumbling, with such a serious expression, made me feel a pang of pity. Having nothing more to say, I quietly fell silent. Since it was a decision made by his guardian, his uncle, I was hesitant to easily add more to the conversation. But the silence, which I expected to last, broke after only two steps.

“But it doesn’t mean I won’t come at all, so don’t cry.”

“Ha.”

I glanced over to see his familiar face grinning mischievously. The serious expression he had shown me moments ago had completely vanished, and he was back to his usual self. It turned out I was the only one who had been seriously contemplating the matter.

“You’re too serious.”

“And you’re not too unserious?”

“No. You’re too serious.”

“Fine. Let’s go with that, then.”

I almost retorted that anyone would become like that in front of him, but I stopped myself. We were so different that even exchanging such words felt like a waste of time.

“Anyway, let’s finish talking about what we were discussing earlier.”

“What? Movies?”

“Let’s start with that. What kind of movie do you want to watch?”

“Anything you like is fine. I don’t really know.”

As I expected, his answer was more perfunctory than ever, as if movies were just an afterthought after games and basketball. And without even finishing the conversation, he immediately moved on to the next topic.

“Perhaps the swimming pool will be open by then?”

“No.”

“I guess so. That’s mean.”

It wasn’t mean at all. Though it was called spring break, March in Chicago was simply winter. What crazy person would swim outdoors in winter? Seo Gi-hyeon, bundled in several layers of clothes, was still fussing about being cold, yet he was talking nonsense.

Even after that, we spent half a lap around the neighborhood discussing what we would do for spring break, focusing on that single topic. By the time we circled back from the swimming pool to my house, a faint moon had already risen.

“Ugh… it’s cold.”

“I know. We walked around for too long.”

Before I knew it, all the idle thoughts in my head had vanished. It was always like that with Seo Gi-hyeon. Engaging in trivial jokes and pointless conversations made me forget I was even worried about anything.

“I hope break comes soon.”

“Didn’t you say you hated breaks the most?”

“This time it’s different. Because you’re here.”

Facing Seo Gi-hyeon, I realized it once more.

‘If I go there, that place might become comfortable too.’

But Seo Gi-hyeon won’t be there.

Could I really go anywhere else?

The only thing weighing on my heart was Seo Gi-hyeon.