Hyun Woo

I have seen many things, but never a laugh so beautiful. It came rarely, and of course all rare things are precious. That sound was meant to stay with me, etched into memory for the rest of my life. Who would have thought that one day I would yearn for it?

“Hyunwoo, are you listening?”

I snapped out of my trance. “What?”

“Here, have some tea. You drink tea, right? It’s not the best, but at least it helps drive away the sleep,” he said with a smile.

That smile carried no arrogance this time, only a quiet warmth. The steam rose from the cup, curling in the air like something fragile, and for a moment the room felt lighter.

His house was small — smaller than my guest bathroom, perhaps — yet neat, and it seemed he loved it.

“So, you work part-time, is it?” I asked.

“Yes. I have to leave in fifteen minutes,” he said, hurriedly finishing his tea before moving to the sink to wash the dishes. “Do you want something to eat? I don’t have much, but maybe some eggs. I’ll quickly make something.” He started checking the fridge.

“It’s okay, I’m not hungry. So, you work two jobs, is it?” I said, recalling the message that had popped up on his phone yesterday evening.

“How do you know?”

“You were blabbering yesterday before you dozed off,” I replied.

“Yes, one at the supermarket nearby and another at the tuition class where I teach. The supermarket shift is the one I have to go to now,” he said, drinking the tea quickly and eating the omelette in hurried bites. “You should eat too, must be hungry. Let’s move quickly.”

He dressed in a rush, then pushed me out the door and locked his small home behind him. “Please leave now… and forget about whatever happened.”

Since it was the weekend, there were no classes. I waited until evening for him to return — my plan had to be completed somehow, and it seemed it was going to be a lot of fun. He came back around seven. The area was too dark, the roads poor, and the mosquitoes endless, as if this place held their entire population.

When he saw my silhouette, he froze, then bolted. I chased after him. “Hey, hey Minho, why are you running? It’s me, Hyunwoo!” I shouted, lifting him by the waist as he kicked wildly in the air. His height and strength were no match for mine, and finally he stopped, turning his head.

“Hey, what the hell, you jerk! What are you doing in the dark? I thought it was a thief. Bloody hell, I almost pissed myself,” he sighed.

As soon as I heard that, I dropped him, and he landed hard. “Shit, why did you drop me?”

“If you pissed, that’s gross,” I sneered.

“Hey, that was just a statement, I didn’t actually… forget it. What are you doing here? Didn’t I ask you to leave?” He got up and walked toward his home. I followed.

“I told you, I have to be your servant. The bet was made in front of so many classmates. If I don’t keep my word, they’ll call me a coward.”

He laughed. “We’re just high schoolers. Are you some minister who has to keep promises? No one will remember this tomorrow. Just leave.” He stepped inside, but I entered behind him.

“You don’t understand. I have a reputation. I’ll stay with you and do all your chores, here and at school.”

“You’re really funny. Just do some chores for a few days at school to show others, then get it over with. Do you want some juice?” He handed me a bottle of apple juice.

While chugging it down, I said, “I can’t lie or pretend. If the bet was that I’ll be your servant, then it’s all day, not like your part-time job.”

“What are you even saying?” He laughed constantly. “Please leave, it’s not fun anymore, okay?” He started pushing me toward the door.

“Hey, listen. I won’t leave until you accept me as your servant. If the mosquitoes kill me, it’s murder on you.”

He slammed the door shut before I could finish.