The Village Festival's Hidden Secret (2)
Kim Suho flinched. Choi Myeongsook’s hand, which had been idly stroking his thigh, brushed against the sensitive inner flesh. She gave it a couple of firm squeezes, and his leg twitched involuntarily. Afraid she might notice his reaction, Suho tried his best to act natural, deliberately relaxing the muscles in his thigh.
“Aigoo, Mom. Do I really have to go to Seoul? If I was gonna live alone, sure, but staying at my aunt’s place feels kinda weird.”
“Tsk—stop talking nonsense and just go. I already told your aunt everything. You know how big her house is, right? She said you can use any of the empty rooms, so don’t worry about being a burden. She’s family, isn’t she?”
“…She’s family, but that’s kinda the problem too… It’s already awkward as hell.”
“This kid, I swear. What the hell would you even do if you stayed here? Everyone else is dying to get out, dying to leave! Right, Suho?”
“Uh… yeah. There’s really nothing to do if you stay here…”
Suho couldn’t help but avoid Deokgu’s pleading gaze. Even if he wanted to take his friend’s side, there was no real argument to make. What would Deokgu even do if he stayed in Gwichuok-ri? Hang out with him? That was it. Nothing else. When he really thought about it, there was genuinely nothing.
Eat, sleep, wander around the neighborhood, eat, sleep. And just like the guy said, end up a lifelong bachelor.
Deokgu shot Suho a resentful look at his answer.
What a funny bastard.
Earlier he’d been going on about meeting girls in Seoul and going to church like it was some grand plan, but it looked like nothing more than wishful thinking.
“Your mom’s right, isn’t she? Suho, you’ve got the orchard, so if you and Seonae work together you won’t have to worry about making a living. But our minbak hasn’t had a single guest in years. I’ve saved up some money, but… it’d be better if you went to Seoul, studied, learned a skill instead of wasting your time here. Everything I’m saying is for your own good, Deokgu.”
“Ugh… You saw that, right, Suho? My mom’s only thought is how to kick me out. Fine, I’m going! I’m going!”
“That’s my smart boy. You know listening to your mother never hurts, right? So pack your bags tomorrow and head up right away. Your aunt’s been waiting for you.”
“Tomorrow? Are you seriously trying to chase your own son out? I’ll go next week. The festival’s in a few days, and I want to see it at least once.”
“What festival, you little shit! Pack your bags right now and leave tomorrow!”
Slap! Slap!
Choi Myeongsook’s gentle demeanor vanished in an instant. With an expression that said she was done putting up with his nonsense, she smacked Deokgu’s forearm. Thanks to that, her hand finally left Suho’s thigh. Sitting with his legs crossed, Suho took the opportunity to glance down at his lower body.
Just as he feared, the front of his pants was noticeably bulging. Worried that his erection might have been noticed, he subtly pressed down on the fabric to flatten it.
But that wasn’t the only thing making him uncomfortable.
It might be rude to comment on a friend’s mother’s appearance, but Deokgu’s mom—who had just turned forty-six this year—was the kind of woman you saw everywhere in the countryside. Having raised her son alone, she had a slightly tough, no-nonsense side, but she was also secretly warm-hearted, with a friendly and approachable face. Her body wasn’t exactly plump, but rather voluptuous and full-figured. Up to that point, she was just like any other ordinary middle-aged woman.
But there was one part of Deokgu’s mother that stood out dramatically.
Her breasts.
Deokgu’s mother had exceptionally large breasts. So large that the first time you saw them, you couldn’t help but think, Whoa…! The word “huge” fit better than just “big.” Because of that, she usually wore loose, comfortable t-shirts at home—most of which had deep necklines that revealed the generous cleavage between her heavy upper breasts. For a young man in his prime, it was impossible not to stare.
That wasn’t the only problem.
Perhaps because they were so large, her nipples were also quite thick and prominent. If he exaggerated a little, they were practically the size of grapes. How did he know? Because they were visible!
Every time he visited Deokgu’s house, Suho learned that his friend’s mother went braless at home. It was always like that. Maybe because he was her son’s friend, she greeted him without any guard even in such revealing clothes. Even if he tried not to look, his eyes would inevitably flick toward those nipples poking prominently against the fabric.
From Suho’s perspective, it was genuinely awkward as hell.
Every time his gaze drifted there, he was painfully aware that he was sneaking looks at his friend’s mother’s body. Yet the moment he let his guard down, his eyes would wander right back. That was exactly why, nine times out of ten, he turned Deokgu down whenever the guy suggested they hang out at his place. He was terrified he’d get caught eventually—either with an obvious erection or while staring at his friend’s mom’s chest. Either one would be an absolute disaster.
“Ah, stop hitting me already! Damn, Mom, your hands are seriously brutal. I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick, so you two hang out for a bit.”
“Goodness gracious, this kid! Everything you do is so damn annoying!”
Deokgu practically fled to the bathroom. Suho had long since learned how sensitive the adults got whenever the “festival” came up. Maybe Deokgu really was running away. Even to Suho, the emotion behind those sharp slaps had sounded far from ordinary.
The children saw their parents leave for the festival once a month, but they had no idea what kind of festival it actually was. In a village with no special products or attractions, what could there possibly be to celebrate? When they asked, the adults would only repeat the same thing: You’ll understand when you grow up.
Some grown-ups reacted especially strongly. Even the friendly uncles who usually treated them kindly would snap if you asked about the festival—What the hell do you need to know for?!
A few overly curious kids had tried sneaking over, but the village youth association guys stood guard at the entrance like bouncers, so they had no choice but to turn back.
So even if Deokgu was leaving for Seoul, Suho could understand why he wanted to experience that damn festival at least once before he went.
In three days, Suho himself would finally be able to participate in the village festival.
He was curious.
A boring festival in a boring village with nothing fun to do.
They’re probably just getting drunk and partying among themselves.
Even though he thought that, his own mother—who didn’t even like alcohol—never missed a single one. So he couldn’t help but wonder what the hell this festival really was.
“Here, Suho. Deokgu doesn’t even like melons, so eat as much as you want.”
Choi Myeongsook handed him a slice of oriental melon. Suho took it and asked, wondering if she might actually answer since she always treated him especially well.
“Um… Auntie… what exactly do you do at the festival?”
At Suho’s question, Choi Myeongsook’s expression took on a subtle, mysterious look. It was the face of an adult who knew something, and also the face of a woman that Deokgu had never seen. Since Suho couldn’t yet distinguish the fine nuances of such expressions, it simply looked to him like she was debating whether or not to tell him.
“The festival? Well, when you go, you eat delicious food, drink alcohol, and do fun things… Hehe. It’s a bit hard to explain, but it’s a place where everyone has a really good time. You could say it’s the only form of entertainment in our village.”
Choi Myeongsook gently stroked Suho’s forearm as she continued in a suggestive tone.
“Aigoo—our Suho just keeps getting more handsome every time I see you. And your body’s so firm… You’re coming to the festival this time, right? Make sure you come say hi when you see Auntie. You have to learn how to drink from the grown-ups, so let’s drink together and have some fun.”
“Ah, yeah…”
So it really was just a drinking party after all? Suho found it awkward to mention that he had already drunk with Deokgu in front of his friend’s mother, so he could only smile sheepishly.
In the room, only the friend’s mother and her son’s friend remained. A strange new atmosphere had settled between them, different from before, but with no experience with women, Suho could only feel awkward. He had no idea what this atmosphere foreshadowed.
On the way home, Suho wandered through the village. It was still early afternoon with the sun blazing overhead, so the air felt hot and humid.
“Ugh, it’s so hot. I’m gonna get heatstroke at this rate.”
He fanned his face with his hand. This damn rural village really was extreme—scorching when it was hot, freezing when it was cold.
“Hey—isn’t that Suho? Where you headed?”
“Ah, Uncle Changsik.”
Go Changsik. The man who ran the village’s only hardware store. The black plastic bag swinging from his hand suggested he’d just bought some soju from the nearby supermarket.
“I went to see Deokgu and I’m on my way home now.”
“Ah, so that rascal Deokgu’s heading to Seoul soon too? You little punks grow up so fast. And now even you, Suho, are a full-grown adult!”
“Haha. I guess so. Looks like everyone except me has gone to Seoul.”
“That’s how it is. But don’t be too disappointed about not having friends around, Suho. Even if this place seems like there’s nothing here, once you live here long enough, you’ll find it has its own kind of fun.”
“For me, helping Mom with the orchard is pretty enjoyable already. Haha…”
“Is that so? Well then~ it’s gonna get a whole lot more fun from now on. If you really think about it, there’s no village as interesting as ours.”
Go Changsik gave him a meaningful smile. He stepped closer, patted Suho’s shoulder a couple of times, and said,
“So you’ll be joining the festival this time too, huh? Good, that’s real good. All the young men have left, so it’ll be nice to have some fresh energy for once. You know what I mean? Just being born and raised here doesn’t make you a real person of Gwichuok-ri. You only become a true member of the village once you participate in the festival.”
“Ah, haha… Is that how it works? I was planning to go this time anyway. I’ve been curious about it for a while…”
“That’s the spirit. You’re gonna be shocked when you go, but don’t be too surprised. The first time’s always a bit much, but once you experience it, every single day becomes enjoyable. From then on, you’ll realize our Gwichuok-ri isn’t the boring village it seems. Alright, see you around.”
Go Changsik grinned slyly, swung the bag in his hand, and walked off with a carefree stride.
Suho didn’t think too deeply about the “fun” that both Myeongsook and Uncle Changsik had mentioned. At that moment, he still had no idea about the hidden side of Gwichuok-ri—the village he had always thought was the most boring and dull place in the world.