Silver's Homecoming (1)
Silver's Homecoming (1)
A deep, red sunset was spreading thickly outside the window. The orange light piercing through the car window lazily filled the inside of the bus.
Right now, I am on my way to my family home as soon as my lectures ended.
The reason was simple. The state of the refrigerator in my studio apartment was quite pathetic.
Of course, it wasn't that there was absolutely nothing to eat.
A pack of ham and a carton of eggs that my younger sister had bought a few days ago were still sitting there. But the thought of just frying those up made my throat feel dry.
As expected of a Korean, you need at least some spicy kimchi and stir-fried anchovies for the rice to actually go down.
And currently, it has been two days since my omma-made side dishes ran out. After barely surviving on convenience store lunch boxes, I decided I couldn't take it anymore and dragged my lazy body out.
In truth, my family home isn't even that far. An hour by public transport is plenty of distance.
I only chose to live alone because I hated being squeezed like a piece of luggage into a sardine-packed bus every morning more than death itself.
Perhaps because it was a weekday evening, the bus was completely empty.
I leaned my head against the window in the very back seat, blankly admiring the passing city scenery. The songs flowing through my earphones were getting boring, and just as I was thinking about taking a nap.
Teol-sseok.
I felt the cushion of the seat next to me sink down.
'?'
Reflexively, I rolled only my eyes to scan the interior of the bus. Front, back, left, right. There were empty seats everywhere. It was so vacant that the driver probably wouldn't even say anything if I stretched out my legs and laid down.
And yet. Right here. You're sitting next to me?
'...Don't pay attention to it.'
In this world, this is something that happens as naturally as breathing. If our eyes meet here, things will get exhausting.
I am an invisible man. I am a streetlight outside the window. While hypnotizing myself like that and desperately staring only out the window.
Tok, tok.
A strange sensation touched my elbow. What was bound to come had finally arrived.
I took out only one earphone and turned around, and the woman suddenly thrust her face toward me.
"Ex-excuse me... This might be rude, but I fell for you at first sight. Could I get your number?"
"......"
There was no rhyme or reason. No context, no introduction. Just a straight line of desire directed at a male.
I activated my mechanically programmed defense mechanism.
"Ah, I have a girlfriend. I'm sorry."
Of course, it's a lie. My girlfriend only exists in the 2D world inside a monitor.
Normally, the proper etiquette here would be to back off with an "Ah, I'm sorry." But this woman didn't even blink. Instead, she curled the corners of her mouth and leaned in even closer.
"Well... just because there's a goalkeeper doesn't mean a goal can't go in, right?"
"......"
Ha. This tiresome repertoire. This damn popularity that never seems to cool down. It's so thrilling I feel like I'm going to die from electric torture, fuck.
I suppressed a sigh and scanned the woman. Objectively speaking, she is pretty. Her style is good, and the scent of her makeup isn't bad.
However. My current state is in no position to be playing at romance.
I'm already worn to rags just from attending school, and now you want me to engage in emotional labor too? I'm dying of laziness. What kind of luxury is this for a guy who's busy just trying to get some free side dishes?
Even so, saying "You're not my type" directly would be too rude for a first meeting. I considered just giving her the number and blocking her, but it would be more of a chore to ignore the message when it inevitably comes later.
When I remained silent, the woman, perhaps thinking she had gained the upper hand, drove in the finishing blow.
"Could you at least give me your number? Don't feel pressured, we can just keep in touch and get to know each other slowly..."
This woman is a formidable opponent, huh? She's no ordinary person. If she clings any further, I really won't be able to escape.
Ding-dong.
Just then, the bus announcement rang out and the vehicle came to a stop. It didn't matter where this was. First, I had to escape this suffocating space.
"Ah, I have to get off here. I'm sorry."
I stood up, grabbing my bag like a person being chased. I heard the woman's disappointed sigh behind my back, but I didn't look back. No, I couldn't look back.
I ran down the bus steps as if fleeing.
Pu-shyu-shyuk.
The doors closed, and the bus departed, spewing exhaust. Left alone on the roadside, I finally exhaled a long breath.
"...Ha."
A cold wind dug into my collar. I looked around, but there were only unfamiliar commercial buildings.
Where the hell is this?
I turned on a map app. It was a 30-minute walk from my current location to my family home.
"......"
I thought about tagging for a transfer, but after seeing the interval for the next bus, I shoved my phone into my pocket. If I took the bus again, there was no telling who might sit next to me.
Let's just walk. I can get some fresh air and exercise at the same time. I'm hungry, so I'll just go and eat a ton of food.
After walking for about 30 minutes, I saw the familiar front door.
Tti, tti, tti, tti.
As soon as I opened the door lock and entered, the salty and sweet smell of soy sauce wafted over me. My mouth watered instantly.
"Omma, I'm home."
"Why are you so late? Did something happen? Did you miss the bus?"
Omma, who was coming out of the kitchen, asked while wiping her hands on her apron. On the dining table, a meal was already set with steaming hot rice.
"No. I just got off the bus at the wrong stop and walked a bit."
I didn't bother saying I ran away because a woman was hitting on me. If I did, the dining table would be flipped over.
She would definitely make a fuss, asking if some weird woman was stalking me in this dangerous world or if she followed me home, and start by re-locking the door latch.
I tossed my bag onto the sofa and sat at the table.
"Oh, it's galbi."
"You haven't been here in a while, so I had to feed you some meat. Why does your face look so gaunt? Are you eating properly? Are you locking your doors well?"
Omma reached out to stroke my cheek, but hesitated after seeing my greasy hair and my tracksuit with bulging knees.
"...Where's Ji-hye? Did she go to the academy?"
"Yeah. Ji-hye will be a little late."
"Ah, I see."
She's a good kid, so she would have been happy to hear her oppa was here. Well, even so, it's not bad since I can eat more meat.
I picked up my spoon and glanced at omma.
Actually, when I first opened my eyes in this world, omma overprotected me much more than she does now.
I wondered what kind of existence a son was in this world... Even when eating, she would pick out all the fish bones for me, bring me water, and be restless for fear that I might get hurt.
But it's not like that now.
Because I do things like eating stuff I dropped on the floor (the 3-second rule), roaming the living room in just an undershirt, and practicing the eccentric habit of sleeping on the floor despite having a perfectly good bed. Omma probably realized it too.
That this guy will run away well enough on his own before anyone can snatch him up. No, that he looks like someone nobody would even want to kidnap.
A son who changed so suddenly that worrying about kidnapping became unnecessary. Thanks to that, it's very comfortable now. Moderate neglect and moderate breeding. It's exactly the mother-son relationship I wanted.
Well, I don't really know what omma is actually thinking, though.
"I'll eat well."
I shoved a piece of galbi into my mouth. The sweet seasoning and tender meat. As expected, it's on a different level from the convenience store lunch boxes in my studio apartment. Home-cooked meals are the best.
After finishing the meal combatatively, I sprawled out on the living room sofa. My stomach was full and my back was warm. I sat side-by-side with omma, giggling while watching a variety show.
While we were laughing for a long time, omma, who was peeling a tangerine, casually tossed out a word.
"To be honest, omma likes your current self much better."
"...Huh? So suddenly?"
"No, just because. In the past, I felt like I had to walk on eggshells even when feeding you, and I was careful about asking you anything. Honestly, it was a bit difficult for omma to deal with you."
Omma gave a small laugh as she shared half of the peeled tangerine with me.
"But now... you eat well and sleep well. You just look comfortable, so it's nice. Omma feels at ease too."
"Ah, yes. Well..."
I ate the tangerine nonchalantly. I wasn't sure if it was a compliment or a roundabout way of saying what a prickly bastard the old Jjap-Jin-hyeok was. But since omma's expression looked much lighter, I guess it's fine.
Tti-tti-tti-tti.
The sound of the door lock broke the peaceful silence. It was 10 PM.
"I'm home~"
The front door opened, and Ji-hye trudged in. Her school bag was slung carelessly over one shoulder, and she was wearing a neat school uniform.
'...Oh.'
Come to think of it, I think this is the first time I've seen her in a high school uniform. So this is what a high school girl in this world feels like.
The girl, who was taking off her shoes, discovered me stretched out like a corpse on the living room sofa and her eyes widened.
Perhaps because she had been running around from school to the academy, her school tie was crooked and her eyes were half-closed. But as soon as she saw me, life returned to her eyes.
"Eh? Oppa?"
"Yeah, it's me."
I answered as dryly as possible while fiddling with the remote. Ji-hye stood there blankly while taking off her shoes, wearing an expression of disbelief.
"Wh-when did you come? You didn't even tell me you were coming..."
"I only told omma."
"......"
Ji-hye's lips twitched for a moment, but she nodded without any particular complaint. If it were siblings from my original world, they would have demanded to know 'why the hell did you come.'
I chuckled and waved my hand.
"Don't just stand there staring, go inside. Don't transfer the bacteria from your uniform to me."
"Ah...."
"Go wash up quickly. You smell."
Despite my mischievous words, Ji-hye smiled faintly and answered obediently.
"Okay. I'll go wash up."
The sight of her back as she went into her room without a word. The door closed quietly.
A few minutes later. The bathroom door opened, and Ji-hye came out while wiping off the water. She was in comfortable pajamas, and the scent of shampoo wafted over.
She plopped down in the empty space on the sofa where I was half-lying.
"Hey... Oppa, what are you watching...?"
"Gag Constar."
"Ah..."
Ji-hye reacted briefly as if she wasn't very interested, then stared blankly at the TV screen. I wondered why she was doing this here instead of just going to her room to rest.
Ssueuk.
She wiggled her butt and pushed toward me little by little, very little by little.
It wasn't like the sofa was narrow. The other side was completely empty. Yet she approached until she was almost touching my side.
I reflexively pulled my body away and frowned.
"Ah, hey. It's hot. Sit a bit further away. The sofa is wide, why are you squeezing in?"
"......"
Ji-hye flinched and dropped her gaze to the floor, unable to meet my eyes.
"Ah... So-sorry..."
The way she obediently moved aside looked strangely dejected, which made me feel a bit bad, but since it wasn't something to scold her further for, I turned my gaze back to the TV.
For a while, we sat in silence, listening only to the laughter erupting from the variety show.
"...Ha-am."
A large yawn escaped me. Maybe because I had relaxed, but sleepiness came flooding in.
"I'm going to sleep."
"U... un... Goodnight..."
Leaving behind my younger sister's crawling greeting, I opened my bedroom door.
My room. Even though it had only been a few days since I started living alone, a strangely unfamiliar yet familiar air brushed the tip of my nose.
I threw myself onto the bed. The touch of the rustling blanket was crisp. The scent of fabric softener rose faintly.
It seemed omma had been consistently washing the blankets even while I was gone.
'...Nice.'
As expected, home is the best. I stared at the familiar ceiling and slowly closed my eyes.