Stranger

***

A letter.

With his hands on the keyboard, Yeon Woojeong stared at the monitor screen for a long time. 

He had written letters before in his life. When he was in elementary school, every year when Parents’ Day came around, there would be a time to write a letter to parents. Some children without parents wrote to their grandparents or relatives, but the children in the orphanage, including Yeon Woojeong, had no one to write to.

Kim Sarang wrote to his parents who had abandoned him, thanking them for still giving birth to him, and Jang Heemang wrote to Daddy Long Legs she believed would take her home someday, asking him to treat her kindly. Yeon Woojeong also wrote a letter. To his fake parents. 

It wasn’t hard to make it through that boring time. He copied the letter of his deskmate, apologizing for being a troublemaker and promising to be a good child. If he was having a bad day, he’d simply write, “Thank you” and then take a nap. Then, he was called in and told to write to the director of the orphanage because he was like a parent to him, and in defiance, he wrote a big “” and got beaten later. (TN: , a letter in Korean, and it’s like showing the middle finger.)

“Should I write you a letter?”

The question was practically a joke. However, Kim Jiho nodded in response. He nodded so seriously as if hoping he would really write it. At the unexpected response, Yeon Woojeong raised his eyebrows and replied okay.

“Mr. Park.”

“Yes, Prosecutor Yeon.”

Yeon Woojeong wondered what he should write in the letter. There were a lot of things he wanted to say. No, he also felt he didn’t have anything to say. Before Kim Jiho left, they had talked countless times, and they had talked about everything they had to talk about then.

“Did you write a letter to your son when he was in the training center?”

“Of course.”

“What did you write?”

“Hmm… Well, ‘Be healthy. Are you eating well? You must have a hard time. I’ll be waiting for you, so do your best.’ It was just things like that.”

Those were stereotypical phrases, but they surely were sincere. Will this cheer him up? Yeon Woojeong glared into his monitor before slowly pressing on the keyboard.

[Jiho.

I’m healthy and eating well. How about you?]

It would be more important to show Kim Jiho that he was doing well rather than hinting at him that he was worrying about him. It wasn’t hard to continue on from there. Yeon Woojeong only talked about his daily life. What he ate last night, what he did today, and who would he meet tonight.

[I’m bored without you. You’ll have no chance to feel bored, right?]

Writing the letter was worth it. It would be fun to ask Kim Jiho to write a handwritten letter later. Though he doubted he’d write it just because he asked him to.

“Prosecutor Yeon, are you perhaps writing a letter now?”

“Oh, yes.”

“What are you writing that makes you smile like that? Are you writing something fun?”

At the curious gaze, Yeon Woojeong loosely hung his smile and shrugged.

“Writing something like this is fun on its own.”

“Haha. Isn’t it because you’ve been working too much?”

“Is that so? Maybe this is why humans need to catch some fresh air.”

After replying smoothly, he returned his focus to his monitor. It was time for him to write the last words.

[See you later.]

***

As he entered a pub located a bit away from the main street, he was greeted by a cheerful pop song. Looking around in the purple light, Yeon Woojeong found Jang Heemang waving her hand and walked over.

“Long time no see.”

“Woojeong, how long has it been?”

Kim Sarang sprang up to his feet, pulled Yeon Woojeong into a hug, and slapped his back once. Yeon Woojeong accepted the hug artificially before taking a seat.

“What’s the matter? I didn’t expect you to say okay as soon as I called you.”

“You always say that whenever I come. Next time, record it and play it. I’m worried your mouth will hurt.”

“This bastard really…”

Jang Heemang bit her lower lip and hit her fist into her palm. Kim Sarang next to her burst out laughing loudly.

“You guys are really the same regardless of how old you are.”

“Can you please not treat me the same as that guy? I’m Tom and he’s Jerry. I’m telling you I’m the pitiful Tom.”

She grumbled and then raised her hand to call for the staff. When the three gathered, it was always Jang Heemang’s share to choose the menu. Kim Sarang liked everything, and Yeon Woojeong always responded with hmm to anything, so he couldn’t be of any help.

Bottles of beer were placed in front of each of them. The three lightly clinked their bottles and quenched their thirst with beer.

“How are you doing, Woojeong? I heard you were transferred to Suwon.”

“It’s the same. It’s close, so it’s easy to commute.”

“You two must have it hard since your workplaces keep changing.”

The three caught up on each other’s updates during the time they weren’t able to meet. Jang Heemang was happy that the section chief she hated had moved to another branch, and Kim Sarang confessed cautiously that a few days ago, his wife had gotten pregnant. Jang Heemang opened her eyes wide at the news and slapped Kim Sarang’s forearm.

“Bro! Congrats!”

“Haha. Heemang, it hurts.”

“This is amazing. Are you saying you’re going to be a dad? Wow. Then, is your baby our nephew?”

It was something unexpected, but it was also natural that Yeon Woojeong didn’t feel surprised by it. Congrats. Kim Sarang smiled widely at the short congratulation from Yeon Woojeong and nodded.

“How is it? It’s been more than a year. Are you happy?”

“Of course. I’ve never been so happy in my life.”

“What changes from when you were only dating?”

“Erm, first, it’s good that we can be together every day. I can see her when I open my eyes, and… Certainly, I feel more stable. ‘Ah, so this is what stability means;’ I came to realize it.”

It was unexpected to hear that from the guy, who was emotionally stable and always appeared calm, which made him sometimes get teased by the others, ‘Isn’t Sarang just like a bed? He’s endlessly cozy.’ In fact, Yeon Woojeong had heard from some people around him that marriage brings stability, but he couldn’t really understand it.

Was it a lack of affection? Most of his peers had dreams of having a family. Yeon Woojeong knew from when he was little that he would be alone, and he also made up his mind to live alone. Therefore, he sometimes felt disengaged from their normal conversation. He felt numb about all the things they desired and wished for.

He wasn’t uneasy, and he wasn’t stable. But it didn’t mean he ever thought of wanting to find stability either. What those people talked about was partly an illusion. The act of promising to live together for a lifetime with another person to get that stability was too risky. Although Yeon Woojeong liked new things and preferred to look for the thrill, in his opinion, that promise was a thrill, not stability. 

Suddenly, no, naturally, he thought of Kim Jiho. He didn’t feel his life had become stable through his life with that child.

However, if the feelings he felt when he opened the front door to find neatly placed sneakers and when he heard the rushing steps through the lit hallway were the same as the one they were talking about…

Yeon Woojeong nodded without feeling disengaged.

“Phew, I’m the only one left now.”

“What do you mean? There’s Woojeong.”

“He lives with Jiho.”

“Aha, that’s right. I heard a bit about it back then. How is it? You two must be different. Isn’t it uncomfortable to live together?”

At first, he felt uncomfortable about the presence that was there when he got home. However, he could get used to it in no time. Maybe it was because Kim Jiho settled down into his house so easily that he also came to feel him naturally.

“We’re making it work as we live.”

Two very different people met, and they couldn’t be the same about everything. First of all, they had different life patterns. However, as they lived together, they precisely became more alike. Rather than changing the angles of differently shaped blocks to make them fit together, they were gently crumbling away the aspects they clashed at.

“Wow, I didn’t know that there would be a day when Woojeong would say something like that. I want to see that Jiho.”

“That kid’s really cute. You can’t imagine how pretty he looks.”

“Really? I’m dying to see him. Bring him along next time if there’s a chance.”

“We’ll see.”

It was unknown if Kim Jiho would like to come. Sometimes he did ask about his friends, but rather than being curious about his friends, it was more right to say he was curious about him. Since Kim Jiho tended to be uncomfortable meeting people much older than him, it wouldn’t be exciting for him.

“Oh, I need to make a quick call.”

While Kim Sarang left his seat for a moment, Jang Heemang’s gaze hesitantly returned to Yeon Woojeong. When he raised his brows, telling her to say it, she began to speak.

“Speaking of Jiho… Is he okay now? I was so surprised when he left that time. And you didn’t tell me the details.”

It was a story that would only boil his blood. There was no need to expose the reason why that child left that day. Anyway, Jang Heemang had repaid his help with that. Yeon Woojeong thought that was enough.

“Well, the child could have gone to play for a moment.”

“Ha. And you, a prosecutor of the Republic of Korea, tracked the account of a kid who went to play?”

Yeon Woojeong shrugged and drank his beer. Jang Heemang, looking at Yeon Woojeong disapprovingly, waited until he finished drinking before asking.

“So, how long are you going to live with Jiho? It’s still far in the future until he gets independent, isn’t it?”

“Who knows.”

“Even if you say you won’t get married now, no one knows what the future holds. Even though he’s an adult, don’t make him feel left out.”

“Heemang, I’ll take care of my boy.”

“… Fine. Of course, you’ll do well you shit.”

Watching Jang Heemang sulk and drink the beer, Yeon Woojeong laughed briefly. Kim Jiho believed that he was easily disliked by others, but that was simply because he had met many such people. He must be clueless that the people, whom he had met briefly, were actually curious about him. Jang Heemang, Investigator Lee Jeonghan, Administrator Kim Jiyeon, and even his teacher inquired about Kim Jiho’s well-being and wondered if he was okay now.

As Kim Sarang returned to his seat, they drank, and the atmosphere heightened. Perhaps in a good mood, Kim Sarang drank a little more than usual, and when he started getting drunk, he put his arm around Woojeong’s shoulder.

“Haha, Woojeong, oh Woojeong.”

“Here we go again.”

“Woojeong, thank you. Thank you, and I’m sorry…”

When the drinks had settled in, Kim Sarang would bring out the child in him. While Yeon Woojeong didn’t find it burdensome or hate it, he didn’t feel any emotion in recalling a story that had long since ended and was tucked away in the back of his mind.

Yeon Woojeong didn’t say it was okay, or that they shouldn’t be sorry. He knew it wouldn’t ease the burden they were carrying. 

“Sarang, don’t be so clingy.”

As he gave him a teasing scold, he suddenly thought of Kim Jiho. He missed that child.

Yeon Woojeong got up from his seat and headed for the smoking booth. Once inside, he put a cigarette in his mouth and pulled out his phone. The one who took up the majority of his call logs was Kim Jiho. The fact that he couldn’t see him even if he wanted to brought up an unfamiliar emotion. He muttered a curse word and lit the cigarette.