Romantic Gangster

#64

[♥Hyun-joon♥: Something came up so I can’t go to school with you today]

[♥Hyun-joon♥: Sorry]

[♥Hyun-joon♥: See you at school]

As Ji-woo was preparing to leave home, they checked the messages from Hyun-joon that came with consecutive vibrations. The first thing that caught their eye was the saved name. It was definitely saved as just “Hyun-joon” until yesterday, but seeing hearts added before and after made them smile.

He must have been doing this while fiddling with their old, slow phone that didn’t have much to do or see on it.

“So cute…”

Thinking they should have added hearts earlier, Ji-woo kept staring at the saved name before coming to their senses and properly checking the content. Usually, he would explain ‘what’ business came up, but today there was no explanation.

Curious, Ji-woo tilted their head and tapped out a reply.

[Okay]

[You’re still coming though, right?]

[It’s graduation day, I’ll be sad if you don’t come]

[You’ll come, right?]

[♥Hyun-joon♥: Yeah, I’ll be there before it ends]

[♥Hyun-joon♥: See you later]

Only after seeing Hyun-joon’s confirmation that he would come to school before graduation ended did Ji-woo feel relieved. Of all days, they really wanted to be with Hyun-joon on graduation day.

“…”

It felt unbelievable that it was already 5 months ago when they were searching everywhere for Hyun-joon and trying to persuade him to come to school, as if it were just yesterday. Time had passed so quickly.

The way to school alone felt strangely unfamiliar and awkward. Though they had gone to school alone incomparably more times than with Hyun-joon, their head, heart, and body seemed to have completely adapted to being with Hyun-joon who had been constantly by their side for months. Seeing how large Hyun-joon’s absence felt.

Actually, they had similar thoughts last night when sleeping alone at home after a while. They had been practically living at Hyun-joon’s house almost every day, and it had been quite some time since they’d returned home. Hyun-joon had walked them home late at night, and for the first time in a long while, they watched Hyun-joon’s back as he returned to his own home.

They were just returning to their home, and Hyun-joon was just going to his home like before… but since then, something felt very strange. And that unfamiliar feeling that continued throughout peaked when they spread their bedding alone to sleep.

Without Hyun-joon, they couldn’t sleep, and it felt boring having no one to talk to before bed. They missed Hyun-joon who would make silly jokes and keep them from falling asleep by constantly giving kisses. Finally, after tossing and turning thinking about Hyun-joon for over three hours, Ji-woo fell asleep almost like passing out near 4 AM.

“…”

Maybe I should have just stayed at Hyun-joon’s house…. Ji-woo bit the inside of their lower lip as they crossed the crosswalk.

As they walked, hoping to get to school quickly and meet Hyun-joon, a fragrant scent wafted past their nose. Turning their head, they saw a flower shop that was open despite the early hour. Perhaps because it was graduation season, there were papers posted everywhere about taking orders for bouquets and flower baskets.

Ji-woo stopped walking and couldn’t take their eyes off the flowers displayed in the store window. Graduation bouquet…. Suddenly, they wanted to give flowers to Hyun-joon. Because it was graduation day. They wanted to put a pretty bouquet in Hyun-joon’s arms too. Just like everyone else. As soon as they had that thought, their feet moved on their own.

“Welcome!”

“Hello. I didn’t make a reservation… but could I get one bouquet?”

“Of course. Which flowers would you like? If it’s hard to choose, you can just tell me the color. If you pick a few flowers from the back, I can recommend complementary flowers too.”

“Ah…”

Listening to the flower shop owner’s explanation, Ji-woo turned around and examined each flower beautifully arranged in transparent vases. Though they didn’t know much about flowers, they were all so pretty that just looking at them made them feel good.

“Could you put these pink and purple flowers together?”

“Of course. You picked ones that go well together. I’ll make it pretty for you. How much were you thinking of spending?”

“Um…. Up to 50,000 won…. Ah, this is my first time buying flowers. Is that not enough?”

“We have various price ranges from 20,000 won to over 100,000 won. Are you preparing a graduation bouquet?”

“Yes…. for a friend’s… graduation…”

Thinking of Hyun-joon and feeling unusually shy, Ji-woo let their words trail off as they stood beside the wrapping counter watching the owner select flowers.

“Then I’ll make it extra pretty for about 30,000 won.”

“Yes… Thank you.”

The flower shop owner skillfully selected various flowers and placed them in order on the wrapping paper. Though she wasn’t taking long to consider, each flower she chose was beautiful and matched well with the others.

With an excited heart, Ji-woo watched the process of flowers from separate vases becoming one beautiful bouquet. Their heart beat so hard it almost hurt thinking of how happy Hyun-joon would be receiving the flowers.

“Is cream-colored ribbon okay?”

“Ah, yes. It’s so pretty.”

After skillfully wrapping the flowers and tying the ribbon beautifully, the flower shop owner adjusted the ribbon shape one more time before handing the bouquet to Ji-woo. Ji-woo carefully cradled the flowers like holding a baby.

“I hope it makes a good gift for your friend. Please come again whenever you need flowers.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Bowing as they left the flower shop, Ji-woo looked down at the rustling bouquet in their arms. Though they had suddenly spent more money than expected, they didn’t feel it was wasteful at all. They just wanted to put the flowers in Hyun-joon’s arms as soon as possible.

Ji-woo carefully held the flowers with one arm to avoid damaging them and checked the time. Time had already flown by, and they would be late if they didn’t hurry. Startled, Ji-woo hurried their steps toward school.

* * *

Despite heat blowing from various places, the auditorium was quite cold, perhaps because the weather was so chilly. Ji-woo rubbed their cold fingertips while listening to the principal’s long congratulatory speech. As they slightly lowered their head, Choi Young-jae standing behind came closer and whispered in their ear.

“Is the principal crazy? How can he talk for 30 minutes? Just repeating the same things over and over.”

“So sleepy.”

“That’s what I’m saying. Hey, why isn’t Hyun-joon here? He was coming well until now, but can’t handle one graduation day?”

“No, he said he’s coming.”

“After the principal finishes, there’s just the graduate’s response or whatever and singing the school song, then it’s over, right?”

At Young-jae’s words, Ji-woo looked at the closed auditorium doors. Hyun-joon had said he would come before graduation ended, but he hadn’t arrived at school yet. They were a bit worried as he wasn’t reading messages or appearing even though they sent them.

“…”

Come to think of it, it was strange from the morning when he said he couldn’t go to school together because something came up. What kind of business could suddenly come up at such an early hour?

He wouldn’t suddenly be doing the delivery job he started temporarily, wanting to adjust to normal work after quitting the collection job, from early morning, and Ji-woo wondered what business could have come up.

…I should have asked what it was this morning.

Knowing he would naturally tell everything when they met, they regretted not asking specifically. Ji-woo looked toward the door whenever there was a sound just in case, but Hyun-joon didn’t appear even through the graduate’s thank you speech, graduation song, and school song.

Why am I so anxious and uneasy?

Ji-woo felt an unusually strong anxiety. It wasn’t simply anxiety from being physically apart. Though they had been together whenever possible, it’s not like they were never apart.

Since Hyun-joon started his part-time job, they would be apart for several hours while Ji-woo worked at the convenience store and Hyun-joon worked, and sometimes when Ji-woo went home, they would spend time separately until morning.

Of course, when they were apart like that, they would miss Hyun-joon, but they had never felt this anxious before, so it felt very strange. Their fingertips kept getting cold, and chills ran through their body to an excessive degree. Ji-woo hunched their shoulders feeling their body trembling. Neither body nor mind would calm down. They suddenly wished Hyun-joon would release his pheromones.

“Why are you shaking so much? Cold?”

“Yeah…. Aren’t you cold?”

“It’s neither cold nor hot for me. Whoa, why are your hands so cold?”

Young-jae’s voice came out a bit loud when he touched their hand, drawing attention from various directions.

“Are you sick?”

“No. I was fine until this morning.”

“Why suddenly… Maybe you should take medicine… Oh, Mom!”

As the lines broke up, graduating students’ families standing at the top and back of the auditorium started approaching. Ji-woo bowed to Young-jae’s parents who smiled at them and took pictures with Young-jae. Then, while watching Young-jae smile holding his bouquet, they carefully scanned the auditorium again. But Hyun-joon was nowhere to be seen.

…He said he’d come before it ended.

Pushing back the disappointment settling in their heart, Ji-woo told Young-jae and his family they would go to the classroom first and left the auditorium. As soon as they went out the door, the cold air wrapped around their face, feeling like their ears would fall off. But forgetting even the cold, Ji-woo took out their phone and called Hyun-joon.

One ring, two rings, three rings….

With the unanswered call, worry and anxiety rushed in so intensely they felt like crying. It was too strange as this had never happened before. Just as they were pressing the call button again with a helpless feeling of not knowing what to do, a bouquet suddenly appeared before their eyes.

Ji-woo’s head shot up in surprise. A face hidden behind the flowers peeked out to the side. It was Hyun-joon. The moment they saw his face, relief flooded in and tears burst forth without realizing.