We decided not to cross the line.

Chapter 109. An Unexpected Favor

At our second home in Spain

we spent our first morning there.




Because we’d stayed up late

checking each other’s wish lists last night,




the exhaustion just wouldn’t go away.




"Hoonji~ What’s for breakfast this morning?"

"Huh? Oh, right! I was on breakfast duty!




Sorry. I totally forgot."

"Then... I’ll make toast today.

By the way, are you a toast person, Hoonji?

Or a sandwich person?




I’ll make whatever you like, Hoonji."




"Um... I think toast tastes better."

"Whoa... same as me!!





You know tastes like this are surprisingly important?"




Hoonji asked me excitedly.

"What goes better with toast?





Milk vs. juice, one, two, three!"





"Milk!!" "Milk!!"





"Wow~~ That’s it!!"




"Hoonji, what’s with that proud look? Pfft."

"You just said this kind of taste preference

matters, didn’t you?

Let’s do one more.




Bibim-naengmyeon vs. mul-naengmyeon?"





"Bibim-naengmyeon!!" "Mul-naengmyeon!!"





"Hoonji, run the vacuum."



"Okay..."



Hoonji turned back and said as he was about to leave.

"But bibim-naengmyeon and mul-naengmyeon




are something you split fifty-fifty, obviously."

"Bingo!! Exactly.





Eating the same thing for both would be the absolute worst."

The first meal after moving





was toast, milk, and cereal.

"Hoonji, I think we should go





grocery shopping later."





"It’s a little inconvenient here since we don’t have a car."

"But still... there are a lot of other good things here.

For example...




the two of us being able to be together like this?"


"Mm. Yeah!!"





He grinned brightly.

Then the phone rang in the room.

I naturally thought it would be a call from Korea.

But before it had even rung a few times,




it was already cut off.

When I looked at the caller ID,





it was Julien’s number.


"Who is it?"

Hoonji, who was washing the dishes,





called out loudly.



"Ah..."





I looked down at my phone for a moment.





"It was a wrong number."

I deleted the call history

and put my phone on silent mode.

I was worried that if Hoonji saw it,





he might not like it.

'But... why did he call...





and then hang up...?'

Still, Julien’s missed call




kept bothering me.

While Hoonji took the laundry

and went to do the washing,





I called Julien.





"Hello?"

"Julien, it’s me.

You called earlier...





I tried to answer, but it had already hung up, so I couldn’t pick up."





"Jungah."





"Yeah."

"Well... I called, but

I felt like I was just making you worry for nothing,





so I hung up right away."

"What do you mean?





Is something wrong?"





"Actually... I’m going to have surgery."





"What’s wrong?"

"It’s nothing serious.





I’m getting surgery because of an old injury."





"Surgery?"

"Yes... but...

they say I need someone with me on the day of the surgery.

Actually... I called to ask you for a favor, Jungah.

I was worried my parents would be concerned...

 



so I didn’t really want to tell them."





"Ah... okay..."

"After I called,

I thought I might just be bothering you too, Jungah,





so I hung up in a hurry."





"Yes..."

"Jungah, you can ask a friend.



So don’t worry about it."

Julien hesitated for a moment



then went on.

"But...

when the doctor was explaining that I needed someone with me for the surgery,

I found myself thinking that I wanted you by my side, Jungah.

I’m being really shameless, aren’t I?"

 



"... Julien."


I was at a loss for how to answer.




"I want to help, but...

I don’t think I can. I’m sorry."





".... Yeah. I know."





"Good luck with the surgery."





"Thank you."





"I’ll hang up now."





"Jungah!"


He called out to me in desperation.




"When I saw you last time in Spain...

even though it was only for a moment, I was really happy.

I waited a long time, hoping you’d come to the hotel

the next day too."





"Julien. Don’t be in pain, and take good care of your health.

I’m hanging up."





Without hearing the rest of his goodbye,

I ended the call.





'Was I too harsh on someone who’s sick...?'


I didn’t feel good about it.





Until Hoonji came back after finishing the laundry,

Julien’s call wouldn’t leave my mind.




'When I was having a hard time because of Hoonji,

Julien was by my side...?'



'He must have hesitated a lot

before calling me for help...?'



'What do I do...?'





Then,

I heard the front door open.




"Jungah~

I bought you some strawberry ice cream

on my way back."





"Hoonji.

I... I think I need to go to Paris for a bit."





"I clearly said that was absolutely not allowed."