Sea Glass by Celeste Avonne

Author:Celeste Avonne
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9780463992098
Published: 2020-05-05T04:00:00+00:00

Twenty-seven.

Because life has a way of moving forward despite every reluctance, their normal routines began to call them back to reality. Young-jae and Han-sol, bound by a more rigid 8 to 5, were the first to go. Then, and noticed by everyone, came the frequent absences of Min-soo and Ji-hyun. They would vanish, separately, into the bathroom, or ‘out for a walk’ only to return hours later in varying degrees of dishevelment, and once, freshly-changed and showered, despite Ji-hyun’s intention of ‘going for a hike’ over Dongbaek Hill.

On one such morning, Ki-moon, who had stationed his laptop on the breakfast bar, was washing his cup in the sink when Ji-hyun came swanning in from the backside of the hotel. Ki-moon had spent the better part of the last week messaging back and forth with the State Department, filing forms and a petition for an extension of leave, all of which would guarantee Ji-hyun’s unpenalized entry into service with the Forestry Department.

Yet Ji-hyun didn’t even acknowledge Ki-moon as he skulked into the cabin, his face flushed and his neck peppered with bite marks. Ji-hyun tiptoed around the corner, slipping mouselike into Song-jin’s room. A moment later, Tae-yul cried out in surprise, and several minutes after that, Song-jin padded into the kitchen, shouldering into his robe and grumbling over Ji-hyun’s constant disregard for personal space.

“Then you’ll be pleased to know,” Ki-moon said, “That our wild little Honey will begin his service on the 9th day of January.”

Song-jin poured himself a cup of coffee. Groggily, he wondered, “And how many days is that?”

“Four,” Ki-moon told him. He nudged the cream across the bar. Song-jin swirled it into his cup. “I managed to secure him a place in the Parks department, hyung. He’s gonna be a forest ranger. In Jeju.”

Song-jin grated out a breath. “That’s awfully close to here.”

“Don’t worry,” Ki-moon chuckled. “He won’t have any leave. And it’s as rigorous a position as any. He’ll still have boot camp and combat drills, but for the most part, he’ll work in a visitor’s center, leading wildlife tours for schoolkids.”

Song-jin sipped. “That’s as good as studying birds in New Zealand,” he said.

“Yeah, about that…” Ki-moon said, but he held his breath a moment too long, and Song-jin began to shake his head.

“Please don’t start,” he whispered.

“I didn’t say anything,” Ki-moon pointed out.

Song-jin shuffled to the dish drainer, busying himself with placing cups and utensils into their proper places. Through the window, he watched Min-soo on the basketball court, furtively smoking as he dribbled a ball languidly down the pitch. The snow had melted, but it was still cold, and Min-soo was all flappy in his hotel robe, his satin pajamas open at his throat.

“If he could, Min-soo would serve in Ji-hyun’s place,” Song-jin observed.

“Oh, in a heartbeat,” Ki-moon agreed. “But it wouldn’t be the right thing, not for either of them.”

From the bedroom came a ribbon of laughter, bright and keening as a sunray. Clearly, Ji-hyun enjoyed this newfound friendship with Tae-yul. Or perhaps, more accurately, Tae-yul was the only one among them not fed up with Ji-hyun’s shit.

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