Chapter 1003. Crank Up 10
Chapter 1003. Crank Up 10
“So, today’s dress code is a royal guard?”
The masked man twirled around as though showing off the clothes he was wearing. Maru was reminded of a nutcracker doll. If there were a few rats beneath the sofa, it would be even more perfect.
“It’s a trump card soldier. Doesn’t the red heart look good on me?”
The masked man walked across the sofa towards him.
“You’re becoming busier by the day, Mr. Maru.”
“I’m grateful. How is it on your side? Anything happen?”
“Well, nothing has changed, just like before. I would observe you then be called to somewhere else.”
“To where?”
“I don’t know. Even if I do, I cannot tell you about it. I would black out like I’m in deep sleep before coming to myself. It’s a hamster wheel life without any changes.”
The masked man came down from the sofa. Maru looked down in front of him. He looked at the masked man, who reached his knee height.
“I assume you have something to talk about.”
“There are a lot of things I want to talk about. I would need all the liquor in the world to talk about them, and then some.”
“But you can’t tell me.”
“It’s an excruciating matter having to stay silent about what you cannot say.”
“And yet you still showed up. It means that there really is something.”
The masked man shrugged.
“Do you feel happy?” he asked.
Maru nodded without hesitation.
“Can’t be happier.”
Maru locked his fingers to show that he was nervous. The masked man had been emitting bad omens ever since the shoot in Ulsan. There was not a word or an expression that signified such, but something more than just what could be gleamed at on the surface told him to look out for the oncoming danger.
“You know.”
“Yes.”
“How likely do you think it is to survive a falling plane?” Maru said as he looked at the painting on the wall.
It was a painting that Gaeul bought on Jeju island. The two ponies walking side by side made him feel at ease. He was only able to bring up that question with the help of that painting.
“Infinitesimally small, I would think. If there’s no accident, there would be no place safer, but if something does happen, you’d be hard-pressed to survive. Unless, of course, the miracle of the Hudson River occurs.”
“How about jumping off with a parachute before the accident happens?”
“If you knew exactly when the accident will happen, then you wouldn’t have gotten on board in the first place. The fact that you got on means that you do not know what the future holds and that you do not have the time to get a parachute.”
“How about never nearing a plane in my entire life?”
The masked man did not respond. He just looked down as he dropped money on the floor and walked around on top of the carpet. Maru saw two noses poking out of a room in the corner, sniffing towards the masked man. They wagged their tails like they had met their owner after a long separation.
“Mr. Maru.”
The masked man stopped wandering and stood upright. He grabbed what would be the cheekbone part of the black and white clown mask and lifted it up slightly. Maru clenched his hands and looked at his face. A forty-five-year-old ‘him’ was looking at him with round eyes, which had some wrinkles around them. It would probably look like that if someone smiled after having spent years being expressionless. No, perhaps he was crying. That face blurred the boundaries between a smile and a cry.
He then spoke,
“You are already on board the plane.”
Before the word ‘plane’ could finish, the masked man disappeared, just like a snowman disappearing overnight on a warm day. The toy-like mask that fell on the floor was the only thing telling him that his existence was not false, just like a wet spot that remained after a snowman melted. However, even that shattered into fine particles before disappearing.
The two dogs started barking. Their barks were very loud.
* * *
“Is he that tired?” Park Hoon muttered.
Daemyung instantly realized what he was talking about.
“I’m sure he is. From what I heard, he was really busy when he was shooting abroad.”
“Well, I guess that can’t be helped. He’s not a top-tier actor or anything like that, so the producers must have prioritized getting work done over looking after his health. He only got to rest recently after being called around everywhere, so I guess it’s natural that he’s tired.”
Maru acted like someone who hadn’t slept for days at the restaurant. He dropped his chopsticks multiple times and even grabbed a heated iron pan with his bare hands. If he quickly took his hands off with a smile and said it was hot, then they wouldn’t think much of the matter, but he took off his hands very slowly as though he couldn’t feel his hands being roasted.
This was the second time they had seen Maru being so absent-minded. The first was when he suddenly declared that he would be enlisting. Nay, he looked even worse today. At least he was sane on the day he said he was going to the military.
“I’ll visit Maru before going.”
“Alright. Get him some beer and cheer him up.”
Park Hoon left in his car while Daemyung headed to Maru’s apartment. When they left the restaurant, Maru went to his house first, saying that he had a bit of a headache. Daemyung went up using the elevator and pressed the bell. Maru soon opened the door.
“Did you leave anything behind?”
Maru had regained his vitality. The depressing side he showed at the restaurant was completely gone. Daemyung slightly hid the beer he bought from the convenience store behind him. From the looks of it, it seemed that Maru needed some rest, rather than beer.
“It’s nothing. I was just going to tell you to get some rest.”
“What’s that thing rustling behind you?”
“Oh, this? I was going to drink them by myself at home.”
“Don’t be like that. Come on in.”
“Forget it. Get some rest. I’ll go back now.”
Maru, who opened the door like he was coming out, suddenly stopped. He put on a faint smile.
“Thanks for looking out for me. I was a bit too out of it at the restaurant, wasn’t I?”
“Anyone can be like that if they’re tired. I was also in a daze back when I was doing overtime after a nighttime shift at the convenience store since the owner didn’t arrive. At times like that, sleep is the best medicine.”
Daemyung took out a can of beer from the plastic bag and gave it to Maru.
“You should drink after you get some sleep.”
“Thanks. Let’s have a proper drink next time.”
“Once you become free, sure.”
Daemyung pushed Maru, who was at the door, back inside. He was worried, so he was glad that he looked okay now. He had gotten on the elevator and was waiting for the door to close when Maru’s door opened again. Maru came out and waved at him. Daemyung smiled and waved back. The elevator slowly closed. Before it completely closed, he saw Maru’s expression through the thin gap between the doors. Daemyung pressed the button for the 1st floor and tilted his head. His friend’s expression looked bitter.
“I must be wrong.”
* * *
Ever since that day, the ‘rabbit’s’ presence had completely disappeared. She always got the feeling that she was watching from somewhere, even if she didn’t talk to her, but now she had completely disappeared without a trace. Gaeul thought about the rabbit, who disappeared while talking about a fairy tale. What was she trying to say? Now that the person who could answer that question had hidden herself, there was no one to answer her.
Gaeul looked at the mirror in front of the building entrance. She shook off her sour expression and made a big smile. She didn’t want to make the man waiting upstairs worry.
She typed in the door lock pin and went inside. A smell that put her at ease welcomed her. The dogs perked up their ears and rushed towards her. Gaeul kneeled down without even taking her shoes off and patted them.
“You’re here?”
Maru peeked out from the kitchen.
“I came here as soon as possible since things ended earlier than I expected. What are you making?”
“Some side dishes. I found that the fridge is empty after not having looked after it for so long.”
Gaeul tilted her head. There was no way that was true since Maru created a bunch of them a while ago. She stood in front of the refrigerator with the dogs that were latched onto her. She opened the door and looked inside, only to find out that there was still plenty there.
“There’s still a lot left though?”
“That’s not enough.”
“I think we can last at least two weeks with this.”
“I’m making them since I’m cooking anyway. You should eat them when you need to.”
Gaeul sat down on a chair and spoke,
“What is this? You’re speaking like you’re going to go traveling without me.”
“You didn’t know? I’m going to be going a little far. I’m very busy you know?”
“This is how you’re acting now that you’re successful?”
Maru came up to her back and wrapped his hands around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. Maru was cooking some beans. The sweet and salty smell made her feel pleasant.
“Anything I could help with?”
“Can you chop up some cucumber after you’re done washing? I’ll make some cucumber kimchi.”
“I’d be glad to.”
Gaeul took out some underwear and casual clothes she wore at home before standing in front of the bathroom. She took off her jacket and put it in the laundry basket and was about to enter the bathroom but then headed to the kitchen again.
“Maru.”
“Yeah?”
Maru’s eyes were still on the beans.
“What you said before. Nothing’s happening, right? Like actually moving far away.”
She knew that it was a joke, but it strangely caught her mind. It was probably because he smiled without looking her in the eyes when he said such a thing. Maru, who was using a wooden ladle to stir the beans, turned his head around slightly and spoke,
“There’s no way that’s true.”
Gaeul nodded and turned around. He still did not look her in the eyes, but it didn’t seem to be a problem. After all, he didn’t look away when cooking. Gaeul pulled on the doorknob to the bathroom.