Until The End of Time | Wonho [√]

18: VELLICHOR

VELLICHOR: THE STRANGE WISTFULNRSS OF USED BOOK STORES

As time went by I realized how much intensity was growing in my chest and how much I was getting fond of Wonho. My heart trembled just by thinking I was going to meet him and it wasn't anything too special too. It wasn't anything romantic, extraordinary but a simple conversation or a silent presence of his that would make all the glum in my world go away.

There wasn't any name for our relationship. At this point we weren't friends nor were we partners. It didn't matter anyway. None of us were ready on our feet to make our positions clear.

In my mind, though, Hyungwon's warning remained. I just didn't fully know what to do. Getting closer to Wonho seemed like the best option for now.

"Hey, wanna go see my workplace?" I peered my head inside Hyungwon's place. His door was almost always open now that I often made unannounced visits. He would be always hunched against the small coffee table of his, scribbling shapes, and maths, and formulas on paper.

His hair grew quite fast, unattended clumps stuck out everywhere. He glimpsed my way, the area around his eyes dark against his pallid face.

"Come along! It's a nice evening today!"

The summer had only come around and brought along rain and mud and crickets chirping every night after the rains, and of course, the scalding heat of Seoul paired with fine dust in the air.

I pretty much hated summer.

Though there was something placid in the spontaneous showers, colors blooming under the blistering sun at morning and noon, the stiff air suddenly blowing away under the winds of coming rain, the cicadas that sang until their hearts were full at lazy afternoons, all seemed vivid to me.

The afternoon glow today made me feel warm. For once, the ruminations were away. I was ready to drag Hyungwon with me since he never went under the sunlight, and his room was always pungent with hot summer air, stale cigarette, and burnt coffee. He ought to grow sick and hospitalized again if this went on. Resulting in me pinching in for his bills again.

He was short on money, that's what he said to me when I told him to buy a small electrical fan since his room wasn't air-conditioned.

Said he brought gold when he first traveled, as he didn't know if the currency had changed in thirty years back in an alternate universe. I thought he was joking, he didn't look like he was.

Surprisingly it didn't take much convincing for me to tag him along. He changed into a black t-shirt and blue jeans, and without a word, he locked his door and ambled on the street alongside me. I guessed he got tired of his small room too.

If it was Changkyun here instead of him, he would've immediately attacked me for trying to dress up. Hanbyul would tease me and then make comments on how she liked my jeans skirt, or the white blouse and the small hairslide. Hyungwon paid no attention to those.