Saturday morning, Deil started the day by getting into a heated argument with his father. Even though the professor had a mild temperament, Deil could get a rise out of him like no one else.
Deil either ignored his father or got on his nerves. He was too smart for his own good and equally stubborn. He let his mouth go but was never outright disrespectful. At any rate, what he said was usually the truth.
“Son, would you calm down and let us talk it out? I don’t know what else to do,” his father reasoned.
“It’s pretty easy,” Deil scoffed, “Just leave! Go to her. That way, you won’t have to bother.”
They stared at each other. The air was tense, but Deil could see the fight going out of his father.
His father said, “You don’t mean that.”
“Why? It’s not like love is defined by distance.” Deil threw back the words his father had told him all those years ago. “And look what a loving family we are right now. Let us all respectively scatter to another fucking continent!” With that, Deil stepped into his shoes and gripped the door handle. He didn’t slam the door behind him as he left, didn’t even close it. The front entrance remained open like a mouth unable to close, open like a lid that couldn’t contain all the mess inside.
The morning air was crisp and fresh as the sun rose in the sky. Deil walked until he felt hunger gnaw at him. By now, he had been walking for a better part of an hour and left without eating breakfast.
Sometime after the first thirty minutes, Deil felt his emotional stability settling. The tides and waves of emotions changed quickly for young people. That’s why they were so easy to fire up.
Deil didn’t hold those frustrations too close to his heart. He quarrelled with his dad every now and then, but it never drastically changed the dynamic of their relationship. Still, keeping away for a little longer seemed the best idea. Rather than going back, he headed to the small plaza.
On this sunny Saturday, well after the time for breakfast but still before noon, a lot of couples and kids went for an outing. The small plaza thus became lively.
Deil strolled to the edge of the plaza where a patch of green area oversaw the largest out of several rinks. A group of kids practised their skills there, be it on skateboards or their bikes. The place was well equipped considering its size, and made Deil regret not bringing his bike.
Next to the patch of grass laid a concrete lot with a fountain that only operated during summer. Upon it, dance groups practised and little kids rode three-wheelers while their parents stood around to chat with one another.
In the middle of it all, a wooden stall sold snacks and brunch. Two rickety tables with a handful of plastic chairs welcomed the patrons up front, and not far away, a tall parasol tree reached for the sky.
Deil greeted the stall owner and asked, “Say, what’s tasty for someone without breakfast?”
“No breakfast until this time of the day?” The owner was a middle aged, short man. He took one look and decided that Deil seemed to be a patron who could spend handsomely in his little stall. He pointed at the menu. “You need food that’s delicious and filling. Here, these three are almost sold out.”
Deil read through the menu scribbled on a board at the side. He wasn’t sure what he wanted, only that he felt hunger in the pit of his stomach. “Then…what is the most popular item?”
“Ey, everything is popular.” The owner laughed. “How can I only pinpoint it to one thing? It’s all fresh. Choose whatever catches your eye. Boys need to eat a lot to have ample energy. Don’t start those all-healthy diets too soon.”
No, but sir, where do you think your stall’s menu would place on the food pyramid? Do you reckon I’m here and still thinking about my diet? What isn’t fried is deep fried or downed in cheese!
In the end, Deil ordered a bunch of things, thanks to the constant prodding of the owner. He chose a seat at one of the tables and walked back three times to put everything on it. His last sandwich was sizzling on the grill even as he sat down.
Deil made do with this mountain of food and ate while he watched the people play at the small plaza. A little girl was trying to switch from training wheels to the real deal. Her bicycle had flames on its frame, looking rather cool, much like a baby dirtbike. The little girl was also cool. When she fell and hit her knees, she didn’t cry out. Her mother went to her side and helped her up. She encouraged, “It’s okay. Try again.” The little girl solemnly nodded, then jumped back onto her bicycle.
By now, the sun was out with full force. Screams and laughter pervaded the place. The owner brought out the last sandwich and asked if Deil needed anything else.
Deil swallowed the big bite in his mouth before answering, “Something to drink, a coke or tea. I forgot about that. Thank you.”
“I’ll bring it with the bill. The drinks are on the house.” The owner smiled. After all, Deil alone had ordered as much as a group would.
A couple of boys gathered around the largest rink, trying out tricks on their skateboards. They took turns assessing each other’s level. Deil ate while watching them. He felt better with every bite.
The owner brought back two big cups, one with coke and the other with tea. Ice cubes clinked in them, condensation settling on the outsides of the cups. Deil thanked him again and turned back to watch the rink.
Just then, a shadow whizzed by those boys, attracting Deil’s attention. That person’s form and posture were powerful, drawing one’s gaze.
What Deil spotted was Hoh Saering on a skateboard.
Deil had never seen Saering be so unabashedly free, cruising back and forth, the breeze grabbing at his hair. At that moment, he was the very image of youthful recklessness, filled with vitality.
Deil had never been fond of those fancy tricks of non-stop flipping and jumping around. Even with his bike, what called out to him was the speed rather than technical finesse. Witnessing this laid-back skating style appealed to his tastes, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away. He watched Saering, almost mesmerised.
Gaining momentum, Saering rotated while dropping over a couple of steps, landing with smooth and practised movements. His landing spot was opposite where Deil sat. The two made eye contact.
Saering’s expression froze for a moment, surprise flickering in his gaze. He neared the food stall, and Deil waved at him.
Saering kicked up the board into his hand and greeted. “Hi.” He looked over the assortment of food on the small rickety tabletop. “Is there a party? Where are the others?”
“I’m alone,” Deil said without embarrassment. He didn’t explain the sudden influx of food but asked back, “And you?”
“Came out to move around after getting bored with reading.” Saering’s hair was mussed by the wind, his eyes unguarded without the usual barrier of his glasses.
Deil had to take a double take. “You’re reading first thing in the morning? What for?”
Why did people read? Sae wasn’t sure if the question was for real, and it showed in his expression. “...I was revising.”
Shum Deil laughed. “I thought you’d at least do it for fun if you started so early.”
“Who said I wasn’t having fun?”
His question made Shum Deil crack up harder. “You just told me you came here out of boredom. I wouldn’t really know what you mean, though. If a book bores me for more than two consecutive sentences, it’s flying out.”
Sae squinted his eyes. “Where does it fly out from?”
“From my hand.” Shum Deil gestured with flexed fingers in an ascending line.
Sae looked at him, waiting.
“Right out of the window.”
Hearing this answer pulled Sae’s mouth into a smile. “You never read through study materials?”
“Not really… sometimes I search up and skim some things that are a little hazy. When I read, it’s either trashy online novels or subtitles.” Deil grinned at him. “I sometimes read the cereal box.”
“Good thing that’s not heavy then,” Sae said and gazed down at the other.
Deil jerked his chin at the empty chair. “Sit. Are you thirsty?”
Saering twisted the belt bag strapped around his chest to the front. After he opened the bag’s zip, a small plastic flask – the kind little kids drank from – made its way into the daylight.
Deil watched him, speechless. Once as back as preschool, he too drank from a flask similar to this one. “You bring that around? That’s very…practical.”
“I don’t drink water from unknown sources.”
Deil put one of the cups before Saering. “This is tea.”
The boy peered at the rim of the cup, and shrunk his neck back. He didn’t move to take it.
“Sit down,” Deil repeated.
After Deil’s urging, Saering finally sat down. He dropped the skateboard under one of his feet, absently nudging it back and forth. “You don’t know what kind of water was used for those ice cubes.”
Deil tore the cup’s lid off and scooped out all the ice cubes with the help of a spoon. “Here.” He put the cup back on the table.
Saering told him, “Part of the ice already melted into the drink.”
Deil stopped to gaze up at the other’s face. “Do you want to get hit?”
As a reply, Saering uncapped his flask and took a sip. Deil watched him and asked, “Is there booze in that?”
“I don’t drink alcohol,” Saering’s tone turned disdainful.
The sun shone down on them, and Deil smiled. “Afraid you’ll lose your balance on the board?”
“No.” Saering returned his smile but didn’t say anything else. He watched Deil eat for a moment before asking, “Are you really alone?”
His words made Deil chuckle. “Why would I lie about that?” He turned halfway to point at the owner still bustling in the little stall. “You can ask him whether he had another patron beside me in the last twenty minutes. He saw it all.”
Saering shrugged like, okay, and looked at the table again. “Do you normally eat this much?”
“No.” Deil took another bite. “But I couldn’t decide what to eat and was really hungry.”
Saering nodded, his mouth turning into a little pout. It looked endearing. “Haven’t you eaten at all today?”
That question put Deil on the spot. He didn’t want to talk about how or why he got here. Without giving an answer, he chewed for a few seconds before opening his mouth. “Are you hungry? I ordered a bit too much.”
That giant sandwich the owner bought out at last still sat untouched at the edge of the table. Deil pointed at it and offered, “I didn’t touch that.”
Today, Saering wasn’t wearing his glasses. His face seemed more open, his eyes reflecting the brightness of the sky. His brows were dark and a bit drooping but not too thick. He leaned forward like he wanted to speak discreetly. “Are you inviting me to brunch?”
“Sure,” Deil assented. “You can drink your mystery drink. I won’t try to force you to drink tea.” He nudged the plate closer to Saering. “I really didn’t touch it.”
“I believe you. Do you want me,” Saering looked at him with interest, “...to eat with you so it won’t look so sketchy that you’re sitting here for hours to no end only to eat?”
Deil frowned. “Why would that be sketchy?”
Saering narrowed his eyes. They were vibrant and beautiful. “One might think you’re here to monitor someone. Or out on a scout.”
“Fuck, do I look like a hooligan that much?”
“No.” Saering’s mouth curved up. “You look just wild enough.”
Somehow that sentence made Deil’s heart skip a beat. He carried on eating to dissipate that strange feeling.
Thinking back on what Saering had said, Deil chucked out all of the ice cubes from his coke before taking a sip. He cleared his throat and murmured, “Don’t let my aunt hear that.”
“Your aunt...” Saering started while eyeing the sandwich.
“Mnm,” Deil hummed. “You know. The owner of the academy.” At Saering’s uncomprehending expression, he specified, “Where Emi has her English classes. I’m working as a tutor for that school. Didn’t she tell you that?”
“She didn’t.” Saering shook his head and pulled the sandwich before him. “What would your aunt do if she heard you’re wild?”
“Fire me.” Deil swallowed. “There are ninety-nine rules I have to uphold to keep working there.”
Saering asked, “Being wicked isn’t one of them?”
Deil chuckled while shaking his head. “Not that presentable to the parents of middle schoolers.”
Sae was about to take his first bite of food when the owner came over, bill in hand. By now, Shum Deil was only half-heartedly nibbling. He took a handful of this plate’s variety, then a bite from that dish. He was obviously stalling for time so Sae wouldn’t feel uncomfortable while eating, nor would he rush to finish his food.
“I’ll be back in a minute.” Shum Deil stood up and walked to the stall with the owner. They stopped at the card terminal beside a signboard promoting the newest soft drink.
Sae glanced at them out of the corner of his eye but didn’t pay that much attention. It wasn’t like he made Shum Deil buy him food, nor did they agree beforehand to eat together. There was no obligation for Sae to contribute to today’s expenses.
Out of the blue, Sae heard the owner raise his voice, accusation ringing out in the air.
Shum Deil tried to talk it out by repeating, “I’ll pay, I’ll pay. Let me go and get the money from home. I can’t call anyone; I don’t even have a phone on me! Hey, what are you doing? Please put that down! Sir, please don’t!”
Shum Deil tried to respectfully tell the owner he would pay after bringing back the money, to which the owner started chasing him.
That man was a bit unreasonable; he got the rod of the awning to chase Shum Deil around.
“Sir, violence isn’t the answer! I will come back, believe me!” Shum Deil cried while running. He scrambled over to Sae, pushing him out of his seat. “Run!”
Sae wasn’t sure why he had to run, but before he could voice his opinion, the rod got between them, snapping on the table with a crash, bouncing back. Before the thing landed, Sae had heard the distinct sound of it whooshing through the air.
The table became a mess in an instant. Pieces of food flew through the air like giant confetti while the cup of tea rolled to the ground, splashing its contents on their shoes.
The middle-aged man was currently cursing them out, “Nasty little bandit, d’you think I’m stupid? When would you come back to pay, huh? How much did you eat? Shameless thug, eat this!”
Deil grabbed the skateboard off the ground, jerked the corner of Sae’s shirt in a fist and took off, dragging Sae with him.
“Don’t you dare leave!” the owner yelled after them while tenaciously chasing, brandishing that rod as if it was a deadly weapon.
The wind passed by Sae’s ear as he ran with all his might. Although it wasn’t easy, he kept pace with Deil. The two swept the road at a breakneck pace, passing the corner of the small plaza with a middle aged man raging behind them.
Deil squeezed the board close to his side. He leapt over flowerbeds and railings in his way, looking like a part-time fleeing extraordinaire.
Sae heard laughter rumbling deep in Deil’s chest. He dared to laugh at a time like this!
The slapping of feet followed from behind. Sae turned his head to look back.
“Luo!” the stall owner roared, close to wheezing. “Don’t let them get away! Sto–– stop them!” After this final cry, he stopped with his hands on his knees, coughing. The rod clinked on the pavement and rolled away.
The man who was called shot out from the nearby building two stores away. This call for help was a bit too late, though. Right as the man appeared outside the door, Sae and Deil passed him like the wind.
The man ran a few metres after them in flip-flops before giving up. A sharp whistle cut through the air.
“Oh no. No, no no!” Deil panicked.
Sae strained to get beside him, steps no longer so sure. “What is it?”
Deil said, “He has a dog.”
“What?”
“A dog!”
Just then, they heard sharp barks approaching from behind.
“Shit!” Sae and Deil ran for their lives. In the beginning, they were kind of in line, but soon Sae started to lag behind. He didn’t dare to look back, but the scuffling of hard nails on pavement was about to catch up to him.
“Turn right! Into that alley!” Deil instructed while glancing back at him. It was like he knew Sae had started struggling.
Sae took to the right without hesitation. Good thing he knew the area.
The two turned into a narrow alley with a chest-high wall on one side. While running like mad, Deil threw the skateboard over the wall.
“Hey!” Sae yelled.
“Jump!” Deil followed the skateboard and disappeared as well, leaving Sae alone in the alley with the devil’s pet.
There was no time to think; the dog actually tried to bite his ankle! Sae took a big leap and flipped over the low wall, stumbling on the other side before stabilising himself with a hand on the ground. Deil was sitting three metres away, laughing. On the other side of the wall, the dog almost barked itself hoarse.
Sae gasped for air and asked, “What is that thing?”
“Jack Russell Terrier,” Deil said with a gleam in his eyes.
Okay, what?
Sae was so angry he actually laughed, collapsing on the ground. He counted his breaths for a minute, trying to calm down. “Why the fuck did you dine and dash with me there?”
“I didn’t dine and dash...” Shum Deil was silent for a second. “Okay, technically, I did. But I didn’t know about it until the moment it happened. I wasn’t aware I don’t have any money on me, so it’s not like I planned it. Besides, that man was really unreasonable.” He shook his head, and his tone turned mopey. “Why charge at me with a stick? He didn’t hear me out or believe me.”
“That was the remote of the awning,” Sae said. He wasn’t about to coddle Shum Deil’s psychological well-being. He could understand that man to a degree. After ordering a bunch of stuff, the customer said he didn’t have the money to pay the bill but would come back to do it later. Sae wouldn’t believe it either.
Up until this moment, Sae had not paid attention to where they landed. Now, he looked at their surroundings.
After falling down the wall, they found themselves in a little courtyard that probably belonged to a shop. Next to some shrubs were boxes with an old air conditioner and a bench, as well as earthenware crocks stacked into each other. Diagonally, the space ran only a few metres long.
“You’re not cut out for long-distance, huh?” Shum Deil asked, snatching back Sae’s attention.
“We ran long-distance.” Sae had a habit of squeezing his nose bridge under his glasses to ground himself. His fingers unintentionally pinched the top of his nose, even though he wasn’t wearing glasses today.
“Nah,” Shum Deil, the ass, didn’t even sound winded. He shook his head back and forth. “That was at most six-, seven-hundred metres. How are you gonna run fifteen-hundred metres with this kind of endurance? That won’t do.”
“You’re really out for a beating, huh?” Sae glared at him, stood up, and went to collect his skateboard.
Shum Deil had mocked him for his stamina. It was true that Sae felt a bit drained, but would he actually have to compete with a dog in the school race? He didn’t think so.
After he found the skateboard in the bush next to Shum Deil, he forcefully kicked it up a few times. Maybe his kicking was a bit vicious. Shum Deil shrunk back, raising his hands beside his head. “I only meant to say...you’re really good a short distance, almost as good as me...”
Sae shot him a cold look.
“But if you want to triumph at fifteen-hundred metres, you have to learn to pace yourself. I can help you.” Shum Deil gazed at him. “We could meet up to train. There’s still a month left until the competition.”
Sae was baffled speechless. Unlike his usual self, he hummed and hawed a while before squeezing out, “Do you have a conscience!?”
On the other side of the wall, that damned dog was still making a god-awful ruckus. Other than its hoarse barks, it was silent in the little courtyard.
“Are you angry?” Shum Deil reached out and flicked Sae’s arm.
Sae scoffed. He felt he was rather childish, but that only made him angrier. “You think too highly of yourself.” Slapping Shum Deil’s hand away, he left the courtyard.
