Jeong-yoon went inside and pressed the elevator button. The elevator on the 20th floor began to come down. He wanted to get home quickly and relax his body, but today it seemed to be taking longer than usual.

His body felt heavy. The drunkenness that he had been holding back seemed to be hitting him now.

He leaned his forehead against the wall. The coldness of the cement wall slowly seeped into him. Suddenly, he felt like crying. But as a future soldier, he couldn’t afford to shed tears.

…No, it wasn’t really because of that reason that he was suppressing his emotions. It was more because he felt that if he let his overwhelming emotions out even a little, they might pour out uncontrollably, so he was forcing himself to hold back.

How deeply had he been immersed in his own lamentations? Just before the elevator arrived, his mobile phone in his pocket rang with a “ziing.” When he took out his phone and looked at the screen, the name “Pretty Mi-hee” was flashing. It was a name Mi-hee had registered herself.

He wondered if it might be a call from Kang Chae-heon. It was a futile and foolish hope.

He got into the elevator and pressed the answer button.

“Yeahh. Mi-hee.”

– Jeong-yoon… today… by the way…

Maybe because he was in the elevator, her voice wasn’t very clear.

“What did you say? Hold on.”

As he spoke, the elevator arrived on the fifth floor. Jeong-yoon came out of the elevator and quietly listened to Mi-hee’s voice starting to pour out loud.

– Can you hear me now? I heard you had a farewell party today?

“It’s not a farewell party, but a celebration party. Anyway, it just ended, and I just got home.”

– You should’ve called me. I was hanging out with my friends near the school.

“You’re done with your exams. I didn’t call you because I was afraid it would be a hassle to come to school.”

– If you had called me, I would have come! I’m upset!

“I’m sorry. I thought it might be a hassle for you to go back and forth.”

Jeong-yoon comforted Mi-hee over the phone and opened the main door. And then.

“Whoa, you startled me!”

He took a step back, surprised. It was one o’clock, and the smell of fried chicken wafted through the air. Of course, it’s one o’clock in the morning, not daytime. His mother and sister were in the bright living room, engrossed in watching a drama rerun while munching on chicken. Their appetite was truly remarkable.

Jeong-yoon bowed his head as a sign of greeting. The two just waved their hands indifferently and didn’t respond as they were eating chicken. Mi-hee’s voice continued to ring through the phone.

– When exactly do you enlist?

“In a month and a half.”

– That’s still a long time. You’ll spend a lot of time with me until then, right?
“Of course, you’re my friend.”

– You’re speaking so nicely. Did you drink a lot? Is your stomach okay?

“Listen, my voice is just fine, right?”

Jeong-yoon put his cell phone between his ear and shoulder and took off his clothes. He wanted to take a shower as soon as he hung up the phone. After a few more exchanges, he said his goodnight. He held the phone between his fingers and pressed the end button after exchanging a few more words. Then, he tossed his clothes on top of each other. Instead of heading inside, he stood by the bathroom door, banging his head lightly against it.

A storm was brewing. Even while he was talking and laughing with Mi-hee on the phone, a face kept coming to mind. Kang Chae-heon. The last farewell they had. It crashed into his heart like rough waves.

But in the midst of all this, the smell of chicken right under his nose was so vivid that it somewhat eased his sadness. Chicken was indeed the best cure for sorrow.

He stood there for about a minute. Then, his mother’s voice reached him from behind.

“Jeong-yoon-ah. Is that your girlfriend?”

“No, Mom.”

Jeong-yoon lifted his forehead from the door and turned around.

“Really not your girlfriend?”

“No, Mom.”

“Ugh… I gave birth to such a beautiful son, yet why hasn’t he had a girlfriend until now?

Jeong-yoon frowned at those words.

“Mom, there’s something wrong here. I didn’t find one. There’s a big difference between not finding one and not having one.”

“It’s strange. Are you too immature because you’re the youngest, so girls don’t like you?”

Jeong-yoon’s mother ignored his words and clicked her tongue.

“Why am I immature? I’ll say it again, I didn’t find one.”

“Okay, okay.”

“It’s not just ‘okay’…! Besides, I’m going to the military soon, so how can I find a girlfriend?”

Jeong-yoon’s mother laughed gently as if trying to soothe him when he grumbled.

“Alright, I get it. Go wash up and come out to eat the chicken.”

At those words, his older sister next to him lifted the chicken box. Inside, there was only one wing left. Seeing this, Jeong-yoon chuckled dryly, “Ha.”

“What do you expect me to eat when all that’s left is a wing? And I’m so full!”

Jeong-yoon shouted as if he had given up. This was the usual pattern. He could never quite communicate with this mother and daughter. Jeong-yoon’s older sister, Jeong-seon,chuckled as she watched his reaction.

“Jeong-yoon-ah. “But why are you standing here with your shirt off?”

“… I was trying to shower, but Mom and Noona kept talking…! Ugh, that’s it.”

Jeong-yoon was about to complain, but then he lowered his head and went into the bathroom. As he closed the door, he could still hear his mother and sister laughing outside. He couldn’t hear them properly, but one phrase stuck very clearly in his mind.

“He is really fun to tease.”

The mix of the chicken smell and teasing banter somehow lifted a bit of his melancholy. In a way, he was thankful to his sister for that.

After washing himself with hot water, Jeong-yoon put on his pajamas and sat on the bed. He knew he needed to dry his hair, but that felt too bothersome, and he couldn’t bring himself to lift a finger. Despite feeling tired and wanting to sleep as soon as he came out of the shower, he couldn’t sleep.

“Jeong-yoon-ah.”

After closing his eyes for a while, his sister silently opened the door and entered the room. Sitting on the chair across from the bed, she got straight to the point.

“Do you happen to know Yoo Da-jung?”

“Yoo Da-jung?”

“Yeah. I heard she went to the same high school as you?”

Jeong-yoon stared blankly at Jeong-seon’s face.

Yoo Da-jung. There was no way he could forget that name.

Suddenly, his heart pounded, and a cold sensation ran down his chest. Jeong-yoon made an effort to calm his emotions and replied nonchalantly.

“Yoo Da-jung. I know her.”

“You do? I started a Russian language study group in the neighborhood recently, and she’s one of the members. She said she went to the same high school as you.”

“Oh, really? I don’t think there’s anyone from our high school who doesn’t know her.”

“Because she’s pretty?”

“Yeah.”

Jeong-yoon nodded easily. Seeing how even his older sister asked that question, it was clear Yoo Da-jung, who was pretty in high school, must be still pretty now.