Play Dates

Three

"Honestly, you should come clean my house. How do you keep everything so spotless?"

Geonhak chuckles at his friend. "It's just about being organised."

"Man, Dongju has lost such a gem. How does he even cope?"

A faint smile grows on Geonhak's lips. After a year, he has become open to jokes about he and Dongju's wrecked relationship. He takes his time answering and remains down-to-earth, "He doesn't care about the housework. And I reckon he has a cleaner."

Youngjo scratches his head, now slightly embarrassed at his colleague's stoicism. "Sorry, I'm twisting the knife, ain't I?"

Geonhak shrugs as he gets up from his sofa to get two other beers from the fridge. "I don't mind. I don't feel anything for him anymore." He hands Youngjo a bottle he has just decapsulated and sits back in front of the television.

"What about this guy? Keonhee, is it?"

Geonhak takes a gulp and nods. "Yeah. Decent enough. Considerate. Don't know how he managed to find him."

"The least you can say is that he didn't waste any time after leaving you. Didn't they get together four months after your break-up?"

"Something like that." Youngjo drinks silently and the blonde resumes, "But I'm not pissed, you know. Well, I was, back then, but now I'm okay. It's good for him. Keonhee is... strangely tolerable."

The other townhall worker nods slowly, his gaze fixed on the TV screen, on which a basketball match is running. "And what about you?" he finally asks.

"I said I'm oka-"

"No," Youngjo interrupts softly, still without looking at him. "Don't you want someone new, too?"

Geonhak stares at him for a long while, not quite sure of what he should say; rather, not quite sure of what he feels. He has never really thought about having anybody else in his life than Sunyul. He does not think he can give any more love — because Sunyul has all his love, because Dongju has consumed all the rest.

He feels that introducing someone new in his life would further disturb the semblance of balance he has tried to build his world around. It would also consideraly affect his son; he knows Sunyul truly loves his father's new boyfriend but how could Geonhak find someone as understanding and unobtrusive?

He decides to avoid the question with a touch of humour, "Who would want a gay single dad?"

Youngjo smiles. "Another gay single dad?" He adds with a chuckle, "Sorry I don't fit the category."

Geonhak mentally thanks him for the opportunity to change subjects and tries to look casual as he asks, "Speaking of which, how was your romantic weekend at the hotel? You didn't spam me with pictures, I was beginning to worry."

Youngjo laughs warmly and tells him about he and his girlfriend's weekend in the outskirts of Seoul. Geonhak listens carefully, but cannot stop his mind from wandering, back to Youngjo's previous question. What if it was time for him to grant himself some liberty?

His colleague from the townhall finally takes him out of his existential questionings by asking casually, "Wouldn't you like a weekend to yourself? I mean, without Sunyul? Just to do your things, relax."

Geonhak does not react. He has never really taken this possibility into consideration. All he looks forward to is his weekends with his son, when they have fun together, when he watches him grow up, become smarter and smarter every day, more and more sensitive to the world around him. Geonhak does not want to let that go, even for a weekend.