LG Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Side Story 2. Christmas Present

— Kyungsoo-hyung!

“Gah.”

— Listen to me for a second!

He had instinctively put in his earphones and answered the call, and it felt like his eardrum might burst. Even though he’d taught him phone manners, Noeul still had the bad habit of blurting out what he wanted to say first whenever he got excited.

“I told you to start with ‘hello’…”

— Yes. Hello? It’s me, Noeul!

At last, the bad habit was fixed.

“Alright, go ahead now.”

— Hyung, you don’t have any plans for Christmas anyway, right? You said you didn’t! You’re gonna hang out with me that day, right?!

“One thing at a time. And already with that topic?”

— What do you mean already, Christmas is next week.

Noeul was one of the people who were most eagerly waiting for Christmas. From early December, he’d even been checking the weather forecast and had said ridiculous things like, “If it doesn’t snow that day, I’m going to file a complaint with the weather bureau.”

As if the weather bureau controlled the weather… Of course, Kyungsoo knew it was a joke, but just in case, he made him promise not to do it. That somewhat disappointed-looking face—maybe he’d imagined it.

“Why?”

— There’s something I’ve always wanted to do with you, hyung. Hang on! I’ll send you a picture on chat.

Kyungsoo turned on his phone screen and waited for the photo from Noeul. After a short moment, a sound came through the earphones—“Ah!”—and a photo arrived.

「Noeul: (photo)」

It was a picture of handcuffs covered in soft-looking red fur, with a few white cotton pom-poms attached. Kyungsoo’s brain froze for a second. Was this photo supposed to… imply something?

— Oh, sorry. That’s not what we’re doing this time….

“…”

Not this time? So, some other time then? He tried to tap the photo to enlarge it, but it suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a speech bubble that said the message had been deleted.

「Noeul: This message has been deleted.」

「Noeul: (photo)」

— It’s this one. I just sent the photo.

The second photo had white letters on a red background. And judging from the words written on it, it seemed like Noeul had made it himself.

――――――――――

♡The 1st Noeul and Kyungsoo-hyung’s Gift Exchange Contest♡

Judge: Cheon Noeul

Top Winner Candidate: Cheon Noeul

Participation Award Candidate: Kim Kyungsoo

――――――――――

“What is this.”

— The 1st Noeul and Kyungsoo-hyung’s Gift Excha—

“I’m not saying that because I can’t read it!”

— Oh, good.

“…”

— Let’s do this together, okay? Doesn’t it sound fun….

Noeul chattered excitedly, saying he had already thought about what gift to give. He began persuading Kyungsoo that if they were going to stay home instead of going out on such a special day, there should at least be some kind of special event.

— No? Huh? Why not?

“It’s not that I can’t… But why are you celebrating the birthday of some foreigner you don’t even know? I don’t get it.”

— Christmas is some foreigner’s birthday?

“You don’t know the guy, right?”

— …Wow. And yet, you, hyung, were the first one to collect all the Christmas items! I clearly saw you selling extra event items yesterday! If you don’t get it, then why did you participate in the Illusion Christmas event?

“…You clever little shit. That’s actually a pretty persuasive argument.”

— I know.

A gift exchange, huh. It was such a typical idea from someone who loved events, whether in games or on special days. But Kyungsoo couldn’t take Noeul’s words at face value.

— You said you didn’t want to go out on Christmas Eve or Day because it’s too crowded… I really wanted to go to an amusement park and eat raccoon-shaped cotton candy, but I held it in because you said we could go next month. But if you don’t even do this, I’ll really be upsettt….

“…Are you… crying?”

— Sniff, sob sob….

So fake. He was definitely making those crying sounds on purpose. If he were really crying, he would’ve said no, so he probably wasn’t actually sitting there all sad. Kyungsoo let out a quiet sigh of relief and grudgingly said okay. Otherwise, the guy might really start crying….

— Yay! I’m looking forward to it!

Noeul made a kissy sound into the receiver and hung up. The call ended as abruptly as it had started.

Kyungsoo immediately stood up and sat down at his computer, biting his lip. This was definitely a scheme.

‘There’s no way he sent that photo by accident. That was meant for me to see.’

Maybe… it was something he wanted to receive? I guess being twenty is the prime age for wanting handcuffs.

—

They talked about how it’d be better to exchange the gifts in person, but Noeul suggested, “Wouldn’t it be a bit inconvenient to carry them around?” and proposed they have the gifts delivered to each other’s homes the day before. He told Kyungsoo with a giggle that he could really look forward to the gift he’d prepared. Just how heavy was it that he couldn’t carry it himself?

Kyungsoo tried several times to coax information out of him, but Noeul’s lips remained tightly sealed. While Kyungsoo was going crazy from curiosity, Noeul seemed unfazed. When Kyungsoo asked, “Why aren’t you curious about what I got you?” Noeul simply replied, “As long as it’s not trash, I love anything you give me, hyung,”—an answer far from what he had hoped for.

So they agreed to receive each other’s gifts by delivery. Kyungsoo’s gift just barely made it in time and was scheduled to arrive on Christmas Eve morning. Knowing Cheon Noeul, he wouldn’t have sent something ordinary. Ever since that handcuff picture, Kyungsoo had been suspicious. What if it was some sort of device too embarrassing to show others? he wondered.

「Today (Thursday the 23rd), the item Cheon Noeul ordered is expected to arrive between 7–10 PM.」

Maybe Noeul had put Kyungsoo’s number down as the recipient, because the delivery text arrived shortly after lunch.

「Me: (photo)」

He sent a screenshot of the delivery text to Noeul.

「Noeul: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL」

Cheon Noeul suddenly burst out laughing. Was he really that happy?

「Noeul: Take a proof photo ㅇㅅㅇ♥」

「Me: ㅇㅇ」

「Noeul: A selfie!!! With your face!! Make sure to show yourself using it!!!」

“…”

No way he could show himself using it. What if it turned out to be something weird…? Kyungsoo had known Noeul long enough not to make blind promises like that.

「Me: What the hell is it anyway??」

「Noeul: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL」

「Noeul: You’ll find out soon ㅇㅅㅇ It’s seriously useful for you, hyung, LMFAO!!」

Useful, huh. What could it be? Strange items passed through Kyungsoo’s mind one by one, but nothing screamed this is it! Even checking the tracking number via the app only listed it as “household goods.” The sender’s name was also Cheon Noeul, so there was no way to find out where it was ordered from.

“You sneaky bastard.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t focus on anything for the rest of the day, hovering near the front door the entire time. Then, when the clock struck 9:35, he heard the elevator door open. Pretending it was nothing, he crept toward the front door, and as footsteps approached, the doorbell finally rang.

“……!”

As if he had been waiting for this exact moment, Kyungsoo quickly opened the door, received the package, and brought it inside. There was one item wrapped in a black bag, and a small box alongside it.

“It’s not that inconvenient to carry….”

What on earth made him say Kyungsoo could really look forward to it? Even now, holding it in his hands, he had no clue what it was. Kyungsoo scratched the tape off the bag with his fingernail. Then, tearing open the outer packaging, he found a big white cottony lump inside.

“…?”

The cotton lump was crumpled down, and at the end of the transparent plastic was something like a plastic zipper bag handle. When he pulled that open, the cotton mass—which had seemed small enough to fit in his arms—suddenly began to burst out of the plastic bag.

“No way… Cheon Noeul…!”

As the cotton fluffed up, it turned into a long pillow about the size of his own body. Why the hell would he send something like this? Was it to account for Kyungsoo’s habit of hugging something in his sleep? Still, the whole thing was baffling. For all the build-up, it wasn’t that impressive of a gift.

“Oh. There was one more thing.”

After throwing the vacuum-sealed plastic and outer packaging into the trash, he noticed the small box that had come with it. Kyungsoo fetched a knife from his room and carefully opened it. Inside was a folded piece of cloth, wrapped in more plastic.

“…What the hell.”

Kyungsoo took a step back and mumbled.

“What the hell is this.”

He hadn’t even taken it out yet, but he already had a bad feeling. Something that looked like light brown hair was… printed onto the cloth.

「Noeul: I heard the package arrived ㅇㅅㅇ! Where are you, hyung?」

“….”

A preview of the message floated across the screen, and Kyungsoo shook his head in denial. No, no way. My Noeul wouldn’t do something like this.

“…Cheon Noeul, you’re so dead!”

But of course, he would.

Kyungsoo held up the neatly packaged “Cheon Noeul cover.” And as soon as he saw what was printed on it, he immediately flung it into the air. Fuck! While cursing to himself, he picked the pillow cover back up from the floor and, grumbling all the while, slipped it onto the big pillow.

When it was finished and tossed onto the bed, it created the illusion of Noeul quietly sleeping there, eyes closed.

“ARGHHH!”

So annoying! …The photo came out really well, though. Why’d it have to be so well taken? Who even took the picture of him sleeping? Was he just pretending to be asleep? And what did he say to the person taking it? Why did they agree to do it? They were both completely insane! The size even closely resembled a real person’s, and Kyungsoo felt his head boil.

“You crazy bastard. You absolute psycho!”

Kyungsoo’s hands were shaking.

He didn’t know where people made these kinds of things, but one thing was certain—Cheon Noeul was not in his right mind. No, he hadn’t been since the very first time they met, but over time, he’d only gotten worse. Kyungsoo was furious. Absolutely furious.

「Me: Package got lost O-O」

「Noeul: I know you’re lying lol」

「Me: For real I swear on you」

「Noeul: Why would you swear on me TT」

「Noeul: The delivery guy told me it was delivered! I can prove it!! ㅇㅅㅇ lol」

「Me: You asshole」

「Noeul: ㅇㅅㅇ?」

What the hell is this. Why would anyone give this as a gift! Kyungsoo ended up taking dozens of proof photos to send to Noeul, just as he’d asked.

「Noeul: ……?」

The Cheon Noeul pillow soaking in the bathtub.

The Cheon Noeul pillow staring at a baseball bat propped against the wall.

The Cheon Noeul pillow trying to do hot compress therapy over a gas burner.

The Cheon Noeul pillow preparing to dive out the window….

Every time Noeul received a photo, he would fret, saying, “That’s not how you use it TT.” Finally, Kyungsoo, as if doing a great favor, lay on the bed, closed his eyes, hugged Cheon Noeul’s pillow, and sent a photo of him making a V sign. Only then did Noeul feel relieved, saying, “Cherish it hehe.”

“…It’s comfortable, though.”

The kid has a surprisingly good eye. And it’s not wrong to say it’s useful…

Hugging the pillow between his legs brought peace to his mind. He felt like he could sleep well like this… It felt like there was one more person in the house.

Gasp.

「Noeul: Come to my house as soon as you wake up tomorrow♥♥」

But now wasn’t the time to be worrying about that. He suddenly became wide awake.

“…My present!”

Suddenly, a sense of crisis struck. Kyungsoo’s present, scheduled to arrive by tomorrow morning, wasn’t some cute thing like a pillow. He must have been out of his mind when he ordered the present.

‘From eight o’clock… Should I set alarms every 10 minutes? I have to be able to wake up.’

First, it was urgent to secure the package before Cheon Noeul.

*

“Ughhhh.”

Kyungsoo, trying to burrow deeper into the blanket to avoid the annoying sunlight falling on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes, realizing something was wrong.

“…Eleven… Forty…?”

He checked his phone clock, feeling refreshed, only to find it was almost twelve o’clock. He suddenly felt anxious, as if he had overslept on the day of an important exam.

「Noeul: (photo)」

「Noeul: There’s a cat on TV that looks like hyung! It even opens doors by itself… smarter than Jung Minjae ㅇㅅㅇ lol (07:00 AM)」

「Noeul: Are you still sleeping? (07:10 AM)」

「Noeul: The sun is high in the sky and you’re still TT…? (07:23 AM)」

「Noeul: Dress warmly and come out later, they say it’s snowing today!! (08:01 AM)」

Cheon Noeul was already awake! That guy always woke up early on days like this and sent a barrage of messages like a bomb. He had to hurry if he didn’t want to be in danger. Kyungsoo rushed to the bathroom and splashed water on his face. After washing up faster than ever, Kyungsoo quickly got dressed and checked the tracking number. Fortunately, it still only said “scheduled for delivery” and hadn’t arrived yet.

“Ah, I have to give him the doll today.”

The doll he had won while drunk was a different expression version of the ‘Cheon Noeul Rabbit Doll’ that was lying next to Noeul’s bed. He had been waiting for the opportunity to give it to Noeul without telling him, but he kept forgetting, and it had been left on Kyungsoo’s bookshelf for a month. Kyungsoo grabbed the ears of the Cheon Noeul rabbit, said hello with his eyes to the Cheon Noeul pillow sleeping soundly on the bed, and left the house.