The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance

ii.

"Why should we tell you?" the kid asked.

"Well, you said you don't want me talking to you, but I need to know who not to talk to."

The kid seemed to weigh over the answer while Hyunwoo observed them. He estimated the oldest kid to be maybe fourteen or fifteen, the younger two maybe twelve or so, but it was hard to tell since they were all rail thin. "Kihyun," the boy said after a minute, apparently having decided that Hyunwoo's reasoning was sound.

"I'm Minhyuk," said the kid who had complained about not winning the game. He had a wide smile that stood at odds with Kihyun's crossed arm and glare.

"Hyungwon," the third boy said, head tilted up at the clouds as though he'd already forgotten why they were answering the question. Already, his hand was creeping back up towards his opposite inside elbow.

"I told you to stop that," Kihyun snapped, grabbing Hyungwon's hand to stop him from scratching at his skin.

"Is he hurt?" Hyunwoo asked, genuinely worried. He had a first aid kid in the car, but he was parked a few blocks away. He figured he could be back in five minutes if he ran. But if Hyungwon had an infection from a dirty needle...

"No, it's just eczema," Kihyun said, grabbing Hyungwon's other hand and pulling them together so he could keep Hyungwon contained. "He's fine."

"But it itches," Hyungwon mumbled in a voice Hyunwoo thought only Kihyun and Minhyuk were supposed to hear, and he couldn't restrain a small smile.

"Because you kept scratching at it," Kihyun said, sounding increasingly frustrated.

"He can't help it," Minhyuk spoke up, making Hyunwoo think that maybe he was older than Hyungwon if he was stepping in to defend him.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Hyunwoo asked, and all three kids looked over at him as though they'd forgotten his presence.

"You can leave," Kihyun said sharply. That seemed to be his attitude about everything, so Hyunwoo didn't feel quite as rebuked as earlier. "We don't talk to cops."

"Right," Minhyuk piped in.

Hyunwoo just tried not to chuckle. "Okay, good luck," he said with a wave before walking away. He heard some more general bickering between the three of them before the sound of another can rattling against the blacktop echoed through the area.

--

His afternoon round was uneventful. He took another walk around, but the Walour Motel parking lot was empty. Either they knew he'd stop by again and wanted to avoid him, or it had gotten too hot for them to gather on the blacktop, which had been soaking up the sun's heat all day and was nearly sizzling. If Hyunwoo laid down some strips of beef, he could probably have his own personal barbequing session right here.

Still, he hoped he would run into the kids again on Wednesday. They were the only people in quadrant four who had talked to him for a little bit at least. Most of the residents nearby just gave him cold stares.

Wednesday, he told himself, making a mental note to pick up something for the trip.

--

Hyungwon and Minhyuk were squatting on the blacktop when he strolled by on Wednesday, peering down at something on the ground, when Hyungwon looked up and waved at him.

Minhyuk elbowed him in the side, causing Hyungwon to curl up and fall over onto the blacktop, holding his side so Minhyuk couldn't jab him again. "We're not supposed to talk to cops. That's what Kihyun said."

"But I didn't say anything, I just waved," Hyungwon complained with a sour expression.

"I'm not here to talk," Hyunwoo said, deciding to just go with what the kids decided. "I just wanted to drop something off," he said, holding up a small bag in his hand and setting it on the fence so the loose wires on top held it up on their side.