Play Dates

Three

"I could have him over for a couple of days. you know. Seonah loves him, she'd be delighted to take care of him with me." Geonhak nods absent-mindedly. "Sunyul could also practice swimming in the pool, or we could take him to the amusement park."

"Yeah, I'll have to think about it." The blond man finishes up his beer and adds, "Thanks."

When Youngjo is about to insist, because he knows Geonhak just needs pushing sometimes, they hear the latter's phone vibrate in his pocket. He takes it out and frowns slightly, growing worried. Dongju never calls on Facetime. And when Sunyul calls with his father's phone, he never uses the camera either. It must be very important.

Geonhak mumbles an apology to his friend, who shrugs, and picks up. His tense features relax when he sees his son's face, though way too up close as he holds the phone right on his nose. "Appa!" he shouts. "Can you see me?"

"Hi there, baby. Yeah, I can see your nose alright. Can you show me your whole face?" The child giggles and tries to get the right angle. His father can soon see the boy's face and his bright smile — outlined by a layer of chocolate. "Someone has been eating sweets?"

"Uncle Dongmyeong said I could! Because I behaved so well." Sunyul smiles even more. He is wearing his dragon-patterned pyjamas and is sitting on a bed with clean white sheets — probably a hotel room.

"You're a lucky bug. How's Busan?"

"I love Busan! Will you come to see me?"

Geonhak feels a slight heartache and tries to stay positive, "I think you'll come see me soon enough. And look who's here!"

He tilts the phone towards Youngjo who waves at his friend's son. Sunyul emits a small shriek and calls merrily, "Uncle Youngjo!" Sunyul waves back, making the phone shake frantically. "I made a house, just like you!"

"Is that true, buddy? Will you show me how it's done?"

As Sunyul rushes through the hotel rooms barefoot — which has Geonhak wince — his father gets both Youngjo and he on the screen and gazes at the quickly moving setting. He thinks he makes out Dongmyeong, his ex-partner's twin brother, sitting on the hotel sofa, checking his phone.

"Sunnie? Is that appa you're running around with?" Geonhak hears Dongmyeong ask. "Might have spared your eyes by doing just a voice call," he mumbles, loud enough for the phone in Sunyul's hand to catch him.

Sunyul seems too focused on his mission to pay attention to his uncle. He finally settles down and holds a big sheet of paper in front of the phone, having trouble managing with both the phone and what looks like a drawing.

"Uncle Youngjo! Look at my house! I made it at the museum. They asked us to build our dream house, like a maquette. I said Uncle Youngjo told me that drawing a house is more important than actually building it, so I made the most perfect blue pint! Daddy said it was nice."

"A blueprint, sweetie. Can you hold the drawing up so Uncle can see?"

Sunyul tries his best to show the piece of paper, which he had fully painted light blue. He had drawn multiple geometrical forms to indicate rooms, furniture, and even floors. Additionally, there were small circles added in the middle of some rooms, either looking like 8s or like potatoes.

"Wow, it's incredible!" Youngjo exclaims. "You're the best architect! I'll have to hire you as my team's manager."

Sunyul giggles, clearly pleased. Geonhak also praises his son and asks, "But what's that thing in the kitchen?"

"That's appa! You're in my dream house. And I made four bedrooms for my whole family: there's one for appa and Sunyul, one for daddy, Uncle Dongmyeong and Keonhee, one for Uncle Youngjo and Auntie Seonah, and one for friends!"

"That's great, we all live together!" Geonhak says enthusiastically, although it pains him that Sunyul's idealistic vision cannot be. How can he ever share a house again with Dongju? Sharing a son is already much difficult.

They hear a voice call Sunyul from afar. Dongju is telling him to say goodbye and go to bed. Sunyul puts his drawing down, waves at the two men and the phone gets into other hands.

Geonhak is almost assaulted by the vision of Dongju on full display on his phone. The long-haired blonde stares at his screen for some time before saying, admittedly to Geonhak, "You forgot the coloured pencils." He then smirks. "Oh, I see Youngjo-hyung is here. Hi to your bird-faced friend." And he hangs up.